Following the success of the self-titled Foo Fighters’ debut album – written and recorded by Dave Grohl, save for a guest cameo from The Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli – the frontman had big plans for his next full-length.
“I've made punk rock records, and they’re fun and great and it’s quick and there’s passion,” said Grohl. “But I did that with the first record. I’ve never made a big, proper rock record before, so why not? People just don't seem to do it anymore, so we might as well take a shot.”
To tour Foo Fighters' 1995 debut, Grohl had assembled a full band: his former Nirvana bandmate, ex-Germs guitarist Pat Smear, and the rhythm section from the recently-disbanded Sunny Day Real Estate, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. By the time they arrived at Bear Creek Studios – a residential facility on a sprawling 10-acre plot in Woodinville, Washington – in November 1996, the quartet had been bonded by 15 months of touring and were excited at the prospect of committing their new songs to tape: tracks Enough Space, Up In Arms, My Poor Brain and My Hero were already firmly bedded into their setlist, hinting at a bigger, more expansive palette.
