My history with Head Games
If I’m being completely honest, Double Vision is my favourite Foreigner album. The debut also contains songs that mean an enormous amount to me. I still remember hearing “Feels Like the First Time” and thinking it had one of the most amazing choruses I had ever heard.
Then there is 4, the album that understandably attracts so much attention, although familiarity has made me a little tired of it.
Head Games was different. I loved the title track, and I still have my original seven-inch single. In fact, “Head Games” is my favourite Foreigner song, full stop.
For me, it is where Lou Gramm comes closest to that Paul Rodgers influence: the emotional weight you hear in Free and Bad Company. There is something in his voice, the chord sequence and the pace of the song that makes me believe every word.
As it moves into the third verse, you can feel that longing and the sense of two people on the verge of losing something precious. It captures something very human.
When I put it on, I will often play it three times in succession. Once simply isn’t enough.
But the rest of the album didn’t connect with me in quite the same way. “Dirty White Boy” felt a little close to “Hot Blooded”, while “Women” and “Rev on the Red Line” never persuaded me to explore the album as deeply as I might have done.
This set has changed that.
What is in the box?
The deluxe edition contains:
- CD 1: The 2026 stereo remix.
- CD 2: Outtakes, rough mixes and alternative versions.
- CD 3: The complete concert from Rochester Community War Memorial, New York, recorded on 27 October 1979.
- Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos and stereo mixes, with “Trouble” featuring Peter Frampton as a bonus track.
The collection is overseen by Jeff Pilson and Wyn Davis, with a booklet essay by Ken Sharp. The original stereo mix is not included, which collectors will want to know before buying. Rhino
The stereo remix: discovering the rock and roll underneath
The first CD completely changed my mind about this album.
“Dirty White Boy”, “Love on the Telephone” and “Women” sound more powerful to me than ever before. “I’ll Get Even with You” has real impact, while “Seventeen” emerges as a great rock song that I hadn’t properly connected with previously.
The drums and bass make an enormous difference. I hear Head Games now as a more stripped-back, less polished, more rock and roll record than I appreciated at the time.
“The Modern Day”, “Blinded by Science”, “Do What You Like” and “Rev on the Red Line” all benefit from that renewed sense of energy.
Interestingly, the title track took a little longer to settle with me. Because I know “Head Games” so well, the new mix initially threw me. When a song is deeply embedded in your memory, familiar details presented differently can catch you off guard.
Once I adjusted, I understood what they had done. It sounds great, and the Atmos version helped that connection happen even more quickly.
The extras: what will I return to?
Outtakes and early versions are always an interesting part of these sets, although I don’t necessarily return to every one equally.
An alternative vocal or guitar performance can give me a reason to keep listening. Some rough mixes and instrumental versions are more likely to be things I play a few times out of curiosity.
Two tracks here stand out as recordings I will revisit: “Trouble”, featuring Peter Frampton, and “Zalia”, which sounds fabulous.
“Trouble” comes from the original 1979 sessions, with Frampton’s guest guitar contribution newly added for this release. It is a worthwhile discovery and one of the attractions of the bonus material. rhino.com
The concert: Foreigner letting go
The live recording was my main reason for wanting this set, and it is absolutely brilliant.
This is a complete performance from one venue, giving it a different feel from the live material on the deluxe edition of 4, which brought together performances from various locations.
The sound settles down partway through the opening track, and then you are into a powerful, well-recorded concert. Foreigner sound raw, energetic and completely committed.
“Long, Long Way from Home” is a fantastic opener, followed by “Blue Morning, Blue Day” and “I’ll Get Even with You”. “Head Games” arrives as the fourth song, and Lou Gramm is on fire.
“I Need You”, “The Modern Day” and a hard-rocking “Women” keep the momentum moving. “Cold as Ice” is brilliant, and “Feels Like the First Time” is so strong that you could imagine it being an encore. Here, it arrives around the middle of the show.
Then comes “Dirty White Boy”, followed by one of the real highlights: “Starrider”.
This becomes almost a progressive rock exercise, with flute, keyboards and extended guitar passages. It reminds you of the scope of that first album and gives the musicians room to stretch out. It is so dynamic that they could have finished the set there.
Instead, they move into “Double Vision”, “Love on the Telephone” and “Headknocker”, before the encore of “Hot Blooded”.
What this concert brought home to me was the musicianship behind those beautifully crafted songs. I had thought of Foreigner mainly in terms of polished recordings and strong songwriting. Here, you hear how freely they could play once they stepped onto a stage.
Lou Gramm’s vocals are fantastic, but Mick Jones also deserves particular attention. I hadn’t fully appreciated in recent years just how good a guitarist he is. When the space opens up for him, he really goes for it.
Alongside them are Ian McDonald on guitars, keyboards and flute, Al Greenwood on keyboards and synthesizer, Dennis Elliott on drums and Rick Wills on bass.
An absolutely fantastic band, and this concert captures that beautifully.
Dolby Atmos: placing you inside the music
With a band such as Yes or Genesis, you can easily imagine the possibilities of an immersive mix. With Foreigner, I wondered what Atmos would bring to this particular rock and roll album.
The answer is a subtle, carefully judged presentation.
I didn’t hear effects moving around the speakers simply because they could. Instead, the mix gives you the feeling of being in amongst the music.
The title track was the moment it really clicked for me. Where the stereo remix had initially required a little adjustment, the Atmos version connected immediately.
As someone who loves Blu-ray audio, I found it a wonderful way to experience a song that already means so much to me. It is powerful without feeling overdone.
I will play the stereo remix CD a great deal, but the Blu-ray gives me another compelling reason to return.
The booklet and the people behind the record
The sleeve notes are another strength. The band’s involvement brings out the human side of making the album: the stories, the unexpected turns and the family responsibilities happening alongside the music.
Rick Wills’ recollections are particularly entertaining. These are the details that make a booklet worth sitting down with, rather than simply flicking through.
There is also an honest retrospective discussion of the cover artwork and the decisions surrounding it. I appreciated the willingness to look back critically at something that almost jeopardised what they were trying to achieve.
My verdict
I came to this set wanting the live concert. I have come away with a new appreciation of Head Games as an album.
The stereo remix brings out its rock and roll character, the Atmos mix gives the music room to surround you, and the booklet adds depth to the experience.
But that concert is the real revelation. It captures a band with superb songs, exceptional musicians and the confidence to stretch beyond the studio arrangements.
This is a box set I will keep playing. Highly recommended.
ORDER YOUR COPY OF HEAD GAMES DELUXE HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
