Head First
Uriah Heep
℗ 1983 Bronze Records BRNA 545
After rising from the ashes with 1982's impressive Abominog, Uriah Heep continued to pursue a similar combination of heavy metal firepower and AOR sleekness on Head First. This album lacks the consistently strong tunes and unified feel of its predecessor, but it still offers enough highlights to make it worth a listen. Head First does best when it concentrates on songs that evenly balance power chords and pop hooks: "The Other Side of Midnight" cleverly balances a boisterous pop-tinged melody built on a pulsating bass line with plenty of powerful guitar riffing while "Weekend Warriors" layers its shout-along chorus over a slick rock backing that fuses programmed synthesizer lines with high-flying guitar work and relentless double-time drumming from the ever-reliable Lee Kerslake. However, Head First occasionally loses the plot when it strays from this balancing act: "Love Is Blind" works too hard to ape AOR conventions and comes off sounding faceless as a result, while "Roll-Overture" is an ornate prog instrumental that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album due to its lack of hooks and guitar riffs. The album also runs into problems in the lyrical department due to its overt AOR-styled reliance on the travails of love as its main subject matter (see "Sweet Talk" and "Love Is Blind"). Despite these occasional shortcomings, Head First manages to work, thanks to its consistent high level of energy. Even at its poppiest, the album throbs with guitar-fuelled energy: for a good example look no further than the band's cover of Bryan Adams' "Lonely Nights," where the poppish quality of the melody is boosted into the hard rock stratosphere by a lengthy succession of guitar riffs and a relentless backbeat. In the end, Head First's adherence to AOR stylings may turn off some hard rock fans but there is enough energetic, well-crafted music here to please anyone who liked Abominog. — Donald A. Guarisco. |
- 1. The Other Side of Midnight [03:56]
- 2. Stay On Top [03:36]
- 3. Lonely Nights (B. Adams — J. Vallance) [04:05]
- 4. Sweet Talk [03:52]
- 5. Love Is Blind [03:37]
- 6. Roll-Overture [02:19]
- 7. Red Lights [02:58]
- 8. Rollin' the Rock [05:25]
- 9. Straight Through the Heart [03:46]
- 10. Weekend Warriors [03:49]
- 11. Playing for Time [04:27]
- 12. Searching [03:52]
- 13. The Wizard [live] [04:52]
Участие в альбоме:
- Mick Box: guitars, vocals
- Bob Daisley: bass
- Peter Goalby: lead vocals
- Lee Kerslake: drums, percussion, vocals
- John Sinclair: keyboards, synthesizer, guitars, vocals
Тексты:
The Other Side of Midnight
Late at night I've been knocking On your door Late tonight I'll be calling You can be sure I'll be waiting Standin' in the shadows once again Sneakin', creepin' Howling like a tom cat once again Oh, there'll be nowhere You can hide When I take you On the other side of midnight You know I don't love you But I love what you can do Some more of that hot persuasion This town is just like you Oh, there'll be nowhere You can hide When I take you On the other side of midnight I'll be knockin' The other side of midnight I'll be callin' The other side of midnight Knock, knockin' The other side of midnight I'm gonna take you I'm gonna take you At midnight, at midnight Late at night I'll be knock knock knockin' On your door I said late tonight I'll be callin' You can be sure I'm gonna take you Oh, it's gonna hurt so good I'm gonna make you do What a bad girl should Oh, there'll be nowhere to hide When I take you On the other side of midnight The other side of midnight I'll be knockin' The other side of midnight I'll be callin' The other side of midnight On the other side I'll be waitin', I'll be callin' The other side of midnight I'll be knock knock Knockin' at midnight
Stay On Top
STAY ON TOP Everybody got somebody Trying to make you feel real bad Aint' none of your business Talking but half too bad Be strong of yourself Stand up - walk away Nobody gives a damn for a Single thing you say I'm singing Stay on top - never go under Lightning strikes Boy, you hear the thunder Stay on top - never go under Hold on tight Here comes the thunder Hide money in your pocket Be nobody's fool Always think of number one That's my golden rule Take care of business Go for a win at the best Be strong enough to take it Ain't no need to beg I'm singing Stay on top - never go under Lightning strikes Boy, you hear the thunder Stay on top - never go under Hold on tight Watch out for the thunder Bad times make it right But the good times get too high I can't stand it I can't stand it no more Somebody, everybody Trying to make you feel real bad Aint' nobody's business Talking but half too bad Be strong of yourself Stand up - walk away Nobody's gonna listen To a single word you say Stay on top - never go under Lightning strikes Boy, you hear the thunder Stay on top - never go under Hold on tight Look out for the thunder Stay on top You've got to stay on top Stand up and sing it Stay on top Take care of business Stay on top
Lonely Nights
(B. Adams — J. Vallance)
Will you risk your reputation I don't know You just don't know What you're saying Anymore You know beggars Can't be choosers And it's bad We may win, we may be loosers I don't care, no no no Oh baby, I just can't stand Another lonely night So come on over and save me Save me from another lonely night I hear every word you're saying They're all lies But with every breath you're taking You're thinking of Ways to say goodnight Baby, I just can't stand Another lonely night So come on over and save me Save me from another lonely night Come on over Come and save me
