DOKKEN

One of my faves of all time and they dominated my stereo (along with Priest, Maiden, and Whitesnake) from about 85-88. Don is a great singer and Lynch is one of the greatest metal axe slingers of all time. All my own opine of course. Peace.

On a related note, I got off work about 4pm on Monday and heard "Alone Again" on the radio. I don't think I had heard a Dokken tune on the radio since 1993-94 or so.

I only have "Breaking the Chains" and "Tooth and Nail", but I love them both. Great 80's metal albums that have the distinction of being able to ride that line between AOR, Commercial Metal, and reputable traditional Metal. Their fan-base was greater because of it. I think ultimately the metal fans stuck around the longest, and are what has supported Don through all of his various incarnations of the band. "Just Got Lucky" gets stuck in my head all the time, even if I haven't listened to the album in weeks!

I saw Dokken live in 2000, and Don's voice SUCKED. HARD. I'm guessing he's recovered somewhat, given that they're still touring & recording albums that are at least somewhat well regarded. I haven't considered buying any of the new Dokken albums, but I might now that I'm seeing some fairly glowing recommendations here.

I actually met Lynch, Pilson, and Mick one day a few hours before a small
club show in Hallandale,FL at a place called the Button South around '93.
We rode around the back and they were outside taking a break from
rehersal. I remember Lynch just sitting there still playing ampless, Pilson
was quiet too, my friend and I asked if Don was coming out, they just
sorta shrugged and said probally not. I brought my vinyl Under Lock and Key
and got 3 signatures on the cover. Wild Mick kept asking us where he could
get some decent food around here? After about 15 minutes, they returned
to the rehersal.

Who's on guitars for Dokken these days?

7thSaviour wrote:

Who's on guitars for Dokken these days?

Jon Levin

SpectreFate wrote:

7thSaviour wrote:

Who's on guitars for Dokken these days?

Jon Levin

That's cool, but I liked John Norum even better, and of course Mr. Scary best of all!

Still can't believe Jeff Pilson left to play for Foreigner!

Getizzyback wrote:

Still can't believe Jeff Pilson left to play for Foreigner!

They probably pay better.

Troublezone wrote:

Getizzyback wrote:

Still can't believe Jeff Pilson left to play for Foreigner!

They probably pay better.

LOL!!!! I saw them a couple years ago on the Def Lep/Foreigner/Styx tour. Foreigner sounds GREAT - my only issue was no Lou Gramm, but Kelly Hansen has done a great job as the replacemnt signer and sounded awesome. It was cool to see Pilson rockin' out on bass!

Troublezone wrote:

Getizzyback wrote:

Still can't believe Jeff Pilson left to play for Foreigner!

They probably pay better.

Don't ya know it?

I really wanna see this incarnation of Foreigner. Always loved Kelly Hansen's vocals with Hurricane!

This thread has re-ignited my interest in Dokken lately. For a while now I'd been simply going right to BACK FOR THE ATTACK or DYSFUNCTIONAL to get my Dokken fix, but over the past week or two I've been dusting off some of the others I haven't played in awhile, like TOOTH & NAIL, HELL TO PAY, ONE LIVE NIGHT, and Don's UP FROM THE ASHES solo album.

I can't tell you when was the last time I'd listened to TOOTH & NAIL, as someone said earlier in this thread, that album could use a remix or remaster something awful (the production stinks!), but other than that it is still one helluva classic 80s album.

Fat Freddy wrote:

This thread has re-ignited my interest in Dokken lately. For a while now I'd been simply going right to BACK FOR THE ATTACK or DYSFUNCTIONAL to get my Dokken fix, but over the past week or two I've been dusting off some of the others I haven't played in awhile, like TOOTH & NAIL, HELL TO PAY, ONE LIVE NIGHT, and Don's UP FROM THE ASHES solo album.

I can't tell you when was the last time I'd listened to TOOTH & NAIL, as someone said earlier in this thread, that album could use a remix or remaster something awful (the production stinks!), but other than that it is still one helluva classic 80s album.

I love that album but the production budget on that album must have been zip, it is one of the worst productions to come out of any band from a major label back in the 80's.

BACK FOR THE ATTACK

7thSaviour wrote:

I really wanna see this incarnation of Foreigner. Always loved Kelly Hansen's vocals with Hurricane!

They sound great with Kelly.

Getizzyback wrote:

Still can't believe Jeff Pilson left to play for Foreigner!

He didn't so much "leave" as Don quit calling him...

I'm glad to see that there's a more comprehensive thread regarding this band. I agree with Manny, that Dokken were the best of the bands that Manny had them lumped in with. Until last summer, I had never listened to anything post "Back For The Attack". I ended up purchasing bot "Dysfunctional" & "Erase The Slate", and found both of these albums to be hidden gems. I wish that I had given these albums a look when they came out.

