Foreigner's Self-Titled Debut Is Packed With Anthemic Classic Rock Hits and Heroic Guitar Riffs

Make It Feel Like the First Time: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Eidtion 180g 33RPM LP of 1977 Album Plays with System-Testing Sound

1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 64 to analog console to lathe

Blissful feelings arise at the mention of 70s arena rock. It gives listeners permission to have fun, sing along to aircraft-hangar-size choruses, play air guitar solos, forget about any troubles, recall the experience of a first kiss, and quite simply, rock out.

Few albums better instill these pleasures than Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled debut album, a five-times platinum blockbuster chock full of salacious riffs, soaring vocals, edgy beats, and lyrics that practically demand to be shouted. And while the record has always boasted clean, immediate production, it explodes with the dynamic intensity and rich transparency on Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM LP. This is what rock n’ roll dreams are made of.

Spearheaded by guitar hero Mick Jones, fresh off success with Spooky Tooth, Foreigner rallied around a talented collective pulled from the U.S. and U.K. Joining up with former King Crimson instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer Dennis Elliott, as well as keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi, Jones completed the puzzle with the addition of extraordinary singer Lou Gramm, whose vocal timbre and limitless pipes remain one of the most instantly identifiable combinations in music.

Before long, two eternal radio classics — “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold As Ice,” composed on a miniature piano and inspired by Hollywood star Joan Crawford — were in the bag. Eight more tunes, each as solid as those that came before, followed, and Foreigner quickly became an overnight rock sensation. In contrast to much of the era’s angrier fare and crudely produced music, Foreigner stood out by way of its clean, muscular, professional production. Still, Mobile Fidelity believed that underneath the surfaces, an even fresher, bigger-sounding record loomed.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, this LP presents the sextet’s roof-raising anthems and scintillating blend of guitars, synths, and Gramm’s soulful vocals across a wide, deep soundstage. Instrumental separation, tonal balance, and imaging are superb. Better still, the songs come across with an assertive liveliness that adds to their enjoyment, structure, and melodic character. The accessory flutes, saxophones, and synthesizer solos have never sounded so enmeshed within the overall sonic fabric.

"Rob LoVerde has done his usual meticulous job of getting the maximum amount of detail from the master tape without compromise. If you grew up listening to this band on the radio in the 70s, you will be amazed at the amount of musicianship presented here. This pressing reveals layer upon layer of vocals, guitars, and, of course, the Roland Space Echo intro on “Starrider” didn’t even sound this good when you were really baked."
--Jeff Dorgay, TONE Audio, Issue 32