Tag: Jeff Pilson
1 New Video – T&N – Slave To The Empire
It might not be Dokken, but the new song “Slave To The Empire” from George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Brian Tichy kicks ass. Check out the brand new video from T&N, “Slave To The Empire” below!
4 Adler – Back From The Dead (2012)
When former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler comes back from the dead, he means it. When Adler’s new CD hits the stores on 11/27, prepare to be BLOWN AWAY! Back From The Dead is packed with great songs, and some killer guest appearances from John 5, Slash and Jeff Pilson. I have been looking forward to Adler’s solo debut for quite some time, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS good.
I had high hopes for this album after hearing “The One That You Hated” a few months ago. Back From The Dead does not disappoint one bit!
Jeff Pilson produced the album with Adler, and also handles all of the bass work on the CD. When you have a rhythm section that is Steven Adler and Jeff Pilson, can you really do wrong?
Steven Adler scored big when he got Lynam’s Jacob Bunton to join his band. No only does Bunton handle the vocals for Adler, but is also the lead song writer. Bunton has written a bunch of quality songs, and delivers what could be the vocal performance of his career.
The opening song “Back From The Dead” almost has a Cinderella like opening, but once this song kicks into gear, it is a take no prisoners, head-banging tune.
“Own Worst Enemy”, “Another Version of The Truth” and “The One That You Hated” are three more killer tracks stacked up back to back.
I was excited to learn that John 5 is one of the guest guitarists on Back From The Dead. If you are familiar with John 5, then you will recognize his playing on “Good To Be Bad”. His guitar work is amazing on this song!
I figured that “Just Don’t Ask featuring Slash would be a real ripping track, and I was very wrong about that one. This is a slower track, but Slash’s fretwork shines. This is a great song!
“Blown Away” is a real rocker that ought to be a radio single for Adler. This song is going to take the world by storm.
“Your Diamonds” has a 70’s classic rock feel, while the album closer “Dead Wrong” has a more of a modern feel to it.
Back From The Dead is easily one of the biggest surprises, and strongest albums of 2012. I love this album, and I think you will too! Don’t miss this!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Back From the Dead will be released on November 27th, 2012. You can preorder the CD here!
Track Listing:
1. Back From The Dead (Paul, Pilson, Bunton) 
2. Own Worst Enemy (Paul, Bunton)
3. Another Version Of The Truth (Bunton, Paul, Pilson)
4. The One That You Hated (Bunton, Paul)
5. Good To Be Bad (Paul, Bunton)
6. Just Don’t Ask (Bunton)
7. Blown Away (Bunton)
8. Waterfall (Paul, Bunton)
9. Habit (Paul)
10. Your Diamonds (Bunton)
11.Dead Wrong (Paul, Bunton)
Adler is:
Jacob Bunton -lead vocals, guitar, mandolin and piano
Lonny Paul – guitar and vocals
Steven Adler- drums, cowbell, shakers, tambourine, crowbar, shovel and screams
Johnny Martin – bass and vocals
Additional musicians:
Jeff Pilson – bass on all tracks, 6 string guitar, keys and vocals
Slash – Lead guitar on “Just Don’t Ask”
John 5 – Lead guitar on “Good To Be Bad”
Michael Lord – Piano on “Waterfall”
4 T&N – Slave To the Empire (2012)
What can you expect on T&N’s new CD Slave To the Empire? How about five cool versions of Dokken songs, and some killer new stuff as well?! Slave to The Empire has
plenty of guest stars (Doug Pinnick, Robert Mason, Sebastian Bach, Tim “Ripper” Owens), and each one of these singers do an outstanding job on the Dokken songs they sing.
The new T&N songs are pretty good too.
