L'AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) dei Foreigner prevede escursioni dall'hard rock puro di stampo zeppeliniano, bello aspro e tutt'altro che adulto, dominato dal riffone chitarristico di turno, alla ballata ipermelodica tutta tastiere e niente chitarre, intensamente romantica ed in effetti molto "adulta". Questo perché il leader, produttore e compositore del gruppo Mick Jones è un chitarrista con l'inclinazione e la capacità di farsi venire semplici, ma buone idee anche alle prese con i tasti d'avorio. Lui si è formato negli anni sessanta nel British Blues inglese, a fianco dei vari Beck, Clapton, Page, Green eccetera; la sua tecnica e personalità sulla chitarra è del tutto ordinaria, ben inferiore ai personaggi sopra nominati, ma il suo talento di compositore è di prim'ordine: i riff che escogita sulla sei corde e le successioni armoniche disegnate per le tastiere fanno la differenza ed hanno creato un pugno di canzoni epocali, consentendo al gruppo una lunga stagione fortunata tra i fine settanta e per tutti gli anni ottanta.
Il cantante Lou Gramm (americano, di discendenza italiana) si adegua molto bene all'andazzo imposto dal suo partner, pur preferendo di gran lunga urlare a squarciagola e spingere al limite la propria estensione vocale sopra gli aggressivi staccati di chitarra del partner, piuttosto che esprimersi con toni più contenuti e caldi sopra un mare di suoni sintetizzati. Il fatto è che la meravigliosa pasta di voce e lo stile drammatico ed intenso con il quale la muove risaltano maggiormente nelle ballate, e comunque nelle situazioni più melodiche. Questo quinto album di carriera, uscito nel 1984, contiene la più clamorosa di esse in termini di riscontro popolare, quella "I Want To Know What Love Is" talmente accessibile da un certo tipo di pubblico ben lontano dal rock da essere stata tranquillamente coverizzata pure da Julio Iglesias. Simili exploit commerciali hanno arricchito i Foreigner, costituendo nel contempo un effettivo boomerang dal punto di vista degli appassionati di rock, molti dei quali identificano questo gruppo come melenso e ruffiano. Lo è in effetti, ma in circoscritti episodi, diciamo così; l'ascolto di un qualsiasi loro album per intero, compreso questo, mette le cose a posto: c'è molto altro nei Foreigner.
Gli hard rock ispidi e senz'ombra di tastiere si intitolano "Tooth And Nail" in apertura, "Reaction To Action", "Stranger In My Own House" e "She's Too Tough" in chiusura: nessuno di loro degno di particolare encomio, non è questo album giusto dei Foreigner per incontrare riff epocali. Il cuore caldo e riuscito del disco, a parte la fortunata ballata di cui si è già detto, sta questa volta tutto in una serie di riusciti mid tempos al contempo tosti e melodici, stragonfi di tastiere, con la tensione che monta durante le strofe, quiete ma tese, e poi esplode in irresistibili ritornelli di perfetto AOR. I titoli: "That Was Yesterday" condotta da uno scampanellante e solenne tema di sintetizzatore, "A Love In Vain" molto simile strutturalmente alla precedente, ma ancora più bella e mia personale favorita dell'album, e poi l'accorata "Two Different Worlds", l'accesa "Growing Up A Hard Way" e la più lenta e soffusa "Down On Love".
