Foreigner: Alive & Rockin (2007)

In 2007 Foreigner are celebrating their 30th anniversary and are playing more shows in more countries than ever before. The band has sold over 70 million records worldwide. Only Led Zeppelin has sold more albums for the Atlantic Records label. This DVD was filmed at the Bang Your Head Festival at Balingen in Germany in June 2006 and captures the band rocking harder than ever before on a set list of their biggest hits including "Cold As Ice", "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Double Vision" and more.

The Foreigner lineup for this performance consists of Mick Jones (guitars), Kelly Hansen (vocals), Jason Bonham (drums), Jeff Jacobs (keyboards), Tom Gimbel (guitars, saxophone, flute) and Jeff Pilson (bass).

Tracklisting 1) Intro 2) Double Vision 3) Head Games 4) Dirty White Boy 5) Cold As Ice 6) Starrider 7) Feels Like The First Time 8) Urgent 9) Juke Box Hero / Whole Lotta Love 10) Hot Blooded

Bonus Features * Interviews with Jason Bonham, Mick Jones and Kelly Hansen * Foreigner TV - out and about with the fans when Foreigner play live

Sounds Like The First Time

Lots of folks have a soft spot for Foreigner, few of us, however, would admit to be card carrying fans hoping for a Foreigner come back. Fact is Foreigner had some killer guitar riffs and great hooks yet were, all these years later, remembered for a couple of ballads that came to define the worst in radio overplay. That Foreigner was done was pretty much a given since more than one reunion attempt between Mick Jones and Lou Gramm never really got much traction. Only one thing...No one told Mick Jones this. So now, a good 25 years past Foreigner's prime Mick is back with a new Foreigner in which he's the only original member. This could be a pathetic attempt at a shameless money grab...Or, could it?

Against all odds, the new Foreigner is really the best sounding Foreinger...ever! This really is a shocker! Mick Jones proves he is the real heart and soul of the band, that he can not just carry the torch, but build a better band around veteran journeymen who can replicate that original Foreigner sound and propel it further. You may think bogus...No one can replace Lou Gramm. Obviously you haven't seen this DVD with Kelly Hansen who not only can sound like Gramm, but looks like Steven Tyler and has both a range and stage presence that Gramm, at least of late, just couldn't match. Foreigner is baaaack!

Alive & Rockin' lives up to it's title and then some. It's not the heavily produced live concert tightly controlled in both lighting and sound for DVD, but rather a document of a set turned in at a German heavy metal fest. This actually seems to work in it's favor as it's "all killer and no filler". While not reference in sight or sound it is quite good and it documents a performance in which a possibly hostile audience turns to putty as Foreigner proves there is new life in an old brand. All in all, this is a great testament that Foreigner has a great catalog and is better than ever. If you are at all interested do not hesitate. Yes it's a bit raw, but it rocks hard and makes no excuses in doing so. I would never have thought I'd be recommending anything by a band I thought was done, but, "that was yesterday"! October 1, 2008

Its not Lou, but it will do!!

As a long time fan of Foreigner, I must say I was very disappointed with their 25th anniversary DVD. So, when I heard about this new release, I was a bit leary. While waiting for it to arrive I dug out my Hurricane CD, and while listening, I could hear similiarities in the vocals. Kelly has a tremendous voice and does indeed deliver a great performance in this concert. Again it was just great to see Mick Jones and the rest of the band having just a great time performing. I think the DVD, was well produced, I would have like more close-ups, but the sound is great and kept that live feel to it. While no one can replace Lou Gramm, this concert provides a refuse to those who miss that energy that Foreigner bought to the stage. September 14, 2008

Foreigner Still Sounds Great!

I bought this DVD after seeing Foreigner on Private Sessions. That show reminded me how many great hits they had and how I wanted to see them again. The concert was very good and they had all the people in the audience up on their feet. I left off one star because they only played their most loud, heavy metal songs. This was understandable because they were playing at a head-banger concert in Germany in front of thousands of teenagers who never heard of them. But from my standpoint, I was hoping to get a more rounded view of their work without all the long heavy metal guitar riffs. Missing were "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is", for instance. Picky, picky. They did sound very good though. August 31, 2008

How dare you Mick Jones!

To call this band Foreigner is a joke! This is Mick Jones with a bunch of other guys, this is NOT Foreigner!Be a man Mick and call it what it is, The Mick Jones Solo Band. August 5, 2008

Another Cover Band

Just like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Grand Funk Railroad,CCR, Journey, and countless other has been bands, one original member gets a bunch of people together and goes out on the road and tries to milk a few bucks out of the public. As long as people are stupid enough to pay, they will be out there. Sorry, no Lou Gramm, no Foreigner. If you are lacking the distinctive voice that made the band, you are not that band. Would you pay to see The Stones if someone else but Mick Jagger was singing? At best you are either a tribute or a cover band. So this DVD is nice if you like either of those kind of bands. April 26, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...