I always new Jeff Pilson was a great back up singer to Don Dokken, but after listening to “Into the Fire”, it is clear to me that Jeff Pilson’s voice is superior to Don’s. I like the
extended version of the song on this CD. It is a great update to a Dokken classic. In fact, Pilson’s voice shines on all of the songs that he sings on this album. Give the song “Rhythm of the Soul” a listen and you will understand just how big Mr. Pilson’s voice.
The Dokken song that I was concerned about the most on this album, was “Tooth & Nail”. I wasn’t sure how Doug Pinnick’s voice would translate on this song. Pinnick added a little more soul, but also a lot more power to this song. I love this version!
Warrant singer Robert Mason does a trenmdous job on “It’s Not Love”. I am sure he sang this one a few times during his tenure with Lynch Mob, and it shows, as this version is excellent!
I never thought I would like Sebastian Bach singing a Dokken tune, but I love his voice on “Alone Again”. His vibrato and voice are quite different from Don Dokken. While this version is similar to the original, I think I prefer this version. I like this so much that I would love to see Sebastian perform this song live.
“Mind Control” is my favorite out of all of the new T&N songs. This song really rocks. “Kiss of Death” on the other hand is my least favorite out of the Dokken tunes. Tim “Ripper” Owens does a good job on the song, but I still prefer the original “Kiss of Death” version to this one.
George Lynch takes a more bluesy approach to his playing on “Jesus Train”, and it really works on this song. I am not used to hearing George play like this, and I love his sound on this song.
“Access Denied” is a heavy tune that sounds as if it could have been left over from the George Lynch Kill All Control sessions.
This is not a filler tune by any means. George Lynch plays his ass off.
Overall, Slave to the Empire is a very enjoyable album. Half of it does play like a Dokken cover album, but quite frankly some of the versions on this album are superior to the original songs. They give the album a nice flow.
The new songs show off the crazy talent of George Lynch, Jeff Pilson Mick Brown and Brian Tichy (who handles the drumming on the new T&N tracks). If you are a fan of Dokken, you NEED to pick this up!
You can pick up Slave to the Empire here!
Rating: Out of 10
TRACK LISTING:
- Slave to the Empire
- Sweet Unknown
- Tooth and Nail (featuring Doug Pinnick of Kings X)
- It’s Not Love (featuring Robert Mason of Warrant)
- Rhythm of the Soul
- When Eagles Die
- Into The Fire
- Alone Again (featuring Sebastian Bach)
- Mind Control
- Kiss of Death (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens)
- Jesus Train
- Access Denied
T&N is:
George Lynch – Vocals
Jeff Pilson – Vocals and Bass
Mick Brown – Drums
Brian Tichy – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Doug Pinnick – Vocals (Tooth & Nail)
Sebastian Bach – Vocals (Alone Again)
Tim “Ripper” Owens – Vocals (Kiss of Death
Robert Mason – Vocals (It’s Not Love)
1 Are You Ready for T&N?! Three Songs Streaming Now!
T&N is a combination of intense organic rock, both melodic and hard hitting, thought provoking music with a purpose. In a time where corporate America, cultural imperialism, social inequality, and government oppression dominate society, their message is simple, you don’t have to be a slave to the empire.
T&N reunites George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and “Wild” Mick Brown – aka “The Big Three” from Dokken for a brand new 12 song album entitled Slave to the Empire. Their Rat Pak Records debut, produced by the band and recorded at Pilson’s Pilsongs Studio, offers seven new original songs with Pilson on vocals, and five re-recorded classic Dokken songs that feature sensational vocal performances by Tim “Ripper” Owens, Doug Pinnick (Kings X), Sebastian Bach, and Robert Mason (Warrant).
