Night Ranger - Somewhere in California
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 8:17PM 
After over two decades, Night Ranger is back with a vengeance. One of their best albums in years.Night Ranger is back and sounding better than ever. Who says bands don't get better with age? It is really encouraging, when a band that has been out for 30 years can still put out relevant music. Night Ranger has just released their 10th studio album Somewhere in California, and it could be their best in more than 20 years. The band has gone back to basics, which made their first two records so strong, and just made a solid hard rock record. The band had been a little off track over the last 10 years, with the more modern releases of Seven and Hole in the Sun, but the new CD brings them back to glory.
The CD starts off strong with up-tempo, anthemic Growin' up in California, which is a hard rocker that brings back the harmony guitars and the chunky rhythms reminiscent of (You Can Still) Rock in America. It has a great chorus and an infectious melody. The next track to catch my ear, was the track Bye Bye Baby, which is Night Ranger at their best. It is another killer uptempo rocker with a chorus that will stick in your head for days. The CD is classic Night Ranger. It is like these guys turned back the clock and it is 1984 again. Don't get me wrong, the CD doesn't sound dated, but it sounds as though the music could have been written 20+ years ago. The songs are fresh and just plain rock. And for all you ballad freaks, the band has penned their next potential big hit with the track Time of our Life. It is a classic ballad that will sit nicely beside Sister Christian. Night Ranger shedding the modern sound and going back to their roots, it don't get much better than this.
Bottom Line: A solid return to form for a band that lost their way for a while. This is the most consistent release from the band in 20+ years. Solid hard rock with amazing solos; guitarists Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Standout Tracks: Growin' Up in California, Bye, Bye, Baby (Not Tonight), End of the Day and Time of Our Life
- Ragman is proud to say that Night Ranger is back with a vengeance...
CD Reviews
Reader Comments (1)
A return to form that is classic NR! Andrew at MR.com calls it a 100% album. It is without a doubt a 90% or better. Gets you on the first spin.....no trying to get into it. 100% for me will be after 3 spins or so do I still keep some tracks on my IPod or do I "uncheck" it and forget it...like new Journey!