Rubicon(Night Ranger)

Join me as I explore the discography, figure out the album I would like in vinyl and find out what an awesome band Night Ranger is!!.......................... Need more Damn Yanks...................  

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Alright everyone, we are back with another episode of Hate to Rate. I'm your host, Kyle Nelson, and today we are going to go into Night Ranger with Don't Tell Me You Love Me episode of the 80s butt rock band. Night Ranger formed in San Francisco 1979. The original name for Night Ranger, I don't I think it was just Jack Blades that was in it at the time, but it was called Rubicon was the first name. Then Rubicon's breakup, Jack Blades and drummer Kelly Keege, and guitarist Brad Gillis formed rock band trio called Stereo. And then their second guitarist was Jeffrey Watts. The band officially adopted the name Ranger before changing it to Night Ranger, inspired by Chuck Barrison TV show and an old Van Morrison song to avoid legal conflict with a country band that at the time was named Ranger. So let's look at Night Ranger's original members. The original members stars Jack Blades, bass player, lead vocals, Kelly Keege, drums, lead vocals, Brandon Gillis, rhythm and lead guitarist, Jeff Watson, lead and rhythm guitarist. Then you have Alan. Alan Fitzgerald on keyboards. So that what sparked up Night Ranger. So let's get into Night Ranger. When I first looked him up, it looks like they were doing another greatest hit that they're gonna come out with. And now I see it's not coming up. I had to look up what they were doing with that, and pretty much they were set to release it, I believe, in July, but uh they decided to postpone it till August 28th, 2026, due to their ongoing summer tour. So let's start things off with Dawn Patrol in 1982 with songs on it like Don't Tell Me You Love Me, Sing Me Away, At Night She Sleeps, Call My Name, Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight, Can't Find Me A Thrill, Young Girl in Love, Play Rough, Penny, and Night Ranger. This was Griffin Records, released Umg Record Inc. And overrated to underrated. I would say definitely overrated. Underrated, I would have to put I would say Penny, honestly. Penny is a very underrated song for this album. So it was a really good album. Um the songs I picked were Don't Tell Me You Love Me, Sing Me Away, Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight, Can't Find a Thrill, Penny, and Night Ranger. Jumping on to Midnight Madness in 1983 with songs on it like You Can Still Rockin' America, Rumors in the Air, Why Does Love Have to Change, Sister Christian, Touch a Madness, Passion Play, When You Close Your Eyes, Chippin' Away, Let Him Run. And Overrated to Underrated, I would say overrated would have to be either Sister Christian or Still Rockin' America. Underrated song? I would probably say maybe rumors in the air. Definitely rumors in the air is probably an underrated song on this one. Even though I didn't add it on this album, um, I added it and wanted their live albums. Definitely really enjoyed their live album. Um the songs added were You Could Still Rock in America, Sister Christian, Touch of Madness, When You Close Your Eyes. This was recorded by Umg Recording. Then we have Seven Wishes in 1985 with songs on it like Seven Wishes, Faces, Four in the Morning, Need a Woman, Sentimental Street, This Boy Needs to Rock, I Will Follow You, Interstate Love Affair, Night Machine, and Goodbye. This was also a UMG recording. And overrated to underrated. Overrated, I would have to say either Sentimental Street or 4 in the morning. I could really go without those songs. And goodbye, it didn't really hit home with me on that. An underrated song in this album would have to be Faces or I Need a Woman. Then in 1986, there was apparently a few pushes with a record label MCA. Certain push the focus on heavy power ballads, shifting towards more or less the Big Life album. This was 1987. So Big Life. This was a Griffin Records. And Overrated. I would say overrated. I would have to say Secret of Success. Underrated, I would have to say Big Life, maybe. I didn't really get into this album. The songs added were Big Lives and The Secret of My Success. Then in 1988 with Man in Motion, we have songs on it like Man in Motion, Reason to Be, Don't Start Thinking I'm Alone Tonight, Love Shot Me Down, Restless Kind, Halfway to the Sun, Here She Comes Again, Right On You Kiss Me Where It Hurts. I Did It For Love Love Woman in Love. This was another Griffin Records. And overrated to Underrated. Say overrated would have to be Man in Motion. Uh underrated song. I'm gonna say Woman in Love. So also in 1989, the band decided to break up. Feel they have lost their hard rock soul, they decided to part ways. Then in 1996, the original members reunited to record two new albums. So this album in 1997, Neverland, I got a really like Tom Petty vibe from this album, which I'm not dissing TP, but I had to look and be like, oh, is this Tom Petty? Oh no, this is still Night Ranger. Okay. But yeah, the first I would say the first song maybe, first couple of songs was really Tom Penny vibe. So the first song, forever all over again, Neverland, as always I remain, Someday I Will. My exclusive mind New York Time Walkin in the Future Slap Like Being Born Sunday Morning Anything For You Don't Call This Love And this was a Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Overrated