The band came together when Lynch asked Pilson to collaborate on new material. “George asked me about working with him on the next Lynch Mob record — and I jumped at the chance” states Pilson. “He and I started writing, got into a groove and wrote an album’s worth of stuff, all with the intention of Oni [Logan, Lynch Mob singer] writing lyrics and it being their next record. Brian Tichy laid down some incredible drums at his studio (and co-wrote some music on one track) and we had an incredibly strong start. Then Oni just wasn’t feeling the music as being Lynch Mob, so it was shelved. We figured it’d be the start of another Lynch/Pilson record some day. Then, actually, it was Brian who had the idea that Mick, George and I should do a band, similar to what Heaven & Hell was to Black Sabbath, and call it Tooth & Nail (now T&N due to a legal dispute with Tooth & Nail Records). Because of everything else we have going, it’ll be just a recording project at first, but sure sounds fun. We’d record the classics keeping true to the originals but make them fresh and organic. Then the idea of doing new songs came up, and it grew from there. ”Mick, Jeff, and I have been playing together for many years” states Lynch. “When we go way back in time, we always had the most fun when we were just sitting in a room together or up on stage with the three of us playing.”
“Don’t think of this as Dokken without Don -that’s misleading” adds Pilson. “Think of it as a band with great chemistry coming up with new music that excites them, and also paying tribute to Dokken music which the members all are heavily invested in emotionally. Don is, and will always be, the singer of Dokken and an invaluable part of the Dokken chemistry. No one ever wants to take that away or dispute it one iota. However, the three of us do have time tested amazing chemistry, and because we were writers on these songs, I feel we have a lot to express. If anything, I think this will be a show of respect for Don, not some kind of competition. I only hope people enjoy it in the spirit for which it’s intended.”
The new material on Slave To The Empire is passionate music with a message. On the opening title track, Pilson challenges the listener to rise up against the system and think for themselves. “What did it take to forge your every thought into an empty state of mind / Always looking for what isn’t lost and the first to follow blind / Can’t you see what’s going on / You’re a slave to the empire.”
“This record is not meant to be preachy or overly political” states Pilson. “We just want to encourage people that no matter where you come from, don’t be asleep at the wheel.”
Check out songs “Slave To The Empire”, “Tooth and Nail” and “Access Denied” below! “Slave to the Empire” will be released on October 31st, 2012, via Rat Pak Records. You can pre-order it here!
[
Track Listing:
Slave to the Empire
Sweet Unknown
Tooth and Nail (featuring Doug Pinnick of Kings X)
It’s Not Love (featuring Robert Mason of Warrant)
Rhythm of the Soul
When Eagles Die
Into The Fire
Alone Again (featuring Sebastian Bach)
Mind Control
Kiss of Death (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens)
Jesus Train
Access Denied
Sweet Unknown
Tooth and Nail (featuring Doug Pinnick of Kings X)
It’s Not Love (featuring Robert Mason of Warrant)
Rhythm of the Soul
When Eagles Die
Into The Fire
Alone Again (featuring Sebastian Bach)
Mind Control
Kiss of Death (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens)
Jesus Train
Access Denied
1 RAT PAK RECORDS SET TO RELEASE T&N “SLAVE TO THE EMPIRE” FEATURING THE “BIG THREE” FROM DOKKEN!
T&N reunites George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and “Wild” Mick Brown – aka “The Big Three” from Dokken – for this brand new 12 song disk that will surely be referred to as a classic in years to come! Returning to their roots, “Slave to the Empire” offers eight new original songs and four re-recorded classic Dokken songs that feature sensational vocal performances by Tim “Ripper” Owens, Doug Pinnick (Kings X), Sebastian Bach, and Robert Owens (Warrant). Add to the mix the hard hitting, multi-talented drumming of Brian Tichy and you’ve got yourself a major dose of awesome! This 12 song release is progressive, it’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s bluesy, and each player’s performance is absolutely stellar. “Slave to the Empire” captures the spirit and magic from the classic metal genre, and is truly a work of art that will not disappoint! Official worldwide release date is set for October 31, 2012.
