Gay & Lesbian Musicians: Joan Jett

Joan Jett defined rock and roll for an entire generation of young girls who aspired to be like her.  The oft leather-clad singer is best known to the masses for her unique brand of simple, stripped-down, three chord rock and roll.  Her solid, gutsy sound is loud, raw, and performed with a defiant "up yours" attitude!  Stated simply, Joan is the total package; her sound and image contain every element needed to make a truly great rocker!

She combined the tough, swaggering image and beat of the Stones with the thundering power chords of bands like AC/DC, and the trashier elements of glam and punk rock to create her own personal sound.  Throughout her entire career, she has remained true to this formula, never changing her music or compromising her artistic vision.  She has truly proven that rock music is no longer just a man's world, and has done so by simply letting her talent speak for itself.  She has never made an issue of her gender by drawing undue attention to it.

Before Joan became the rocker that we know today, she entered the world as Joan Marie Larkin, on September 22, 1958.  She was born in a suburb of Philadelphia called Waynewood, Pennsylvania, where she lived until the age of twelve.  She then moved with her family to Los Angeles.  Then in 1973, at the tender age of 15, she had formed her first group and began playing gigs in the L.A. area.  The band quickly caught the attention of record producer Kim Fowley, who became their manager.

After renaming the all-female group, Fowley secured a contract for the band with Mercury Records, and The Runaways were born.  The band released three albums without having much success in The States...at least in terms of their record sales, that is.  Still, in spite of this, they did find popularity as a live act on the L.A. rock and punk scenes.  They also achieved a great deal of popularity in Japan before breaking up in 1979.

Their breakup left Joan facing an uncertain future, but this did not keep her down for long.  She decided to move to New York to pursue a solo career.  Once there, she began making the rounds, and was systematically rejected by every record label in town.  Her reputation for associating with the most notorious punk musicians of the day caused labels to shy away, as they feared that she would be difficult to control.  It was also rumored that she was a lesbian, which was yet another nail in her coffin as far as record executives were concerned; none of them wanted to touch her.

In fact, the issue of Jett's sexuality was something that had followed her for most of her career.  When pressed about it, she would neither confirm nor deny the lesbian rumor; she would always decline to answer the question, admonishing that it was none of anyone else's business.  It wasn't until much later in her career that she finally decided to address the issue once and for all, by allowing herself to be billed as an "out lesbian rocker" at one of her performances.

Sexuality issues not withstanding, Joan quickly grew tired of getting the runaround from labels, and eventually hooked up with producer Kenny Laguna, who then became her manager.  Together, the team released Jett's self-titled debut album in 1980, which Laguna financed by using the money he'd been saving as a college fund for his daughter to press the records.  They then sold the records out of Laguna's trunk, making Joan one of the first women in the business to start her own label, Blackheart Records. 

The album was very successful for an independent release, and that success helped to land Joan a contract with Boardwalk Records.  Upon signing with the new label, the title of that album was changed to Bad Reputation and re-released by Boardwalk.  Soon after, she formed her band The Blackhearts, and released her second album, which was titled I Love Rock & Roll.  The title track became a number one hit.

As her success continued to grow, she gained more freedom to do things as she pleased.  Although she walked a tough road to get there, she finally claimed her independence as an artist, and an out lesbian woman...and all without compromising her integrity and personal vision, or jeopardizing the career she had worked so hard to build!  No wonder so many young women see her as a role model!  Though she may be reluctant to accept that title, it is definitely well deserved.  May she continue to enjoy success as she entertains us all for years to come!

Rock on, Joan!

Gay & Lesbian Musicians: Rob Halford

When it comes to heavy metal singers, few others can even come close to matching Rob Halford.  His voice is completely unique, and his high-pitched operatic wails make his vocals instantly recognizable.  Given his status in the heavy metal community, it goes without saying that his singing style has influenced a countless number of artists who came after him.  In a career that has spanned more than three decades now, Halford has seen multi-platinum, worldwide success fronting the legendary Judas Priest, and has had an equally impressive solo career for nearly twenty years now!

The story behind the music begins on August 25, 1951, when young Robert was born to working-class parents in Birmingham England.  He first began singing as a teenager, fronting a local band called Hiroshima, while he worked as a theatrical lighting engineer by day.  That band didn't last long, and Rob went through a few other short-lived musical projects before his fortunes changed in 1973.  As fate would have it, Rob's sister was dating Ian Hill, who was the bass player of an up-and-coming local band called Judas Priest.  One day, several of the band members were hanging around the Halford home, and happened to hear Rob singing along to the radio.  Having just lost their previous singer, they immediately arranged a tryout for Rob, and he was quickly accepted into the group.

