Yeah, add to that according to VH Rising George and Ed were buds back then starting out, it's a trip. Various versions of who discovered the two handed tapping, but what made the most sense was George saw a blues player doing it, told Ed to check it out because it was so cool. Then told Ed to take it because he (George) wanted to go a different direction with his style. Pretty dang cool.
@@RockDawg77 Eddie for sure. I was thinking how George almost got the job with Ozzy that Randy ended up getting. Then Jake ended up with Ozzy after leaving Ratt. Then Warren ended up with Ratt of course.
@@gregorydickman940 It is definitely a dick move. Don has always been jealous of George, and has acted out in the most childish ways. if you were to hear those tracks right now, chances are you would look at Don in a different light. just look up "George lynch out takes", and you'll see him in the studio creating several throw away tracks, in their complete form. any one of those tracks would have been fan favorites, and he just improvises them like a pro. Don will always feel superior, and smarter , and more qualified than anyone else in the band. it doesn't make him right. it makes him an ego maniac.
@@gregorydickman940 Don's perspective only holds water if we accept his artistic impression of George's work. George proved to be a competent songwriter/soloist outside the framework of Dokken. Therefore I'm inclined to believe it was, at least partially, unnecessary intervention on Don's part.
I went to see Dokken in the '80s for Lynch as well. Actually saw them opening for Dio. Had to change sides of the stage at intermission so I could get Lynch and then later Vivian Campbell on the other side....
Have to respectfully disagree with Don. George’s guitar playing is the sound of Dokken. Period. Warren is a great guitar player but the sound of dokken would not be what it is with GL.
@@ChuckShute Dude. That is laugh out loud funny. I needed that. Awesome. Good thing someone helped him on WS and the second LM album. lol You're the bomb. Rokk on brother!
@@ChuckShuteNot 'some' of the riffs, but most ALL of the riffs. I'd say the actual riffs were spread like this: George 40% Jeff 30% ( alot was co written by those two, so a sum of 70% there) Don was like 20% to 30% at most. Jeff also wrote ALOT of the lyrics and vocal melodies and is a great vocalist. Don had that voice back then though......he was alot better than most other vocalists back then imo, still, I disagree about Warren 'potentially' being better in the group than George.
Love both Lynch and Demartini but Dokken’s unique sound was the combination of all 4 musicians and Lynch’s sound and style is unmatched specially back in those 80’s glory days. His smooth Legato, his melodies and overall tone was just amazing.
I agree. In my opinion, on a technical level, Lynch better suits Dokken because they have that whole, minor chord vibe and Lynch's style fit that perfectly back in the day. Warren was fast, but blusier in his approach and style. Warren didn't really get caught up in those classical sweeps and scales, modes etc like Lynch had. I love them both but lean toward Warren because his playing has a bit more soul to it, again, my opinion only.
Yup. Even though Don loves to paint George as the devil, I only ever loved Dokken because of the sound Lynch gave them. That’s it! And Don probably realizes most fans feel the same & it probably eats at him for decades. Sad. He needs to let the past go and have forgiveness.
@@RS-ol8or I don't think he has any issue with George, he just doesn't like working with him and he doesn't like for the rest of the world to tell him who he should work with. Regardless of who he works with, what he needs to do right now is find a real Video Director to direct his videos because his videos look amateur, like his band is a local cover band.
Without Lynch, we wouldn't even know the name Don Dokken. Just like when Lynch formed Lynch Mob. Most everyone followed that work. Nobody gave 2 sh#tz about Dokken.
@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential Um, yeah, no. Huge Lynch fan. Just Got Lucky vid was a game changer. WS and first LM tour was amazing. But so was DD UFTA with John N, Billy W, Peter, Mikkey. Both were amazing shows. Both were great albums. One thing will never understand is why Dokken Lynch fans feel the need to perpetuate conflict. Always thought we were a smarter bunch than run of the mill melodic rock/metal fans, but at this point, startin to think we need to thin out the herd. True fans don't rail against bands they love. Yeah, my wife is awesome. But she's fat, and she can't cook, and she smokes, she doesn't shower, she was so much hotter in high school... what a bunch of whiners. Grow up.
If George wasn't in the band, i probably wouldn't even listen to Dokken. George is what brings me back. (granted, as a guitarist i naturally am drawn to the guitar player in most groups i listen to).
Everybody found success though. Warren and Juan in Ratt sold millions and Dokken also sold millions. Sounds like fate to me. Hell they probably toured together at some point.
As intriguing as it might sound. Having Warren in Dokken would have given the band a whole different sound. Personally, i really like George's playing thru out his run with Dokken. I really like the "Rease the Slate" album with Reb Beach on guitar. Its a rockin album. But, like all the albums without Lynch. They just don't sound like Dokken, without George
Definitely there is a sound for sure with the guitar player. The animosity between the two of them might have helped make Dokken great. With Warren it might have been more like a Don Dokken solo thing.
100%. I also love the Erase the Slate album. That live album/dvd (I have the dvd) from that tour with Reb is unreal. Reb is a monster. But you're dead on. It's a great album. Just not a great "Dokken" album. If that makes any sense.
@@seventallguitarist I think Reb Beach killed it on that album as well! I saw them tour for that album and he was absolutely ferocious! he was SCREAMIN'!!! I just listened to the Live from the Sun album which is the Erase the Slate tour on my way to work this morning. Check it out if you haven;t heard it!
Don is starting to get very bitter from reading comments everyday about how horribly he sings followed immediately by how awesome George is. Tooth and Nail leads are nothing short of incredible and for Don to say these things makes him look like a douche.
how is he bitter? he is being candid and it is refreshing, he is more successful than George. he has little to be bitter about except the guys suing him for his name...that was kind of a clown effort It does not make him look like a douche it makes him look candid and a good interview
Dude, you're clueless that Don is more successful than George. Let me explain one simple thing to you. You Clueless boy wonder it's called Lynch mob millions of records sold Don Dokkens first and only solo album called up from the ashes. Should be called up from the asses. What a piece of garbage junk and he knew it and never came out with a solo record since the boy sucks without George George kicked Don's ass musically when they went their separate ways
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_OracleHe's more successful than Lynch? Please explain that statement. Nobody followed or anticipated any release from Dokken after Lynch was out. Lynch Mob put out great material and he's widely respected as one of the greatest guitar players of the era/genre.
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle How is he bitter? LMAO have you heard/seen Don lately? and have you heard/seen George lately? there is your answer. and if you want to be honest with yourself, look up "George Lynch & Dokken 10/30/2021 / Kiss of Death & When Heaven Comes Down" and witness for yourself why Don hates sharing the stage with Lynch 🤣
Any time I’ve seen George Lynch live, he’s a “free flowing” guitar player. Plays nothing like the record for his solos. Most of us want to hear something that RESEMBLES the record. The internal friction was obviously one of the reasons they didn’t make it bigger. Still love them though.
Love Dokken, but George Lynch made the signature sound of the band. Warren DeMartini did the same for Ratt. Both awesome guitar players. Don and George continue to throw jabs to this day.
@@ChuckShute I had George on and he spoke highly of the writing that he and Jeff did together on the early albums. Don and George on together would be a great interview. Keep up the great work with your show.
Warren is a very melodic and "fluid" player. He's very musical and you can tell he's thinking of notes and harmonies. And George is very technical and precise. And you can tell he's thinking patterns and playing by ear. That being said...Dokkens songs needed a player like George to give them a bit more weight for a hard rock sound and feel. If Warren was in the band it would've been ok but more pop like.
Makes sense… I feel like Dokken kind of towed the line with that. They weren’t as heavy as Judas Priest or Iron Madien, but they weren’t as poppy as Bon Jovi or Def Leppard either.
@@ChuckShute Good point. It's hard to envision George on stage with BJ or DL. Very different styles. There are some vids on yt where George is playing someone's songs with the other musicians he's hanging out with and he looks very bored like he could just as well sit down, light a cigar and play the song with his feet while smoking the cigar. lol That's our guy! lol Having said that, sure felt Steve C's passing. Always loved his style. One of the great rhythm/lead players of all time.
I don't believe for a second that Dokken would have shot up faster than they did. George is a one-of-a-kind guitarist and as they say, things happen for a reason. DeMartini is one of my all-time favorites but isn't on the same plane as Lynch. These bands became popular due to creativity and each other's strengths. I've seen Dokken dozens of times as well as Lynch Mob. George is in a category all his own.
OK why not? warren was every bit the player GEorge was, Don was writing most of the music No George is not one of a kind, he is not Randy Rhoads, he is not Ed vn Halen, he is next tier down. Who had to teach George the Rhoads songs for the Ozzy audition?
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle If George had a frontman like David Lee Roth, George would have been 20x better off. George is the sound of Dokken, and it wouldn’t have been the same if Warren was in his spot.
