Double Vision (Foreigner album)

Double Vision is the second studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 20 June 1978 by Atlantic Records. Recorded between December 1977 and March 1978, it was Foreigner's only album co-produced by Keith Olsen and the last recording with bass guitarist Ed Gagliardi who would be later replaced by Rick Wills.

Double Vision
Original cover art by Norman Seeff. The band is in the French Quarter in New Orleans, in front of the Market Place Produce Company #81 French Market Place.
Studio album by
Foreigner
ReleasedJune 20, 1978
RecordedDecember 1977 - March 1978
StudioSound City, Van Nuys
Genre
Length37:55
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Foreigner chronology
Foreigner
(1977)		 Double Vision
(1978)		 Head Games
(1979)
Alternative cover art
U.S. 2nd vinyl pressing
Singles from Double Vision
  1. "Hot Blooded"
    Released: June 1978[1]
  2. "Double Vision"
    Released: September 1978
  3. "Blue Morning, Blue Day"
    Released: December 1978
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideC−[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Double Vision was the first in the line of many other recordings in which A&R executive John Kalodner would simply have his name listed twice in liner notes, as a play on the title of this album. The phrase "John Kalodner: John Kalodner" originated when the producer Olsen was wondering just how to credit Kalodner's involvement in the band and the album. In keeping with the double vision theme, guitarist Mick Jones came up with an idea of doubling the name.[5]

"Tramontane" is the only instrumental track Foreigner have released to date on a studio album.

Mick Jones takes the lead vocals on "Back Where You Belong" and "I Have Waited So Long".

Release

The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart[6] and earning platinum certification a week after its release. It has now been certified 7× platinum for sales in excess of 7 million units[7] and along with the compilation Records (1982) is counted as Foreigner's best selling album. In Europe, however, Double Vision reached the Top 40 only in the United Kingdom.[8]

The lead single, released in June 1978, was "Hot Blooded," which reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In September, it was followed by "Double Vision," which charted at number 2. This was the highest position Foreigner had attained to that time. The third and final single, "Blue Morning, Blue Day," was released in December and climbed to number 15 on the chart.[9]

Reception

Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn described Double Vision as "slickly produced, commercially powerful, but artistically vapid."[10] The Record critic Rick Atkinson said of the album that it used the same formula as Foreigner's debut album such that "Foreigner's Clone" would have been an appropriate title.[11]

According to Atkinson, "Tramontane" was the only "new and different track" on the album.[11] Atkinson describes "Tramontane" as having a "heavy keyboard line" but that all members of the group "get a quick shot at the spotlight."[11] On the other hand, The Morning News critic Gary Mullinax described "Tramontane" as "a densely textured instrumental that is pleasant enough but doesn't really go anywhere."[12] Unlike most Foreigner songs, Tramontane was written primarily by Al Greenwood.[13] Ian McDonald played a lyricon on the track.[13]

Murfreesboro Press critic Van West also recognized Double Vision as having similarities to Foreigner, but said that there are important differences; in particular, Double Vision has "more individualistic interpretations" and a "heavy metal tonal structure" instead of some of the "careful harmonies" of the debut album.[14]

New York Daily News critic Ace Adams called Double Vision "a fine collection of songs" that is "hard rock at its best."[15]

Record World said that, besides the hit singles, "'Back Where You Belong' and 'Spellbinder' shows [Foreigner's] expertise and maturity as a band."[16] PopMatters critic Evan Sawdey commented on the non-single album tracks, saying that "the gloomy 'Tramontane' and the rewrite of 'The Damage is Done' that was 'Spellbinder' did little to expand the band’s sound so much as it was a pushing of its existing abilities into more commercial shapes" but praised "the shimmering acoustic wonder that was 'Back Where You Belong.'"[17]

Jones has rated two songs from the album ("Blue Morning, Blue Day" and "Spellbinder") as among his 11 favorite Foreigner songs.[18]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Hot Blooded"Lou GrammMick Jones4:28
2."Blue Morning, Blue Day"Gramm, JonesJones3:12
3."You're All I Am"JonesJones3:24
4."Back Where You Belong"JonesJones3:14
5."Love Has Taken Its Toll"GrammIan McDonald3:29
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
6."Double Vision"Gramm, JonesJones3:44
7."Tramontane" (instrumental) Al Greenwood, McDonald, Jones3:56
8."I Have Waited So Long"JonesJones4:07
9."Lonely Children"JonesJones3:37
10."Spellbinder"GrammJones4:45
Total length:37:55
2002 Rhino Records remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Hot Blooded" (live) 6:58
12."Love Maker" (live)Betty Wright, Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke6:49
Total length:52:01

Personnel

Foreigner

Additional musicians

Production
  • Producers – Mick Jones, Ian McDonald and Keith Olsen.
  • Engineers – David De Vore and Keith Olsen
  • Mixing – Jimmy Douglass, Mick Jones and Ian McDonald.
  • Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
  • Technicians – Troby Laidlaw, Randy Mason, Mac McCollum and Michael McConnell.
  • Design and Photography – Norman Seeff
  • Management – Bud Prager at E.S.P. Inc.
Remastering credits
  • John Kalodner – John Kalodner
  • 1995 digital remastering by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.
  • Dan Hersch – 2002 digital remastering
  • Shawn R. Britton – 2011 MFSL mastering (at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, California)

Charts
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[19] 13
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[20] 3
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[21] 61
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 32
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 32
US Billboard 200[23] 3

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[25] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[7] 7× Platinum 7,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "The Great Rock Discography". p. 301.
  2. Hinds, Andy. Foreigner: "Double Vision" > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Evans, Paul (2004). "Foreigner". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Completely Revised and Updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 307. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. Fishman, Laurie. "Biography : John Kalodner". John Kalodner.com. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  6. "Foreigner Chart History: The Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  7. "American album certifications – Foreigner – Double Vision". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  8. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  9. "Foreigner – Chart history". Billboard Hot 100 for Foreigner. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  10. Hilburn, Robert (June 24, 1978). "Foreigner's Album Plays It Safe". Los Angeles Times. p. 43. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Atkinson, Rick (July 23, 1978). "Cashing in on a musical formula". The Record. p. E-14. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
  12. Mullinax, Gary (July 9, 1978). "Not so foreign". The Morning News. p. D-4. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "Fabulous Flip Sides – Foreigner - Interview with Ian McDonald". Goldmine. September 7, 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  14. West, Van (August 3, 1978). "'Sam Davis' features local talent". Murfreesboro Press. p. 2A. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
  15. Adams, Ace (July 15, 1978). "Inside the Record World". New York Daily News. p. C8. Retrieved 2020-06-26 – via newspapers.com.
  16. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 1, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  17. Sawday, Evan (November 26, 2014). "Foreigner: The Complete Atlantic Studio Albums 1977-1991". PopMatters. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  18. "Mick Jones' 11 Favourite Foreigner Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. April 26, 2017. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  19. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 116. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4650a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  21. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  22. "Charts.nz – Foreigner – Double Vision". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  23. "Foreigner Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  24. "Canadian album certifications – Foreigner – Double Vision". Music Canada. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  25. "A Warner-Pioneer Japan record award presented to Ian McDonald in 1979 for "the superlative" Foreigner album, Double Vision". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
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