With Rob now fronting the band, their sound shifted more toward heavy metal.  It didn't take them long to build a local following.  By 1974, their first album, Rocka Rolla, was issued on Gull records.  Unfortunately, the material on the album was unfocused, and the record tanked.  With each successive release, however, the band honed its sound and its songwriting skills.  Their hard work paid off by broadening their worldwide fan base, and leading to a string of what are now considered to be classic heavy metal albums.

Priest's climb to the top began with their 1976 release, Sad Wings Of Destiny.  The album gave them modest success, and their popularity continued its slow but steady rise with future releases like Sin After Sin in 1977, Stained Class in 1978, and double dose featuring new studio album Hell Bent For Leather, as well as a blistering live recording called Unleashed In The East in 1979.  The last two recordings went on to have a profound impact on the heavy metal world by being the inspiration that launched many popular bands, including: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, and Pantera among others.  Rob's influence on metal goes beyond his singing prowess, however.  His stage apparel also came to define the heavy metal look.  He would arrive dressed from head to toe in black leather and studs, and driving a Harley onto the stage!  In addition, his stage presence as a performer, and his ability to work an audience are second to none.  Simply stated, he is the quintessential heavy metal singer!

By the dawn of the 1980s, Priest had a rabid underground following, and they continued to focus on broadening their sound in an effort to reach mainstream success.  It would take a few more years for them to reach the level that they had their sights set upon, but their efforts to achieve this really showed in their Eighties releases.  Even though the band had shown steady artistic growth with their past records, the albums released during this period were much more focused and polished than past records had been.  On each of these the material was stellar, and they brought the band one step closer to their goal.  Finally, their 1984 release Defenders Of The Faith pushed them over the top, making the band a headlining arena act.  They finished out the eighties with four more successive multi-platinum albums, and ushered in the 1990s with their most monstrous creation to date: an album called Painkiller.  By this point, it seemed they were only poised for even greater success.

As it turned out, that was not meant to be.  Once they had finished the massive tour for the album in 1992, Rob announced that after twenty years, he was going to leave the band.  His reasons had nothing to do with the band itself; he loved being in Priest, but he had carried a desire to experiment with other musical styles that could not be expressed within the framework of the Judas Priest sound.  Fortunately, the split was completely amicable, and everyone remained on good terms.

Upon his exit from his former band, Rob embarked on what would be an extremely successful and creatively satisfying solo career for him.  He immediately set himself to the task of forming a new band.  The result was a group that he called Fight, which was very similar in style to Painkiller-era Priest.  Fight would go on to release two full length albums: War Of Words in 1993, and A Small Deadly Space in 1995, as well as a disc of remixes called Mutations that was released in between these records.

After disbanding Fight in the latter half of 1995, Rob signed a deal with Trent Reznor's label, Nothing Records.  He formed a new project called Two, which released a single album in 1997 called Voyeurs.  Despite the fact that it's industrial sound was far different than anything Rob had done in the past, the album still did reasonably well.  However, its sales were far below those of any other project he'd been associated with.

It was also around this time that Rob finally addressed long-standing rumors about his sexuality, by announcing publicly that he was gay.  This was a fact that had previously been known only by his band mates and those close to him.  They had tried to keep it a secret for fear that it may damage his career, but it was long suspected by many fans who had picked up on subtle references in his lyrics anyway.  Some were probably also tipped off by his leather clad look that was known to be a popular mode of dress among some certain groups of gay men.  The story came via MTV news in 1998.  In his announcement, he said that he hadn't even felt comfortable enough himself to publicly address the issue until then.  Surprisingly, the metal community responded with an outpouring of support, quickly laying to rest any fears that Rob may have had about alienating his fans.

Following this, Rob took a brief rest before returning with a newly formed group that bore his last name in 2000.  Halford was a return to his true heavy metal roots, and the closest thing in his solo career to the classic Priest sound that he was known for.  The band pumped out a total of three albums, including their self-titled debut in 2000, another concert recording called Live Insurrection in 2001, and a second studio release called Crucible in 2002.  And new releases continue to pop up every few years!

