Lou Gramm: Long Hard Look CD Track Listing

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Lou Gramm Long Hard Look (1989)
Originally Released October 13, 1989\nWounded Bird Reissue Released August 2, 2005\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: 1989's Long Hard Look was the second solo album from Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm, and its modest success led him to officially -- but ultimately briefly -- leave the enormously popular band. Long Hard Look is another slice of sleekly professional pop/rock, similar to Gramm's 1987 solo debut, Ready or Not. But whereas Ready or Not rather consistently combined melody with bite (side one specifically), Long Hard Look is spotty. Sonically, the difference between Foreigner and Gramm's solo albums is considerable and can be summed up in one word: warmth. Foreigner's music has a richer guitar, keyboard, and drum sound thanks to guitarist/keyboardist/producer Mick Jones, but Gramm's solo albums are more brittle. The tinny snare drum sound is juiced too high in the mix -- not quite to the threshold of pain, but darn close. Long Hard Look includes the Top Ten hit "Just Between You and Me" and the Top 40 hit "True Blue Love." Both were smooth pop singles, but the latter is the superior tune despite charting lower. Gramm does manage to rock a bit on three songs: "Angel With a Dirty Face," "I'll Come Running," and a cover of Small Faces' "Tin Soldier." The atmospheric "Warmest Rising Sun" is pleasant, and background vocals are contributed by Merry Clayton, best known for her astonishing work on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter." Other well-known musicians providing assistance on Long Hard Look include guitarist Vivian Campbell (who later worked with Gramm on the one-off Shadow King project), guitarist Nils Lofgren, bass guitarist Pino Palladino, and vocalist Siedah Garrett. Bass guitarist/rhythm guitarist Bruce Turgon later joined Foreigner when Gramm returned to the band and resumed his partnership with Jones. -- Bret Adams\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSolid solo outing from Foreigner frontman, September 26, 2005\nReviewer: Rezaul Hasan Laskar (New Delhi, India)\nThere are very few rock vocalists who can compete with Lou Gramm in full flight. If you need any proof of this, check out this second solo album by Gramm, recorded during a hiatus from Foreigner. \n\nSure its a little too slickly produced, but then that's a problem with most rock albums produced in the US during the late 1980s and early 1990s before grunge kicked in. \n\nBut on the plus side, it has great hook-laden tracks like the hit single "Just Between You and Me", "Angel with a Dirty Face", "True Blue Love" and "Day One". \n\nGramm is helped out on guitar by Nils Lofgren and the album is rounded out by a fine cover of the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier". Despite its production excesses, "Long Hard Look" stands the test of time and is a worthy addition to the collections of all Foreigner/Lou Gramm fans. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGreat album by the phenomenal (former) frontman of Foreigner!, August 2, 2005\nReviewer: D. Hofkin\nIt's great to see this album re-released on a new label! It had been out of print on the original Atlantic Records label since the early 1990s. This re-release coincides with the re-formation of the Lou Gramm Band, which has been touring since 2003 after a hiatus of more than 10 years. Apparently Lou and Mick Jones (co-founder of Foreigner) have officially parted ways again (Lou also left Foreigner in the late 1980s, only to reunite with Mick in 1992). \n\nIn any event, many of the songs on this album are very good, showcasing Lou's solid songwriting skills and truly phenomenal voice. Highlights include "Just Between You and Me" (a major hit single in 1989-1990), "Angel With a Dirty Face", "True Blue Love", "Hanging On My Hip", and "Tin Soldier". \n\nI would recommend this album to any fan of Foreigner, Lou Gramm, or just good solid rock in general. I also recommend going to hear Lou's re-formed band on tour. He's been dealing with very serious health problems over the past eight years, but he continues to regain his old form. Lou Gramm is a testament to the power of the human spirit to face and handle adversity.\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Nils Lofgren \nProducer: E.T. Thorngren, Peter Wolf \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel includes: Lou Gramm (vocals); Peter Wolf (keyboards, background vocals); Nils Lofgren, Peter Maunu, Vivian Campbell (electric guitar); Merry "The Diva" Clayton, Siedah Garrett, Darryl Phinnessee, Maxi Anderson, Phillip Ingram, Ina Wolf, Reinhold Bilgeri, Robin Clark, Lani Groves (background vocals).\n\nEngineers include: Paul Ericksen, Gonzalo "Bino" Espinoza, Carlos Golliher.
This rock cd contains 10 tracks and runs 45min 26sec.
Freedb: 7b0aa40a
Buy: from Amazon.com

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