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This was Foreigner at the end of their run. The late seventies and most of the eighties were very successful for the band, who produced a series of hits. But by the time the nineties came along, lead singer Lou Gramm left, taking his distinctive voice with him. Such a change is generally a death knell for a band, and it was for Foreigner. New singer Johnny Edwards was talented, but unknown, and the public was not willing to give him a chance. Which isn't too day this was a terrible album.
Unusual Heat was their worst selling album to date, topping out at number 115 on the Billboard charts. This album had everything working against it, but the band did not just phone it in. They clearly set out to prove they could still rock. While this wasn't exactly a classic, it was not deserving of the bargain bin treatment it got, either. This was very much a Foreigner album, guitarist Mick Jones produced and co-wrote most of the album, and his fingerprints are apparent. Edwards' vocals are loud and proud, in the same style as Gramm's had been, with a similar effect. The songs are driven by strong vocal performances, with Dennis Eliott's crashing drums keeping the pace with Jones' Boston-esque guitars. Rick Wills kept the rhythm on bass. The sound of the album would have fit on any Foreigner album, barring the lead vocals. But even there, the sound of the voice changed, but the style with which it was used was clearly Foreigner.
The singles didn't fare very well, though "Lowdown and Dirty" got some Modern Rock airplay. But though songs like "Mountain of Love" may have eye-rolling lyrics, it had a great sound to it. "Flesh Wound" is a great hard rock song, equating love to a mortal injury. Again, on paper this looks ridiculous, but in the context of a heavy rock song, in the context of this band, it totally works.
The opener, "Only Heaven Knows" is actually a great pop/rock song. Perhaps in another time, with another presentation, this is a small hit. "I'll Fight For You" is another just classic Foreigner song, a sort of angry angst put into a love song. It comes out in a way that only Much Jones could make work. These songs are all melodic rock, sort of AC/DC lite.
This album was largely ignored, for many reasons. Some were valid, some unfortunate, some just unfair. This album is not going to change your world, but if you want an album of melodic hard rock love songs performed with passion and precision, you could really do a lot worse. Try "Lowdown and Dirty", "Flesh Wound" and "Ready For the Rain", if you like what you hear, you will enjoy the whole album.
Unusual Heat was their worst selling album to date, topping out at number 115 on the Billboard charts. This album had everything working against it, but the band did not just phone it in. They clearly set out to prove they could still rock. While this wasn't exactly a classic, it was not deserving of the bargain bin treatment it got, either. This was very much a Foreigner album, guitarist Mick Jones produced and co-wrote most of the album, and his fingerprints are apparent. Edwards' vocals are loud and proud, in the same style as Gramm's had been, with a similar effect. The songs are driven by strong vocal performances, with Dennis Eliott's crashing drums keeping the pace with Jones' Boston-esque guitars. Rick Wills kept the rhythm on bass. The sound of the album would have fit on any Foreigner album, barring the lead vocals. But even there, the sound of the voice changed, but the style with which it was used was clearly Foreigner.
The singles didn't fare very well, though "Lowdown and Dirty" got some Modern Rock airplay. But though songs like "Mountain of Love" may have eye-rolling lyrics, it had a great sound to it. "Flesh Wound" is a great hard rock song, equating love to a mortal injury. Again, on paper this looks ridiculous, but in the context of a heavy rock song, in the context of this band, it totally works.
The opener, "Only Heaven Knows" is actually a great pop/rock song. Perhaps in another time, with another presentation, this is a small hit. "I'll Fight For You" is another just classic Foreigner song, a sort of angry angst put into a love song. It comes out in a way that only Much Jones could make work. These songs are all melodic rock, sort of AC/DC lite.
This album was largely ignored, for many reasons. Some were valid, some unfortunate, some just unfair. This album is not going to change your world, but if you want an album of melodic hard rock love songs performed with passion and precision, you could really do a lot worse. Try "Lowdown and Dirty", "Flesh Wound" and "Ready For the Rain", if you like what you hear, you will enjoy the whole album.