Through all of this, rumors that Rob would reunite with Judas Priest were continual.  Metal fans were elated when their wishes came true in 2003.  The original Priest has since released two more albums, Angel Of Retribution in 2005, and Nostradamus in 2008.  Both recordings were accompanied by very successful world tours that saw the band performing at the top of their game and seemingly prepared to continue indefinitely.

Of course, no one can predict the future, but where Rob Halford is concerned, one quickly learns to expect the unexpected!  At the age of 58, he shows no sign of slowing down...and one look at his impressive resume is proof that he is not an artist who will ever be content to rest on his laurels.  Judging by what he has given us in the past, it seems safe to assume that we will be hearing from the Metal God for a long time to come!

Biography: Curly Howard

We all remember Curly Howard as the funniest member of the legendary Three Stooges.  Everyone, young and old alike, remembers him as the portly bald comedian with the high voice, whose zany antics have entertained us for three quarters of a century now.  Just the mere thought of hearing his "Soitenly," or "Woo-Woo-Woo" can bring a smile to even the most sour of faces.  Curly is so beloved and familiar to so many, yet most of us are surprised to realize how little we really know about the man behind the laughter.

The man who would become everyone's favorite stooge was born Jerome Lester Horowitz on October 22, 1903.  The youngest of five sons born to parents Jennie and Solomon Horowitz, Curly and his brothers grew up in the Bath Beach resort section of Brooklyn, New York.  Young Jerome was a well-loved and happy child.  Nicknamed "Babe" by his brother Moe, he was a quiet child who gave his parents little trouble.  This was probably a good thing, because the mischief caused by his older brothers Moe and Shemp made up for Babe's reserved behavior in spades!

He idolized his older brothers, and made a habit of following them wherever they went.  In fact, it was Moe and Shemp who gave Curly his interest in comedy.  When he was four, they began staging impromptu performances to entertain their friends, and would often include him in the cast.  The trio would give performances in the basement of their home, and invite everyone in their neighborhood to see them for an admission of two cents!  This gave Curly a love for the art of comedy that only grew as he got older.  In addition to comedy, he also loved musicals.  Moe encouraged this interest, and helped to broaden his kid brother's theatrical education by taking him to vaudeville shows and melodrama theaters when he was growing up.

Jerry, as he was often called by family and friends, was only a fair student in school.  Several friends and family members confirm that he was a superb athlete who excelled at basketball.  In fact, many who were close to him have gone on record as saying that his love for athletics was probably the only thing that kept him in school long enough to graduate.  He did manage to graduate, however, and afterwards kept himself busy doing odd jobs.  Jerry also had a great appreciation for music that began in his teens and stayed with him for the remainder of his life.  He loved to dance, and was known to be a very good ballroom dancer.  He could also play the ukulele, and often used it to accompany himself when he sang.  According to Moe, he had a very beautiful singing voice, a trait which put him in high demand socially.

Throughout his childhood and well into his early twenties, Curly's interest in show business continued to grow.  In 1928, he landed his first job as a comedy musical director for the Orville Knapp Band.  He was billed as the guest conductor, who would come out in a breakaway suit which fell away piece by piece as he stood there swinging the baton.  Moe later recalled that his performances regularly stole the show.  After this, he continued to watch his brothers perform.  He often hung around backstage, and sometimes ran errands for those in the cast, like fetching sandwiches or coffee.  His big break finally came in 1932.  His brothers, were performing as "stooges" in Ted Healy's vaudeville act, and were booked to do J.J. Shubert's Passing Show.  Just before show time, however, Healy got into a huge argument with Shubert.  He walked off the show, taking Moe with him.

Shemp, meanwhile, decided to remain with the Shubert show, as he had grown tired of Healy's drunken tirades.  Moe then suggested to Healy that his younger brother, Babe, was available to replace Shemp.  He told Healy that Babe would be a natural since he was already familiar with the act.  Healy would only agree on the condition that Curly shaved his head.  Curly complied, and became a member of the team.  The formation of the classic trio was completed with the addition of Larry Fine, whose real name was Louis Feinberg.  He was asked to join the act after Moe and Healy saw him perform in a Chicago nightclub!

It wasn't long before Curly's uniquely wacky style of comedy began to assert itself; first on-stage, and then later on screen when Ted Healy and his Stooges starred in several features and shorts for MGM in the early thirties.  He would also play a large role in the success of The Three Stooges without Ted Healy.  Once they had signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1934, it was Curly's standout comedic performances that earned a great deal of notoriety for the act.  He would go on to star in 97 of The Stooges 197 short-subject comedies.

