Published on Jan 3, 2000
Mention the name Night Ranger, and anyone who was in grade or
high school in the ’80s is going to conjure up memories of the song
“Sister Christian” — as well as the video for that track. It was
the era of the power-rock ballad, and “Sister Christian” epitomized
the genre, along with that weak nonsense that Chicago was pumping
out at the time.
Needless to say, I don’t consider it to be a high point in the
music scene. One might wonder why I’d even want to go back to those
days and review albums from that genre. Well, one reason was simple
enough: I won a bunch of Night Ranger tapes in an eBay auction, and
the price was right. (Hey, may as well be honest about it.)
But the more I listened to
Dawn Patrol, Night Ranger’s 1982 debut, I kept asking
myself, “Is this the same band that produced ‘Sister Christian’?”
Fact is,
Dawn Patrol is a surprisingly strong album that, nearly two
decades after its release, is still an enjoyable album that doesn’t
get the recognition it deserves.
Sure, this album spawned “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” the first
hit for Night Ranger — vocalist/bassist Jack Blades,
vocalist/drummer Kelly Keagy, guitarist/vocalist Brad Gillis,
guitarist Jeff Watson and keyboardist/vocalist Alan Gerald. But
while this track helped lead the band on the road to superstardom,
this isn’t the strongest track.
In that department, I’m torn between the two tracks that follow
“Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.” “Sing Me Away” mixes both the aspects
of harder-edged rock and ballad-like harmony vocals, creating a
track whose power is unstoppable. Why this one never made it as a
single I’ll never understand. The other track, “At Night She
Sleeps,” has the musical and vocal hooks that keep you interested
from start to finish.
One other track that has that kind of hook-power is “Eddie’s
Comin’ Out Tonight,” a song that dares to throw a little funk into
the mix, as well as a sly lyric style that you might not expect
from Night Ranger. This is the kind of track that I’d love to slap
on the radio to pleasantly shock people used to hearing the same
pabulum over and over again.
If there’s a negative to
Dawn Patrol, it’s that Night Ranger can’t maintain that
level of excellence throughout the album. While songs such as
“Young Girl In Love” and “Play Rough” are enjoyable, they don’t
hold the listener’s interest in the same way that the first half of
the album does. The album’s closer “Night Ranger” helps to bring
things together into a neat little package.
So why is
Dawn Patrol such an enjoyable listen? Simple: it’s the kind
of disc that comes out of the blue and catches you with catchy
harmonies and powerful songwriting that you wouldn’t expect,
especially if all you know of the band is “Sister Christian”.
(Actually, the more I listen to Night Ranger, the more I realize
that they’re really more like
Dawn Patrol than “Sister Christian.” So there.)
Oh, sure, you could take the easy way out and grab one of the
compilation albums, but why not take a risk and pick up
Dawn Patrol and give it a spin? Chances are, you’ll be
wondering why you’ve let this one collect dust all these years.