TRACK LISTING:
Slave to the Empire
Sweet Unknown
Tooth and Nail (featuring Doug Pinnick of Kings X)
It’s Not Love (featuring Robert Mason of Warrant)
Rhythm of the Soul
When Eagles Die
Into The Fire (Jeff Pilson)
Alone Again (featuring Sebastian Bach)
Mind Control
Kiss of Death (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens)
Jesus Train
Access Denied
For pre-orders and audio samples please visit: www.ratpakrecords.com/TandN
| and www.slavetotheempire.com |
0 New Jeff Pilson Interview Online
Jeff Pilson posted the following interview on his blog. This interview has some really interesting insight into the new Lynch/Pilson project Tooth & Nail. Check it out!
PYNCH: Okay Jeff, let’s cut to the chase… There’s been some nasty interviews out there with George and Don recently. What’s really going on?
JEFF: Yes, a little good old fashioned Dokken nastiness, it’s like a comfortable old sweater!!!!!LOL Anyways, here’s the lowdown: The Dokken reunion has been scrapped, and I take a lot of the initial responsibility for that because of my schedule and commitment to Foreigner. I was, however, up front about that from day one. We did talk, though, and I think we all thought it was going to happen somehow at some time. Then Don and George got in some nasty email fights, which I’m not really in a position to evaluate but they did get ugly and seem to put an end to further reunion thoughts. The two of them had their own business outside of the pending reunion and something just went south. For whatever reason, it was time to move on. Then George asked me about working with him on the next Lynch Mob record- and I jumped at the chance. He and I started writing, got into a groove and wrote an album’s worth of stuff, all with the intention of Oni writing lyrics and it being their next record. Brian Tichy laid down some incredible drums at his studio (and cowrote some music on one track)- and we had an incredibly strong start. Then Oni just wasn’t feeling the music as being Lynch Mob- so it was shelved. We figured it’d be the start of another Lynch/Pilson record some day. Then actually it was Brian who had the idea that Mick, George and I should do a band, similar to what Heaven and Hell was to Sabbath, and call it Tooth and Nail. Because of everything else we have going, it’ll be just a recording project at first, but sure sounds fun. We’d record the classics keeping true to the originals but make them fresh and organic. Then the idea of doing new songs came up, and it grew from there. Now I’ve been working on lyrics and melodies the last couple weeks on my laptop in hotel rooms, and I haven’t been this inspired in years. I can’t wait to get home and lay these tracks down. I have absolute belief that the music George and I make together (along with Brian Tichy in this case) is real and inspired, and that’s what it’s really all about. So out of a mess of a reunion attempt, I think we’ll end up with a really fabulous record, and what could be better than that? But make no mistake it was NEVER intended to be a diss on Don. Don’t confuse George’s sense of humor (“Dump the Chump”- LOL) for the attitude and energy we all have for this project. Don is, and will always be, the singer of Dokken and an invaluable part of the Dokken chemistry. No one ever wants to take that away or dispute it one iota. But the three of us do have time tested amazing chemistry, and because we were writers on these songs, I feel we have a lot to express. If anything I think this will be a show of respect for Don, not some kind of competition. I only hope people enjoy it in the spirit for which it’s intended. Whew- that was a mouthful!!!
PYNCH: The working title is Tooth & Nail… Isn’t this really Dokken without Don?
JEFF: I think I’ve explained that. Don’t think of this as Dokken without Don… that’s misleading. Think of it as a band with great chemistry coming up with new music that excites them, and also paying tribute to Dokken – music which the members all are heavily invested in emotionally.
PYNCH: George tried this once before with Robert Mason on the Lynch Mob REvolution record with mixed reviews… What will make this a really cool recording that the old fans will dig?
JEFF: We’re not going to try and reinvent the wheel. But we plan on making them rock, and giving our all on it. Remember, these songs are a deep part of our psyches as well- regardless if we’re playing them with Dokken or not.
PYNCH: George always seems to frustrate Don and his recent “Dump the Chump” comments about this project have now seemed to frustrate some of the old fans as well… Is George trying to be agitating, or does he just have a unique sense of humor?
