Foo Fighters

Washed, raw sound, some tunes are great, but most of the record sounds samey, more like demos.

An exceptional live album, listen to it loud on a good surround sound hi-fi and sing along.

Raw and personal in a way the debut never had room to be, a divorce record that channels heartbreak into something huge and radio ready. Grohl pushes the whole band harder here, trading the solo demo feel of the first record for something tighter and more collaborative, even if he ended up playing most of the drums himself. Everlong is the obvious high point, that mix of tenderness and urgency still sounds massive decades later. My Hero and Monkey Wrench bring the arena sized hooks, big without ever feeling hollow. Doesn't shy away from the mess underneath the polish, screaming and vulnerability sitting right next to each other. The record where the Foo Fighters actually became a band.

My second tattoo was the FF logo. Absolutely adore this band. They've been the score to half my life.