Hit List Mobile D.J. Service - Retired

27/08/2025

ON THIS DATE (46 YEARS AGO)
August 26, 1979 – Foreigner: Head Games is released.
# ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 4/5
# Allmusic 3/5
# Rolling Stone (see original review below)

LISTEN/BUY
https://amzn.to/3HwBzcs

Head Games is the third studio album by Foreigner, released on August 26, 1979. It reached #5 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and features two Billboard Hot 100 singles - "Head Games ( #12), and "Dirty White Boy" ( #14).

Although Foreigner's third album, 1979's Head Games, didn't spawn the radio mega-hits that the band's two albums had (1977's self-titled debut and 1978's Double Vision), it still managed to keep the band's multi-platinum album string in tact. Foreigner managed to survive its first lineup change prior to the album's recording (bassist Ed Gagliardi was replaced by Rick Wills), and churned out another spirited set of arena rock. Foreigner plays its full throated, rich brand of hard rock again on its third album, which may wind up being the most successful of the lot. The band has all the commercial riffs down pat, but this time around there seems to be more excitement and a sense of energy, missing from much of Foreigner's previous work. This revved up style, probably due to Roy Thomas Baker's contribution, enables Foreigner to make the switch to the more basic styles demanded by today's audiences while retaining its traditional choral dynamics. This LP could have been overblown and pretentious to no end, and it is to the band's credit that it isn't.

Head Games is perhaps as famous (or infamous) for its album cover, depicting a worried young woman (portrayed by actress Lisanne Falk) in a men's urinal, as it is for its music.
__________

ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEW
On Head Games, Foreigner tries hard to forget they're a phenomenon -- a self-contained economy with their own Gross Platinum Product -- and gets down to the unfinished business of being a rock & roll band.

Admittedly, they could have tried harder. "Head Games" sounds too familiar -- e.g., the swirling synthesizers, Gothic keyboards and multitracked guitar parts from Foreigner's "Cold As Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home" -- to be much more than AM-radio insurance. "Blinded by Science," on the other hand, suffers from an overdose of ecological sincerity compounded by tired rhythms and a conspicuous lack of hooks.

But hard as it is to root for a group that's amassed as much precious metal as this one (at last count, Foreigner and Double Vision had sold a total of 9 million copies), Head Games presents a very persuasive case that these guys can rock with spirit and conviction. Powered by guitarist-songwriter Mick Jones' jackhammer riffing and Dennis Elliott's ham-fisted drumming, "Dirty White Boy," "Seventeen" and the presumably tongue-in-cheek misogynous chant, "Women," are refreshingly free of the pomp-art, heavy-metal flourishes that made the band its fortune. Punchy organ fills, spare vocal harmonies and fast, guerilla guitar breaks challenge but rarely upstage the cock's crowing of lead singer Lou Gramm.

After reaffirming their roots with a passing nod at the New Wave forces yapping at their heels, Foreigner trots out the English art-rock trappings that have always worked for them in the past. But the difference between Double Vision or Foreigner and the new LP's "Love on the Telephone," "Rev on the Red Line" or even the surprisingly poppish "Do What You Like" is an urgency that transcends the group's reliance on the tried-and-true. "Love on the Telephone" may bear more than a distant resemblance to "Cold as Ice" in Al Greenwood's rhythmic and melodic deployment of synthesizers against the tune's guitar-piano axis, yet its crisp and immediate "live" sound (the contribution of coproducer and sonic architect Roy Thomas Baker) is a real attraction.

There are still some chinks to be hammered out in Foreigner's armor. Jones' boyish tenor in "The Modern Day" is no match for Gramm's throaty howl, and the cliched macho stance of songs like "I'll Get Even with You" and "Seventeen" intimate an underdeveloped lyrical imagination. But Head Games is Foreigner's best album because they're finally willing to admit there can be a distinction between making hit records and making good rock & roll, platinum be damned.
~ David Fricke (November 29, 1979)

TRACKS:
Side one
"Dirty White Boy" (Jones, Gramm) – 3:37
"Love on the Telephone" (Jones, Gramm) – 3:18
"Women" (Jones) – 3:25
"I'll Get Even with You" (Jones) – 3:40
"Seventeen" (Jones, Gramm) – 4:43

Side two
"Head Games" (Gramm, Jones) – 3:37
"The Modern Day" (Jones) – 3:26
"Blinded by Science" (Jones) – 4:54
"Do What You Like" (McDonald, Gramm) – 3:58
"Rev on the Red Line" (Greenwood, Gramm) – 3:35

08/06/2025

08/06/2025

47 years ago…The Cars released their debut album.

