RodeoSchro said:

lol.....u have no idea what the hell u are even speaking on.

Graycap23 said:

Anyone that has seen Night Ranger live would never say that.

Night Ranger is TIGHT, baby!

phunkdaddy said:

Then you need to list "Prince and the NPG". They are up there, no doubt. As we all know, Prince is the best musician in the entire world but that doesn't mean his band is the best, but any Prince band is going to be in the conversation.

I have never heard of Robert Randolph. Post something by him and let's see if I can stay awake through it. I'll give props where props are due, but I'm willing to bet Robert Randolph hasn't sold anywhere near the 16,000,000 records Night Ranger has. Even though this isn't about sales, it's about performance, the point is valid.

I've heard of Mint Condition - disco band, right? I might even have a Mint Condition record somewhere back in my collection from my DiscoSchro days.

The Stones are not an American band, so why bring them up? Did you read the premise of this thread? Aerosmith is certainly in the conversation. An Aerosmith/Night Ranger concert would be AWESOME!

And 'cmon - the Time? Prince wrote all their songs! I love them and groove to their tunes regularly, but they are no way near the best band in America. Undoubtedly they are better than today's posers, such as Fall Out Boy and Green Day and the Foo Fighters, and they are certainly better than any horrid grunge band like Nirvana or Pearl Jam, but they just aren't in the same class as Night Ranger. That's not a knock on the Time, just a fact.

It's becoming obvious that the answer to the question posed by this thread is "Very possibly so!".
[Edited 7/19/08 9:04am]

RodeoSchro said:

Sorry charlie Mint Condition first came on the seem in 1990 long after the
death of disco. They were signed to jimmy jam and terry lewis perspective
label after seeing the band play the twin cities circuit when jam and lewis
were looking for new talent. R&B bands had died a slow death around that time but jam and lewis saw something in this band that they knew were gonna be good.
They signed other artists around that time on their label like the bands sounds of blackness and lo-key and a few other flash in the pan artists but only
mint condition is still around. Mint Condition is one of the best if not the
best touring live band around. Just check out their live at the 9:30 club dvd.
In fact, the band has some rock tracks on all of their cd's except their current cd out now and they sound better playing rock than night ranger.
Oh and just for the record they wrote and produce all their songs from day one.

I would have given you some credit if you posted Aerosmith given their track
record but i just don't get this claim with Night Ranger.

RodeoSchro said:

U are holding a conversation on something u know nothing about.

Graycap23 said:

You are, of course, wrong.

phunkdaddy said:

Oh, I feel you on Night Ranger. One month ago, I would have had the same reaction. I thought of them as just another '80's hair band.

But then I saw them live. I've been going to shows for 34 years, and I can count on one hand the number of acts that can hold a candle to what I saw onstage with Night Ranger. They were absolutely brilliant.

I've been playing guitar for 25 years and felt pretty strongly that Prince was the best I'd seen live. I still feel that way, but Brad Gillis is within whispering distance. The guy is flat-out phenomenal. I've gone back and listened to their tracks and he (and the other guitarist, Jeff Watson) sound great on disc, but live - all I can say is WOW.

I expected the reaction I've received, because I know very few Prince fans have any Night Ranger experience. But I am here to tell you, they are that good.

I will have to check out Mint Condition. Thanks for the tout.

Rodeo i was already feeling Aerosmith since the Pump album.
Now i have a co worker who is from boston and he used to see
aerosmith often when they were on the grind. Of course he has
told me their history and life story and has let me listen to
their catalogue. What i didn't know was that these guys had
a blues background and some of their obscure cd's like honkin
at bobo aren't bad.

phunkdaddy said:

Yeah, they've got serious chops. They haven't come through H-Town in a LONG time. I think I saw them last in the late '80's - early 90's. They were great. They covered some Hendrix, and quite well.

RodeoSchro said:

I guess it's time to step back into reality.

The question who is "America's best band" (past or present), especially with no qualifiers (Based on what? Songwriting? Live performance? Just cause I said so?), could be discussed into infinity yielding no definitive answer.
(As the selections will only reflect the preference and opinon of the person answering the question)


The bottom line here is if in your mind Night Ranger anwswers that question, so be it.

Personally, I just don't agree.

