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GREATEST HITS ALBUM REVIEW

FOREIGNER

Complete Greatest Hits

Released - May 7, 2002 on Atlantic Records. Produced by John Sinclair, Gary Lyons, Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Keith Olsen, Roy Thomas Baker, Bill Inglot, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Alez Sadkin, Duane Baron, John Purdell, & Lou Gramm

Lou Gramm -  Lead Vocals, Percussion
Mick Jones - Lead Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Dennis Elliott  -  Drums, Backing Vocals
Ian McDonald  -  Guitar, Reeds, Horn, Keyboards, Backing Vocals on first 10 tracks
Al Greenwood -  Keyboards, Synthesizer on first 10 tracks
Ed Gagliardi -   Bass, Backing Vocals on first 10 tracks
Rick Wills -  Bass, Backing Vocals on tracks 11 thru 19

With:
Ian Lloyd  - Backing Vocals on tracks 1 thru 7 & tracks 10 thru 19
Thomas Dolby  -  Main Synthesizer on tracks 11 thru 14
Larry Fast  -  Synthesizer on track 14
Bob Mayo  -  Keyboards, Synthesizer, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals on track 13
Michael Fonfara -  Keyboards on tracks 12 & 13
Hugh McCracken - Slide Guitar on track 11
Mark Rivera - Saxophone, Backing Vocal on tacks 10 thru 19
Jr Walker - Saxophone solo on track 12
Wally Badarou, Jack Waldman, Brian Eddolls & Dave Lebolt - Synthesizers on tracks 15 & 16
Tom Bailey - Keyboards on track 18; Backing Vocals on track 15
New Jersey Mass Choir with Jennifer Holliday & Donnie Harper - Backing Vocals on track 15
Peter-John Vettese - Keyboards on tracks 17 thru 19
Sammy Merendino - Electronic Percussion on tracks 17 thru 19
John Purdell - Keyboards, Backing Vocals on track 20
Rick Seratte- Keyboards on track 20
Schuyler Deale - Bass on track 20
Mark Schulman - Drums on track 20
Sheryl Crow, Robin Zander, Marilyn Martin & Beth Hooker - Backing Vocals on track 20

(All songs written by Mick Jones & Lou Gramm unless noted below next to song)

Review  

Foreigner, with its leader Mick Jones and frontman Lou Gramm, is one of those few bands who knew how to turn out hit song after hit song, year after year, even after their band went through major changes in personal. Formed by Jones in late 1976, their first self-titled LP went quadruple platinum with "Cold as Ice" and "Feels like the First Time" top ten hits. There was no stopping the band after that, other than inside problems that popped up in the band after their 1979 LP Head Games.

Yes, this greatest hits package is loaded with great songs, some hard rock numbers and some "power ballads", a term which  was first used to describe Foreigner's heavy ballads. "I Want to Know What Love Is" is their best one, talk about a ballad which is full of power and feeling, with it's lead vocal sung with gusto by Gramm. Thing is, all of the songs he sang were sung in this matter.

Of course Foreigner isn't all ballads, and the two best songs on here are both hard rock numbers - "Hot Blooded" with its great lyrics and "Juke Box Hero", a song about every guitar loving kid's dream, in fact, written about a kid who the band befriended in Ohio one night before a show.

There are maybe two or three songs on here that perhaps didn't need to make the album, since for me anyway, they are not favorites, but that happens with most greatest hits LPs it seems, and this one is still great regardless.

- Keno 2007

To listen to some soundclips from Complete Greatest Hits or to purchase it, click on:Foreigner: Complete Greatest Hits

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