Big Life

Big Life is the fourth album on which NIGHT RANGER stepped toward a bigger, more open production and commercial polish amid the shifting rock landscape of the late 1980s. Onto the familiar drive of the twin guitars, the band layers the thick keyboards and stacked harmonies fashionable at the time, moving closer to a melodic rock aimed squarely at radio and MTV. With the golden age of arena rock beginning to crest, the band tried to answer the changing times by refining its sound further. It is a transitional record where the band’s character meets the demands of its era. “The Secret of My Success,” co-written by Jack Blades and known as the theme to the 1987 film, symbolizes the bright, catchy direction around this album. Guitar solos still get their moments, but the writing as a whole prioritizes the pull of the vocals and choruses, foregrounding breezy harmonies and a polished sound. As a result the wild appeal of the early records recedes somewhat, yet there is plenty to enjoy as refined melodic rock, carefully mirroring the atmosphere of the scene at the time. Steeped in the atmosphere of the decade, it marks the later stretch of NIGHT RANGER’s peak years.