Success came quickly for The Stooges once they were at Columbia.  Unfortunately, when it did, it virtually ruined Curly.  He began to drink heavily, which quickly took its toll.  His shaved head made him feel very self-conscious.  Those who knew him say that he felt as if it robbed him of his masculinity; it made him feel child-like.  Long after his passing, Larry Fine stated in an interview that Curly almost always wore a hat in public in an attempt to reclaim an image of masculinity.  In addition to this, Curly's real personality was the complete and polar opposite of his on-screen character; he was actually very introverted and shy off camera.  In fact, he often felt trapped by his film persona; at times, he felt the need to live up to it, so as not to disappoint fans who would meet him in person.  Although no one can state this as an absolute fact, by most accounts these are believed to be the main reasons for his excessive drinking.

Although he was very successful professionally, Curly's personal life was filled with turmoil.  His finances were always in a shambles; he was never able to save a cent.  He spent lavishly, enjoying what he saw as life's pleasures: wine, women, and fine food.  He was constantly buying new houses, automobiles, or expensive gifts for the ladies in his life.  He also had a great love for dogs, and would spend huge amounts on pedigreed pooches to keep as pets.  His spending habits were so bad, in fact, that Moe eventually stepped in an began to handle his money for him.

Women were another downfall for Curly.  He loved women, and although he was known to be a very sweet and loving man, many who knew him say that he really wasn't mature enough to be able to contribute to a one-on-one relationship; he was restless, and he just never grew up!  Simply put, he was a sucker for a pretty girl, and would fall head over heels for any girl who took an interest in him.  He was a hopeless romantic who was actually more in love with the idea of being “in love” than committing to a real relationship.

It could never be proven, of course, but people who were close to Curly strongly suspected that his second and third wives had only married him because he was a film personality, and they were after his money.  He married four times in all, fathering two daughters along the way; one with his second wife, and one with his fourth.  His first marriage had taken place in his late teens.  He'd married a girl whose identity remains unknown to this day.  However, his mother strenuously objected to the union, and quickly had it annulled.  In fact, with the exception of his fourth wife, Valerie, whom he married on July 31, 1947, every other romantic relationship that Curly had had been miserable for everyone involved.

Moe could see that his younger brother was on a destructive path.  He begged Curly to settle down and take better care of his health.  In fact, he was actually the one who had fixed Curly up with his third wife, in the hopes that a good marriage would change his wild ways.  Unfortunately, the stress and misery of the doomed marriage only worsened his condition.  He suffered a stroke in 1947, during the filming of his 97^th Stooge comedy “Half-Wits Holiday,” and was forced to retire from the team in order to recuperate.

For a very brief period of time, it seemed that he was actually on the mend.  He even felt well enough to join The Stooges alongside Moe Larry and Shemp for a small cameo in the 1947 short “Hold That Lion.”  Although Stooge fans may not immediately recognize him here because he had a full head of hair.  Curly is the sleeping man on the train, who does his famous snore/bark when they take his hat from his face!

Sadly, however, a full recovery was not meant to be.  Toward the end of 1947, his health took a turn for the worse.  It was also during this time that he married forth wife Valarie, who would remain by his side, lovingly nursing him through his agonizing final years.  In 1949, he suffered another series of strokes; from there, his health began to decline rapidly and steadily.  Finally, his body just gave up completely, and Curly passed away on January 18, 1952. He was only forty-eight years old.

Finding The Best Gay-Themed Films: La Mission

This 2009 film is a great one that I happened to stumble upon one evening while I was browsing Netflix.  It was one of my recommendations offered by the site based on my previous viewing history.  Prior to finding it there, I had been completely unaware of it.  My interest was piqued by the synopsis provided, so I figured I would take a chance and check it out.  I was just about to add it to my queue when I saw that it was available on Netflix streaming service.  Perfect!  I didn't have to wait to see it!  Instead, I just hit the play button and watched it right there on my PC!

As the title implies, La Mission is set in the Mission district of San Fransisco.  Benjamin Bratt stars as Che Rivera, a recovering alcoholic and ex-con with a typically macho view of the world.  When Che discovers that his son, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez), is gay, all hell breaks loose.  He makes this discovery when he comes home one evening to find Jesse asleep in his room, and happens to notice a pile of snapshots of Jesse kissing his boyfriend on the bedside table.  When confronted the next day Jesse admits the truth, and his father flies into a rage!  Refusing to accept the news, Che angrily proclaims that Jesse is now dead to him!  Their fight turns physical, and Che orders Jesse out of his house!