Wow... I am super jealous. What a special treat it would have been to hear the alternative takes on all of those classic legendary Dokken solos. Don makes it sound like this laborious pain in the ass... But I guess at the moment in the situation under the gun it could feel that way. Regardless, Thank you Don, George, Jeff and Mick for all the good music 🙏🏼🤘🏽
@@ChuckShute I think that's a terrific idea Chuck, I'd buy it. I love being a fly on the wall, to be able to hear the original germ or seed of the song and knowing what it evolved into would be awesome 🙏🏼
The kid was head above George in composition, tasty structured melody and synchopated rhythms, master riffs... George finally grew to Warren's hight on his Lynch Mob album Wicked Sensation which os fantastic guitaring but the follow ups weren't nearly as good. George was a shredder but very inconsistent in many other areas, so not as well rounded as the greatest 80's type guitarists.
RATT really started rolling in 84 when I was 16 in highschool still one of my favorite bands of all time Warren is a guitar god ABSOLUTE LEGEND. WARREN TORCH DEMARTINI, in my humble opinion the best of that era. Wish he would get back out there, it's in his blood and his fans love him. Peace.....
Totally agreed. I'm a huge fan of Dokken and always will be, but without George, it wouldn't have been the same. Compare the work they both have done apart from each other and that tells you all you need to know. Even the Dokken album with Reb Beach (a great and underappreciated guitarist) was a dud....especially if you compare that to the Lynch Mob albums which were arguably some of George's best work and a natural continuation/progression of those great, earlier Dokken albums. Love Don and love the early Dokken stuff, but I wish he would just be happy about the great music they put out and stop constantly bashing George and blaming him for everything. You guys put out some great music - that will live on, long after you stop fighting about it. Be porud of that. Be humble and appreciate your place in history, instead of tarnishing it with your bitter BS.
2 phenomenal guitarists, I Love Warren DeMartini and George Lynch but I am partial to Lynch's style, i think that is what made Dokken unique, I would like to hear what Warren DeMartini in Dokken would have sounded like in an alternate universe though.
Good interview, but, the facts in the history of Dokken as a band tells me otherwise, first of all Don had wrote most of the songs in Breaking the Chains, and George had to work on the solos of such songs, but that album was never too sucessful, the thing is that actually the album that proved to be the "starting point" in the success of the band was "Tooth and Nail", it got immediate feedback from the public and high sales, I think that is their best album, maybe George "had to be" or had no other choice than to be a little pushy and picky so Don would not overshadow his playing or his guitar sections; the only thing I know is that the guitar work is just amazing in all their early records...and I would definitely not change them
Ok this is long…Both guitarists literally are 2 of the greatest to put this genre of Metal on the map and plugged in to make a decade absolutely unforgettable. That being said as great as Don is, there is no way in hell Dokken would be the Dokken we know and love without George Lynch. And the same could be said for Warren and Ratt. I can understand Warren being easier to work with as he was younger and seems like a very easy going guy but their sounds are dramatically different and extremely unique to each them- but that is obvious, they’re guitar gods and have a signature sound. Being in a band is tough and I’m sure when you’re reaching the level of success these bands have accomplished, money, women, nightlife…it’s got to be hard with clashing personalities and things. That being said, Don always says “I love George” but there’s always this subtle, passive aggressive way about it or a dig at his work. Saying George just picks up and plays, isn’t the most flattering thing.He’s basically saying he had to pick apart everything he recorded and put it back together to make it musically correct. That makes me wonder. I’m sure there is some truth to that, I’ve been in bands as a vocalist and as a bass player and would often say “that doesn’t work, let’s try this or that” to the guitarist or drummer and vice versa had it said to me. I think in good, successful bands this probably happens a lot and you need that constructive criticism to say “hey I’m hearing something that just doesn’t work man, let’s try it like this and see how it sounds”. Don is basically saying George would just noodle away, record it and Don would have to arrange it. Did that happen? I’m sure it has, did it happen every time? I highly doubt George fng Lynch needed that much help with a guitar solo. It just makes me wonder how genuine he’s being about being cool with George and if he really appreciates what George did for Dokken. Sometimes the stars line up and you create a masterpiece, Don, George, Jeff and Mick are the stars that lined up and created some epic stuff. Bottom line it does not happen without George. It’s almost ridiculous to think that it would have. I wish he was as heavy on the gratitude as he is quick to point out the negatives.
Yeah I can believe Don did it once or twice but doubt it happened every time. I mean, Lynch made up solos just fine in Lynch Mob and every other band outside of Dokken, so...
I saw a video interview of George Lynch where he gratefully admitted leveraging Warren to help him learn Ozzy Osbourne guitar licks solos for his upcoming audition. George said they sat in the apartment where Warren broke down all the solos, piece by piece, and taught them to George. George was extremely humble and grateful. It was amazing to hear, because Lynch .. like Demartini .. is an irrefutable prodigy.
Having run sound for George during his signature series amp demonstrations... I believe this 💯. And seeing him get lost on his own leads because he couldn't remember what key his backing tracks were in was just mindblowing to me.
It's the end result that matters only and George killed it on everything he ever did - and the songs were incredible. Don Dokken is way too over rated, he can't even sing on key.
@@montyrayza7220no doubt lynch is a legend and cranked out some of the best and most iconic riffs and solos of that s it’s era .. BUT he was pretty darn sloppy and kinda all over the place live , everybody has off nights .
@@montyrayza7220yeah and George’s stuff all these years later with KXM is as good as anything he ever did on lead. The solos to I’ll Be Okay is incredible and the one for Breakout is pretty damn nice too.
Both George and Warren are very accomplished guitar players, and are in my top-5 list. George's dark and aggressive tone added depth to Dokken's songs, which might have otherwise come across as cheesy.
Let's not forget to learn the Blizzard of ozz stuff for the Ozzy try out after Randy died. . George needed Warren to teach him because it was over George's head.
this is the problem, if people saw him taking better care of himself they might lay off his voice issues ....but the guy is going about life not taking care of his pipes
George Lynch is why we listened to Dokken. Check out Beast from the East ! That's live Lynch. Don Dokkens albums sans George were passable at best. Hell to Pay was a disaster.
Respectfully....and I almost hate to say this. But....going toe to toe....GL was the better player for what Dokken was doing. In a one guitar band it allowed George to spread his wings and write 'riffs' that had to stand alone alone without a 2nd guitarist. GL masters this. In fact, I cannot recall GL ever playing in a 2 guitar band. DeMartini has always relied on a rhythm guitarist for soloing....he fit Ratt perfectly. George Lynch was without a doubt one of the most influential guitarists of the 80-90's. Personally and I have disected both players....George was in a class by himself. And- he still is.
Good point, never thought of that. Lynch had to play rhythms and leads. Some people are saying Lynch is better in studio and Warren live. Thanks for watching!
I was in a band with a free-form guitar player - I understand Don's perspective. I don't know if it's 100% accurate w/ respect to GL, but I do know what it was like working with our engineer, splicing pieces of different solos together to form a coherent unit. I also vividly remember everyone except our recording engineer being kicked out of the studio when our guitarist was recording his solos. However, to be fair (x3), I also had my own issues at the time, as I was suffering from "Lead Singers Disease"... Good Times! : )
NO he was not....Jake was. Warren is the guy George needed to teach him randy's songs for the Ozzy audution You're confused George has very little impact on Warren, Warren grew up a Rhoads fan...he talks about how he got the Ratt gig
@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential I know Warren helped with the Ozzy stuff. Lynch has always said he had a problem figuring out other players songs. That has nothing to do with Warren being influenced by George's playing style though He even said he got his picking technique and side to side vibrato from him. Anyone who can't see it or hear the similarities is either blind or deaf and George did it first.
Played a festival called Comstock Rock in Nebraska once with Don Doken band. Probably 2019. He did a fabulous job. Always been a super huge fan. I wish I would have went to LA when I had the opportunity back in the day. Maybe I would have land of spot in one of these awesome 80s bands.
I'm a huge Dokken fan and a big Ratt fan as well, George is one of my top three all-time guitarists and I rate Warren very highly as well. One thing I haven't heard commented on is that I believe that they could've been both a more successful commercial band with Warren but not as good of a band from the hard-core guitarists perspective if that makes sense.
He has incredible dexterity and a pinky from hell. Also, a great alternate picker, which you don't get from Warren. However, Don is 200% spot on. George never plays the same thing twice. Even claimed, I am told, he couldn't remember what he played for that fast descending run that closes the "In My Dreams" solo. That's just plain goofy, or....? Idk. But if you know that descending run off of "In My Dreams," as a guitarist, you know to play that crazy run that fast doesn't just happen. Takes many reps to get it under the fingers. Guys like George are problematic in the studio. That's why Heart hired Howard Leese. As good as Roger Fisher was, he couldn't replicate what he just laid down on tape. Don's point here is so valid. It's almost impossible to even study Lynch's style because any given lick he plays, you can't fact check your transcription against any video performances. Also.....he IS quirky. Just random licks strung together. But, yeah, his dexterity is unreal. Best left hand in the business after Glenn Tipton. Four finger player.
