4
4
| Track Listing 1. Night Life 2. Jukebox Hero 3. Break It Up 4. Waiting For A Girl Like You 5. Luanne 6. Urgent 7. I'm Gonna Win 8. Woman In Black 9. Girl on the Moon 10. Don't Let Go Atlantic 1981 |
|
| More Releases by Foreigner Mr. Moonlight (1995) Head Games (1979) Double Vision (1978) Inside Information (1987) |
Related Releases Members: Lou Gramm - Ready or Not (1987) Lou Gramm - Long Hard Look (1989) Shadow King - Shadow King (1991) [Lou Gramm] |
| For a taste of the lighter stuff, there's nothing finer to soothe
the soul and melt away the tension than a little time spent with Foreigner. Whether
bouncing along to their early hard rock stuff or kicking back with a couple of gorgeous
ballads, this was one outfit that helped define the sound of AOR while the genre was still
in its infancy. Love it or hate it, "4" was fluffier than a bag of pink cotton
candy and twice as sweet, the disc where Foreigner straddled the line between their 70s
hard rock sound and their step towards a more melodic rock direction. A combination of
dream weaving synthesizer, lush vocal harmonies and a plethora of other instruments and
sounds, including a splash of saxophone, the band all but left the sound of their final
1970s era album, "Head Games" in the dust, in exchange for this push into pure
AOR. Lou Gramm has the kind of voice that is almost undefinable... youthfully strong,
pristine and ageless, he is at the peak of his game here, having enough experience as a
frontman to deliver with soul, but without the wear and tear that comes from so many hours
on the road. Also of note is Mick Jones, his guitarwork is exceptional, perhaps not for
his virtuosity or flashiness, but solidity and knowing when to play and the times to hold
back and let other instruments take the spotlight. The music itself, is of course, timeless, despite the fact it sounds like everything of the 1980s wrapped into one package. The overblown use of synth, even if masterfully arranged, especially gives away the music's time period. But such little details also enrich the experience, because simply put, they don't make it quite like this anymore. A great deal of "4's" feel can be traced back to Shania Twain's husband, Mutt Lange who was once a great rock producer in the distance past, his influence resulted in the addition of multilayers of sound behind the core of the music, and Tom Dolby who laid down the main synthesizer for this album, which is just fantastic hearing little bits peeking through every nook and cranny of the music. Perhaps it would not have been necessary, but all the little extra touches make the overall package something special indeed. As for the song arrangement, it's well placed and has a natural running order despite a few pitfalls in songwriting that are slipped into along the way. |
| 01.] "Night Life" -
Hard rock with a little flair, this one gets the album off on the right foot and soars it
forward with some very 70s sounding guitar fills and a bouncy partytime feel. Gramm sounds
great, Jones is playing nicely and even though the song might not be up to the standards
of some to come, it's still a fun tune and praise worthy. 02.] "Juke Box Hero" - "Standing in the rain..." Who can forget the pulsating opening to this blistering rocker? The high voltage story of a that need to rise to arena rock hero stardom was and still is a radio airplay favorite, due to its theme and unforgettable musical flourishes. While not on my personal list of Foreigner's best, many feel this is their magnum opus, and still gets the crowds going at concerts today. The chorus is especially a killer, with a powerful punch that could easily overshadow the more subdued sections, which lay beating like a heart in anticipation of breaking out into full electric glory once again. "like a distant scream, he heard one guitar, just blew him away, saw stars in his eyes and the very next day, he bought a beat up six string in a second hand store..." 03.] "Break It Up" - Oh my what a song! This is where "4" goes from being 'good' to just plain fantastic. In one gigantic leap the band throws this tune at us and what a killer it is! I easily rank this is one of my most beloved songs of all time, with its energetic rhythm and inspiring vocal harmonies. A tinkering beginning swells into a ferocious roar and gives way to delicate sections and a positively inspirational chorus, complete with pumping synth, that sees Gramm pouring out his soul pleading for a chance to make up for all the damage that has been done. Lou's screams and begging to "make it up" give the song and emotional edge, while the mostly keyboard driven swirling background adds a very dated 'modern' flavour that's priceless. An addictive romp and one of the finest sing-along melodic rock tunes to ever be recorded. 04.] "Waiting For A Girl Like You" - The depth in this instrumental background tapestry is just simply breathtaking. So many layers of cushioning sound are like puffy white clouds sending the listener into a state of euphoric relaxation. A gorgeous ballad that is rich in that deep-in love feeling, and with so much going on behind the beautiful vocal harmonies it's easy to lose yourself inside of the music. A little chime here, a gentle twist on a word there, help keep the senses alive while Gramm's mesmerizing vocals beckons to sink further into the sound of it all. A truly magnificent and landmark ballad in the world of AOR. "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..." 