"Reaction to Action" is the third single taken from the album ''

Agent Provocateur An agent provocateur () is a person who commits, or who acts to entice another person to commit, an illegal or rash act or falsely implicate them in partaking in an illegal act, so as to ruin the reputation of, or entice legal action against, th ...

'' by the band Foreigner. It was written by

Lou Gramm Lou Gramm (born Louis Andrew Grammatico; 2 May 1950) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being the lead singer of the rock band Foreigner from 1977 to 1990 and 1992 to 2003 during which time the band had numerous successful albu ...

and Mick Jones.

Single release

Foreigner bassist

Rick Wills Richard William Wills (born 5 December 1947) is an English bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Peter Frampton, Spooky Tooth, David Gilmour, Bad Company and The J ...

thought that "Reaction to Action" should have been the 2nd single from ''Agent Provocateur'' following up on "

I Want to Know What Love Is "I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the lead single from their fifth album, ''Agent Provocateur''. The song hit number one in both the United Kingdom ...

" rather than " That Was Yesterday." The song was remixed for the single release. The B-side, "She's Too Tough", a rockin' Elvis Presley-type song, is also featured on the European single release of " Growing Up the Hard Way".

Reception

'' Cash Box'' said of the single that it "sounds like a winner for CHR and AOR," saying that "this hard-edged latest single amply displays Foreigner’s remarkable musical range and variety." '' Billboard'' said that after the band had released two ballads from ''Agent Provocateur'' ("

" and " That Was Yesterday"), Foreigner "now reclaims its alternate identity as ultimate headbangers." ''Courier-Journal'' staff writer Michael Quinlan called it a "tough-minded, energetic" song that he thought should have been released as the first single from ''Agent Provocateur'' over "I Want to Know What Love Is." ''Gazette'' writer Chris Rubich called it a "typical heavy-metal anthem" with "heavy, choppy guitar chording" that serves as "counterpoint to ead singerGramm's insistence that his lover respond." ''Daily Record'' critic Jim Bohen described it as "grinding guitar rock." ''Pitssburgh Press'' critic Pete Bishop said that guitarist "Mick Jones's

power chord A power chord (also fifth chord) is a colloquial name for a chord in guitar music, especially electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly played on ...

s burst out into winning

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...

." ''Herald-News'' writer Sean Daly regarded "Reaction to Action" as one of the "more forceful recordings" on ''Agent Provocateur''. Music critic Alan Schmidt regarded "Reaction to Action" the best of the "heavy tunes" on the album. ''Kingsport Times-News'' critic Tom Matthews similarly called it "the strongest – and maybe the strangest – of the band's hard edge," calling it "loud, urgent-sounding, thudding rock that cries out for volume." ''Morning Call'' critic Bob Sharpe said that "Reaction to Action" has "more in common with Billy Squier's ' Emotion in Motion' than just its title. Knight-Ridder critic Ken Tucker similar said that it's "a loud, urgent squawk that beats posers like Billy Squier at their own game." ''The Chilliwack Progress'' critic Matt Rogalsky felt

John Cougar Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

was a heavy influence, with the song's "choppy guitar lines and scratchy vocals." Rogalsky said that "This is rock built to sell." Knight-Ridder critic Rick Shefchik felt that it "sounds like the kind of hard rock they play in

Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...

countries where

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

's first album just hit the stores.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

critic Bret Adams later called the song "the epitome of bland, formulaic AOR." Gramm considered "Reaction to Action" his favorite song from ''Agent Provocateur''.

Chart performance

"Reaction to Action" reached #54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also reached #44 on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

References

{{Foreigner 1985 singles Foreigner (band) songs Songs written by Mick Jones (Foreigner) Songs written by Lou Gramm Atlantic Records singles 1984 songs Song recordings produced by Alex Sadkin Song recordings produced by Mick Jones (Foreigner)