Dokken
Dokken
Dokken are yet another of the 'hair bands' from the 80's that ruled the charts in that era. Like bands like Slaughter I did not initially like this band until long after their popularity had begun to fall. I have seen Dokken several times and was not impressed by Don Dokken's total lack of stage presence and his horrible vocals in the live setting. The last time I saw them was when they and Slaughter opened for Poison and Cinderella. After Slaughter's stellar performance, Dokken was a letdown, with bassist Jeff Pilson being the only one in the band with any energy. Jeff was also the stronger vocalist at this show. (Jeff Pilson has also played bass on Dio's "Angry Machines.") Anyhow, Dokken are one of those bands I get tons of emails asking why I don't have any. Well, now I do.

Breaking the Chains Dokken - Breaking the Chains (Elektra/Asylum) 1983

1. "Breaking the Chains" (3:50)
2. "In the Middle" (3:44)
3. "Felony " (3:07)
4. "I Can't See You" (3:12)
5. "Live to Rock (Rock to Live)" (3:38)
6. "Nightrider" (3:13)
7. "Seven Thunders" (3:56)
8. "Young Girls" (3:14)
9. "Stick to Your Guns" (3:24)
10. "Paris is Burning" [live] (5:08)

It's about time I found a copy of this on CD. I never, ever see this one used and finally secured a copy on SecondSpin.com for $5.99. "Breaking the Chains" was originally released as an import of Carrere Record and later picked up and re-released by Elektra. I have not seen the original version but have been told that the original had the studio version of "Paris is Burning" and also has the track "Live To Rock" listed as "We're Illegal". The live version of "Paris is Burning" was recorded live in Berlin, December 1982.

Dokken's debut is an explosive, fairly raw chunk of early 80's heavy metal. Songs like "Nightrider" and "Stick to Your Guns" remind me of Ratt or mid-80's Scorpions. However, what Dokken employed here was slightly different than most of the bands of this genre. While they did have the heavy guitar wizardry of George Lynch, what set them apart was the multi-layered vocal harmonies, something that would become a trademark of the band on following releases. Of course, the title track is on of their trademark songs and is certainly a classic. As a matter of fact, the entire album is quite good. I actually enjoy the pre-gloss days of the band a bit more than the glossier albums like "Under Lock & Key."

Bassist for this album, Juan Croucier left to join Ratt at which point long time Dokken bassist/vocalist Jeff Pilson joined the fold and added a lot to the band's vocal harmonies..

Tooth & Nail Dokken - Tooth & Nail (Elektra) 1984

1. "Without Warning" [instrumental] (1:35)
2. "Tooth and Nail" (3:40)
3. "Just Got Lucky" (4:35)
4. "Heartless Heart" (3:29)
5. "Don't Close Your Eyes" (4:06)
6. "When Heaven Comes Down" (3:43)
7. "Into the Fire" (4:30)
8. "Bullets to Spare" (3:32)
9. "Alone Again" (4:20)
10. "Turn on the Action" (4:15)

Many people consider this to be the best of all Dokken's albums, and I certainly can understand why. "Tooth & Nail" rocks decisively harder than most of the rest of Dokken's discography, yet it still is infectious in it's commercial hooks and sing along melodies. "Into the Fire" was a huge hit for the band, as was the power ballad "Alone Again." I absolutely love this song. Even before becoming a Dokken fan I liked this song. It has such a powerful and emotional hook. Try listening to it once and see if it doesn't repeat itself through your head for the rest of the day. However, the non-hits are good as well, especially some of the fierce heavy metal numbers such as "Turn On The Action," "When Heaven Comes Down" and the title track. American hair metal at it's finest.

Under Lock & Key Dokken - Under Lock and Key (Elektra) 1985

1. "Unchain the Night" (5:17)
2. "The Hunter" (4:06)
3. "In My Dreams" (4:18)
4. "Slippin' Away" (3:46)
5. "Lightnin' Strikes Again" (3:47)
6. "It's Not Love" (5:01)
7. "Jaded Heart" (4:13)
8. "Don't Lie to Me" (3:38)
9. "Will the Sun Rise" (4:09)
10. "Til the Livin' End" (3:56)

Strong commercial and melodic heavy metal album with a stellar guitar performance by George Lynch. Plenty of strong tracks; "The Hunter, Unchain The Night, In My Dreams" and "It's Not Love." "In My Dreams" was an MTV hit for the band. Of course, what would an 80's pop metal album be with the obligatory power ballads? "Lock and Key" has it's share of these as well. (ie "Slippin' Away") Still, being a fan of this type of melodic metal, I certainly can appreciate this disc and am sure I will get more Dokken in the future.

