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Rating: Uh-oh! We are informed that this review also appears (in full or in part) on truemetal.it
Born around the mid-Seventies, in that New York, a breeding ground of countless talents and a crossroads "necessary" for those who wanted to make it in the rock system, the Foreigner were among the main protagonists of that artistic ferment in the effervescent pre-Eighty scene - considered by many as unrepeatable - from which the cultural and commercial hegemony originated that would bring rock (aside from the brief punk interlude) to its definitive consecration and to the attention of the general public in the following decade, garnering widespread acclaim in terms of popularity and sales. After three albums that received significant commercial recognition on the Billboard charts, the band "debuted" in the '80s with what is considered their masterpiece by many. One of the most significant moments in codifying a genre like Aor, then on a clear upswing.
Released simultaneously with another heavyweight named "Escape" by peers Journey, and exactly one year before "IV" by Toto and "Eyes of the Tiger" by Survivor (the other three bands that ideally form the spectacular four of a kind that indelibly carved the laws of melodic hard rock), this full-length, simply titled "4" (simply because it was indeed the fourth album and the group at the time presented itself as a quartet), remains balanced between moments of expressiveness clearly of rock origin and synth-pop incursions, with the aim of never straying too far from purposes explicitly centered on melody. It is easy to imagine, listening to the scarce 45 minutes of this album, the reasons that effortlessly led it to settle at #1 in the States, winning over the American audience (ultimately becoming the sixth platinum album) and achieving good results even in Europe and the United Kingdom (a flattering fourth position).
Produced by mastermind Mike Jones and King Midas Robert John "Mutt" Lange, freshly coming off the planetary success of "Back in Black" by AC/DC (and adventure partner of future "platinum" successes of Def Leppard, among others), the album is a pure concentrate of hit-singles with a distinctly radio flavor, focused on joyful and breezy choruses resulting in impactful and easily digestible rock, which on the one hand timidly anticipates the stylistic features of sounds that will be protagonists of the Eighties, on the other hand, however, maintains a close relationship with a sound typically "Seventies", more spontaneous less "calculated". It is then inevitable not to mention the driving force provided by the voice of Lou Grammatico (known to all more briefly as "Gramm"), a true added value, able to sculpt with his voice more sustained and syncopated rhythms (as in the opener "Night Life") and moments of great pathos with vertiginous excursions, capable of diverging from typically "rock" protocols, to arrive at timbres with rhythm and blues flavor (and often explicitly of soul/gospel derivation - James Brown docet), demonstrating a versatility that in fact imposes him, for the writer, among the greatest interpreters of the genre. "Juke Box Hero", one of the tracks left imprinted in the collective imagination of fans, is one of the most striking testimonies. The "awkward" yet cutting and meditated execution represents sort of the band's will to seek wide approval in mainstream radio. Or the aggressive "Break it up", a pressing piece that brings Gramm himself to sing "at the limit" on very high registers and of great technical finesse.
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" inaugurates the romantic and sappy moment of the album. One of the group's most famous songs, the trademark with which millions of fans identify the band along with the track that will see them, three years later, break into charts worldwide, the famous "I Wanna Know What Love Is". "Luanne" offers the most "easy," carefree, and lively moment of the album. Perhaps a bit banal but still no less pleasant, it anticipates one of the masterpieces of the album (and of the entire discography, I dare say) as well as one of the most famous songs of the decade: "Urgent".
Leaving aside the usual masterful and this time decidedly atypical performance by Gramm, it's a track with rhythms clearly drawn from funk, skillfully mixed with electro/pop elements, that achieves the goal of surprising and upsetting almost every rule, anticipating experiments that many bands will have the courage to revisit only many years later.
A sax solo makes you shout miracle and drives a song that became an authentic hit single, literally "breaking the bank" in the US radio schedules of the early '80s.
It's time for "I'm Gonna Win", more guitar solid in its rhythms, almost solemn in its majestic progress and emphatic in the chorus, exactly like the guitar-oriented "Woman in Black", gritty and passionate, introduced by a masterful guitar solo and a rhythm again and unexpectedly indebted to the soul/gospel tradition.
With the intimate "Girl Of The Moon" we return to a romantic dimension. Lavish in its physiognomy, slightly melancholic but pleasant and seductive, it anticipates the jovial "Don't Let Go", yet another gem that brilliantly closes this masterpiece. Again on abrasive territories with very successful and engaging emotionally backing vocals, it constitutes the apotheosis of an album that, along with a few others, contributed to creating a standard and a reference for dozens of bands that will tread the scenes in the years to come in the Aor circus and more generally of melodic hard rock.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Night Life (03:51)
Wake up in time to see the sun going down
Turn on the six o'clock news
See what's happening in this town
I take a walk down to the corner
I meet those bad girls hanging around
Never doing what they oughta
Ooh yeah, I get caught up in the action
Gotta find the main attraction now
Gotta get some satisfaction
You better take me to the heart of that
Night life, looking for some
Night life, need a little
Night life, living in the daylight
Just don't agree with me
Ooh night life
Stealing through the night like a wolf on the prowl
Not a bird, not a plane, I'm just a mean old night owl
Watch me, hit, run, gotta move on
Going wild in the night
'Cause I'm hooked on the neon
Ooh yeah, I'm looking for some action
I gotta find my main attraction now
'Cause I need some satisfaction
Ooh, won't you take me to the heart of that
Night life, a little bit of
Night life, ooh I need some
Night life, full of bright lights and noise
Time to separate the men from the boys
Night life...
