• AllMyVinyl #57
• Band: Roger Night Ranger
• Album Title: Dawn Patrol
• Release Date: 1 Nov 1982
• Date purchased: Unknown, but probably Nov 1982
• Location purchased: Unknown – MAYBE Sam Goody?
• Color of vinyl: black
• Number of discs: 1
• Links: [ Wikipedia | Discogs | Band Website | Complete album on Youtube ]

I have to confess one thing right up front with this album. I bought it when it was brand new, and for one reason only.  Brad Gillis.  Before this, Brad was in Ozzy’s band and recorded the live album “Speak of the Devil”, and when Brad moved on, he went to Night Ranger. So of course, I followed him over here.  I fully admit up front that there was NO other reason, and at that time (not now, but then) I viewed it (incorrectly) as “Brad’s band”.  But that’s why I got into Night Ranger originally – Brad Gillis.  Of course they’re so much more than that, but I had to mention that, since this is their first album I’m talking about.

So I picked up this vinyl right away as soon as it came out.  I don’t know the precise date, but I would not have waited, so I’m assuming it was Nov 1982 when the album came out.  I also have a reason to believe that it was bought at the old record store chain Sam Goody back then – a place I bought a lot of albums from.  This vinyl is also from the batch rescued from my mom’s basement.  This one has a harder path back to me.  If you look at the cover, you can see the 40 years of wear on the exterior cardboard (specifically the outline of the disc itself).  The album has more pops on it when I play it than most other, but..  It didn’t skip or repeat, I was able to play the whole album through, so in that regard it still works.  It’s just seen a few better days.  I never bought this on cassette or CD, just this original vinyl purchase from 42 years ago.  I think the reason i didn’t rebuy it is later on I bought a Night Ranger greatest hits album and it had my favs from this album.

Don’t Tell Me You Love Me – Great opening track, and has that Brad Gillis guitar sound all over it (which was good given my aforementioned reason for getting into Night Rangers). This was the first Night Ranger song that really stuck with me. It’s not a face melting batch of riffs or anything like that, but a good solid rock track to open up the album.  It’s also the only song to get a music video made for it at the time – it was on MTV an awful lot back then.

Sing Me Away – On track two, they go for an immediate tone change, as this is a slower song. It’s not a full on power ballad, but it kind of feels like it at times as the chorus is slower than the main part of the song. I think the reason I didn’t slag this off like I did say Sister Christian is this has some nice time changes in it – something I’m a sucker for.

At Night She Sleeps – Faster guitar riff than the first two tracks. But it doesn’t stay there. It veers off in a different musical direction. Right before the guitar solo (which I’m pretty sure is Gillis), there’s a really weird sound made by an instrument I’m not sure what it is. This song is just “there”, outside of the two bits I mentioned, the rest of it doesn’t do a ton for me.

Call My Name – This starts off with just a piano and vocals, so you get the idea it’s going to be a ballad. It doesn’t end up that way. It’s not quite like Dio does it when you get a “bang” and it goes to power. It’s more a gradual increase. The piano only returns at the end, but in-between it’s got a nice vibe which I found myself jamming to today.

Eddie’s Coming Out Tonight – This has a really catchy chorus that carries the song for me. I don’t have a ton to add about this one, but I *REALLY* like the chorus here. Ends with some great guitar work.

Can’t Find Me a Thrill – Opens with a really nice guitar riff.  The rest of its kind of pedestrian hard rock of this era.  It’s just “ok”.

Young Girl in Love – Songs with titles like this creep me out as I age.  That’s two songs in a row where the music doesn’t do much for me as well.

Play Rough – We’re back on the groove here.  This one’s a bit harder, and more interesting to me.  For a song titled “Play Rough”, you’d think it would be HARDER than it is, but then Night Ranger isn’t balls out metal, either.  Nice guitar solo for sure.  Fade out has a nice loud kind of in your face guitar sound I wished was more in your face through the whole thing, but I did like it.

Penny – Penny is a faster song than most, the kind I like.  Good song.  My favorite kind – 3:47 and a good fast moving track with some great guitar work.  Underrated song, I’d wager most people don’t know the song Penny.

Night Ranger – This has a great sound to it.  Especially when gets to about halfway through.  Nice vibe here.  No idea what the lyrics are about, but then I don’t always care about that.  More great guitar work.  The kind of stuff that I like Night Ranger for.  Not songs like Sister Christian.  Honestly, this track had slipped my mind (as did Penny).  I was quite glad to hear them again, as I enjoyed both.

To sum up…  The album is still good like I remembered from the past.  I’m well known for NOT liking Sister Christian and what it turned Night Ranger into.  I felt they were a good rock band here, and into the next album, so I was pleased to revisit this album.  I din’t care for more songs than I remembered feeling that way about from the past.  Still, the majority of what’s on here is great, and hell, you’re not usually going to like 100% of the songs on every album anyway.

I have several other Night Ranger albums in my collection, so I’ll be revisiting them again.  But it was nice to spin the original one which is now bloody 42 years old.  Good lord.  Where’s time going?