While not a disappointment on the level of, say, Weezer, the Foo Fighters have suffered a similar lack of charm and personality since the decade began. One by One was generic guitar rock, and In Your Honor was the same with a bonus acoustic disc. So the announcement of the new live acoustic album, Skin and Bones, is hard to get excited about. The Fighters seem to be in a rut, and a live album is often just a quick toss-off or holding pattern.

Oddly enough, though, the album gives more evidence for hope than the last two studio efforts. It's very flawed, but it shows the band expands the line-up to add organ, piano and accordion. The group's not noted for a good live show, but it delivers here.

But it goes both ways. Skin and Bones suffers from some serious bloat. Up to eight musicians crowd the stage, meaning that some instruments (organist, I'm looking at you) are just filling up space instead of adding to the arrangement. In fact, some of the best cuts are the last three tracks, where Dave Grohl plays solo. "Friend of a Friend" is given the sparse treatment it needs to capture the quiet sadness of the lyrics. "Best of You," though not an obvious acoustic choice (Grohl jokes "I can't let you guys get off without screaming at you for a couple minutes,") works because of audience enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the band taints its finest hour, "Everlong," by having the band join Grohl midway through for endless flourishes and finishes. Anyone who's heard Grohl's performance of the song on Howard Stern's show knows how gorgeous the solo rendition can be, but the moment is lost for a big rock finale.

And yet, this rock extravaganza happens more than once. The band tacks so many big finishes and extended outros onto the songs that I'm convinced Taylor Hawkins is paid by the drumroll. This album drags, drags, draaaaags. Tempos are slowed and songs expanded. "Big Me" should be a two-minute slice of pop, and expanding it even to a slow three-minute ballad really takes the punch away.

"February Stars" worked because the soft beginning exploded for the finish; here, the stage is so busy the difference is barely felt. The album's big surprise, the Grohl-penned Nirvana b-side "Marigold," also suffers.

And, while it isn't fair to judge an album by what it could have been, this one is just loaded with too many missed opportunities. It relies far too heavily on the weak In Your Honor, filling a third of the album with selections from the acoustic disc.

Judging by the great take on "Next Year," the underrated There Is Nothing Left to Lose could have benefited from having some songs on here. Indeed, "Ain't it the Life" was performed but left off the CD for space. In fact, three of the band's albums are given a mere one song each, leaving off many of their best.

Gifted vocalist/violinist Petra Haden (whose projects are too numerous to count) is here, but hidden in the background, lost in the mix. She contributes muted backing vocals here and there and occasionally strums a mandolin.

The kicker, though? Haden doing a beautiful cover of "Floaty," and a duet would have been an album highlight. But the band decided it would be better to do the middle-of-the-road rocker "Cold Day in the Sun" and let the drummer sing, instead. It's kind of like inviting Brian Wilson into the studio, then asking him to arrange your socks instead of the strings.

The album is pleasant enough, but with a few wiser song choices this could have been something more than a treat for the fans. The fans, however, are too content with mediocrity to care. In Your Honor cuts are applauded wildly while any song from the '90s goes unrecognized 'til the vocals kick in. While it's encouraging that the Foos tried something new to get their spark back, the fact that their fans are content with their autopilot mode is discouraging. Here's hoping they keep their ambition instead of settling. Grade: C+