Rocks in the Head

AMG Review of Rocks in the Head

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Crucial to the creation of this album was Daltrey's meeting with guitarist/songwriter Gerard McMahon, since Rocks In The Head, which credits "Musical Direction and Production" to McMahon, also features him as primary backup musician and writer or co-writer of ten out of the 11 tracks. Daltrey himself is co-credited on seven, a new high for him, but it's hard not to feel that he is acting primarily as McMahon's mouthpiece. McMahon updates Daltrey for the '90s, constructing hard-edged tracks based on harsh electric or acoustic guitar textures, suggesting everyone from The Who to The Police. The result is an album that does nothing to diminish Daltrey's reputation.