![]() ![]() “Rope” (Foo Fighters, “Wasting Light,” 2011)Īs heavy of a hitter as Hawkins was, he also excelled on the Foos’ more left-of-center, rhythmically obtuse songs. With its harmonized guitar leads, boogie rhythms and theatrical backing vocals, “Your Shoes” is the sound of a rock’n’roll lifer having a grand old time, on his own time. Hawkins showed off his unabashed love for Cheap Trick-style power-pop and Queen-level arena rock pomp on the debut album with solo project the Coattail Riders. “Your Shoes” (Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, “Red Light Fever,” 2010) With Grohl living out his own childhood fantasies subbing in for John Bonham on drums, Hawkins more than credibly acquits himself vocally on this classic, hitting just enough vintage Robert Plant high notes and saving the biggest one for the very end, as the crowd loses its ever-loving minds. In a scene straight out of a rock ’n’ roll fever dream, Hawkins essentially fronted Led Zeppelin when that band’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones joined the Foos for a cover of “Rock and Roll” in front of 85,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium. “ Rock and Roll” (Foo Fighters with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, Wembley Stadium, 2008) Rarely will you hear Hawkins playing this quietly and economically, until he can’t resist kicking in with full force for the last 21 seconds. There aren’t many mournful, country shuffles in the Foo Fighters canon, but in Hawkins’ capable hands, “Skin and Bones” conjures a refreshingly different side of the band on this live LP taped at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre. “Skin and Bones” (Foo Fighters, “Skin and Bones (Live), 2006) Hawkins had written the music several years prior to the album sessions and it wound up fitting perfectly on the second side of the half-loud, half-mellow “In Your Honor.” “Cold Day in the Sun” was also a staple of the Foos’ concerts, giving Hawkins the opportunity to play frontman for a few, smile-inducing minutes each night. This breezy, acoustic guitar-led tune features Hawkins’ best lead vocal with the Foos - a winning combination of late period-Replacements and “Dead Flowers”-ish Stones. “Cold Day in the Sun” (Foo Fighters, “In Your Honor,” 2005) ![]() This is one of the more Nirvana-sounding songs in the Foos’ catalog from this early era, but Hawkins proves there’s still plenty of fertile ground to explore in that vein. His power and versatility is instantly apparent on album opener “Stacked Actors,” as he shifts effortlessly from the light, cymbal-heavy swing of the verses to the huge, Zeppelin-y groove of the choruses. Hawkins first joined the Foos in the studio for their third album, following the departure of original drummer William Goldsmith in 1996. “Stacked Actors” (Foo Fighters, “There Is Nothing Left To Lose,” 1999) Hawkins’ signature bleached-blonde hair is about the only splash of color on the set as Morissette seethes her way through this arresting performance, turbo-charged by the drummer’s thunderous snare hits and total dynamic command. Her national TV debut with David Letterman perfectly captures the proverbial lightning in an oh-so-mid-’90s bottle. Hawkins’ big break was joining Alanis Morissette’s live band just as her album, “Jagged Little Pill,” was exploding. “ You Oughta Know” (Alanis Morissette, “The Late Show With David Letterman,” 1995) Variety looks back at 10 highlights from his remarkable career. Hawkins died suddenly on Friday in Bogota, Colombia, at the age of 50, just hours before Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline the Estereo Picnic festival. In the nearly 25 years since, Hawkins created a wonderfully rich musical legacy all his own, both with the Foos and other collaborators. In joining the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins had the unenviable responsibility of taking over for Dave Grohl behind the drum kit, and rose to occasion time and time again. ![]()
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