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Review: Foo Fighters' 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose'
by Roy Opochinski

published 11/15/99

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Roy Opochinski is a writer based at the Jersey shore. Check out his Web site at 500 Words.



MOST RECENT YAK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:

Subj: your misguided
umm... the last "drunk" part was a joke. so maybe next time you should try doing your research. dick

-- carolyn
Feb 11, 2009 at 10:31PM

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Foo-ey!
What must it be like to have been in, arguably, the most influential band of the 1990s? Dave Grohl can answer that question. As the drummer for the band that brought grunge rock to flannel-clad slackers worldwide, Grohl banged on the skins for Nirvana throughout their meteoric existence.

And had Grohl faded away after the suicide of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain, his legacy in the pantheon of rock-and-roll would have been rightfully secured. Instead, after Cobain’s 1994 suicide, he started his own band, Foo Fighters, and riding the wave of his Nirvana success, the self-titled album went platinum and spawned the hit single (and video) for “Big Me” and the alternative rock radio staple “This Is a Call.”

The 1997 follow-up "The Colour and The Shape" proved that Grohl wasn’t just riding the Nirvana coattails. It too went platinum and produced the hit single “Monkey Wrench.” And it did something more. It began to solidify the idea that Grohl was part of the two most popular rock bands of the decade.

Fast-forward to November 1999. As the 1990s draw to a close, the Foo Fighters third album There Is Nothing Left to Lose, proves that rock isn’t dead, you just have to know where to find it.

Chock full of bass and drum-driven rock and roll, "There Is Nothing Left to Lose" sucks its listeners in with the funky “Stacked Actors” and doesn’t let up for 11 tracks. The second song, “Breakout” continues with the drum and bass assault but throws in compellingly simple lyrics (“therapy still scares me/put me on my back again") that all but ensure that this will be the second cross-over hit off this album.

The first hit is the third track, “Learn To Fly” (no relation to Tom Petty or Pink Floyd here, in case you wondered.) This song sticks to the same formula--drum and bass and a catchy chorus--that helped move millions of copies of the first two albums. And as an added bonus, if you play the CD on your computer, you can watch the hysterical video for this song.

The rest of the album is more of the same, though that’s not a bad thing. Back to back “Generator” and “Aurora” vary from driving drum and bass to almost driving drum and bass. This is not an album deeply rooted in experimentation. The Foos do what they do and make no excuses for it. The closest thing to a ballad on this album is “Next Year”, and it is far from a conventional ballad. It’s just a slower version of the other songs on the album.

"There Is Nothing Left to Lose" is, by late-90s standards, an excellent mainstream rock album. It is eminently listenable, full of catchy songs performed by talented musicians. With it, the Foo Fighters stake a claim for being one of the better rock bands of the 1990s. Dave Grohl’s band is nowhere as good as Pearl Jam nor Nirvana. Never will be. And those who put them in such lofty company are misguided. This is an album that sounds great, but one whose lyrics will never come close to affecting anyone the way "Nevermind" did.

And Dave Grohl knows this. Watch the video of a drunken Grohl on the enhanced CD. He talks about being in Nirvana, one of the greatest bands ever. What makes it fascinating is that it almost feels like he’s apologizing for this album. He has no need to.


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Name: carolyn
Subject: your misguided
-- Feb 11, 2009 at 10:31PM
umm... the last "drunk" part was a joke. so maybe next time you should try doing your research. dick

Name: Tim Pozzi
Subject: The one that stuck..
-- Aug 7, 2008 at 5:33PM
I can't really say that i'm the hugest all-around Foo Fighters fan. But that's not to say I don't appreciate their music, their vision and their undisputed contribution to the rock and roll world. I just never settled into any sort of particular phase where they were the sole band I listened to. Instead, I've absorbed the singles, usually all of which I enjoy immensely. A year or so ago I had the chance to retrieve a good collection of Foo Fighters albums from a friend's computer, onto my iPod. While the classic fan would say "The Colour and the Shape" is the best and most-revered album in the catalogue, I find that "There Is Nothing Left to Lose" actually became the one record I keep going back to when I'm in the mood for some Foo (which is only once in a while). I love the variety of sound this album has, even while retaining an overall tone or aesthetic. The band plays with honesty and the music is relaxed enough to breathe in it's skin. They don't sound like a band that has something big to prove, and with that attitude prove that there's more to rock music than being the next trendsetting band. This album rocks and rolls and twists and grooves enough to be a reward in itself. Rarely does this band sound as comfortable in it's skin than on this outing.

Name: Chris
Subject: Foo Fighters
-- Apr 24, 2006 at 9:52PM
Biggest fan, Love them!!!!!, Dave Grohl is a Legend!!!

Name: amanda and aaron
Subject: yeah cool.....
-- Sep 5, 2001 at 5:28AM
yeah this is cool we so love these guys even tho i dont even know one song....

Name: Tommy
Subject: Review: Foo Fighters' 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose'
-- Jul 31, 2001 at 2:55AM
I just have to say: I agree!!!

Name: Millie
Subject: Review: Foo Fighters' 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose'
-- Jun 19, 2001 at 11:10PM
I love it!!!!!!

Name: bell
Subject: hi all...
-- Mar 28, 2001 at 10:44AM
Hi all! I agree with this article and feel"there is nothing left to loose" is a fantastic rock album. All the songs are instantly listenable and range from fast, rockin' tracks like, stacked actors and breakout, to more slow relaxed tracks like, Next year and (one of the best on the album) Aint it the life. A good all-round album.

Name: Andrew
Subject: In agreement...and debate
-- Jun 20, 2000 at 2:38PM
I must say that I agree with most of this review. This is a great rock album. And the fact is-yes-Grohl will never be able to rank among the likes of Pearl Jam or Nirvna as being a revolutionary to rock and roll. But the fact is that this ablum is pure bliss. Every song is pure ear candy. If you think of it as just plain music, I would say that it does rank among the likes of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Of course it isn't as influential, and won't really affect the music world. However, those who own it will find it in constant rotation along with "Nevermind" and "Vs". A great rock band doesn't have to affect the music world, only the person who sits in their room and finds themselves absorbed in the pure melodic experience. The problem with the music world is that too many critics rank music on whether it will go platinum or start a new trend in music, rather than just how the music affects the listener.

Name: Andrew
Subject: In agreement...and debate
-- Jun 20, 2000 at 2:38PM
I must say that I agree with most of this review. This is a great rock album. And the fact is-yes-Grohl will never be able to rank among the likes of Pearl Jam or Nirvna as being a revolutionary to rock and roll. But the fact is that this ablum is pure bliss. Every song is pure ear candy. If you think of it as just plain music, I would say that it does rank among the likes of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Of course it isn't as influential, and won't really affect the music world. However, those who own it will find it in constant rotation along with "Nevermind" and "Vs". A great rock band doesn't have to affect the music world, only the person who sits in their room and finds themselves absorbed in the pure melodic experience. The problem with the music world is that too many critics rank music on whether it will go platinum or start a new trend in music, rather than just how the music affects the listener.


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