Sonic Highways Songs Ranked
Sonic Highways is the eighth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on November 10, 2014, through Roswell and RCA Records. Similar to their previous album, Wasting Light (2011), it was produced by the band with Butch Vig. In writing the album’s eight songs, singer and guitarist Dave Grohl traveled to eight cities across the United States to conduct interviews with musicians, recording engineers, record producers, and other individuals discussing each city’s musical history, which he used as inspiration for the songs’ lyrics. The band and Vig then traveled to a different recording location in each city to record the songs. Each track features contributions from one or more musicians with ties to that city’s musical history. The process was filmed for a companion television series, Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways, which was broadcast on HBO in the months surrounding the album’s release. Here are all of Sonic Highways songs ranked.
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8. In the Clear
“In the Clear (New Orleans feat. the Preservation Hall Jazz Band) feels like a fairly standard Foo Fighters mid-album filler track that they’ve attempted to tack some shallow horn parts on to. It’s actually kind of a disappointment – with a full jazz band at their disposal they really could have been a lot more bold, and I’m thinking along the lines of Faith No More’s Star AD here.”
7. Subterranean
“Subterranean (Seattle, feat. Ben Gibbard) is a good track, albeit it doesn’t sound particularly Seattle-ish. It’s a grooving mid-tempo number, with layered, intertwining electric and acoustic guitar parts, and a killer bassline from Nate Mendel, but at 6 minutes it’s probably a tad too long as it does start to feel repetitive at times. Mendel is arguably the biggest star on Sonic Highways. There’s a lot more space on a lot of the tracks than has traditionally been the case with the Foo’s generally tightly crafted rock songs – and this really brings Mendel’s counter-melodies to the fore.”
6. The Feast and the Famine
“It’s not very inventive or imaginative. The song would be a lot better if the chorus was almost anything else. I don’t like the way Dave pronounces “famine” (“fam-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnn”). The verses aren’t great, either. There’s something about this song that I really, really don’t like, but I can’t place it. I really don’t like the main guitar riff, for one.”
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5. Outside
“Outside is really good. I like the effect on Dave’s voice; I think it really sells the song. I seriously do not think the song would work without it. The only complaint about this song: It’s too long by a minute, minute-and-a-half. For some reason, the chorus of In the Clear really, really reminds me of Eagles’ Take it Easy. There’s a bit in the chorus where I kept thinking “this sounds really, really familiar”.”
4. Congregation
“Congregation is good, I suppose. But “just as you were” is a shitty line to have your emphasised, repeated, “catchy” line. The song is also around a minute too long. It should have ended at “STEP IN THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT”.”
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3. What Did I Do? / God As My Witness
“What Did I Do?/God as My Witness is 100% the best song on the album. What Did I Do? reminds me of another I love song, The Doors’ Runnin’ Blue. But the real star of this track is the way God as My Witness has a guitar riff lifted from All You Need is Love.”
2. I Am a River
“I Am A River is also a bit of an oddity. Visconti is a legendary producer, but Kristeen Young, uh, who? There’s a big, bright, stadium-sized chorus, but I can’t help but compare the “I am a river” lyric with James Hetfield’s infamous “I am the table” lyric from the ill-conceived Lulu. Like Subterranean it also feels a little overly long and the big string-driven climax at the end does’t really do it for me.”
1. Something From Nothing
“Opening track Something From Nothing is a good example of the overall concept working really well. It builds gradually from a muted, melancholy guitar intro, throwing in a very funky keyboard line in the middle, and then totally explodes around the 4-minute mark. It’s a genuine case of the Foos trying something a little different and it totally paying off.”