Customer Reviews

Hole in the Sun

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Unlike some of the bands I liked growing up Night Ranger keeps getting better.

I thought Neverland and Seven were both very good CD's. Hole In The Sun one ups both Neverland and Seven. It is an AWESOME ROCKING CD!!

The band never sounded better. Their songs and musicianship keeps getting better. Highlights of this CD so far for me are: Tell Your Vision, Drama Queen, This Is Life, and one of the best songs they have ever done 'You're Gonna Hear From Me'. All four are CLASSIC Night Ranger songs.

The entire CD is excellent, and I have listened to nothing but it since it arrived at my door a little over a week ago.

It may be pricey, but it's 100% worth the cost.

GREAT JOB Night Ranger!!!!! You keep getting better!!!!!!!!

Being a longtime NR fan and I'll show my age here. I saw them open for ZZ Top in 1983, then headline with Ratt opening 3 months later. I last saw them in Dallas TX. at the Texas Jam 2 weeks before leaving home for a 6 year US Navy stint. OK, I'll cover that age thing back up now....

On to the album: Wow..... If you didn't understand that, I mean WOW..... and if that didn't get your attention I really mean WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This band never ceases to amaze me at how they can evolve and continue to make music that is both inherently Night Ranger, but up to date in its sound, and structure. Yes there is the dreggier Brad Gillis shredding, but accompanied by Jeff Watson's rock solid rhythm you can't go wrong.
For those that said Nederland was a flop, you may want to give this a listen; this AIN'T the Nederland Night Ranger. This is more like the Seven Night Ranger.
This cd is being advertised as the 8th Night Ranger release, so I can only assume that Feeding off the Mojo didn't count in this because it's only 2 of the 5 original members. By my count, it is actually the 9th release as I really enjoyed Feeding.
Needless to say, if you don't know Night Ranger, check this cd out. If you like the Classic Night Ranger, you can hear it within these tracks, but the total sound is a Night Ranger for the 21st century. And if you are one of those hypercritical people that never have anything good to say about GOOD music, you might want to move on.

And that's all I have to say about that.....
Get this cd, sit back and enjoy.

As some one who grew up listening late 1980s Hard Rock, I can truly say that 2007 and 2008 have been good years for CD releases by bands from the late 1980s era. In the past year, I have picked up excellent new releases from: Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Tesla, Dokken, and Great White. But overall, I'd have to say that this new Night Ranger release is the crowning jewel of the "80s revival".

"Hole in the Sun" rocks more than previous Night Ranger albums. And it doesn't really have the big ballad that many people probably expect from a Night Ranger album. But all in all, this may be Night Ranger's best album ever. It has quality songs front to back. And even though they have updated their sound for 2008, they avoid sounding like 40-somethings who are trying to fit in with the 23-year olds. Even though there's no new contender to be the next "Sister Christian" or "Goodbye", the new songs sound like logical extensions of things like "Rock In America" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", so it's not like they are trying to turn into Metallica or Creed or anything like that. Just good hard Night Ranger music.

This long awaited Night Ranger album shows a definite influence from current popular music. This is not a bad thing for a number of reasons.

1) The feel of the album is still very Night Ranger.
2) The newer sound might help attract younger listeners.
3) The growth of the band as musuicians is clearly evident.

"White Knuckle Ride" is especially good, (my personal favorite)both addressing alchohol abuse, and rocking the house.

"Tell Your Vision" is also very good, a classic Night Ranger opening song showcasing the newer sound, without the angry, deppressing lyrics so common in today's music.

My only dissapointment is the lack of lyrics in the jacket, a minor annoyance.

All in all, a must-buy album.

Thank you,

Tim Cagle

I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the CD and bought it. There were no song samples and the reviews weren't much help. I went in hoping to hear a rocking CD with some of their classic sound mixed in.... boy was I wrong.
If you, too, were looking for classic Night Ranger, keep looking.

If you ever wondered what Night Ranger would sound like if it released a CD with the latest guitar sounds and rhythms that you hear in current pop songs by Pink and Kelly Clarkson, then you got your wish.

Depending on what you are expecting from Night Ranger, you might agree or disagree with my review.

