SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NIGHT RANGER – 40 YEARS AND A NIGHT WITH CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA

NIGHT RANGER
40 YEARS AND A NIGHT WITH CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA
FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL

Night Ranger made its debut in 1982 with Dawn Patrol and the hit single “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”, but it was their next album, Midnight Madness (1984) that they broke big time with their monster hit “Sister Christian”. Since then, the band has been through many changes, but the music has always been distinctly Night Ranger. They are a band that has slowly moved from pop into harder rock and prog over their 40 years plus history. This album, 40 Years And A Night With Contemporary Youth Orchestra, is a live album that also serves an overview of their career.

For this concert, original members Jack Blades (bass, vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums, vocals), and Brad Gillis (lead and rhythm guitar) are joined by more recent recruits Eric Levy (keyboards) and Keri Kelli (lead and rhythm guitars), which has been their line-up since 2012. They are joined by Cleveland’s Contemporary Youth Orchestra for this special concert recorded in December 2022.

The band’s sound and songs are perfect for the orchestral treatment and it is a pleasure to hear them with a live orchestra, especially on songs such as “Call My Name”, from their debut album, which comes alive and sounds very current and strong with this performance. The majority of the songs are from their 1980s albums, with only one, “High Road” (High Road, 2014), being the newest featured on the album. This is a shame, as their last few studio albums have been quite strong and interesting and some of the material would fit.

But the hits are here, and fans will enjoy the arrangements with the orchestra. “Sentimental Street” and “Night Ranger” are beautifully arranged for orchestra accompaniment, while others such as “You Can Still Rock In America” do not feature the orchestra as much and it works. Of course, their big hit, “Sister Christian” is here in its glory, all nine minutes. The slow build, from piano to full band, to full band with orchestra, is dramatic and exactly what one would expect.

Overall, this is an excellent live album. There are different versions, and fans of the band should explore their options. The concert was a success and Night Ranger continues to grow, 40 years on in their history. Although they are not doing anything extremely new, it is a format that fits. This is an album fans will enjoy and is a welcome addition to their catalogue.

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