Hard to believe how long ago 1997 already; and as hard to believe how good the Foo Fighters were already at that time, so a few years after Kurt Cobain's death and Dave Grohl's step of the drums to the position of the front man, singer, guitarist and main songwriter is responsible. I myself become clear later attention only on the qualities of this band, especially on the great "In Your Honor" -Doppelalbum. But even from this retrospective view, with these exploits the later years in mind, offers "The Colour and the Shape" with its clearly structured and melodic rock songs and his uncompromising sound. The drums popping so vividly and precisely to the listener, the guitars do add their remaining, and an extremely extroverted Dave Grohl shows what he has to offer vocally. Whether you are the punky "Monkey Wrench", the mid-tempo track "Johnny Park", the rousing "wind up" or the enormous concise "Up in Arms" will, for example: All these songs make the large class of this album made by they succeed, outdone the hits of the disc in anything. The latter, especially the gentle and finally culminating in a electric guitar orgy "February Stars", the up-tempo love song "Everlong" and of course, the rattling with elemental force in the ears anthem "My Hero" form yet clearly the scope of this album; they give it the 5 star class and make it the strongest work of the early phase of the band. More you could not ask for then as now. Perhaps "In Your Honor" or the great live album "Skin and Bones" have a little more depth and evidence of a greater variety of styles, but this straight skirt, which is presented here on "The Colour and the Shape" remains timeless and irresistible in all its ferocity that never slips into coarseness and clearly contrasts the musical class of Foo Fighters from any dahingerotzten punk rock. That's skirt with level for music gourmets who also like to freak times really.