Tracks
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If music is a journey and not a destination, then Dave Grohl is a man familiar with many a ‘sonic highway’ (see what I did there?)
Play is not a song. In fact it is more than a song – it is a testimony to Grohl’s prowess as a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a seeker. Despite the longevity of his career (let’s not forget that he was one of the co-founders of grunge and played in a little band called Nirvana all those years ago), he is still experimenting, creating and growing.
As far as Play is concerned, it may be helpful to look at it as a rock rhapsody with a number of movements, showcasing different styles and moods. The beginning (first 3 mins) is heavy. Heavy as a real heavy thing (any Devin Townsend fans reading this – here’s looking at you, kids). The frenetic, paranoid pace drives the track, yet transforms and ends abruptly like a heavy downpour, becoming progressive and exotic for the next 4 minutes. Finger-picked guitar and subtle melody very different from anything associated with the Foo Fighters or Nirvana. Speaking of FF, the following movement, is an homage to Grohl’s band, and all that is missing is his raspy, stadium-filling vocals soaring over the top. You should check-out the video at this point – Grohl’s passion and enjoyment is a delight to witness, as well as hear. I mean, come on, there are even timpani drums in the mix, right?
A massive crescendo of voices, which then flows away and leaves, like waves on a beach and the melody is one of quaint beauty, delivered over a steady and heavy drum beat reminiscent (strangely) of Riders on the Storm by the Doors. There is a melody line delivered economically, without the flourish and fireworks of a virtuoso guitarist but with the skill of a musician who knows what works. This is my overall impression of this piece as a whole – Play is not just a title, it is – one assumes – Dave Grohl’s driving force of which a veritable exhibition is made here. Ambitious and enjoyable, this is not Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick but it doesn’t need to be. It is not meant so much for external listeners, I feel, but is more of a musical essay which Grohl dedicates to ‘the craft’. Still, I think it is worth a listen.
Play is not a song. In fact it is more than a song – it is a testimony to Grohl’s prowess as a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, a seeker. Despite the longevity of his career (let’s not forget that he was one of the co-founders of grunge and played in a little band called Nirvana all those years ago), he is still experimenting, creating and growing.
As far as Play is concerned, it may be helpful to look at it as a rock rhapsody with a number of movements, showcasing different styles and moods. The beginning (first 3 mins) is heavy. Heavy as a real heavy thing (any Devin Townsend fans reading this – here’s looking at you, kids). The frenetic, paranoid pace drives the track, yet transforms and ends abruptly like a heavy downpour, becoming progressive and exotic for the next 4 minutes. Finger-picked guitar and subtle melody very different from anything associated with the Foo Fighters or Nirvana. Speaking of FF, the following movement, is an homage to Grohl’s band, and all that is missing is his raspy, stadium-filling vocals soaring over the top. You should check-out the video at this point – Grohl’s passion and enjoyment is a delight to witness, as well as hear. I mean, come on, there are even timpani drums in the mix, right?
A massive crescendo of voices, which then flows away and leaves, like waves on a beach and the melody is one of quaint beauty, delivered over a steady and heavy drum beat reminiscent (strangely) of Riders on the Storm by the Doors. There is a melody line delivered economically, without the flourish and fireworks of a virtuoso guitarist but with the skill of a musician who knows what works. This is my overall impression of this piece as a whole – Play is not just a title, it is – one assumes – Dave Grohl’s driving force of which a veritable exhibition is made here. Ambitious and enjoyable, this is not Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick but it doesn’t need to be. It is not meant so much for external listeners, I feel, but is more of a musical essay which Grohl dedicates to ‘the craft’. Still, I think it is worth a listen.