During their estrangement, Che develops a friendship with an upstairs neighbor by the name of Lena (Erika Alexander).  The friendship gets off to a rather rocky start, but the two are finally able to get past their differences.  As the friendship progresses, and the bond between them grows stronger, Lena helps Che to realize that he can't just abandon his son, who needs him more than ever at a time like this.  So Jesse eventually comes back home, but things don't really improve much.  Che still can't accept his gay son.  The two of them do make attempts to communicate, but always end up walking away from the conversation.  They basically spend their time walking on eggshells and tolerating one another more than anything else.

Things pretty much continue on this path until tragedy strikes.  Jesse lands in intensive care after a run-in with a couple of thugs who had been harassing him since discovering his sexuality.  As Jesse slowly recovers, Che maintains a constant vigil at his bedside, as does Jesse's boyfriend, Jordan...at least until he is angrily confronted and threatened by Che.  When Jesse recovers fully and learns of the confrontation between them, he again leaves home.  With his son no longer in his life, Che slips to his old ways and begins drinking again.  Jesse, meanwhile, goes off to attend college at UCLA, not knowing that his dad is sinking deeper and deeper into despair.

While I did enjoy this film, I have to say that I was rather dissatisfied with the ending.  I can't really tell you why without giving it away, so you'll have to watch for yourself as far as that is concerned.  Aside from that, it was great.  The performance of all the main actors here is entirely authentic, brimming with a heart and soul that truly brings these characters to life.  Although, the story here will certainly not win any points for its originality, the movie is well-written and moving.  Some of the confrontational scenes between Jesse and his dad can be difficult to watch for some, but they do accurately reflect the struggles that often take place between gay teens and their parents.  The pace gets a little slow in spots, but the quality of the acting lends enough reality to the characters that you really end up caring about them and want to know what happens to them.  All things considered, this is a great film that I would highly recommend!

Finding The Best Gay-Themed Films: Prayers For Bobby

Prayers For Bobby is a made-for-TV adaptation of author Leroy Aarons' 1995 book of the same name.  The film originally aired on the Lifetime Network in 2008 and has recently come to DVD.  Based on a true story, Prayers For Bobby stars Sigourney Weaver as Mary Griffith, a mother who is forced to come to terms with the death of her gay son by suicide, after her well-meant but misguided campaign to "cure him of his sickness."

The story begins in 1979.  Bobby Griffith, nearly sixteen, realizes that he is gay, which sends his world into a tailspin.  Having grown up sharing his mother's faith and beliefs, Bobby knows what the church and the world...and even his own family thinks of gay people.  Terrified, and believing that he's headed straight for the fires of Hell, Bobby tries to resist his feelings, while keeping them a secret from everyone.  Finally, when the struggle becomes to much for him to bear, he decides to commit suicide by swallowing an entire bottle of aspirin, but can't bring himself to go through with it.  When his brother Ed wanders into the room to find the pills scattered all over the floor and Bobby lying motionless on the bed, Bobby finally confides in him, swearing him to complete secrecy.  In the end, however, Ed's concern for Bobby gets the better of him, and he reluctantly breaks his vow of silence.

When Mary hears the news, she does the only thing that she knows to do.  She turns to her Bible, and the faith that has always provided the perfect cocoon of safety for her.  She convinces herself that if they are faithful, God will heal Bobby.  From then on, she wages a relentless Spiritual war against her son's homosexuality.  Leaving Bible verses taped all around the house that warn of the sin of homosexuals, she continuously badgers Bobby to be steadfast in his faith, to pray harder in order to resist being tempted by his “sinful nature.”  Together they tried everything imaginable to get Bobby “on the right path again.”

What Mary didn't know was that Bobby was already dealing with his own guilt and shame, because he shared her beliefs and was repulsed by his own inclinations.  He was already trying with everything in his Soul to “change,” and was disgusted by his inability to conform, which proved him weak in his own eyes.  Her constant badgering only caused his already strong sense of self-loathing to increase exponentially!

Finally, after three years of this, Bobby is at his wits end.  He finally realizes that this is not going to change, and he quits trying.  Unable to bear his mother's tirades any longer, he moves to Oregon to live with a cousin.  For a brief time, things seem to improve, but Bobby is still unable to reconcile his sexuality with his own Spirit...and it doesn't help that Mary's admonitions keep coming, both by phone and by mail.  By mid-summer, he had reached his breaking point.  On August 27, 1983, Bobby was walking home alone from a night out, and as he crossed the bridge above the freeway overpass near his home, he climbed over the side, jumped directly into the path of an oncoming 18-wheeler, and was killed instantly at the age of twenty.