Sweet Talk
I see your face in The magazine stand I wanna hold you in the palm Of my hands I love everything about you You're such a long way away Your sweet talk Ain't enough for me I may be deaf, but you're Too blind to see You're gonna break my bones With your feminine tongues But I don't wanna hear Your sweet talk tonight Not again tonight When I call tonight Don't wanna hear your Sweet talk tonight I hear your voice on the radio It's got so bad I don't know Which way to go Why don't you wake up girl You're such a long way away Your sweet talk ain't enough You see I need a woman 'Cause you're a woman to me You're gonna break my bones With those feminine tongues But I don't wanna hear Oh, I don't wanna hear it Not tonight You're gonna break my bones With your feminine tongues But I don't wanna hear None of that sweet talk tonight Oh, not again tonight When I call tonight Sweet talk tonight Not again tonight When I call tonight Don't wanna hear your sweet talk
Love Is Blind
LOVE IS BLIND I tried to give you love That was ever flowing I tried to give you love That could be so true But you wanted less Than I had to offer What was I to do I tried to ???? I tried to promise dreams That I would make come true But you said that love was A game for children Here I stand, a fool Love is blind Blinded by love You're all I can see in my eyes My mind says, stop But my heart says, go And oh, how it hurts to find It still went to say that Love is blind Love is blind I tell myself if there Was a chance to show you Just how a good love If there could be But love was that You had never given I just couldn't see I close my eyes to all that You never gave me My heart didn't wanna see How you played around And how well you showed How wounded love can be Love is blind Blinded by love You're all I can see in my eyes My mind says, stop But my heart says, go Oh, how it hurts to find It still went to say that Love is blind Love is blind So blind
Red Lights
RED LIGHTS Red lights - on the highway Headlights - blinding my eye Red lights - keep me ready White lights - drive me insane Red lights - in the city Streetlights - hide in the night Sunshine - I'm looking for someone Red lights - young blood's alright I can't keep away No no no no way Red lights - she knows what I'm here for Headlights - look me in the eye Red lights - are you looking for danger White lights - drives me insane I can't keep away No no no, not for one day Red lights - no question Streetlights - uses her Red lights - body desire White lights - ??? Red lights- in the city Streetlights - shadow the night Sunshine - if you need some one Headlights - that young blood's alright I can't keep away Not today She brings me to my knees I can't keep away I want to burn Red lights - Oh, I want you Red lights - I need it Red lights - you get too heavy Red lights
Rollin' the Rock
Feels so cold, so alone An empty stage, no one home Feels so strange, susky No point in screaming I won't be heard You're so cold, you're so cool It's so dark in this tomb Time has come so soon And time takes no prisoners Except in the womb There's no way out, no escape This silence is deafening I have to cry out You're so cold, you're so cool It's so dark in this tomb Roll away the rock Roll the rock away Set me free from this grief Am I forgiven, can I be saved? You've been so cold for so long This silence is deafening Was I so wrong? You're so cold, you're so cool It's so dark in this tomb Roll away the rock Take that rock and roll it Roll away the rock You gotta roll the rock away This silence is deafening
Straight Through the Heart
You came on like an angel I didn't see the evil in your eyes I could see but I was blinded Oh, believed your lies You hit we with your promises You shot me, I fell to the ground You're coming's on tomorrow When I looked, you were Nowhere to be found You set me up right from the start Strip me of my dignity You got me straight Through the heart I never did stand a chance You got me straight Through the heart You cut me and left me for dead You promised me a heaven Turned out to be but hell all the time The truth that you're pretending Was just a chorus of lies You set me up right from the start Strip me of my dignity And got me straight Through the heart I never did stand a chance Got me straight through the heart You cut me and left me for dead You cut me and left me for dead You came on like an angel Just like an angel You set me up You got me straight Through the heart I never did stand a chance Got me straight through the heart You cut me, you left me Straight through the heart You never gave me a chance Got me straight throught the heart I'm bleeding, you're leaving Got me straight through the heart
Weekend Warriors
Ten thousand stallions runnin' wild They dare to race the devil's charm The race is on, all thunderburn They shed a weep of broken times Wheels turnin', wheels burnin' See the eagles fly Weekend warriors ... Like shining night Of days gone by They're born again They'll never die Wheels turnin', wheels burnin' See the angels fly Weekend warriors… Like silver lighting from the sky These storm could horses thunderburn Weekend warriors…