FOREIGNER – The Best of Foreigner 4 & More (2014)
*
Legends FOREIGNER are getting like fellow classic melodic rockers Styx and REO Speedwagon releasing live albums and re-recording classic songs, as opposed to recording new music.
Their last studio album was 2009′s excellent ‘Can’t Slow Down’ and the studio album before that was released back in 1994! But we have had two compilations/re-recordings of older classics, a live album and an acoustic album since 2009. It seems the majority of the fans are after the well known classics, shame as this fan hankers after new music…
Now, through Frontiers Records, Foreigner is releasing “The Best of Foreigner 4 & More“.
Right, on to this live album and as the title suggests the setlist relies heavily on their classic “4” album. In Kelly Hansen they have not only a top notch vocalist, but a livewire frontman who works a crowd with ease.
This works well as it allows sole remaining original member Mick Jones to take a backseat and concentrate on his guitar and let the music do the talking.
Fans will want this album as the band rework a lot of the songs, from the thirteen minute jam that is “Jukebox Hero” (is that a cheeky Led Zep riff in there?) through to “Say You Will”, given the acoustic treatment, the band offer up a really good, alternative versions of their classics.
They rope in a choir for an emotional run through “I Want To Know What Love Is” and Thom Gimbel earns his stripes on the sax solo on “Urgent”, slightly re-arranged in the pre-chorus.
Michael Bluestein whips up a keyboard storm on “Cold As Ice” (again the band add in another rock classic snippet, this time Deep Purple’s ‘Black Night’).
Foreigner is one of the best live classic rock bands out there and this CD is a good enough snapshot of their current line-up, arguably the best since the classic Lou Gramm line-up. The band recorded these live high-definition versions of their most enduring anthems at the Borgata Hotel’s Music Box theatre in Atlantic City just few weeks ago, on October 3rd & 4th, 2014.
Truth to be said, “The Best of Foreigner 4 & More” sounds awesome. Really, it’s a killer recording with killer songs / performances.
Now… how about a new studio album next lads?
01 – Night Life
02 – Woman In Black
03 – Urgent
04 – Waiting For A Girl Like You
05 – Break It Up
06 – Girl On The Moon
07 – Say You Will
08 – Feels Like The First Time
09 – Cold As Ice
10 – Hot Blooded
11 – I Want To Know What Love Is
12 – Juke Box Hero
Mick Jones (lead guitar)
Kelly Hansen (lead vocals)
Jeff Pilson (bass, vocals)
Michael Bluestein (keyboards)
Tom Gimbel (rhythm guitar, sax, vocals)
Bruce Watson (guitar)
Chris Frazier (drums)
BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/best-4-more-Foreigner/dp/B00OD7680W
.
