Plot: The Foo Fighters present a musical documentary series about the recording process for their new record, Sonic Highways. Each week they record a song in a new city, explore the city’s musical history, interview musical luminaries from the city and then write songs for the album based off these interviews. Each episode ends with a music video of the new song.
Song Title: “Something From Nothing”
The City: Chicago, Illinois
The Studio: Electronic Audio
The Featured Musicians: Buddy Guy, Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Steve Albini (producer), Naked Raygun
Cameos By: Bonnie Raitt, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Butch Vig (producer), Jimmie Vaughn, David Fricke (journalist) and Marshall Chess (son of the founder of Chess Records).
Sonic Highways, has no business being this good. I mean, it’s basically one, big promo for the band’s upcoming record, right?
Luckily, instead of producing a self-promoting, ‘Hey here’s our new record’ docu-series, Dave Grohl and company treats us to a fascinating look at American musical history. It’s informative yet personal — it’s a musical history lesson of American various cities, but told with an obvious, infectious and consuming passion. This is Grohl’s love letter to the music of the United States and how it is influencing the creation of the band’s new record.
The first stop on Sonic Highways takes us to “sweet home” Chicago. The intro montage of Chicago sells the series as something more than a slick-looking promotional tool. In the Chicago montage we’re given audio and visual highlights of Windy City luminaries ranging from Etta James to Wilco to Gene Krupa to Kanye West to Ministry and Muddy Waters. Any time Ministry can get equal airtime as Kanye — you know you’re in for something special.
The focus of of Sonic Highways’ premiere is divided into four stories — Buddy Guy and the blues scene, Steve Albini and the punk scene, Rick Nielsen and Cheap Trick and the creation of the Foo’s new song, “Something From Nothing.” Surprisingly, the creation of the song, the actual recording of it, gets the least amount of air time. But, maybe that’s no surprising. Sonic Highways is more about the band taking inspiration from where they’re recording than what they’re actually recording.
The most fascinating parts of the premiere episode were the segments on the Chicago blues and Chicago punk rock. The show really puts both Buddy Guy and Steve Albini (who is used as the representative for Chi-Town punk) on a pedestal. But, this isn’t unjustified hero worship. These men are legitimate icons in the music industry. The Albini story, the personal story, is probably the most intriguing story. This is a man behind the scenes, not a famed musician, so to get inside his head is the kind of sit under the learning tree experience you really wish they had dedicated the entire show too.
The premiere ends with a music video of “Something for Nothing.” Note the viewer: Don’t judge this song till it’s over. It starts off in a very frustrating manner — it sounds like every other Foo Fighters song. In fact, it starts off like a sister song to “The Pretender.” Don’t get it twisted, “The Pretender” is a solid track, but after watching a whole documentary on how much the blues and punk scenes of Chicago have influenced the band and to hear something you’ve heard from them numerous times before — it nearly kills the entire premiere. However, there’s a point midway through the song where everything changes. There’s an organ that comes into play that gives it this crazy vibe and then all hell breaks loose with furious vocals and guitar work.
When the song is complete, it all makes sense. You get the Chicago vibe. You see the history working its way through the music and lyrics. It gives you music nerd chills when it finally hits you. And for that reason — you have to make Sonic Highways a must-watch show. If you love Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl, documentaries, music or things that are awesome, you’ll undoubtedly fall in love with Sonic Highways.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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Bill Bodkin is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Pop-Break. He can be read weekly on Trailer Tuesday and Singles Party, weekly reviews on Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Hannibal, Law & Order: SVU, Sonic Highways and regular contributions throughout the week with reviews and interviews. His goal is to write 500 stories this year. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism & English and currently works in the world of political polling. He’s the reason there’s so much wrestling on the site and is beyond excited to be a Dad this coming December. Follow him on Twitter: @PopBreakDotCom
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