Kung Foo Comdey

An exciting and unexpected collection of 100 recipes that re-examines Chinese food

Melding heavy rock guitars, driving punk sensibilities, and pretty melodies, Foo Fighters rose to become one of the biggest acts to emerge out of the alt-rock boom of the 1990s. Led by singer Dave Grohl, the former powerhouse drummer for Nirvana, Foo Fighters initially debuted as a solo project in 1995. However, as their lineup expanded, they steadily racked up success after success, filling stadiums around the world while staying near the top of the charts with hits like "My Hero" and "Everlong" off 1997's The Colour and the Shape. Once the band's lineup coalesced around the time of its third album, 1999's There Is Nothing Left to Lose, Foo Fighters' sound also gelled into a recognizable signature built upon the heavy, yet melodic, loud-quiet-loud template of the Pixies and Nirvana; a modern rock sound anchored by Grohl's love of classic guitar rock. It was commercial without pandering and creatively restless without being alienating, a sound with wide appeal delivered by a band that was happy to tour and record the way bands did back in the '70s. Accolades followed, including winning Grammy Awards for 1999's There Is Nothing Left to Lose, 2002's One by One, and 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, all of which also charted in the Top Three of the Billboard 200.

Almost 15 years on from their debut, Foo Fighters deliver their first Greatest Hits, a 15-track (16 if the double dip on "Everlong" counts) retrospective covering their six albums from 1995 to 2007. Greatest Hits isn't arranged chronologically, which isn't a detriment; if anything, skipping through the years emphasizes just how consistent the Foos have been, always delivering oversized rock & roll where the hooks are as big as the guitars. The only exceptions to the rule are the two lo-fi cuts "Big Me" and "This Is a Call," with "I'll Stick Around" qualifying as this comp's inexplicable omission ("Walking After You," "DOA," "Stacked Actors," and "No Way Back" all also didn't make the cut), plucked from their 1995 debut, where the band was only Dave Grohl recording at home. Apart from this pair of tunes, this is all muscular, melodic modern rock, the kind that Foo Fighters almost patented, and if their consistency has occasionally made their albums blend together, it does result in one strong hits collection.

'But Here We Are' is the 11th studio album from Foo Fighters, and marks the band's return after a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances. A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters have endured recently, 'But Here We Are' is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged and unflinchingly authentic, the album opens with 'Rescued', the first of ten songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between. 'But Here We Are' is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band's new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters' 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, 'But Here We Are' is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years previously, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.