Stephen
First time I ever heard their name is by their timeless ballad, "Sister Christian", but I didn't realize that they have a monstrous debut. "Dawn Patrol", an 1982 release, is probably one of the pioneers of melodic rock movement which later gained huge popularity in the mid-80s. Night Ranger brought a fresh harmonic singing with some sweet rocking guitars and tender AOR touch, half of the album are packed with some uptempo catchy tunes, several midtempo and ballads, and most of them are strong and solid.
"Don't Tell Me You Love Me" is a classic fave, I can't believe I have missed this track in the first place, definitely a brilliant piece of beautiful music. I've also heard an acoustical rendition and it's surprisingly awesome as well. "Sing Me Away" is another fan-fave, a great sing-along track. "Eddie's Coming Out Tonight" is a smart combination of hard rock and AOR, I love this one. Some other great goodies here are "Young Girl In Love" and "Penny", and perhaps only the title track is the worst of the bunch.
"Dawn Patrol" is a fantastic start of the band. To listen to the duets of Jeff Watson and Brad Gillis is a thrilling experience. Jack Blades is unquestionably highly talented and you can witness his genius creativity in the other bands such as Damn Yankees and TMG. All in all, a magnificent album, highly recommended for fans of traditional heavy metal, glam metal, and melodic rock / AOR.