Glastonbury | Take It Easy

This week’s theme, led off by Jim in his post Seattle Sound, is to play some grunge music. I’m with Jim on this as to me it says Seattle and Nirvana, but I looked it up nevertheless and found a list of bands, most of whom were unknown to me, and of the few I did know I couldn’t really claim any of them as favourites. Apart from one. I may be stretching it a bit this week, as my chosen song isn’t overly loud and tuneless (how I classify most grunge music!) but the band is on the Wikipedia list. After Kurt Cobain’s suicide brought Nirvana to a shuddering halt Dave Grohl, their drummer, released a solo album on which he played all of the instruments, but by the time the second album came around the title of that first had become the name for the band he assembled. They are still going strong and have made some great records. This is today’s tune, a track from that second album:

And these are its lyrics:

Hello
I’ve waited here for you
Everlong

Tonight, I throw myself into
And out of the red
Out of her head, she sang

Come down and waste away with me
Down with me
Slow, how you wanted it to be
I’m over my head
Out of her head, she sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you

If everything could ever be this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in
And now
I know you’ve always been
Out of your head
Out of my head, I sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you

If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

And I wonder

If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I’ll ever ask of you
You’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Grohl

Whilst in Nirvana Dave Grohl was writing his own songs, but was too nervous to share them with the band, though he did record quite a few demos. After Nirvana broke up he had considered various offers, and had been close to becoming the drummer for Tom Petty, but decided he wanted to take a chance at doing his own thing. He booked a studio, and five days and fifteen tracks later he had his first album, on which he played all but one guitar part. He named it after the term foo fighter, which was used by Allied aircraft pilots during WW2 to describe various UFOs seen in the skies over both Europe and the Pacific. That first album was released in June 1995, peaking at #23 in the US and at #3 in the UK. The follow up, by which time there was a full band, was The Colour And The Shape, which was released in May 1997, getting to #10 in the US and also reached #3 in the UK. Everlong was the second single taken from the album, in August 1997: it got to #18 in the UK but didn’t make the main US chart, though it did get to #3 on their Alternative listing, and #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart, both of which are based on airplay. I’ve been a fan of the band ever since Everlong: for me they are one of the best rock bands of the past thirty years.

After a couple of line up changes, the band’s membership remained fairly stable from 1999 onwards. This was when Taylor Hawkins, Dave’ great mate, joined as drummer. Sadly, Taylor passed away in March 2022 at the age of just 50. I did a small tribute to him at the time, and wanted to do another for him today as he was such an integral part of the band’s sound, which his drumming drove. So I thought I’d include a second of their songs, which happens to be one of my favourites of theirs, and has a fantastic video in which Taylor gets to display his range of facial expressions:

Resolve was a track on the In Your Honor double album, released in June 2005 and peaking at #2 in both the US and the UK. The track was released as a single in November of that year, making #32 in the UK but not reaching the US chart.

Back in 2017 I spent a wonderful evening on Facebook watching a surprise show the band played at the Cheese And Grain venue in Frome, in Somerset, which was a lead in to the announcement of them being the headliners at that year’s Glastonbury Festival. They were fantastic at Glastonbury, but I think I might have enjoyed the smaller gig even more. I’ve found a piece written by the venue which tells the story, and it seems that everyone involved enjoyed it too. You can see it here. And if you feel like watching the full 2 hours plus of the show, it is on YouTube. Be warned, though – once you start you won’t stop!

I should probably close now, or I could just keep playing their songs! Enjoy your Sunday and the music – not just mine, but what others will be playing too – and I’ll see you again for Tuesday Tunes. 🎶