NIGHT RANGER EXPLAIN THEIR OWN MIGHT!
Talk about your classic identity crisis— Night Ranger is one outfit that’ve experienced a shitload of schizophrenic tendencies. Throughout their five-year tenure at the top of the charts, it’s been virtually impossible to pin down what they’re all about, musically speaking.
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Teri Saccone
Talk about your classic identity crisis— Night Ranger is one outfit that’ve experienced a shitload of schizophrenic tendencies. Throughout their five-year tenure at the top of the charts, it’s been virtually impossible to pin down what they’re all about, musically speaking.
Consider the following: Night Ranger’s auspicious debut LP—Dawn Patrol— featured ex-members of a Frisco-based funk/rock band called Rubicon (Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, and Brad Gillis— vocals/bass, vocals/drums, guitar, respectively), along with ex-Montrose/ Sammy Hagar keyboardist Alan “Fitz” Gerald, and metalhead-guitarist Jeff Watson. An interesting combination, to say the least. This premier release nevertheless proved that these guys could rock hard ’n’ wild at will, especially with the wailing guitar attack supplied by Gillis (who, incidentally, briefly replaced Randy Rhoads in Ozzy’s band). And, although the album’s single, “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,’’ is considered by the band to be one of their “rougher’’ songs (it was typical AOR fare), Dawn Patrol did offer harder-edged material.
The follow-up release, Midnight Madness, spawned three singles that shot straight to #1: two rather syrupy ballads (“Sister Christian’’ and “When You Close Your Eyes”), and one bona fide rock anthem, “(You Can Still) Rock In America.”