What?: Foreigner's forth album.
Why?: I found I really like the song "Cold As Ice" and so took a punt and bought one of those 5 albums for $20 deals, which included this album.
Tell me more!:
First listen through all five albums left me slightly disappointed, but I think listening to five albums by the one band in a row, unless you love them to death, is overkill. Don't do it.
Later returning to the albums separately I found I liked the 80s era better, with this album being the stand out. I recently discovered, just before re-listening to this album for this blog, that "4" is one of Justin Hawkins' (of The Darkness) favourite albums. The appeal is obvious, with most tracks being highly produced cock-rocking over-performances with high-range male vocals.
I enjoy the thorough use of keyboards, harmonies, big riffs, huge choruses and the ultimate appeal saxophone on the fantastic over-the-top 80s-on-a-stick masterpiece "Urgent".
Every song on this album, except perhaps "Girl On The Moon", are single-worthy, and the first six of ten tracks were released as singles. The last four tracks do start to expose the album's formula, and the riffs start to get weirdly Midnight Oil, but they're still worthy songs. I enjoy the over-the-top, almost Twisted Sister "I'm Gonna Win" and album ender "Don't Let Go".
This was a surprise little package of 80s hard-rock pop, and the accidental nature of it's discovery is probably enhancing my love for it, so take that in mind. I couldn't possibly score it too high though as much of the appeal is nostalgia and a love for the ridiculous.
6/10
