This years list had a few comeback albums from some of the more established bands. This one (along with my #2) were the suprises of the year for me. #5 Night Ranger - Somewhere In California.
Back in the day, I was a fan of Night Ranger's perfect blend of AOR and Hard Rock. The first two albums Dawn Patrol and Midnight Madness both got a lot of play in my teenage years. They have kind of fallen of of my radar over the years, even though I knew they were still around. I heard some reviews for this record stating a return to the classic sound, so I thought I'd pick up a copy. It truly is a return to the classic sound, and Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy and Brad Gillis have never sounded better. This is a straight up classic rock record with big choruses and great guitar, something that has gone missing in todays musical climate. Maybe it's a bit of nostaligia, but good music is good music.
The title track (and video) lead off the album in fine form with a great vibe that sets the tone for the rest of the record. The album is full of the classic NR sound with rockers like Lay It On Me and No Time To Lose Ya blending perfectly with ballads like Time Of Our Lives. A great album to pop in and just enjoy. If you are a fan of full on metal, this may not be your thing, but give it a try. I find it interesting that alot of bands try to tinker with their sound to be more creative, and then end up losing what they had in the first place. Night Ranger decided to go back to their classic sound, and have released one of the best albums of their career. Here is the video for the title track, perfect viewing for a cold winter day. Horns Up!
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