Right off the bat, the self-titled Foreigner album was a success, featuring tracks that have since become standards (“Cold as Ice”, “Long Long Way from Home”, “Feels Like the First Time”), and the band immediately hit the arena rock tour circuit. In 1976, Jones and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald (King Crimson) formed Foreigner with a group of British and American musicians including singer Lou Gramm, who would become an important foil to Jones for the next three decades. It’s a rags-to-riches story for British journeyman guitarist Mick Jones, who got his start playing for Johnny Halliday (known as the French Elvis) during the ’60s and then later joined the rock band Spooky Tooth in the early ’70s. There have been similar Foreigner double-disc packages ( Jukebox Heroes and No End in Sight), but 40 is the most current by including tracks from 2009’s Can’t Slow Down and the group’s recent single “The Flame Still Burns”.įoreigner’s peak period occurred from 1977 to 1987 as represented on all of disc one and the first couple tracks of disc two. This year is the 40th anniversary of the release of Foreigner’s self-titled debut, and marking that milestone is this latest two-CD greatest hits compilation, simply called 40, which collects 40 (get it?) of the band’s hits (the title and artwork are a nod to the band’s 1981 smash album 4). There’s no denying Foreigner’s catchy hooks and go-for-the-gut sensibilities - a testament to the perseverance and genius of the band’s guitarist and driving force, Mick Jones - even if they have earned the band the somewhat-unfair label of corporate rock.
The band’s slick hard rock tunes and power ballads - “Waiting for a Girl Like You”, “Cold as Ice”, “I Want to Know What Love Is”, and “Hot Blooded” are just some of them - are ubiquitous not only on AOR/classic rock radio but pretty much anywhere that plays music, whether it’s at the local bar, pharmacy, or sporting event. Whether you love it or not, the music of Foreigner has been a part of our lives for the last four decades.
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