Review: Dokken- Lost Songs 1978-1981
September 1, 2020
When Don Dokken was recently cleaning out his locker, he stumbled onto a bunch of master tapes dating back to the 70’s when he was first starting out in his 20’s. This ended up becoming a collection of music we now have as Dokken: The Lost Songs: 1978-1981.
If you’re looking for an album of songs that sound like the classic Dokken, keep looking. There’s a lot more to this collection than just that and it’s a fun listen.
The Lost Songs shows the musical journey of Dokken from LA to Germany and from a young 20-something singer to the 80’s powerhouse musician he finally became and some of it might be a little raw at times but it’s literally a snapshot of Dokken going from new singer and songwriter to the vocal powerhouse he eventually became.
“Step Into the Light” kicks it off with the familiar Dokken vocals and style we’re used to while “We’re Going Wrong” feels a little less polished and has that 80’s rock guitar style we all love so much and is a definite flashback to the early days of Dokken.
“Day After Day” is a hypnotic ballad that fits and flows beautifully while “Back in the Streets” is a fast-paced rock anthem that leads into “Hit and Run,” which is a very gritty, raw track but is very close to the signature Dokken sound that put them on the map.
Closing things are “Liar” and “Prisoner”- both recorded live and show more of the transition to what did become the Dokken we all know today.
There’s a lot of people that play on this collection of music but that’s to be assumed with the time span of the music included.
If you’re a diehard Dokken fan, this is the collection for you as it encapsulates Don Dokken’s actual evolution as a songwriter, musician and rocker from the origin to the peak and if you’re still trying to familiarize yourself with Dokken’s music, this is a good way to start- and then take the journey through the years.
Rating: 8/10
-Reggie Edwards