"Congregation" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It is the third official single and the second radio single from their eighth studio album Sonic Highways. It was released on October 31, 2014.[1][2][3] The song features country music singer Zac Brown, with whom Grohl collaborated with on Zac Brown Band's extended play The Grohl Sessions, Vol. 1.
| "Congregation" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Foo Fighters | ||||
| from the album Sonic Highways | ||||
| Released | October 31, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | Southern Ground Studio, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Length | 5:12 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Butch Vig | |||
| Foo Fighters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording
editThe song was recorded at Southern Ground Studios in Nashville, Tennessee and featured in the third episode of TV documentary Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways which documents the music history of Nashville.[4] The third episode of Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways focuses on the country music scene of Nashville that is known as the Nashville sound.[5] Foo Fighters' bassist Nate Mendel told NME that "The song 'Congregation' is a play on how a lot of the folks in the Nashville country music scene came together in church, in a sort of gospel environment, to learn their craft."[6]
Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl told Q: "Zac Brown is an enormous country star. I met him in a store and he asked me to produce an album. I'd never heard of him. I said to someone, 'Zac Brown has asked me to produce him' - they said, 'You should do it, he's huge' So I did the record without hearing any of his songs."[6] Grohl also explained that the lyrics: "And they're singing like a bluebird in the round," references Nashville's iconic Bluebird Café, stating that "The Bluebird I knew a little bit about, but I learned a lot," explained Grohl. "In Nashville, it seems like there are these rites of passage that you have to go through to become a star, whether you're a singer or a songwriter, and the Bluebird is really one of those. If you can get down at the Bluebird, you've got a gig."[6]
Release and reception
editUpon release, Billboard stated that "Congregation" was "the best song from Sonic Highways yet" and that "despite the (Zac) Brown/Nashville connection, "Congregation" is less country and more '70s classic rock—this is the sound of souped-up car racing down the open highway.[7]
Music video
editThe music video appeared at the end of the Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways episode "Nashville". Taking place at Southern Ground Studios, the band along with an appearance by Zac Brown, perform the song in its entirety as 2D animated lyrics appear.
Personnel
editPersonnel adapted from Sonic Highways liner notes[8]
Foo Fighters
- Dave Grohl – lead vocals, guitar, producer
- Chris Shiflett – guitar, devil pickin', producer
- Pat Smear – guitar, producer
- Nate Mendel – bass, producer
- Taylor Hawkins – drums, producer
Additional Performers
- Rami Jaffee – piano, organ
- Zac Brown – devil pickin', backing vocals
- Drew Hester – percussion
Production
- Butch Vig – producer
- James Brown – recording engineer, mixing engineer
- Gavin Lurssen – mastering
- Brandon Bell – studio assistance
- Matt Mangano – studio assistance
- Ben Simoneti – studio assistance
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year end chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ Hear Foo Fighters' Rowdy, Nashville-Inspired Song 'Congregation' rollingstone.com. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ Foo Fighters premiere new song "Congregation" — listen consequence.net. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ Foo Fighters preview new track 'Congregation' – listen nme.com. Retrieved October, 2014.
- ^ Foo Fighters – “Congregation” stereogum.com. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- ^ Foo Fighters in Nashville: Zac Brown Details 'Sonic Highways' Visit rollingstone.com. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ a b c GROW, KORY (October 31, 2014). "Hear Foo Fighters' Rowdy, Nashville-Inspired Song 'Congregation'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Lynch, Joe (October 31, 2014). "Foo Fighters Tap Zac Brown for 'Congregation,' Best Song From 'Sonic Highways' Yet". Billboard.
- ^ Sonic Highways (Vinyl liner notes). Foo Fighters. 2014.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Foo Fighters – Congregation" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Foo Fighters – Congregation" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard.
- ^ "Congregation" (in Czech). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "Foo Fighters: Congregation" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- ^ "Foo Fighters – Congregation" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2015". Billboard.
- ^ "Rock Airplay Songs: Year End 2015". Billboard.