Foo Fighters "Songs From The Laundry Room" EP (2015)
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters was the official ambassador of Record Store Day 2015. His contribution to the list of limited edition vinyl-only releases from that day was a four-song, 10-inch Foo Fighters EP titled Songs From The Laundry Room. It contained four early rough demos that Grohl recorded solo in the early '90's, while he was still the drummer for Nirvana. Although it is officially a Foo Fighters title, Grohl played all of the instruments on the four tracks. The slightly goofy background vocals heard on "Kids In America" were provided by Barrett Jones, who also recorded and mixed the EP. Grohl says that these songs were the seeds that led to the formation of the Foo Fighters.
Grohl says that he only thought of these recordings as “an experiment for fun”, but they are far better than that statement makes them sound. The first side contains demo versions of two songs which would surface on the self-titled Foo Fighters debut album in 1995: “Alone + Easy Target” (recorded in January 1992) and “Big Me” (recorded in March 1994, just one month before Kurt Cobain’s suicide brought Nirvana to its end). The self-confidence Grohl shows on these tracks is remarkable – but, of course, that same self-confidence has resulted in his many achievements with the long-running Foo Fighters. The tracks come very close to the more polished sounds of the finished versions, although the Nirvana-like “Alone” has a slightly slower tempo here. The previously unissued “Empty Handed”, recorded on the same day as the “Alone” demo, is a rough cut that recalls both the Nirvana sound and the Foo Fighters song “Monkey Wrench”. If you’ve heard the Foo Fighters perform other cover songs, then this cover of Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” (recorded in 1991, the earliest of them all) is exactly what you would expect it to be. Songs From The Laundry Room is a pleasant surprise, enabling us to listen to the Foo Fighters sound while it was still in its gestation period. It sounded like it was ready to be born any day.
Foo Fighters “Songs From The Laundry Room” EP (RCA 88875-07056-1) 2015
SIDE A:
1. Alone + Easy Target (demo version)
2. Big Me (demo version)
SIDE B:
3. Kids In America
4. Empty Handed
See also Late!
Grohl says that he only thought of these recordings as “an experiment for fun”, but they are far better than that statement makes them sound. The first side contains demo versions of two songs which would surface on the self-titled Foo Fighters debut album in 1995: “Alone + Easy Target” (recorded in January 1992) and “Big Me” (recorded in March 1994, just one month before Kurt Cobain’s suicide brought Nirvana to its end). The self-confidence Grohl shows on these tracks is remarkable – but, of course, that same self-confidence has resulted in his many achievements with the long-running Foo Fighters. The tracks come very close to the more polished sounds of the finished versions, although the Nirvana-like “Alone” has a slightly slower tempo here. The previously unissued “Empty Handed”, recorded on the same day as the “Alone” demo, is a rough cut that recalls both the Nirvana sound and the Foo Fighters song “Monkey Wrench”. If you’ve heard the Foo Fighters perform other cover songs, then this cover of Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America” (recorded in 1991, the earliest of them all) is exactly what you would expect it to be. Songs From The Laundry Room is a pleasant surprise, enabling us to listen to the Foo Fighters sound while it was still in its gestation period. It sounded like it was ready to be born any day.
Foo Fighters “Songs From The Laundry Room” EP (RCA 88875-07056-1) 2015
SIDE A:
1. Alone + Easy Target (demo version)
2. Big Me (demo version)
SIDE B:
3. Kids In America
4. Empty Handed
See also Late!
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