George Lynch- Shadowtrain

[surfreak]

...A bad divorce led to bodybuilding ...

See? that's why I am too lazy to go the gym. Need to save my marriage.

[adampone]

C'mon dude, you can't leave it at that. I mean, you can, but I've honestly never heard of this in everything I've read and seen before.

I'll send you a pm in a bit - or pm an e-mail addy to me. things I've seen and things I've heard from many of the people involved are not popular and I get tired of people coming out of the woodwork to beat me up over the truth about someone they want to believe is perfect. for that matter, I also used to have the guy on a pedestal, so it's not like I went looking for these experiences.

[jgcable]

I think that its cool that George has such an immediately identifiable style. I think its uncool when he intentionally plays sloppy with minimal gain and really gives the impression that he doesn't really give a crap. There are elements regarding his current playing style that sound self serving, boring and sloppy. I think I could blow him away doing Lynch riffs nowadays. In the old days he was one of my favorites.
His tone sucks now too. Whats up with that? How could a tone guru like Lynch ever play with weird crappy guitar tone?

[SausageofPower]

That's the sad part to me too. I look back at vintage stuff, like yesterday I was watching the Hear N' Aid "Making of" clips, and George just seems to bleed energy and creativity (I mean, I'm sure the cocaine helped). The last time I saw George energetic and on top of his game was the "Dokken: One Night Live" DVD. He had memorized his solos and played them effortlessly...the rest of the tour from what I heard and saw was hit-or-miss. He seemed miserable to be there and didn't give the same degree of enthusiasm.

I don't think I ever saw him back in that same form of greatness.

[adampone]

speaking of memorizing his parts: I asked him once about a section of a Dokken song. he said that he didn't remember how to play the song, and I could tell that he really didn't. probably one of the few true comments I've heard come from his mouth.

there was an interview from back in the day where he suggested he just went for it in the studio and then had to spend the time before the tour learning the parts that he'd played. the more recent admissions to the druge use and abuse over the many years leans itself toward just why he can't remember the parts to the songs... be it then or even after years of playing them on stage every night for months on end.

seems like he'd be happier pursuing this American Indian thing he's been on for so long. find a teepee, smoke some peyote, and hunt buffalo.

[jgcable]

speaking of memorizing his parts: I asked him once about a section of a Dokken song. he said that he didn't remember how to play the song, and I could tell that he really didn't. probably one of the few true comments I've heard come from his mouth.

there was an interview from back in the day where he suggested he just went for it in the studio and then had to spend the time before the tour learning the parts that he'd played. the more recent admissions to the druge use and abuse over the many years leans itself toward just why he can't remember the parts to the songs... be it then or even after years of playing them on stage every night for months on end.

seems like he'd be happier pursuing this American Indian thing he's been on for so long. find a teepee, smoke some peyote, and hunt buffalo.

I completely understand the thing about remembering or forgetting stuff you did in the studio. I spend a majority of time writing and in the studio and the other half trying to learn what I wrote and recorded!! I don't fault George on that.
I fault him on his cavalier I don't give a crap playing attitude. Funny, when he is hawking product for endorsement stuff he is energized and focused. Other times he plays and sounds like he doesn't give a crap.
I have listened to some of his most recent clinic stuff and its actually painful to watch and listen to. Half the time he isn't even playing with a pick on songs and riffs that its mandatory and I can't stress enough about the horrible guitar tone most of the time.
With that said.. I do believe he was the brains behind Dokken because even though I think he has really slipped off the good playing wagon he is a virtuoso compared to how Don Dokken sounds now. He sounds like Lemmy from Motorhead.

[adampone]

I can see your point about DD. but many, many vocalists are throwing out their voices, as has DD. he just can't hit the range any more. GL is a different story. his guitars can do what he wants them to do, it's just him wanting to do it. in GL's case, forgetting the parts was more about the drugs than about being improvisational and then forgetting. there are plenty of demos out there to show he knows the parts... but keeps losing the parts that knows the parts. lol!

as far as the brains behind Dokken, I think we can see how both bands have done over the past 20+ years and see that is just not the case any more than DD was the brains. it was just one of those things where the sum was worth more than the parts.

he's always 'on' when he's hawking crap because there is money involed. that guy is more coin-operated than the first row of slots at a Vegas casino. you are dead on with the cavalier attitude and the don't-give-a-crap approach to playing. he works too hard to distance himself from the style that made him known. I'm figuring Aerosmith and Def Leppard and Loveryboy and The Beach Boys and Journey all those guys that have been around for decades get tired of playing the 'hits' circuit every summer to make the money to last the rest of the year. but I bet they laugh all the way to the bank. look at that KISS/Crue tour and tell me that's not about $ signs (esp if Uncle Gene is involved. lol!).

but you're dead-on man, it's as if he doesn't care. it's like he doesn't do his homework on his own time and is using any time he's on a stage to expierment with his sound. that's a rip-off to the people there to see him.

[fullmetalguitar]

I'm sitting here reading this thread and there is a framed, autographed poster of George two feet from me. He was my biggest idol/influence in the 80s. I loved the classic Dokken stuff and still do. But oh, how the mighty have fallen. You guys have hit the nail on the head. He's turned from great to a sloppy uninspired player who obviously doesn't care about his playing. It's sad when I used to idolize the guy and now his playing is crap. I've seen the vidoes and I've seen him up close at NAMM doing the tapping the fretboard with the pick, and I'm just going "huh???" That's shit. Then there's the playing with the fingers and no pick. Again, more huh??? I got the last Lynch Mob cd because so many reviews said it was great, the perfect follow up to Wicked Sensation, etc. The best thing you can say is that some of the songs were not bad. The guitar playing? Completely forgetable. I doubt that he ever practices or warms up anymore.

[JakeErayvaugh]

I liked everything but the gimmicy (if thats a word) part of the guitar playing(dive bomb whammy wanking).... It wasn't terrible but uninspiring in my personal taste at this point in time. I think this is common now a days though, a lot of older players who have had success already probably dont have to try as hard in the twilight of their careers. Jake E Lee was a guitar god in the 80's and 90's. Now he is happy to play in small bars, thats cool though, music is about what makes you happy. Eddie VanHalen inspired so many players, throughout the years, but now hes happy to play drunken sloppy versions of old songs... case in point.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvGe2ljPbw