Finally got around to listening to the recent "Foreigner"
DVD-Audio release which I purchased off of Amazon.com.
Unfortunately, I don't have a DVD-Audio player, just a regular Sharp DVD-Video player. So I
wasn't able to access special features such as the voiceover commentary provided by Mick
and Lou. However, I was able to access both song videos by utilizing the "Enter" button
on the remote control. I just pressed that button followed by "1" or "01" for
"Feels Like The First Time" and "2" or "02" for "Cold As
Ice". Strangely, I couldn't use the skip forward or skip backward button on the remote to
access either video. Oh well... I didn't expect much from the music videos and I wasn't
disappointed. The videos are almost 25 years old and look it. The film stock had obviously
deteriorated over the years and the video production techniques pre-date MTV. So there wasn't
much imagination having the band setup their equipment in front of a railroad car and
lip-synching to their first two hits.
But enough minor quibbles. Let's get to the demos and album itself. As with many
demos, the ones done for "Feels Like The First Time", "Woman Oh
Woman" and "At War With The World" pale in comparison to the originals.
But there are some nice touches. For example, the sound of marching soldiers at the end of
"At War With The World". A nice sound effect that makes you wish they had
utilized it for the original. The previously-unreleased "Take Me To Your
Leader" is a pleasant surprise. Probably the best of the demos. A nice, raucous, raunchy
tune that reminded me of "Love Maker", from their live CD.
But the best was yet to come. When I first heard the entire album, I was just awed
and floored by the sound quality of the new mixes. It was like listening to the album for the
first time. I assume either the songs were new mixes or the improved sound quality allowed the
listener to hear things they were unable to hear before. Subsequent listenings made me very
nostalgic for those early years of Foreigner and what GREAT music Mick Jones
and Ian McDonald made together. I wish the two would just bury the hatchet, get over
their clashing egos/lingering bitterness, and reunite for the music. With Lou Gramm as
intermediary and referee.
Can't wait for the DVD-Audio of the "Double Vision" album.
Hopefully, that will be the next planned Foreigner release by Rhino
Records.
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