Thursday
Nov242016
'The Flame Still Burns' - Foreigner New Video
Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 12:01AM
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy a bounty of food, football, family and friends today!
It seems unreal, but Foreigner is 40 years young. To celebrate, the band will release a 10-inch vinyl EP called The Flame Still Burns tomorrow for record store day. To celebrate, the band released a video for the single of the same name. Enjoy.
Reader Comments (12)
Don't hate. Love me some Hurricane with Kelly and obviously love me some Dokken with Pilson. But this does push the bounds of what one would consider Foreigner.
Jones: do a reunion tour with Gramm. Heck, invite Ian McDonald back too. It won't be the old days. But it will be right. Then retire.
Seriously... Have you actually HEARD Lou Gramm lately? Voice is gone.
Kelly Hansen has a wonderful voice, Still. It is what it is, if there is still going to BE a Foreigner.
Here is a 7 piece band that became "the Singer & Guitarist, with a new bassist" in a 2 album stretch. The original band lasted 2 LPs. And that's it. Foreigner is a great name for them, became everyone it Mick Jones's band is a foreigner to what was there on the debut LP.
Happy Thanksgiving, BBGlammers!
Comparitively Foeigner look/seem ancient.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ian Hill: Only original member.
Another interesting bit of trivia: One of the world's legendary ad men, Neil French, writer and designer of some of the most sophisticated and elegant advertisements for many a luxury brand in the 80's and 90's, was the manager of Judas Priest before he went into advertising.
As for Foreigner, do as HIM says -- Do a farewell reunion tour and stick a serving fork in it. Even as Ace notes, Gramm's voice is shot, just have him lip synch and get it over with! As he also points out, they really only had two decent albums and if I may add, only a handful of great songs and then it rapidly evolved into a saccharine gospel parade!
And Have a Happy Metal Thanksgiving, one and all!
🤘🏼⚡️🎸🦃🎸⚡️🤘🏼
p.s. Very funny observation about the Foreigner name, Ace!
But here is one of those moments that "The Outsider" (who Rita and I think might actually be an insider choosing to spew more vitriol--and discussions of "balls"--under a different, albeit still anonymous, moniker) must long for: I partially disagree with Ace.
Gramm's voice is not what it once was, but it is better than it has been in ages. Case in point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb6vSanp-54
Sure, that ain't all that great (even if he is 66). But, at the 30 second mark, you can hear how much he has improved over the past few years. Do recall that it was Jones who didn't seem to care one bit if Gramm was suffering during the final months of Gramm's involvement with the band. Also note that it was Jones, not Gramm, who wanted to push the band towards the sugary sweet love ballads. Note finally that Gramm has suffered for years from a host of other problems (anxiety among them) that limited his recovery. He seems to be in a better place now.
Like I said, Hansen is a good singer. A great singer, even, when it comes to doing justice to Foreigner songs. But, now that Gramm and Jones have mended fences as a result of their Songwriters Hall of Fame award, and now that Jones is also in frail health, it would be a good time to do a limited number of shows with the two members of the band that people want to see--and likely think about--when they think about Foreigner and their classic era. Then, retire.
Gramm is up for this idea and has said so in recent months. Sadly, and in reference to Ace's sly comment, some of the originals have already died. But others are still around and could round out an exceptional night (or a few nights) of music and memories.
[Sidebar: I am not slagging on "The Outsider" for being anonymous. I am anonymous too, at least to the general readership of this site. But multiple anonymous monikers seems sketchy. Then again, maybe my theory is just a delusion re: who "The Outsider" is.]
And everyone knows you can't use your real name for ball talk. It's the law.
Kickchix, you speak a truth with a thousand shades. Some originals are priceless. Others are expendable. A few are debatable. That makes music fun.
I love discussions like this. Case in point: no way to celebrate Holland's contributions after what he did. But he did contribute something great to Priest. Same goes for Rod Evans in Purple. Hell, "Hush" isn't even an original. But Evans was. To me, Foreigner is Gramm and Jones, just like Journey is Schon (cough) and Perry, or Boston is Delp and Scholz. Other bands spread a wider shadow: Zep is always those four, just as the Crue are, or Lep with Clark and 'Tallica with Burton. It is a fun game to play because it points to those areas of contact that made the most impact on us.
I've seen countless bands (some mentioned above) chugging along quite well without the members I most "think of" when I think of those bands. Good for them. But when there is a chance to get the old group back together for one last stand, I say: why not? I can answer that: some wounds don't heal and some friendships fracture. But that doesn't seem to be the case with Foreigner. And I suspect that Hansen, like Pineda, would welcome giving the "classic" band one last lap with him involved or not. To not do so suggests that all the smiles and "maybes" are just a cover for some basic insecurities. If so, don't say the fire still burns. Just admit that your wallet is still full and that is enough for you. Again, fair enough.