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Artist: Night Ranger

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Night Ranger Homepage

CD Title: Big Life

 

Category: AOR

Year: 1987

Label: MCA

Catalog Number: MCAD-5839

Personnel

Brad Gillis guitar, backing vocals
Jeff Watson guitar
Kelly Keagy drums, lead vocals
Jack Blades bass, lead vocals
Alan Fitz Fitzgerald keyboards

Tracks

1.	Big Life	5:16
2.	Color Of Your Smile	4:13
3.	Love Is Standing Near	4:24
4.	Rain Comes Crashing Down	5:56
5.	The Secret Of My Success	4:26
6.	Carry On	4:19
7.	Better Let It Go	4:40
8.	I Know Tonight	4:03
9.	Hearts Away	4:58
Total Running Time:		42:15

If you see any errors or omissions in the CD information shown above, either in the musician credits or song listings (cover song credits, live tracks, etc.), please post them in the corrections section of the Heavy Harmonies forum/message board.

The music discographies on this site are works in progress. If you notice that a particular Night Ranger CD release or compilation is missing from the list above, please submit that CD using the CD submission page. The ultimate goal is to make the discographies here at Heavy Harmonies as complete as possible. Even if it is an obscure greatest-hits or live compilation CD, we want to add it to the site. Please only submit official CD releases; no bootlegs or cassette-only or LP-only releases.

EPs and CD-singles from Night Ranger are also welcome to be added, as long as they are at least 4 songs in length.

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Existing comments about this CD

From: Tony

Date: May 6, 2002 at 23:39

Oh man the great memories with this album. Love everything about this cd!!! Saw this tour and they smoked!!! Great songs and Brad and Jeff just shred. Their most forgotten about cd and that's a shame. I think it's because "Secret Of My Success" is so associated with it and granted that might be the worst Ranger song ever but is by no means indicative of the whold album. Just check out "Rain Comes Crashing Down" and you'll be a believer. Almost perfect melodic pop-rock. Worth a 2nd chance.

From: Jenni	Date: June 2, 2002 at 20:15
I like Love is Standing Near. They have a great sound on every CD.

From: koogles

Date: July 1, 2002 at 21:57

Although the sheer thought of David Foster producing a rock band should scare the living shit out of you, "The Secret of My Success" was a great Chicago tune that just happened to get recorded by Night Ranger. "Hearts Away" sounds like a ballad written at MCA's gunpoint. To me, the real gems on this CD are the ones that didn't make the 'single cut': "Love is Standing Near", "Color of Your Smile" and "I Know Tonight". Recommended.

From: Gar	Date: August 11, 2002 at 19:57
Probably my least favorite Night Ranger album, but that doesn't mean its bad. The songs are all decent, but nothing really knocked me out either.

From: B. CASARIN (MEX	Date: August 16, 2002 at 21:33
el disco mas elaborado y arreglado de night ranger, una belleza, muy recomendable!! rating 9/10

From: robert	Date: October 21, 2002 at 9:31
estos hacen las cosas a lo grande, que buenos q eran, lo demostraron con discazos como este...

From:	Date: February 1, 2003 at 18:01
I haven´t heard this album, but I think that "The secret of my success" is not a bad song... jsmnavarro@lycos.com

From: Metal Pete	Date: February 10, 2004 at 13:51
'Colour of your Smile' is the hit here, and also the sountrack song 'Secret of my Success'. Other than that, I really thought it was a lot of filler, and stil further away from 'Dawn Patrol' which in my eyes was not a good thing. 'Big Life'the song kinda rocks. It's worth owning for those three songs, because 'Colour' is not on the hits package.

From: holyroller	Date: March 14, 2004 at 21:53
I'm not completely crazy about this album, but it holds a special place for me because it was the first CD I ever bought. (Cheapies bin at Ames for $6.99 in 1990)

From: Jesse

Date: August 23, 2004 at 2:04

To me, this album ranks up there with the previous 3. The only song I don't really care for off this one is "The Secret Of My Success." Doesn't really sound like a Night Ranger song to me. Other than that, I love em all. My favorite is "I Know Tonight." I think that, the title track, and Color Of Your Smile are truly greatest hits material. There's a great ballad in "Hearts Away" and who can't love "Love Is Standing Near" and "Carry On" or "Better Let It Go." Definitely pick this one up.

From: Geoff	Date: August 23, 2004 at 8:23
All I think of when I see this one is keyboards - a huge wall of keyboards. I actually do quite like it. Had it on tape but decided to upgrade to CD. Cool AOR disc, with perhaps a little too many keyboards, but still some pretty damn good songs. I like it.

