Foreigner - 3 Studio Albums (1977-1981) [MFSL, 2010-2013]

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Foreigner - 3 Studio Albums (1977-1981) [MFSL, 2010-2013]

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Foreigner - Foreigner (1977). Blissful feelings arise at the mere mention of 70s arena rock. It gives listeners the permission to have fun, sing along to aircraft-hangar-size choruses, play air guitar solos, forget about any troubles, recall the experience of a first kiss, and quite simply, rock out. Few albums better instill these pleasures than Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled debut album, a five-times platinum blockbuster chock full of salacious riffs, soaring vocals, edgy beats, and lyrics that practically demand to be shouted.
Spearheaded by guitar hero Mick Jones, fresh off success with Spooky Tooth, Foreigner rallied around a talented collective pulled from the U.S. and U.K. Joining up with former King Crimson instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer Dennis Elliott, as well as keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi, Jones completed the puzzle with the addition of extraordinary singer Lou Gramm, whose vocal timbre and limitless pipes remain one of the most instantly identifiable combinations in music.

Foreigner - Head Games (1979). The moment Head Games begins, a nastier, grittier tone is established, and it becomes apparent that Foreigner is bringing something new to the table. Namely, an edgier, leaner sound built around stronger guitars and harder rhythms. The heaviest record of the band’s career, the 1979 effort functions as irrefutable proof that the quintet rocked as hard as anybody in the mainstream and did so without losing sight of the melodies that put it at the top of the charts. And with Head Games, there Foreigner would stay.
Joined by new bassist Rick Wills, and guided by Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker, Foreigner goes for broke, ratcheting up the muscularity on hard-hitting fare such as the hit single “Dirty White Boy,” “Seventeen,” and the aptly titled “Rev on the Red Line.” However, the group maintains its trademark equilibrium, pushing the limits on toughness yet retaining a diamond-in-the-rough smoothness that allows the band’s hummable choruses and winding hooks to take hold.
Moreover, the band expands its use of synthesizers to wonderful effect. The smash title track, through which mesmerizing keyboard passages coarse, is a prime example of Foreigner’s slight albeit thrilling sonic evolution, the net result upping the drama, fanfare, and color. At the time, the combination was a breakthrough idea. Is it any wonder Head Games sold more than 5 million copies?

Foreigner - 4 (1981). Want to be a juke box hero? Here’s your chance. Featuring Mutt Lange’s spotless production, contributions from Motown legend Junior Walker and new-wave icon Thomas Dolby, no less than three huge singles, and Foreigner’s most economical performances, 4 is classic-rock nirvana, a model of crystalline pop-rock melodies and lighter-flicking balladry. More than six million copies later, the 1981 record is still rightly discussed as a front-to-back masterpiece of precision, power, and economy. It’s an album that demands to be experienced in the highest-possible fidelity.
Fresh off blockbuster success with AC/DC’s Back In Black, Lange uses his magic touch on 4, pairing with guitarist Mick Jones who, armed with the best batch of riffs of his career, shared a the producer’s sentiment for discipline, efficiency, and cleanliness. And so, on crisp tunes like “Break It Up,” pianos and hard-hitting guitars share the same space without ever impinging on one another or overstepping boundaries. The winning formula also propels Top 5 hits like the wildly funky “Urgent,” sent to new heights by Walker’s dazzling saxophone solo, and the touching “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” a crossover smash that introduced Foreigner to soft-rock and adult-pop audiences.
Simply stated, 4 has everything: Rowdy frustration-releasing cuts, fiery rock n’ roll tunes, heartfelt torch songs, and synth-drenched pop numbers. The playing throughout positively smokes, as the one-two punch of Gramm and Jones lands with both emotional and musical impact every time. There's not a single wasted note. And, reduced to a quartet, Foreigner seems bent on making more with less, just as Lange does with the polished production. This is 42 minutes of hard-rocking bliss.

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Foreigner - 3 Studio Albums (1977-1981) [MFSL, 2010-2013]

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Foreigner - 3 Studio Albums (1977-1981) [MFSL, 2010-2013]

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Foreigner - 3 Studio Albums (1977-1981) [MFSL, 2010-2013]

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