Tooth and Nail (CD - 1984)

On Tooth and Nail, Don Dokken and George Lynch began to develop an impressive interplay, as the vocalist worked off the guitarist's powerful riffs. Dokken doesn't possess a great voice, but he has enough skills to make the clichéd material sound convincing. But what really makes Tooth and Nail a worthwhile listen is Lynch. The guitarist is a wildly inventive, lightning-fast instrumentalist, and there isn't a single solo on the album that isn't worth hearing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Dokken's first album, BREAKING THE CHAINS, spawned the popular title track that received some airplay on MTV, but the album's other songs didn't measure up. The band's follow-up, 1984's TOOTH AND NAIL, was Dokken's first truly consistent album. It spawned the band's breakthrough single/video "Alone Again," which helped make the album the band's first gold-certified release. What would soon become Dokken's musical trademarks are here (singer Don Dokken's tales of heartbreak delivered in melodic vocals, guitarist George Lynch's six-string heroics, etc.), although the album is not as strong as 1985's UNDER LOCK AND KEY and 1987's BACK FOR THE ATTACK.

TOOTH AND NAIL contains some of Dokken's best all-time tracks--especially a pair of rockers that were issued as MTV videos ("Just Got Lucky" and "Into the Fire"). Also featured was the ferocious album-opening title track (proceeded by the short instrumental "Without Warning"), as well as the concert favorite "When Heaven Comes Down." But the album's best track is undoubtedly the aforementioned "Alone Again," a power ballad that helped open the floodgates for other similarly styled songs that would rule the airwaves for the rest of the '80s. minimize