George Lynch and Don Dokken on That Metal Show

[Jagermeister]

Geez, Don looks like a hobo. Someone get him a stick with a nap sack attached to the end of it. I always liked Dokken for the Lynch factor. George was and still is a great guitarist. Dokken always struggled to be a top tier hardrock band. I don't think they ever hit headline status. They were still opening for bands during the Under Lock and Key tour. Saw them open for Twisted Sister in 85 and TS should have stayed in their dressing rooms. Dokken was on that night and Lynch was tearing up the fret board. TS came on and they played Leader Of The Pack early in their set and me and my buds said f#*K this and left. I was 17 at the time and watching 4 hairy guys from New York dressed in pink was just absurd. I believe that was the beginning of the end for TS that year anyway. Dokken had some good tunes but like Quiet Riot, RATT and others of that era, they were just riding the coat tails of The Mighty Van Halen. VH was MIA in 1985 which allowed bands like Dokken, RATT and TS to enjoy a little fame before fading into hair band obscurity.

RATT has a new album out and it's kickass.

[tojoro]

Though his voice had some oopph, I always thought Don was the weak link in the band. Sappy lyrics. They got more cheeseball as time wore on, when I think the other three just wanted to rock the fuck out.
Poor Lynch must still wonder what could have been. His manager never told him Ozzy was looking for a guitar player when Rhoads got the gig in '79, and he was told he got the gig in '82, but then it was taken from him and given to Lee instead.

[Jagermeister]

Though his voice had some oopph, I always thought Don was the weak link in the band. Sappy lyrics. They got more cheeseball as time wore on, when I think the other three just wanted to rock the fuck out.
Poor Lynch must still wonder what could have been. His manager never told him Ozzy was looking for a guitar player when Rhoads got the gig in '79, and he was told he got the gig in '82, but then it was taken from him and given to Lee instead.

Poor Lynch. LOL. His ego was so huge back then I am sure he wasn't worried about it.

[ELVIS]

He's not all that great a player...

[sonrisa salvaje]

He's not all that great a player...

I'm not a guitar player so this is difficult for me to grasp. To those that play guitar, this may be something that is generally known but my perception has always been that Lynch was widely accepted as a damn fine guitar player and thought well of by his peers. Thus, i have to ask why you have this opinion? Is it that his solos aren't showy enough? Does he have a technical flaw that is identifiable in his playing? Does he take shortcuts to get around them?
Please, for the love of all that is heavy metal, break the code and tell me.

[ELVIS]

His playing and his very repetitive and simplistic and he was never a good live player...

He doesn't suck but he's not a guitar hero either...

[sonrisa salvaje]

Hey, i can respect that opinion. Appreciate the response.

[Seshmeister]

Though his voice had some oopph, I always thought Don was the weak link in the band. Sappy lyrics. They got more cheeseball as time wore on, when I think the other three just wanted to rock the fuck out.
Poor Lynch must still wonder what could have been. His manager never told him Ozzy was looking for a guitar player when Rhoads got the gig in '79, and he was told he got the gig in '82, but then it was taken from him and given to Lee instead.

He would have been an adequate replacement in 1982 but Lee was better. Him missing out in both cases are just more examples of the incredible luck of Ozzy.

[ELVIS]

Jake was a very entertaining live player...

[bueno bob]

Always been a Dokken fan...well, up til 2002 or so. Lynch and Pilson always wrote pretty damn well together, considering. Mick's a solid drummer, and he's definitely held up better than most of his contemporaries. A live Dokken show is always a lot of fun.

You can't underestimate Don, either. The guy's a studio wizard and, having seen him play guitar live a few times, an OUTSTANDING guitarist, and that's one of his best kept secrets. Fair bassist, also. I found him a funny, considerate, down to Earth and somewhat self-depreciating guy and a lot of fun to hang around with as far as professional musicians are concerned.

Elvis is right that Lynch really isn't all that much to write home about. Great at what he does, but he can't do much else.

Good to know that the real Dokken is coming back soon, though. Hopefully the bulk of the writing is left to George and Jeff, they definitely know how to pull off a proper Dokken album (although the last one, Lightning Strikes Again, was very well done and the closest thing to a traditional Dokken album since Back for the Attack).

Breaking the Chains, Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack easily trump 95% of anything it was lumped in with back in the day...

[Seshmeister]

Do you not think though that Back For The Attack was over long by about 4 tracks?

Also apparently by that point DD was writing separately from the rest of them, bolting on melodies to completed tracks and it definitely sounds a bit like that to me, a bit samey and formulaic.

All that said there are some very good songs, Burning Like a Flame is excellent(although what retard came up with the video?).

[bueno bob]

Truth - the Burning Like a Flame video was ghey. At the time I thought it might have been a bit overlong, but as the years have gone on, I really couldn't imagine it being much different. Definitely one of my favorite albums from 1987, and...Dream Warriors takes me right back to 8th grade, waiting in line to see it in the theater...God, what a great fucking time that was!

[sonrisa salvaje]

Do you not think though that Back For The Attack was over long by about 4 tracks?

Also apparently by that point DD was writing separately from the rest of them, bolting on melodies to completed tracks and it definitely sounds a bit like that to me, a bit samey and formulaic.

All that said there are some very good songs, Burning Like a Flame is excellent(although what retard came up with the video?).

It was definitely long by about 4 tracks -one track that comes to mind is Just Walk Away. Songs like Kiss of Death and Standing in the Shadows are excellent.

I really enjoyed Don Dokken's Up From the Ashes album. I thought it was an adequate sequel to a Dokken album and better than anything that has been done since by any form of Dokken.