The Babys - Head First

I recently picked up a few albums (three) by The Babys - I'm still looking for their debut, but honestly I'm not looking too hard. I have fond memories of the band and even though I can't remember much other than a couple of songs I still like them enough to want to hear their old stuff. Go figure.

Head First was released at the end of '78 and they'd enjoy some chart success in April of '79 when "Every Time I Think of You" came close to cracking the top 10. It would be the band's most successful single ... but not their best song.

It's funny listening now, as I probably enjoy it more now than I did in the early '80s when I bought this one along with On the Edge. I know that "Every Time I Think of You" was the big hit, and it's a decent enough song, but for me it was the title track that floated my boat. It was a gritty, crunchy rock song with a great riff courtesy of Mr. Wally Stocker and his tasty guitar work.

Not every song is a winner, although most of them manage to finish in medal contention. The lone exception is "White Lightning," a song that I suppose is about drug addiction ... or not. The song starts with the following:

When I was young
They took me to the dentist
I had a toothache
But that's okay

From there it sort of meanders and is hard to follow. Sort of like this post. The band drops a "Lucy in the Sky" reference, and perhaps a warning about dentists and laughing gas. I'm not sure ... and I don't really care.

Head First works best when the core band of John Waite on bass and vocals, Tony Brock on drums and Wally Stocker on guitar stick to rock and roll. The opening track "Love Don't Prove I'm Right" is really good, as well as the slow burn of "Please Don't Leave Me Here" that was co-written by former keyboard player Michael Corby who also plays keyboards on several cuts on the record. I'm not omitting "Head First," I just don't feel like mentioning it again.

It's a decent record with a couple of highlights that have stood the test of time.

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