Foo Fighters: Skin And Bones

Foo Fighters presumably chose the title Skin And Bones for the live DVD (and CD) to reflect the ostensibly stripped-down sound of the band's acoustic—or "afoostic"—tour last summer. But its swollen lineup of eight people—including a percussionist, third guitarist (original member Pat Smear), keyboardist, and violin/mandolin player—meant the songs were generally the opposite of skin and bones. Save for "Razor," "Friend Of A Friend," and "Best Of You," which frontman Dave Grohl performs solo, Foo Fighters layer the DVD's 21 tracks with vocal harmonies, extraneous (though complementary) instrumentation, and their usual gusto.

None of that's bad. Songs like "Marigold," "My Hero," and "Next Year" work particularly well in this format; only Grohl's solo rendition of the intense rocker "Best Of You" falls flat. The title Skin And Bones really applies to the DVD itself: It's a simple, straightforward concert film. Except for some quick backstage footage and an unnecessary intro where the band performs "Skin And Bones" on paddleboats in Central Park, Skin And Bones sticks to the stage at Hollywood's Pantages Theater.

Again, that's not bad. But anyone who saw Foo Fighters during this abbreviated tour won't find anything new here. From Grohl's jocular introduction and performance of "Razor" to the long, explanatory anecdote preceding "Friend Of A Friend," Skin And Bones simply captures last summer's tour. But considering it only stopped in 13 cities, most fans missed out on the experience.