Search - Foo Fighters :: Greatest Hits (Deluxe CD+DVD)

Songs That'll Stick Around

Andrew Estes | Maine | 11/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Who would have thought that Dave Grohl -- the man who once provided a backbeat to Kurt Cobain's pain -- would go so long and so far with his pet project, the Foo Fighters? For the last decade and a half, Grohl and his co-horts have consistently delivered a staggering amount of hit singles, solid albums and often hilarious music videos. As a band who has presented itself with little hype or pretention, it should come as no surprise that they have become the underdogs, almost the unsung heroes of 90's alternative rock. While their time has yet to come to an end, their first Greatest Hits collection is a brief yet substantial celebration of a career well spent.



As with any greatest hits package, this one delivers pretty much what one would expect with a few gripes here and there. While the band's most noteworthy material like "Everlong" and "Times Like These" pops up, this collection is no doubt missing a few major singles and even some fan favorites. The exclusion of "Walking After You" and one of the band's earliest hits, "I'll Stick Around" is downright criminal, especially considering that the length of this CD doesn't even use up all of the space it could! Likewise, "DOA," and "Next Year" are conspicuously absent, as well as the elusive cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki," which received significant airplay back in 2004. Any of these songs could have fit the package, with room to spare.



On the upside, though, the set boasts two new studio tracks as well as a most excellent acoustic rendition of "Everlong" (which made an appearance in the Adam Sandler flick, Little Nicky, but not on its soundtrack). "Wheels" is the single, meant to promote the album, and it's a perfect example of how this band has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, but still maintains its identity. The other new track, "Word Forward," sounds like it could have been on the Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace album and fit in rather nicely. These three tracks no doubt make this collection worth buying for those who aren't just casual fans or passersby who may enjoy a song here and there.



The cream of the crop, however, is the DVD that is included. A career retrospective of the band's iconic music video history, this is worth the price of admission alone. A few videos are missing, such as "Breakout" (due likely to the fact that it was produced to promote the Jim Carrey vehicle, Me, Myself & Irene) "The One" and "Times Like These," although a rather gorgeous acoustic version sits in its place (hint: all three versions of the "Times Like These" video can be found on the Low/Times Like These DVD single) but the collection makes up for it by including a sampling of live performances (some culled from the band's previously released DVD's). The videos themselves are classic, often touching and hilarious. Although you will feel the urge to take a shower after the "Low" video, the videos still hold up and are a blast to watch.



While more could have been done with this collection, it's still a remarkable example of all things Foo Fighters. The songs and their track record speak for themselves. And although it represents all aspects of the band's career, it's worth mentioning to those of you who may be getting into this band for the first time that their albums are rather great in and of themselves. They may appear to be a singles band on the surface, but scratch a bit more, and you'll find one of rock's most precious gems. Fans will love the DVD as well as the new songs, making this a rather nostalgic and warm experience. Here's hoping there's another fifteen years or more in them.

"

Buy it for the dvd

rhenom | Poulsbo, WA | 12/13/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you are new to the Foo Fighters this is a great way to get familiar with them. For people like me who already have all of these songs the dvd makes this a good deal for the price. The CD is stocked with your standard hits and singles, with the additions of 2 new songs and an acoustic version of Everlong.



I have to say I wasn't terribly impressed with the new songs Wheels and Word Forward. To me they sounded almost like country-rock, which is not a sound I look for from the Foo Fighters. (I detest country music in general) The acoustic version of Everlong is just Dave by himself with his guitar, judging by his voice it sounds like it was recorded a while ago. Not my favorite version of Everlong but it's ok.



The package comes with several pages of random pictures of the band, it's all in black and white and is mildly interesting.



The dvd contains lots of music videos from band presented in chronological order, which is interesting to see the band as they mature sort of. I wish it was organized video by video instead, it plays them all together, although you can select the individual videos like bookmarks from the menu. It was the first time I'd seen any of the videos (I'm not an MTV person...) the highlights for me...



The Everlong video is...odd, not exactly what one would imagine from listening to the song.

The Low video is Dave and Jack Black in a motel room, and is funny in a disturbing kind of way.



I only gave this package 4 stars instead of 5 because they should have filled the CD to capacity instead of leaving blanks space (as others have noted there are plenty of good songs that could have fit in. And more importantly I wish the dvd had more than just videos on it. If it had behind the scenes stuff and band interviews (like the red hot chili peppers dvd) it would have been better.



Overall, you really can't go wrong with the Amazon price though."