Back for the Attack Dokken - Back for the Attack (Elektra) 1987

1. "Kiss of Death" (5:48)
2. "Prisoner" (4:19)
3. "Night by Night" (5:20)
4. "Standing in the Shadows" (5:05)
5. "Heaven Sent" (4:50)
6. "Mr. Scary" [instrumental] (4:37)
7. "So Many Tears" (4:54)
8. "Burning Like a Flame" (4:44)
9. "Lost Behind the Wall" (4:18)
10. "Stop Fighting Love" (4:57)
11. "Cry of the Gypsy" (4:46)
12. "Sleepless Nights" (4:30)
13. "Dream Warriors" (4:46)

Dokken had a hit with the song "Dream Warrior", which was featured in the movie "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 - Dream Warrior". Overall, however, I think this album featured the least amount of hits for this band, yet I find that this disc is heavier, more urgent, and more serious than any of the band's earlier outputs. Still, with all of the band's 80's outputs, if you like one, you like them all. Dokken just sounds like Dokken. The band also has a song that was released as a b-side called "Back for the Attack" that was originally recorded for this release, but for some stupid reason, left off. I have this song on a compilation CDR.

Beast from the East Dokken - Beast From The East (Elektra) 1988

1. "Unchain The Night" (5:38)
2. "Tooth And Nail" (3:18)
3. "Dream Warriors" (4:09)
4. "Kiss Of Death" (5:21)
5. "When Heaven Comes Down" (3:44)
6. "Into The Fire " (5:02)
7. "Mr. Scary" (7:00)
8. "Heaven Sent" (5:12 )
9. "It's Not Love" (6:14)
10. "Alone Again" (5:34)
11. "Just Got Lucky" (5:02)
12. "Breaking The Chains" (5:21)
13. "In My Dreams" (5:02)
14. "Walk Away" (4:30)

OUTSTANDING live CD! One of the things I have always liked about live discs is that raw energy and heavy sound that just can't seem to be captured in the studio. That is exactly what Dokken captured here. They were also at the top of their game when recording this CD, so the band is tight. Take a listen to "Mr. Scary" and see if it doesn't send chills down your spine. George Lynch sounds amazing. Decades later people can mock the look of the 80's bands, but there is no denying the talent. "Beast from the East" is probably my favorite Dokken CD.

The 2 LP US version as well as the Japanese version contains three bonus tracks: "Standing in the Shadows", "Sleepless Nights" and "Turn on the Action."

Up From the Ashes Don Dokken - Up From the Ashes (Geffen) 1990

1. "Crash 'N' Burn" (5:03)
2. "1000 Miles Away" (5:00)
3. "When Some Nights" (4:27)
4. "Forever" (5:16)
5. "Living a Lie" (4:38)
6. "When Love Finds a Fool" (5:34)
7. "Give It Up" (4:11)
8. "Mirror Mirror" (4:36)
9. "Stay" (4:28)
10. "Down in Flames" (5:11)
11. "The Hunger" (5:03)

Hmm, smells like Dokken, sounds like Dokken. Even looks like Dokken. Must be Dokken. This 'solo' cd release from Dokken mainman Don Dokken may have his full name on the disc and may have been hyped as a solo disc, but the music sounds so much like Dokken, it's a wonder he just didn't release it under his last name only. Perhaps the music is a tad more mellow here and there, but overall, this disc is just as good as most of the Dokken 1980's releases. Along for the ride is drummer Mickey Dee (Motorhead/King Diamond), bassist Peter Baltes (Accept), and guitarist/songwriter John Norum (Europe) who is a full fledged member of Dokken (the band) as of the winter of 2002. The band also starred in the movie Far Out Man.

Dokken (Victor) 1994

1. "What Price" (5:40)
2. "Shadows Of Life" (4:32)
3. "Long Way Home" (5:10)
4. "The Maze" (4:42)
5. "Nothing Left To Say" (4:47)
6. "Lesser Of Two Evils" (4:08)
7. "Inside Looking Out" (4:04)
8. "Sweet Chains" (5:48)
9. "Too High Too Fly" (6:39)

This Japan-only, self-titled release is a stripped down, rawer version of "Dysfunctional", minus a couple of songs. I had actually heard "Dysfunctional" first and wasn't impressed. So, I was expecting the worst here, but surprisingly, this album is actually pretty darned good. Perhaps I should have given "Dysfuntional" a few more spins to see if it would have grown on me. Granted, "Dokken" doesn't quite have the immediate catchiness of some of their 80's classics, but lead off track "What Price" and album closer "Too High Too Fly" are quite good. I actually prefer the slightly rawer, heavier mix or mastering on this CD to the slicker American release. Perhaps this added to my more immediate enjoyment of "Dokken". This Japanese release comes wrapped in a nice box and also includes a 24-page, full color book packed with photos of the reunited band, as well as a 20-page CD insert. The insert is complete with lyrics in both Japanese and English and a biography, unfortunately only in Japanese.