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle 100% agree .. people just like Lynch because he could play fast .. in his day . But he wasn't on the same level as a Van Halen or his friend Randy . They were unique and had a huge impact on many players . Lynch was just one of many speed demons , nothing that innovative or unique . Even Ozzy didn't see anything special in him to bring to the table . Picked Jake E Lee over him
Don Dokken is literally out of his mind and Delusional , probably from Chain Smoking so much and getting too much Desert Sun . There is no damn way he pieced together George Lynch Solos and put them on Dokken Songs on Dokken Albums . Sounds like something Kiss would do . Don is mistakeing George Lynch For Vince Neil . Vince had to have his Vocals Pieced together on Albums in Motley Crue . George Literally could play every Solo on those Dokken Albums perfectly in Concert . George made a bunch of Teaching Videos in the 1980s Showing what he could play . The Classical Composer Paganini isn't Easy to play . George could play that stuff . George took over Randy Rhodes' Classical Guitar Teaching School Job When Randy Rhoads joined Ozzy . George can Play his Dokken Solos still and he is like 70 Years old . George got an award for Best Solo for " In My Dreams " Solo in Dokken . About a Decade ago George broke it Down in a video how to even play the entire In My Dreams Solo . George can play the Tooth and Nail Solo Perfectly like on the Album still . George has composed and played Epic Solos and Instrumentals in Lynch Mob like " Wicked Sensation " . So Don is just being a Spiteful Snake 🐍 Year BSer and trying to Smear the Great George Lynch . SMFH And as far as Warren DiMartini being a better option in Dokken than George Lynch is seriously laughable . Maybe Don did get along with Warren Better , but George was a Better Composer in Dokken regardless of his difficulties . You have to figure George Was under alot of Pressure to succeed in the late 1970s , early 1980s . He had a Wife and Two Kids to Support in the 1980s . Ozzy really screwed George Over Musically . Geniuses are usually difficult to work with . David Lee Roth is the same age and Signs as George Lynch , Libra / Horse if that gives anybody an idea of George's unpredictable Personality . That " Lightning Strikes " Riff on the Under Lock and Key Album is a pretty difficult song to play on Guitar . That's an Epic Riff George Created . Warren wouldn't come up with Something like that . That Back For The Attack Album was Phenominal from Start to Finish in Riffs and Solos . There's no damn way Warren Dimartini would concieve an Original Epic Layer Cake instrumental like Mr Scary . That Instrumental alone is a Primary Staple of the Prime Dokken Legacy . George is a Phenominal Guitar Builder Designer as well . The guy is an Icon of Guitar Gear Design and innovation on the Same Level as Eddie Van Halen .
I have seen lynch about 6 or 7 x Live with lynch mob and also have seen Reb Beach in Dokken . Back for the Attack is my favorite Dokken album . I think george liked to spend a lot of time in studio, maybe there shouldn't be so much footage and focus on Lynch's process he gets great results I guess don would prefer more of a Viv Campbell or yngwie type guy who does it all in one take . Rowan Robertson did some great work with Pilson on lock up the wolves . I was impressed by an interview lynch did about competion body building and found him to be very articulate and knowledge able
@ChuckShute I agree. There is that edge of competition in the band, like Frehley and Criss in Kiss, what did any of them really know on their own when you put them together they pushed each other , Gene wanted Ace to sing more and paul wanted Peter to count off songs...1 2 3 hit it!
I was listening to Lynch talk about not being able to learn the material for Ozzy because he was just terrible at learning other people's solos and he went on to say that Warren DeMartini sat down with him and in a couple of days Warren had learned all the guitar parts of Randy Rhoads and he in turn, showed Lynch the parts, step by step so that he could audition for the band. This was according to George Lynch himself.
@2216sammySmall hands ? No long stretches ? You completely misunderstood. Some people aren't good at learning someone else's guitar solos. Obviously Lynch had the talent to perform Randy's solos, once Warren showed him...He just couldn't figure out the parts on his own by ear because he admittedly was not good at doing that.
Actually something Don Left out was that George was in Ratt after being fired from Ozzy at the time while Warren was in Dokken . George said this in a interview with BWBK that i had found .
Every interview you hear with George he’s the most down to earth guy. I can’t see him being the bad guy. I read a interview years ago where Lynch said he wrote out every solo. Lie? Maybe but, still.
He’s mellowed out now. In the 80s/early 90s he was a major asshole and prima donna. Their first producer on Tooth and Nail even had to leave because George was basically a psycho
And I don’t know about writing every solo but in the Dokken and early Lynch Mob days he would solo/jam over the track and they would splice together the parts/best takes they liked. That’s fairly common though and not a knock against George
I think it's a purely personal issue between Dokken and Lynch. Of the "commercial metal guitarists" in the LA music scene during the 80s, Lynch was the best of the lot (I don't put EVH in that group btw). There was a review of Back for the Attack in one of the guitar mags. The entire piece sang Lynch's praises until the final sentence: It's a shame he can't work with a more dynamic vocalist than Don Dokken.
Warren doesn’t get enough credit for his talent or his demeanor. Don is notorious for being a control freak and Pearcy has almost the exact same reputation. Warren being able to get along with both speaks volumes. I agree with Don that George is that “loose cannon” type of player, super talented but sometimes he wanders…
The difference between George and Warren is this: George's fans, down to the last Mahican, are ALL guitar players. And occasionally some women folk who like the results of his bodybuilding endeavors. Warren's fans are guitarists, songwriters, producers, other musicians, and MUSIC fans. I was a teenager in the 80's for seven years, so I saw and lived through every last bit of it. And not even once did I EVER come across a musician or aspiring musician who wasn't a guitar player that wanted to talk about George Lynch.
i love george's playing but he got to be a but much sometimes, being the guitar player's guitar player. like, he could've backed it down 10% on kiss of death, know what i mean? warren threaded the needle perfectly, i love jake e lee for being able to do that too. that's not even getting into personality differences...
@@anthonyrowland9072 I'll say it straight; I never much cared for Dokken. I mean, they just had no true musical identity IMO. Motley was dangerous and dirty, RATT had a cool, sexy swagger, Quiet Riot was the ultimate backyard blowout band, and Twisted Sister was a metal street gang in poorly coordinated clothing. With Dokken it was like, "here's some chord progressions, guitar solos, and words set to a rock beat and engineered to achieve the hard rock sound of the current times".
@@Jaake-my2rq you could tell the band never really gelled compared to other bands at the time. sometimes you have just enough conflict to be creative, sometimes you have too much. as good as a lot of the songs were, you never felt they're who don really wanted.
Love dokken, saw them live when I was 8 or 9, second ever concert in my life. Never got to see George with them sadly, but for me there’s no dokken without him. He was an absolute menace and he’s one of those players that’s indistinguishable for anyone else, few guitarists are like that.
No, not a great guitar player, He is very good, great is Rhoads....van Halen. George has never been as good as those guys. George has an inferiority complex.....he hates that his success is tied to the band Dokken which is sad, they were awesome
When I saw dokken live in 1987, I thought that something was Missing from the sound - the 2nd guitar.. I believe that that held them back - just my opinion
George is a great guitarist who loves to play. He seems to always want to freestyle solo over everything. I totally get that it can be very difficult and frustrating to write songs with that. I love watching George perform but often wish he would stick to the song and stop all the extra soloing over everything. Let the vocals and rhythm shine too. That being said, the best Dokken songs IMO are on the 80's albums with George and his guitar solos and rhythm tracks served the songs amazingly!
If Warren had remained in Dokken we'd probably be hearing this story in reverse, yes they may have became bigger, but for how long before it fell into a drama environment and inner tensions with them and Don?
So do I. It's Don's band and we all know the history between the two. But i do think Warren is the better player. But that's the beauty of opinions. We all have them.
Well he is not entirely wrong. If you listen to George’s solos in Dokken you can here they are cut together. The solo in The Hunter is one example. Warren plays his solos from start to end as far as i can hear. I think Geroge’s greatest asset is his tasty vibrato.
Don's vocals, his lyrics, and his melodies always sounded generic. Musically the band was killer. Listen to Mirror Mirror with Don, Mickey Dee, John Norum. The music was cool, but the song is boring as hell.
Im Loving this. I thought i was the only one Not Crazy about Georges efforts As s Raw Shredder George is Awesome But he admits. He doesnt know much. Its Very well known
"out of the cellar or whatvever it was called" lol.. I love both band and both guitarists growing up. Sucks they had all this drama but life is drama lol
Wow!! Lol. That's harsh from George. Love Aldo Nova and Blue Oyster Cult. Dokken is an iconic band. Loved this interview, Chuck❤❤❤. I love how Don is so open and honest. These clips are the best and just the right amount of time!✌️🫶
As a fan looking from the outside in, I think it's safe to say that Don and George simply don't get along, and never will. Theres always two sides to a coin. I met Lynch while he was touring with Souls of We and he was super cool! I talked to him for about 30 minutes about amps, guitars, He even asked me if I played guitar and when I said yes, he was very cool about it. I told him "I just play in cover bands around town" and he said "Hey, nothing wrong with that at all! Keep it up, a musician is a musician and don't ever stop playing!" Very cool experience! I met Dokken one time, and he was pretty cool. He came up and posed for a couple of pics with my wife and my cousin then left pretty quickly.