05.] "Luanne" - A throwback to their 70s rockers, this one comes off tame in comparision to the flashier "Night Life". The lyrics and chorus leave much to be desired though, coming off as being silly as the band strings out the tale of adolescent love, a boy pursuing a girl who is simply not interested in his advances. It has a skippy, youthful quality but that's shaded in dark hues after glancing at the lyrics that shape the pursuing youngster into being an overly obsessed individual. Being tossed in with such an all-star line up of songs doesn't help it at all either. 06.] "Urgent" - An upbeat futuristic funky song with a whole lotta sax... this one drove many an aspiring musician to playing the saxophone and made it 'hip' to include such instruments even in a hard rock context such as this one. The feel of demanding sexual need is brought to life through the magic of music and Mark Rivera's sultry, sweltering saxophone solo. "If there's one thing in common that we both share, that's a need for each other anytime, anywhere..." 07.] "I'm Gonna Win" - Surprisingly gritty for a Foreigner track, but what a pleasant surprise it is. About being one step ahead of life itself, this one rings with an edgy conviction that is not seen on any other straightup rock song on the disc. They aim for a harder sound, with a flash of crunch especially in the drums. Some bristling guitars tumble and sprint in the background while Gramm is up front and sounding extremely tough and ready to take on all. 08.] "Woman in Black" - Sexy and a little sultry, this is a tune about desire at it's most potent peak, and a dominant lady clad in black who clearly has this situation under control and the man who just walked through the door under her spell. Rick Wills' slinky bass runs throughout, creating a feel of urgency. The chorus is done exceptionally well with a plethora of background vocals jelling together to provide a wall of voices for the distinct pipes of Lou Gramm to blend into and break out of. "We're keeping it a secret, we meet in the night, we're partners in silence, strangers in the daylight..." 09.] "Girl On the Moon" - At one time I considered this as my favorite song *ever*. Even though that was many years ago, it still has kept a little spot in my heart all for itself and still I have personally not heard a ballad that can compete with this one in it's unique sound. Very spacy and fluttery, like the image of a dream flickering to the mind but not totally revealing itself, it smoothly sails in on its delicate wings and paints us a picture of the longing for a fantasy girl who's so far away from reality she might as well live on the moon... and perhaps she does? With a mysterious setting and synthesizer chimes that mimic the imagined sounds of stardust sparkling against the moonlit backdrop of the black cloak of night. This song's haunting mystical feel is coupled with soothing sounds creating a mixture that is easy to slip into. Vocals smoother than the finest of silks, Jones' guitar laying down the perfect electric and acoustic compliments to the atmosphere, and a calm flowing pace make this a ballad that just beams with brilliance. "She felt so close as I reached for her hand, she drifted away like the desert sand, it was her and she was gone." 10.] "Don't Let Go" - Going off with a straight up bang, Foreigner tackles a classic problem with the lyrics while setting off an explosion of pure melodic rock, similiar to a slightly scaled back "Break It Up". The mostly female backup vocalists enhances Lou's voice and causes it to just glow ontop of the very feminine sounds behind him. The instrumental solo is very quick, in the blink of an eye its gone, and serves more as a break between assaults of the golden chorus than a real show of virtuosity. Lyrically it deals with a woman who is straying from her husband/lover due to him being tied up with work, and he's pleading for her not to give it up, to stick in there because "Don't let go of the love when it feels right." |
Foriegner "4" is widely considered a classic and with a reason: it is simply a wonderful album that showcases song structure over flashiness. The pristine production gives it a slick, commericial feel that makes so many of these songs sound timeless, whether they recieved their airshare of radioplay (like "Jukebox Hero" and "Urgent") or not ("Break It Up"). Amazingly it's nearly a perfect album if it wasn't for the one fall into the pit of mediocrity with the adolescent "Luanne", which seems out of place on this disc. However, that one song is surrounded by a gaggle of top notch tunes that soar this album up into the pedestal it still stands on today. Not only is it a notable release in its own right, but it also contributed heavily to the boom of melodic rock in the 1980s and help define and refine the sound of AOR as we currently know it simultaneously. An album for the ages, for fans of all things melodic, "4" is a little piece of history in the subgenre, one of those must-haves for any serious collection. Ratings and Wrap Up: |
