Warrant Ultraphobic

[MattleyCrue]

How did you feel about this album when it came out?

“High” is great so is “Stronger Now”

[BDG135]

One of the best examples of the 80s bands trying to fit in and making it good. Stronger Now would have been a hit if it was released on one of their earlier albums.

[Indy_Rob]

How did you feel about this album when it came out?

“High” is great so is “Stronger Now”

My 2 favorites on the album. I really like the title track too.

Overall a solid album.

[Mister Freeze]

Great album. "Undertow" is really cool. Jani always had hooks.

I think this album, like others of the time (including even some of the best grunge albums), suffers from weak production: thin drums, a sludgy low-fi mix, uncertainty about guitar tones.

By running so far from the "'80s sound," they end up with something equally as dated, but less likely to hold up over the long haul.

[whiteowl yesterday]

never heard this album.
have their 1st three cds though.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

How did you feel about this album when it came out?

“High” is great so is “Stronger Now”

My 2 favorites on the album. I really like the title track too.

Overall a solid album.

...adding Chameleon. I like those 4 songs but the others are way too grungy for my tastes.

There are people that consider Dog Eat Dog grunge and I'll admit Hole in My Wall has a little Man in the Box thing going but Ultraphobic is Warrant truly changing colors. Ironically that the first line in the song Chameleon ("You always change your colors when you find yourself in a fix")

[Mister Freeze]

Warrant is definitely borrowing from Alice in Chains on "Family Picnic" - specifically in the verses. AIC also got everyone to experiment with rhythms and times signatures.

"Rain" by KISS is another example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZczLRV3e5Y

[skunklovestiger]

I really liked that record.

[toofastone]

There's some great songs on it. I love the lyrics to the song Ultraphobic. This album is all about a bad break up. I was still in high school when this came out. It's not a stretch from Generation Swine that came out later. At the time it was current sounding. Bands mature. I was happy back then to hear this record. I still listen to it and that's enough proof to say it has aged well with me.

[crowes74]

I liked ultraphobic and belly to belly both. Music somewhat different but still Jani’s strong song writing.
The ultraphobic tour may had been a slap in the face for warrant, but it was one of the stronger shows I’d seen them play. And honestly, that’s saying something, always a great live band (if Jani was somewhat sober).

[SchenkerFan]

Lots of strong tracks: Undertow, Family Picnic, High, Stronger Now, Ride #2 ...

Good album.

[jhenders]

Hated it then; love it now. I hear more King's X styled songs than Alice in Chains.

[str]

I liked a lot of it ,
I remember High, Crawl Space, and the title track which sounded like the title was 'Shot Down' or 'Been Shot Down'

[Vince Neil Eats]

I love this album. The production is awful and extremely dated, but the songs are very strong. I never realized until recently that the beginning of Crawl Space was copped from Foreigner’s Urgent.

[Wild Obsession]

Great album, and IMO more consistent than Dog Eat Dog.
Never understood the rock fans who think anything that doesn't sound like Trixter is automatically "grunge"........

[pieceofme]

I think I only heard this album once and nothing really grabbed me. I will give it another spin.

[Fat_Elvis]

"Stronger Now" is Jani's crowing achievement.

[BiggusDickus]

I love this album.

[uwec95]

"Stronger Now" is one of the best ballads there is. I could see a country or pop artist covering that and having a hit.

[alleyrulez]

"Ultraphobic" was good, though a letdown after the awesome "Dog Eat Dog."

that whole time was weird. all these Platinum bands were on independent labels, if they were lucky.

Slaughter. Kix. even Judas Priest.

and while I like "Ultraphobic" quite a bit, the next album, "Belly 2 Belly" pretty much sucked.

[Mister Freeze]

I never realized until recently that the beginning of Crawl Space was copped from Foreigner’s Urgent.

Always thought it sounded a little like "It's Not Love" by Dokken.

[Mister Freeze]

that whole time was weird. all these Platinum bands were on independent labels, if they were lucky.

It was even more weird to see bands you grew up with go straight from arenas to clubs, and I remember Warrant being the first glaring example of that.

