Thoughts on an Overlooked Album
3
By funoka
I agree with the iTunes reviewer here. I bought Headin' Home as a teenager when it came out based on my love of Dreamweaver, but soon moved on. This is a very well done record, but when released in 1979, it was behind the times in many ways. The Cars, The Knack, and younger bands were on the rise and I think the lyrics and sound on this are still stuck in the mid-70s. This is also the period where Springsteen released Darkness on the Edge of Town and The Clash put out London Calling, so Headin' Home comes off as a little lightweight compared to what else I was buying at the time. I will say this record is much better than "The Light of Smiles" the Dreamweaver follow-up record that also pretty much tanked. Dreamweaver is a remarkable record that retained some of the edge of his initial solo work and Spooky Tooth years, but was shimmery enough for Top 40 radio. It's almost like Gary turned into too nice of a guy after Dreamweaver.