02 Juke Box Hero (04:20)
Standing in the rain, with his head hung low
Couldn't get a ticket, it was a sold out show
Heard the roar of the crowd, he could picture the scene
Put his ear to the wall, then like a distant scream
He heard one guitar, just blew him away
Saw stars in his eyes, and the very next day
Bought a beat up six string in a secondhand store
Didn't know how to play it, but he knew for sure
That one guitar, felt good in his hands
Didn't take long, to understand
Just one guitar, slung way down low
Was a one way ticket, only one way to go
So he started rockin' ain't never gonna stop
Gotta keep on rockin'
Someday gonna make it to the top
And be a JUKE BOX HERO got stars in his eyes
He's a JUKE BOX HERO
He took one guitar JUKE BOX HERO
stars in his eyes
JUKE BOX HERO he'll come alive tonight
In a town without a name, in a heavy downpour
Thought he passed his own shadow, by the backstage door
Like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain
And that one guitar made his whole life change
Now he needs to keep rockin' he just can't stop
Gotta keep on rockin' that boy has got to stay on top
And be a JUKE BOX HERO got stars in his eyes
He's a JUKE BOX HERO got stars in his eyes
Yeah JUKE BOX HERO stars in his eyes
WITH THAT ONE GUITAR he'll come alive
Come alive tonight
Yeah, He's gotta keep a rockin'
He just can't stop
Gotta keep on Rockin'
That Boy has got to be on top
And be a JUKE BOX HERO got stars in his eyes
He's a JUKE BOX HERO got stars in his eyes
With just one guitar
JUKE BOX HERO with stars in his eyes
C'mon he's just a JUKE BOX HERO
JUKE BOX HERO
JUKE BOX HERO He's got stars in his eyes
Stars in his eyes
03 Break It Up (04:13)
Made myself a prisoner
I locked myself away
Can't remember the last time
I saw the light of day
Don't want to face life
Feel I've been betrayed
I want you tell me
Where our love went astray
So can't you wait one more minute
Why can't you wait one more day
Let's get it straight
'Cause it's a big mistake
We better think about it
I don't want to break it up
Why do we have to break it up?
Never ever want to break it up oh no
I only wanna make it up tonight
You say you've thought about it
But you sound so cold
You make it look like our love
Can be bought or sold
You won't listen
You say it's way too late
That something is missing
And now you just can't wait
Why can't you wait one more minute?
Why can't you wait? give me one more day
Let's get it straight
This is a big mistake
We better think about it
I don't want to break it up
Why do we have to break it up?
Never ever want to break it up
Ooh no, I only wanna make it up tonight
So don't say break it up, break it up
I wanna hear you say we'll make it up, make it up
I don't want to break it up
Oh baby, why can't we make it up tonight?
Make it up tonight, make it up tonight
And I ask myself
What's wrong with me?
How could I be so blind?
I know she tried to give me everything
But I still couldn't see
Now as I watch our love slip away
I'm begging you, begging you, please
Don't break it up, break it up
Take a little time and make it up, make it up
I don't want to break it up
Oh no, I only wanna make it up tonight
I don't want to break it up
Baby let me make it up
Oh no no, no no
I, don't break it up, no no
Tonight, make it up, make it up
Ooh yeah, make it up, make it up
04 Waiting for a Girl Like You (04:52)
So long...
I've been looking too hard I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find
I only know it's a matter of time
When you love someone
When you love someone
It feels so right so warm and true
I need to know if you feel it too
Maybe I'm wrong...
Won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong
This heart of mine has been hurt before
This time I wanna be sure
I've been waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you
And a love that will survive
I've been waiting for someone new
To make me feel alive
(Yeah) Waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
You're so good...
When we make love it's understood
It's more than a touch or words we say
Only in dreams could it be this way
When you love someone
Yeah really love someone
Now, I know it's right
From the moment I wake up till deep in the night
There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be
Than holding you, tenderly
I've been waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you
And a love that will survive
I've been waiting for someone new
To make me feel alive
Yeah waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
05 Luanne (03:28)
Luanne, Luanne
Why do you run and hide?
Luanne, Luanne
Don't keep your love inside
I wait around for you after school
You slip away and I don't see you
Don't know what I'm gonna do
If you can't see how much I need you
We met, one day, and then, you ran away
I've searched the whole town looking for you
I know you're there somewhere
Luanne, Luanne
Why do you run and hide?
Luanne, Luanne
Don't keep your love inside
I write letters that I never send
I keep the words to whisper to you someday
I don't know where and I don't know when
Luanne I'm gonna get to you someway
I want to feel your love so close to me
Give me just half a chance
To prove myself, I need to
Luanne, Luanne
Why do you run and hide?
