This is the first and best Night Ranger album released in 1982. They came onto my radar because guitarist Brad Gillis had been the replacement in Ozzy’s band after the tragic death of Randy Rhonda. Gillis came in to help Ozzy finish that tour. When the tour was finished, he didn’t take up the offer to join full time as he wanted to concentrate on the his band. Then typical Sharon she went into full bitch mode, and accused Gillis of joining Ozzy’s band just to get publicity for Night Ranger.
If you want to hear what Gillis sounds like playing for Ozzy, he is on the live Sabbath covers album, Shout At The Devil. Believe me, he is on fire on that record, and that will be the best you have heard Sabbath songs played. Night Ranger are unusual in the fact that they have two lead vocalists, drummer Kelly Keagy, and bassist Jack Blades – and they both are really good.
The album starts off with one of the two mega songs on the album, Don’t Tell Me You Love Me. An absolute belter of a tune. What comes next is what the band became famous for (well in America at least) – catchy melodic pop rock songs. You have to remember, Journey were huge at the time and every label wanted bands that sounded like them. Sing Me Away, and At Night She Sleeps, are perfect examples of this. Obligatory ballad, Call My Name, is next. I am not a big fan of ballads as they were nearly always a record company requirement at the time. Side closer, Eddie’s Comin’ Out Tonight is next, and thankfully it rocks with a fat riff from Gillis.
Over to Side 2 we go, and Can’t Find Me A Thrill is a classic example of hair rock of the time – a fat riff and a big sing-a-long chorus. Young Girl In Love is another great pop rock song that reminds me of Cheap Trick – the masters of pop rock. Play Rough is more of the same – big riff and big chorus. Penny is a doppelgänger of the last two tunes. When you find a formula don’t change it. Last track is the other mega track, and the one the band were named after, Night Ranger – and what a monster of a tune. It starts pretty normal before we get to rock out in the middle section with some killer playing.
I know they had bigger hits after this album, but this is my favourite because its before they sold their soul completely to the label.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
