The fourth live album by the cult American Hard Rock band.
Featuring ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Brad Gillis and former Montrose keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, Night Ranger was one of the most popular mainstream Hard Rock bands of the mid-'80s. The band formed in the early '80s in San Francisco; in addition to Gillis and Fitzgerald, the members included Jack Blades (vocals, bass), Jeff Watson (guitar), and Kelly Keagy (drums). After a few local gigs, promoter Bill Graham managed to get them supporting slots on Judas Priest, Santana, and Doobie Brothers concerts. Night Ranger's first album, "Dawn Patrol" (1982), reached number 38 on the U.S. charts, yet it was 1983's "Midnight Madness" that established the band as a commercial force. Featuring the AOR hit "(You Can Still) Rock in America" and the number five single "Sister Christian", the record peaked at number 15 and sold over a million copies. 1985's "7 Wishes" was just as successful, reaching number ten on the charts. Night Ranger's audience began to diminish after 1987's "Big Life". Fitzgerald left the following year and the band released their last album, "Man in Motion", which failed to go Gold or spawn any Top 40 singles. Night Ranger broke up the next year. Jack Blades joined the supergroup Damn Yankees, which also featured Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw. Following a seven-year absence, Night Ranger reunited in 1996 for a tour of Japan and a summer US tour. Fans proved that they still loved the music and the band. Also that year, the band released "Neverland", and the following year, "Seven", studio albums that set the standard for the 80s Rock revival. Nearly every summer since, Night Ranger has toured across the country, sharing stages with such acts as REO Speedwagon, Styx, Journey, Bad Company, Pat Benatar, Loverboy, Poison, Cinderella, Boston, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick and Kansas.
2007 proved to be another busy year for Night Ranger with a successful new studio album, "Hole In The Sun", released in Europe in April 2007. The band also embarked on a new Japan tour with Reb Beach filling in for long-time member Jeff Watson on guitar. The result is this exciting brand new live double-album release which includes audio from the band's June 2007 show at the C.C. Lemon Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. The tracklisting includes all the classic hits from the band plus a handful of songs taken from the newest album "Hole In The Sun" and a driving rendition of Deep Purple's "Highway Star" incorporated in the concert opener "This Boy Needs To Rock". Provided with an excellent sound, this really is a recommendable live album!
Night Ranger is a band that left an indelible mark with a string of best-selling albums that sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. Harnessing the frenetic drive of Heavy Metal to hook-laden Rock songs, throwing in a stunning twin lead guitar team and melodic radio-friendly power ballads, Night Ranger inspired new descriptive phrases such as Melodic Metal and Metal Power Pop.
"Rockin’ Shibuya 2007" illustrates a band that know their strengths lie in creating great hooks from song to song, balancing the tightrope between Power Pop, Hard Rock and even twin guitar hero worship. Proof that Night Ranger remain timeless – please erase the ‘power ballad’ tag as this band’s only forte as these men certainly know how to rock!
Frontiers Records/Dark Division/Irond Ltd., 2008 (IROND CD 08-DD666). Made in Russia. Used: very good.
Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. This Boy Needs To Rock / Highway Star 4:41
2. Tell Your Vision 5:00
3. Sing Me Away 4:18
4. Touch Of Madness 5:37
5. Drama Queen 4:24
6. Rumors In The Air 4:36
7. Seven Wishes 4:51
8. The Secret Of My Success 4:33
9. There Is Life 6:44
10. Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight 5:37
CD 2:
1. Sentimental Street 5:42
2. Forever All Over Again 5:07
3. Goodbye 5:09
4. Whatever Happened 5:05
5. Four In The Morning 3:49
6. When You Close Your Eyes 4:44
7. Don't Tell Me You Love Me 6:22
8. Sister Christian 6:16
9. You're Gonna Hear From Me 4:25
10. (You Can Still) Rock In America 6:28
Total playing time: 103:28