Short Take: Robbed!
Just this weekend I have revisited the self-titled debut of the band Foreigner. In association with this listening session, I have revisited this poll which until this date I had not voted in. All I can conclude is that this release has been robbed of its' rightful place in the polls, which is to say it belongs higher than a calculated score of 8.17 (which is roughly the 25th percentile of the high-res category).
Among the claims made in the previous reviews are the following:
disappointed with the surround mix
"Foreigner 4" is the better DVD-A
Maybe half the tracks are filler
this sounds dull and lifeless
the drums are very low in the mix. They sound muffled and lack presence.
there is a certain sterility to it
the volume is really low!!!
As the 5.1 mix goes it is so so. Just not that dynamic
Six members voted this release as a 6. A SIX! So those of you who have read the previous reviews can be forgiven for passing on this title if you think, based on the reviews here, that this one is a bit of a dog. Especially if it is purported to be expensive. (Amazon has some relatively cheap ones as of this writing!).
But I am here to tell you, I respectfully disagree with most of the criticisms of this disc. The one concession I will make is that, particularly compared to the Foreigner 4 DVD-A, this title lacks 'some' punch, and is certainly quieter in the presentation. Of course the latter is easily remedied by turning up the volume, and the former can usually be compensated for with a little more effort.
I hereby assert:
This has an excellent surround mix! Could it be bettered by Steven Wilson? Maybe. But this is NOT a weak surround mix. There is plenty going on, and I love it!
The bonus features (as mentioned elsewhere) are robust.
Stereo and surround mixes in high resolution
A track by track commentary by two of the members of the band. (at times banal, but interesting for one listen)
FOUR demo recordings mixed in surround (thank you very much!)
Two goofy music videos - but amusing to watch
Complete lyrics can be displayed if selected
A written essay about the start of the band and the making of the album.
Band member bios
Folks this disc and package are packed with bonus features as compared to most DVD-Audio discs!
Musically, for me this is the best Foreigner album. There are a great variety of sounds and textures here, which were largely absent from the band by Foreigner 4 as they appear to have been more "processed" for commercial radio by their producers as time went on. My opinion of course. In revisiting this disc I actually found that very little came off as filler, and in fact the deeper cuts are the ones I much prefer, particularly Long Long Way From Home & Starrider.
I'll knock off a point for the minor technical deficiencies, but wouldn't you rather have the volume be a little weak (and crankable) than have it brick-walled to hell? I give this title a very strong 9. If you are a fan of this band this is a must-have!