Don was a fine singer but the reason most listened to dokken was due to george. His guitar playing is really the signature sound of the band. It Just wouldn't be the band it was wirhout him. Plus I'm a huge ratt fan so it all worked out well in the end
THAT explains so much. I LOVE George Lynch's work, but only on Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack. What I really love, then, was George and Don's collaborative guitar playing, even if Don's guitar work only came in the form of input, and even if George didn't know about it. This is why I HATE George Lynch live. He can play amazingly, but only in relatively short spurts, and when he plays the songs live, he butchers everything. It's a little disheartening to know this guitar god's amazing work was only half deserved, because more important than his actual chops were the arrangements in my opinion. I love his guitar on those albums, but that's about it.
even if WDM is a great player and I loved Ratt, I think that Dokken couldn't achieve the popularity they reached without GL. I was into Dokken and I stayed there because of George Lynch; I think he was the perfect guitar player for that band, as well as De Martini was the perfect gp for Ratt orJake E Lee the best choice for Ozzy. So Don, please, do not spit on the plate from which you ate...
Too many of the hair metal musicians from the 1980s (Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken) just sound like bitter angry assholes these days. Just talking shit about each other and suing each other. Sad.
George has plenty of structure in his writing. If anyone has ever sat down to learn his songs note for note they can attest to that. DiMartini is a great guitar player, very cool vibrato (similar to Lynch!), awesome phrasing, & great tone. But Dokken is Lynch. I never bought a Dokken album if Lynch wasn't on it. Tooth & Nail, Under Lock & Key, back for the Attack, those are great guitar fests on kick ass songs.
George is my all time favorite guitarist. but honestly, "Broken Bones" was a pretty solid Dokken album, too. It's Lynchless, but still pretty solid work by John Levin. but man, George made the band a thousand times better. And Jeff Pilson's bass/backup vocals... talk about a secret weapon!! Don really should learn to appreciate George. it seems petty of him to act that way towards a living guitar legend.
Warren and George are great guitar players in their own right. Warren had better sounding guitars that looked better, and had better amp tone. The 1st two Dokken albums had the audio recording resolution that you would expect in a high end demo recording. ...
Warren had tighter and more crunch to his riffs. I love dokken, but ratts first 2 albums destroyed anything made by dokken and that’s largely due to the ratt sound, riffs and solos. Ratts first 2 albums are both criminally underrated albums even though they received some success. I think invasion of your privacy is in the top 20 best complete rock albums of the 80’s in my book closer to top 10. Every song is amazing.
@@ChuckShute agree but I don’t necessarily think dokken would’ve had more success with Warren or vice versa, I think they belonged where they were. It is like saying how kiss would’ve gone with Eddie v as the guitarist. Too much talent can be a detriment. Just look at Whitesnake after Sykes left
Don plays guitar n probably wrote lyrics n some riffs but,, it's Lynch playing that l got into dokken, EVH, Mr Scary, Rhoade 80's three musketeers n sadly there's only one legend left ,, keep rocking Mr Scary
I seriously doubt that Warren would have been better for Dokken in the 80's than George. George was one of the most innovative rock Guitarists of that era. Warren was too, but George's chordal phrasing and fluttering lead style was amazing!
Dokken doesn’t stand up to test of time for me. I literally can’t make it thru one song these days. Ratt, turn that shit up man we are rocking this place all night long! Dokken had a great run though, respect for sure you can’t take those gold records away from them.
Make sure to subscribe for more content and check out the full interview with Don Dokken: ua-cam.com/video/XfKDUBA34l4/v-deo.htmlsi=7WfnZX0aTDzZHAXR
If anyone talks sht about the Dokken band or Don in general. I just say, count the gold records..mofo
Warren, George, Jake e Lee, Randy all bouncing around swapping places. What an incredible amount of talent in one place at one time.
So true
.. its amazing the amount of great players that came from that era.
@@freddylive4181 exactly! Thank you!
Yeah, add to that according to VH Rising George and Ed were buds back then starting out, it's a trip. Various versions of who discovered the two handed tapping, but what made the most sense was George saw a blues player doing it, told Ed to check it out because it was so cool. Then told Ed to take it because he (George) wanted to go a different direction with his style. Pretty dang cool.
@@RockDawg77 Eddie for sure. I was thinking how George almost got the job with Ozzy that Randy ended up getting. Then Jake ended up with Ozzy after leaving Ratt. Then Warren ended up with Ratt of course.
He actually proves here George's point - sneaking into studio, to cherry pick whatever he wants, without George knowing, that's a dick move.
Not really. Stringing a bunch of licks together doesn't serve the song. Don's name is on the brand, and I bet editing is an understatement.
@@gregorydickman940 It is definitely a dick move. Don has always been jealous of George, and has acted out in the most childish ways. if you were to hear those tracks right now, chances are you would look at Don in a different light. just look up "George lynch out takes", and you'll see him in the studio creating several throw away tracks, in their complete form. any one of those tracks would have been fan favorites, and he just improvises them like a pro. Don will always feel superior, and smarter , and more qualified than anyone else in the band. it doesn't make him right. it makes him an ego maniac.
@@gregorydickman940 Don's perspective only holds water if we accept his artistic impression of George's work. George proved to be a competent songwriter/soloist outside the framework of Dokken. Therefore I'm inclined to believe it was, at least partially, unnecessary intervention on Don's part.
I've seen Dokken live in the 80's. It was the George Lynch band, really. Fans worshipped Lynch.
I went to see Dokken in the '80s for Lynch as well. Actually saw them opening for Dio. Had to change sides of the stage at intermission so I could get Lynch and then later Vivian Campbell on the other side....
Probably what Don can't deal with.
Everybody wanted to be George, nobody ever wanted to be Don.
Have to respectfully disagree with Don. George’s guitar playing is the sound of Dokken. Period. Warren is a great guitar player but the sound of dokken would not be what it is with GL.
And he wrote at least some of the riffs too I think.
I agree,, george’s guitar riffs are incredible..
@@ChuckShute Dude. That is laugh out loud funny. I needed that. Awesome. Good thing someone helped him on WS and the second LM album. lol You're the bomb. Rokk on brother!
Both are great. No need to put George down
@@ChuckShuteNot 'some' of the riffs, but most ALL of the riffs. I'd say the actual riffs were spread like this:
George 40% Jeff 30% ( alot was co written by those two, so a sum of 70% there) Don was like 20% to 30% at most.
Jeff also wrote ALOT of the lyrics and vocal melodies and is a great vocalist.
Don had that voice back then though......he was alot better than most other vocalists back then imo, still, I disagree about Warren 'potentially' being better in the group than George.
Love both Lynch and Demartini but Dokken’s unique sound was the combination of all 4 musicians and Lynch’s sound and style is unmatched specially back in those 80’s glory days. His smooth Legato, his melodies and overall tone was just amazing.
I agree. In my opinion, on a technical level, Lynch better suits Dokken because they have that whole, minor chord vibe and Lynch's style fit that perfectly back in the day. Warren was fast, but blusier in his approach and style. Warren didn't really get caught up in those classical sweeps and scales, modes etc like Lynch had. I love them both but lean toward Warren because his playing has a bit more soul to it, again, my opinion only.
And yet George Lynch is the reason I listen to dokken
Definitely, a very influential guitarist! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Agreed
Yep. George, Vai and Yngwie were the top 3 gods of rock guitar of the 80's.
Yup. Even though Don loves to paint George as the devil, I only ever loved Dokken because of the sound Lynch gave them. That’s it! And Don probably realizes most fans feel the same & it probably eats at him for decades. Sad. He needs to let the past go and have forgiveness.
@@RS-ol8or I don't think he has any issue with George, he just doesn't like working with him and he doesn't like for the rest of the world to tell him who he should work with.
Regardless of who he works with, what he needs to do right now is find a real Video Director to direct his videos because his videos look amateur, like his band is a local cover band.
Was never a huge Dokken fan but, when I did isten to them, George Lynch was the reason!
You and 99% of everyone else.
George was the attraction to Dokken, you fast forwarded to the solo on Dokken songs. Dokken had way to many sappy songs about love.
_You_ "fast forwarded to the solo".
Without Lynch, we wouldn't even know the name Don Dokken.
Just like when Lynch formed Lynch Mob. Most everyone followed that work. Nobody gave 2 sh#tz about Dokken.
