FOREIGNER – I imagine that the past accomplishments of Foreigner can undoubtedly be looked upon as legendary; while the present-day Foreigner lineup can be upheld as superheroes protecting, celebrating and building upon an enviable Rock ‘N Roll legacy. For a Rock/Hard Rock band that should be enshrined in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, only to be ignored by the political party that oversees it, Foreigner justifiably has the world-wide popular vote among generations of fans that know ultra quality when they hear and see it.
Alive & Kickin’ is proof positive that Foreigner still connects their illustrious past to the present. A live recording from their 2006 performance at the Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Balingen, Germany; Foreigner is a band continuously touring to this very day and bringing to life a catalog of songs from albums that have sold over 70 million world-wide.
Any “famous” band in the land (switching around vocalists) can learn a valuable lesson from Foreigner: make absolutely certain your new lead singer can relate the true emotion of the song; while capturing the essence of what it means to vocally represent such band’s storied history of music. With Hurricane as his credible launching pad, lead vocalist Kelly Hansen has earned his Rock ‘N Roll doctorate with Foreigner, by excelling at following Lou Gramm so effortlessly well.
As my ears dictate, Foreigner hasn’t succumbed to being a stale semblance of what once was. Still recording and touring to sell-out crowds, spanning five decades, equates that Rock ‘N Roll magic is consistently being captured by this band. Alive & Rockin’ projects the sounds and vibes of a profoundly memorable Classic Rock era, celebrating both Foreigner’s hit songs and their legendary past; bringing me back to those starry-eyed days of my teen-hood, while erasing the momentary stress I encounter on the present day.
If there ever was a power-house quinary of albums in the history of Rock, that can be used as the measuring stick to both Rock and Hard Rock mainstream success, then Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled debut, 1978’s Double Vision, 1979’s Head Games, 1981’s 4 and 1984’s Agent Provocateur are to be celebrated as such.
This is a quality performance that was recorded on Alive & Rockin’, with my lone gripe of wanting to hear Kelly Hansen chat-it-up more with the thousands of fans in attendance. (I’ve always been a sucker for that lead singer-to-crowd interaction). Alive & Rockin’ was released this past May 29th, via Eagle Rock Entertainment. I couldn’t argue with any better time for this live album release, especially since Summer is here and the urge to play Classic Rock on high volume with the car windows down is epidemic.
Mick Jones should feel very proud of his success at keeping this (his) Rockin’ Foreigner ship sailing. I strongly recommend Alive & Rockin’ to any and all Classic Rock, Rock and Hard Rock fans. Only the strong, talented and wise survive, yet in Rock music you must add adaptable to the mix… and Foreigner bestows these attributes while carrying the torch of relevance high in the air. I won’t stamp this as an all-time great live album in Rock history; still it’s Foreigner at their live Rockin’ best and I couldn’t ask for more than that. Alive & Rockin’ is sound proof of my Rockin’ beliefs I’ve just written. Metal be thy name.
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FOREIGNER:
Mick Jones – lead guitar, keyboards and vocals
Kelly Hansen – lead vocals
Jason Bonham – drums
Jeff Jacobs – keyboards and vocals
Tom Gimbel – guitar, saxophone, flute and vocals
Jeff Pilson – bass guitar and vocals
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Alive & Rockin’ – Track Listing:
Double Vision
Head Games
Dirty White Boy
Cold As Ice
Starrider
Feels Like The First Time
Urgent
Juke Box Hero / Whole Lotta Love
Hot Blooded
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* For more info on FOREIGNER, click on the link below!
LONG LIVE FOREIGNER.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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