This Thursday, May 20th, marks the 24th anniversary of Foo Fighters . The Colour and the Shape was released in 1997 and features one of the band's biggest and most enduring hits, the acclaimed "Everlong".
The recording process for the much-feared second album, however, has a rather chaotic history, which was recalled in detail by Kerrang!. Starting with the title, The Colour and the Shape , which doesn't have as deep an origin as many might think. The album's name actually came from a comment by the band's manager at the time, who liked to visit thrift stores looking for random artifacts. When asked about buying a bowling pin, the manager simply replied: "I like the color and I like the shape."
With the desire to make a rock album similar to something by the Pixies , the Foo Fighters decided to hire producer Gil Norton . The episode would later be described as "a bad experience." Norton was presumably very demanding of the band in the studio and was unhappy with the performance of bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith , having dubbed them "the rhythm-less session."
Dave Grohl , apparently, wasn't very happy with William's drumming either. The renowned former Nirvana reportedly re-recorded at least 14 of William's takes in secret, leading William to leave the band as soon as he found out. According to William, at the time, he recorded 96 takes of a single song and worked for 13 hours on another, trying to please the band.
Another factor influencing the album's format was Dave Grohl's recent divorce from his wife Jennifer Youngblood , whom he had been married to for three years. References to Grohl's mental and emotional state can be found throughout the album, including in "Everlong." Learn more here about how Dave Grohl wrote the song. Relive The Colour And The Shape on its anniversary via the Spotify player.