Album Reviews

[jhale667]

LOVED Lynch Mob!

Dunno, "She's Evil but She's Mine" was pretty cool... so was "Wicked Sensation".

[hambon4lif]

Same here! Not amazing songs, but great pregrunge stuff none the less. I always liked reading Lynch interviews, too. He was always frustrated with his sound and he got pretty down about it for a while. Like he felt doomed to never being satisfied. I've always thought his tone got gradually richer.

I have his "Kill All Control" disc, and I think it's fucking incredible. It may sound like a compilation album given the different singers on each track, but Lynch was alot happier and closer to what he wanted.

"Wicked Sensation" wasn't a bad album at all. The title track, 'River Of Love', and 'All I Want' are really good songs. Then again, I think Oni Logan was ten times the singer Don Dokken was. Don's objective always seemed to be 'I just want to make it' as opposed to contributing something awesome, kickass and worthwhile. His motivation was always suspect, in some ways, it still is.

I don't really have to go that far to defend that statement. "Mr.Scary" is one of Dokken's most popular songs. What does that tell you?

[binnie]

From the vaults: Skin – Fleshwounds (2003)

The second solo album from Skunk Anansie vocalist Skin was something of an overlooked gem. Existing outside the hard rock with which she is better known - its surprisingly lo-fi, involving piano, drum machine, electronic atmospherics and orchestration – and involving a wide range of outside songwriters – including Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams) and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) – this was not an upbeat record that grabs you and shakes you up. Instead, it is very personal record. Personal in a wonderful way, the sort of treasure of a record that you go to when you need it. And in truth, with a voice like this – Skin must be one of the great rock vocalists you’ve never heard of – it really doesn’t matter what genre it exists in.

Opener ‘Faithfulness’ is the sort of trip hop that Portishead made their name with: delicate, and darkly atmospheric at the same time. The acoustic ‘Trashed’ is beyond raw, an understated ballad which could be described as ‘tender’ only if the word is evoked as a synonym of ‘sore’. ‘Lost’ is wrap around a series of silky, serpentine hooks which bring menace to its pain and longing; whilst ‘Getting Away With It’ is the sort of soft/heavy blast of rock with which Skin made her name in her day job. It’s staggeringly confident stuff that knows exactly when to pulling back makes a song more powerful. Perhaps best of all ate ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘You’ve Made Your Bed’ – this is soul with substance, with vocals that will melt your heart. The sort of stuff Adele might right if she actually had the talent to live up to the hype. Heartbreak has rarely been captured in all its ferocious sadness.

[binnie]

I'd have to agree that Sacred Heart is certainly wanting in comparison to Holy Diver and The Last In Line.

What struck me at the time of the initial release, and what has resonated all these years later, is that Sacred Heart IS kind of classic-Dio-by-the-numbers to a degree. By "classic-Dio" I'm referring to the first Dio solo band lineup (Bain, Appice and Campbell WERE toally fucking lethal). While Holy Diver sounded furious and spontaneous and Last In Line sounded slightly more controlled yet still energetic, Sacred Heart often comes across as very labored, musically and lyrically. Almost as if the band were really trying a bit too hard to adhere to a stylistic formula mapped out on the first two albums. The result was an album that, to a degree, had the effect on me of "I've heard this type of stuff done before by this band twice already, and done a bit better as well".

Holy Diver was such a burst of hard rock fury that the very energy of the performances made it easy to overlook the shortcomings that were there (to my mind, Straight Through The Heart and Invisible sound kind of bashed-out and samey-sounding). Last In Line was a bit more focused, and despite a few throwaways (I'd be hard pressed to imagine it taking more time to write Evil Eyes than to record it) I would go so far as to say there were actually better tunes on LIL than HD (Christ...We Rock to the title track to Breathless to I Speed At Night to One Night In The City...and not a dragon, wizard or warlock in the bunch!).

