Even though this is fairly modern rock, which many Baby Boomers abhor and revile in preference to their beloved Hendrix, Dylan, Joplin, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, etc., most of these Woodstuck Heads (like me) will be pleasantly surprised with the tunes on this fine CD.

So, what in the heck IS a Foo Fighter? Just about any surviving WW II military pilot who flew in the European Theater could tell you right away!

On December 22, 1944 an Allied pilot flying at 10,000 feet over enemy territory was trying to spot out German aircraft. At one point he saw two large and orange glowing balls coming at him. The radio operator saw these UFOs as well. These phenomena did not resemble enemy fighters in any way.

The curious objects quickly leveled off and commenced following the allied plane. In an attempt to lose them via evasive actions the pilot maneuvered his plane into a steep dive and the objects followed him down. Then he tried a sharp bank but the objects stayed right with him, seemingly with great ease. For several more minutes the pilot effected multiple aviation tricks in an effort to lose these pursuers, a fruitless exercise which failed. At just about the moment the pilot was ready to give up the objects suddenly vanished into the night. During this entire incident not a shot was fired.

This was a typical example of an encounter with a Foo Fighter. Toward the end of World War II pilots continually reported seeing these strange glowing balls flying around their aircraft at night. They appeared to maneuver with terrific speed, the chief concern of the Allies being that their German adversaries had possibly developed a secret new weapon with high-tech capabilities.

These objects were named Foo Fighters in connection with a popular period comic strip, Smoky Stover. Smoky's frequent line was, "Where there's foo there's fire," the objects seeming to be round, firey shapes.

So we can accurately assert that this band, the Foo Fighters, sort of "pulled their name out of the air" (witless pun intentional). But as to Foo Fighter music, it's quite thoughtful and nicely-executed.

We are typically benefitted in these little reviewing endeavors when some sort of analogy or measuring stick (or both) are cited for comparison purposes. Here, I can say that the Foo Fighters' music manifests clear essential connections with the music of The Beatles, particularly in regard to the early "minimalist" period of that historic and notable rock group. Strangely, I also hear some Black Sabbath in here, ergo, "I'll Stick Around," the second track of the CD, albeit, the Foo Fighters' music "flows" a bit more than Ozzie's stuff did and it exudes a much lighter ambiance. Taking that same song, you'll hear those memorable and innovative [The] Beatles "resolution chords" here and there as well as the latter band's early clarity. One can also experience this all-too-rare effect in particular on the very next track, "Big Me."

All these tunes are best played by a guy in a Mustang convertible (summer day, top down, of course!) cruising along new Route 66 with a pretty girl in the passenger seat, and rolling down the asphalt at about 85 miles per hour with one hand strategically placed on her leg. This is road music at its best... not really dance music so much unless you're into some of the weird new unromantic gyrations.

In any case, this is fine recording for ALL fans of rock music and, having heard the subsequent Foo Fighters CD, this is the superior choice of the two. My highest recommendation.