What did he do?

Bear Creek Studio, a residential recording studio located in a barn on a 10-acre farm in Woodinville, Washington, seemed like an ideal spot for Foo Fighters to make their first album as a real band. But for Dave Grohl, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, drummer Will Goldsmith and producer Gil Norton, the month they spent recording at Bear Creek in late 1996 was as tense and frustrating as the setting was bucolic. Grohl would later describe it as "a bad experience," while Mendel and Goldsmith – dubbed "the rhythmless section" by Gil Norton – found the sessions exceptionally difficult.

"Dave had me do 96 takes of one song, and I had to do 13 hours' worth of takes on another one," Goldsmith told the Miami New Times in 1998. "It just seemed that everything I did wasn't good enough for him, or anyone else. I think that everyone at the label wanted Dave to play drums on the record. The producer wanted him to play drums on the record, and it felt like everyone was trying to get me to quit." Though the band tracked 14 songs at Bear Creek, very little from those sessions would ultimately make it onto The Colour and the Shape.

Goldsmith soon discovered that all of his work had been re-recorded, and his efforts were obliterated in the most part from the album.

"Apparently Dave was going to re-record a few of the songs. I don't know if the producer told him to keep going, or what. But the next thing you know all of the work I had done was gone except for one or two of the tracks."

. . .

"I found out he had redone all the tracks and got rid of everything, and then he still wanted me to be in the band and tour live.

I was like, man, there are some people that are hired and session musicians and that's cool. But that's not why I set out to play music. That's not what I did it for.

For me, to have that done to you and to continue playing live would have been damaging to my soul. I would have been going against what I believe in. I wanted to create music not make money."