I really didn't enjoy listening to this CD very much.
You won't find very much of their classic guitar sound on this CD. You might hear glimpses of it now and then in the guitar solos of a few songs, but that's about it. The flat, off key vocals on a few songs were disappointing.
I know it's the in thing to do, but it's not a very good fit for this group.

Kelly Keagy sounded like he was bored on the few songs he sings lead on. (Drama Queen, There is Life, Being) Not much feeling in his voice. I have no idea why he sounds the way he does on this CD.

The keyboards by Michael Lardie added a little to the tone of this album. But they were more in the background compared to past releases.
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When I heard the beginning to the song " Rock Star" I thought I was finally going to hear a good old fashioned hard rock song. It started out good, but then soon fizzled into a light hearted jangly talk/rap song.

Now I know why Amazon, doesn't have sound samples for this CD....

Maybe they will bring back more of their classic sound on their next CD.
If not, I won't even bother buying it.

The Good
"Tell Your Vision" is a killer guitar track. The track kicks off like a sonic boom of guitars, and the solos are just as wild. "Drama Queen" is clever and witty, and everyone knows someone one just like the girl they're talking about. Ranger mixes it up with a blusey-groove here. "You're Gonna Hear From Me" is a drum-heavy arena rocker with that sing-along flow to it. "There is Life" really touches the heart with it's lyrics. "Fool in Me" is an acoustic ballad that surely could have been an outtake from a Shaw/Blades album. "Wrap It Up" recalls the Night Ranger hey-day with loud guitars and toe-tapping grooves.

The Bad
The production on this album is God awful. Terrible. My guess is there was a quick re-shuffle of recordings after Jeff Watson left. At least I hope that's what it is. I'd hate to think that Night Ranger just doesn't have it anymore. To be fair, two Watson penned tracks are still included. However, they are the two that most resemble Night Ranger in the 80s.

Despite it's great guitar work, the vocals on "Tell Your Vision" are just plain bad. Blades and Keagy are trying to harmonize, but they're styles conflict too much. "Whatever Happened" is just not Night Ranger. Sounds more like Nirvana making an attempt a melody. As great as I thought the lyrics were to "There is Life," it sort of has a "Sister Christian" quality to it. You can relate to the message on "Rockstar" with today's music scene, but if you can stand the vocals, your a bigger person than me.

They two acoustic bonus tracks ("Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sister Christian") were well-done, but were already released on a prior album.

The Verdict
Maybe it's me. Maybe I just want Night Ranger to sound like they did twenty years ago. I know that's not possible. The guys are older, the musical landscape has changed, and I can't imagine they had the same budget they did for their 80s releases. I have to say though, when I think of Night Ranger, I want to hear thunderous guitars, killer hooks, catchy choruses, and emotional power ballads. Hole in the Sun simply doesn't deliver enough of that. It does in a very small does, but not enough to carry the album. Perhaps it's time for the group to embrace the nostalgia, and forget about creating the next Night Ranger classic. Let's face it, we already have so much to choose from.

Got this CD when released in Japan months ago!
It just rocks hard all the way through.
This just reminds me of the band as they were when they first started out, all of these songs could be hits for them today!
Buy it and you wont be disappointed!

I say this because to get this cd in america by an american band it is an import and that is a shame. what happen to mtv vh-1(where the music comes first). That doesnt happen anymore. This is the best Night Ranger CD since Man In Motion which I think was their best from cover to cover. we wont hear this on the radio and only Night Ranger fans will order this cd and pay the $25.00 plus it cost but let me say that it is worth every penny. Every song ROCKS take my advise and order it, PLAY IT LOUD and tell me what you think.

Japanese version of crunching-rocking Night Ranger new album refeatures Don't Tell Me You Love Me in acoustic version. This version sounds really different from Dawn patrol version and really refreshing.

Recommended for fans alone.

THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM WITH THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP MEMBERS!!!, AMAZING GUITARS!!!, THIS ALBUM ROCKS HARD!!! THE JAPANESE BONUS TRACK -DON'T TELL ME YOU LOVE (ACOUSTIC)- IT IS A FRESH VERSION FROM THIS CLASSIC SONG!