Crazy Nights

The Tygers of Pan Tang were on a roll in 1981. After solidifying their lineup with a couple of key additions (most notably, explosive guitarist John Sykes) and receiving a warm reception to their second album Spellbound, the Tygers found themselves touring relentlessly and challenging the new wave of British heavy metal's top bands -- Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Def Leppard -- for U.K. supremacy. Unfortunately, their impetus ground to a sudden halt when they were rudely pulled off the road and forced to record another album in only three weeks time -- and without producer Chris Tsangarides, who had guided their first two efforts but was otherwise occupied with Thin Lizzy's Renegade album. Veteran Dennis McKay (Judas Priest, Pat Travers band) was hired in his stead, but there was little he could do for the band on such short notice to properly work through the material. The resulting Crazy Nights album therefore made for only a half-satisfying listen (meaning, side one) and was also lacking in the lyrics department, with dumb rock clichés like "Raised on Rock" and "Down and Out" ruling the day. The time constraints can also be felt in the album's overall mix and it is obvious that band and producer didn't even have time to properly mike some of the instruments -- particularly the drums which sound quite flat throughout, but especially on otherwise memorable hard rockers like "Do it Good" and "Never Satisfied." The first single "Love Don't Stay Here Anymore" delivers the goods, however, along with other highlights "Running out of Time" and the title track. [The 1997 CD reissue by Edgy offers three bonus tracks (including the excellent single B-side "Stormlands"), as well as band photos, technical credits, and extensive biographical info.]