There’s a little discussion among fans about which is the best DOKKEN album ever – in my opinion, all their ’80s creations are great – but arguably “Under Lock And Key” it was the record that promoted them to an A-grade platinum attraction and one that resulted in the sort of kerb appeal shared by the likes of Ratt, White Lion and Mötley Crüe.
“Under Lock And Key” received a ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ treatment by Rock Candy Records, and the result is spectacular.
Produced by both British studio wizard Neil Kernon (Queensryche, Kansas, Autograph) and Michael Wagener (Mötley Crüe, Extreme) the album spawned a number of classic US Hard Rock tracks which pushed Dokken to international stardom, including “Unchain The Night”, “It’s Not Love”, “Lightnin’ Strikes Again” and the chart hit “In My Dreams”.
No matter how hard they tried – that’s vocalist Don Dokken and guitarist extraordinaire George Lynch – to impede the band’s commercial progress. Like fire and ice the two were in constant opposition, looking to settle old scores and start a whole heap of new ones at the drop of a hat.
Some say that it was this uncomfortable friction that fuelled their creative engine, helping to make Dokken one of the most respected, successful and influential acts of the era.
Thus, “Under Lock And Key” was recorded under strained circumstances. For their last album a bizarre system of separate daytime / nightime recording sessions helped to ease the bickering, but this time around the two protagonists insisted on using two different studios to record their contributions. It was an arrangement that dismayed outsiders, yet it made for a fascinating science experiment, one that produced some exceptional Hard Rock music.
I read somewhere that this Rock Candy remaster is totally brickwalled. This guy needs to clean his ears or is getting old, as “Under Lock And Key – Remastered & Reloaded” sounds million bucks.
Forget the anemic previous CD editions of this great album (the vinyl still sounds better), and replace them with this Rock Candy dynamic refresh. It rocks bigtime.
Essential in your collection
01. Unchain The Night
02. The Hunter
03. In My Dreams
04. Slippin' Away
05. Lightnin' Strikes Again
06. It's Not Love
07. Jaded Heart
08. Don't Lie To Me
09. Will The Sun Rise
10. Til The Livin' End
DOKKEN – UNDER LOCK & KEY (ROCK CANDY REMASTER) (1985/2014),MP3+FLAC
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