Before we start: A lot of changes have been occurring for me both personally and professionally as of late, which are taking up a good chunk of my time. This is necessitating I pull my focus away from things I'd rather be doing, such as this blog. While I hope to keep up with daily Retro Spins, the reality is that this may not be a feasible goal. If you see a sudden drop off in posts, it's not because I wanted to stop, but rather that other matters simply took over my time.
I was going through a spurt of tracking down metal and glam bands, and in doing so, one immediately came to mind. Dokken. What did I know about the group beyond their name? Absolutely nothing. Which was ironic, because I already owned their 1985 released Under Lock And Key, but hadn't yet played through it.
Their remaining 80's discography was readily available, fairly cheap, and based on that became an immediate priority. Within a few clicks of the mouse button, I had purchased them all on ebay, and simply needed to wait for their arrival.
Fast or slow, it wouldn't matter how quickly they came because ultimately, they'd sit on the shelf until I finally got around to them. This is something that often happens in my world of CD collecting. I need it now, even though I know it's going to be a while before I get to it.
Don Dokken formed the band Airborn in 1976 with Bobby Blotzer, and Juan Croucier, only for them to quit shortly thereafter. It was around this time that Don would also find out that another group named Airborne had just signed a recording deal, meaning he not only needed a new band, but new name.
Not to worry. He'd simply adopt his own last name for this new group, bringing in Greg Pecka and Steven R. Barry to be part of this first iteration. This would change though, and while there's not much to fill in the gap, by 1979, Dokken, featuring Don, Greg Leon, and Gary Holland, Gary Link were touring Germany. This lineup too would fall apart.
Seeking a recording deal, a new iteration of Dokken, now featuring Don, George Lynch, Mick Brown, and returning original member, Juan Croucier, headed to Germany to find a label. The secured this through Carrere Records, after recording a series of demos with Accept manager, Gaby Hauke.
Their 1981 debut would initially be released under Don Dokken, with the original title, Breaking The Chains. However, this would be updated to the band name for subsequent releases. Also featured on the album were bassist Peter Baltes, and drummer Bobby Blotzer, who filled in on multiple tracks.
Side Note: As noted in my previous Retro Spin about the Scorpion's Blackout album, Don also filled in on the demo tracks when their lead singer, Klaus Meine underwent vocal surgery.
All was going well for Dokken on German shores. Meanwhile, back in the USA, manager, Cliff Bernstein secured a contract with Elektra Records for a stateside release of their debut, which would be remixed for American audiences. While this would lead to a US tour, the end of it would leave them relatively broke, with an album that was considered unsuccessful, almost causing them to be dropped from the label.
Let's pause here a moment, and actually have our own listen.
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While I didn't know what to expect from the album, one thing was for sure was that I didn't anticipate at all to be treated to harmonies, and solid rock. In retrospect, it was reminiscent to bands such as Def Leppard, and Van Halen, as well as what would come from Bon Jovi shortly thereafter.
As a whole, the album is very easy to listen to, and while it features the title track Billboard Mainstream Rock single, candidly, I wouldn't necessarily call any of the songs on here a hit. They're good. It's all enjoyable. It's also just not very memorable.
Still, I'm in a positive position with Dokken, and I'm down for hearing more from them, which is a good thing considering I have three more albums to go. If nothing else, it was certainly better than expected. Admittedly, I envisioned hearing loud instrumentation, followed by screeching vocals, and I'm happy to say that is not at all what I got.
Following the above noted tour, the band would focus their efforts on a music video for the song, Breaking The Chains, but leading up to the shoot, Croucier would once again leave, being replaced by Jeff Pilson.
With the lineup now consisting of Don, Lynch, Brown, and Pilson, the band returned to the studio to record the tracks for what would become their breakout success, 1984's Tooth And Nail. Further, this lineup would stay in place through 1997's Shadowlife, with a caveat that occurred in 1988. But now I'm getting way ahead of the game. First, I pick up tomorrow with their second album.
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