I Will Follow You (1985)

The album 7 Wishes is full of irresistible guitar riffs and this song is not exception. It begins with that (now) classic Night Ranger rhythm guitar that compels the listener to continue the journey through the song. At first, this sounds like it is going to be a nice ballad, but the music picks up pace – then slows back down – then picks it up again to climax in yet another perfect guitar solo. The lyrics tell a sad story of a love that has been lost, but in a refreshing twist, it is regained, “And now the rain / Washes the tears from my eyes / And to the end of time I will follow you.” I love the optimistic tone of the final verse, “I see you walking and my heart begins to pound / Like the sound of distant thunder as it echoes to the ground / Well, I’m lost but now I’m found.” It is great to hear a song that takes a typically morose situation and turn it around and give it a hopeful ending.

There you have it, ten songs that are not played very much on any sort of radio or music video station – but they are great songs. If these ten tunes have not convinced you to pursue more music by Night Ranger, then nothing will ever do that. Go ahead, give them a listen- you will not regret it.

Now I will reveal that third cassette that I bought in a panic on my return trip to the U.S. I am not proud of this purchase, but remember I was desperate and the store’s selection left quite a bit to be desired. Now, I did discover two artists that I still love today, Night Ranger and Andy Taylor, but that third one – that third one . . . Ok, here it goes – that third one was Jack Wagner’s third album Don’t Give Up Your Day Job. What can I say, I liked his character from General Hospital, Frisco Jones and I still stand by his biggest hit single “All I Need” from 1984. I thought this album would be OK – I am still trying to forget this unfortunate event.

Next week I am going with my favorite Bon Jovi songs that have never officially been released as singles and, therefore, count as deep tracks.

Eddie’s Coming Out Tonight (1982)

This is the fifth track on the first album, Dawn Patrol and helps establish Night Ranger as a serious rock band. It opens with a haunting keyboard that blends into a strong rhythm guitar. The song has a somewhat sparse sound without much filler and a strong solo. Lyrically, the song is basically a character sketch. In the world of literature, a reader is able to analyze a character by identifying indirect character traits. We can tell what a character is like by what they say, how they look, what they do, their thoughts, and what others think about them. While Night Ranger does not hit on all of these, they do use a few to provide a look at Eddie, a slick type who enjoys his night life. Eddie definitely looks the part, “He wears his trousers real tight / And his skin is so white . . . He wears Italian shoes / that are used to good news.” We do learn that his appearance may not represent the truth as he “Lives beyond his means . . . The street’s his type / The alley is where he’s king.” Like most of us, Eddie has a love interest, but she too has a suspicious way about her as she, “Doesn’t care for a halo / She never ever says ‘No’ / She’s so insane.” They spend time together running through the city night and may even be looking for trouble, “They like the late night madness / To break through the silence . . . They say tonight’s the night / They’re gonna cut you to the limits / Tonight you live or you die.” I am not sure what to make of Johnnie other than I do not think we would be close friends. I do think that Eddie will find a way to survive because, “He says he loves the rat race / He always plays to win.” This song foreshadows the potential that Night Ranger has a rock band – only great rock and roll is on the way.

Hearts Away (1987)

Yes, you are being presented with two consecutive power ballads, both of which are just as good as “Sister Christian.” Would it be blasphemous of me to say that I like “Hearts Away” as much as, and maybe even a little bit more than that mega hit from 1984? Well, I do and I think you will enjoy it, too. Once again you have the trappings of a classic power ballad – and I love it. Strong keyboards by Fitzgerald play a prominent role in this song and can be heard throughout, sometimes as background and sometimes as a primary instrument. The song has a predictably slow pace, but build and builds to a blistering solo by Gillis – no wait, there are two solos. Just like in “Sister Christian”, Kelly Keagy takes over lead vocal duties. He does have a really good voice for these types of songs- smooth and powerful. Lyrically, the speaker in the song is reminiscing on a lost love, wishing he could somehow get her back: “Hearts away, I cast my heart to some romantic yesterday / When I was on my own / And you were blind to everyone but me / Now today, I throw my heart to some / Forgotten memory, when you were / What was meant for me / A stranger with a place to always be.” Nothing new or earth shattering, but isn’t that what we really like about these power ballads, anyway? There are a finite number of love stories and they are told and retold – this song does so in a powerful way. Despite his yearnings for things to return to the way they used to be, it does not look promising, “And today, I cry myself to sleep each night / I only wish I’d wake up so see you lying next to me / I know I’m sure it’s killing me.” This song is yet another great power(ful) ballad from a decade full of these powerfully emotional songs.