@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential Um, yeah, no. Huge Lynch fan. Just Got Lucky vid was a game changer. WS and first LM tour was amazing. But so was DD UFTA with John N, Billy W, Peter, Mikkey. Both were amazing shows. Both were great albums. One thing will never understand is why Dokken Lynch fans feel the need to perpetuate conflict. Always thought we were a smarter bunch than run of the mill melodic rock/metal fans, but at this point, startin to think we need to thin out the herd. True fans don't rail against bands they love. Yeah, my wife is awesome. But she's fat, and she can't cook, and she smokes, she doesn't shower, she was so much hotter in high school... what a bunch of whiners. Grow up.
Thats so not true and saying the other ways had no talent
Just about every band in the 80s had cheesy love songs. What are talking about.
George wrote Mr. Scary and that sounded pretty damn structured to me. I believe it was even grammy nominated. I love both George and Warren.
Love that song and both guitarists. It’s fun to think of different guitarists in different bands.
Don was referring to Georges lead playing having no structure. And what you hear George playing is after cutting and editing.
How do you know Don or the producer/engineer didn't edit it to a structured song? Also Jeff Pilson has a writing credit on it.
@@jbw9999 That's a good point. I don't.
been saying that about goerge his solos are crazy sometimes
I prefer hearing Don Dokken way back when he could still sing.
He sounded great in the studio, but Don always seemed to struggle on stage whenever I saw them live.
If George wasn't in the band, i probably wouldn't even listen to Dokken. George is what brings me back. (granted, as a guitarist i naturally am drawn to the guitar player in most groups i listen to).
Everybody found success though. Warren and Juan in Ratt sold millions and Dokken also sold millions. Sounds like fate to me. Hell they probably toured together at some point.
Totally 🤘🏻🤘🏻
As intriguing as it might sound. Having Warren in Dokken would have given the band a whole different sound. Personally, i really like George's playing thru out his run with Dokken. I really like the "Rease the Slate" album with Reb Beach on guitar. Its a rockin album. But, like all the albums without Lynch. They just don't sound like Dokken, without George
Definitely there is a sound for sure with the guitar player. The animosity between the two of them might have helped make Dokken great. With Warren it might have been more like a Don Dokken solo thing.
From my first comment. It was supposed to say "Erase the Slate". I got a little ahead of myself.
100%. I also love the Erase the Slate album. That live album/dvd (I have the dvd) from that tour with Reb is unreal. Reb is a monster. But you're dead on. It's a great album. Just not a great "Dokken" album. If that makes any sense.
@seventallguitarist totally makes sense. And you are absolutely correct. It is a great album. Just not a great Dokken album.
@@seventallguitarist I think Reb Beach killed it on that album as well! I saw them tour for that album and he was absolutely ferocious! he was SCREAMIN'!!! I just listened to the Live from the Sun album which is the Erase the Slate tour on my way to work this morning. Check it out if you haven;t heard it!
Don is starting to get very bitter from reading comments everyday about how horribly he sings followed immediately by how awesome George is. Tooth and Nail leads are nothing short of incredible and for Don to say these things makes him look like a douche.
how is he bitter? he is being candid and it is refreshing, he is more successful than George. he has little to be bitter about except the guys suing him for his name...that was kind of a clown effort
It does not make him look like a douche it makes him look candid and a good interview
Dude, you're clueless that Don is more successful than George. Let me explain one simple thing to you. You Clueless boy wonder it's called Lynch mob millions of records sold Don Dokkens first and only solo album called up from the ashes. Should be called up from the asses. What a piece of garbage junk and he knew it and never came out with a solo record since the boy sucks without George
George kicked Don's ass musically when they went their separate ways
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_OracleHe's more successful than Lynch?
Please explain that statement.
Nobody followed or anticipated any release from Dokken after Lynch was out. Lynch Mob put out great material and he's widely respected as one of the greatest guitar players of the era/genre.
George literally needed Don to even be acknowledged. He was even fired from Ozzy.
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle How is he bitter? LMAO have you heard/seen Don lately? and have you heard/seen George lately? there is your answer. and if you want to be honest with yourself, look up "George Lynch & Dokken 10/30/2021 / Kiss of Death & When Heaven Comes Down" and witness for yourself why Don hates sharing the stage with Lynch 🤣
Any time I’ve seen George Lynch live, he’s a “free flowing” guitar player. Plays nothing like the record for his solos. Most of us want to hear something that RESEMBLES the record. The internal friction was obviously one of the reasons they didn’t make it bigger. Still love them though.
Interesting, I don’t think I’ve seen him live. Saw Dokken but I think Reb Beach was the guitarist. I’ll have to check out Lynch on this latest tour.
Glad to see he's taking care of himself. Chainsmoking like crazy....
Love Dokken, but George Lynch made the signature sound of the band. Warren DeMartini did the same for Ratt. Both awesome guitar players. Don and George continue to throw jabs to this day.
I’d love to have them both on the show together 😎
@@ChuckShute I had George on and he spoke highly of the writing that he and Jeff did together on the early albums. Don and George on together would be a great interview. Keep up the great work with your show.
@@TalkInTheFastLane thank you 🙏🏻
The potent mixture created dynamite.
Warren is a very melodic and "fluid" player. He's very musical and you can tell he's thinking of notes and harmonies. And George is very technical and precise. And you can tell he's thinking patterns and playing by ear. That being said...Dokkens songs needed a player like George to give them a bit more weight for a hard rock sound and feel. If Warren was in the band it would've been ok but more pop like.
Makes sense… I feel like Dokken kind of towed the line with that. They weren’t as heavy as Judas Priest or Iron Madien, but they weren’t as poppy as Bon Jovi or Def Leppard either.
@@ChuckShute Good point. It's hard to envision George on stage with BJ or DL. Very different styles. There are some vids on yt where George is playing someone's songs with the other musicians he's hanging out with and he looks very bored like he could just as well sit down, light a cigar and play the song with his feet while smoking the cigar. lol
That's our guy! lol
Having said that, sure felt Steve C's passing. Always loved his style. One of the great rhythm/lead players of all time.
but Dokken _was_ heavy ballad, popmetal with George
I don't believe for a second that Dokken would have shot up faster than they did. George is a one-of-a-kind guitarist and as they say, things happen for a reason. DeMartini is one of my all-time favorites but isn't on the same plane as Lynch. These bands became popular due to creativity and each other's strengths. I've seen Dokken dozens of times as well as Lynch Mob. George is in a category all his own.
OK why not? warren was every bit the player GEorge was, Don was writing most of the music
No George is not one of a kind, he is not Randy Rhoads, he is not Ed vn Halen, he is next tier down.
Who had to teach George the Rhoads songs for the Ozzy audition?
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle If George had a frontman like David Lee Roth, George would have been 20x better off. George is the sound of Dokken, and it wouldn’t have been the same if Warren was in his spot.
You’re probably right but then Randy used to say George was better than he was. And George would say Randy was better than he was. Who knows?
Warren is every bit as good as George
Warren is outstanding too...This debate is doa.
Warren De Martini is so underrated...the guy is a monster player, and his tone was unreal on those early albums.
Wow... I am super jealous. What a special treat it would have been to hear the alternative takes on all of those classic legendary Dokken solos. Don makes it sound like this laborious pain in the ass... But I guess at the moment in the situation under the gun it could feel that way. Regardless, Thank you Don, George, Jeff and Mick for all the good music 🙏🏼🤘🏽
I’m curious too… I also would love to hear Don’s version of Dream Warriors. They need a demo box set package. That would be fun
@@ChuckShute I think that's a terrific idea Chuck, I'd buy it. I love being a fly on the wall, to be able to hear the original germ or seed of the song and knowing what it evolved into would be awesome 🙏🏼
Anybody who says nothing stays same: Well it's 2023 and Don's still bitter about George...
Why'd you cut it off at the best part? He was about to demonstrate what was up.
Full episode is here if you want to watch: ua-cam.com/video/XfKDUBA34l4/v-deo.htmlsi=JO9zWIwE3B0Fzpcj
Warren was a talent not to be ignored.
Absolutely, thanks for watching!
The kid was head above George in composition, tasty structured melody and synchopated rhythms, master riffs...
George finally grew to Warren's hight on his Lynch Mob album Wicked Sensation which os fantastic guitaring but the follow ups weren't nearly as good. George was a shredder but very inconsistent in many other areas, so not as well rounded as the greatest 80's type guitarists.
@@YtuserSumone-rl6sw yeah I think it’s a style thing too. Warren was more technical, George more free form.
RATT really started rolling in 84 when I was 16 in highschool still one of my favorite bands of all time Warren is a guitar god ABSOLUTE LEGEND. WARREN TORCH DEMARTINI, in my humble opinion the best of that era. Wish he would get back out there, it's in his blood and his fans love him. Peace.....
@@tommcdonough6086 Warren is great! Thanks for watching!
Don was actually a very good guitar player. He was writing a lot of the guitar parts. But record labels wanted a “Guitar Hero” in bands in the 80’s
Yeah I think they started out as a trio. Also, when Don heard Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads he quit playing guitar
I heard he always wanted to be the guitar player... strange he didn't try to when he went solo?
