After their eponymous 1977 debut album crested the Top 20 in the Billboard charts for a year, Foreigner played London’s Rainbow Theatre in April 1978, serving up a blistering 12-song set. The classic lineup featured Lou Gramm (vocals), Mick Jones (lead guitar), Ian McDonald (guitars, flute), Al Greenwood (keyboards), Ed Gagliardi (bass), and Dennis Elliott (drums). Today, the blues-based rock band’s lyrics come across as silly ("And I guess it’s just the woman in you/That brings out the man in me") and even borderline offensive ("Are you old enough?"), but along with Journey, Bad Company, and Styx, Foreigner was able to command a solid arena-rock fan base thanks to a number of catchy songs. Although their megahits "Juke Box Hero" and "I Wanna Know What Love Is" were still in the future, the band in ‘78 still had some fine material to draw from, including the singles "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold As Ice," the driving "Long, Long Way from Home," the power ballads "Woman Oh Woman" and "Fool for You Anyway," and the prog-rock-y "Starrider." A special treat is hearing a song from their then-upcoming release Double Vision that went on to become a big hit: "Hot-Blooded." Although the image is presented in a boxy aspect ratio, the remastered visuals are clear and the sound is excellent. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LCPM stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)
Foreigner: Live at the Rainbow ‘78
(1978) 75 min. DVD: $15.98, Blu-ray: $19.98. Eagle Rock Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 34, Issue 4
Foreigner: Live at the Rainbow ‘78
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