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