Dokken-"Tooth and Nail"-1984
Dokken always walked the fine line between Pop Metal and the heavier end of the genre.On this album,they achieved that delicate balance!From balls out rockers like "Just Got Lucky","Tooth and Nail",and "Into the Fire",to the Speed Metal anthem "Turn On The Action",to the melodic "Alone Again",this album is a timeless Hard Rock classic!Though the band acheived even greater acclaim with the next release,the excellent "Under Lock and Key",this one still holds a special place in my heart. [makes you feel all warm and fuzzy,don`t it?]
Talas-"Live Speed on Ice"-1984
Masterminded by bass wizard Billy Sheehan,Talas never rose above cult status.After a couple of releases,the original trio disbanded and Sheehan replaced them with Mitch Perry,guitar,Mark "Machine Gun" Miller,drums,and vocalist Phil Naro.Billy then made an unusual move by putting out a live album of mostly new tunes to show off the band.It worked.Old faves like "Sink Your Teeth Into That","Shy Boy" [later re-done when Billy joined David Lee Roth],and "High Speed on Ice" blended perfectly with new songs like "Crystal Clear" and "Lone Rock".The highlight,though,is 7718 [3A17];upsidedown it reads "Live Bill",and that`s what you get! A 5-minute bass guitar S`n`M session you`ve gotta HEAR to believe! YIKES!!!