Unusual Heat (1991)
1. Only Heavn Knows
2. Lowdown and Dirty
3. I'll Fight For You
4. Moment of Truth
5. Mountain of Love
6. Ready For the Rain
7. When the Night Comes Down
8. Safe in My Heart
9. No Hiding Place
10.Flesh Wound
11.Unusual Heat
Sometimes, it’s not until something is missing that you realize just how crucial it was. In 1991, Foreigner released Unusual Heat—their first studio album in four years—and the first without original lead singer Lou Gramm. For longtime fans, that alone should’ve been a red flag. Unfortunately, many (myself included) didn’t get the memo until it was too late.
Back in 1987, Inside Information slipped quietly onto shelves with little fanfare, but it turned out to be one of the band’s most underrated records. When Unusual Heat arrived four years later under similar circumstances—low profile, minimal buzz—it seemed reasonable to assume it might be another hidden gem. What we didn’t know (or at least, what wasn’t made very clear) was that Lou Gramm had exited the band. And the difference was immediate—and painful.
Gramm may have only been the “singer” on paper, but as it turns out, he was much more than that. His voice, his phrasing, his presence—all irreplaceable. And while new frontman Johnny Edwards does a respectable job mimicking the general shape and tone of Gramm’s delivery, he simply doesn’t have the same charisma. The result isn’t just a step down—it’s an identity crisis.
The band—still featuring Mick Jones, Rick Wills, and Dennis Elliott—tries to carry on as if nothing’s changed. But the energy is off. Everything feels sluggish and generic, as if they’re trying to keep up with a version of hard rock that had already passed its expiration date. This wasn’t the late ’70s anymore. And in the early ’90s, Foreigner suddenly sounded more like the imitators they once towered over.
The album opens with Only Heaven Knows, a track that—while not great—is at least passable. It hints at what could have been a serviceable transitional album. Unfortunately, it’s all downhill from there. The rest of the record feels like a collection of half-finished ideas, coated in thick, forgettable production and weighed down by a band that sounds like it’s simply going through the motions.
There are no standouts. No hooks that stick. No moments that rise above the noise. It’s thoroughly uninspired. Not surprisingly, Unusual Heat flopped. Sales were poor, critics were indifferent, and fans quietly shelved it after one or two listens. Edwards didn’t last long, and Gramm would return to the fold a few years later—though by then, the damage had been done (bad pun-sorry). Unusual Heat has since been relegated to the dustiest corners of the band’s catalog, rarely acknowledged and even less frequently remembered.
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