It's been just another ordinary day for Dave Grohl. He's done business with his lawyers regarding the Nirvana back catalogue and that lively Ms Love. He's played some guitar for Dave Bowie and some drums for Queens Of The Stone Age. He's spent a few hours on the phone to journalists and got terribly enthusiastic about all the music he loves right now like The Datsuns and Cave-In. He's been blamed, yet again, for the existence of Andrew WK, and taken it on the chin. When we weren't looking, he probably took some orphans bowling and rescued a few puppies from a burning building, as he's routinely obliged to do.
Now what's left for the nicest, hardest-working, most multi-talented man in contemporary rock? Oh yeah, the Foo Fighters. At some point in his absurdly busy 2002, Dave Grohl managed to record his fourth album with the Foos. Twice. When the first effort was deemed too glossy, Grohl bunked off on tour with the marvellous Queens and, on his return, bashed off 'One By One' Take Two in double-quick time.
It shows, in the best possible ways. 'One By One' is a rawer, gristlier album than any Foos outing since their debut. Sure, the saturated pop hooks (three per song, on average), FM accessibility, and headbanging potential are all present. But Grohl and his three cohorts deliver them in punchier, frequently darker style. These are still love songs, in the main, but on the likes of 'Low' he endows them with a moodier, more oppressive edge. It's hard to imagine the Queens beating Grohl's inherent niceness out of him, but they've certainly taught him how to rough up his edges.
So 'One By One' isn't just the best post-grunge album of the year: one that puts vaunted young things like The Vines, as well as the dreaded Nickelback, in the shade. It's also a fine companion to the Queens' immortal 'Songs For The Deaf', a handy stepping stone between pop-metal and the really mean stuff. Plus, mad people might like to know, it represents the least embarrassing use of Brian May (he plays guitar on the attractively mopey 'Tired Of You') since, ooh, 'Seven Seas Of Rye'.
Only Dave Grohl, perhaps, can do this. He really should have a lie-down about now, don't you think?