Following Bobby's death, a distraught Mary went looking for answers.  Limited education and a complete ignorance of anything to do with homosexuality had forced her to rely solely on her religious faith for guidance in Bobby's situation.  For Mary, that faith was what had provided her with security and peace; before these events, it had always provided her with answers when she didn't understand.  But this time, something had gone horribly wrong.  When her own church proved to be no help whatsoever, Mary began to educate herself.  She read everything she could find on homosexuality, and began attending services at the local branch of the MCC, a gay-friendly church.  In her time there, she slowly began to learn that The Bible's words left room for other interpretations than the ones that she was taught.  Armed with this new knowledge, she began a very critical scrutiny of The Bible, and came to understand that The Bible states many things that are no longer enforced or put into practice in today's churches.  This was a comfort to Mary, because it allowed her to believe that Bobby could be in Heaven, but at the same time, it also brought her to the terrible realization that her efforts to “change” Bobby had been tragically wrong!

The guilt that she felt at this realization nearly consumed her.  Realizing that she had done a grave injustice to her son, she vowed from that point on to spend the rest of her life making it right.  She has chosen to take the story of her personal tragedy to the world in the hopes that no other parent should ever have to pay the terrible price of ignorance as she did.  Now, at 76, Mary travels the country telling her story and working tirelessly to make the world a safer and more loving place for others like her Bobby.

Prayers For Bobby is a wonderful film.  The acting is first-rate, and the gravity of the story will keep you riveted.  There are some minor changes in the film version, but overall it is a very good adaptation of the book.  More importantly than all of that, this film (and its accompanying book) have probably saved countless lives.  This is a story that should be read or seen by every parent, and every so-called “Christian” who sits in a church pew crying “Amen” as their fellow human beings are slandered, ridiculed, and persecuted.  Stories like this are very common among the gay community, and this illustrates all too clearly the dire consequences that can come from ignorance and blind, unquestioning faith.

CD Review: Lightning Strikes Again, By Dokken

Dokken has recently released their tenth studio album, entitled Lightning Strikes Again, and in my opinion, it is their most impressive collection of new music since their 1999 effort, Erase The Slate.  Shortly before its 2008 release, Don Dokken did a series of interviews in which he repeatedly stated that the new album would be a return to the classic Dokken sound of the mid-Eighties.  I have to admit that I was instantly skeptical when I heard this, because many classic hard rock bands of the period have made that promise, and have failed miserably to deliver.  It often seems that for many of these bands, nostalgia has become their best marketing tool.  In fact, many of them rely on it to keep themselves afloat.  I can assure you that this is absolutely not the case with Dokken's latest venture!

In addition to that fact, there were other reasons for my skepticism as well.  I didn't understand how he could make that claim considering that only two of the original band members remained, and that one of the absent members was George Lynch.  After all, George's guitar sound was a key ingredient in that classic Dokken formula.  While the band's current guitarist, Jon Levin, is a stellar player in his own right, his style is very different from George's.  How in the world could Don ever expect to recreate the band's heyday without George?

Once I heard the album, I had to hand it to Don, though; he delivered on his promise in fine fashion.  LSA is full of the heavy-yet-melodic rock that Dokken is best known for.  Several titles stand out here, including: Standing On The Outside, Give Me A Reason, Heart To Stone, and my personal favorite song, Oasis.

In spite of the fact that George Lynch is MIA, the overall vibe of the album is solidly Dokken; it stands up very nicely alongside their early albums without sounding dated.  Jon Levin effortlessly proves that while he may not be George, he is certainly no slouch; his playing is phenomenal.  For those of you who have not listened to Dokken in a few years, I can promise that one listen to this CD will have you scrambling to find your old vinyl copies of Tooth & Nail or Back For The Attack!

Although I liked some tracks more than others, which I guess is to be expected, there is only one song that I would call a stinker.  I'm referring to the ballad entitled “How I Miss Your Smile.”  The acoustic guitar melody is beautiful on this tune, but for me, the lyric just kills the song.  It is a sappy little scribbling about love gone wrong, which relies entirely too heavily on hokey sentiment for my liking.  Otherwise, the album shines, and I would recommend it highly; it's definitely worth the money!