Customer Reviews

Jukebox Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Literally from the very first noises out of this CD it pisses you off. The version of "Feels Like The First Time" included here starts off with the synth bubbling underneath the guitar, instead of with just the lone guitar part eventually segueing into the synth/guitar part (which is a much better version). In addition, the song is SEVERELY edited. The second song, "Long Long Way From Home" is also the 45 version and not the full length album version. I have a feeling all of these are going to be that way.

If you're a true Foreigner fan, you've already got everything on here. There's no previously unreleased tracks. You do get some nice solo tracks from Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, and a couple from Spooky Tooth (Mick's old band), but no rarities or anything like that. Just some slick packaging, remastering, and the requisite liner notes. If you're a casual fan, this is a good starting point. Overall, a good compilation, but I really wish they had full-length versions of these songs.

If you're a Foreigner purist, what are you doing with this 2-disc set? Put it back on the shelf and pick up all their digitally remastered albums instead. This isn't the collection for you.

If you're someone who's new to the band, and wants only the hits, some truly excellent album tracks, and some superb solo material from band members, this is the one to get.

Disc One contains most of the hits (including personal favourites "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice", "Hot Blooded", "Urgent", "Waiting For A Girl Like You", and "Juke Box Hero"), all presented in chronological order (I wish all compilations would do that), so you can clearly hear the band's musical and artistic progression. Very nice, but where's "Girl On The Moon" from 4? That is perhaps the only startling omission.

One note: Only the first pressing had the two tracks from Spooky Tooth (the track listing Amazon provides); all subsequent pressings substitute "Night Life", another track from 4, in place of track 20, "All Sewn Up", which is bumped to track 21 ("Hoofer" is deleted entirely). Since the Spooky Tooth material didn't really appeal to me at all, this was a welcome change.

Disc Two is not as strong as the first (to be expected), though it does feature the haunting "I Want To Know What Love Is" (their only #1 hit, sadly) and the rocking "Reaction To Action". I was very pleased to see some of Lou Gramm's and Mick Jones's solo material made it onto this disc, with "Midnight Blue" being the standout -- it's the perfect song for driving late at night. Many might not appreciate Foreigner's later material, but it still constitutes part of their history, and as such belongs on this set.

As usual, Rhino's remastering job is impeccable. I found myself discovering new sonic elements in each song. The liner notes are also superb, but do not contain the updated track listing.

Approximately 10 of the songs are in their single versions, which means they're edited (9 songs) or remixed (one song). Somehow, I wish Rhino had expanded this set to 3 discs to accomodate the full-length album versions, but this is acceptable.

THE BAND: Lou Gramm (lead vocals, percussion), Mick Jones (guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals), Dennis Elliott (drums), Ian McDonald (keyboards), Al Greenwood (keyboards), Ed Gagliardi (bass), Rick Wills (bass), Jeff Jacobs (keyboards on "Mr. Moonlight" only), Bruce Turgon (bass on "Mr. Moonlight" only), Johnny Edwards (vocals on "Unusual Heat" only).

THE DISCS: (2000) 39 tracks on 2 discs clocking in at approximately 154 total minutes (77:23 on disc-1, 76:13 on disc-2). Included with the discs is a 46-page booklet containing numerous band photos, extensive history of the band, all studio album cover artwork, song titles/credits, and what songs came from which albums. Label - Rhino.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: "Foreigner" (6 songs), "Double Vision" (4), "Head Games" (4), "Four" (5), "Agent Provocateur" (5), "Inside Information" (4), "Unusual Heat" (1), "The Very Best...And Beyond" (1), "Mr. Moonlight" (2), Spooky Tooth (2), Lou Gramm solo (3), Mick Jones solo (2).

