Foreigner - The Best of Foreigner 4 & More (Album Review)
Tuesday, 09 December 2014
Written by Simon Ramsay
Photo: Bill Bernstein
If Foreigner received frequent flyer miles every time they travelled into their back catalogue and plundered its contents for another not-so-new release, they'd be able to jet around the globe for the rest of their career without paying a penny. Take recent live albums, Best Of compilations or acoustic reworkings of their hits - while the quality of the music is beyond reproach, their frequency and necessity is beyond questionable.
This year's repackaging of the past is a live effort that finds the rockers revisiting 1981's '4' at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Although the audience are delighted by what is an exceptional performance, there are many issues here.
Firstly, the band don't perform the whole album in full, leaving out Luanne, I'm Gonna Win and Don't Let Go to include regular setlist classics like Feels Like The First Time, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded and I Want To To Know What Love Is. It short changes the concept of revisiting a specific record, feeling like neither a special event nor a must-have purchase as a result.
What's more, only guitarist and founding member Mick Jones remains from the band that actually cut '4'. Lou Gramm departed for the final time in 2003, while there have been countless line-up changes over the decades. It seems completely unnecessary to release a live album of songs that only one of them was involved in making.
In spite of those problems, though, once the album begins it's impossible not to be impressed. The tunes are indicative of the formidable writing partnership betwixt Gramm and Jones, documenting their ability to fashion impeccable hooks and music with a timeless emotional core.
The delicate beauty of Girl On The Moon, the strutting raunch of Night Life and unending romantic longing of Waiting For A Girl Like You are faultless compositions superbly executed by a remarkably effervescent band.
Regardless of their relationship with the source material, this seven-strong ensemble is comprised of cracking musicians, whose energy and flair makes the old material sound fresh and captivating. The spellbinding Urgent and Juke Box Hero are duly extended without losing their inherent crowd pleasing power and spirit.
A special word for Hansen too. He's a phenomenal showman and his vocal performance is outstanding here. Those who refuse to accept him as Gramm's replacement need to get over themselves, because they are truly missing out.
Foreigner are still one of the greatest live acts around, so it's ironic that they know exactly how to please their audience while failing to realise how bored some devotees are by these releases. This splendid version of the band should ditch the nostalgia carousel and get creative.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
