MR

Wombat, you are on TOP of things! Samples from all 12 tracks!

http://www.melodicrock.com/showcase/dok ... again.html

This album sounds like it's a nice welcome return to their mid-late 80's sound. NOTHING after Back For The Attack did a thing for me

Pity about Don's voice though

You know, that was my first thought, too, but the more I listen to the samples... I'm kinda digging it.

First off let me admit that I've never cared for Dokken's music.
I especially disliked stuff like "Alone Again" and "In My Dreams" in the 80's and when those songs got overplayed it just heightened by distaste for the band.

All that said, out of curiosity, I listened to a few of these sound bytes of the new stuff, and I have to say...

It's still bad! Don Dokken (whose voice I've never been a fan of) sounds just plain awful.

Johnny Mohawk wrote:First off let me admit that I've never cared for Dokken's music.
I especially disliked stuff like "Alone Again" and "In My Dreams" in the 80's and when those songs got overplayed it just heightened by distaste for the band.

All that said, out of curiosity, I listened to a few of these sound bytes of the new stuff, and I have to say...

It's still bad! Don Dokken (whose voice I've never been a fan of) sounds just plain awful.

You DISlike Alone Again? How?

Rick wrote;
You DISlike Alone Again? How?

It's cheesy 80's pop-metal.

Johnny Mohawk wrote:

Rick wrote;
You DISlike Alone Again? How?

It's cheesy 80's pop-metal.

If this was Sludge, I would be obligated to beat you, but we do things more civilized-like in these parts.

So... ahem... what musical groups do you enjoy?

Rip Rokken wrote;
So... ahem... what musical groups do you enjoy?

-Journey (Perry era)
-Queen
-Zeppelin
-Foreigner
-Halen (DLR era)
-AC/DC (Bon Scott era)
-Kansas
-Cheap Trick
-Judas Priest
-Heart
-Aerosmith
-Linda Perry
-Sabbath
-Dio
-Adam Ant
-Rush (pre-85)
-Pat Benatar
-Queensryche
Etc.
You know... Good music.

Johnny Mohawk wrote:

Rip Rokken wrote;
So... ahem... what musical groups do you enjoy?

-Journey (Perry era)
-Queen
-Zeppelin
-Foreigner
-Halen (DLR era)
-AC/DC (Bon Scott era)
-Kansas
-Cheap Trick
-Judas Priest
-Heart
-Aerosmith
-Linda Perry
-Sabbath
-Dio
-Adam Ant
-Rush (pre-85)
-Pat Benatar
-Queensryche
Etc.
You know... Good music.

All great bands.... but you left out Dokken!

Rip Rokken wrote;
.... but you left out Dokken!

I like plenty of bands from Dokken's so called "Hair Metal" genre (Tesla, Guns, Mr. Big, early Motley Crue, Bang Tango, Whitesnake, etc.), but I always dispised the pop-metal acts like Poison, Europe, Winger, etc.

There was that time in the mid to late 80's where the record labels would sign anybody with long hair, throw makeup on 'em and call it metal. Poison is NOT metal!

Johnny Mohawk wrote:

Rip Rokken wrote;
.... but you left out Dokken!

I like plenty of bands from Dokken's so called "Hair Metal" genre (Tesla, Guns, Mr. Big, early Motley Crue, Bang Tango, Whitesnake, etc.), but I always dispised the pop-metal acts like Poison, Europe, Winger, etc.

There was that time in the mid to late 80's where the record labels would sign anybody with long hair, throw makeup on 'em and call it metal. Poison is NOT metal!

Poison, Europe, Winger.... one of those doesn't fit with the other two by a long shot!

Rip Rokken wrote;
Poison, Europe, Winger.... one of those doesn't fit with the other two by a long shot!

Oops, I left out White Lion, Warrant, Slaughter, Firehouse, Trixter, Pretty Boy Floyd, Britny Fox...
I think I'm gonna be sick.

I love the album Back For The Attack! it's just awesome 80's, and defines that genre of hair metal. Everything else they did is simply forgettable in my opinion!.

Rip Rokken wrote:You know, that was my first thought, too, but the more I listen to the samples... I'm kinda digging it.

Music is good...apart from that one horrid modern rock track stuck in the middle....

Drew, his voice aint that far off. There's far *worse* examples of destroyed voices in Hard Rock la-la land...

I stand corrected Drew, I just listened to some more tracks...

Andrew wrote:Pity about Don's voice though

Ditto. Never thought he had a brilliant voice to begin with, but it was solid and it worked for what he was doing. In my dreams was a great track. Now.... well. I hope he invested his money early on.

strangegrey wrote:I stand corrected Drew, I just listened to some more tracks...

..that was quick!

ok,, im not seeing where its that bad.. anyone have a particular song that he voice is rough on?

Johnny Mohawk wrote:

Rip Rokken wrote;
Poison, Europe, Winger.... one of those doesn't fit with the other two by a long shot!

Oops, I left out White Lion, Warrant, Slaughter, Firehouse, Trixter, Pretty Boy Floyd, Britny Fox...
I think I'm gonna be sick.

Let me group those correctly for ya by musical talent and songwriting ability...

