Foreigner - 4 (1981)
Es gibt Alben, da stimmt einfach alles. Die "4" von 1981 ist so eins. Die Kompositionen sind auf hohem Niveau, die Musiker sind überdurchschnittlich gut und Lou Gramm ist ein super Sänger. Alle, die melodischen Hard Rock auch mal mit Pop gewürzt lieben, sollten hier zugreifen.

Das Album bietet die gesamte musikalische Spannbreite der Gruppe um Mick Jones. `Night life` und besonders `Juke box hero` sind tolle Hard Rock Songs. `Waiting for a girl like you` ist eine wunderbare Ballade und `Urgent` ist ein Schmachtfetzen bei dem sich Lou Gramm die Seele aus dem Leib singt.
Weitere Höhepunkte sind `Break it up`, `I`m gonna win`, `Woman in black` und `Girl on the moon`. Alle genannten Songs gehören zu den besten der Gruppe überhaupt.

Das Album und die Singles waren sehr erfolgreich. 6 Sterne sind mehr als verdient. Diese Qualität erreichte die Gruppe leider nie wieder.
Wertung:******(6)
Over the course of their first three late-'70s albums, Foreigner had firmly established themselves (along with Journeyand Styx) as one of the top AOR bands of the era. But the band was still looking for that grand slam of a record that would push them to the very top of the heap. Released in 1981, 4 would be that album. In producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange -- fresh off his massive success with AC/DC's Back in Black -- guitarist and all-around mastermindMick Jones found both the catalyst to achieve this and his perfect musical soulmate. Lange's legendary obsessive attention to detail and Jones' highly disciplined guitar heroics (which he never allowed to get in the way of a great song) resulted in a collaboration of unprecedented, sparkling efficiency where not a single note is wasted. "Nightlife" is only the first in a series ("Woman in Black," "Don't Let Go," the '50s-tinged "Luanne") of energetic, nearly flawless melodic rockers, and with "Juke Box Hero," the band somehow managed to create both a mainstream hit single and a highly unique-sounding track, alternating heavy metal guitar riffing, chorused vocals, and one of the ultimate "wanna be a rock star" lyrics.
As for the mandatory power ballad, the band also reached unparalleled heights with "Waiting for a Girl Like You." One of the decade's most successful cross-genre tearjerkers, it has since become a staple of soft rock radio and completely eclipsed the album's other very lovely ballad, "Girl on the Moon," in the process. And last but not least, the surprisingly funky "Urgent" proved to be one of the band's most memorable and uncharacteristic smash hits, thanks to Junior Walker's signature saxophone solo. Through it all, vocalist Lou Gramm does his part, delivering a dazzling performance that confirmed his status as one of the finest voices of his generation. Three years later,Foreigner would achieve even greater success on a pop level with the uneven Agent Provocateur, but by thenJones and Gramm were locked in an escalating war of egos that would soon lead to the band's demise. All things considered, 4 remains Foreigner's career peak.

1 Juke Box Hero
2 Night life
3 Break it up
4 Waiting for a girl like you
 
5 Urgent
6 Girl on the moon
7 Woman in black
8 Luanne
9 Don't let go
10 I'm gonna win

Dennis Elliott - drums, Vocals, background vocals
Lou Gramm - Lead vocals, percussion
Mick Jones - guitar, keyboard, vocals, background vocals
Rick Wills - bass, background vocals