ALBUM OF THE WEEK #166 FOREIGNER - HEAD GAMES (1979)

Artist: Foreigner

Genre: Rock

Country Of Origin: British/American

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Head Games

Released: September 11, 1979

Producer: Roy Thomas Baker/Mick Jones/Ian McDonald

Best Single: Head Games

Best Album Cut: Rev On The Red Line

Hidden Gems: Love On The Telephone/I'll Get Even With You/Seventeen/Blinded By Science/Rev On The Red Line

Filler: The Modern Day/Do What You Like/Zalia (not on the original release)

Lyric Of The Week: "Women that you write songs about/Women that turn around and kick you out/Women you dream about all your life/Women that stab you in the back with a switchblade knife" - Women

I'm going back to the '70's. I've been spending a lot of time in the modern rock world, so let's go retro. This week it's Foreigner's third album. Head Games has always been a favorite of mine. I love the cover and I love all but two of the songs on the original album (see the section above marked filler to see the songs I don't like). Here's a bit of info about the album:

Foreigner's third album has been certified 5 x Platinum by the RIAA.

It reached number 5 on the U.S. and Canadian charts.

A total of 5 songs were released as singles, but only 3 of those charted in the U.S.

Dirty White Boy (#12), Head Games (#14) and Women (#41).

Love On The Telephone and I'll Get Even With You did not chart, which is why I consider these tracks hidden gems.

I included a bonus track from the 2002 reissue, Zalia, but it does nothing for me.

Track List (Singles Marked w/Asterisk)

1. Dirty White Boy

2. Love On The Telephone

3. Women

4. I'll Get Even With You

5. Seventeen

6. Head Games

7. The Modern Day

8. Blinded By Science

9. Do What You Like

10. Rev On The Red Line

11. Zalia (Bonus Track from 2002 re-issue)

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott on August 9, 2013 at 6:42am

Couple quick thoughts...

I remember the day this came out, and not because it was 9/11 but because of the buzz it had at the time. We were at the mall to buy it
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No ... Rediculous!!!
Modern Day is filler? Sorry boss, your wrong on that one...
Has a New Wave-ishness about it...

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Permalink Reply by Jon on August 9, 2013 at 7:18am

Yeah, Scott is right, for once. Modern Day is NOT filler.

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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on August 9, 2013 at 7:28am

Modern Day is not a good song to me.

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Permalink Reply by Jon on August 9, 2013 at 11:14am

Well, that's your opinion. And, as usual, it's wrong.

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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on August 9, 2013 at 11:39am

Yes, I know.

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Permalink Reply by Scott on August 9, 2013 at 5:36pm

Dirty White Boy holds up well! The Remix on Cant Slow Down is phenomenal, same for Head Games...

Now lets get to Modern Day! This, for me, was a great hidden treasure as evidenced by the fact that I posted it in my 16th edition of SHT (http://classic-rock-bottom.ning.com/forum/topics/scotts-hidden-trea...). Hows that for prophetic!

And I thought I had the remaster, but my version does not have the bonus track on it!!! What the ......!! Its not too terrible of a bonus track, more developed than some others I've heard, but not overly interesting beyond the initial listen.

Foreigner is a great band! Some of the best riffs can be heard from Mick Jones geetar work! A true master. What would have been cool is if Jon would've posted Unusual Heat to go along with this. But I guess you two are no longer talking?

Now go back and re-listen to Modern Day until you love it!

Oh ya.... Nice Post!!

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Permalink Reply by Jon on August 9, 2013 at 5:46pm

No we're not, plus I have something pretty special getting posted as I type this kind of in a way.

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Permalink Reply by Jon on August 10, 2013 at 10:24am

This is one of my favorite Foreigner albums, there's something about it that draws me into it's wonderfullness. Maybe it's because it's grittier than their two previous releases and basically everything else they put out. Hell, even the album cover is gritty. Dirty, with a dirty album title (if you think really HARD about it).

We saw them a few years ago at one of those free riverfront concerts. Didn't see anything, had to deaol with drunks walking over us as well as a guy that kept screaming during the whole set "DIRTY WHITE BOY!". Thankfully they finally played it towards the end of the set.

Now that I've listened to this fine album again, it appears that Rjhog is right. "The Modern Day" is not a good song.

Just kidding. He's wrong.

I have this remastered, but it doesn't have the bonus track which is a decent track. Nothing special, but decent.

One thing I have noticed is that this is a really flat sounding album. The production really isn't that good.