Search - Foreigner :: Head Games (Mlps)

Foreigner Get Tougher

Alan Caylow | USA | 05/10/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With their third album, 1979's "Head Games," and with new bassist Rick Wills onboard, Foreigner responded to their critics who claimed that the band's first pair of albums sounded too "polished" by getting tougher. "Head Games" is easily the most hard-edged, guitar-heavy album in the band's catalog, but, thankfully, the band didn't completely abandon their keyboards, or their knack for melody either. "Head Games" is a leaner, meaner-sounding Foreigner, but it's still Foreigner all the same, with ace guitarist Mick Jones & the powerful vocal chops of Lou Gramm leading the way. The rockin' hit title song is an all-time Foreigner classic, and the band also fire on all cylinders on tracks like "Dirty White Boy" (the other hit from the album), "Love On The Telephone," "Women," "Seventeen," and the killer finale, "Rev On The Red Line." Mick Jones' "The Modern Day" is excellent guitar-fueled pop-rock, and the CD bonus track, the previously-unreleased "Zalia," is a very lovely song, indeed, a true buried treasure. I happen to like Foreigner's so-called "polished" sound, as that's always been part of their appeal. But it was definitely the lack of studio shine that contributed to the disappointing sales---by Foreigner standards---of "Head Games" (not to mention the controversial album cover). But it still managed to go platinum, and it cleared the way for Foreigner to enter the 80's in a big, BIG fashion, with 1981's "4," their biggest album to date. "Head Games" may be a departure of sorts, but it's still a very strong Foreigner album. Pick it up and crank it up!"

Take that, Punks!

B. Huck | Sacramento, CA | 10/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, I'll back up everything said in Alan Caylow's review. Spot on.



And, I'll add that although "Head Games" is probably doomed to remain the least esteemed of Foreigner's first four albums, it has definitely emerged as my favorite. Not that I think it's the quintessential Foreigner album, or necessarily the "best" Foreigner album (by whatever standard you chose to measure by), but darned if it doesn't just ROCK. This is high-octane, stripped-down Foreigner, "aerodynamic and ready to roll."



In addition to a bit of a personnel change for their third album, it's very evident that the band picked up on the punk/new-wave/power-pop influences that were impossible to ignore in the 1978/1979 music world. The songs here are tight, focused, and for the most part, hard edged. Most of the songs on "Head Games" could have as easily been recorded by The Knack, The Beat, The Buzzcocks or The Undertones. The sound is much simpler than on "Foreigner" and "Double Vision", but it still retains a very identifiable Foreigner personality. The drums hit hard (listen closely to "Dirty White Boy" - the master is distorted on the major drumbeat), the guitars are crunchy, but not plodding, and there is still the added color of the keyboards, although they are clearly dominated by the guitars, with the exception of the title track and "Rev On The Redline". Lou Gramm has/had a great "rock voice", and he provided this album with another batch of flawless vocals.



The one soft spot on the album, in my opinion, is the song "Blinded By Science". It's not that I think it's a weak song - it builds a nice power as it progresses, and I never fail to get sucked into it - it just seems to be a distracting slowdown from the rest of the album. The song would fit better on "4", and in fact would be a great trade for "Night Life", which would have been right at home on "Head Games".



While perhaps not as "Classic" as the other three of Foreigner's initial quartet of albums, "Head Games" is straightforward rockin' fun, if a bit heavy-handedly "guy oriented" at times. Critics who dismiss Foreigner as not having enough rock credibility should give this album a listen, and not just the singles. They may be pleasantly surprised."

NO HEAD GAMES HERE

B. Huck | 11/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Foreigner album did not get as much play as some of the "rockers" that most are familiar with. But it is quite good and deserves consideration if you are a Foreigner fan. The two tunes that got a lot of air time off this album, Head Games and Dirty White Boy, do not overshadow other good Foreigner licks, such as Seventeen, The Modern Day, Blinded by Science and Rev on the Red Line. Lou Gramm's vocals are an added plus and give some weight to this album."