Heavy Harmonies Volunteer
From: Jez	Date: August 29, 2004 at 15:53
The fourth in the series of superb releases. Some bands are hard pushed to release two good albums together nevermind five.Listening to them all back to back, it really is hard choosing a favourite one, they are all that good - Dawn Patrol just pushes it,but this one ain't far behind.

From: BWH"Indonesia"	Date: September 19, 2004 at 5:30
Unbelievable, David Foster produced it, he even played keys on Secret Of My Success, and Chicago's Bill Champlin got involved too. Fabulous. Love Is Standing Near is my favourite.

From: jack

Date: September 22, 2004 at 3:28

Not as good as midnight madness. I think the problem with this album is the hook. Unlike pop metal acts like whitesnake's whitesnake or def leppard's hysteria,you really can't find any good hooks in big life-whether its the rockers or ballad department. rEALISTICALLY,I THINK THIS ALBUM MARKED THE END OF NIGHT RANGER AS HITMAKER. After all,this is 1987 where the public's taste was beginning to shift to harder rock of gun'n'roses(impact of appetite) and alternative rock like R.e.m and u2.

From: Rockhead

Date: September 22, 2004 at 6:58

Another blinding testimony from the Deaf!! No hooks my ass-listen to Big Like, Color of Your Smile, Secret of my success and Better let it go-again. All of those songs are catchy as hell!! Nightranger NEVER really wrote any Hits with the possible exception of Sister Christian and 4 in the morning-but all of their albums were melodic rock monsters. This is an excellent mainstream rock album of the time.

From: Rockhead	Date: September 22, 2004 at 6:59
That should obviously say LIFE not like

From: TIM (2)

Date: September 23, 2004 at 6:26

I'd have to rate this and "Midnight Madness" as my two favourite Night Ranger albums, but you can't really go wrong with any of their first 5 albums. Things since then have been patchier, but the sound hasn't changed that much even on their later albums. Night Ranger have their own sound. Trademark 3-part harmonies, highly melodic verses, then big layered choruses, and if you like one of their albums you ought to like most of them. This still sounds fresh in 2004 IMO. Excellent. 9/10.

From: jack	Date: September 27, 2004 at 3:06
Rockhead,all i'm saying is the hook is not that good. There are hooks in some of the songs you mention but not as big and constant. If you take a good listen to hysteria or whitesnake,the hooks in this album is far lousier and less.

From: Curtis Bouvier	Date: September 27, 2004 at 3:51
"Rain Comes Crashing Down", is easily one of the best rock ballads i've ever heard.

From: Rockhead	Date: September 27, 2004 at 7:53
Whatever-Jack!!

From: jack	Date: September 30, 2004 at 5:27
Looks i someone is getting pissed off by my comment. Rockhead,if you could care less about what i've wriiten(from your upper comment),then why do you answer some of my comments?

From: Rockhead	Date: September 30, 2004 at 8:40
1. it is rude not to respond 2. I was bored and 3. I am truly waiting in expectation for the next worldly nuggets of information you deem worthy to share with the world. Good enough for ya!!

From: jack	Date: October 1, 2004 at 0:33
NO offense,Rockhead,but here's another world nuggets of information for ya-its rude not to respond?your response is mostly a rude one already,Mr know it all. You were bored?why don't you go listen to some metal stuff. Poison is ten times better than all of your aor bands,man!

From: TIM (2)	Date: October 1, 2004 at 2:12
Jack, if you don't like AOR stop bloody writing comments on AOR pages. Rockhead knows his music, you know jack shit.

From: Christine	Date: October 1, 2004 at 2:27
Jack, has it ever occurred to you that many of us like both metal AND AOR??? I like all the same bands you do, but Night Ranger was a kick-ass band, whether you thought they were "heavy" enough or not. And no, Poison is NOT a better band. Face it, "Talk Dirty To Me" isn't exactly the glam metal equivalent of Shakespeare...

From: Rockhead

Date: October 1, 2004 at 6:41

Thanks Tim(2) and Christine!! Jack-ignorance is bliss so you must be in heaven!! If only I knew as much as you-then I would be truly worldly wise!! Of course I should listen to METAL (like Poison) afterall they are soooo great. Maybe you should come out from your shell and come over to the boards so we can discuss my lack of knowledge and your wealth of it. I doubt you will take me up on my offer but just in case I will even start a thread. And Jack learn to spell!!

From: Rene

Date: October 3, 2004 at 13:10

This album is so good that its just increible. Any hard rock/aor lover from the 80s will love this album too. Not one bad song, only killer tracks by this killer band. NIGHT RANGER forever. (when you order this cd, also order SEVEN, their last album, also very good, or all the other NIGHT RANGER albums). Just now they also released a dvd of the band with 5 video clips. Only for die hard fans like me and you(????).