I recall some talk about Warrant playing the Thirsty Whale, a tiny hard rock club in Chicago, but their "guarantee was too high." Not long afterwards, Warrant seemed to become a lot less selective about their venues.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

This tour was actually the first time I saw Warrant live and the only time I saw them with Jani singing.

Seeing them on that pay per view concert on the Cherry Pie tour playing arenas...then playing clubs like the one I saw them at. It was sad. The nostalgia thing had not kicked in yet obviously. And quite honestly, I didn't really like how the band sounded with other guitar players and drummers. It was Rick Stier on guitar and Bobby Borg on drums for this show plus they had a keyboard player.

The new songs did not blend well with the others and they just did an acoustic medley of the ballads instead of playing them as power ballads like on the records. At one point, I remember a guy yelling out, "Hey..what is this? A juice bar?"

On a brighter note, I got to meet the entire band hanging out at the bar after the show. Erik was especially nice. That was a damn cool feeling to be like 15 years old or whatever I was at the time and hanging out at the bar with one of my favorite bands!

[Chip Z'Hoy]

When they flipped over their guitars in the 90's, did the backs say grungy things like "Snuff the Rooster" or "I Hate Myself and Want to Die"?

[MattleyCrue]

What was it like during those times? Did they still look cool? Leather pants and stuff?

[BDG135]

What was it like during those times? Did they still look cool? Leather pants and stuff?

Jani still wore makeup sometimes to throw it in people's faces. It was hit or miss whether he'd be wasted on stage. Jerry wore a goofy hat.

[MattleyCrue]

I would have loved to see Warrant in 1995.

I got to see Jani in like 2005.

[jhenders]

I saw them on that tour as well and bought a cool "Ultraphobic" signed album flat at their merch table.

This was what their setlist was typically on that tour:

Down Boys
D.R.F.S.R.
Family Picnic
32 Pennies
Sum of One
The Hole in My Wall
Crawl Space
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Undertow
Followed
You Shook Me All Night Long / Girls Got Rhythm / Highway to Hell / Whole Lotta Love / Tequila
Cherry Pie

Heaven
Stronger Now
I Saw Red
The Turtle (Left For Dead cover)

[steviedoes]

This tour was actually the first time I saw Warrant live and the only time I saw them with Jani singing.

Seeing them on that pay per view concert on the Cherry Pie tour playing arenas...then playing clubs like the one I saw them at. It was sad. The nostalgia thing had not kicked in yet obviously. And quite honestly, I didn't really like how the band sounded with other guitar players and drummers. It was Rick Stier on guitar and Bobby Borg on drums for this show plus they had a keyboard player.

The new songs did not blend well with the others and they just did an acoustic medley of the ballads instead of playing them as power ballads like on the records. At one point, I remember a guy yelling out, "Hey..what is this? A juice bar?"

On a brighter note, I got to meet the entire band hanging out at the bar after the show. Erik was especially nice. That was a damn cool feeling to be like 15 years old or whatever I was at the time and hanging out at the bar with one of my favorite bands!

My first time seeing Warrant was the Blood Sweat And Beers tour. The first concert I ever went to. It was at a 7,000 seat amphitheater. The next year, after Dog Eat Dog came out the show I saw was originally scheduled to be in an arena but was moved to a 1,5000 capacity club. Third time I saw them was on the Ultraphobic tour and by then they were in a 750 capacity club. Great performance though. I didn't like when they'd do that ballad medley in the mid 90s. What made it even worse was Jani would call them "pussy songs" and apologize for writing them. Oh well. Overall, very enjoyable concerts. And it was great to be able to meet the band after the show. And I never saw a drunken Jani ever. And I saw him, mostly with Warrant, 13 times. He was always a cool guy. All the guys in the band were friendly.

[dweezil]

Both Ultraphobic and Belly To Belly have outstanding songs muddled by bare bones production.
I was discussing those records in another music board, stating that Warrant was one of the few glam/hair metal acts to adapt well into the alternative/grunge era. Mostly thanks to Jani's songwriting.

Faster Pussycat's Whipped being another one of those. Because they acknowledged the coming era without whining about it. Even referencing Pearl Jam in a song.