Customer Reviews

7 Wishes

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember when I first heard "Sentimental Street" in 2001, I was immediatley hooked, and as soon as I got the chance, I special ordered "7 Wishes" from a local record shop. At first, the only two songs on the album I listened to were "Sentimental Street" and 'I Will Follow You". I slowly worked my way to the other songs on the album starting in December with "Goodbye", and then "Four in the Morning" in March, then after that, "Interstate Love Affair", "Night Machine", the title track in 2003, and then I listened to the songs I hadn't heard yet in 2004. This is one of my all time favorite albums. "Sentimental Street" is Night Ranger's best song ever (much better than the overplayed Sister Christian). "7 Wishes" is right up there with anything by Journey, Styx, Boston, REO Speedwagon, and any other arena rock legends. Pick this one up!

I could not call this a better album than Night Ranger's two previous albums, the amazing first release "Dawn Patrol" and the huge follow-up "Midnight Madness". While those are slightly more classic albums start to finish, this one is very close. This third album by this fantastic band marked the last time they would have top 40 singles--truly a shame considering that they have released fine material since as well.

Highlights on this album are many. The opening track, the title track, is a full-fledged rock track, as is the next track "Faces". "Four In The Morning" is a great mid-tempo track and was a moderate hit. "I Need A Woman" is a rocker and has a slow groove all at the same time. "Sentimental Street" is a very fine melodic power ballad and the band's only other top 10 hit besides the more-famous "Sister Christian". Great song.

The second half of the album contains more highlights, including the hard rock of "This Boy Needs To Rock", "Interstate Love Affair", and "Welcome To The Night Machine". "I Will Follow You" is a good mid-tempo track with a pretty chorus. And for sure, the touching closing track "Goodbye" is one of the better ballads I have ever heard. Can't beat the sentiment of the lyrics as well as the gorgeous melodies. Who knew that it would be the band's last top 40 hit?

I agree that the first two albums by these guys are impossible to top. But for sure, this one stands right there with them as a great '80s rock album. Absolutely a must-purchase for fans of the band, this type of music, and this era of music. I still love this album to this day.

7 WISHES is Night Ranger's last great studio album, and it also contains their final Top 40 hit ("Goodbye"), although no one knew it at the time. Consistency starts to become a problem here, but overall this is a great album. If you have DAWN PATROL, MIDNIGHT MADNESS, 7 WISHES, and LIVE IN JAPAN, you have the ultimate Night Ranger library.

This is one of my favorite NightRanger CDs. The guitar playing is excellent from start to finish from Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson. Brad Gillis is a very underrated guitarist in my opinion. Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy's vocals are superb. This album is more melodic than their other albums and I love it. The 3 hit singles Sentimental Street,Goodbye,and Four In The Morning are my favorite tunes on this CD. Interstate Love Affair and Seven Wishes are also standout songs on this album.

Too bad this was the last release to find its way onto the airwaves, but if this is the last disc they're remembered for, it's sufficiently noteworthy. The melodies and arrangements, and yes, the hooks are all here. I got a chill when I first heard the song, 'Goodbye', the final track on this disc, playing through the credits on the video version of the live tour from this release. In retrospect, quite a symbolic idea. Songs from this release are among the most important in their repertoire: 'Seven Wishes', 'Four in the Morning', 'I Need a Woman', 'Sentimental Street', 'This Boy Needs to Rock' (or 'You Can Stil' [RiA] part II, as I think of it), and the aforementioned 'Goodbye', which I would imagine would be the ultimate show closer. A must-have for AOR fans.

Their last hit album, "Seven Wishes" is not the most important or essential Night Ranger LP, but it does boast some fine guitar work from Jeff Watson and Brad Gillis, who by then had nearly exhausted their pyrotechnics from their bag of guitar tricks. The songs are not much different from those heard on the first two albums, which were more exciting and freewheeling than this, but no Night Ranger fan can call his collection complete without this slice of 1985 guitar rock.

Night Ranger is the top student of melodic rock school. The band is made up of top-level musicians with each of them tend to play individually. Jack Blades did the difficult task of coordinating such talents into organized expert work. The band started career just when two key trends upset the music world. To become huge in corporate rock world the band must have either of two elements. Girly high-toned vocal just as Steve Perry, and Mickey Thomas to accommodate with synth-heavy music. Perfect command of keyboard-heavy pomp rock arrangement just as Boston did. Alan Fitzgerald with masterful command of keyboard made one element cleared. But the band does not have the second element high-toned vocal. Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy co-vocaled and supplemented the lack each other. There is another deadlock the band must pass. To become commercially huge they must have ballad hits. Survivor did make rock hit EYE OF THE TIGER but as Jim Peterik himself admits this was just the exception rather than rule. Previous album with top 5 ballad hit SISTER CHRISTIAN and the band cleared the last obstacle. So the third album with some ballad hits is the natural outcome. Why can't they rival with Journey, Toto, Survivor and Def Leppard and pursue what they were trying to achieve?

CRITICISM FROM CORE FANS
However, rock fans who lauded them as some kind of metal rock saviors began to complain about too many ballads particularly GOODBYE. Japanese metal fans who think of JUDAS PRIEST as their rock god and keen readers of BURRN magazine in particular wrote them off as gone badly as AIR-SUPPLY sort of junks.

ERRATIC SONG ARRANGEMENT
Album song arrangement made the ire of the fans worse I think.
Why Goodbye is the last song of the album? It's not a good choice. Yeah some metal bands do this but with much caution. To set the last song ballad like the ballad must be bombastic. Good example is recent Pride of Lions GIFT OF SONG and Fair Warning's Four ending song FOR THE YOUNG or their rival Survivor's I SEE YOU EVERYONE in Vital Signs. NIGHT MACHINE is supposed to be the last. They should have adopted the "LUMP CATCHY SONGS" rule and made "goodbye" locate the first half of the album. Just as Survivor's Vital Signs did why not fourth track rather than last?

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS

FACES: Dramatic intro warmly vocals, excellently structured.
THIS BOY NEEDS TO ROCK: Fun uptempo rock track answering Bryan Adams's KIDS WANNA ROCK?
I WILL FOLLOW YOU: My top favorite emotional power ballad.
INTERSTATE LOVE AFFAIR: Upbeat rocker essential for concerts.
NIGHT MACHINE: Yeah. That's what Night Ranger is all about.
GOODBYE: Nice power ballad but not the song for the last track.

Since this album's severe feedback the band trying to reorganize just in vain. They made great last album of the 80s MAN IN MOTION but after that the band called it quit and until 97 reunion fans felt sorry for the loss of one of the greatest rock bands on earth.

Verdict: Excellent album. Forget power ballad hits. Rockers are super.
Rating: 94 out of 100. Minus three points for "Goodbye" issue.
Recommended for mid 80s pop fans who like Survivor, Foreigner, Toto, and Def Leppard.

it is another great CD from this band...and another must have...great songs that definitely rock on here and classic hits as well

From their freshman disc "Dawn Patrol" Through "Midnight Madness" To This Disc And On, The band has never disappointed. Solid From Start To Finish, And You Can Guarantee That I Am Being Honest Because I Normally Listen To Bands Like "W.A.S.P" "Kiss" Twisted Sister" "Slayer" And The Like. SO GO GET NIGHT RANGERS DISCS You Won't Be Disappointed At All

I am not sure if I am reviewing the CD or the MP3 of the song since I bought both. The song is a little campy but it is classic Night Ranger and really fun to listen to. I listen to the song and the CD almost every day.