The Foo Fighters career of Dave Grohl has reach: across time, across mediums, across borders. When an artist reaches the zenith of their profession, some lose the drive that got them there and stagnate, others get lost in fame, Dave decided to tweak the bands’ sound and record an analog album in his garage. 2011’s Wasting Light was recorded entirely on tape, allowing for no digital editing or correction of the takes. The band also leans into a more raw sound, without neglecting to include a few melodic rock and roll gems along the way.

Lead single, “Rope” demonstrates what you can do in a band with three great guitarists. There is no shortage of six string on this banger. The chorus is classic Foo Fighters, distortion, big drums and Dave Grohl bellowing “Give me some rope I’m coming loose, I’m pulling for you now. Give me some hope I’m coming out my head, into the clear, when you go, I come loose.” Come for the riffs, stay for the lyrics, the second track puts this album into another gear to hit its apex and we’re along for the ride.

There are songs on later Foo Fighters albums that remind me of what they sounded like earlier in the discography and, “These Days” is one. “One of these days you will forget to hope and learn to fear” is uttered so prophetically, like many of the other lyrics in the song structure. There is a maturity to the song, and a weight of experience, almost like if 2002’s “Times Like These” grew up and got some seasoning. This evolution has happened several times for a band that has spanned four different decades, and if we’re lucky Dave will keep making music like this.

Determined not to let the record die with a whimper, Dave saves the best for last. As far as album enders go, “Walk” checks all the boxes. It’s a reflective glimpse at a life that has gone on long enough to have trials, tribulations, and something to say, “I think I lost my way, getting good at starting over, every time that I return.” Despite going through these challenges and heartbreaks, the bridge of, “Forever, whenever, I never wanna die” repeats to signal a future and to cue a fireworks display that is the end of the song.

With six singles and four Grammys to show, let’s just say Dave is doing more with his garage space than any of us. It was also a cool gimmick that the cd came with a small piece of recording tape that contained usually a single snare or guitar note, people enjoyed figuring out which song it came from. It will also forever be one of the Foo Fighters albums that features the late Taylor Hawkins manning Dave’s throne on the drum kit. Add to that, the band did a tour of several fans’ garages to promote the spirit of the album. More people that reach the summit should take a cue from Dave Grohl on what to do once there.