Forgotten '80s Album: Lou Gramm's 'Ready or Not'

Best known for his work leading Foreigner, this was Lou Gramm's debut solo album.

Ready or Not.

Eight of the ten songs, which comprise Ready or Not, were written by Gramm in partnership with former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon. The album was recorded in 1986 at Bear Tracks Recording in Suffern, New York and The Hit Factory Recording in New York City. It was produced by Gramm and Pat Moran, who is known as an engineer on recordings by such performers as Rush and Robert Plant.

Ready or Not was a commercial success, reaching number 27 on the US Billboard 200. It generated two hit songs. The lead-off single, "Midnight Blue", peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to the top of the Mainstream Rock chart. It has been Gramm's only song to have charted in the United Kingdom. The second single from the album was the title song, which reached number 54 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Mainstream Rock charts.

The album has enjoyed critical acclaim. Bret Adams has given Ready or Not a retrospective rating of four-and-a-half stars out of five on AllMusic. He has described it as "rich with melody and snap."

A nice 80's album to have in you playlist, especially if you are a Foreigner fan.