There is Nothing Left to Lose by Foo Fighters

Today I'm going to talk about Foo Fighters, but first, a phenomenon where you give an album greater attention long after it's initial release.

After a bit of an unanticipated break, because life got busy, we’re back. I want to spend some time talking about a phenomenon that can only happen when you live long enough to become old. My good friend posted this goofy article from The Hard Times, and it fits exactly into what I’ve been feeling lately. The headline is

“Favorite Band’s ‘New’ Record You Haven’t Listened To Yet Just Turned 10 Years Old.”

It’s funny because it’s true. The older you get, the more bands you probably like and the more music they release. It’s really just a mathematical fact, and that doesn’t even include certain artists like Ryan Adams who have been so prolific that it feels impossible to keep up. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for an album when it’s released, even if it’s a band you revere. And if you’re a music superfan like I am, it’s hard to keep up with all your favorites. Here are some examples of albums I only fell in love with because I went back to later to listen.

Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie. I am a DCFC superfan back to the alcoholic small club days. I saw them play We Have the Facts and later The Photo Album tour before Transatlanticism vaulted them into one of my favorite bands of all time. By the time Codes and Keys was released in 2011, I just wasn’t in a headspace to really digest it. I have grown to love it in the last few years. Hearing many of these songs live over the past few tours didn’t hurt.

I loved Down on the Upside back in 1996 when Soundgarden released it, but not anywhere as much as Superunknown. In my eyes, Upside was kind of a lesser record, but with time and revisits, I’ve changed my mind. Only recently did I discover that the song “Zero Chance” might be my very favorite Soundgarden song the band ever wrote. I’ve seriously been obsessed with that one for a couple of years now in the 2020s.

And now that I’ve properly buried the lede, I’ve recently given renewed attention to the Foo Fighters’ record There is Nothing Left to Lose.

When that one came out in 1999, I was still in college. I bought the CD and listened to it, but I found it less captivating than Colour and Shape, which had set my soul ablaze previously. Have you ever had that happen where a piece of art is great, but you hold it in such high regard that it’s nearly unfollowable? That’s how I felt about “Monkey Wrench,” “Everlong,” “My Hero,” and “February Stars.” The hangover from that great record was so strong that I just couldn’t hear the follow-up properly in the moment.

I should have known better and paid more attention at the time. One of my friends in college was a legitimate professional musician. His Connecticut hardcore band was retired by the time I met him, but he’d toured all over the country and Europe. He had the bona fides to have an opinion more than some of the rest of us. And I can still remember him talking about this Foos record at the time with reverence. He was obsessed with it, listening to it over and over again. I listened to it and I liked it, but I just didn’t know how to let it into my soul at the time. For whatever reason I started listening to it again recently, and I finally hear it.

I still like the standout tunes from back in 1999 like “Learn to Fly” and “Aurora.” Hearing “Next Year” made me think about the TV show “Ed” starring Tom Cavanaugh and Julie Bowen. “Breakout” rocks in ways that I didn’t appreciate at the time. There are plenty more, but much like “Zero Chance” captivated me, I think I have a new top Foos song thanks to my recent re-listens.

“Headwires” is one of the best songs the Foo Fighters ever recorded. It’s not perfect by any means. I think there was an opportunity to hit the chorus one last time at the end that was missed. The lyrics aren’t the headiest words you’ve ever heard either.

Better than a bullet being fired
Tangled in your headwires now
Better than a bullet being fired
Tangled in your headwires
Headwires now

I have no idea what that means, but when Grohl and the band hit those descending guitar chords, it hits you right in the heart. And again, the song kind of drones on at the end and misses a really good opportunity to finish strong, but I can’t ignore the work that the chorus had already done throughout the tune.

The album finishes off strong. The band brings things down with “Ain’t It the Life” before giving the album a mid-tempo power pop finish with “M.I.A.” The last song is an important thing for any record and this one feels as if it gives the record a resolution.

Yeah, you won't find me, I'm goin' M.I.A.
Tonight I'm leaving, goin' M.I.A.
So you don't find me, I'm goin' M.I.A.
Tonight I'm leaving, goin' M.I.A.
Say goodbye to me, I'm goin' M.I.A.
I can find relief, I'm goin' M.I.A.
Gettin' lost in you again is better than being numb
Better than being numb
Better than playin' dumb

Not that I look to validate my tastes with awards, it is notable that There is Nothing Left to Lose won Grammys for “Best Rock Album,” and for the video for “Learn to Fly.” In this case, it’s a confirmation of my newfound bias that I missed out in my initial rating of this album and that it’s much greater than I initially thought.

It’s not exactly like discovering a new record because I had listened to it in the past, but it still feels like a fresh and new take.

There are a couple important takeaways here. First and foremost, try as you might, you just can’t hear everything that comes out and really take it all in. The good news is that life is long, and there’s always time to catch up with records. I can’t say the same about seeing bands live, but you already knew that.

And I was having a conversation with a friend of mine recently where I decided that even as I continue to chase the musical high and religious spirit of seeing live music, if I got hit by a bus tomorrow, I’d have no regrets. I’ve been to far more than my fair share of incredible live shows, and even as I continue to realize that I missed out on some great records, I’ve digested too many incredible recordings to have any regrets.