Juke Box Heroes (2011)
No Stars
1. Save Me
2. Feels Like the First Time
3. Cold as Ice
4. Long, Long Way From Home
5. Hot Blooded
6. Double Vision
7. Head Games
8. Dirty White Boy
9. Urgent
10.Waiting For a Girl Like You
11.I Want To Know What Love Is
12.Juke Box Hero
At this point, it’s honestly hard to tell if Foreigner’s catalog or its compilation shelf has more entries. And Jukebox Heroes—not to be confused with the Anthology of the same name—isn't exactly doing the legacy any favors. If you’ve ever picked up a hits package and thought, “This sounds a little… off,” you probably stumbled across this one.
Let’s be clear: these are not the original recordings. No, what we have here is Foreigner 2.0 (or maybe it’s 3.7 by now?) going back into the studio to re-record their most beloved hits in an effort to mimic the originals as closely as possible. It’s the musical equivalent of a wax figure—recognizable from a distance, but something’s missing when you get up close.
Why they did this, I don’t know for sure—but I can hazard a guess. It’s cheaper than making a new album. It keeps the Foreigner “brand” visible, so they can tour under the familiar banner and play the same 15 songs every night to fans who probably don’t realize they’re seeing one original member and a band of ringers. Oh, and there’s probably some licensing loophole in there that helps someone cash a check.
Of course, none of that would matter if the songs sounded like they should. But here’s the problem: they don’t. To say these re-recordings are indistinguishable from the originals is like saying decaf coffee tastes just like the real thing. It doesn’t. It never will. Kelly Hansen—who has done a respectable job as a live frontman—is simply not Lou Gramm. And while he’s competent enough, there’s a lack of nuance and grit in these versions that made the originals soar.
Sure, the tracklist reads like a jukebox jackpot: Feels Like the First Time, Cold as Ice, Hot Blooded, Juke Box Hero. But the second the needle drops (or the playlist starts, more accurately), it’s immediately clear that this is a copy of a copy. The energy feels a little too clean, a little too practiced, and a little too… lifeless.
They even throw in a “new” track called Save Me, likely to entice fans into thinking there’s something fresh here. It’s not terrible, but it’s nothing memorable either. And honestly, it gets lost in the shuffle pretty quickly. So who is this for? That’s the real mystery. If you’re a longtime fan, you already own the hits—and you want the real versions. If you’re new to the band, this isn’t where you start. There are at least a half dozen other compilations that get it right. This one feels like a contractual obligation at best, or a bait-and-switch at worst.
Pick it up if you’re a completist. Otherwise, keep walking. There’s nothing to see—or hear—here.
Go to the Next Review
Go back to the main page