“Donald Dean Nightshift, Originally released in 1995, this debut album from Los Angeles CA singer/songwriter Donald Dean has been enjoying something of a rebirth over on www.cdbaby.com If you like catchy melodic rock then this is for you, 12 superbly crafted songs raging from bouncy rockers to tear-jerking ballads like the sombre piano led 'Athena' which gets more melodic as the song progresses, sounding like a cool mix of Journey and the classic China Sky CD. Dean has a voice that welds together Jon Bon Jovi and Steve Perry Dean himself worked with Jon Bon Jovi on the bands "Livin' On A Prayer" video, so with that in mind you can pretty much weigh up the sound and style of this fantastic album. Each song throughout this album is really good and once again here is an album that has been, by and large ignored by the music press which is such a tragedy as each song posses wonderful hooks and really catchy choruses, and my advice to you is to go and buy this sucka now. , a future star!”
— Nicky Baldrian, Strutter Magazine
May 25th, 2000
“Donald Dean is an excellent Songwriter/Vocalist/Guitarist and he shows you here. He wrote all these songs between 1983 until 1990. Very Good Melodic Rock (yeah US AOR!) with many mid-up Tempos but done with class! "Athena" is the only ballad here (Nice! ála Journey). Good production/Solos/Hooks. Tracks from 1 to 7 are my favorite but "Follow Your Dream" and "Cryin' in the Night" are my really favorite songs.”
— Juan Carlos, Heavy Harmonies
July 1st, 2010
“Singer/songwriter/guitarist DONALD DEAN from California sent me his debut CD Nightshift. This CD is filled with high quality pure 80s AOR/Melodic Rock in the style of the debut albums of JEFF PARIS,, BON JOVI, STAN BUSH, although a bit more guitar orientated… The production and sound is from a very high level, and some of the songs are very strong. Highlights are up-tempo AOR/Melodic Rockers like "Don't tell me" (a la early JEFF PARIS), "Cry'n in the night" & "Your disguise" (classy 80s, very strong, somehow reminding me of the HUGHES/THRALL classic), "Since I've been lovin’you" (high class melodic rocker) and "Carved in stone" (early 80s AOR, very much like STAN BUSH). Most of the included songs were written and recorded in the 1980s, and although some of you might find this CD sounding too dated, you cannot possible ignore that this a great high quality AOR/Melodic Rock album that is highly recommended to fans of the mentioned similarities.”
— Gabor Kleinbloesem, Strutterzine January 20th, 2003
Singer/songwriter Donald Dean has come up with an excellent AOR album laced with colorful key arrangements, flowing melodies and hooks. No true AOR collection should be without this one. In the vein of 707 and NIGHT RANGER.
Delbert Clemons
- February 2nd 2022