Luanne, Luanne
Don't keep your love inside
These days true love is so hard to find
Someday I know you're gonna be mine
Luanne, Luanne, Luanne, ooh
Luanne, Luanne, Luanne, Luanne
Why do you run and hide?
Luanne, Luanne, Luanne, Luanne
Don't keep your love inside
Luanne, Luanne
Don't need to run and hide
Luanne, Luanne
Don't keep your love inside
Luanne, Luanne, Luanne, Luanne
I wanna be beside you, can't you understand?
Luanne, Luanne, Luanne, Luanne
Give me a little love, I know you can
Luanne, Luanne
Can't you hear me calling?
Luanne
06 Urgent (04:31)
You're not shy, you get around
You wanna fly, don't want your feet on the ground
You stay up, you won't come down
You wanna live, you wanna move to the sound
You've got fire in your veins
Burning hot, but you don't feel a thing
Your desire is insane
You can't stop until you do it again
And sometimes I wonder, as I look in your eyes
Maybe you're thinking of some other guy
But I know, yes I know, how to treat you right
That's why you call me in the middle of the night
You say it's urgent
So urgent
So awful urgent, urgent, urgent, just wait and see
How urgent our love can be
It's urgent (urgent, urgent...)
You play tricks on my mind
You're everywhere, but you're so hard to find
You're not warm or sentimental
You're so extreme, you can be so temperamental
But I'm not looking for a love that lasts
I know what I need, and I need it fast
Yeah, there's one thing in common that we both share
That's a need for each other, anytime, anywhere
It gets so urgent
So urgent
You know it's urgent
I wanna tell you it's the same for me
So awful urgent, urgent, urgent, just wait and see
How urgent our love can be
It's urgent (urgent, urgent...)
You say it's urgent
Make it fast, make it urgent
Do it quick, do it urgent
Gotta work, make it urgent, urgent, urgent...
Want it quick, make it urgent, urgent, emergency
Urgent, urgent, emergency
Urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent, emergency
Urgent, urgent, urgent, urgent, emergency
07 I'm Gonna Win (04:53)
Another dark night, in the city
And my prospects lookin' thin
The survival, of the fittest
Is the law, in the world that I live in
I was not born, to be a fighter
But now's the time I have to learn
To keep my head, above the water
Gotta play with fire, but not get burned
I gotta stand up, I gotta face it
Don't want to lose it
I want to taste it while it's hot
Don't want to waste it, I need it so bad
I'm gonna win, yeah
I'm gonna win
You see it's a matter of pride
Deep down inside
I'm gonna win, yeah
I'm gonna win
I got no time, to sit and wonder
I got myself, to reckon with
Yeah and life won't drag me under
Even if it takes, all I have to give
I'll give it all
I gotta stand up, I gotta face it
Don't want to lose it
Ooh I want to taste it while it's hot
Don't want to waste it, my mind's made up
I'm gonna win
I'm gonna win
I tell you, see when it comes down to the crunch
I've gotta beat life to the punch
I'm gonna win
Somehow I know I'm gonna win
You know
I've got to fight to stay alive
Kick it in to overdrive
I'm gonna win, ooh, ooh, ooh
I'm gonna win
I'm gonna win
I'm gonna win
You see it's a matter of pride
Deep down inside
I'm gonna win
Gonna win, gonna win
Ooh, I'll pay the price
Gonna win
No more Mr. Nice
Gonna win
Hey, just watch me roll the dice
I'm gonna win, win, win
I'm gonna win, win, gonna win
I'm gonna win
I know I'm gonna win
10 Don't Let Go (03:51)
Another long day, another long night
I try to make it home before it gets light
I'm working hard so some day we can play
When I try to explain you just push me away
Don't push me away, you say
I don't spend enough time with you
Or take an interest in things you do
We call it quits almost every other day
And the rare times we're going strong
We let our pride get in the way
Seems like it's always in the way
But don't let go, don't let our love go
Don't let go, just let our love grow
Sometimes we might drift away, don't let our love go
But don't let go of our love when it feels right
This kinda life can put us both to the test
But it's not a question of who knows best
Our love's a ship that has its sails a little torn
All we need to do is sew 'em up
And we can weather the storm
Gonna ride that storm
So don't let go, don't let our love go
Don't let go, just let our love grow
Sometimes we might drift away, don't let our love go
But don't let go
No, no, don't let go, don't let our love go
Don't let go, just let our love grow
Sometimes we might drift away, don't let our love go
Don't let go of our love when it feels right
I don't see you for days
When you leave me in the dark
My imagination runs away
Just throw me a line
And I'll still hold on
I'll still hold on
I'll still hold on
And I won't let go
Don't let go, don't let our love go
Baby don't let go, just let our love grow
Oh, no, don't let our love fade away
And don't let go of our love when it feels right, oh no
Don't let our love go
Don't let go
Just let our love grow
Sometimes we might slip away
Don't let our love go
But don't let go of our love when it feels right
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