JEFF: That’s George’s humor – totally. He just forgets that when you say that along with some of the other comments he’s made about Don, people may not recognize the humor in it. That boy can be so silly sometimes!!!!
Read the rest of the interview at Jeff Pilson’s blog at this link.
6 Foreigner – Can’t Slow Down (2009)
Finally!! Mick Jones has released a new Foreigner album with the touring lineup that includes Kelly Hansen (Hurricane, Unruly Child) on vocals and Jeff Pilson (Dokken, War & Peace) on bass, and Brian Tichy (Pride & Glory) on drums. If you are expecting a dirty, balls out rocker you may be a little disappointed, but not surprised because that is not what Foreigner has evolved into over the years, but with the release of Can’t Slow Down fans of such releases as 4, Agent Provocateur, and Inside Information will rejoice. Admittedly I was a little iffy when I heard Kelly Hansen was singing with Foreigner a few years ago, that was until I heard the Extended Versions Live album after that I was hooked. I will let everyone know this right now, Kelly Hansen sounds absolutely phenomenal on Can’t Slow Down.
The title track “Can’t Slow Down” gets us going on the right track, it has that classic Foreigner sound everyone knows and loves. I can see why NASCAR wants to use this foot tapping rocker. One thing Hansen never got a real chance to do in Hurricane or even on Unruly Child’s “Waiting For The Sun” was sing on some slower mid tempos and ballads, but on Can’t Slow Down he get his chance in spades and he damn sure makes the most of the opportunities. “In Pieces” is his first shot and he absolutely nails it, this song definitely needs a shot as a single, I have a feeling it will scorch the charts once it is released. Aside from Hansen’s vocals, Jeff Pilson lays down some very nice bass lines, but Michael Bluestein’s keyboards really stand out filling out the song, this is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. The first single from Can’t Slow Down is next and “When It Comes To Love” is already on the charts, and this mid-tempo number will fit in perfectly with such songs as “Waiting For A Girl Like You”, “I Want To Know What Love Is”, and others. Some more nice keyboards from Bluestein and Tom Gimbel’s saxophone is a nice touch also. “Living In A Dream” picks up the pace with a little nod back to Foreigner’s 70s sound, love the horns laced throughout and Tichy’s drumming as well. “Ready” and “Give Me A Sign” keep the train rolling with two more solid tracks. I can’t see the guys not playing “Ready” live as this upbeat anthem would definitely get the crowd going. “I’ll Be Home Tonight” is another mid-tempo number made for radio, Hansen shines once again. “Too Late” is another nod back to Foreigner’s 70s sound and it could easily fit onto “Head Games” or “Double Vision”. “As Long As I Live” and “Fool For You Anyway” are two more tracks that really stand out on Can’t Slow Down.
