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The Colour and the Shape is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, released on May 20, 1997. The record marked the first time

Background
After recording the band's self-titled debut album all by himself—except for a guitar part on one song—Grohl put together a touring band consisting of Pat Smear on guitar, Nate Mendel on bass and William Goldsmith on drums. Foo Fighters undertook a month-long American tour in April 1995, before the release of their first album, opening for Mike Watt, then embarked on their first headlining tour in the US with Shudder to Think and Wool in July. After the tour ended in September, the band continued touring until the end of the year, visiting England, Europe, Australia and Indonesia.

The band already debuted new songs at concerts

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7DE1338F93AA35750C0A963958260&scp=2&sq=Foo+Fighters&st=nyt

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/nmeaug95.htm

Recording and production
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5470992.html

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/ap96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/metalhammer96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/torontostar.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/bigo96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/mm96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/blahblahblah96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/inyoureye.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/q96.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/rage.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/mmfeb97.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/melodymaker0497.htm

http://www.fooarchive.com/features/interview97.htm

http://www.nme.com/news/foo-fighters/28716

Release
The Colour and the Shape was released on May 20, 1997, selling more than 71,000 copies in its first week. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and spent 74 weeks on the chart. The album was certified gold in less than 3 months later on August 8, 1997; since then it has gone double platinum in the United States. All three singles released from the album entered the top ten of both Billboard rock charts. "Everlong" was the most successful out of the three, peaking at #3 on the Modern Rock Tracks, and #4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was also certified gold on March 31, 2006.

Critical reception
The album gained generally positive reviews from critics, although it did not receive such high praise as the band's debut album. Blender gave it four stars out of five, praising the overall sound which "draws on arena rock as much as the apoplectic riff-thrash [Grohl] can conjure at will" http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=4992 Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic also noted the album's "glossy, arena-ready sound" as a result of "Norton's big, shiny production". http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gbfrxqthldae~T1 Jon Pareles of The New York Times felt the album "eradicates the tentativeness" of 1995's Foo Fighters, and "ring[s] with passion" as "Grohl balances power and tenderness, whipsaw riffing and wistful tunes" He also went on to praise Grohl's stronger vocals and drum work, as well as Norton's production. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E4D91E39F93BA25756C0A961958260

The Colour and the Shape appeared on several end-of-year best album lists. Kerrang! magazine named it album of the year, while Metal Hammer and Eye Weekly placed the album 4th and 12th respectively. The record was placed in Guitar magazine's "Albums of the Year" list, and included in the year-end list of Melody Maker and NME at 21st and 46th place respectively. The Colour and the Shape also ranked 42nd on Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Rock Album category in 1998.

David Browne http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,288016,00.html Grohl's musical growth loose-knit collection of songs that trace, in more straightforward language than standard alt-rock ellipticism, the start and finish of a relationship brawny, metallic, able to shift gears and tempos on a dime Dinosaur Jr with a bigger brain

Keith Moerer http://www.houstonpress.com/1997-05-22/music/rotation/ the band uses Nirvana's sonic formula (soft verse, loud chorus) a little too often it's disarming how good he is at writing and singing ballads A good album, The Colour and the Shape won't stand the music industry on its head It's not even the equal of Foo Fighters

Cheryl Botchick http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=3550 His songs and their execution reveal a new breadth that's like an emergence from a cocoon, breaking free of the heavy burden his former band's legend and coming into its own, utterly delightful form Gil Norton, producer for such alternative classics as Pixies' Doolittle, is behind the board here, and you'll feel his keep-it-in-the-red style on every one of this record's delectable, plaster-cracking riffs packed with fantastic songs

Robert Christgau http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=468&name=Foo+Fighters a solidly satisfying formal exercise follows a vaguely vacant one

Ryan Schreiber http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17809-the-colour-the-shape overcommercialized imposter lacking all the melody and charisma This album is slicker than the debut, the emphasis on gloss rather than chords. It's also louder, which is either your thing or it's not most of these songs sound virtually identical The Colour & The Shape is like opening a time capsule from 1992 and realizing that the things you thought would transcend time had just become a bad joke

http://www.staticmultimedia.com/music/features/recycled_goods_~51~_january_2008~

http://www.saltshakermagazine.com/RED/jan29/cover.html

Legacy
http://www.staythemuse.com/writing/ataris.html

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A216828

( http://www.punknews.org/review/2716 )

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/06/cook-and-grohl.html

http://www.troublebunchmusic.com/fromfirsttolastinterview.html

Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to The Colour and the Shape is in part adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net.

(*) designates unordered lists.

Track listing
All songs were written by Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters, except where noted.


 * 1) "Doll" – 1:23
 * 2) "Monkey Wrench" – 3:51
 * 3) "Hey, Johnny Park!" – 4:08
 * 4) "My Poor Brain" – 3:33
 * 5) "Wind Up" – 2:32
 * 6) "Up in Arms" (Grohl) – 2:15
 * 7) "My Hero" – 4:20
 * 8) "See You" – 2:26
 * 9) "Enough Space" (Grohl) – 2:37
 * 10) "February Stars" – 4:49
 * 11) "Everlong" (Grohl) – 4:10
 * 12) "Walking After You" (Grohl) – 5:03
 * 13) "New Way Home" – 5:40


 * Japanese edition
 * 1) "Dear Lover" – 4:32


 * Australian Tour Pack bonus disc
 * 1) "Down in the Park" (Tubeway Army cover) – 4:07
 * 2) "Drive Me Wild" (Vanity 6 cover) – 3:14
 * 3) "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover) – 5:39
 * 4) "Requiem" (Killing Joke cover) – 3:33


 * 10th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks
 * 1) "Requiem" (Killing Joke cover) – 3:33
 * 2) "Drive Me Wild" (Vanity 6 cover) – 3:14
 * 3) "Down in the Park" (Tubeway Army cover) – 4:07
 * 4) "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty cover) – 5:39
 * 5) "Dear Lover" – 4:32
 * 6) "The Colour and the Shape" – 3:22
 * 7) "See You" (acoustic, iTunes bonus track) - 2:27

Personnel

 * Dave Grohl – guitar, drums, vocals
 * Nate Mendel – bass guitar
 * Pat Smear – guitar
 * William Goldsmith – drums, handclapping
 * Gil Norton – producer
 * Lance Bangs – handclapping
 * Chris Bilheimer – handclapping
 * Ryan Boesch – handclapping, assistant engineer
 * Todd Burke – assistant engineer
 * Bradley Cook – engineer, recording technician
 * Andy Engel – logo design
 * Don Farwell – assistant engineer
 * Jeffery Fey – art direction, design
 * Foo Fighters – art direction
 * Ryan Hadlock – assistant engineer
 * Josh Kessler – photography
 * Bob Ludwig – mastering
 * Jason Mauza – assistant engineer
 * George Mimnaugh – design
 * Chris Sheldon – mixing
 * Tommy Steele – art direction
 * Jeff Turner – engineer, recording technician