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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don IS Dokken!, November 15, 2003
I will be honest with you. I am not very crazy about solo projects by front men or members of bands I like. Often they "experiment" with things that they shouldn't and a strange, if not indeed just plain bad sound is created. The best example I can give you is Bret Michaels' tribute to Poison called "Show Me Your Hits." That album almost killed Poison for me. It was just horrible! So, I was at the store today and there were two Dokken albums on sale for a reduced price. "Shadow Life" and Don's solo album "Up From the Ashes." I had heard Puppet on a String from Shadow Life and thought it was a decent song but since hearing that song I was told by many that it is, to put it mildly, not a good or remotely happy album. So, I opted for the solo album and took a chance. To say I'm blown away is an understatement! From Crash 'n' Burn to The Hunger, I was shocked to hear just how much this album sounds like Dokken, the band! In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd swear George Lynch was on guitar! Of course, he wasn't. It was John Norum formerly of Europe. A little "FYI" information for you. John actually played with Dokken on their 2002-2003 tours. Not many can hold a candle to George Lynch, John holds a torch to it. Crash 'n' Burn, Mirror Mirror, When Love Finds a Fool, Stay, and Livin' a Lie are my personal favorites off the album. There are a few melodies that fall a little flat and there are times when I think the chorus could have been slightly more energetic. But for the most part I thought the album to be one for the ages. It's up there with Under Lock and Key, for sure! So, if you're afraid, as I was, of horrible and drastically different solo albums, fear not good citizen! This album is living proof, Don is the driving force behind Dokken: Not George, Jeff, or even Mick (though I LOVE Mick.) This is musical ecstasy. Pick it up! You'll be glad that you did!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than most Dokken albums., June 15, 2000
By A Customer
Being a big fan of the band Dokken, I was pretty ticked off when they broke up in "88" and like alot of other fans, I thought that Don was the one at fault. When he first released this album I refused to buy it just because of that reason. I went out and bought all of Lynch's solo albums and wasn't too thrilled with them. Recently I decided to give this album a listen, so I bought it. Anyone who reads this review take my advice and buy this c.d. especially at this great price. This c.d. is one of the best that I have. The music, lyrics, production is fantastic. Don compiled one of the most talented group of musicians ever assembled and it definitely shows. The only Dokken albums that are as good as this one are "Tooth and nail" and "Under lock and key". It is too bad that after George left the band this time around, Dokken did not hire John Norum to be it's new guitarist because I prefer him over Reb Beach.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This CD rocks! Buy it!!, June 7, 2002
I'm more of a casual heavy metal fan. I'm not too obsessed with one certain band, I just like lots of different bands. Some say I'm stuck in the 80's, but the best rock and metal came out of that time. The new stuff is [junk] and it sickens me that records like this one aren't getting the attention they deserve due to the early 90's grunge-wave and then into the newer rap-metal garbage. Back in the 80's, guitarists had to be skilled in the art of shredding, the rhythm section solid and powerful, and the vocalist clear and soaring. Bands like Dio, Ratt, Yngwie Malmsteen, Lizzy Borden, Queensryche, Van Halen, Tesla, Dokken, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Europe, Judas Priest, Skid Row, ect...what happened to these great bands? Anyway, on to the review. I was always a huge Dokken fan and obviously was [mad] when they broke up. When Lynch Mob came out with 'Wicked Sensation' in 1990, I immedietely went out and bought it. I had always assumed that no matter how good the other guys in Dokken were, George WAS Dokken and without him they wouldn't be half as good. I assumed he had all the talent and was the main driving force for Dokken. It sure didn't show on that Lynch Mob CD! It's not a bad CD, but there are only 2 or 3 really upbeat rockin' songs. Most of them are laid back, slow bluesy hard rock. Like I said, not a bad CD, but definetely not Dokken-esque. I didn't even know that Don Dokken released a solo album until recently when I saw it in a local record shop. I immedietely picked it up and was not dissapointed. Don didn't skip a beat with this CD. This sounds EXACTLY like the Dokken from the 80's that we all know and love. Let's put it this way: This is not a Don Dokken solo CD, I'm willing to bet the band was called Don Dokken because the other guys in Dokken didn't want him using the name. Other than that, this music on this CD sounds like a perfect mix of Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack but with a much more polished and streamlined production. This CD's production is perfect. You can hear all the instruments pefectly and the whole thing sounds amazingly clean and well...perfect. The tunes on here are all hard rockin; metal tunes except for the slower ballad 'When Love Finds A Fool'. This song sounds like the Dokken ballad 'Alone Again'. John Norum (from the band Europe) is the lead guitarist on this CD, and he pulls off some amazing solos and killer riffs. His skill rivals that of George Lynch and in fact you'd never know it wasn't George himself if it weren't for small stylistic differences in their soloing styles. He definetely rocks and was the perfect replacement for George Lynch. If Dokken had never broke up, this is probably the next studio album that would have come after Back for the Attack. It could have fit easily into Dokken's 80's catalog. If you like Dokken, George Lynch, shredding guitar solos, rocking riff-heavy metal songs, or any 80's metal I highly suggest you pick up this CD. This is one of the greatest overlooked metal albums ever...Most people don't know that Don Dokken went solo after Dokken broke up. I didn't, but I'm glad I found out because this CD is amazing. And for the low price of $7 bucks, how can you go wrong? This albums rocks...buy it.
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