Can’t Slow Down is a 2 cd/dvd set from Wal Mart, and like the other Wal Mart exclusive releases like Kiss’s Sonic Boom and Journey’s Revelation there is a remix cd of some Foreigner’s classics, if you have any doubt about Kelly Hansen filling Lou Gramm’s shoes I suggest you give the remixes a listen. Not to take away from the performances of Mick Jones, Jeff Pilson, and the others on Can’t Slow Down because they are sound great on this album, but for me Kelly Hansen’s vocals are what made this album. I’ve always been a fan of his singing but I think his performance on Can’t Slow Down may well be the best of his career. I’m already looking forward to this line-up’s next album, hopefully Mick and the guys don’t make us wait to long.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
Disc 1 – Can’t Slow Down
1. “Can’t Slow Down” 
2. “In Pieces”
3. “When It Comes to Love”
4. “Living in a Dream”
5. “I Can’t Give Up”
6. “Ready”
7. “Give Me a Sign”
8. “I’ll Be Home Tonight”
9. “Too Late”
10. “Lonely”
11. “As Long As I Live”
12. “Angel Tonight”
13. “Fool For You Anyway”
Disc 2 – Remixes
1. “Feels Like the First Time”
2. “Cold as Ice”
3. “Hot Blooded”
4. “Blue Morning, Blue Day”
5. “Double Vision”
6. “Dirty White Boy”
7. “Head Games”
8. “Jukebox Hero”
9. “Urgent”
10. “I Want to Know What Love Is”
Disc 3 – DVD
1. “Double Vision”
2. “Head Games”
3. “That Was Yesterday”
4. “Say You Will”
5. “Starrider”
6. “Feels Like the First Time”
7. “Urgent”
8. “Juke Box Hero”
9. “I Want To Know What Love Is”
10. “Hot Blooded”
Foreigner is:
Kelly Hansen – Lead Vocals
Mick Jones – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Piano
Thom Gimbel – Guitars, Saxophone, Backing Vocals
Michael Bluestein- Keyboards
Jeff Pilson – Bass
Brian Tichy – Drums
1 Foreigner’s Can’t Slow Down Available For Pre-Order, Available September 29th
Foreigner’s Can’t Slow Down, the Walmart exclusive 2 CD/DVD set is now available for pre-order. Can’t Slow Down is the band’s first album with new material since 1994’s Mr. Moonlight. This CD/DVD set includes a CD with all new material, a second CD with Foreigner classics re-recorded with the band’s current lineup and a DVD with the band live in concert. . You can listen to Foreigner’s new single, “When It Comes To Love” at myspace and in the clip below. Foreigner’s current lineup is Mick Jones – guitar, Kelly Hansen (Hurricane) – vocals, Jeff Pilson (Dokken) – bass, Tom Gimbel – Flute, Rhythm Guitar, Saxophone Michael Bluestein – Keys, Brian Tichy (Pride & Glory) – Drums.
Twelve tracks on the new album are produced by Mick Jones and Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith and Buckcherry), with celebrated Grammy®-winning producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse) contributing the Mick Jones-penned “Fool For You Anyway.” The title track, CAN’T SLOW DOWN, was written by Mick Jones, Kelly Hansen, and Marti Frederiksen as a tribute to NASCAR in celebration of Foreigner’s appearance at the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. NASCAR fans bought so many CDs that day that Foreigner’s 2008 release No End In Sight: The Very Best Of Foreigner was propelled back into the Billboard Top 200. The collection’s second disc contains 10 remixes by Marti Frederiksen and Anthony Focx of some of the band’s most well known songs, including “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Urgent,” “Hot Blooded,” and “I Want To Know What Love Is.” The remixes bring a new energy and sound definition to these classic songs.
The DVD captures the band performing many of its hits live in 5.1 surround sound. The DVD also contains performances filmed during the band’s recently completed European tour. Also featured is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of CAN’T SLOW DOWN, from writing sessions in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles to the Walmart shareholders meeting where the exclusive partnership behind this project was finalized.
You can pre-order “Can’t Slow Down” at this link.
Track Listing
1. “Can’t Slow Down”
2. “In Pieces”
3. “Lonely”
4. “Give Me a Sign”
5. “Living in a Dream”
6. “When It Comes to Love (Could Have Been You)”
7. “I Can’t Give Up”
8. “As Long As I Live”
9. “I’ll Be Home Tonight”
10. “When I’m Ready”
11. “Angel Tonight”
12. “Fool For You Anyway”
13. “Too Late”
Disc 2 – Remixes
1. “Feels Like the First Time”
2. “Cold as Ice”
3. “Urgent”
4. “Jukebox Hero”
5. “Blue Morning, Blue Day”
6. “Dirty White Boy”
7. “Double Vision”
8. “Head Games”
9. “Hot Blooded”
10. “I Want to Know What Love Is”
2 Video – Dokken – Breaking The Chains
Last Week, VH1 ran their top 100 Hard Rock Songs of all time. They had a Dokken video in the top 100, although I don’t recall which one. I had to go looking to see what other videos were out there. I couldn’t get over George Lynch’s hair in these old videos.
