•
Rating: Since their formation in 1969, the English band has always faced an uphill road. Their emergence in the wake of other realities such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple inevitably made them less known, despite deserving the same recognition as the aforementioned bands. Added to this was the tedium of critics who, from the very beginning, destroyed them, relegating them to the margins of the European and world rock scene. The masterpieces of the early years were not enough to convince the detractors. For this reason, the albums that came after 1972, after "The Magician's Birthday," had the even more complex task of saving face for a band that courageously continued its journey, also producing good quality works like "Wonderworld" and especially "Firefly."
The initial difficulties the band carried with them for a long time culminated in 1980 with the departure of the keyboardist and mastermind of the group Ken Hensley, followed by the departures of other band members: singer John Lawton and drummer Lee Kerslake bid farewell to the only remaining leader, that Mick Box who still stands today as the historical flag bearer of Uriah Heep. Thus, after the release of the barely sufficient "Abominog" in 1982, the five band members returned to the studio to give birth to the fifteenth chapter of their long musical life: a year after "Abominog," "Head First" was released, with the very challenging task of not making fans miss the early days of Uriah Heep and at the same time redeem the recent lackluster releases.
The album in question, however, confirms the hesitations of recent times: "Conquest" and "Abominog" did not excite, seen as good rock albums from a band that had churned out absolute masterpieces. On this path also lies "Head First," opened by the electric charge of the splendid "The Other Side of Midnight", followed by the effective pop/rock of "Stay on Top". Two songs that, along with the subsequent "Lonely Nights" (a Bryan Adams cover), provide a more than positive start to the platter. Right from the start, we find a cohesive band that still demonstrates their musical verve: Peter Goalby behind the microphone performs his role well (albeit inferior to singers like Byron or Lawton), Mick Box emphasizes his prowess with the six strings just as Kerslake's return behind the drums is felt (his departure only impacted the "Conquest" album, where he was replaced by Chris Slade).
After a positive, charged start that raises hope, Uriah Heep return to ensnare themselves with sufficient compositions of unoriginal rock, exactly what one would not expect from a band like them. "Sweet Talk", "Love is Blind", and "Red Lights" pass by without particular excitement. That air of superficiality already felt in some previous works resurfaces, which fortunately is partly swept away by "Rollin the Rock" and "Straight Through the Heart". This does not negate that the British band has suffered greatly from internal conflicts and constant lineup disruptions, and the result is an album that is certainly adequate, but adds nothing to the career of one of the most beautiful rock realities in history.
Their fate was written even before they were born, their story seemed to have already been told. Against the criticism, difficulties, and the weight of other bands, they pursued an absolutely enviable career. "Head First" is part of this story, although it is not one of the key events.
1. "The Other Side Of Midnight" (3:55)
2. "Stay On Top" (3:35)
3. "Lonely Nights" (4:07)
4. "Sweet Talk" (3:51)
5. "Love Is Blind" (3:38)
6. "Roll Overture" (2:18)
7. "Red Lights" (2:57)
8. "Rollin The Rock" (5:31)
9. "Straight Through The Heart" (3:39)
10. "Weekend Warriors" (3:50)
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 The Other Side of Midnight (03:58)
Late at night I'll be 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 time it's (? ) 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 make 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
02 Stay on Top (03:38)
Everybody got somebody
Trying to make you feel real bad
Aint' none of their business
Talking behind your back
Be strong in 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
Before 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 it with the best
Be strong enough to take it
Ain't no need to rest
I'm singing
Stay on top - never go under
Lightning strikes
Before you hear the thunder
Stay on top - never go under
Hold on tight
Watch out for the thunder
Bad times make you cry
But the good times get you 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 behind your back
Be strong in yourself
Stand up - walk away
Nobody's gonna listen
To a single word you say
Stay on top - never go under
Lightning strikes
Before 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
08 Rollin' the Rock (05:27)
Feels so cold, so alone
An empty stage, no one home
I feel so strange, so scared
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 grave
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
09 Straight Through the Heart (03:48)
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
Your promise of tomorrow
When I looked, you were
Nowhere to be found
You set me up right from the start
Stripped 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 one 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
10 Weekend Warriors (03:49)
Ten thousand stallions runnin' wild
They dare to race the devil's child
The race is on, hold tight the reins
They shared a week of broken chains
Wheels turnin', wheels burnin'
See the eagles fly
Weekend warriors ...
Like shining knights
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 gold-clad horses thunder by
Weekend warriors ...
Loading comments slowly