Sacred Heart sounded like the band were trying to come up with songs that fit a Dio template, rather than let the songs develop organically. I just can't agree that tunes like King Of Rock And Roll, Rock And Roll Children and Hungry For Heaven are nearly as good as even the lesser-tunes on the two albums that came before, and the title track of Sacred Heart has always been a plodding, lumbering endurance test for me to listen to. Also, I found Shoot, Shoot to be bordering on the inane. However, I WOULD say that when Sacred Heart cooks (Just Another Day, Another Lie, Beat Of A Heart), it does fucking rock, and rock well, indeed. I'd also agree that this is some of Campbell's most focused work on all of the Dio albums. You can literally hear the guy boring down and concentrating, especially on the solos, rather than just letting it rip like he had a few years ago on Holy Diver.

Sacred Heart is certainly a step down from the first two records, but I'd still argued that it's underrated. It gets much shorter shrift than Dream Evil, for example. I think it is more labooured than than the first two, as you say. However, as I think I said in the review I think a lot of that has to do with the big '80s production - it robs the songs of power.

I really like tunes like 'King of Rock And Roll', 'Another Lie' and 'Hungry For Heaven'. Given that there was clearly a Dio template by that point, however, it is the law of diminishing returns - 'Holy Diver' surprised everyone, but it you repeat a template you fall into AC/DC syndrome........

I'd agree about Viv Campbell. Saw him live with 'Thin Lizzy' about 3 years ago and I was scratching my head think 'why has this guy been playing second fiddle to Phil Collen for 20 years'. He was sensationally good.

[jhale667]

I'd agree about Viv Campbell. Saw him live with 'Thin Lizzy' about 3 years ago and I was scratching my head think 'why has this guy been playing second fiddle to Phil Collen for 20 years'.

Because their checks clear...

[Terry]

Sacred Heart is certainly a step down from the first two records, but I'd still argued that it's underrated. It gets much shorter shrift than Dream Evil, for example. I think it is more labooured than than the first two, as you say. However, as I think I said in the review I think a lot of that has to do with the big '80s production - it robs the songs of power.

I really like tunes like 'King of Rock And Roll', 'Another Lie' and 'Hungry For Heaven'. Given that there was clearly a Dio template by that point, however, it is the law of diminishing returns - 'Holy Diver' surprised everyone, but it you repeat a template you fall into AC/DC syndrome........

I'd agree about Viv Campbell. Saw him live with 'Thin Lizzy' about 3 years ago and I was scratching my head think 'why has this guy been playing second fiddle to Phil Collen for 20 years'. He was sensationally good.

I mean, Campbell was just blazing with Dio. When I hear a track like I Speed At Night, even today, my jaw drops at how good he was...and he was getting better and better with each album. Even taking my lukewarm feelings about Sacred Heart into account, I could still hear his playing (if not the tunes themselves) progressing on that album. I think he just ran up against the limitations of what the Dio framework would allow...or maybe just ran out of decent ideas for that type of rock.

Was lucky enough to catch him twice with Dio. Once on the Last In Line tour (what a fucking awesome show that was) and once on an early leg of the Sacred Heart tour before he quit and Goldie finished up the tour. He was shit-hot live.

Jump ahead twenty years later, and the missus gets us tickets for a Journey/Def Leppard bill, and Campbell is playing a distant second-fiddle to Phil Collen onstage, to the point where I think Campbell took one solo the whole set: it may as well have been anybody onstage. A waste of talent, but perhaps it's like jhale says in that Vivian just wants to get paid.

[Terry]

That was always my general impression of Dokken albums. Incredible guitar playing trapped inside of some dull, below-average, and cliche-riddled songwriting.

It made it seem like they were running as fast they could to just keep up with the 80's pack, instead of something that could've been exciting and leading the race.

I used to play Dokken records only to hear what Lynch was up to. I never gave a shit about anything else, especially when that bands frontman only had enough desire to be as good as the others, when they could've been leading them. Big difference.