Underrated Ah I wouldn't say there isn't any in this album. I think this album itself was underrated to begin with. Um the songs I added were My Exclusive Mind, New York Time, Anything for You I Don't Call This Love. Then in 1998 we have Seven with songs on it like Signs of the Times, June's Interlude, Panic in June, Don't Ask Me Why, Kong, Mother Anthem, Soul Survivor, See A Love, Peace Sign, When I Call On You and Revolution. This was a Sanctuary Records group LTBD a BMG company. The songs I added were Signs of the Times, Panic in June, Kong, and that's about it. Then in 2007, we have Jeff Watson, co-founding lead guitarist of Night Ranger, was fired via a letter from the band's attorney. Yikes. Watson stated he was blindsided by the termination as he had just returned home and was not consulted before the discussion. Night Ranger's remaining members released a statement mentioning significant and continuing differences with Watson. They had not provided any specific details. Damn. So in September 2022, Watson suffered a major medical emergency and required life-saving brain surgery at UCSF Hospital in San Francisco. So we basically went through seizures to relief pressure from and bleeding. Then in 2011, we have the album Somewhere in California. This is the bonus track version. And with songs on it like Grown Up in California, Lay It On Me, Bye Bye, Baby, Not Tonight, Follow Your Heart, Time of Our Lives. No Time to Lose Ya. Live For Today. Rock and Roll Tonight. Say it with love. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. And this was a Frontier Records. Overrated to underrated songs, I would say is overrated. Would have to be grown up in California. Wasn't a fan of that song. Underrated would have to be their bonus track, which is Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Ace DC cover. They actually nailed this one pretty good. This was a pretty good cover. And the songs I added were Lay It On Me, No Time to Lose You, Rock'n Roll Tonight, and of course Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. In 2014, we have High Road with songs on it like High Road, Knock Knock, Never Stop, Rollin', Don't Live Here Anymore, I'm Comin' Home, X Generation, Only for You Only, Hang On, Mr. Bathroom, Brothers, LA, No Name. This is also a Frontier Records. Then in 2017, we have Don't Let Up with songs on it like Somehow, Some Way, Running Out of Time, Truth, Day and Night, Don't Let Up, Won't Be Your Fool Again. Say What You Want. We can work it out. Comfort Me. Jamie. Nothing left of yesterday. This was also a frontier record. And overrated to underrated, I would say overrated. I'm gonna say day and night would be overrated. Underrated would have to be running out of time. And the songs I added were somehow, some way, running out of time, and truth. And finally with the recent album they have is ATBPO in 2021. With songs on it like Coming for You, Bring It All Home To Me, Breakout, Hard to Make It Easy, Can't Afford a Hero, Cold As December, Dance, The Hardest Road, Monkey, A Lucky Man, and Tomorrow. This is also a Frontier record. And an overrated song would have to be Breakout. Um, underrated, I would have to go with Monkey. That was a good song. Um the songs I did were Breakout, Hard to Make It Easy, Cold as December, and Monkey. Let's get into a little bit of their live albums. Actually pretty good with these guys. I kind of liked a few of their live albums actually. Rock in Japan, Greatest Hits Live, 1998. Uh, I didn't also didn't pick any from this album. And then Live in Tokyo, I also I enjoyed this one. I just couldn't pick any of them. I liked the set list, I think the set list was pretty good with this album. And then 12 Strings and a Drummer Live Acoustic 2012. Uh the songs I added were When You Close Your Eyes, Sing Me Away, Forever All Over Again, and Sister Christian. That was a pretty good version of that one. And then the album that I would actually take as a vinyl, if not, you know, from Dawn Patrol. I probably would have picked that one if this live album wasn't so good. This is 35 Years and A Night in Chicago Live, Night Ranger 2016. And this set list was just it took me away. Everything took me away on it. I even added a song that I didn't add from their albums, but I added rumors in the air. And that was the one I added. And I didn't really add anything else, I just really enjoyed this set list. And plus, they had Penny, like the other live ones, they didn't add hardly anything from their Dawn Patrol. So when they added like a mediocre song from Dawn Patrol, I thought that was pretty excellent. Then they have the last one, which is 40 years, and a night with a youth orchestra pretty much. And so this was uh 2023. And I couldn't get into this one, I couldn't get in this orchestra one. And I was looking at uh lawsuits, like if Night Ranger had any public lawsuits throughout the years, and only thing I could find was the dispute change. There was that country band that was named Ranger, that was about it, nothing really legal happening, they just wanted him to change it. And then the Jeff Watson firing 2007 that almost ended up as a public lawsuit, but it did not result in such a thing. And then there's rat co-bill cancellation in 2016. In late 2016, Night Ranger was co-billing with a touring version of the band Rat, Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant. The casino cancelled