Released September 29, 2009 Genre Alternative rock Label Roswell/RCA | Recorded 2009 Length 4:38 | |
Format CD single, digital download | ||
"Wheels" is a single by American rock band Foo Fighters. The single premiered on radio on September 23, 2009, though the single was officially released six days later. The song had its live premiere at the White House as part of an Independence Day celebration honoring military service members.
Contents
The song "Wheels", alongside the song "Word Forward", was recorded for the band's Greatest Hits album with producer Butch Vig. Both songs were written during the Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace tour and had their first versions recorded at Grand Master Studios in Hollywood in 2008, later being recorded at the Foo Fighters's own Studio 606 in Los Angeles. Lead vocalist Dave Grohl invited Vig to work on the songs while at a party, and the successful outcome led Grohl to invite him to produce the band's next album Wasting Light.
Critical
Benjamin Sheehan from Billboard magazine says: "The song has a Weezer-meets-The Fray vibe, and it flies out of the gate with feedback-laden riffs, well-timed stutter stops and a gentle balance of electric and acoustic guitars. Four-chord loops nicely underscore Grohl's frustration as he mourns life's failure to meet his expectations. Grohl sings during the opening verse, 'I wanted something better, man/I wished for something new'. For an act of this stature and talent, it's hard not to agree just a little".
Reviewing the 2009 album Greatest Hits, for Pitchfork, Matthew Perpetua said: "Wheels is particularly aggravating, sounding something like a half-hearted attempt at a country-rock crossover, which indicates a nervous desperation for continued success that has been absent from Grohl's work to date."
Commercial
The song debuted at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100, being their highest charting single there since their 2007 hit "The Pretender". "Wheels" is the most recent Foo Fighters single to be available on the CD single format.
Music video
A music video was directed by Sam Brown, featuring the band performing in an old warehouse. The video premiered in the early hours of October 1, 2009 on AMTV.