40

Released as a celebration of Foreigner's 40th birthday -- its title and album were designed to evoke memories of 4, the band's biggest album -- 40 is the third double-disc compilation of the group's classic years to arrive since Jukebox Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology. That 2000 set was designed as a deep dive into the catalog, while The Definitive Collection -- released six years later -- whittled away nine songs, making it a leaner listen at 30 tracks. 40 does indeed offer 40 songs: 38 songs cherry picked from throughout the group's career, along with two new recordings ("I Don't Want to Live Without You" and "Give My Life for Love"). Among these 38 songs are some relative rarities. The 2011 song "The Flame Still Burns" makes its CD debut, "Girl on the Moon" and "Break It Up" are live versions, and there are a bunch of deep cuts. Still, the focus here -- like it is on any Foreigner compilation -- are on the big radio hits: "Feels Like the First Time," "Hot Blooded," "Double Vision," "Dirty White Boy," "Urgent," and "Reaction to Action," all available in radio edits. These form the heart of Foreigner's legacy, and they sound as good here as they ever have. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine