Search - Night Ranger :: Hole in the Sun

Night Ranger comes out swinging

T. Magee | 07/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a longtime NR fan and I'll show my age here. I saw them open for ZZ Top in 1983, then headline with Ratt opening 3 months later. I last saw them in Dallas TX. at the Texas Jam 2 weeks before leaving home for a 6 year US Navy stint. OK, I'll cover that age thing back up now....



On to the album: Wow..... If you didn't understand that, I mean WOW..... and if that didn't get your attention I really mean WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This band never ceases to amaze me at how they can evolve and continue to make music that is both inherently Night Ranger, but up to date in its sound, and structure. Yes there is the dreggier Brad Gillis shredding, but accompanied by Jeff Watson's rock solid rhythm you can't go wrong.

For those that said Nederland was a flop, you may want to give this a listen; this AIN'T the Nederland Night Ranger. This is more like the Seven Night Ranger.

This cd is being advertised as the 8th Night Ranger release, so I can only assume that Feeding off the Mojo didn't count in this because it's only 2 of the 5 original members. By my count, it is actually the 9th release as I really enjoyed Feeding.

Needless to say, if you don't know Night Ranger, check this cd out. If you like the Classic Night Ranger, you can hear it within these tracks, but the total sound is a Night Ranger for the 21st century. And if you are one of those hypercritical people that never have anything good to say about GOOD music, you might want to move on.



And that's all I have to say about that.....

Get this cd, sit back and enjoy.

"

Awesome album! But not your dad's Night Ranger.

W. Rabeneck | Arkansas United States | 07/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As some one who grew up listening late 1980s Hard Rock, I can truly say that 2007 and 2008 have been good years for CD releases by bands from the late 1980s era. In the past year, I have picked up excellent new releases from: Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Tesla, Dokken, and Great White. But overall, I'd have to say that this new Night Ranger release is the crowning jewel of the "80s revival".



"Hole in the Sun" rocks more than previous Night Ranger albums. And it doesn't really have the big ballad that many people probably expect from a Night Ranger album. But all in all, this may be Night Ranger's best album ever. It has quality songs front to back. And even though they have updated their sound for 2008, they avoid sounding like 40-somethings who are trying to fit in with the 23-year olds. Even though there's no new contender to be the next "Sister Christian" or "Goodbye", the new songs sound like logical extensions of things like "Rock In America" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", so it's not like they are trying to turn into Metallica or Creed or anything like that. Just good hard Night Ranger music.



"

Maybe it's me. Maybe I just want Night Ranger to sound like

George Dionne | Cape Cod, MA | 09/03/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The Good

"Tell Your Vision" is a killer guitar track. The track kicks off like a sonic boom of guitars, and the solos are just as wild. "Drama Queen" is clever and witty, and everyone knows someone one just like the girl they're talking about. Ranger mixes it up with a blusey-groove here. "You're Gonna Hear From Me" is a drum-heavy arena rocker with that sing-along flow to it. "There is Life" really touches the heart with it's lyrics. "Fool in Me" is an acoustic ballad that surely could have been an outtake from a Shaw/Blades album. "Wrap It Up" recalls the Night Ranger hey-day with loud guitars and toe-tapping grooves.



The Bad

The production on this album is God awful. Terrible. My guess is there was a quick re-shuffle of recordings after Jeff Watson left. At least I hope that's what it is. I'd hate to think that Night Ranger just doesn't have it anymore. To be fair, two Watson penned tracks are still included. However, they are the two that most resemble Night Ranger in the 80s.



Despite it's great guitar work, the vocals on "Tell Your Vision" are just plain bad. Blades and Keagy are trying to harmonize, but they're styles conflict too much. "Whatever Happened" is just not Night Ranger. Sounds more like Nirvana making an attempt a melody. As great as I thought the lyrics were to "There is Life," it sort of has a "Sister Christian" quality to it. You can relate to the message on "Rockstar" with today's music scene, but if you can stand the vocals, your a bigger person than me.



They two acoustic bonus tracks ("Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sister Christian") were well-done, but were already released on a prior album.



The Verdict

Maybe it's me. Maybe I just want Night Ranger to sound like they did twenty years ago. I know that's not possible. The guys are older, the musical landscape has changed, and I can't imagine they had the same budget they did for their 80s releases. I have to say though, when I think of Night Ranger, I want to hear thunderous guitars, killer hooks, catchy choruses, and emotional power ballads. Hole in the Sun simply doesn't deliver enough of that. It does in a very small does, but not enough to carry the album. Perhaps it's time for the group to embrace the nostalgia, and forget about creating the next Night Ranger classic. Let's face it, we already have so much to choose from."