ON THIS DATE (47 YEARS AGO)
June 6, 1978 – The Cars: The Cars is released.
# ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 5/5 (MUST-HAVE!)
# Allmusic 5/5 stars
# Rolling Stone (see original review below)

LISTEN/BUY
https://amzn.to/3HspjZZ

The Cars is the eponymous debut album by The Cars, released on June 6, 1978. It reached #18 on the Billboard 200 Top LP's chart, and was ranked #4 on Billboard's "Top Albums of the Year" chart for 1979. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album #279 in its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

"This time we were seriously out to make a record"
~ Ric Ocasek

One of the things this debut is known for is that it was recorded in only 12 days in London. Queen's former producer, Roy Thomas Baker, produced this album and would go on to produce The Cars' next three albums as well.

The first single, "Just What I Needed" was well-received by listeners before it was even released. As a demo tape recorded in Ric Ocasek's basement, it became a popular request on Boston radio stations which is what first got the Cars' noticed. It also led to the release of two more singles once the album was released. The next single "My Best Friend's Girl" (b/w "Moving In Stereo"), is also known for it's early demo version. This song was performed during The Cars' appearance on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" was shown on a first-season episode of VH-1's "8-Track Flashback" which featured new wave bands including the Police and the Pretenders. The final single was "Good Times Roll" which tells more than just what's sung on the surface, like reliving times of your life, both good and bad. Another notable song wasn't a single, but became popular as it was one the Cars always played in concert. "You're All I've Got Tonight" was the last song they sang at every show. Not because it was a powerful song with an air with the desperation that should have been love, but the Cars also used the lyrics to justify their accomplishments. It was their way of letting their audiences know that even with all their fame, they always tried to remain humble.

Becoming more and more recognized, The Cars became the subject of several critics' reviews. But since critics were always quick to place things in certain categories, they didn't know what to do when The Cars came along. Their image included wearing black, while, and red outfits (suggested by David Robinson), and the introduction of the trendy "skinny ties" which became more popular as the 80's went on. They never considered themselves to be trendsetters, but it happened anyway. This didn't even go over well with their own art department who ruined David's album cover concept. The black-and-white inside sleeve was supposed to be the front of the album cover instead of some woman behind a steering wheel. A color photo of The Cars was used as the back cover, but it was dark and seemed to try to hide them from view. Even though The Cars usually restricted pictures of themselves to back covers and inside sleeves, later photos were brighter and more flattering.

As with all new groups, The Cars began touring as opening acts for already famous groups. Because of their limited funds, David began designing stage sets made from discarded signs and other junk from automobile dealerships.

He even designed their original logo. On stage, The Cars acted as serious as they looked by simply standing and playing their music and usually remaining in shadows. They never went in for all that ridiculous jumping around that is typical of most rock groups in concert. This annoyed critics, but The Cars were never ones to give into the media. As Ric Ocasek once stated, "The thing that throws people is that we don't do the moves and we don't prod the audience like other bands. We are not show business characters. We're totally capable of playing our instruments and material but, on the other hand, we don't want to be pretentious; so you get this feeling that the Cars are cold. What it really is is that the Cars don't want to teach the audience anything. We don't want to teach them how to react. We want to set up a mood on the set and, basically allow people to field it as they want without getting some fake show."
__________

ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEW

The first sound you hear on "Just What I Needed," the single from the Cars' debut album, is the repeated thump of bass notes against the short, metallic slash of guitar. It's a magnificent noise: loud, elemental and relentless. But the Cars -- the best band to come out of Boston since J. Geils -- aren't interested in simply travelling the interstates of rock & roll. They'll go there for the rush, but they prefer the stop-and-go quirks of two lanes. Before "Just What I Needed" is over, guitarist Elliot Easton has burned rubber making a U-turn with his solo, and Greg Hawkes' synthesizer has double-clutched the melody. Leader Ric Ocasek once sang that he lived on "emotion and comic relief," and it's in this tension of opposites that he and his group find relief (comic or otherwise) between the desire for frontal assault and the preference for oblique strategies. This is the organizing principle behind not only the single but the entire LP, which is almost evenly divided between pop songs and pretentious attempts at art.

The pop songs are wonderful. (Besides "Just What I Needed," they include "My Best Friend's Girl" and "You're All I've Got Tonight.") Easy and eccentric at the same time, all are potential hits. The melodies whoosh out as if on casters, custom-built for the interlocked but constantly shifting blocks of rhythm, while Ocasek's lyrics explode in telegraphic bursts of images and attacks ("You always knew to wear it well/You look so fancy I can tell"). Neither Ocasek nor bassist Ben Orr have striking voices, but by playing off the former's distant, near-mechanical phrasing against the latter's sweet-and-low delivery, the band achieves real emotional flexibility.

