Name Al Greenwood, Founding member and keyboard player for Foreigner
Best known for The original keyboard player in Foreigner. Playing a rock star in the movie Blue DeVille (a stretch). Ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Current city New York, NY.
Really want to be in A beach in Hawaii sipping a cool drink with an umbrella on top.
Excited about Foreigner was just [chosen to be] inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so I’m looking forward to the ceremony in October. I’m also excited about a new project I’ve been working on with my son Michael, an emerging artist who goes by dadadamelio. We teamed up with Corey Glover of Living Colour on two new tracks that will be on a limited edition EP to be released later this year. Proceeds of the EP will be donated to benefit arts-based programs and arts therapies for at-risk youths.
My current music collection has a lot of I’m a pretty eclectic collector so my tastes run wide. I’m building up my vinyl collection and reaching back to the albums I wore the grooves out on. From Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, Jeff Beck, to Marvin Gaye, Zeppelin and on and on. I’m a big fan of all types of music from rock, R&B, jazz, prog, blues, soul. I tend not to rule anything out.
Preferred format I’ve always loved vinyl and I’m happy it’s making a big comeback. There is nothing like holding a new album in your hands and reading the liner notes while the music is playing on your turntable. Pure bliss.
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:
I had a hard time narrowing down my favorite albums to just 5 – I have many. But here are 5 that I absolutely wore the grooves out listening on my home Hi-Fi system.
1
Traffic, Traffic
Their first album was killer. Steve Winwood was my idol. He had an amazing voice, he played guitar, and his work on the Hammond organ was stellar. He also sang the vocal on “Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group when he was only 17! Dave Mason is the guitarist in the group and very underrated in my opinion. He also wrote “Feelin’ Alright,” a song that has been famously covered by Joe Cocker. And it only has two chords – brilliant!
2
Terry Reid, Terry Reid
Maybe out of left field, but not really. The most unknown superstar ever. Another amazing voice. He was the first choice of Jimmy Page to be the vocalist for Led Zeppelin, but he had other business commitments, so he had to turn Jimmy down. But not without recommending another singer – Robert Plant. This whole album is incredible. Standouts include “Superlungs My Supergirl,” “Stay With Me Baby,” “May Fly,” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited.”
3
Queen II, Queen
Classic Queen – my favorite Queen album. I played the black side until there were no grooves left. The segues between songs, the orchestrated guitars by Brian May, the huge harmonies, and of course Freddie Mercury’s soaring vocals all made this a brilliant record. The standout tracks for me are, “Ogre Battle,” “The March of the Black Queen,” “Nevermore,” and “Funny How Love Is.”
4
Tarkus, Emerson Lake & Palmer
I’m a big fan of progressive rock. I enjoyed King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis (with Peter Gabriel), but my favorite was ELP. Keith Emerson was another one of my idols and his complete mastery of the Hammond organ and his bank of synthesizers was incredible. He also was a sight to see live stabbing the Hammond and playing it upside down — all while playing an unbelievable solo. This album is a work of art from start to finish.
5
Aja, Steely Dan
This is the record that music stores would use to show off their stereo systems. The production is impeccable, and all of the instruments and textures are perfectly placed. They also used over 40 of the best studio musicians to make this recording including Steve Gadd on drums and Michael McDonald singing vocals on “Peg.” Standout tracks: “Peg,” “Black Cow,” “Deacon Blues,” and of course the title track “Aja.”
Foreigner is currently on tour with Styx and John Waite. Visit their site for details.
