Foreigner still in the fray

"Can't Slow Down," the new Foreigner album and the group's first since 1994, could have been called "Can't Stop."

Mick Jones, who is the lone original member of Foreigner, can't help but continue touring and occasionally recording with the band he formed in 1976.

"It's still fun," Jones said. "I still have a really good time after all these years."

Foreigner, which will perform Saturday at the Kansas State Fair, continues to deliver such hits as "Urgent," "Jukebox Hero" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You," not to mention offering new cuts as well.

"Can't Slow Down" compares well to that first collection of songs. Indeed, the songs sound like they were crafted a generation ago, with the requisite arena rock and power ballads among the well-constructed pop-rock tracks.

The bottom line is that the Foreigner sound remains on a high level.

That shouldn't be surprising since Jones is a master songwriter and producer. He was at the helm when his band released six consistent collections of pop-rock from 1977 to 1987.

Jones also produced Van Halen's "5150" in 1985, Billy Joel's 1989 release "Storm Front" and the Cult's 2001 offering "Beyond Good and Evil."

"I've always had a blast working with songs," he said. "That goes for writing them or producing them. I've been fortunate to have a career working in music, which is what I love."

Even though Jones is officially a senior citizen, he's not the only performer who is releasing albums late in life. Willie Nelson continues to record. Deborah Harry, who is 65, and her band Blondie will release a new album in 2011.

"It's a different time now," Jones said. "Perhaps this isn't how it was 20 years ago but you don't have to be a nostalgia act these days. You can still make music even if you've been at this for years. There's no reason to stop making new music to go along with the songs people already know."

If you go

foreigner

What: Classic rock band

Where: Sprint Grandstand, Kansas State Fair

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

How much: Tickets $25, available at Fair box office, at kansasstatefair.com or by calling 800-362-3247.

This story was originally published September 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Foreigner still in the fray."