Published on Apr 24, 2002
Dokken (the band) and I go way back. They were the first band I
saw in a concert setting, back in summer 1986, opening for
Loverboy. I’ve always held a special place for them in my heart. A
few years ago, I trashed their
Shadowlife CD on this site – and to this day, that review
(and CD) make me cringe.
But that’s ancient history, or so it would seem. Dokken’s last
studio CD,
Erase The Slate, was a refreshing breath of air for a band
that had replaced George Lynch with former Winger guitarist Reb
Beach. As an opening act for Def Leppard for a concert in Cedar
Rapids, I felt the band had never sounded better. I was lucky
enough to interview Jeff Pilson in person prior to their set and
life seemed to be on an upswing. There was a rekindled energy in
Pilson and enthusiasm for the band. The live CD that followed,
Live From The Sun, successfully captured the energy I saw
that cold December night.
Fast forward a bit and you arrive at 2002 and the release of the
band’s latest offering
Long Way Home. In the presskit, the band talks about being
asked to release another
Under Lock And Key or
Back For The Attack. That’s nothing new. Fans have been
asking Metallica for another
Master Of Puppets or …
And Justice For All for years. What’s interesting is
Dokken’s response, which is that great bands, like Led Zeppelin,
evolve and grow. So with that in mind, I can really see the value
of this release. Gone are the trademark Lynch/Beach riffs and 80s
hair metal cliches. This is the 2002 version of Dokken which is
without Beach and longtime bassist Jeff Pilson. Replacing them are
guitarist John Norum (known for his work with Europe) and bassist
Barry Sparks. Drummer Mick Brown and vocalist Don Dokken round out
the quartet.
I’ve really had to let this release grow on me. I kept waiting
for a riff in the “In My Dreams” vein to rip through my ears. Or a
scorching instrumental like “Mr. Scary.” Or a ballad I could sink
my heart into like “Walk Away” or “Alone Again.”
They deliver the ballad, but there’s not a real scorching riff
to be found on this release. Opener “Sunless Days” comes closest,
but it just doesn’t measure up, not because it isn’t Lynch or Beach
playing – – it just isn’t a strong riff. The following track,
“Little Girl,” has a Led Zeppelin-influenced groove during the
verse but delivers a strong mid-tempo push.
Third track “Everbody Needs (To Be With Someone)” epitomizes a
pet peeve my neighbor at work and I share. Why name a song and then
have a subtitle in paranthesis? Just call the song “Everybody Needs
To Be With Someone.” Guitarist Norum works hardest on the next
track, “You,” with one of the better riffs.He saves the strongest
riff for “Under the Gun” which captures the energy of the song
“Erase The Slate” and sounds closest to “Lightning Strikes Again”
or “Turn On The Action” (from
Breaking the Chains). Drummer Brown creates a driving
drumbeat upon which Dokken pulls off his best performance. “I’ve
Found” is another strong track, opening with an emotional lead from
Norum and strings. Dokken adds an equally emotional vocal
delivery.
There’s a lot, in the big picture, that a release like this does
for Dokken. I can understand how this release will fit into the big
picture. Tracks “Sunless Days,” “You” and “Under The Gun” would be
my vote to find their way into the band’s set list, espeically the
mid-tempo stomp of “You.” This release allows the band to have a
more diverse repository of songs to choose from when constructing a
live set and I appreciate that. For this release, by itself, I
don’t think it stands on its own as Dokken’s greatest achievement.
I just pulled out
Under Lock And Key and
Tooth And Nail this week, to give me a bit of perspective
for writing this review. I think that this CD will please Dokken
fans to the extent that they understand how this release will fit
into a long and hopefully never-ending career.
I’m giving this release a B, mainly because I understand the
“big picture” of this release.