NIGHT RANGER „Hole In The Sun”

Music: Hard Rock
Website: http://www.nightranger.com
Country: U.S.A.
Cool songs: You’re Gonna Hear from Me, White Knuckle Ride

NIGHT RANGER is back. Back with a US release of their last album ‘Hole in the Sun’, this time released via VH1 Classic. With new sound and new cover they prove that rock is not dead. Twelve regular tracks plus two bonuses: acoustic versions of ‘Don’t Tell Me You Love Me and Sister Christian. They are one the stage for 25 years and seem to be in a great shape. What will be next… celebrating fifty years…? Who knows… could be.

The slogans advertising Hole in the Sun’ probably were exaggerated, the musicians must have overestimated their potential and that is why we will end up with holding in our hands an already made product, filled with rock music. To be honest, NIGHT RANGER is free from all that fancy stuff which devastates the ladies from BON JOVI and does not allow them to record a normal album. Here you will get a quite strong hit of rock music, but it will not blow you away. It is just a simple rocking chair material which makes it… rock. The compositions are varied and full of emotional content. They treat about emotions but do not misunderstand this notion, emotions do not always mean love sickness. Usually those are sweet and romantic ballads but they are immediately countered by heavy and quite aggressive compositions, like ‘White Knuckle Ride’.

The question was, are they in good shape? Yes, they are. But good shape does not mean, in this case, fantastic and innovative compositions, spellbinding performance and zillions of new ideas. By good shape I mean perfect rhythmic and melodic lines, an ideal technical mastery and nice performance. Let’s be serious, it is just a warmed up steak, served to please a few American band fans who do not have in their collection the album with a new cover, a few bonus tracks and a toilet sit with the band’s logo printed on it. The rest was, is and will remain the same. It is nice of them to release something on their 25th anniversary. But they could try a bit harder. We are not in Japan where rock fans buy everything which even with a small detail reminds them of their idols.

All in all, ‘Hole in the Sun’ is a good album but the whole idea of reissuing seems to be quite incorrect. Old fans probably would prefer to listen to the original performance and two acoustic bonus tacks will not please them. As it is written on the official site, the album seems to aimed at the younger generation. Teenagers probably let slip the previous release of the ‘Hole in the Sun’ album, so now the musicians try to catch them with a second release. Will this work… the answer it up to you.

note: 7/10

Tracklist

1. Tell Your Vision
2. Drama Queen
3. You’re Gonna Hear from Me
4. Whatever Happened
5. There Is Life
6. Rockstar
7. Hole in the Sun
8. Fool in Me
9. White Knuckle Ride
10. Revelation 4 AM
11. Wrap It Up
12. Being
13. Don’t Tell Me You Love Me (Acoustic)
14. Sister Christian (Acoustic)

Total playing time 63:40

Line-up

Jack Blades – vocal, bass
Joel Hoekstra – guitar, keyboard
Brad Gillis – guitar
Christian Matthew Cullen – keyboard
Kelly Keagy – drums, vocals