COMMENTS: "Anthology: Jukebox Heroes" is my pick of the bunch for best Foreigner compilation. You'll have several choices to make before settling on this one... "Complete Greatest Hits" (2002: 20 songs), "The Essentials" (2005: 12 songs), "The Very Best... And Beyond" (1992: 17 songs), "Records" (1982: 10 songs), and Rhino Records double dipping with a 2nd Foreigner compilation "The Definitive Collection" (2006: 30 songs). "Anthology" offers the most songs, as well as giving you a taste of the band before it became Foreigner (aka "Spooky Tooth"), as well as solo works from Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. The standards are ALL here - "Feels Like The First Time", "At War With The World", "Cold As Ice", "Long, Long Way From Home", "Hot Blooded", "Double Vision", "Head Games", "Rev On The Red Line", "Dirty White Boy", "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Urgent", "Break It Up", "Juke Box Hero", "Waiting For A Girl Like You", "That Was Yesterday", etc. As well as some choice deeper album cuts that had minor success - "Headknocker", "Starrider", "Blue Morning, Blue Day", "Women", "Night Life", and "Heart Turns To Stone". All compilations will have minor things wrong (and this "Anthology" is no exception). Here's my opinion on the faults - 1. too many edited or remixed songs (ten); 2. questionable tracks included like "Luanne", "Street Thunder", a total of six songs from Spooky Tooth, Mick Jones solo, Lou Gramm solo (one from each would have been my choice); 3. questionable omissions - no "Spellbinder", "Seventeen", "Love Has Taken Its Toll", "Lonely Children", "Blinded By Science" or "Girl On The Moon"; and 4. five (a few too many) tracks from "Agent Provocateur". Ultimately, the faults are minor. And, with the massive booklet that comes with the disc and it's 39 tracks, this "Anthology" is hands down the most complete retrospective of Foreigner... period (5 stars).

Like many Foreigner fans, I have been waiting so long for a true career retrospective, and this one mostly delivers. Kudos for the Lou Gramm and Mick Jones solo tunes. On Disc 1, "Hot Blooded" is the short 3:00 version, which lacks the killer middle that makes this one of the greatest rock songs ever. IMO, you could have dumped the Spooky Tooth songs to make room for the longer, proper version. On Disc 2, "Reaction to Action" has those annoying keyboards that take away from its razor sharp power (is it the single version?). These are small complaints, however, and as usual Rhino proves why they are the greatest label in the universe. A must-have for any fan of great rock.

Some may call this anthology redundant but I disagree and here's why:

First off, not only does it cover the hits like "The Very Best and Beyond" and "Records" did in their respective times of release, but it also collects the hits those compilations missed. In addition many great album tracks are thrown in and let's not forget the solo work of Lou Gramm and Mick Jones as well as the Spooky Tooth songs. This anthology captures the essense of Foreinger from its preconception clear through to the two songs from their last studio album "Mr. Moonlight."

Enclosing, if you already have all the studio albums you may either want to steer clear of this since there's nothing (from Foreigner anyway) here that you don't already have. If anything one may pick it up for completion purposes or to have all their most recognized and best work on a more compact two cd collection so there's no need to switch between their eight studio albums for certain songs. If you haven't listened to Foreigner than this serves as a perfect introduction and thorough sampler of their work.

JUKEBOX HEROES: THE FOREIGNER ANTHOLOGY is a great double-disc set of material by Foreigner, and it also contains Lou Gramm's and Mick Jones's solo work, as well as two songs Jones did with Spooky Tooth. However, "Break It Up" is an edited version, so you might want to get the first five Foreigner studio albums in addition. That said, this is the ultimate Foreigner anthology.

I had my doubts about getting the "Anthology: Jukebox Heroes" album, I thought "do I really need another compilation?", finally I got it and tried to hear it trying to enjoy it.

Only 10 songs are noted as edited versions, however there are some other tracks that are edited too: shorter intros, lines changed or completely "erased", echos, etc., however the main difference among these tracks and the originals is the sound quality and ecualization. While the most of the Foreigner CD's have an excellent sound quality, the "Head Games" and "Inside Information" CD's (and their songs on every compilation) seems to lack of "definition". Now on "Anthology" I think all those songs have that extra dimension they needed. I can hear on those songs a lot of sounds and effects that I was never able to hear on other albums.