Dysfunctional Dokken - Dysfunctional (Columbia) 1995

1. "Inside Looking Out" (4:08)
2. "Hole In My Head" (4:33)
3. "The Maze" (4:50)
4. "Too High To Fly" (7:10)
5. "Nothing Left To Say" (4:30)
6. "Shadows Of Life" (4:32)
7. "Long Way Home" (5:12)
8. "Sweet Chains" (5:46)
9. "Lesser Of Two Evils" (4:03)
10. "What Price" (5:45)
11. "From The Beginning" (4:12)

Dokken's reunion CD is aptly titled considering the feuding between the original band members. "Dysfunctional" is a decent, yet uninspiring album and doesn't exactly recall the glory days of the band. Honestly though, there are a few decent cuts on this disc. "The Maze" is a decent song with a slight King's X vibe and "Too High to Fly" is an excellent song. "Lesser of Two Evils" isn't a bad song either and reminds me of the Dokken of old. Overall the sound here is an attempt at alternative rock in order to fit in with the times ('95), although I think the band also took some music cues from their 70s heros as well. I can understand why an older band wants to be relevant, but the problem will always remain that the longtime fans of the band will inherently like the sound that the band created for themselves. In most cases changing styles will most likely alienate your old fans and certainly not create any new fans. The younger music fans aren't interested in the older generation's bands, no matter how 'current' they sound. Unfortunately Dokken didn't figure that out until after they released their next CD, which was a horrible mess titled "Shadowlife."

I saw Dokken several times since this release and thankfully they pretended like they never recorded Dysfunctional or Shadowlife.

Very Best of... Dokken - The Very Best of Dokken (Rhino) 1999

1. "Breaking the Chains" (3:52)
2. "Paris Is Burning" [live] (5:09)
3. "Into the Fire" (4:27)
4. "Just Got Lucky" (4:36)
5. "Alone Again" (4:22)
6. "Tooth and Nail" (3:42)
7. "The Hunter" (4:08)
8. "In My Dreams" (4:20)
9. "It's Not Love" (5:00)
10. "Dream Warriors" (4:48)
11. "Burning Like a Flame" (4:46)
12. "Heaven Sent" (4:53)
13. "Mr. Scary" (4:30)
14. "Walk Away" (5:02)
15. "Mirror Mirro" (4:40)
16. "Too High to Fly" (7:10)

"The Very Best of Dokken" is an excellent,16-song career retrospective from a band that dominated in the 80's. The tracks span the time from "Breaking the Chains" through "Dysfunctional" and are arranged in chronological order. The one track that is not from a Dokken album is "Mirror Mirror," from Don Dokken's 1990 solo album, which to me always sounded like Dokken anyhow. Nicely laid out insert with detailed liner notes and some bust a gut laughing photos.

Erase the Slate Dokken - Erase the Slate (CMC International) 1999

1. "Erase the Slate" (3:47)
2. "Change the World" (4:35)
3. "Maddest Hatter" (4:38)
4. "Drown" (4:53)
5. "Shattered" (4:40)
6. "One" (3:10)
7. "Who Believes" (4:23)
8. "Voice of the Soul" (4:12)
9. "Crazy Mary Goes Round" (3:00)
10. "Haunted Lullabye" (4:47)
11. "In Your Honor" (4:31)
12. "Untitled" [instrumental] (1:16)

"Erase the Slate" marks the departure of original guitarist George Lynch. . . again. However the ex-Winger guitarist Reb Beach comes in and takes over with authority helping to release one of the best discs since the band's 80s outputs. The disc starts of heavy and with only a few expections, stays that way. The title track, "Change the World" and "Voice of the Soul" are each as good as anything on "Tooth & Nail." I could have lived without the silly cover of "One" and "Crazy Mary" is a tad more in the modern rock meets the Beatles direction than I would like, but otherwise, I was quite surprised with this disc. I would imagine that Dokken die-hards were in heaven when this disc was released.

Long Way Home Dokken - Long Way Home (Sanctuary) 2002

1. "Sunless Days" (4:20)
2. "Little Girl" (3:44)
3. "Everybody Needs (To Be With Someone)" (3:15)
4. "You" (3:47)
5. "Goodbye My Friend" (4:06)
6. "Magic Road" (3:31)
7. "There Was a Time" (3:53)
8. "Heart Full of Soul" (2:28)
9. "Under the Gun" (4:20)
10. "I've Found" (3:43)

Exit guitarist Reb Beach, enter guitar shredder John Norum, who formerly recorded with Don Dokken on his 1990 solo album."Long Way Home" starts off with a heavy track that sounds as good as anything from the George Lynch era. After that, however, the rest of the album is nothing like the Dokken of old, save for some of Don's vocal harmonies. Several of the tracks have a heavy Beatles sound ("Little Girl" & "Everybody Needs". "Goodbye My Friend"). To tell the truth, on the first listen I didn't care much for the album, but after a few more listens I really began to enjoy it. The songs are catchy and the overall production is quite good. It may not sound like the Dokken of old, but "Long Way Home" is a good melodic rock album. "Heart Full of Soul" was also covered by Don's friend Joshua, and was made popular by the Yardbirds.

Related Collections:
Lynch Mob/George Lynch | John Norum | Ratt | Winger

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