One final comment regarding Steely Dan. They are presently on tour and continue to make critically acclaimed albums (technically & artistically).
Not to mention the exceptionally smart guitar playing throughout all their albums (hired hands or not).
Whether you want to consider them a band or simply a musical entity, have at it.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

The thing that bugs me is just how on NAME alone people will dismiss a band, or depending what decade they came from, we dismiss them. Night Ranger is good freaking band, alot better than i ever thought, and i always knew they could play and things like that, but musically they have the goods, and playing wise, sorry but if BRAD GILLIS is not on your top guitarist lists than you dont know guitar. And there are so many others that will be dismissed just on name alone, I posted awhile back a similar subject speaking on STYX and how consistent they are as players, that there drummer that joined in 1995 is possibly the best drummer out there, and peoples only debate was Styx? the roboto group. Thats just plain dumb, offer up an opinion if you have all the records and seen shows, not if you caught one or two tracks, and especially if you dont even know that they still record. Whether Night Ranger is "the best american band" is based on what you think and feel, but to dismiss them because you think you know just because you heard one or two singles 25 years ago is moronic and closing your mind to something.

Now as for them being better NOW than the groups out there called ROCK today, they are, plain and simple. They would wipe the floor with Fall Out Boy or Gym Class hereos or any one of these other bands called ROCK that arent. The best Rock records this year, as always have been done by the more "seasoned" artists, because they know what they are doing, they have lived, toured, gigged and fought for everything, they arent from the MTV real world generation where everything is handed to them and we are supposed to believe their "struggles" that is nothing but FAKE artists.

RodeoSchro said:

After that comment, I don't know why ya'll are even arguing with Rodeo. This thread shoulda been right there. Rodeo, honey, are you alright??? I know it's hot in Houston maybe you should stay outta the sun, son.

Oh, by the way, I'm going to see Maze and that world famous disco band Mint Condition tonight.
[Edited 7/19/08 15:13pm]

theAudience said:

Hey, I asked the question so I think I know what I meant! I am talking about the best band in America right now.

I love Steely Dan but they are not a band. There was no consistency of personnel throughout their storied career. Becker and Fagen are FANTASTIC musicians, but Steely Dan is an entity.

Yes, this is subjective. Rock on, brother!

SCNDLS said:

Hey, tell Rick, the drummer for Maze, that Greg from Wells Fargo and the Rodeo said "Hi"! And have a GREAT time!

lastdecember said:

AMEN! Best post of the year! I would have been one of those "Night Ranger?!? An '80's hair band?!?" dudes a month ago, but after seeing them perform, I am SOLIDLY on the Night Ranger train.

You are right on about Styx - they followed Night Ranger and they were EXCELLENT. In fact, Tommy Shaw sat in with Night Ranger (he and Jack Blades were in Damn Yankees together).

GREAT POST!
[Edited 7/19/08 16:12pm]

RodeoSchro said:

Styx to me where always a strong rock band and great live act, with PLAYERS, everyone is solid at there instrument but rarely ever mentioned on this "best of " lists. Tommy and Jack have been good friends for a long time and did the damn yankees thing and also have done albums as Shaw/Blades including a GEM last year, which was a covers album, but damn do they KNOW HOW to do covers. That subject could be another thread, especially on how covers should be done and shouldnt be done. But all in all i just feel that dismissing Night Ranger or any other band in that era or earlier, without hearing all of them, seeing them play etc..just isnt the way to form an honest opinion.

this guy really liked them.

RodeoSchro said:

I will and you stay outta the sun, suga.

I do like Sister Christian.

magnificentsynthesizer said:

Damn, that was depressing. Not even Night Ranger could save that movie.

Van Halen would kick Night Rangers booty.

Don't forget about Toto.

AlexdeParis said:

You're correct. VH could also kick Toto's booty. You could call them puppy kickers! :p

SexGod said:

Toto >>> Van Halen

I cannot name a single song by this band..

OK I played that video and it sounds familiar, but this must be the first time I ever KNOWINGLY heard "Sister Christian". Reminds me of "Baker Street" or some other pop ballad crap. I'd be too eager to punch the button to the next station preset.

SexGod said:

Eddie Van Halen is certainly one of the best players ever. As a band, however, they are great but I don't think they have the level of talent in each member than Night Ranger does.

I do love Van Halen, though. Especially that first album. One of the 10 best rock albums ever, IMHO.

AlexdeParis said:

How can I forget them if they won't go away?



Great players no doubt, but totally soulless music. The best thing I remember about Toto was seeing Cynthia Rhodes in one of their videos.

PFunkjazz said:

Replies like this get me excited, because I know you have a WORLD of great music that you're about to discover!

Here are a coupe of Night Rangers hard-rockin' classics. I hope you like them. And if you ever get a chance to see Night Ranger live, do it. You won't be disappointed!

RodeoSchro said: