Don Dokken/MA,USA 1990 & more

After Dokken broke up, he released his solo album “UP FROM THE ASHES” in 1990. This album is a recording of the performance in Hadley, Massachusetts on December 9, 1990, from the US tour, recorded by a high-quality audience master for that time. It is almost a complete recording except for some cuts. After releasing the live album of the Japan performance of “BACK FOR THE ATTACK”, the band broke up due to the long-standing feud between Don and George Lynch. Then, in order to rebuild DOKKEN, Don formed a super band with ex-EUROPE John Norum and ex-WATCHTOWER Billy White on guitar, ex-ACCEPT and German friend Peter Baltes on bass, and ex-KING DIAMOND Mickey Dee on drums, who later joined MOTORHEAD and SCORPIONS. However, due to copyright issues, they could not use the name DOKKEN, so they called themselves DON DOKKEN, released an album, and then started a tour, but in the end they only released one album and did one world tour, including a performance in Japan, before disbanding. This precious live recording is from their legendary three-month visit to Japan, and the opening song is “Paris Is Burning,” the first tune from DOKKEN’s debut. Then, after one song, “Crash N’ Burn,” which opens “UP FROM THE ASHES,” features Billy’s technical guitar solo, and in the classic song “In My Dreams,” they performed a perfect chorus, as they had gathered members who could sing. Then, in “It’s Not Love,” Peter is featured in the part that was said to be the rumbling chorus of ACCEPT’s “Balls To The Wall,” and in the acoustic set in the middle, Don himself plays and sings “Alone Again,” movingly. Furthermore, the coupling DVD includes a complete recording of the live performance at Osaka Festival Hall on March 11th from the Japan tour in 1991, shot from the right side of the center of the second floor seats with a single camera. Although there are some unstable parts, the camera work is excellent, and the quality of the image is the best you could ask for for a VHS video at that time. And with a set almost identical to the previous year’s US tour, the classic song “1000 Miles Away” features a solo with John’s tearful phrase, Don’s perfect vocals reminiscent of Klaus Meine, and the three-part chorus heard everywhere, making it a heavy ensemble that only this band could have. In any case, the sound source and video itself are valuable, and this luxurious lineup seems impossible to realize, so this is a must-have collector’s edition for fans. CD: 1. PARIS IS BURNING/2. GIVE IT UP/3. CRASH ‘N BURN/4. THE HUNTER/5. IN MY DREAMS/6. IT’S NOT LOVE (incl. BALLS TO THE WALL)/7. DRUM SOLO/8. DOWN IN FLAMES (incl. GUITAR SOLOS)/9. ALONE AGAIN (incl. LITTLE WING)/10. STAY/11. INTO THE FIRE 12. BREAKIN’ THE CHAINS/13. MIRROR MIRROR/14. THE HUNGER [Live at Katina’s Night Club, Hadley, Massachusetts, USA December 9th 1990] DVD: 1. INTRO/2. PARIS IS BURNING/3. GIVE IT UP/4. CRASH ‘N BURN/5. THE HUNTER/6. WHEN LOVE FINDS A FOOL/7. IN MY DREAMS/8. IT’S NOT LOVE (incl. BALLS TO THE WALL)/9. DRUM SOLO/10. DOWN IN FLAMES (incl. GUITAR SOLOS)/ 11. ALONE AGAIN (incl. ACOUSTIC GUITAR SOLO/SLIPPIN’ AWAY)/12. STAY/13. INTO THE FIRE/14 . BREAKIN’ THE CHAINS/15. MIRROR MIRROR/16. 1000 MILES AWAY/17. THE HUNGER [Live at Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan March 11th 1991]