8 Praises For Foo Fighters ‘Sonic Highways’

“Something from Nothing” is more than just the title of the song from the season premiere that’s based in Chicago; it’s a recurring series theme that appeals to underdogs everywhere.

In that Chicago episode, Buddy Guy remembers building crude instruments – including the “button on a string” that Grohl cites in the lyrics to “Something from Nothing” – on his way to establishing himself as one of the greatest blues and jazz musicians of all time. Ian MacKaye and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard also have similar stories of prevailing against the odds.

In a world that often celebrates the instant celebrity, Grohl seems to gravitate toward the hustlers, the grinders and the freaks who fight to be recognized.

For the first four weeks of the documentary, fans who pre-ordered the album on iTunes received a new song the day its corresponding episode premiered on HBO. Since most fans didn’t have access or time to study lyrics by the time those early episodes aired, viewers could take mental notes as the documentary unfolded, allowing them to guess which themes would morph into the lyrics of the songs that wrapped each episode.

The album release completely reversed the process. Fans who became familiar with the album, in turn, began to mull possible lyrical sources before the documentary revealed their origins.

Before the series premiered, I feared these musical history lessons would yield shoehorned lyrics. Hell, even the Foos’ own Pat Smear told Grohl that the D.C.-inspired “The Feast and the Famine” had “a lot of f—in’ words.” But repeated album listens and documentary views only make their synergy that much more impressive.

There’s not a clunker on the album. “Something from Nothing” is the first single for good reason, with a deceptively moody intro that builds to a raucous coda. The punk-tinged “The Feast and the Famine” is a must for any workout playlist, practically burning 200 calories the moment the listener pops in earbuds. “Congregation,” “What Did I Do? / God as My Witness” and “In the Clear” boast riffs that become earworms. The ethereal “Subterranean” oozes ambient emotion. And the New York City-themed “I Am a River” is downright anthemic.

But “Outside” may be the best overall track, thanks largely to a soaring Joe Walsh solo that reduced Foo drummer Taylor Hawkins to a grinning fanboy. “He doesn’t even f—ing play a note for the first eight bars of his guitar solo,” said Hawkins, literally tipping his James Gang cap to the Eagles guitarist. “And then he hits two notes, and those two notes are more important than any f—ing note anybody’s played on that song.”

And even if the documentary is a gimmick, it seems to be paying off, as the album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s overall chart, and No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Album charts.

Anyone who’s ever seen the Foo Fighters’ music videos for “Big Me” or “Learn to Fly” knows Grohl’s got a great sense of humor. But an unreleased track he recorded in 1992 – and his 2014 reaction to it – might be even funnier.

Whether it’s marching with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans or taking the stage at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Grohl appears to be up for any activity that sounds like fun, even if it seems like unfamiliar territory.

“That week in Nashville,” he said, “I felt like a fish out of water, but in the most refreshing way.”

Watch how Grohl geeks out when the folks at Austin City Limits tell him that the on-site piano was played by Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. Revel in the way his interviews bring out the best in Buddy Guy, Dolly Parton, Joan Jett and Dr. John (including the hypnotic reveal of Dr. John’s given name). Marvel at how Grohl shines the spotlight on producers like Steve Albini and Don Zientara, who may be as responsible for groundbreaking albums as the artists with whom they collaborated.

But, most of all, check out how cool Grohl is with his mom, Virginia, who’s absolutely adorable.

Viewers with any sense of music history knew Grohl would be emotional in his return to Seattle, where he rose to fame as the drummer for Nirvana – and where that band’s lead singer committed suicide.

Grohl said, in the early ’90s, he’d recorded songs in secret because he didn’t want to ruin Nirvana’s dynamic. That became a moot point. “After Kurt died, I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he said. “I spent a lot of time doing nothing. No radio, no TV, nothing. I just couldn’t stand the sound of music; I was scared of music.”
Grohl’s attempt to escape the pain backfired when he took a trip to Ireland, where he encountered a hitchhiker who was wearing a Kurt Cobain shirt. “I saw that, and I thought, f—, I gotta do something,” he recalled. “And then I realized that music was the one thing that was going to help me out of that place. So, I started writing again. Started from scratch.”

Foo Fighters fans are grateful he did just that.

Since it’s not necessarily the series finale, do HBO execs and the Fighters of Foo know something the rest of us don’t? After all, just three weeks ago, when The Desert Sun newspaper in California asked Grohl about the possibility of a second season, Grohl demurred, “I have no idea. Let me do this one first.” It seems even more likely after Wednesday night’s episode of The Daily Show, where Grohl told Jon Stewart, “There might be a Season 2.”

Imagine the possibilities of a sequel called “Sonic Freeways,” featuring eight (or more) deserving American cities with rich musical heritage. I’d nominate Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta/Athens, Miami, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Portland – especially if it means collaborations with Daryl Hall and John Oates in Philly; Gladys Knight in Motown; R.E.M. in Athens; and Prince at Paisley Park Studios.

After that, Season 3 could be “Sonic Flight Plans,” with stops in London, Dublin, Rio and Tokyo, among countless other options.

Season 4? “Sonic Highways IN SPAAAAAACE!” You know you want to hear Grohl’s Mars song, recorded in a studio tucked inside Neil de Grasse Tyson’s shiny “Cosmos” spaceship.

Chris Serico is getting the best / the best / the best / the best of you, but you can return the favor by following him on Twitter at @ChrisSerico.