“Guitar
god……..that doesn’t carry the weight that it used to. I take it with a huge
grain of salt.”
There were
many teenagers who stood alone in their rooms with posters of their metal
heroes plastered to their walls. Their bedrooms became large concert halls and
it was time to hit the stage. As the pops and cracks of the vinyl began to
resonating from the speakers, many of us picked up a tennis racket and began to
emulate our favorite guitar heroes. George Lynch was definitely one of those
guys who inspired a legion of worshippers.
George Lynch
was the total package. He had the hair, he clothes, the attitude and most of all;
the guy was a beast on the guitar. He rose to fame in Dokken who were all over
MTV in the 80s. There were internal conflicts in Dokken and the band parted
ways with George pursuing other projects. He did reunite with the band in 1994
and recorded a new studio album entitled Dysfunctional, but the reunion was
short lived. George was again out of Dokken come 1997 focused on his solo career
with Lynch Mob and it seemed that a Dokken reunion would never happen again.
Fans of 80s
metal have had a full blown Dokken reunion on their wish lists for years now
and in 2010 , it seemed as if it might happen. The internet was a blaze with
rumors and there was some talk of it, but it fizzled out quickly. Fast forward
to 2012 and Lynch Mob were in the middle of recording a new album when lead
singer Oni Logan just wasn’t “feeling” the new material that was being
recorded, so it was shelved. Then, Lynch Mob drummer Brian Tichy suggested that
Lynch record some new material with Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown, his former band
mates from Dokken.
“Brian’s
always coming up with these great ideas. I love to get together with him and
have these giant brain storming sessions. His ideas are awesome. He’s the one
who came up with the name Tooth and Nail, which later got shortened to T &
N. I think he needs to start a rock and roll idea company and just sit around
all day and brainstorm,” replied Lynch. Jeff Pilson was already in the Lynch
camp as he helped write some of the shelved material for the new album. Drummer
Mick Brown came in and the chemistry was, as always, off the charts.
“The three
of us haven’t recorded anything together since around 1996-97 when we did Dokken’s
Shadow Life. Jeff and I have worked together here and there. We’re neighbors
and we see each other all the time. As far as Mick goes, he has played drums in
Lynch Mob. Once you get the three of us together, there’s no denying the
special chemistry that’s there between us.”
That
chemistry and Brian’s suggestion were the catalysts of a new band called Tooth
and Nail. There were some legal issues with a record label of the same name, so
the guys changed it to T & N and began work on a new studio album. Along
with brand new material, the guys decided to re-visit old Dokken classic and
re-record them. They also decided to bring in guest vocalists for the new
versions.
“We had a
short list and a long list of who we wanted. Glenn Hughes was one who did not work
out and we had some that surprised us. We all thought that having Sebastian
(Bach) come in and sing would never happen, but to our surprise, it happened.
It’s funny because the bigger superstar that you are, the easier it is to get
who you want to sing on your album. The artists just seem to gravitate towards
it out of respect for the music. When I did my album Sacred Groove back in
1992-93, I had a lot of great singers who wanted to work on it. I mean, there were
Phil Anselmo, Rob Halford, and Layne Staley and for different reasons, things
happened and guys just started to fall off.”
Lynch’s
former Lynch Mob band mate and current Warrant lead singer Robert mason was
brought in to lay down his vocals for “It’s Not Love” and King’s X singer Doug
Pinnick covered “Tooth and Nail”. The big buzz created online was having one of
the most recognizable voices of the 80s cover the power ballad “Alone Again”.
Sebastian Bach of Skid Row fame definitely did the song justice and then some.
There’s already a second T & N album in the works that will feature more
re-recordings of Dokken classics and more guest vocalists.
“We just
re-recorded “Just Got Lucky” and it sounds amazing. We’re doing something a
little different on the vocals this time because we brought in Sass Jordan to
sing it. It’s totally different because it has this rock/country element to it.
Sass has this grittiness to her voice. It almost has this (Janis) Joplin feel
to it. I think that one is going to blow a lot of people away.” With all this
talk of re-recording Dokken classics, was Don (Dokken) ever considered to lay
down vocals for any of them?
“Mick was
the person who suggested that we call Don and see if he wanted to come in and
do something. Don actually came into the studio with us and worked on a few
things. Then, he went away and never called back.” That may be as close as we come to a full
Dokken reunion. “Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. You have to work
with people who want to work with you. It’s a shame that not all movies have a
happy ending. You should want to do this for all the right reasons.”
Speaking of
right reasons, many guitarists were inspired to pick up the instrument thanks
to Lynch. He’s considered a guitar god by many, but it’s a label that he shies
away from. “Guitar god just doesn’t carry the weight that it used to. I take it
with a huge grain of salt. To me, the true guitar gods were Hendrix, (Jeff)
Beck, (Jimmy) Page and (Eric) Clapton. Then, a little further along came Eddie
Van Halen. People are entitled to appreciate anyone, but when you start to make
it into a list or contest, then it’s ridiculous.”
“People
should look at the big picture and not just one aspect of it. In the 60s, music
was a reflection of the times. Artists such as Joan Baez and Crosby, Stills and
Nash sang about the times. That’s something that’s missing today. I mean, there
are a few bands who do reflect what’s going on in the world. Rage Against the
Machine and System of a Down are great examples, they speak about important
things. The problem is that the message is sometimes overlooked or ignored.”
It seems
that Lynch’s message is not all metal and shredding solos, as he has his hands
in several other projects including filming a documentary through the eyes of a
Native American experience. “I had a vision one night of a man walking along
the horizon and he approaches a man in a bedroll covered in the American flag.
He then flashed through 500 years of Native American oppression. He could get
his revenge, but he chooses to walk away. It’s about humans and politics and
much more. If anyone’s interested, they can check out the trailer at www.shadowtrainmovie.com.”
Fans are
also encouraged to send in donations for the project if at all possible. “It’s
an ambitious undertaking trying to create a vision that you have. If anyone
sends in a donation, we make sure to send them something back to say thanks.
I’ve actually autographed one of my guitars and mailed it to someone because of
their very generous donation. There’s no time frame for when the movie will be
done, but we are hoping for a fall 2013 release.”
George Lynch
is definitely not a one trick pony. In between the documentary, his band Lynch
Mob and the new T & N, he is also working on a project with Doug Pinnick of
Kings X and Ray Luzier of Korn. They’re writing together until the end of the
year and will start recording early next year. Lynch jokingly referred to the
band as KornXMob. He also has his own custom guitar line, appropriately named
Mr. Scary Guitars, that are designed, carved and crafted by Lynch himself.
These things are awesome and you have to check them out at www.mrscaryguitars.com.
Although the
flame on the full reunion candle may have been snuffed out, the big three from
Dokken will be taking T & N out on the road next year. They are looking to
hit the road after the release of their second album which is about half way completed.
This was a good time to bring up a fan submitted question from Jason from
California. Would George consider dusting off the Dokken classic “Dream
Warriors” and play it live? “Sure, I would love to, but it all depends on if we
are headlining or opening. As an opener, we would only get about 30-40 minutes,
so the set list is tight. If we headline somewhere like the House of Blues and
get a longer set, then why not?”
George has
quite a lot going on this year and that will just transition into an even bigger
and better 2013. A killer new T & N album and a second on the horizon, plus
the plan to take it on the road have fans anxious. All of this new material
makes it a great time to be a fan of Lynch. This guy is such a versatile talent
that you never know what he will be up to next. Stay tuned to Music Is My Drug of Choice as we
will definitely keep you up to date with all the info!
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