SUCK:
Poison, Pretty Boy Floyd, Britney Fox

GOOD:
White Lion, Warrant, Slaughter, FireHouse

RULE:
Dokken, Europe, Winger



I'm not really that familiar with Trixter, so I won't lump them in.

Andrew wrote:

Rip Rokken wrote:You know, that was my first thought, too, but the more I listen to the samples... I'm kinda digging it.

Music is good...apart from that one horrid modern rock track stuck in the middle....

"Disease"? Actually, I dig that sample!

larryfromnextdoor wrote:ok,, im not seeing where its that bad.. anyone have a particular song that he voice is rough on?

Don's voice is definitely not the same on this album -- he's hitting the notes he needs to hit, but he admitted in an interview that recording this album was delayed when he lost his voice completely from "being stupid" (not taking care of himself, I guess). He has a much more ragged -- not rough -- sound on the higher notes. Sort of like it's about to give out after singing too many shows in a row to me. But... again, he's hitting the notes he needs to hit for the songs. I don't think I would really think that much of it, except that it is definitely a different texture compared to anything else he's ever done. Actually, I first noticed the raggedness on the "gonna find out who's naughty or nice" line in "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" from the Monster Ballads X-Mas album, and thought it was strange. Sounds ok, but just uncharacteristic.

Dude needs to take care of his instrument for his own sake, but it's not really hurting the album IMO.

Rip Rokken wrote;
Let me group those correctly for ya by musical talent and songwriting ability...

SUCK:
Poison, Pretty Boy Floyd, Britney Fox

GOOD:
White Lion, Warrant, Slaughter, FireHouse

RULE:
Dokken, Europe, Winger

I'll admit that the only Europe that I ever heard were their few hits and video tunes. But those songs were so bad that I never cared to hear anything more.
To this day, when I hear that opening keyboard riff to "The Final Countdown", I get nauseous.

Johnny Mohawk wrote:I'll admit that the only Europe that I ever heard were their few hits and video tunes. But those songs were so bad that I never cared to hear anything more.
To this day, when I hear that opening keyboard riff to "The Final Countdown", I get nauseous.

They fell into the same rut that many bands did who let their labels direct their careers -- the labels pushed them into songs like that, and their much, much better stuff is nothing you've heard on the radio. Same with Warrant -- really a very talented group of guys with a killer songwriter in Jani Lane. But I literally wrote them off as talentless cheese the first time I ever heard "Down Boys".

I'll tell ya a band that barely got any notice, but really put out some awesome stuff -- TUFF. I totally figured them for Poison clones before I got their first album, but that and especially the 2nd album are excellent rockers. And their home videos are some of the funniest, craziest things I've ever seen. The pranks are off the charts!!! You couldn't PAY me enough to share a hotel room or a tour bus with those dudes...

Rip Rokken wrote;
Same with Warrant -- really a very talented group of guys with a killer songwriter in Jani Lane. But I literally wrote them off as talentless cheese the first time I ever heard "Down Boys".

Yeah, I thought the same things after hearing "Down Boys" and that horrible ballad (can't remember the name). I also thought "Cherry Pie" was cheesy as hell, but enjoyed watching the video (with the sound turned down).
I did see Warrant live once as they opened for Queensryche in the late 80's. Their sound and choreographed headbanging routines, kept me from ever wanting to dig deeper into their catalog.
They did attract some extra "Metal Bettys" to the Queensryche show though.

strangegrey wrote:I stand corrected Drew, I just listened to some more tracks...

LOL...you should hear the whole thing!!!!

Rip Rokken wrote:

larryfromnextdoor wrote:ok,, im not seeing where its that bad.. anyone have a particular song that he voice is rough on?

Don's voice is definitely not the same on this album -- he's hitting the notes he needs to hit, but he admitted in an interview that recording this album was delayed when he lost his voice completely from "being stupid" (not taking care of himself, I guess). He has a much more ragged -- not rough -- sound on the higher notes.

Soto is hitting most of those notes! Don ain't doing much...

Andrew wrote:

Rip Rokken wrote:Don's voice is definitely not the same on this album -- he's hitting the notes he needs to hit, but he admitted in an interview that recording this album was delayed when he lost his voice completely from "being stupid" (not taking care of himself, I guess). He has a much more ragged -- not rough -- sound on the higher notes.

Soto is hitting most of those notes! Don ain't doing much...

Actually, let me clarify -- I haven't heard any real "high" notes yet -- just talking about his upper range (everything above what you hear in "Oasis"). He still sounds great in the lower register, which is probably why he sticks to it so much -- I think he can get away with that to some extent, because he has such a distinctive voice. One interesting thing to mention -- I absolutely love his solo CD Solitary, but there is a song on there called "Where the Grass is Green" where someone else completes Don's line and picks up the drawn out high note at the end of the song (I guess Kelly Keeling). It flows seamlessly, but you can tell it ain't Don. Wasn't sure if he was trying to sell anyone into thinking it was, but no Dokken fan could make that mistake.

Johnny Mohawk...

....I can't believe you dissed Winger, they're an amazing band. May I recommend actually listening through one of their albums? I prefer "Pull" and "IV" myself... Winger's probably one of THE best hard rock bands of the late 80s/early 90s...

Quick point about Europe, they were a suprisingly heavy and great band at times