Back in 1994, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins said that the idea behind the Smashing Pumpkins was “loud music and quite music and putting it all together.” Well, the idea behind the Foo Fighters’ In Your Honor seems to be loud music and quiet music and keeping them completely separate. After hearing the whole thing, I can say it was very very VERY bad idea to separate them, simply because it makes for an achingly uninteresting listening experience. The reason for that isn’t just the separation of the two styles. That in and of itself is fine, I guess. The trouble with In Your Honor is that the two styles could have been represented with just 2 songs as well as they are in 20. As expansive as this album seems, it really only strikes two notes. It’s a retard in a genius’ clothing.
At the start, it’s promising enough. The song “In Your Honor” doesn’t really offer much, but it suggests very good things to come. Then, for the next 9 tracks, it’s just heaviness and more heaviness. Dave Grohl has a pretty good voice, but when he gets up to a certain register, he really strains his voice so it just sounds like a scream. That’s okay, except that he spends most of the first disc in that register. The loud half just seems clumsy where is should be passionate, and it doesn’t seem that a lot of thought or effort was put into it.
The quiet half has the same exact problem, though not in the specifics. The opening track, “Still,” has a very doomy and sinister feel to it, again making us hopeful for what lies ahead. We were disappointed before, however, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that we are again. The subdued flavor of the second disc is nicer than the confused mess of the first, but it quickly gets old. A lot of the loud songs seem like they could have had quiet versions, and vise versa, and we would not have known the difference.
What I said earlier about the album only striking two notes was not quite true. There are a few touches of brilliance here and there, but they’re hidden among the mess of the rest. “Resolve” is a great number, and the one place where they loud/quiet thing really comes together. “Virginia Moon” has an interesting Brazilian café, Girl From Ipanema thing going on, probably injected by the Norah Jones guest spot and her influence. And the closing song, “Razor,” reminds me of “The Gymnast, High Above the Ground,” with its syncopated acoustic guitar work. So there are a few flashes of something really interesting, but then they’re gone and we’re back to the mess. The intriguing moments are not nearly frequent enough on a double album. Dave Grohl had a pretty good idea that broke down the second he tried to put into practice. I can appreciate the spirit of experimentation, but a veteran like him should have known when to pull the plug.
Resolve
Virginia Moon
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