Foo Fighters: There Is Nothing Left to Lose 2LP Vinyl

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set was mastered at Gateway Mastering, with lacquers cut at Bernie Grundman. The album won the band their first Grammy, for Best Rock Album, and Dave Grohl has called it his favourite Foo Fighters record.

This edition

2LP set
Mastered at Gateway Mastering
Lacquers cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering

About the album

After the bruising sessions for The Colour and the Shape, Dave Grohl did something sensible: he bought a house in Alexandria, Virginia, set up in the basement and made the next record with no label people around. The band was a trio for the occasion, Grohl with Nate Mendel on bass and Taylor Hawkins making his studio debut on drums, and the whole thing came out sounding relaxed and warm.

Grohl said the album was "totally based on melody," and you can hear it. "Learn to Fly" is a perfect bright rock single, "Breakout" bursts out of the gate, "Next Year" is a wistful, sunny ballad, and "Generator" adds a talk box for good measure. "Stacked Actors" brings the heavy, while "Aurora" and "Ain't It the Life" drift somewhere softer and more experimental. Adam Kasper co-produced with the band, and the whole record has the easy, sunlit feel of people who had nowhere else to be.

It was the first Foo Fighters album marketed entirely by RCA. Three of the next four studio albums took Best Rock Album too, which must make for a crowded mantelpiece.

Also at Kops: more Foo Fighters on vinyl · browse Alternative