Foreigner
4

After being dismissed from King Crimson, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer Michael Giles decided to go their own way and create their own band.
The band was supposed to be called Foreigner.
The first album was recorded in 1971 (with the help of well-known figures such as Peter Sinfield and Steve Winwood) and was released under the simple name of McDonald & Giles. It's a decidedly pleasant product that skillfully blends soft Prog Rock à-la I Talk To The Wind, with elements of Pop from that era.

However, six more years were to pass (and Giles' departure) before the Foreigner brand appeared on a record. The first eponymous album significantly reduces the progressive charge compared to ''McDonald & Giles'', in favor of a more immediate approach.
In fact, the only track that retains the prog setup is the wonderful Starrider, probably their absolute masterpiece. . . the rest, however, oscillates between Pop and rather light Hard Rock, giving it a distinctive sound that would inspire many AOR bands in the following decade.
Already in the following ''Double Vision'' and ''Head Games'', only McDonald's name remains on the back cover in terms of Art-Rock.

The year 1980 marked a turning point for the group: the ex-King Crimson member presented sketches for the next work, which was supposed to be titled ''Silent Partners''.
Deemed too anachronistic, it was soon discarded. This led to McDonald's dismissal, who, after being ousted from King Crimson, now finds himself excluded from the very project he had created. Along with him, the good keyboardist Al Greenwood also left.
After a brief period of adjustment, in July 1981, their new work, titled ''4'' (a simple and essential title that firstly reminds us that it is their fourth release, and also highlights the fact that Foreigner had now transitioned from a sextet to a quartet), hit the stores.

''Foreigner 4'', despite being a blatantly commercial album and a melting pot of chart-topping hits, represents, along with their debut album, the peak of their career.
The first track we encounter is the excellent Night Life, a very rhythmic piece and an anthem to night life.
It is followed by the magnificent hit Juke Box Hero, a perfect blend of obsessive atmospheres and both Pop and Hard Rock elements. The track, in addition to being a challenge for Lou Gramm's golden voice, directly and clearly highlights the band's aims:

" So he started rockin'
Ain't never gonna stop
Gotta keep on rockin'
Someday he's gonna make it to the top
And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
He's a juke box hero"

After the pleasant but not very significant Break It Up, here comes another flagship track Waiting For A Girl Like You. The track, also included in the immense soundtrack of the video game GTA Vice City, stands as the right meeting point between traditional ballads and disco dance temptations... five short minutes enjoyed immensely, and despite the strong romantic connotation, they never seem cloying.
The very light and catchy Luanne appears as another moment of slight compositional weariness.
The next track Urgent, a masterful Funky-Pop composition (featuring an excellent saxophone solo), clearly does better and dominated all FM radio stations at the time.

Things continue at an excellent level with I'm Gonna Win, also included as the B-side of the Waiting For A Girl Like You single. A rather sharp guitar line, light keyboards in the background, and one of Gramm's best vocal performances give the whole a nearly epic tone. The next track Woman In Black is presented in the same style.
The penultimate track, Girl On The Moon (B-side of Urgent), echoes the rhythms and sounds of the often-cited Waiting For A Girl Like You but with less inspiration... while the closing is entrusted to Don't Let Go, quite cute for being simple Pop.

In conclusion, I'd rate this simple and catchy album a 7.5/10, which despite a few slight stylistic slumps, presents numerous strengths.
In the end, as can be noted here, ''simplicity'' is not always synonymous with ''banality''...