Dokken’s “Breaking The Chains” Video is from
0 “No End In Sight” For Foreigner
Foreigner is taking a backward glance at its career this summer with
“No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner,” due July 15 on Rhino. The two-disc set contains hits from throughout the group’s 41-year career, plus a new song and three other new recordings.
Classic tracks on the set include “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Urgent,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
The new recordings comprise recent lives takes of “Starrider,” which originally hails from Foreigner’s self-titled 1977 debut album, and a “Juke Box Hero”/”Whole Lotta Love” medley; an acoustic version of the 1987 hit “Say You Will“; and the brand new “Too Late,” which will be released as a single.
“I’m amazed that the songs do have that staying power,” Foreigner founder, guitarist and chief songwriter Mick Jones tells Billboard.com. “I don’t really listen to the old records a lot, so you tend to forget there are this many songs that made the kind of mark they have.”
“Too Late,” meanwhile, represents the first new Foreigner track since 1994’s “Mr. Moonlight” and the first recorded output from the latest lineup of the band, which includes Jason Bonham on drums, former Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and former Hurricane frontman Kelly Hansen. Jones says there are also plans afoot for an all-new Foreigner album, hopefully sooner than later.
“There’s a long-range plan now that we really do have a great lineup of the band again,” he says. “It’s very exciting. Everyone’s committed to the long haul here.”
“No End in Sight” comes out the same day as Foreigner begins a nine-date co-headlining tour with Bryan Adams in Augusta, Maine. The group will also play its own dates beginning July 29 in Clearfield, Pa., as of now wrapping on the 31st in Jackson, N.J.
Courtesy of Billboard.com
18 Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again (Release Year – 2008)
Many of the artists who were highly successful in the 80’s have tried reigniting their careers with sounds that take listeners back to their heyday. Whitesnake, Def Leppard and House of Lords have all released discs that their fans should be pleased with. Dokken tries to recapture the lightning, or sound that once made them famous as well.
George Lynch and Jeff Pilson have long been absent from the band. In fact, the current lineup of Dokken, Brown, Sparks and Levin, is one of the longest running for Dokken, since the bands’ most successful discs from the mid to late 80’s. It is ironic that this lineup, tries to emulate the sound of the Lynch/Pilson era. Jon Levin does a damn good George Lynch imitation, and he really cuts loose on this record. Don Dokken recruited none other than Jeff Scott Soto to sing back up vocals on this record, and it really does make a difference. That unfortunately is where the good ends and the bad begins.
In 2008, Don Dokken has very limited range with his vocals. He doesn’t take the chances that he used to in the 80’s, and that is what made their music interesting, and exciting. I am assuming that Don can’t hit the high notes anymore, as he doesn’t bother to try on Lightning Strikes Again. He stays within his own comfort zone, and as a result, the songs on this disc lack the fire of the band’s earlier material. On certain songs, Don sounds like he strains to hit the notes that he use to hit with ease.
As much as I wanted to enjoy this record, I found the songs limp and uninspiring. There are three or four songs on this disc that are above average, but the majority of the material is sub par in my opinion. The music sounds close to their original stuff from the 80’s, but without the powerful vocals that these songs deserve, they come out sounding somewhat below average. After three lackluster albums since the year 2000, I believe it is time for the band Dokken to hang it up. Lightning did not strike again for this listener.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Standing On The Outside
2. Give Me A Reason
3. Heart To Stone
4. Disease
5. How I Miss Your Smile
6. Oasis
7. Point Of No Return
8. I Remember
9. Judgment Day
10. It Means
11. Release Me
12. This Fire
Dokken is:
Don Dokken – vocals
Mick Brown – drums
Jon Levin – guitar
Barry Sparks – bass
Hard Rock Hideout 