Review: Jack Blades “Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride”

Rock/AOR
On the heels of a new comeback album with Night Ranger, Jack Blades is already back with a fresh set of tunes constituting his second solo record, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride”. The man should need no introduction, so if you want to get to the album review, just skip to the next paragraph. For those who aren’t aware, Blades achieved multi-platinum success with five studio albums by Night Ranger in the 80s. Jack then co-founded the super group Damn Yankees with Tommy Shaw (Styx). In 1995, he continued his budding collaboration with Shaw to form Shaw/Blades. Across these three successful groups, Blades has earned a gold star for his songwriting skills, and has penned tunes for many other artists including Aerosmith, Cher, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Great White, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne, and Styx, many appearing in major films.

Like his solo debut in 2003, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride” contains an abundance of potent rock anthems and includes a few notable guests. In addition to some of his Night Ranger band mates, the new release features Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) on “Anything For You” – one of the best tunes on the record - and some beats laid down by Brian Tichy (Whitesnake). The record plays like a celebration of the art of rock n’ roll, full of bright, positive energy from start to finish. True to his own words, Blades commented, “’Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride’ is an extension of what my music has been for the last 30 years. It has been quite a rock n’ roll ride and I decided to lay it all down on a record!”

In addition to “Anything For You”, there are many highlights on this record to mention. Blades charges back into action with the take-no-prisoners opener, “Back In The Game”. The tune harps back to his gritty rock roots, but shines with an optimistic attitude and radio-friendly melody – it is hard not to be invigorated by this one. The classics 80s AOR riffs of “Love Life” brought back some pleasant nostalgia, and the arena ready rocker “Say You Will” and mid-tempo affirmation “Don’t Give Up” will get you off your feet. On the tender side, Blades delivers as expected on the magnificent “Hardest Word To Say”.

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Ride” will be available in late March (Frontiers Records), promising to be one of the greatest joyrides of the season!

Jack Blades – Official site.

Review: Night Ranger “Somewhere in California”

Melodic rock
Has it really been 30 years since Night Ranger first stormed onto the 80s hard rock scene? Best known for their big classic hits such as “Sister Christian”, “When You Close Your Eyes”, and “Don't Tell Me You Love Me”, the band is back to show they can still rock in America. The lineup for the new effort, “Somewhere in California” includes Jack Blades (bass, vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums, vocals), Brad Gillis (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), and Eric Levy (keyboards). It was hard to find a high school dance in the 80s that did not have Night Ranger on the playlist – will any high schools want to play a new Night Ranger track today? Of course not, but this is no fault of the band – they stay true to their 80s sound and avoid catering to today’s musical trends. Fans are going to love the band for this choice.

I have to admit that the lead off track and first single, “Growin' Up In California” left me disappointed. Who needs another song about &!#$#ing California?! The performance is tight, but the lyrics are bland and the melody is tired. “Lay It On Me” brings Night Ranger into 2011, with heavy riffs and modern guitar tones driving the rhythm. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything more memorable about this tune. Things get much better by the third track, the radio-friendly anthem “Bye Bye Baby (Not Tonight)” – the chorus on this one shines and finally reminds us of the band’s gift for melody and harmony. “Follow Your Heart” is an AOR staple as you can judge from the title, and there is a decent song somewhere in this near seven minute labyrinth, but it takes too much effort to find it. “Time Of Our Lives” is the first requisite power ballad – it is beautifully done and grows on you after a couple spins, but doesn’t hold a cigarette lighter to their 80s work.

The second half of the record is a little better by comparison. Sounding like a .38 Special single, “No Time To Lose Ya” is spectacular – one of the catchiest choruses on the record. “Live For Today” is an interesting rocker with psychedelic verses flanking a more orthodox melodic chorus…but at six minutes, it wears out its welcome. The “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings” spirit is captured in the steady rocker “It’s Not Over”, which also features some excellent lead work. “Rock N Roll Tonight” is a rather lame sequel to "(You Can Still) Rock in America", but the album’s closer, “Say it With Love” is compelling. After pseudo rap verses comes a traditional Night Ranger chorus, ending the record on a high note.

“Somewhere in California” will be out June 17 (Frontiers Records).

iPOD-worthy: 3, 6, 8, 11

Night Ranger – Official site.

Check out the video “Growin' Up In California”:

Classic melodic rock CD of the week

By Stephen Kasenda

NIGHT RANGER "Midnight Madness" (1983)

Kelly Keagy probably never had a thought that a simple story about his younger sister which was lyrically portrayed in "Sister Christian" could have propelled Night Ranger's name to the sky and boosted "Midnight Madness"' sales to their biggest selling album of all time. But this album is not all about that ballad; in fact, there are several real rockers that will steal your attention such as "(You Can Still) Rock In America", a classic concert anthem with Fitzgerald's fingers dancing swiftly on his keyboard and the Watson/Gillis duo unleashing superb rhythm and solos. "Why Does Love Have To Change" is an underappreciated huge melodic rock tune - check out the beat-pumping chorus after the grandeur verse…simply stunning. "Chippin' Away", a song that's rarely seen in their set list, carries big potential behind its back as well.

Going back to that ballad, I always think that "When You Close Your Eyes" is far superior compared to "Sister". With its killer arrangement and memorable chorus, this track is a sure winner, but nevertheless, both served as the important keys of this album. Two tracks that I think are subpar here are "Touch of Madness" and "Let Him Run", but "Rumours In The Air" and "Passion Play" are among the highlights and serve as great examples of Night Ranger's capability of molding fine compositions.



Night Ranger's first three records are undoubtedly their best and since their formation in 1980, the band hasn't been able to produce any better output than this, and that also includes Jack Blades' side project, Damn Yankees. But I always look out for their latest release as I'm secretly hoping that they will be able to push their limit and boundaries and knock this album down from the top, a respectable position of what I called 'their best album to date'.



Read more of Stephen’s features at MetalMusicArchives.