I Foreigner sono ancora attivi e girano regolarmente i palchi degli Stati Uniti, ma senza più Gramm che ha messo su invece una propria band con un paio di suoi fratelli, dopo aver lasciato il gruppo definitivamente nel 2003. Quest'album con ottima copertina, dalla grafica genialmente minimalista, rimane uno dei loro migliori e si lascia periodicamente riascoltare molto volentieri.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Tooth and Nail (03:54)
I'm tired of all this cheap talk
When you walk next to me
They say I ain't good enough for you
Why don't they come and tell me
When they see us out in the night
They can't wait to tear us apart
Now I hear them saying lovin' you ain't right
Well they'd better be ready 'cause honey I'll be there
I will fight tooth and nail
Count on me, I will not fail you
I will fight tooth and nail
They say I'm always breaking promises
And I'm just fooling with you
Then they try and come between the two of us
Man, that's a bad thing to do
I can say I had more than enough
But I ain't gonna take it too hard
I said hey, they want to play rough
Well let's see who backs down when the trouble starts
I will fight tooth and nail
Count on me, I will not fail you
I will fight tooth and nail
Come on try me, I won't give in
They take advantage, but they can't win
I'll be your man, baby, wait and see
Ain't nobody, nobody take your love from me
I will fight tooth and nail
I was wrong, I will not fail you
I will fight tooth and nail
I'll be your man, baby, wait and see
Ain't nobody, nowhere take your love away from me
I will fight tooth and nail
Count on me, I will not fail you
I will fight tooth and nail
Right now, tooth and nail
I am waiting for the fight
Tooth and nail
Right now, c'mon, tooth and nail
Right now, tooth and nail
C'mon, tooth and nail
Ah fight
Tooth and nail
Right now, c'mon, tooth and nail
C'mon, right now, tooth and nail
02 That Was Yesterday (03:50)
I
thought I knew you well
But all this time
I could never tell
I
Let you get away
Haunts me every night and every day
You
Were the only one
The only friend that I counted on
How
Could I watch you walk away?
I'd give anything to have you here today
But now
I stand alone with my pride
And dream
That you're still by my side
But that was yesterday
I had the world in my hands
But it's not the end of my world
It's just a slight change of plans
That was yesterday
But today life goes on
No more hiding in yesterday
'Cause yesterday's gone
Ooh..................
Love
My love I gave it all
Thought I saw the light
When I heard you call
Life
That we both could share
Has deserted me
Left me in despair
But now
I stand alone with my pride
Fighting back the tears
I never let myself cry
But that was yesterday
Love was took from my hands
But it's not the end of my world
It's just a little hard to understand
That was yesterday
But today life goes on
You won't find me in yesterday's world
Now yesterday's gone
Goodbye yesterday
Now it's over and done
Still I hope somewhere deep in your heart
Yesterday will live on
Ooh..............
03 I Want to Know What Love Is (05:05)
I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
Ohhhh
Oo oh oh oh oh
Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like the world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder
In my life there's been heart-ache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now
I've travelled so far
to change this lonely life
Chorus
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now
I've travelled so far to change this lonely life
Chorus 5X
04 Growing Up the Hard Way (04:14)
He's got nothing to say, he's got no excuse
He's just made that way, and he's gonna stay that way
Like a dog on the loose in a firework display in a world of his own
No, no, no, he won't back down or go running back home
He's come a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
He don't even know, he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
Growing up the hard way
Now no tellin' where you'll end up, boy
And he's got nothing to say, like he's lost for the worlds, his mind is in a daze
That's his way, it's just a little game he plays
He's got nowhere to run while the city sleeps he wanders alone
Cuttin' through the steel and the hearts of stone
He's come a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
He don't even know, but he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
Growing up the hard way
You'd better walk the straight and narrow
Growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
Growing up the hard way
Never know what you're in for, boy
He's come a long way in life
He's got a long way to go
He don't wanna know, and he don't care because
He's growing up the hard way
In and out of trouble every day
He's growing up the hard way
Yeah, and he's gonna stay that way
You see, he's growing up the hard way
Walk the straight and narrow yeah, maybe someday
But still he's growing up the hard way
It's just the way he's grown up
Yeah, growing up the hard way