Loved Lynch Mob. To me, it was George wising up, and trading up.

I'd say with Lynch Mob he was trading up to a degree, but even with that band it still sounded like the rest of the group were struggling a bit to keep up with Lynch's abilities. Less so than Dokken, to be sure.

I will say that Lynch and Dokken hit a great balance with In My Dreams. Others may point to more obscure Dokken material as being their favorites, and that's fine...I just think with that particular song they wrote a decent tune lyrically and musically, performed to their strengths and Lynch had a solo there that was spot-on for the tune.

[78/84 guy]

I'd say with Lynch Mob he was trading up to a degree, but even with that band it still sounded like the rest of the group were struggling a bit to keep up with Lynch's abilities. Less so than Dokken, to be sure.

I will say that Lynch and Dokken hit a great balance with In My Dreams. Others may point to more obscure Dokken material as being their favorites, and that's fine...I just think with that particular song they wrote a decent tune lyrically and musically, performed to their strengths and Lynch had a solo there that was spot-on for the tune.

Dokken had great songs. But I liked the 2 Lynch Mob albums. Went too see them at a small club when the first album came out. They were great. Mick was a monster on drums. Life, Sex & Death opened for them. Now that was an interesting band ! Def Leppard died with Steve Clarke. They should be NOT make new albums ! What rubbish from a band that did High & Dry.

[DLR Bridge]

I will say that Lynch and Dokken hit a great balance with In My Dreams. Others may point to more obscure Dokken material as being their favorites, and that's fine...I just think with that particular song they wrote a decent tune lyrically and musically, performed to their strengths and Lynch had a solo there that was spot-on for the tune.

I would basically echo this paragraph, switching out In My Dreams for Burning Like A Flame though. A bit poppier, but fun and catchy. A nice silly fire engine themed video (what the?) to help keep the mood light. for whatever reason.

[DLR Bridge]

Life, Sex & Death opened for them. Now that was an interesting band!

Yeah, Tank was a pretty cool tune. And who could forget Some Fuckin' Shit Ass? I opened up for their guitarist's side band called Suck. He was a cool dude. Not so sure Suck was a wise band name choice though.

[Matt White]

Lynch? A MONSTER of a player....In My Dreams, Its Not Love, Alone Again.....

He ran into the "Quiet Riot" Syndrome.....when you don't have a DAVID LEE ROTH writing lyrics its doesn't matter how good the "guitar playing" is............the SONG still SUCKS!!!

Don Dokken is terrible....too bad LYNCH wasted so much time with that guy...that material is beyond "dated"...the only thing worth remembering is George!!!

[78/84 guy]

Yeah, Tank was a pretty cool tune. And who could forget Some Fuckin' Shit Ass? I opened up for their guitarists side band called Suck. He wa a cool dude. Not so sure Suck was a wise band name choice though.

When their singer Henry or whatever his name was came walking in front of my buddy & me I 100% thought it was a homeless guy coming in to use the phone or bathroom. He walked right in front of us before the show. Next thing I know he is snake dancing on stage like Axhole Rose screaming in the mic Big Black Bush ! It was wild ! Great fucking stuff.

[DLR Bridge]

An awesome tune with a favorite singer of mine. Poor Ray sounded like he did this while he wasn't doing so well. Would've been great to hear a disc of George and Ray together.

[DLR Bridge]

When their singer Henry or whatever his name was came walking in front of my buddy & me I 100% thought it was a homeless guy coming in to use the phone or bathroom. He walked right in front of us before the show. Next thing I know he is snake dancing on stage like Axhole Rose screaming in the mic Big Black Bush ! It was wild ! Great fucking stuff.

The whole homeless guy shtick was just that. The guitar player, who's name escapes me told me. The guy was actually filthy rich.

[78/84 guy]

An awesome tune with a favorite singer of mine. Poor Ray sounded like he did this while he wasn't doing so well. Would've been great to hear a disc of George and Ray together.

That is a great cd. Love the opening track.