From: Rockhead	Date: October 4, 2004 at 3:24
Hey Rene-another Nightranger fan!! I have a live DVD from Japan on the Midnight Madness tour. It is awesome. send me a PM if you are interested in buying a copy.

From: Turtleman	Date: October 24, 2004 at 20:26
Man I like this album.It is a little on the AOR side for you guys( and gals) who like it real hard! But if you like to rock then you won't be disappointed by getting this one. Just another solid Night Ranger album, with the exception of "Secret Of My Sucess".

From: Glassheart	Date: November 26, 2004 at 4:21
Secret Of My Success and Love Is Standing Near are fucking great. It was a good idea to work with David Foster. Why didn't they also try Desmond Child ? 1987, it was the heyday of softer rock. IMO, they should had reduced the drive of their distortion level into the likes of Lukather and Huff. Or even Landau. This was kicking ass.

From: GlenRavine	Date: February 28, 2005 at 15:15
Secret Of My Success is the ultimate AOR song - it has everything and I mean everything. Keys, guitars (c'mon - the sound of electric guitars). This is a good DISC - I loved it.

From: Nick C	Date: March 10, 2005 at 15:29
Ahhahahahhahahaahhahahahahahhahahahahaa.......hahaaahahahahaahaahaahaaahhahahahaha....no..no wait a minute....gasp! Poison... haha... ten times better??!!! HAHAHA! Than what ??? Standing in a bucket of sh*t!!!! Ahahahahahaahahahahaha.....I don't want to re-ignite an arguement but just had to comment on that gem!!

From: Axelinger	Date: March 10, 2005 at 17:13
"Why didn't they also try Desmond Child?" Maybe because they have scruples...

From: MEVERICK ROCK

Date: August 10, 2006 at 1:24

OTRA VEZ YÓ... QUE SE LE PUEDE PEDIR A UNA EXCELENTE BANDA COMO LOS NIGHT RANGER GARANTIA TOTAL (Brad Gillis)SONIDO AOR GLORIOSO. AL IGUAL QUE LAS PRIMERAS EDICIONES DE LA BANDA MUY BUENA PLEGADA DE BUEN FEELING, SIN DUDA "CARRY ON" UN TEMA 100% AOR CON ESE TOQUE...} EL QUE NO TENGA LOS CDS DE NIGHT RANGER ESTA MUERTO!!! SOLO ESO AMIGOS FANÁTICOS DE ESTE ESTILO ÚNICO!!! SALUDOS A LOS AMIGOS AOR/HARD MELODIC DE LIMA - PERÚ BYE MEVERICKOAR

From: Rambo Rockerman	Date: January 20, 2008 at 8:48
This 4th one was still great,sure The Secret of My Success wasn't that great as other songs on this,but still a top notch record.

From: edwithmj	Date: May 10, 2010 at 7:19
I actually prefer this to 7 Wishes. The songs are much more catchy like Color of your Smile, Love is Standing Near and The Secret of My Success.

From: rick kerch vzla	Date: January 13, 2011 at 21:08
Another fine release by Night Ranger ...a band that is a reference 4 any self respected AOR lover or music lover in general...my fave tracks are "Big Life","Love Is Standing Near" & "The Secret Of My Success"(amazing this one and part of the soundtrack of the movie of the same name,starring the great Michael J Fox)..."Color Of Your Smile" is also a nice AOR song...get it!.91/100

From: hair metal again	Date: May 23, 2011 at 3:41
another great one by the RANGER !huge melodies ,lots of keys ,big choruses and some great songs like the amazing "love is standing near', "color of your smile " and "carry on".i think that everything they made is remarkable and all their releases are a must have.important band

From: Doghouse Reilly

Date: February 24, 2015 at 20:22

I dunno what it is, but you see it with so many bands. They come out at the right time, have one big hit and a respectable handful of small- to medium-size hits. And suddenly, it's five years later, and they sound like yesterday's news. So in 1987, Night Ranger return, but they still sound like 1983. Metal had grown in popularity in the two years since 7 Wishes, and the attitude and style were definitely more brash and wild than the comparatively sedate Night Ranger. At the same timee, the old AOR bands that ruled radio in the early '80's couldn't buy a hit in '87, with a bare few exceptions. Big Life still went gold in America, but still sold significantl lless than the previous two albums. I think people just got bored with Night Ranger. Didn't help that this isn't the band's sharpest collection of tunes either. They don't do anything on Big Life--orever again--that they didn't do better on the first three albums. Compared to what was then cutting-edge hard rock and metal, Night Rang

From: Rafo Phoenix	Date: April 26, 2020 at 15:56
Good Hard Rock/AOR! "Color Of Your Smile, Love Is Standing Near (A1), The Secret Of My Success, Hearts Away" 80/100.

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