Undoubtedly my favorite of Dokken is "Tooth & Nail". Production issues aside, every song on this album is stellar. I guess that I would lump this album in with AC/DC's "Fly On The Wall". The songs are great, but the production isn't up to par. "Under Lock & Key" is a very close second for me (and was the first album that I heard from the band).

1. Tooth & Nail
2. Under Lock & Key
3. Back For The Attack
4. Dysfunctional
5. Erase The Slate
6. Breaking The Chains (love the song, but not a big fan of the album)

I still have never listened to "Shadow Life", because of the less than stellar reviews regarding this album. I often see this album in the used bin at my local C.D store, but have been apprehensive to pick it up. I would like to pick up their new one though.

Erase the Slate was a great album.

Dokken were always a step above most hair metal bands IMO because of
the lyrics. While many hair bands were writing sappy love songs,
Dokken's songs were always a bit on the darker side. Heaven Sent is a
good example of what I mean. It sounds like a love song, but really isn't.

I am not sure if this correct but Dokken where the first band who addressed the AIDS epidemic in the song 'Kiss of Death' not a subject matter that Motley Crue were exploring.

Yeah, exactly. Songs about partying and girls can be fun once in
awhile, but I appreciate well thought out lyrics much more. Dokken
seemed to put forth more effort in that department than their
contemporaries.

Here's a Dokken release that doesn't get mentioned much...anybody got this one?



I used to see this one in stores all the time (as an expensive import) back in the 80s/90s but was never quite sure if it was an official Dokken release or some kind of weird bootleg. Turns out that it is a bootleg EP of an early Dokken demo from 1979 (legend has it that it was made from a tape stolen out of producer Michael Wagener's car in the early 80s.) Don Dokken is the only member of the "classic" Dokken lineup who performs on it. It's only 6 tracks -- four studio cuts ("Back in the Streets," "Felony," "Day After Day" and "We're Going Wrong") plus two live songs ("Liar" and "Prisoner," which is a completely different track than the one that eventually was recorded on the BACK FOR THE ATTACK album). An interesting listen. I am not 100 percent sure but I think the two live songs may have eventually turned up on the LIVE FROM CONCEPTION CD a couple of years back. For a while, this entire CD was available on Dokken's official site as a free download, the rationale being that the band wasn't seeing any money from it so they were offering it to their fans for nothing to screw the bootleggers (that's where I got it from). Last I checked, actual CDs of this baby go for somewhere in the $50-$60 range on Amazon or eBay.

*EDIT* Some further info can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_in_the_Streets

This entry contains a link to download all six tracks from Dokken's website and it looks like they're still active, so have at it if you're interested. It's OK with Don.

I used to see it on vinyl and thought it was a bootleg, which I guess it is in some ways.

I have a question on 'Breaking the Chains' it list Juan Crouchier as the bassist but on the 'Live from Conception' CD it has Jeff Pilson as the bassist even thou that live show was recorded prior to the release of 'Breaking the Chains'. Did Pilson leave and return in time to film the promo videos or I am sure I hear Pilson sing backround vocals on 'Breaking the Chains' and I just wonder if he is on that album and is uncredited.

Quote :

I have a question on 'Breaking the Chains' it
list Juan Crouchier as the bassist but on the 'Live from Conception' CD
it has Jeff Pilson as the bassist even thou that live show was recorded
prior to the release of 'Breaking the Chains'. Did Pilson leave and
return in time to film the promo videos or I am sure I hear Pilson sing
backround vocals on 'Breaking the Chains' and I just wonder if he is on
that album and is uncredited.

Pilson says on the Unchain The Night DVD that the very first thing he did in the band was film the Breaking the Chains video.

The date on that Conception CD is questionable.

manny wrote:

I used to see it on vinyl and thought it was a bootleg, which I guess it is in some ways.

I have a question on 'Breaking the Chains' it list Juan Crouchier as the bassist but on the 'Live from Conception' CD it has Jeff Pilson as the bassist even thou that live show was recorded prior to the release of 'Breaking the Chains'. Did Pilson leave and return in time to film the promo videos or I am sure I hear Pilson sing backround vocals on 'Breaking the Chains' and I just wonder if he is on that album and is uncredited.

I was under the impression that Juan recorded the BREAKIN' album and then split to join Ratt, but Pilson came in for the ensuing video shoots, etc. I could be wrong though.
I don't have the LIVE FROM CONCEPTION disc but I've read a few articles claiming that the supposed "1981" date on it may not be entirely accurate, which might explain that Pilson is given credit for playing on it.

Quote :

I was under the impression that Juan recorded
the BREAKIN' album and then split to join Ratt, but Pilson came in for
the ensuing video shoots, etc. I could be wrong though.
I don't
have the LIVE FROM CONCEPTION disc but I've read a few articles
claiming that the supposed "1981" date on it may not be entirely
accurate, which might explain that Pilson is given credit for playing
on it.

Now we're even. I just said almost this same thing.