Well, by now a lot of you have heard Neverland and given it you're verdict. But for the rest of you who haven't.....the good news is that it is coming your way in July. But for now, here is some more insights into the reunion record.
It was also time to get the lowdown on the Night Ranger rumour mill. So I called up Jack Blades to get a fill in, and while I was at it, quizzed him on each track from the album.

How's It Going?
Real good, the single comes out here June 9th and then the album comes out July 15th.

Great Stuff. What is the label you've got?
Columbia.

Is that right? Is John Kalodner in there somewhere?
John Kalodner is in the middle of it all. The new single was mixed by Bob Clearmountain. And we put a fifteen piece string section on the song 'Forever All Over Again', and had Clearmountain mix it, and it got mastered last Friday. Now we're getting everything ready, getting ready to do some radio promotion and all that kind of stuff.

Well I hope that will be big, it's a killer song.
Yeah, we're very happy. That's gonna go real good. Anyway Clearmountain mixed it, it sounds unbelievable.

Well, I thought you had a sharp sound with the Ron Nevison production!
Well, Ron did a great job, and the only song we re-mixed was 'Forever All Over Again'.

So you guys are counting on that being the big summer release over there, eh?
Yeah.
The new order for the album is Forever, Neverland, As Always I Remain, Someday I Will, My Elusive Mind, New York Time, A Walk In The Future, Slap Like Being Born, Sunday Morning, Anything For You, I Don't Call This Love.

And how about touring?
We are going to do a couple of weeks worth of shows in the middle of June, and then start touring hard and heavy in August.

How's the band doing now?
Everybody's very happy.

Okay Jack, a comment on each of the songs on the Neverland record.

New York Time.
Good rocking track, basically has a vibe of New York, stuck in traffic all the time, chaos and congestion.

As Always I Remain - A classic Night Ranger acoustic driven tracks.
Right, right. As Always is really one of the more Night Ranger type songs, you know, signature Night Ranger.



Neverland
Yeah, a great driving song, a real killer song. It's a love story, you know, I wrote it over at the castle when I was there, it has that castle vibe to it. It is a modern day love song, set in a kinda dream.

Slap Like being Born
Is a real kick ass rocker.

You have a southern tinge to it.
Yeah it's like a real good time American rock n roll thing happening with it. Man, sometimes you need a slap like being born , like when a baby's born, you need somebody to slap you on your butt, to breathe some air into your lungs, get a life, that's kinda what that songs about.

I Don't Call This Love
Sorta darker, it's what you want from a person but it's sure not what you are getting. What she's doing to you sure don't call love. You may think I'm strange but I don't call this love.

Sunday Morning - one of the killer tunes on Neverland.
It's really a kick ass song, it's about being with someone and waking up in the morning, and seeing what's been going on.

Anything For You
Kelly and I wrote that while we were watching the presidential election races, how those guys are liars and will say anything to get elected. That song is like 'promises promises step inside my head'

My Elusive Mind.
Just a good time fun song. A straight ahead good time. It's just about being crazy in the head, there is this woman who is going to help you out. It's just the whole idea that you're mind can wander, like when you party all night and you wake up in the morning with a hang over and the phone's ringing -it sounds like the devil singing. It's like 'oh God!!'

Forever All Over Again
A great sorta love song, about rediscovering somebody. Sometimes you let a person go, and you swear if you get her back you will never let it happen again, you just want to get that person back.

Walk In The Future
Is a bit of a dark song, about a girl that is kinda in her own head, you know, living in her own world. She needs to take a walk in the future, need to live her life.

Don't Tell Me You Love Me '97 and (You Can Still) Rock In America '97
We didn't do those on the American record, it was for Japanese only.
Yeah, over the years you play those songs so many times and you add little parts over the years as you're playing it, you think to yourself, gee I wish we would have done that when we originally recorded it, so we thought we would put all those little things in and put them on the Japanese record.

They sound heavier and tougher and rawer.
Right, right.
Okay Jack, what about the live album coming out?
Right, yeah, it will be out in July, we just finished mixing and mastering that.

What about the rumored Seven Wishes Live album, for the States?
Haven't heard of that one, that's a new one on me.

And I keep hearing that Ted Nugent has absolutely convinced himself to do a Damn Yankees album.
Yeah, that's the word out, that they want us to do another Damn Yankees record. Right now there are no plans to do it.

But you will be on board if there is one?
Well of course!! How could it be Damn Yankees with out me? Ha ha.

I totally agree!!
Okay Jack - thanks once again for your time. See ya.