Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Blades, Jack
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2012
Running time: 47:58
Rating: 4.5/5
The driving force behind Night Ranger, one of the most beloved North American AOR / melodic rock bands and undoubtedly one of the most successful in the US and Japan, »Jacko« Jack Blades is a man with rock n’ roll running through his veins. The reborn Night Ranger, who dropped the phenomenal new studio album »Somwhere In California« last year – without doubt one of the handpicked bunch of the year’s finest melodic rock gems – has delivered one more lovely gesture that will delight longtime Night Ranger fans, as well as fans of the many other works penned by this prolific, forever inspired and immensely positive-minded musician. And this is only his second solo studio release, after the 2004 debut “Jack Blades”.
Let’s linger a little longer on the name Jack Blades and his rock n’ roll contribution and the standing he rightfully enjoys on the rock scene. Over his career, whether under the Night Ranger banner or other projects, the man has sold over 25 million albums, and he has worked as an arranger, producer and/or writer with a whole heap of legendary names of the music machine – we can safely say the biggest names in rock, including Aerosmith, Cher, Ringo Star, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne, Styx, Ted Nugent, Motley Crue and Motley Crue’s Vince Neil. And that’s not all. Jack Blades’ music has been featured in the soundtracks of the films »Armageddon«, »Boogie Nights« and »Tommy Boy«, in the TV shows »South Park« and »American Dad«, and Blades has also contributed music for the new »Broadway hit« about to open, called »Rock of Ages«.
With his contribution, Jack Blades is undoubtedly still an inspiration to the young rock generation today! Especially if you add to the paragraph above the big, timeless Night Ranger hits »Don’t Tell Me You Love Me«, »Rock in America«, »Sister Christian«, »When You Close Your Eyes« and »Sentimental Street«, plus his work with Damn Yankees and the ultra hits “High Enough” and “Coming of Age”. In other words, you do not want to mess with Blades, no way.
Jack Blades’ solo album actually features the whole Night Ranger crew, and that undoubtedly comes through loud and clear on the record. Even so, we can’t get around the hard fact that Jack Blades’ influential songwriting stamp on the sound of Night Ranger is so strong that it naturally spills over into his solo studio album, and this album is a must for anyone who knows Damn Yankees well, too. His bold, direct, raw yet playful, party-loving and carefree side – above all, his eternally positive outlook – confirms why Jack Blades clicked so well with the legendary rock n’ roll bruiser and bow-hunting nomad Ted Nugent.
The content of the album doesn’t stray from Jack’s rock philosophy, and above all Blades proves here why he’s so sought-after and in demand as a right-hand man in shaping the music of other big names. Once again, Blades shows an exceptional feel for a first-rate combination of bold, direct rock n’ roll obsession and a refined sense of keeping things melodically infectious, especially in the choruses, which build to a crescendo and carry off the crown for the album’s most catchy moods (Born For This, Love Life, Anything For You – with guest vocals from Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) , Say You Will, Don’t Give Up, Rise And Shine). Picking out individual songs is truly a tough job this time, because the two basic attributes of Blades’ musical philosophy just described are blended together brilliantly. There’s no »filler« on the album to steal the listener’s time, and that’s the key thing, along with the high level of inspiration and creative freshness that Blades has clearly managed to hold on to in full from the »Somewhere In California« sessions and to capitalize on so completely on his solo studio release too.
The production is very similar to that of »Somewhere In California«, which is kind of natural and expected, since the two albums hit the rock scene back to back, less than a year apart. A lively, voluminous, pulsating, full-blooded sound, with the players behind the whole musical picture clearly in the spotlight! Thanks to the generous use of acoustic guitar, as well as a firmly upfront, warmly vibrant bass line backed by the thunderous drumming of the masters Brian Tichy (Whitesnake) and Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), and with the exceptionally sensual vocal expression of Blades’ excellent singing (the emotion just boils over in Hey Now), the album has an authentic, organic-sounding face that takes you straight to the point of spotlessly sincere, honest rock rhetoric. And you can’t overlook the contribution of the all-star crew that worked with Blades on this album. Standing out is the superb soloing of guitarist Joel Hoekstra, in whom you can feel that the Night Ranger newcomer is still hungry to prove himself big time. In Say You Will, most of the attention goes to the untamed solo tornado of Blades’ Night Ranger partner Brad Gillis.
After the potent, cheeky opening with Back In the Game, the title track follows right behind it to cement the album’s rock power, built on a crafty rhythm driven by a cowbell in the vein of the Nazareth classic Hair Of the Dog, with a pure-blooded rock ‘n’ roll guitar phrase soaring above it from an unbridled AC/DC figure. Triumphant! As long as Blades keeps managing to reach this kind of expressive perfection in his songwriting, as the one-of-a-kind Love Life does, there’s no fear that the healthy rock heritage founded with The Beatles will ever die out!
»Rock ‘n’ Roll Ride« is an album tailor-made for all fans of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees, as well as everyone looking for rock authenticity and the ideal blend of the American approach to delivering bold rock n’ roll voltage, finely balanced with a first-rate feel for catchy lead melodies. An album that couldn’t define Jack Blades’ stature and voice as an artist any better!
Line-up
Jack Blades – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Joel Hoekstra – guitar
Will Evankovich – acoustic guitar, mandolin, guitars, electric sitar, backing vocals
Eric Levy – keyboards
Christian Matthew Cullen – keyboards
Kelly Keagy – drums, backing vocals
Robin Zander – choir vocal harmonies in the chorus of “Anything For You”
Colin Blades – backing vocals
Brad Gillis – guitar solo on “Say You Will”
Production
Jack Blades
Track list
1. Back In The Game
2. Rock `N` Roll Ride
3. Hardest Word To Say
4. Anything For You
5. Love Life
6. West Hollywood
7. Born For This
8. Don`t Give Up
9. Say You Will
10. Rise And Shine
11. Hey Now
