CD review: Greatest Hits - Foo Fighters

CAREER SPANNING COLLECTION: The Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits package includes two new tracks - but that's it.

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As last year's two sold old concerts proved, Kiwi rock fans are mad keen on the Foo Fighters.

The shows - two of the best Vector Arena has seen - doubled as Dave Grohl worship sessions, with the former Nirvana drummer receiving standing ovations and ear-splitting applause before playing a single note.

So, after six albums of radio-friendly rock charting the band's progression from part-time side-project to stadium-rocking careerists - a Greatest Hits collection is not only not a surprise, it's a no-brainer. It'll make a great socking fill for teenagers, and dads alike.

What is a surprise is that it's so lightweight. Sure, all their hummable hits - from 1995 singles Big Me and This Is a Call through to crowd favourites Everlong, Learn to Fly, Monkey Wrench and All My Life - are included.

But with just two new songs, the workmanlike Wheels and the forced angst of Word Forward, as well as a few photos and notes, fans can be excused for feeling a little shortchanged. Acoustic versions of Everlong and Skin and Bones certainly feel like padding.

How about a disc of B-sides? A live DVD? A guitar pick? A lock of Grohl's sweaty mullet? Heck, what about a discount ticket to the Them Crooked Vultures show in January?

Even Grohl admits as much in the liner notes, saying the package doesn't inlude his favourite songs - Aurora, New Way Home, MIA, Exhausted and A320, for the record - but offers up this excuse: "Personally, I don't think we've written our greatest songs yet."

He may be right. But when you've got fans as dedicated as those for the Foo Fighters, they deserve a little more.

* What do you think of the Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Nenada   #3   08:20 am Nov 03 2009

It's worth it for the DVD

Foo Manchu   #2   05:34 pm Nov 02 2009

Good for those who only have an album or two, go to itunes to get just the new songs if you already have all the albums. I won't be bothering with Wheels after hearing that on the radio, doesn't deserve to be on a best of.

m0rph3us   #1   05:32 pm Nov 02 2009

I refuse to buy this on the basis that I have all their albums anyway, plus I generally have no love for greatest hits collections from bands that have not yet split up (although the Foos are admittedly on hiatus at the moment).

It's nice to see that Dave acknowledges this is 'greatest hits' rather than 'best songs' though. Of course if it was 'best songs' it would have also had 'I'll Stick Around' and 'Stacked Actors' (nice to see Grohl's choices there include some very overlooked gems).

A b-sides disc would have been fantastic as well, including some of the excellent covers they've done and the early b-sides ('The Colour and the Shape', 'Winnebago', 'Butterflies' etc.).