Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight
Dave Grohl has been a part of my life since 1991, when he joined Nirvana. Grohl is only one of a handful of musicians who have been consistently in my life since my adolescence (I would put only Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam as a bigger influence). And while I expected Pearl Jam to be a regular part of my life, I didn’t expect the drummer of Nirvana to carry much significance in my world. Nirvana (and the other Seattle bands that exploded in the early ‘90s) were so important to me, and I saturated myself in their world - bought every CD, read every article, consumed every interview. I was devastated by the news of Kurt Cobain’s suicide, and I felt so close to that scene that I was determined to follow the former members in whatever their next endeavors were. I don’t remember exactly how I found out, but I saw that Grohl was going to start a new band called Foo Fighters. I didn’t need to hear a single note, I was going to trust that a member of one my favorite bands was going to continue to release music that I was going to love. So I bought the self titled debut (1995) sight unseen (listen unheard?), not sure what to expect. Certainly I wasn’t expecting the Nirvana drummer to now be the lead singer/guitarist of this new band, nor was I expecting him to write and record all the parts himself. Turns out this Grohl fellow is really talented. “Foo Fighters” turned out to be a really great album that I would play on a regular basis. Then Grohl would add regular members and release “The Colour and the Shape” (1997), a masterpiece of a record that is still one of my favorites to this day. Foo Fighters are one of the few bands that I completely trust.
Foo Fighters would continue to release albums on a regular basis, full of songs you’ve all heard many times before. In a world full of unreliability, Foo Fighters have been one of the bands that I could truly depend on. How many bands today that have been around for 25+ years are still relevant? I have a legit fear that by the time I become a senior citizen the only rock bands I will be listening to are the same ones I’m listening to today. Which is fine by me, but I wonder if there is going to be another generation of bands after this one. Pardon my elderly pessimism, but I’m not hearing a lot of new bands today that make me think they’re in it for the long haul. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of new good rock music out today, but how many of those artists are going to be still around in 10, 20, 30 years? Do bands even want to be around that long? We have never had more creative options and outlets as we do today, so why stick with one project for longer than you have to/want to? Here I go being cranky old man again, but I feel bad for kids today. Are there going to be bands that my son will be excited to turn me on to?
There’s a thing that happens in pro wrestling, where companies trot out their superstars of yesteryear to deliver some nostalgia and grab some ratings. Who wouldn’t want to see their favorite wrestler on TV again? Taking that trip down memory lane is great and all, but we don’t have great memories if we don’t have indelible moments in the present. If we don’t sow seeds now, there won’t be any plants to reap in the future. Wrestling organizations wouldn’t have to resort to bringing back superstars long past their prime for ratings if they spent more time and energy developing their current performers into must-see acts today. I can find matches of my favorite childhood wrestlers any time, but are there any present wrestlers that make fans want to rune in on a regular basis? By how often they have “Legends Night,” I would say no. Same thing with bands, are there any current bands that are good enough to last and make me want to listen to them in the future? Or am I going to be forced to be cranky grandpa that only listens to old Foo Fighters albums?
Only time will tell.
Bands like Foo Fighters may the last of a dying breed.
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“Medicine at Midnight” is the 10th studio album released by Foo Fighters. In an Instagram Live interview with the Washington Post, Grohl stated that this album was meant to be a celebration of their 10th album and 25(ish) years being a band, so they wanted to make a big fun album with a bunch of songs that was meant to be played in large areas on a huge tour. Well, they recorded a big fun album, but obviously the tour had to be put on hold because of a certain pandemic (not naming names). Sure, I know this now but initially it took me awhile to figure out what was going on with this album. The first time I heard their first single “Shame Shame” was on Saturday Night Live, and I thought it was…interesting. Catchy song, but didn’t sound like normal Foo. I would hear the song more and more, and it would grow on me each time. Now I’m at a point where I’m walking around humming “…duh duh, shame, duh duh duh….shame, duh duh, shame…duh duh duh, shame…” It’s been delightfully annoying.
Then they released “No Son of Mine,” another catchy number. Just when I think I know the direction this album after hearing the first two tracks, they release “Waiting on a War,” a song where the inspiration was preceded by a conversation between Grohl and his daughter Harper, who innocently asked dad if there was going to be a war soon. Yeah, that’s not big and fun and bouncy. Maybe this isn’t the dance record I thought it was going to be. Then “Medicine at Midnight” came out, and other than “Waiting on a War” and the slow ditty “Chasing Birds,” the album is quite full of fun, groovy tunes. When you hear songs like “Holding Poison,” the title track, and “Cloudspotter,” you can’t help but bounce your head.
I wouldn’t call “Medicine at Midnight” a traditional “dance” record; think more along the lines of the last Queens of the Stone Age record “Villains” - a album full of fun, bouncy songs by a band with punk rock sensibilities. This is the kind of album that makes doing chores much more fun while listening. This is the kind of album you bond with your pop-obsessed daughter with. This is the kind of album that gives you hope for the future.
Thanks to Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters, I will always have something great to listen to when I’m old.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Dark inventions of mine
The road to hell is paved with with broken parts
Bleeding hearts like mine”
FF “Chasing Birds”
