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Like many a young man, Colin Blades has grown up in the family business. Yet rather than painting and decorating, the Blades’ trade is hard rock in the classic American style.

“He’s been around hooks and choruses since before he was born,” says Blades senior, and it was Colin who came up with the tone-setting opening tune for Night Ranger’s 11th studio record, High Road.

Like much of what follows, it’s almost out of Night Ranger’s top drawer. Their greatest hits were songs of another time, but in Knock Knock Never Stop and the inevitable Sister Christian stylings of Only For You Only, there’s plenty of energy and verve, and some fierce playing too.

The real star of High Road is Brad Gillis, who cuts loose to terrific effect. If making records like this serves to keep Night Ranger fresh and out on the road, then all power to them.

Jon Hotten is an English author and journalist. He is best known for the books Muscle: A Writer's Trip Through a Sport with No Boundaries and The Years of the Locust. In June 2015 he published a novel, My Life And The Beautiful Music (Cape), based on his time in LA in the late 80s reporting on the heavy metal scene. He was a contributor to Kerrang! magazine from 1987–92 and currently contributes to Classic Rock. Hotten is the author of the popular cricket blog, The Old Batsman, and since February 2013 is a frequent contributor to The Cordon cricket blog at Cricinfo. His most recent book, Bat, Ball & Field, was published in 2022.