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Head Games (album)

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Head Games
A woman nearly sits on a urinal with her right hand holding toilet paper.
Studio album by
Foreigner
ReleasedSeptember 11, 1979
RecordedJune – July 1979
Studio
GenreHard rock
Length38:12
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Foreigner chronology
Double Vision
(1978) 		Head Games
(1979) 		4
(1981)
Singles from Head Games
  1. "Dirty White Boy"
    Released: August 1979
  2. "Head Games"
    Released: November 1979[1]
  3. "Women"
    Released: February 1980
  4. "Love on the Telephone"
    Released: February 1980 (NL)
  5. "I'll Get Even with You"
    Released: September 1980 (UK)[2]

Head Games is the third studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 11 September 1979 by Atlantic Records.[3] Recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York, with additional recording and whole mixing taking place at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, it was the only Foreigner album co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker, best known for working on Queen's classic albums. It marked the first appearance of new bass guitarist Rick Wills (formerly of Jokers Wild, Roxy Music and Small Faces) who replaced Ed Gagliardi (who was fired from the band), and was the last album with founding members Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood, who would leave the band after the recording. Head Games is also the last Foreigner album to feature a lead vocal by guitarist Mick Jones ("The Modern Day").

Cover art

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The model in the photograph on the front cover is American actress and film producer Lisanne Falk. The cover art was criticized by feminists for showing a teenage girl looking afraid in a boys' restroom,[4] possibly relieving herself by placing her bottom over the bowl of the urinal. According to Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm, the cover was intended to be cute, like a cartoon.[4] Gramm said "The girl is being naughty, erasing graffiti [in the restroom]. She's looking at whoever buys the album, she's been caught."[4] According to Miami Herald critic Bill Ashton, the cover art is a play on the album title Head Games.[4] Atlantic Records publicity director Stuart Ginsburg pointed out that "head is a naval term for bathroom" and Foreigner's media coordinator Susan Steinberg stated that "the girl on the cover is shocked by the graffiti. It's not like somebody is attacking her. I swear to you, it's not premeditated."[5]

Release

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In August 1979, the release of the album was preceded by its first single, the hard rock song "Dirty White Boy", which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[6] The album itself continued Foreigner's popularity, climbing to number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart[7] and receiving a Platinum certification four months after it hit the stores. As of 2017, Head Games has gained a 5× Platinum status for selling at least 5 million copies in the United States.[8] The next singles were the title track and "Women", which reached number 14 and 41, respectively.[6]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Christgau's Record GuideC[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[12]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide[13]

The New York Times wrote that "the group settles comfortably into the hard-driving, macho-posturing idiom so common to many other teen heavy metal bands."[14] The Democrat and Chronicle determined that Head Games "is strongest when it rocks hard and nasty."[15] The Richmond Times-Dispatch concluded that the album "serves mainly to remind us that commercially hot rock bands are loathe to change what got them hot in the first place."[16] The San Bernardino County Sun opined that "Foreigner has maintained a quality control, and Head Games is the band's third impressive album in a row."[17]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated three of the songs from Head Games – "Dirty White Boy", "Rev on the Red Line" and "I'll Get Even with You" – among Foreigner's 10 most underrated songs.[18] Rivadavia praises Jones' "sizzling" guitar solo on "Rev on the Red Line", calling it one of the band's best b-sides.[18] Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated two songs from Head Games as being among Foreigner's 10 most underrated – "Rev on the Red Line" at #10 and "Dirty White Boy" at #3.[19] Dome particularly praised the "sublime melody", Lou Gramm's vocal performance and the way all the musicians "show their skills, without ever showing off" on "Rev on the Red Line".[19] One the other hand, PopMatters critic Evan Sawdey called "Rev on the Red Line" "paint-by-numbers rock".[20] Billboard reviewer Gary Graff rated "Seventeen" to be Foreigner's ninth greatest song, calling it a "hidden gem".[21]

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dirty White Boy"Mick Jones, Lou Gramm3:38
2."Love on the Telephone"Jones, Gramm3:18
3."Women"Jones3:24
4."I'll Get Even with You"Jones3:40
5."Seventeen"Jones, Gramm4:36
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Head Games"Gramm, Jones3:37
7."The Modern Day"Jones3:26
8."Blinded by Science"Jones4:55
9."Do What You Like"Ian McDonald, Gramm3:59
10."Rev on the Red Line"Al Greenwood, Gramm3:35
Total length:38:12
2002 Rhino Records remastered edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Zalia"McDonald, Gramm2:34
Total length:40:50

Personnel

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Foreigner

Production

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  • Mick Jones – producer
  • Ian McDonald – producer
  • Roy Thomas Baker – producer
  • Geoff Workman – engineer
  • John Weaver – assistant engineer
  • George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
  • Ted Jensen – 1995 digital remastering at Sterling Sound (New York)
  • Dan Hersch – 2002 digital remastering
  • Shawn R. Britton – 2013 MFSL mastering at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (Sebastopol, California)
  • Sandi Young – art direction
  • Chris Callis – front cover photo
  • David Alexander – back cover photo
  • William Coupon – booklet photos

Charts

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Chart (1979–1980) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[22] 45
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[23] 5
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] 39
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[25] 34
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] 38
US Billboard 200[27] 5
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[28] 18

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[29] Platinum 100,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[30] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[8] 5× Platinum 5,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Foreigner singles".
  2. ^ "The Great Rock Discography". p. 301.
  3. ^ "Head Games".
  4. ^ a b c d Ashton, Bill (December 14, 1979). "Foreigner At Home On Charts". Miami Herald. p. 9E. Retrieved 2022-06-18 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Cover of Album Irks Feminists". Hartford Courant. November 18, 1979. p. 2A. Retrieved 2022-06-18 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "Foreigner – Chart history". Billboard Hot 100 for Foreigner. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Foreigner Chart History: The Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "American album certifications – Foreigner – Head Games". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  9. ^ Hinds, Andy. Foreigner: "Head Games" > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  12. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 267.
  13. ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Foreigner". (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide (Completely Revised and Updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 307. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  14. ^ Rockwell, John (28 Sep 1979). "The Pop Life: Two disks with an appeal for teen-agers". The New York Times. p. C24.
  15. ^ Garner, Jack (19 Sep 1979). "Foreigner has winning formula". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 6C.
  16. ^ "Old Reliables". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 19 Sep 1979. p. E15.
  17. ^ Lundahl, Mark (23 Sep 1979). "On the Record". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. C3.
  18. ^ a b Rivadavia, Eduardo (May 2, 2013). "Top 10 Underrated Foreigner Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  19. ^ a b Dome, Malcolm. "The Top 10 Most Underrated Foreigner Songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  20. ^ Sawday, Evan (November 26, 2014). "Foreigner: The Complete Atlantic Studio Albums 1977-1991". PopMatters. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  21. ^ Graff, Gary (October 11, 2017). "Foreigner's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  22. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 116. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7866a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Foreigner – Head Games" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  25. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  26. ^ "Charts.nz – Foreigner – Head Games". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  27. ^ "Foreigner Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 44. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  29. ^ "A Canadian WEA "platinum" record award presented to Ian McDonald to commemorate the sale of over 100,000 copies of the Foreigner album, Head Games". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  30. ^ "A Warner-Pioneer Japan "gold" record award presented to Ian McDonald in 1980 for "the superlative" Foreigner album, Head Games". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
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