'Up From the Ashes'

How is it that I don't own Don Dokken's solo record Up From the Ashes?

Last night I was clicking around YouTube, looking for something new to enjoy while doing my web surfing. I came across Don Dokken's "Stay" and noticed John Norum (you know, from Europe) playing guitar. After my double take I realized I wasn't listening to a Dokken track. Turns out I like "Stay" a lot. Since I don't own Up From the Ashes, I did a little research and learned the album came out in 1990 on Geffen. This surprises me because I was a huge Geffen fanatic. After all, they were the label home of Aerosmith so I thought just about everything that label did was golden. (Remember, folks, I was a dumb kid way back when).

So, all that said, I'm kind of excited I have a "new old" album to discover. At this point, that doesn't happen for me very often. Do you own Up From the Ashes?

"Stay"

Comments

[Tony]

I own Up From The Ashes - possible Don Dokken's last great album.
A slightly more melodic version of Dokken (the band), featuring great guitar from John Norum & excellent rhythm work from Mikky Dee (Motorhead) & Peter Baltes (Accept).
Well worth picking up - especially as it is pretty cheap these days.

[TinaBlueEyes]

I love this album!!! especially becasue of Norum on guitar. well it was reason for me to check this album out. But then it came over me so much....

[Metalboy!]

Bought this twice!

Back in the day when it came out (that copy in storage 2,000 miles away) and about 2 years ago when I began my search for the ultimate Power Ballad (which is ongoing -- why did I ever think I would get every Glam/Hair/AOR Metal Power Ballad circa '80-'93? I just keep finding more and more bands and we are up over 2,500!)...

I also discovered it's John Norum on guitar once someone on here told me to pick up Norum's solo stuff (was it Johnny V?) and I was getting into him.

What a pleasant surprise!

It's funny when I first bought it in '90, I was thinking what Tony said, "A more melodic version of Dokken" and dismissively put it away.

When I got it again, I was and still am blown away! Awesome album! Interesting to note what Tony reveals here -- Mikki Dee from Motorhead and Peter Bates from Accept (my HEROES!) are the rhythm section. KILLER!

[ricksav65]

The song on this album called "Mirror, Mirror" is supposedly a song written about his breakup with George Lynch and Dokken. It's a pretty good song!

[Marty]

Up From The Ashes is a great album, I bought it on cassette when it was new, and again on CD. The opening guitar riff from Down In Flames (at 1:04) is one of my all time favorites.

[Chris D.]

Yeah this was a great album, a little too polished in retrospect but that's the way Don liked them. It could have been a little harder and a bit more raw but that's nit-picking. You should be able to find this at a used cd shop after a little searching. Let me know if you can't, I know I've seen it here in Nashville at used shops. If you like Norum, try to find his first solo cd titled Total Control which came out around '88. It's great but I have yet to find it on cd. Hard to find but well worth the effort.

[Chris D.]

I just checked CD Universe for the D.Dokken cd and they have it for $3.50. While we're on the subject, another cd that I have found impossible to find is Blue Murder's second album Nothin' But Trouble. Well worth checking out, I heard it in a record store when it was released and thought it was Whitesnake. I have found it on websites but they are wanting $30 to $40 for it. Does anyone know where I might be able to find that one, affordably?

[sixx58]

Awesome album...back when this came out my wife and I had just met and we had this old cd player that for some reason would only play Dokken's Up From The Ashes CD. Listened to this cd over and over again. Great rock album.

[Marty]

@ChrisD: I ripped Total Control from cassette, sounds great. CD Inzane has Total Control for $23: http://www.cdinzane.com/ The website is hard to browse and the owner is an ass, but the selection and prices are good. I also have Nothin But Trouble on CD, excellent album. Try NEH Records: http://www.nehrecords.com/

[glamrockerarchie]

this is a very good cd and mirror is a great song sounds totally like dokken john norum did a great job probably why thwy brought into dokken for a brief period

[Nate]

Chris D., just go to Amazon.com for the Blue Murder disc. It looks like there are several copies for sale on there for less that $15 when you include shipping. I've had good luck in the past from sellers in there. I think I've had that CD at least twice now, from what I remember it was pretty darn good. I second the Whitesnake comment, much more commercial than the 1st BM disc.

[Christian]

I have all the Blue Murder CDs, and Up from the Ashes. You just have to get lucky on ebay for some of this stuff. Amazon is also good.

[Shattered]

I bought the cassette when it first came out. I looked forever for the cd and like Chris D. said, found it in a used cd shop in Nashville. It was the best from Don until the last Dokken album.

[looksthatkill]

* Don Dokken -Lead Vocals/Guitars
* John Norum - Lead Guitars
* Billy White - Lead Guitars
* Peter Baltes - bass
* Mikkey Dee - drums

Additional Musicians:
Ken Mary - drums and backing vocals
Kelly Hansen - backing vocals

Produced by Don Dokken and Wyn Davis.

[Metalboy!]

Got all of these discs...

I happen to like the second Blue Murder album better than the first overall, tho "Jelly Roll" and "Blue Murder" off the first are still my fave cuts by this band.

John Norum, "Total Control" is the one I was talkin' about before, too! I think Johnny V on here recommended it, which is what you gotta love about this site.

Yeah, so, Chris D., all of these are totally killeracious and if you are getting tired of looking through the racks in Nashville, splurge a little more online. The discs are totally worth it!

[Gil]

I've had it on CD for several years. One of Don's best CDs. I also like his work on the song "I'll Say Goodbye" on the Herman Ze German and Friends CD.