You have to take your hat off to Foreigner. Even as the group currently tours the world without original members, their history is celebrated in such a way so that it really comes down to the songs that define Foreigner more than its members. Fair enough. Of course, it’s still Mick Jones’ band because he calls the shots — even without being there. Original members like singer Lou Gramm and keyboardist Al Greenwood occasionally sit in with the touring lineup. Touring members are astutely involved with preserving the band’s legacy, going so far as to remix original albums, as was the case with Foreigner 4 in 2025 and Head Games, Foreigner’s third studio album released in 1979, for 2026.
Nearly three years before its 50th anniversary (oftentimes, these kinds of sets are a year or two behind), Head Games (Super Deluxe Edition) certainly hits the mark, largely because of Jeff Pilson, Foreigner’s bassist for over 20 years. Pilson, whose lengthy list of credits as a producer as well as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter are impressive, was behind the production, remastering, and remixing of the 2025 reissue of Foreigner 4. Applying the same magic to Head Games, listeners are in for a sonic feast, including an Atmos mix that folds down neatly into 5.1, featuring some of the band’s most beloved songs. Throw in a few rarities, outtakes, and a live disc, and you’re immediately swept up by the wave of one Foreigner’s biggest records.
Though the band’s 21st personnel has experienced mild turnover, Head Games was the first Foreigner album with a new member — bassist Rick Wills, replacing original bassist Ed Gagliardi. It also served as the final album for Greenwood and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald. Subsequent releases with a streamlined lineup typically configured for heavier bands like Zeppelin and Sabbath hardly dimmed the spotlight. Even so, much of Foreigner’s musical muscle, especially with regards to McDonald’s horn work, was clearly sidelined for efficiency. Today’s expanded lineup is essential to making it sound as full as it did in those early days.
For many, Head Games remains the pinnacle for the best of Foreigner. The Super Deluxe Edition does a lot to uphold that position. In addition to new mixes of the album’s 10 tracks, there’s a surprising twist on an unreleased number called “Trouble” to begin the second disc. None other than Peter Frampton played guitar to complete the unfinished song. He nails most of the parts as well delivers a signature solo to bring the song to an epic close. The previously released “Zalia,” a ballad written by Gramm and McDonald that didn’t make the cut for Head Games, is another one for the books. When you add the never-released, under-developed, yet loaded-with-potential “I Want You II (Take 35)” with Greenwood’s rollicking piano out in front, it’s like finding buried treasure.
After blasting through various takes of Head Games numbers like “Rev On The Red Line” and “Blinded By Science,” it’s time for a test drive on the road. The live disc, recorded on October 27, 1979 at the Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, New York, captures a band with a few hits under their belt and a third album to promote. Back in those days, it was important to maintain a balance between old and new, so after “Long, Long Way From Home” from the 1977 self-titled debut and “Blue Morning, Blue Day” from the 1978 sophomore release, Double Vision, it was a given they’d introduce “I’ll Get Even With You” and “Head Games” from their latest.
Hearing these and other newer ones like “The Modern Day” and “Women” alongside “Cold As Ice” and “Feels Like The First Time” affirms the modus operandi of most groups of that time — all while streamlining the catalog for future lineups. Delivered fresh out of the oven makes these songs more vibrant and alive in the hands of a younger, evolving group. As if hearing Mick Jones and Lou Gramm singing “Starrider” together isn’t enough to remind any Foreigner fan where the real heart of the band started its beat.
Head Games (Super Deluxe Edition) is, in a nutshell, an accurate and jubilant document of Foreigner in 1979. Sweetening the sound, adding live material, outtakes, demos, and completing “Trouble” with Peter Frampton, who talks about the recording and his relationship with Mick Jones and Foreigner in the set’s extensive liner notes by Ken Sharp, neatly ties the whole package together. With the group’s actual 50th anniversary in 2027, who knows what to expect. A Super Deluxe Edition of the self-titled debut and its follow, 1978’s Double Vison, are likely candidates. And, of course, the current lineup of Foreigner is already committed to tour dates in the United States, Mexico, and Europe throughout 2027. No matter how you look at it, Foreigner has it pretty much covered for the foreseeable future.
~ Shawn Perry
Purchase Head Games (Super Deluxe Edition)