As long as the Cars' avant-garde instincts are servicing their rock & roll impulses, the songs bristle and -- in their harsher, more angular moments ("Bye Bye Love," "Don't Cha Stop") -- bray. The album comes apart only when it becomes arty and falls prey to producer Roy Thomas Baker's lacquered sound and the group's own penchant for electronic effects. "I'm in Touch with Your World" and "Moving in Stereo" are the kind of songs that certify psychedelia's bad name. But these are the mistakes of a band that wants it both ways -- and who can blame rock & rollers for that?
~ Kit Rachlis (September 21, 1978)

TRACKS:
All songs written and composed by Ric Ocasek, except where noted.
Side one
1 Good Times Roll - 3:44
2 My Best Friend's Girl - 3:44
3 Just What I Needed - 3:44
4 I'm in Touch with Your World - 3:31
5 Don't Cha Stop - 3:01

Side two
1 You're All I've Got Tonight - 4:13
2 Bye Bye Love - 4:14
3 Moving in Stereo (Greg Hawkes, Ocasek) - 4:41
4 All Mixed Up - 4:14

08/05/2025

43 YEARS AGO, WOW. I bought this album when it was first released. Killer jams…

ON THIS DATE (43 YEARS AGO)
May 4, 1982 - 38 Special: Special Forces is released.
# ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 4.5/5
# allmusic 4.5/5

LISTEN/BUY
https://amzn.to/4lZrlAv

Special Forces is the fifth studio album by southern rock band 38 Special, released on May 4, 1982. It reached #10 on the Billboard 200 Top LPs chart, bolstered by four charting singles, three of them were co-written with Survivor's Jim Peterik - "Caught Up in You" (Billboard Hot 100 #10, Mainstream Rock Tracks #1), "Chain Lightnin'" (Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #9), "Back on the Track" (Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #56), and "You Keep Runnin' Away" (Billboard Hot 100 #38, Mainstream Rock Tracks #7).
__________

BILLBOARD, May 15, 1982 - TOP ALBUMS PICKS

38 SPECIAL -Special Forces, A&M SP-4888. Produced by Rodney Mills. While there's still grit and git-down to their raunchier guitar raveups, this Southern sextet sounds determined to reach beyond the ranks of the boogie loyalists that have made them a solid concert attraction. The latter will still gravitate to the band's raucous side, represented here by tracks like "Breakin' Loose," but the added pop polish heard in alternatives like "You Keep Runnin' Away" or the first single, "Caught Up In You," argues mainstream pop potential.
__________

REVIEW
Mike DeGagne, allmusic

Released in 1982, Special Forces contains .38 Special's best song in "Caught Up in You," a hook-filled, smoothly sung radio rock gem that gets its energy from the grace and power of its chorus. But the hooks and the well-proportioned rhythms don't stop there. "You Keep Runnin' Away" gave the album its second charted single, which peaked at number 38, and the borderline boogie rock dash of "Rough Housin'" is among Special Forces' best cuts. Even secondary efforts like "Chain Lightnin'" and "Breakin' Loose" fit in comfortably with the rest of the tracks, offering up a hearty dose of the group's early Southern rock taste. Wisely, .38 Special kept the musical recipe similar to its last couple of releases, with the only striking difference coming from an even greater ability to design a memorable and punchy lead single. Because Special Forces administers a solid mix of Top 40 polish and pure guitar rock, .38 Special gained a much larger fan base upon its release.

TRACKS:
Side one
"Caught Up in You" (Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik) - 4:37
"Back Door Stranger" (Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) - 4:38
"Back on the Track" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:45
"Chain Lightnin'" (Barnes, Peterik, Van Zant) - 5:01

Side two
"Rough-Housin'" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:08
"You Keep Runnin' Away" (Barnes, Carlisi, Peterik) - 3:56
"Breakin' Loose" (Carlisi, Jack Grondin, Steele, Van Zant) - 3:32
"Take 'Em Out" (Barnes, Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:07
"Firestarter" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 5:01

31/10/2024

On this day in 1977, Queen released the LP “News of the World” (October 28)

The album’s songs are notable for their eclectic styles and genres: "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" are arena rock, "Who Needs You" features a Latin influence, "Sheer Heart Attack" is punk rock themed, "Sleeping on the Sidewalk" is based upon blues rock, "Get Down, Make Love" features funk overtones, and “My Melancholy Blues" has a blues/jazz feel.

The LP went to #1 in France and the Netherlands, #2 in Canada, #3 in the US, #4 in the UK and Norway, #7 in Germany, #8 in Australia, and #9 in Sweden and Austria.

The album's brilliant cover was a painting by American sci-fi artist Frank Kelly Freas.

Click on the link below to watch “We Are the Champions”:

https://youtu.be/04854XqcfCY

, , , , ,