Classic melodic rock CD of the week

By Stephen Kasenda

FOREIGNER “Mr. Moonlight” (1995)

There are two important things to mention about Foreigner’s "Mr. Moonlight". First, it marked the return of Lou Gramm to the band, and also long-time members Rick Wills and Dennis Elliot. Second, the album basically marked the end of this chapter of Foreigner until Jones resurrected the band in 2009 with a new lineup. 1995 was surely a bad year for melodic rock - album sales were disappointing and rated so low that many people didn't even know the band still existed. However, this record has many good songs worth listening to, especially if you love the tender tunes of AOR.

I'm gonna start with "White Lie", a great upbeat track to start the album. This one is followed by "Rain", and the smooth transition of each note is lovable. "Until The End of Time" is relatively unknown, but the single reached a quite respectable position in the Adult Contemporary chart back then. Some other notable tracks are "Running The Risk", "I Keep Hoping" (which is the best ballad on the album), and "Hand On My Heart". The rest are good except "Real World" and "Big Dog", which I think should have been left behind and replaced with other songs in the veins of "Cold As Ice" or "Waiting For A Girl Like You".

It's nice to see the recent comeback of Lou Gramm, whose voice is still as strong as in the 80s. "Mr. Moonlight" is an underrated gem with a lot of high value goodies that you can find cheap. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that this album is horrible!

Read more of Stephen’s features at MetalMusicArchives.

Review: Foreigner "Mr. Moonlight"

Foreigner is legendary...few bands have released more consistently good AOR singles over the course of two decades. But, all too common with highly successful bands, individual egos start to swell and there is no longer enough room in the studio for so many big heads. The feuds between lead singer Lou Gramm and guitarist Mick Jones are equally legendary, and we fans were deprived of a third decade of Foreigner's brand of rockin' AOR. By 1988, the band was dissolved and Gramm and Jones did their own thing. Jones flopped with a new incarnation of Foreigner using Johnny Edwards (releasing "Unusual Heat" in 1991). Gramm flopped with his new band, Shadow King (1991). By 1992, perhaps with egos now back in check and wallets in need of a refill, Gramm and Jones put their differences aside to reform Foreigner and record a comeback/reunion album.

But the 90s in general were not kind to AOR bands, and "Mr. Moonlight" suffered for it. But the record is just a victim of circumstance...on its own, "Mr. Moonlight" is a solid Foreigner record. The production is great and Gramm's chops were, as always, fantastic. The songwriting is not as strong as the biggest Foreigner records, but tracks like "Rain," "White Lie," and "All I Need To Know" are slices of AOR heaven. The beautiful, moody ballad "I Keep Hoping" should have been a hit. It is a crime the band had to go out on a whimper.

iPOD-worthy: 2, 4, 7, 9

Foreigner on MySpace. Official site.

Link to the music video for the single, "Until the End of Time"