FOREIGNER – Alive & Rockin’

During a seemingly never-ending tour, Foreigner paused to record a DVD of one of their biggest live shows. Foreigner Alive & Rockin’ was recorded at the 2006 Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Balingen, Germany. The DVD isn’t long, but the set packs a punch. Songs included are:

Double Vision
Head Games
Dirty White Boy
Cold As Ice
Starrider
Feels Like the First Time
Urgent
Juke Box Hero/Whole Lotta Love
Hot Blooded

During 2006, Foreigner was celebrating three decades as a band. Despite many line-up changes, this most recent version of the band still sounds great and puts on a good show. The set starts strong and grows in momentum. The DVD is shot in a way that actually makes the viewer feel like they’re part of the live experience. More importantly, the sound quality is also great.

Naturally, highlights of the live DVD are all the band’s biggest hits. The crowd is most excited during “Juke Box Hero/Whole Lotta Love.” Perhaps it’s because Jason Bonham in sitting behind the kit, but for brief moments Foreigner actually sound like Led Zeppelin. The mix of both classic songs gives the band and crowd energy, and also provides lots of opportunities for drum and guitar solos.

By the time Foreigner reach their encore and “Hot Blooded,” most of the crowd looks spent. This is from bouncing along to every song in the set. While there are quite a few crowd pans, producers did a good job of selecting shots and cuts on the fly. Key moments on stage are never missed, and neither are important reaction shots. As with most encores, “Hot Blooded” has an extended ending, with lots of jam time. Another great part of watching the footage is the transition from day to dusk. The Foreigner set makes a good soundtrack to the time change.

In addition to the music, the DVD also includes special features like interviews with band members. The DVD packaging isn’t inventive, but it gets the job done. Shipped in a regular DVD case, the only extra is a booklet outlining Foreigner history. The book also contains photos, mini-bios, and credits. Priced at around 15 bucks, Foreigner Alive & Rockin’ will make a nice stocking stuffer for music fans this holiday season. While it’s true most live DVDs and CDs are not a necessity, the package does offer all the big hits in great sound and a fun atmosphere. Truly, a win-win all around.