foreigner- unusual heat. why did it flop?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Matthew Tate, May 31, 2016.

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  1. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Richmond, Virginia
    because lou gramm wasn't there? because the rock scene had changed a lot since the bands last album? atlantic didn't promote it right?
     
  2. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    I think that has to be three of the main reasons right there... ;)
     
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  3. dpv2008

    dpv2008 Forum Resident

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    Ukraine
    I think the main reason is weak songs.
     
  4. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Richmond, Virginia

    i don't think thats really true. "only heaven knows" is fantastic. mick jones was always a strong songwriter
     
  5. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Always is! They weren't selling that well anyway towards the end of their heyday. I always say the public gives most artists and groups three albums. At that point people generally move on. And in Foreigner's case they did. They sure made some great songs though!
     
  6. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    more like they had about 5 albums.

    i still think unusual heat is strong. maybe stronger than mick jones solo album, anything gramm did outside of foreigner or mr moonlight
     
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  7. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    It sure got some bad reviews, but maybe that's not surprising considering that an anagram for the title is "Unusual Hate."
     
  8. Stephen J

    Stephen J Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    I bought Unusual Heat when it was released in 1991. I played it twice, and that was it. The album was just a blunt instrument to me, it was Jones's attempts to make a real Hard Rock record with less pop sheen.

    Problem was, he forgot to include the hooks, and the hooks were what made Foreigner great and separated them from a million other guitar-slinging acts out there.

    Also, it was ironic that he went in that direction when the major disagreement he and Lou Gramm had in the mid-1980s was Gramm's desire to return to making guitar-rock records while Jones was favoring synth-keyboard ballads.
     
  9. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Richmond, Virginia
    gramm had 3 really strong releases while he was away from foreigner. i liked mick jones solo album too. i just think somehow unusual heat is better than those releases or even gramms return mr moonlight
     
  10. Stephen J

    Stephen J Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    For my part, I was just disappointed that Gramm and Jones split up and didn't really like anything they did apart.

    My opinion then was that if you took the best three songs from Gramm's 1987 debut, Gramm's 1989 follow-up, Jones's 1989 LP, and Unusual Heat, then you'd have a pretty good Foreigner album.
     
  11. Were they dressed in women's clothes for the video?
     
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  12. No Bull

    No Bull Forum Resident

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    Orlando Florida
    I mean for me the band had already peaked...and no Lou Gramm meant I was not interested anymore...
     
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  13. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    no why would they? foreigner never did that
     
  14. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    thoughts on shadowking and the 3 new songs foreigner did with gramm for that early 90's hits release?
     
  15. Just riffing on the very very very long Queen thread regarding their fall from grace:righton:
     
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  16. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    It wouldn't have mattered if Gramm was there, or even if the songs were a few notches stronger. Virtually no band in that genre was going to have a huge hit in 1991. Chicago, Styx, Bad English, Bad Company, Heart, etc, all struggled as soon as 1990 was over. Radio decided that tastes were changing, and concurrently also decided to stop playing new music by anything now labeled as 'classic rock.' Bad combination for those bands.
     
  17. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Richmond, Virginia

    bad company and damn yankees were still going strong in 1992
     
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  18. impalaboy

    impalaboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boise, Idaho
    As was Van Halen.
     
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  19. keefer1970

    keefer1970 Metal, Movies, Beer!

    Location:
    New Jersey
    All of the above.
     
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  20. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    Both bands' albums from that year fared significantly less well than their previous outings. A LOT changed between 1990 and 1992, for better or worse.

    A few were immune to this, most notably Van Halen, but they were definitely a minority.
     
  21. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    True. Classic rock radio also dropped "then and now" segues, which were the main way those bands' new albums were getting airplay.
     
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  22. Nostaljack

    Nostaljack Resident R&B enthusiast

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    No Lou Gramm - no Foreigner. That's really all there was/is to it.

    Ed
     
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  23. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    I vaguely remember a few of these when I was a kid in the early/mid-90's on the Detroit classic rock station, but it definitely didn't last long, sadly.
     
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  24. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    I saw Foreigner play the Toledo Sports Arena on this tour. They drew a good sized crowd but that was probably because tickets were only $10.04 (a tie in with local rock station FM 104 WIOT). Even though we were skeptical of Foreigner without Lou Gramm, we couldn't resist the cheap tix! I can't remember any song from "Unusual Heat" but we did enjoy the concert. Seeing the band play "I Want To Know What Love Is" live changed my mind about that song. I never liked it at all until that moment and then it finally clicked for me. I've liked the song ever since. Did they do low price ticket promos in other cities as well?
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2017
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  25. gary191265

    gary191265 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Shadowking is my favourite thing that Lou Gramm has ever been involved in. Great songs and great playing (Vivian Campbell does pretty much his last great work on this album before bailing out to Def Leppard to see out his days playing second fiddle to Phil Collen)
     
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