@@jefff3756 he said after he saw Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads he gave up playing guitar solos lol
George is Dokken's identity. His guitar work is Dokken's trademark. He was the spark of Dokken's energy.
Definitely a huge piece of it for sure. It would have been a different band with Warren.
Totally agreed. I'm a huge fan of Dokken and always will be, but without George, it wouldn't have been the same. Compare the work they both have done apart from each other and that tells you all you need to know. Even the Dokken album with Reb Beach (a great and underappreciated guitarist) was a dud....especially if you compare that to the Lynch Mob albums which were arguably some of George's best work and a natural continuation/progression of those great, earlier Dokken albums. Love Don and love the early Dokken stuff, but I wish he would just be happy about the great music they put out and stop constantly bashing George and blaming him for everything. You guys put out some great music - that will live on, long after you stop fighting about it. Be porud of that. Be humble and appreciate your place in history, instead of tarnishing it with your bitter BS.
@@jimbowen8973 well said. Thanks for watching! 🤘🤘
2 phenomenal guitarists, I Love Warren DeMartini and George Lynch but I am partial to Lynch's style, i think that is what made Dokken unique, I would like to hear what Warren DeMartini in Dokken would have sounded like in an alternate universe though.
Right? Me too. Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Good interview, but, the facts in the history of Dokken as a band tells me otherwise, first of all Don had wrote most of the songs in Breaking the Chains, and George had to work on the solos of such songs, but that album was never too sucessful, the thing is that actually the album that proved to be the "starting point" in the success of the band was "Tooth and Nail", it got immediate feedback from the public and high sales, I think that is their best album, maybe George "had to be" or had no other choice than to be a little pushy and picky so Don would not overshadow his playing or his guitar sections; the only thing I know is that the guitar work is just amazing in all their early records...and I would definitely not change them
Without Lynch, we never would have known who Don Dokken was.
Lynch was the sound, it's not even close. That's why Lynch did well on his own.
Right, absolutely Lynch Mob was a success even in the coming of the grunge era@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential
Ok this is long…Both guitarists literally are 2 of the greatest to put this genre of Metal on the map and plugged in to make a decade absolutely unforgettable. That being said as great as Don is, there is no way in hell Dokken would be the Dokken we know and love without George Lynch. And the same could be said for Warren and Ratt. I can understand Warren being easier to work with as he was younger and seems like a very easy going guy but their sounds are dramatically different and extremely unique to each them- but that is obvious, they’re guitar gods and have a signature sound. Being in a band is tough and I’m sure when you’re reaching the level of success these bands have accomplished, money, women, nightlife…it’s got to be hard with clashing personalities and things. That being said, Don always says “I love George” but there’s always this subtle, passive aggressive way about it or a dig at his work. Saying George just picks up and plays, isn’t the most flattering thing.He’s basically saying he had to pick apart everything he recorded and put it back together to make it musically correct. That makes me wonder. I’m sure there is some truth to that, I’ve been in bands as a vocalist and as a bass player and would often say “that doesn’t work, let’s try this or that” to the guitarist or drummer and vice versa had it said to me. I think in good, successful bands this probably happens a lot and you need that constructive criticism to say “hey I’m hearing something that just doesn’t work man, let’s try it like this and see how it sounds”. Don is basically saying George would just noodle away, record it and Don would have to arrange it. Did that happen? I’m sure it has, did it happen every time? I highly doubt George fng Lynch needed that much help with a guitar solo. It just makes me wonder how genuine he’s being about being cool with George and if he really appreciates what George did for Dokken. Sometimes the stars line up and you create a masterpiece, Don, George, Jeff and Mick are the stars that lined up and created some epic stuff. Bottom line it does not happen without George. It’s almost ridiculous to think that it would have. I wish he was as heavy on the gratitude as he is quick to point out the negatives.
Yeah it’s hard to say what went on behind closed doors but regardless they made some great music. Thank you for watching and commenting! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
I got into Dokken because of George Lynch.
@@philamoureux675 a lot of people did it looks like
Yeah I can believe Don did it once or twice but doubt it happened every time. I mean, Lynch made up solos just fine in Lynch Mob and every other band outside of Dokken, so...
@@danswon and all his other projects, love KXM too
I saw a video interview of George Lynch where he gratefully admitted leveraging Warren to help him learn Ozzy Osbourne guitar licks solos for his upcoming audition. George said they sat in the apartment where Warren broke down all the solos, piece by piece, and taught them to George. George was extremely humble and grateful. It was amazing to hear, because Lynch .. like Demartini .. is an irrefutable prodigy.
I have noticed that with George live he kinda goes everywhere its like the count disappears😂😂😂
Having run sound for George during his signature series amp demonstrations... I believe this 💯. And seeing him get lost on his own leads because he couldn't remember what key his backing tracks were in was just mindblowing to me.
😧
It's the end result that matters only and George killed it on everything he ever did - and the songs were incredible. Don Dokken is way too over rated, he can't even sing on key.
@@montyrayza7220 I think George is great!
@@montyrayza7220no doubt lynch is a legend and cranked out some of the best and most iconic riffs and solos of that s it’s era .. BUT he was pretty darn sloppy and kinda all over the place live , everybody has off nights .
@@montyrayza7220yeah and George’s stuff all these years later with KXM is as good as anything he ever did on lead. The solos to I’ll Be Okay is incredible and the one for Breakout is pretty damn nice too.
Both George and Warren are very accomplished guitar players, and are in my top-5 list. George's dark and aggressive tone added depth to Dokken's songs, which might have otherwise come across as cheesy.
Solid point. The only reason people take Dokken serious is because of George's aggressive dark choices of notes.
Let's not forget to learn the Blizzard of ozz stuff for the Ozzy try out after Randy died. . George needed Warren to teach him because it was over George's head.
If not for George I wouldnt listen to Dokken...I dont listen to their new shit with other players. george is special and unique.
George is great! Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
I wonder if anyone told Don that hotboxing camels all day every day destroyed the only gift he had?
I see Don is really taking care of what vocals he has left. Smoking 😅😅😅
this is the problem, if people saw him taking better care of himself they might lay off his voice issues ....but the guy is going about life not taking care of his pipes
George Lynch is why we listened to Dokken. Check out Beast from the East ! That's live Lynch. Don Dokkens albums sans George were passable at best. Hell to Pay was a disaster.
Lynch is great! Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Respectfully....and I almost hate to say this. But....going toe to toe....GL was the better player for what Dokken was doing. In a one guitar band it allowed George to spread his wings and write 'riffs' that had to stand alone alone without a 2nd guitarist. GL masters this. In fact, I cannot recall GL ever playing in a 2 guitar band. DeMartini has always relied on a rhythm guitarist for soloing....he fit Ratt perfectly. George Lynch was without a doubt one of the most influential guitarists of the 80-90's. Personally and I have disected both players....George was in a class by himself. And- he still is.
Good point, never thought of that. Lynch had to play rhythms and leads. Some people are saying Lynch is better in studio and Warren live. Thanks for watching!
I was in a band with a free-form guitar player - I understand Don's perspective. I don't know if it's 100% accurate w/ respect to GL, but I do know what it was like working with our engineer, splicing pieces of different solos together to form a coherent unit. I also vividly remember everyone except our recording engineer being kicked out of the studio when our guitarist was recording his solos. However, to be fair (x3), I also had my own issues at the time, as I was suffering from "Lead Singers Disease"... Good Times! : )
George was a big influence on Warren and IMO, you can hear it in his playing and even see it in their picking styles.
NO he was not....Jake was. Warren is the guy George needed to teach him randy's songs for the Ozzy audution
You're confused George has very little impact on Warren, Warren grew up a Rhoads fan...he talks about how he got the Ratt gig
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle You're wrong.
They both admired and respected each other. It is true that Warren helped Lynch with understanding the Rhodes Sounds. Lynch said that himself.
@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential I know Warren helped with the Ozzy stuff. Lynch has always said he had a problem figuring out other players songs. That has nothing to do with Warren being influenced by George's playing style though He even said he got his picking technique and side to side vibrato from him. Anyone who can't see it or hear the similarities is either blind or deaf and George did it first.
Love Ratt. Love Warren! God bless. JESUS SAVES!
Played a festival called Comstock Rock in Nebraska once with Don Doken band. Probably 2019. He did a fabulous job. Always been a super huge fan. I wish I would have went to LA when I had the opportunity back in the day. Maybe I would have land of spot in one of these awesome 80s bands.
The thing is, George is the one that made dokken sound unique. When he left and made lunch mob that unique sound went with him
Don smokes the heaters? Never would've guessed..
Part 2 soon?
Great interview...
Full interview is here on my channel… check it out!
Don sounds like shit after 30 years…. George is still kicking ass and touring. Still shredding and sounds great. Don just comes across as bitter.
