Foreigner Album: “Extended Versions”

Love that line. Just finished listening to Extended Versions live, and it really rocks. The first 3 songs sound really good, but once Dirty White Boy starts the whole CD just kicks up a notch and keeps getting better from there. The songs are heavier sounding than in the past, but nothing that takes away from the variety of style & instrumentation that's always been a Foreigner hallmark. It's just that once the band gets warmed up, the CD really maintains an intensity throughout, just like the show I attended during their 2005 tour which this recording comes from.

The first thing I noticed when I looked at the CD back tray liner was that the shortest song was 4:25 (Dirty White Boy) and all the others clocked over 5 minutes. Five songs...half the CD...came in at over 6 minutes so I could tell they were definitely "extended" and kept in most of the cool stuff I heard at the show I attended. Some extended instrumental work and so on. Mick Jones really comes alive as a guitar player here. Overall just shy of 70 minutes total. Dirty White Boy, Starrider, Urgent & Juke Box Hero are definitely stand-out tracks. Lots of swagger and they really rock. The new rhythms they're playing on Starrider really kick. For those who may've heard the new band for the first time on the Rockline radio show last summer, the versions of Urgent and Juke Box Hero on this CD sound even better.

The next thing I noticed was that the CD and all the songs were published by "Trigger Productions, Inc." Thought that was cute. (For those unfamiliar, Trigger was Foreigner's original name on the demo recording they circulated back in 1976. That very good & interesting demo is included in its entirety as bonus tracks for the remastered/extended debut CD released a couple years ago.) Also noticed that this CD was produced by bassist Jeff Pilson, giving the project a real "band" feel.

I'm glad too that they listed the date & location of the show on the CD liner. Most of the other Extended Live CD's I've seen don't. This band still rocks!

The Sony/BMG 'Extended Versions' series has gotten a really bad name by repackaging old (previously released) live albums, shuffling the running order and releasing them under a misleading title to give buyers the impression they are getting an all new recording. This live recording by Foreigner has changed all of that, though. For one, it is a brand new show recorded in Las Vegas on November 26th, 2005. Unless you were there that night, you haven't heard this one before. The show has never been released on cd before and it is the only widely available album of Foreigner's current lineup in concert.

Say what you will about original members (i.e. Lou Gramm) who are no longer in the band. Mick Jones is the only original member left in Foreigner today. However, he has truly surrounded himself with some seasoned musicians who make you forget all about it. Checking in on lead vocals is Kelly Hansen, formerly of Hurricane and Heaven & Earth. He is joined by Jeff Jacobs on keyboards, Jeff Pilson (ex-Dokken) on bass, Jason Bonham (ex-Bonham/ex-U.F.O.) on drums and Tom Gimbel rounding out the band. All six guys are pictured on the front cover and their names are listed on the inside front sleeve. It sounds cliche to say but the new members inject some new life into the band. You'll hear that when you listen to this particular live show. Like you may have already read on the reviews page, this is a fine showcase for Foreigner's new lineup. The reviewers below will tell you that. The funny thing is that many people picking this up might go in with low expectations. At least until they listen to 'Extended Versions.' Even the most hardened Lou Gramm fan will have to admit that this band knocks out Foreigner's greatest hits in a resounding fashion.

Nine of the ten songs featured on 'Extended Versions' are over five minutes long. A couple of them are over eight minutes. With the addition of Jason Bonham (John's son) to the band, Foreigner even sneaks in a medley of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Like everything else on this album, it will knock your socks off. What becomes clear is that this lineup is arguably as good as the original lineup and they are having a lot of fun on stage. Listen to Kelly Hansen work the crowd all night long. Lou Gramm isn't around anymore to fight over control of the band with Mick Jones. No unhappy members griping about the setlist or the musical direction of the band that later translates into tension on stage. These guys are happy to be on stage in front of a good crowd.

What helps matters, for some, is that Foreigner plays a generous set of their best known material. No filler tracks, new songs or ten minute drum solos. Highlights include Kelly Hansen's energy, Jason Bonham's drumming (particularly on "Jukebox Hero") and obviously the lead guitar of Mick Jones. What is worth noting is that this new album was produced by Jeff Pilson, who played bass for Foreigner on this release. Not only did he play a mean bass this night but he did right by the band with a solid production job. There is not a dud in this live set. Every song rings true and many of them are as good as the studio versions. "Head Games" gets this one off to a fine start. From there, some of the best moments include "Starrider" and "I want to know what love is." There are only a couple of bad points. New vocalist Kelly Hansen's stage raps are laughable, dated, arena rock 101 crowd pleasers. Don't get me wrong, though. He does more than make up for it with his powerful voice. Like it or not, he is sounding a lot better than Lou Gramm these days.