Rat's portion of the show hours before the concert. It was basically a battle between trademarks within the band of former members, Rat. So some sort of legal action of a trademark was going on during that time and they had to pull out of the show. And Night Ranger played their sold out set as scheduled. So it was actually a sold-out show. That's crazy. Rat missed out. Also, another thing he mentioned, uh, Jack Blades on one of his live albums, I think it was the 35 Years one, that him and Kelly Keege in 1985 gave the music rewards to none other than Prince for the Purple Ray nominee. So that's kind of cool fact right there. Jack Blades is uh not only a Night Ranger, but he's in Shaw Blades Tech Masuno group Revolution Saints, and also he's one of the founding members of them damn Yankees. Now watch out for them damn Yankees. So I looked into the Damn Yankees and seeing if there was new rumors, anything said about them coming back together or making another album. And apparently excitement spiked when Jack Blades posted a throwback photo of the supergroup online, complete with an emotional lyric Ted Nugent's wife fueled to the fire by publicly comment do it again while fans beg a reunion tour. The Bravo session, the band featuring Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw and Ted Nugent, and Michael Carlano did actually attempt to record a third album around 1999. It was ultimately shelved because the material failed to please the labels through some of the leftover songs, eventually surfaced in individual solo projects. So what you hear from probably Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent is probably their stuff that was on that damn Yankees album that was gonna basically be released, but it didn't please Warner Brothers apparently. And then becomes the million dollar breakup following their massive success in the early 90s. The band never officially broke up. However, the rise of Grunge made their arena rock sound difficult to market. Warner Brothers famously handed them one million payout to not record the third album at the time, leading them quietly resume work with their respective bands, such as Styx, Night Ranger, and Ted Nugent. So basically what I got out of this is Grunge was making its way and they didn't want the butt rock hair metal to come back. So Warner Brothers kind of put a big brother stop to that. And it sounds like no one wants to do the album. But they are open to reuniting is what I'm getting at. So they might reunite more than anything. I don't know if you'll see another album from them. You might, but fingers crossed, hopefully something happens there. And honestly, looking into Jack Blades, like he wrote so many songs for so many artists, like I had no ideas. Like Molly Crew, same old situation, another Molly Crew song, Sticky Sweet, Aerosmith, Shut Up and Dance. A lot of damn Yankees. Remember Me Journey What Kind of Love Are You On, Aerosmith? It's Me, Alex Cooper, Sister of Pain, Vince Neal, Higher Plays, Journey You're Invited, But Your Friends Can't Come, Vince Neal An Ozzie Osborne Song, Nowhere to Run, Can't Stop Messin' Arosmith You're My Temptation Alice Cooper Kiss Me Softly Journey High Enough Sticks Whole World Falls Down Ozzie Osborne Again Yes I Can Sticks Uh Whenever You're Near Cheer You Can't Change Me. Vince Neal He did a Pop Evil Song Good With The Bad. Like This Guy's Crazy Talented. He's just An Amazing Writer. I Got A Reason Journey. World Gone Wild Journey Voodoo Dancer, Ozzy Osborne. Oh Japan. Our Time Is Now. TMG. Something So Good? Point of Grace. Eye to Eye. Ringo Star. He did One For Tommy Boy. The Soundtrack. Another Sticks. Best New Face. Crave Ted Nugent. Coming of Age Stix. He did Rat, Dead Reckoning. Okay, this is one of my favorite rat albums. That's crazy. Damned If De Do, Ted Nugent. Yeah, just crazy successful. Crazy. No lawsuits. Just kicking out a guitarist, a former guitarist. Let's look into who is recently in the band now. Jack Blades on bass, lead and backing vocals. Kelly Key, drums, percussion, and leading vocals and backing. Brad Gillis, lead and rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Eric Levy, keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals. Carrie Kelly, lead and rhythm guitar and backing vocals. What I expect from Night Ranger more or less, or what I think the direction they should go. I don't think they should make another greatest hits. I think honestly they should make another album honestly. Their last album was pretty great. I mean, not to write home about, but still it's like they got it, you know. Jack Blades is an excellent writer. Kelly Keegy is amazing on drums. They just got a Brad Gillis on guitar, it's just fucking sick. I want the damn Yankees to be back. I want them to make another album. But if I have to settle for anything with Night Ranger, it would be just make another album. You know, don't write on these greatest hits or don't ride on live albums, because I feel like that's nostalgic of what hair metal bands are doing now. They're almost scared to make new music, or they think no one else wants to hear this new music. I don't know. I think it's a great way to express yourself and keep going, you know. You might get another sister Christian. But that has been an episode of Hate to Rate, and honestly, I have to give Clay a shout out. Thank you, Clay, for recommending Night Ranger. Alright, have a good one. Bye.