There ain't no other way
Growing up the hard way
05 Reaction to Action (03:59)
(spoken: Check 1, 1, 1)
Alright
It's hard getting through to me
I'm truly elusive
I got my own point of view
I am the one of a kind
And I tell you l'il girl
I'm fascinated by you
There's something about you
That makes all the difference
Like the night is to day
Well I can get along without you
But I know that within you
You've got what I'm missing
And I'll find a way
To get reaction to action
Hey, say the word that would thrill me
Yeah, I need reaction to action
Just one look that would kill me
You got a way of drawing attention to you
You know you stand out in a crowd
But the way that you play
With any man's affections
Should never be allowed
See I consider myself
The one who will show you
I'd go as far as to say
Girl, I ain't leaving here without you
But you better understand
There's only one rule in this game we're gonna play
And that's reaction to action
Maybe like a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
One look that would kill me
Give me reaction to action
It's getting late I'd better make a definite move
Reaction to action
And after that baby, it's up to you
I need reaction to action
Just a word that would thrill me
I need reaction to action
You know what I'm talking about
Give me some reaction to action
You got a look, you got a way that'll kill me
Reaction to action, reaction to action, action
Baby, don't think about it, just react
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
Reaction to action
06 Stranger in My Own House (05:04)
(a capella: She said: Boy, your luck is running out...she make me feel like a stranger...in my own house)
I come stumbling in at a quarter to three
To the sound of my own dog growlin' at me
I'm scared to move or turn on a light
You've got me creepin' around in the dark
Like a thief in the night
I've got no excuse, I should have known
I've got no place to live
I never feel at home
I walk into the kitchen to see what's there
I'm tired and I'm hungry but the cupboard's bare
I've been working all day and all night too
I can't believe this is all I have to come back to
I guess I'll take a look upstairs, in the danger zone
I wonder what I'm doing here
When I never feel at home
I'm a stranger in my own house
I've got the keys to the door
But I'm still locked out
I'm a stranger in my own house
I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow this house down
Can't be a stranger in my own house
I see the do not disturb sign on my bedroom door
What is this sheet and pillow laying on the floor
I wore out my welcome
I hear you loud and clear
It's time to get a few things straight around here
I've got no excuse, I should have known
I've got a place to live but I never feel at home
I'm just a stranger in my own house
I've got the keys to the door
But I'm still locked out
Stranger in my own house
I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow this house down
Can't be a stranger in my own house
I've got no excuse, I should have known
With a woman like you I'm better off alone
I'm a stranger in my own house
I've got the keys to the door
But I'm still locked out
I'm just a stranger in my own house
Oh, honey I'm home
I'm just a stranger in my own house
I'm just a stranger in my own house
You got a lion on your hands girl, not a mouse!
I'm just a stranger in my own house
I'm just a stranger in my own house
Well, somebody's got to go...
Stranger
Stranger
10 She's Too Tough (03:09)
My girl, everybody says she's alright
And I know that she's more than alright
Well, she's a hard headed woman
Got a mean attitude
I may have bitten off more than I can chew
I get a little light headed
At her altitude
But she goes one step higher
If I'm going to spend the rest of my life
With a woman like that, I better think twice
She's too tough
I said she's too tough
From the moment she wakes up
Her mind is made up
She's too tough, she's too tough
My girl, she's got a way about her
I know I can never live without her
She's a hard headed woman
So hard to please
She's got her own way of dealing with me
I'm out on a limb, I'm a cat up a tree
But this tree's on fire
I want that woman for the rest of my life
I don't know if I'm up to payin' the price
She's too tough
I said that she's too tough
From the moment she wakes up
Her mind is made up
She's too tough
You hear she's too tough
Well I don't believe
I'll ever leave her
She's too tough, she's too tough
Well if I'm gonna spend the rest of my life
With a woman like her, I'd better think twice
She's too tough
I said she's too tough
From the moment she wakes up
Her mind is made up
She's too tough, that's right
She's too tough
If I do what I'm told
She's gooder than gold to me
She's too tough
I said she's too tough
When push comes to shove
This must be love
She's too tough
Yeah she's too tough
Well I don't believe
I'd ever leave her, never leave her
She's too tough, she's too tough
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