The other bad news is that 'Extended Versions' did not get a more proper release. As part of this low-budget cd line, you'll find it for under $6 in every department store (i.e. Walmart) across the country. I can sort of see why the band did it, because it is easy distribution and a lot of people are likely to see it on the shelf. However, most journalists, critics and web sites will never bother to review it. No radio station will ever play it. They will all see the album title and cover only to assume it is some shoddy repackaging by the record company, ala 'Super Hits.' That is a shame. Let's just hope that fans don't make the same mistake. Unless you read the fine print on the back cover or closely study the band picture on the front, you'd be hard pressed to realize it is an all new release. This is too bad because 'Extended Versions' is already a vital addition to Foreigner's discography, in my opinion. It has been many years since any given version of Foreigner has released anything relevant and this is it. The band should have at least considered keeping the show for themselves and releasing it independently with a more fitting title that could be promoted a little better. Releasing it online or selling it at concerts may have been a suitable alternative to selling the rights to Sony and having it get lost in the shuffle. Despite all of that, based on the Amazon ranking (as of the fall of 2006), this album has been selling fairly well considering its low profile and lack of coverage. It has already outsold many other titles in Sony's 'Extended Versions' series that have been out a lot longer. A couple of Foreigner web sites online have been working day and night to get the word out about this release and they have to be applauded for it. Their message boards have been buzzing since the official release earlier in 2006.

'Extended Versions' may not feature the original lineup of Foreigner. Some of these temporary guys might not even be in the band a couple of years from now. None of that matters, though. Mick Jones has propped Foreigner back up with a red-hot lineup. This live album is clear proof. I think a lot of Foreigner's fans may be pleasantly surprised with this one, if they don't mind hearing someone other than Lou singing their favorite songs. Somebody has to sing them since Gramm chooses to ignore many of the Foreigner songs that Mick Jones wrote (including "I want to know what love is") during his solo concerts, out of spite towards Jones. Lou has openly said in recent interviews that he has no intention of playing some of those Mick Jones tunes again as a solo artist, even though they helped Lou Gramm sell a lot of records. Foreigner 'Extended Versions' comes highly recommended. Given the low price and how easy it is to find, there is no reason why you should pass it up. Be forewarned that you may get the itch to see this lineup play live. It'd be very interesting to see what these six bandmates come up with if they ever decided to record a studio album together. I think it could work well.

I have to agree with the previous reviewer about this being a great cd. I was aware that Mick Jones had reformed Foreigner, and I was curious to check it out. Foreigner Extended Versions contains ten songs recorded live in Las Vegas last November. The band sounds great! Foreigner classics like Hot Blooded, Cold as Ice, Head Games, Dirty White Boy, and Jukebox Hero are all here, and the performances are awesome. This cd is indeed a steal at such a cheap price. Hopefully they'll release a dvd soon. Thank you Mick Jones for keeping Foreigner going.

So, what's Mick Jones been up to & what is this new release & why as an Extended Versions release?

Well, March 2005 Mick announced the line up the new Foreigner band, a strong group of musicians featuring: Kelly Hansen - Lead vocals (Ex-Hurricane & Heaven & Earth band), Jason Bonham - Drums (Ex - Too many to list!), Jeff Pilson - Bass, vocals (Ex - Dokken, MSG, Dio, "Rock Star" movie band, etc.), Jeff Jacobs - Keys, vocals (Mick's bud for a while!) & Tom Gimbell - Guitar, Sax, Flute, vocals.

I've yet to see this line up live, but from the sound of this CD ...., I can't wait!

One thing, Mick has got it right here, it's a really strong line up, who can back up Kelly's lead vocals with some excellent harmonies & this was recorded on the 2005 tour in Vegas. It rocks!

The down side & yes there's a downside, but don't get me wrong as it's not the quality it's the lack of tracks that are included here! In Europe, Foreigner live is getting a full blown release, more tracks & better packaging. Guess the US has got a raw deal on this, they'll probably reissue it again here in full later on!

Mick apparently wondered about how much interest there would be for new Foreigner product without Lou in the band, probably based on the response to the release in 1991 of Unusual Heat the only other Foreigner release without Lou.

Don't worry Mick! Opening with Head Games the album is off to a flyer Kelly's the guy for the job, no doubt! Cold As Ice is up next & I'm stunned, the whole presentation & harmony vocals .., WOW!

Then we have Waiting For A Girl Like You which again, they perform so well, such a full sound.

It's back to the rock with Dirty White Boy, with a cheesy introduction - Check that one out yourself! ;-) - but the song is totally killer!

Then they play Starrider from the first album which still sounds great today. You'd seriously think this was a rejuvenated version of the original line up. Awesome, clocking in at 6 min 51 secs!

Then again from the 1st album, Feels Like The First Time, introduced by Mick himself this time, where he says, "I want us to be on our best behavior up here & I want you to be on your worst!" Cute Mick!

The next track Urgent completely through me with the intro it has here live, I had to pick up the CD case to see what it was! It then gets on track & again, they don't disappoint. Great sax playing here!

Juke Box Hero keeps things on track into which they've included a snippet of Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love, before getting back into `Hero. John Bonham would've been proud of his son here!

Another classic Foreigner ballad next with I Want To Know What Love Is, where they really get the audience into it, the track here almost sounds dare I say it, more soft than their original version.

To finish, what would you want to hear? Hot Blooded? You got it!

What a rocking closing track. Well worth picking up this great release from the bargain / budget price racks as it IS new from Foreigner & it's great!

...AND I LOVE IT!

One of the reviewers here at Amazon had said of this CD "Shockingly Great". I just had to go and check it out what's so shocking about it. What's shocking is the exactitude of the new lead vocals to those of Lou Gramm's. What's new is the better quality of the instrumentals due to better technologies. But voice can only be human and finding the right one for a rock band of Foreigner's caliber is like finding a pick in a hay-stack.

What is yet to be determined with Foreigner is whether Mick Jones will be able to re-establish the magical symbiosis he had found with Gramm to write divine music with someone else.