I'm a huge Dokken fan and a big Ratt fan as well, George is one of my top three all-time guitarists and I rate Warren very highly as well. One thing I haven't heard commented on is that I believe that they could've been both a more successful commercial band with Warren but not as good of a band from the hard-core guitarists perspective if that makes sense.
Definitely, could have been more commercial and poppy but a lot of true guitar aficionados would prefer Lynch.
George is the master of the guitar. He is not quirkily!
he is clearly not ED or Randy....I mean that much we know , he may not even be Warren
He has incredible dexterity and a pinky from hell. Also, a great alternate picker, which you don't get from Warren. However, Don is 200% spot on. George never plays the same thing twice. Even claimed, I am told, he couldn't remember what he played for that fast descending run that closes the "In My Dreams" solo. That's just plain goofy, or....? Idk. But if you know that descending run off of "In My Dreams," as a guitarist, you know to play that crazy run that fast doesn't just happen. Takes many reps to get it under the fingers. Guys like George are problematic in the studio. That's why Heart hired Howard Leese. As good as Roger Fisher was, he couldn't replicate what he just laid down on tape. Don's point here is so valid. It's almost impossible to even study Lynch's style because any given lick he plays, you can't fact check your transcription against any video performances. Also.....he IS quirky. Just random licks strung together. But, yeah, his dexterity is unreal. Best left hand in the business after Glenn Tipton. Four finger player.
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle 100% agree .. people just like Lynch because he could play fast .. in his day . But he wasn't on the same level as a Van Halen or his friend Randy . They were unique and had a huge impact on many players . Lynch was just one of many speed demons , nothing that innovative or unique . Even Ozzy didn't see anything special in him to bring to the table . Picked Jake E Lee over him
Don Dokken is literally out of his mind and Delusional , probably from Chain Smoking so much and getting too much Desert Sun . There is no damn way he pieced together George Lynch Solos and put them on Dokken Songs on Dokken Albums . Sounds like something Kiss would do . Don is mistakeing George Lynch For Vince Neil . Vince had to have his Vocals Pieced together on Albums in Motley Crue . George Literally could play every Solo on those Dokken Albums perfectly in Concert . George made a bunch of Teaching Videos in the 1980s Showing what he could play . The Classical Composer Paganini isn't Easy to play . George could play that stuff . George took over Randy Rhodes' Classical Guitar Teaching School Job When Randy Rhoads joined Ozzy . George can Play his Dokken Solos still and he is like 70 Years old . George got an award for Best Solo for " In My Dreams " Solo in Dokken . About a Decade ago George broke it Down in a video how to even play the entire In My Dreams Solo . George can play the Tooth and Nail Solo Perfectly like on the Album still . George has composed and played Epic Solos and Instrumentals in Lynch Mob like " Wicked Sensation " . So Don is just being a Spiteful Snake 🐍 Year BSer and trying to Smear the Great George Lynch . SMFH
And as far as Warren DiMartini being a better option in Dokken than George Lynch is seriously laughable . Maybe Don did get along with Warren Better , but George was a Better Composer in Dokken regardless of his difficulties . You have to figure George Was under alot of Pressure to succeed in the late 1970s , early 1980s . He had a Wife and Two Kids to Support in the 1980s . Ozzy really screwed George Over Musically . Geniuses are usually difficult to work with . David Lee Roth is the same age and Signs as George Lynch , Libra / Horse if that gives anybody an idea of George's unpredictable Personality . That " Lightning Strikes " Riff on the Under Lock and Key Album is a pretty difficult song to play on Guitar . That's an Epic Riff George Created . Warren wouldn't come up with Something like that . That Back For The Attack Album was Phenominal from Start to Finish in Riffs and Solos . There's no damn way Warren Dimartini would concieve an Original Epic Layer Cake instrumental like Mr Scary . That Instrumental alone is a Primary Staple of the Prime Dokken Legacy . George is a Phenominal Guitar Builder Designer as well . The guy is an Icon of Guitar Gear Design and innovation on the Same Level as Eddie Van Halen .
I have seen lynch about 6 or 7 x
Live with lynch mob and also have seen Reb Beach in Dokken . Back for the Attack is my favorite Dokken album .
I think george liked to spend a lot of time in studio, maybe there shouldn't be so much footage and focus on Lynch's process he gets great results
I guess don would prefer more of a Viv Campbell or yngwie type guy who does it all in one take . Rowan Robertson did some great work with Pilson on lock up the wolves .
I was impressed by an interview lynch did about competion body building and found him to be very articulate and knowledge able
Absolutely, I think Don says this now but who knows if Dokken would be better with a different guitar player. It could have been worse. Hard to say.
@ChuckShute I agree.
There is that edge of competition in the band, like Frehley and Criss in Kiss, what did any of them really know on their own when you put them together they pushed each other , Gene wanted Ace to sing more and paul wanted Peter to count off songs...1 2 3 hit it!
I was listening to Lynch talk about not being able to learn the material for Ozzy because he was just terrible at learning other people's solos and he went on to say that Warren DeMartini sat down with him and in a couple of days Warren had learned all the guitar parts of Randy Rhoads and he in turn, showed Lynch the parts, step by step so that he could audition for the band.
This was according to George Lynch himself.
Yeah, that definitely happened.
If it isn't true then George Lynch is the one that lied,..not me.
@2216sammySmall hands ? No long stretches ? You completely misunderstood.
Some people aren't good at learning someone else's guitar solos.
Obviously Lynch had the talent to perform Randy's solos, once Warren showed him...He just couldn't figure out the parts on his own by ear because he admittedly was not good at doing that.
Actually something Don Left out was that George was in Ratt after being fired from Ozzy at the time while Warren was in Dokken . George said this in a interview with BWBK that i had found .
George in Ratt? Interesting. I’ll have to check that out. Thanks! 🙏
Yw :) @@ChuckShute
Every interview you hear with George he’s the most down to earth guy. I can’t see him being the bad guy. I read a interview years ago where Lynch said he wrote out every solo. Lie? Maybe but, still.
He’s mellowed out now. In the 80s/early 90s he was a major asshole and prima donna. Their first producer on Tooth and Nail even had to leave because George was basically a psycho
And I don’t know about writing every solo but in the Dokken and early Lynch Mob days he would solo/jam over the track and they would splice together the parts/best takes they liked. That’s fairly common though and not a knock against George
I think it's a purely personal issue between Dokken and Lynch. Of the "commercial metal guitarists" in the LA music scene during the 80s, Lynch was the best of the lot (I don't put EVH in that group btw). There was a review of Back for the Attack in one of the guitar mags. The entire piece sang Lynch's praises until the final sentence: It's a shame he can't work with a more dynamic vocalist than Don Dokken.
Warren is undoubtedly a superior guitarist. He's a level above. But George is Dokkens sound.
Love them both, definitely a different sound with Warren though. Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Warren doesn’t get enough credit for his talent or his demeanor. Don is notorious for being a control freak and Pearcy has almost the exact same reputation. Warren being able to get along with both speaks volumes. I agree with Don that George is that “loose cannon” type of player, super talented but sometimes he wanders…
@@bham311 good points. His demeanor is also a very valuable asset.
The difference between George and Warren is this:
George's fans, down to the last Mahican, are ALL guitar players. And occasionally some women folk who like the results of his bodybuilding endeavors.
Warren's fans are guitarists, songwriters, producers, other musicians, and MUSIC fans.
I was a teenager in the 80's for seven years, so I saw and lived through every last bit of it. And not even once did I EVER come across a musician or aspiring musician who wasn't a guitar player that wanted to talk about George Lynch.
i love george's playing but he got to be a but much sometimes, being the guitar player's guitar player. like, he could've backed it down 10% on kiss of death, know what i mean? warren threaded the needle perfectly, i love jake e lee for being able to do that too.
that's not even getting into personality differences...
@@anthonyrowland9072 I'll say it straight; I never much cared for Dokken. I mean, they just had no true musical identity IMO. Motley was dangerous and dirty, RATT had a cool, sexy swagger, Quiet Riot was the ultimate backyard blowout band, and Twisted Sister was a metal street gang in poorly coordinated clothing.
With Dokken it was like, "here's some chord progressions, guitar solos, and words set to a rock beat and engineered to achieve the hard rock sound of the current times".
@@Jaake-my2rq you could tell the band never really gelled compared to other bands at the time. sometimes you have just enough conflict to be creative, sometimes you have too much. as good as a lot of the songs were, you never felt they're who don really wanted.
Love dokken, saw them live when I was 8 or 9, second ever concert in my life. Never got to see George with them sadly, but for me there’s no dokken without him. He was an absolute menace and he’s one of those players that’s indistinguishable for anyone else, few guitarists are like that.
Awesome! George is amazing! Thanks for watching!
george was a difficult person to get along with but was a great guitar but you can hear that his solo were patch together in the song.
No, not a great guitar player, He is very good, great is Rhoads....van Halen. George has never been as good as those guys.
