Make It Fast, Make It Urgent: Foreigner Box Up Atlantic Albums

You’ve been waiting for a box like this.

On October 14, Rhino will unveil the 7-CD collection from Foreigner, The Complete Atlantic Studio Albums 1977-1991.  As the classic rock band’s discography has amounted to just three albums since its departure from Atlantic in 1991, this box brings together Foreigner’s prime material including five U.S. multi-platinum smash LPs and hits like “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,”  and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

Foreigner, founded by vocalist Lou Gramm, guitarist Mick Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, bassist Ed Gagliardi and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, was a hot property from the time of its very first release.  1977’s 5x platinum Foreigner reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and yielded the hit singles “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home.”  The album began an unabated string of hits for the British/American band, straight through 1987’s Inside Information.    By the time of Foreigner’s Atlantic swansong Unusual Heat (1991, and the last CD in this box set), only Jones and Elliott remained from the original line-up.  Rick Wills had replaced Gagliardi as of the group’s third album, 1979’s Head Games, while Unusual Heat marked the debut of Wild Horses singer Johnny Edwards, replacing Lou Gramm.  (Gramm returned to the fold in 1992, and was with Foreigner for its 1994 Arista debut, Mr. Moonlight.)

Rhino expanded Foreigner’s first four albums in 2002, fleshing out each release with demos, live tracks and outtakes.  Happily, this box will replicate the contents of those four releases, adding a total of nine bonus tracks to the original album sequences.   Typical of this program of complete albums from Rhino, it doesn’t appear that The Complete Atlantic Studio Albums 1977-1991 will include a booklet with any liner notes or additional credits beyond those which appeared on the original LP sleeves.  All albums will be presented in replica mini-LP jackets and retain the most recent prior masterings.

After the jump, we have more information including the complete track listing with discography!

The current lineup of Foreigner, led by Mick Jones, toured this year with the Soundtrack of Summer tour, sharing a bill with Styx and Eagles’ Don Felder; a commemorative album of that tour featuring re-recordings from Styx and Foreigner and a new recording of “Hotel California” is currently available as a Wal-Mart exclusive release.

Rhino’s upcoming box is an affordable opportunity to obtain the group’s original catalogue in one compact package.  It hits stores on October 14, and can be pre-ordered below!

Foreigner, The Complete Atlantic Studio Albums 1977-1991 (Atlantic/Rhino, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Disc 1: Foreigner (Atlantic SD 18215, 1977 – expanded Atlantic/Rhino R2 74270, 2002)

1. Feels Like the First Time
2. Cold As Ice
3. Starrider
4. Headknocker
5. The Damage is Done
6. Long, Long Way from Home
7. Woman Oh Woman
8. At War with the World
9. Fool for You Anyway
10. I Need You
11. Feels Like the First Time (Demo)
12. Woman Oh Woman (Demo)
13. At War with the World (Demo)
14. Take Me to Your Leader (Demo)

Disc 2: Double Vision (Atlantic SD 19999, 1978 – expanded Atlantic/Rhino R2 78187, 2002)

1. Hot Blooded
2. Blue Morning, Blue Day
3. You’re All I Am
4. Back Where You Belong
5. Love Has Taken Its Toll
6. Double Vision
7. Tramontane
8. I Have Waited So Long
9. Lonely Children
10. Spellbinder
11. Hot Blooded (Live in Anaheim – 1982)
12. Love Maker (Live in Chicago, 1977)

Disc 3: Head Games (Atlantic SD 29999, 1979 – expanded Atlantic/Rhino R2 78198, 2002)

1. Dirty White Boy
2. Love on the Telephone
3. Women
4. I’ll Get Even with You
5. Seventeen
6. Head Games
7. The Modern Day
8. Blinded by Science
9. Do What You Like
10. Rev on the Red Line
11. Zalia (Outtake)

Disc 4: 4 (Atlantic SD 16999, 1981 – expanded Atlantic/Rhino R2 78275, 2002)

1. Night Life
2. Juke Box Hero
3. Break It Up
4. Waiting for a Girl Like You
5. Luanne
6. Urgent
7. I’m Gonna Win
8. Woman in Black
9. Girl on the Moon
10. Don’t Let Go
11. Juke Box Hero (Nearly Unplugged Version – 1999)
12. Waiting for a Girl Like You (Nearly Unplugged Version – 1999)

Disc 5: Agent Provocateur (Atlantic 81999, 1984)

1. Tooth and Nail
2. That Was Yesterday
3. I Want to Know What Love Is
4. Growing Up the Hard Way
5. Reaction to Action
6. Stranger in My Own House
7. A Love in Vain
8. Down on Love
9. Two Different Worlds
10. She’s Too Tough

Disc 6: Inside Information (Atlantic 82299, 1987)

1. Heart Turns to Stone
2. Can’t Wait
3. Say You Will
4. I Don’t Want to Live Without You
5. Counting Every Minute
6. Inside Information
7. The Beat of My Heart
8. Face to Face
9. Out of the Blue
10. A Night to Remember

Disc 7: Unusual Heat (Atlantic 81808, 1991)

1. Only Heaven Knows
2. Lowdown and Dirty
3. I’ll Fight for You
4. Moment of Truth
5. Mountain of Love
6. Ready for the Rain
7. When the Night Comes Down
8. Safe in My Heart
9. No Hiding Place
10. Flesh Wound
11. Unusual Heat