The Colour and the Shape

The Colour and the Shape is the second studio album by Foo Fighters, released in May 1997 on Capitol Records and produced by Gil Norton and the band. It is the record that established Foo Fighters as a major commercial force in rock and introduced the full stable of song structures that would define their career, from the anthemic arena power ballad ('Everlong,' 'Best of You') to the hard-charging radio rock ('Monkey Wrench,' 'My Hero'). Grohl wrote all material; the album's emotional range, from the domestic violence narrative of 'The Colour and the Shape' to the romantic intensity of 'Everlong,' was broader than the debut and demonstrated that Grohl's songwriting ambition had grown to match his commercial opportunity. The album reached number ten on the Billboard 200, spawned the band's first significant radio hits, and launched a world tour that built the arena rock fanbase they have maintained ever since; 'Everlong' and 'My Hero' remain among the most-played rock radio songs of the decade in retrospect. William Goldsmith, the original drummer, was replaced mid-recording by Grohl himself when the drum tracks were deemed insufficient, a decision that contributed to Goldsmith's subsequent departure from the band and remains one of the more publicized personnel transitions in 1990s rock history. The Colour and the Shape has been certified five-times platinum in the United States.