George has an inferiority complex.....he hates that his success is tied to the band Dokken which is sad, they were awesome
@@Dave_Wight_The_Rock_Oracle true my bad your right rhoads is a great player that he did also, probably why he did make w ozzy
Don’s a no bullshit guy ..one hell of a singer songwriter..
IDK. Sure sounds like bullshit to me. And it’s been a very long time since Don was a “hell of a singer”.
I think Don has always been a BS guy!
Can we hear the Warren tapes?
I think it was only like 3 gigs but if anyone has tape of it I’d love to hear it.
When I saw dokken live in 1987, I thought that something was
Missing from the sound - the 2nd guitar.. I believe that that held them back - just my opinion
Interesting… and Don plays guitar but I don’t think usually on stage
George is a great guitarist who loves to play. He seems to always want to freestyle solo over everything. I totally get that it can be very difficult and frustrating to write songs with that. I love watching George perform but often wish he would stick to the song and stop all the extra soloing over everything. Let the vocals and rhythm shine too. That being said, the best Dokken songs IMO are on the 80's albums with George and his guitar solos and rhythm tracks served the songs amazingly!
I only jammed Dokken back in the day because of Lynch.
🤘🏻🤘🏻
If Warren had remained in Dokken we'd probably be hearing this story in reverse, yes they may have became bigger, but for how long before it fell into a drama environment and inner tensions with them and Don?
Love both players. Warren is my personal favorite guitar player of all time though.
I love both too! I’d have to listen more closely to analyze who’s better. Could just be personal preference.
So do I. It's Don's band and we all know the history between the two. But i do think Warren is the better player. But that's the beauty of opinions. We all have them.
Well he is not entirely wrong. If you listen to George’s solos in Dokken you can here they are cut together. The solo in The Hunter is one example. Warren plays his solos from start to end as far as i can hear. I think Geroge’s greatest asset is his tasty vibrato.
Funny Don would pick solo parts for George. Eddie Van Halen used to piece his solos together in the same way.
Interesting!
Dokken would have been great without Don Dokken. Lol
LOL that exits… T&N I think it’s called
Yeah.. and lynch and mick would have keep living on the street....
Sure
Nonsense, he wrote a lot of the hits.
Don's vocals, his lyrics, and his melodies always sounded generic. Musically the band was killer.
Listen to Mirror Mirror with Don, Mickey Dee, John Norum. The music was cool, but the song is boring as hell.
Earlier on, I always thought Warren & George's lead playing styles were really similar.
Songwriting styles though, were WAY different.
Interesting…. Definitely think they’re both great players with some similarities and differences. Fun to see this discussion blow up.
Would love to hear what Don says at the end. Why did it get cut off?
I'm sure Lynch propabaly would have preferred Steven Piercy over Don Dokken... lol
Haha I should have asked him
Im Loving this. I thought i was the only one Not Crazy about Georges efforts As s Raw Shredder George is Awesome But he admits. He doesnt know much. Its Very well known
"out of the cellar or whatvever it was called" lol.. I love both band and both guitarists growing up. Sucks they had all this drama but life is drama lol
Yeah very true. Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
I wonder why Don kept George for so long?
Good question… 🤔
Because he knew that Lynch Mob would be Awesome.
Cause no one else would deal with don bring an asshole
Wow!! Lol. That's harsh from George. Love Aldo Nova and Blue Oyster Cult. Dokken is an iconic band. Loved this interview, Chuck❤❤❤. I love how Don is so open and honest. These clips are the best and just the right amount of time!✌️🫶
Thank you Debbie! You’re too kind!
@@ChuckShute the truth!!❤️❤️👍
Agree
As a fan looking from the outside in, I think it's safe to say that Don and George simply don't get along, and never will. Theres always two sides to a coin.
I met Lynch while he was touring with Souls of We and he was super cool! I talked to him for about 30 minutes about amps, guitars, He even asked me if I played guitar and when I said yes, he was very cool about it. I told him "I just play in cover bands around town" and he said "Hey, nothing wrong with that at all! Keep it up, a musician is a musician and don't ever stop playing!" Very cool experience!
I met Dokken one time, and he was pretty cool. He came up and posed for a couple of pics with my wife and my cousin then left pretty quickly.
Warren was part of the best Hair Metal band in the 80’s. Ratt were the Kings!!! Warren is such a great guitarist. Him and Robin were a killer tandem.
@@thecarolinashreds196 absolutely
Understandable
Well Don, as Dalton so eloquently put it..."Opinions vary."
Haha
Don was a fine singer but the reason most listened to dokken was due to george. His guitar playing is really the signature sound of the band. It Just wouldn't be the band it was wirhout him. Plus I'm a huge ratt fan so it all worked out well in the end
THAT explains so much. I LOVE George Lynch's work, but only on Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack. What I really love, then, was George and Don's collaborative guitar playing, even if Don's guitar work only came in the form of input, and even if George didn't know about it. This is why I HATE George Lynch live. He can play amazingly, but only in relatively short spurts, and when he plays the songs live, he butchers everything. It's a little disheartening to know this guitar god's amazing work was only half deserved, because more important than his actual chops were the arrangements in my opinion. I love his guitar on those albums, but that's about it.
Ironically, I'm sure that George prefers Warren in this particular situation. After all, George is the one who pulled the ejection handle. LOL
Imo George gave Don too much hell over the years. A lot of it substance fuelled.
They all did cocaine and he did booze
why's this guy smoking? lol, has that smokers voice crackle already.
Look at what's in his hand.
even if WDM is a great player and I loved Ratt, I think that Dokken couldn't achieve the popularity they reached without GL. I was into Dokken and I stayed there because of George Lynch; I think he was the perfect guitar player for that band, as well as De Martini was the perfect gp for Ratt orJake E Lee the best choice for Ozzy. So Don, please, do not spit on the plate from which you ate...
Too many of the hair metal musicians from the 1980s (Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken) just sound like bitter angry assholes these days. Just talking shit about each other and suing each other. Sad.
they do not sound bitter they sound realistic about their time...did you watch the full interview?
George has plenty of structure in his writing. If anyone has ever sat down to learn his songs note for note they can attest to that. DiMartini is a great guitar player, very cool vibrato (similar to Lynch!), awesome phrasing, & great tone. But Dokken is Lynch. I never bought a Dokken album if Lynch wasn't on it. Tooth & Nail, Under Lock & Key, back for the Attack, those are great guitar fests on kick ass songs.
George is my all time favorite guitarist. but honestly, "Broken Bones" was a pretty solid Dokken album, too. It's Lynchless, but still pretty solid work by John Levin. but man, George made the band a thousand times better. And Jeff Pilson's bass/backup vocals... talk about a secret weapon!! Don really should learn to appreciate George. it seems petty of him to act that way towards a living guitar legend.
Warren and George are great guitar players in their own right. Warren had better sounding guitars that looked better, and had better amp tone. The 1st two Dokken albums had the audio recording resolution that you would expect in a high end demo recording. ...
Warren had tighter and more crunch to his riffs. I love dokken, but ratts first 2 albums destroyed anything made by dokken and that’s largely due to the ratt sound, riffs and solos. Ratts first 2 albums are both criminally underrated albums even though they received some success.
I think invasion of your privacy is in the top 20 best complete rock albums of the 80’s in my book closer to top 10. Every song is amazing.
It would be interesting if they switched places. I love Ratt too. Thanks for watching! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
@@ChuckShute agree but I don’t necessarily think dokken would’ve had more success with Warren or vice versa, I think they belonged where they were. It is like saying how kiss would’ve gone with Eddie v as the guitarist. Too much talent can be a detriment. Just look at Whitesnake after Sykes left
@@vonvapor7786 true yeah a lot is about chemistry… Dokken had tension and so did Ratt.. sometimes that tension helps create great music.
It’s almost like someone has a record to sell 🤔
And somewhere in this circus you had Warren out of Ratt and replaced with future Bullet Boys frontman Marc Torien playing guitar.
I believe history played out like it should've. If it hadn't, we wouldn't have 2 of my favorite bands of that era.
Very true. Thanks for watching!
Don plays guitar n probably wrote lyrics n some riffs but,, it's Lynch playing that l got into dokken, EVH, Mr Scary, Rhoade 80's three musketeers n sadly there's only one legend left ,, keep rocking Mr Scary
Mr Scary is such a great riff
Lol, George shouldn’t even be mentioned with Eddie and Randy.
Not even close.
@@magdump7380 who says so? Fucking Rolling Stone magazine?
I seriously doubt that Warren would have been better for Dokken in the 80's than George. George was one of the most innovative rock Guitarists of that era. Warren was too, but George's chordal phrasing and fluttering lead style was amazing!
I prefer Pearcy over Don.
Love Pearcy!
Peak to peak Don was the better singer....
One was a singer one was a frontman
Dokken doesn’t stand up to test of time for me. I literally can’t make it thru one song these days. Ratt, turn that shit up man we are rocking this place all night long! Dokken had a great run though, respect for sure you can’t take those gold records away from them.
I love George but I totally believe this.