Rock of Ages: Foo Fighters - "Everlong" (1997)

For my dime, Foo Fighter's "Everlong" is the definitive song of my generation. Something about it just strikes a chord with the 90's and on. It's a fantastically furious rock track that roars back and forth and takes no prisoners. The Colour and The Shape is one of the best albums of the 90's as well. Less groundbreaking than some, but it's overall ability to rock hard and change tone over its 40 plus minutes is uncanny. It's the 90's Who's Next. Dave Grohl is far and away one of our generations finest rock songwriters and damn good front man to boot. Although he occasionally returns to the drum set, he still holds his own as a guitarist and vocalist. "Everlong" is a beautiful love song filled with images of loss and longing. Musically, it's a fever pitch of fast drumming, extreme riffing that builds during the choruses and explodes in the bridge. It's a perfect rock song and a perfect pop song.

What the Foos did with the 90's alt rock sound was turn away from the mopeiness of Grunge just enough that their music was far mor accesible without losing any of it's edge. The Colour and the Shape stands as a concept album of sorts about the arc that a relationshipt travels from start to finish. "Everlong" is that song pining for the love of the past that has moved on and wondering if "things could ever be this good again." Taylor Hawkins' drum performance on this record is one of the most outstanding of the history of rock music. It's extremely fast paced hi hat mixed with heavy hitting snare action is the concrete behind a stellar riff from Dave Grohl. It's a blistering song that is unescapeable at this point as one of the pantheon tracks of the 90's.

Did I mention the music video is amazing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H0BMfqFP9c

Up Next: Refused changes punk and hardcore forever