Foreigner is made of hits. Their era-defining sound created so many anthems that a list of their biggest songs will have casual fans asking, “Wow, that was them too?” Songs like “Hot Blooded,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” and “Juke Box Hero” are singular efforts that could only be bolstered by the sirenesque voice of Lou Gramm (and Kelly Hansen who picked up the baton in the early ’00s).
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We all know the hits, but do you know the depths of Foreigner’s catalog? A band cannot live by hits alone, there must be those inevitable gems that fall beneath the cracks waiting for super fans to come and dig them up.
We’ve gotten out our shovel and started breaking ground on Foreigner’s discography. In our search, we’ve found five deep cuts that deserve your attention. Check them out, below.
1. “Stranger In My Own House”
Gramm sings with determination in “Stranger In My Own House.” His anger is palpable in his voice as he sings the lyric, I come stumbling in, at a quarter to three / To the sound of my own dog growlin’ at me…Ah, you’ve got me creepin’ around in the dark / Like a thief in the night.
Gramm comes into this song alone, showcasing his powerful vocals without any interruptions. The rest of the band eventually come in adding their own magical flares to this deep cut, but Gramm’s voice still stands out front and center.
2. “Blue Morning, Blue Day”
“Blue Morning, Blue Day” is one of Foreigner’s most introspective songs. Gramm sings about a musician who is stuck in his head, dealing with post-break-up misery in the only way he knows how: You tell me you’re leaving, you tell me goodbye / You say you might send a letter / Well, honey don’t telephone, ’cause I won’t be alone / I need someone to make me feel better.
This track is a unique taster from Foreigner’s catalog. The meandering guitar riff and off-kilter melody will have the listener feeling just as off-balance as the lyrics suggest.
3. “Long, Long Way From Home”
Guitarist Mick Jones flexes his riff-making ability on “Long, Long Way From Home.” It’s hard to compete with Gramm’s vocal chops but Jones makes a strong play for the spotlight here.
The lyrics are apt given the origin of their band name. The band consists of mixed nationalities (Jones and sax player Ian McDonald are English, and drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi, and vocalist Gramm are all American). Regardless of which country they decided to make home, at least one band member would feel a “Long, Long Way From Home.”
4. “Tooth and Nail”
The band’s fifth studio album, Agent Provocateur, is mostly known for the schmaltzy yet undeniably classic, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” While that has the band pegged as soft-rock balladeers on this record, there are still edgier offerings to be found throughout the album, including our No. 4 deep cut, “Tooth and Nail.”
As the name suggests, Gramm gives the vocal performance on “Tooth and Nail” all his might. It’s in stark juxtaposition to “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The band is at its most eruptive here.
5. “Night Life”
There aren’t many songs on 4 that could be considered a deep cut, but if there is one, it’s “Night Life.” The album features some of the group’s heaviest hitters —i.e. “Juke Box Hero” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You”—so it stands to reason that some songs would be left to cower in their shadow.
We’d like to shine a little light on “Night Life” to hopefully get it the praise it deserves from casual Foreigner fans. The track is every bit as rough and tumble as the aforementioned hits. “Night Life” features a four-on-the-floor beat and Gramm’s iconic wail. It’s exactly what you’d want out of a Foreigner song and is a refreshing break from the familiar favorites.
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