the group\u2019s self-titled debut<\/a>, the pathetic \u201cI Need You,\u201d with its vaguely absurd co-dependent histrionics, and \u201cWoman Oh Woman\u201d a pretty enough ballad whose chorus reads like a cry for help: \u201cWoman oh woman \/ Don\u2019t bury me alive \/ Just make me feel \/ I\u2019ve the right to survive.\u201d The fact that the swaggering, open-shirted Jones introduces the song by dedicating it to his mother ought to bring a smile to the face of any psychology PhD candidate still searching for a thesis topic.<\/p>\nInitial momentum spent, the band regroups with a spirited run at \u201cHot Blooded,\u201d a tune that\u2019s dumb as rocks, but lit up by an undeniable guilty-pleasure hook. \u201cThe Damage Is Done\u201d leaves little impression before they wade into hit single \u201cCold As Ice,\u201d tacking on a big melodramatic opening before Jones asserts pride of authorship by stepping up to a stray downstage keyboard to play the song\u2019s insistent two-note lead riff. In case you\u2019re wondering if anyone else is in on the joke, Gramm appears to be chewing gum through the whole song, while Greenwood takes a moment in the midst of his synth solo to wink at the camera. <\/p>\n
Mid-show standout \u201cStarrider\u201d is one of two places where the band conspicuously stretches out. Jones takes lead vocals on the silly early verses before he and Gramm team up for the nonsensical sci-fi pastiche chorus. Things get interesting for a bit after the band exhausts the original three-minute tune as first McDonald (on flute) and then Greenwood (on organ) deliver extended, imaginative solos. But of course bandleader Jones can\u2019t leave his henchmen unanswered, doubling down with a flailing, dubious, hey-wait-look-at-ME guitar solo. Meanwhile, former drummer Gramm keeps busy by grabbing a pair of sticks and manning a second kit tucked in next to Elliott\u2019s.<\/p>\n
For the also-premiering \u201cDouble Vision\u201d the group tightens things up considerably\u2014not as tight as Gramm\u2019s pants, to be sure, but that would be asking a lot. Closing out the main set, \u201cFeels Like The First Time\u201d is the show\u2019s clear highlight, played straight up and firmly, its indisputably catchy hooks sinking well in as Gramm wails away up front.<\/p>\n
The triple encore begins with \u201cFool For You Anyway,\u201d a sweet, bluesy number where the band shows admirable restraint for once. A moment later, though, we\u2019re back to over-the-top bombast with the ridiculous hard rock pose \u201cAt War With The World.\u201d There\u2019s enough macho bluster in this song to power a gaming convention, but the song itself never rises above arena-rock cheese.<\/p>\n
Show-ending nightcap \u201cHeadknocker\u201d opens with a Dennis Elliott drum solo. When Gramm strides back to center stage a moment later to begin unironically assaulting a cowbell, you know you\u2019re in for\u2026 something. \u201cDon\u2019t let me say it again,\u201d he cries over and over at mid-song, by which point you\u2019re inclined to oblige. But if you did, you might miss the ensuing extended breakdown where Gramm again retreats to the drum set as bassist Gagliardi\u2014the first original member to leave about a year later\u2014grabs a mic and tries so hard for so long to rile up the crowd that you end up feeling bad for him. <\/p>\n
The band\u2014each of whom appears to have realized over time that there was no real space for them in a group led by Jones\u2014plays well enough throughout, but McDonald and Greenwood in particular seem undermatched by their assignments, making it no surprise they would depart soon after Gagliardi. Meanwhile, up front, the man in charge struts every note he plays like it\u2019s the climax to \u201cStairway To Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a summation, let\u2019s turn to Jeopardy<\/i> for inspiration. Answer: Shows like the one captured in Foreigner\u2019s Live At The Rainbow \u201978<\/i>. Question: What makes Spinal Tap<\/i><\/a> funny?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":33759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[7739],"rating":[5619],"class_list":["post-45580","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-foreigner","rating-rating-c"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/45580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/45580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=45580"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=45580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}