Of course, the song selection is impressive, it really takes you to the Foreigner world, however it misses Black Sheep songs, specially when two current Foreigner members were part of that band (Gramm and Turgon). Well, the highlights of the collection are the Spooky Tooth, Lou Gramm and Mick Jones songs, specially the tracks taken from the albums out of print ("Mick Jones" and Lou's "Long Hard Look"), considering that they are really hard to find. "All Sewn Up", a light rocker, is highly enjoyable, a little bit soft to me but great in music and more yet in lyrics, I think almost every Foreigner fan would like it; "The Hoofer" is a little bit faster, heavier and harder to assimilate, more complete instrumentally but weaker in lyrics; musically both songs have a similar style to the Foreigner's self-titled album but lead vocalists are far away from Lou, being a Foreigner fan one ends being extremely demanding about vocalists!

It is very notable that songs like "White Lie" and "Rain" were left out, which are as distinctive as the greatest hits of the 70's. And if they were going to include rare tracks, it could have been razonable to include "Crash And Burn", one of the greatest rockers of the band. Finally, the most memorable item is definitely the booklet, a book full of comments provided by Mick himself, comments that fill up some holes in the band history. There are also a couple of great pictures. The best rock band, the best music and magistrally packed, but the informational mistakes in the notation of song versions and the terrible omission of Mark on the discography credits (page 45) reduce the overall quality. Recommended to die hard Foreigner fans, new fans and everyone who wishes to know what this band is.

I bought this compilation so I could take all of Foreigner's hits with me without lugging all of the CDs. Unfortunately, many of the songs are edited to AM radio length, giving this collection a "Foreigner Lite" feel to it. "Hot Blooded" which is a short song to begin with, has been reduced to one verse and the solo. I would have been willing to lose the Spooky Tooth songs, as well as Lou Gramm's solo stuff to make room for the full length tracks. For the casual listener, it's probably fine.

A true travesty, this. One of the biggest selling bands of the late 70's and early 80's, Foreigner more than deserved a first class, multi-disc collection of it's biggest and best. The two CD's in this set are infested with edited versions of songs that should have been left in their original form. "Feels Like the First Time" is among the worst casualties. The opening solo guitar riff is gone along with a portion of the song's midsection. The obvious purpose of such sonic surgery is to cut in enough room for such classic tunes as..."The Hoofer" by Spooky Tooth??? I have no problem with two of Lou Gramm's solo shots, "Midnight Blue", "Just Between You And Me", which were at least genuine, bonfide hits being included here, but TWO tunes from Mick Jones' nonselling solo stuff??? And,to absolutely guild this wretched lily, there is a notation that this product was complied by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm. I would prefer not to believe it, but in absence of evidence to the contrary I have no choice but to assume that greed superceded integrity in hoisting "The Foreigner Anthology" upon the Foreigner public. The packaging, photos and the liner notes are well done, which is the reason I don't consign this to one star purgatory. Unfortunately, treachery, however pleasantly presented, is still treachery.

This is the collection that all Foreigner fans have been waiting for. Not only do you get all the hits featured on "Records" and "The Very Best and Beyond", but you also get a lot of great album tracks and solo stuff. Three solo Lou Gramm tracks are included, and a couple of Mick Jones songs also. It's also cool to see such non hits as "Starrider," "Headknocker," "Blue Morning Blue Day," "I Have Waited So Long," "Down of Love," and "Break it Up" included here.

Naturally some Foreigner fans might have a gripe about an omission of a favorite song. Personally, I would rather of had "Fool For You Anyway" or "The Damage is Done" over "At War With the World." And I think "Tramontane," from the "Double Vision" album, is a better instrumental choice than "Street Thunder" (an outtake from the "Agent Provocateur" album). Still, you can't really argue with the tracks included here. It's a great set, and Lou Gramm is one of the best American vocalists in rock and roll today.