NIGHT RANGER
Hole in the Sun
VH1 Classic Records 2008
www.nightranger.com

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Genre
Classic rock / hard rock / melodic rock

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.

Rating: out of 5

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Night Ranger - Hits: Acoustic & Rarities

--George Dionne