Dokken - Under Lock and Key

The 1980s was the glory decade for hard rock, many bands gaining fame and fortune, the tempting but deadly taste of success right within grasp, achievable in this place, at this time. Record companies searched far and wide with dollar signs in their eyes for the next big hair band and the music glowed with a freshness that took aim at the mainstream. Bands were a dime a dozen, coming out of every bar on the Sunset Strip, hopping the Canadian borders and flowing from the East Coast with Poison and Bon Jovi leading the way. But for every band that had their hits and almost did not seem to truly deserve it, there were ten more waiting in the wings with better material, some of it even 'classic' status that while earned some recognition, still flew under the radar, undetected by the major masses.

Dokken was such a band...

Beginning in the early 80s, a mediocre debut album under their belt, the band realized that it just wasn't good enough to make it big. A hit song or two from the much heavier "Tooth and Nail" fueled their fire, but it was the third album that mined the magic and struck it gold. "Under Lock and Key" was their smash, hitting the charts and earned Dokken plenty of radio airplay on pop and rock stations alike. Dreamy ballads and driving rockers all injected with a melodic edge that was all their own. Guitarist George Lynch became a coverboy staple for guitar magazines across the country and their shadow and influence was everywhere, subtle as it may be. White Lion's guitarist Vito Bratta was even jealous of Lynch's command of the strings. The others found their own success, Don Dokken was applauded for his writing skills, bassist Jeff Pilson was considered a bassist extraordinare and "Wild" Mick Brown ran up a reputation for being quite the wild rocker indeed. Their videos were in heavy rotation on MTV and life was all gravy without the lumps. But it wasn't the 90s grunge crash that killed the group. One more studio record in 1987, "Back for the Attack" ushered in the end, a live album was pushed out the door and they were all done. Internal conflicts smothered them to death and they crashed and burned with the best of them. All leaving for seperate projects, Don Dokken gone solo, Mick and George formed Lynch Mob, and Jeff Pilson went to War and Peace, but it couldn't last for long. By the mid 90s they were back together then were driven apart piece by piece by the same problems that fell down like the plague back in the day. Dokken is still trucking in 2002 but minus Jeff and George and now on guitarist number three...

And the magic of "Under Lock and Key" was never to be revisited again...

01.] "Unchain the Night"
One of rock's most tantalizing anthems and extra heavy on the melody, lifting the spirits despite its unrestrained passion. This is the way with many of their songs, stirring feelings of melodic bliss even with hefty themes running underneath. It was one of their strongest points, the knack for writing killer songs without the excessive fluff and puffiness of many other bands. Not all show, they could actually play, and write catchy tunes at that. Don's edgiest vocals on "ULaK" are right here, clinging on with an unbreakable grip especially during the chorus that freezes hearts. The bouncing of his voice between the two stereo channels at varying volumes creates a simple but fabulous effect This un is hard enough to be a headbanger, but sporting plenty of melody to keep one returning to take another trip through the unchained night. The spell is woven and will not easily be broken.

02.] "The Hunter"
Another facet of the diamond that is emotion, another song paying tribute to the craving of love that can not be found...again. Flying freely like a kite only distrubed by wind and rain, it soars, shadowed only by clouds of yearning and bent off course with the fierce tugging of the string running to the base, attached to the heart. Caught by hands uncomprehending the preciousness and rarity of the tiny firefly of love, letting it go and then the realization of the empty anguish pummels the soul like a sledgehammer. The search is on and so goes the song, running through the theme with expert musicianship and a grasp of these feelings set to the sound of music that fills every corner with a wonderous joy that simply sings. A guitar solo forced into the face of adversity hits all the right notes with a pounding passion and the pull of otherworldly wonder. "You know desire burns, like a fire within."

03.] "In My Dreams"
Its chorus considered 'classic', flowing like wine with a decadent texture that enhances the sparkling flavour. Sweet to taste, with a smooth melancholy feel allows it to settle in nicely. The chorus rolls off the tongue, bright and shapely, acoustic jangling underneath lightening the weight but the rounded voice of Don Dokken expresses such longing and sadness that it embeds itself slowly instead of striking hard and sharp. Familiarity, the verses comforting, a nightlight illuminating the darkness, a warm blanket in the emptiness...its subtelty, the slow easy burn that eats away at the soul, is achieved beautifully.

04.] "Slipping Away"
The spiritual sequel to "Alone Again", the hit ballad from "Tooth and Nail" and the song Dokken is known best for, this new power ballad tries to one up the original and nearly succeeds. The acoustic is so light and delicate, beating with gossamer wings. A fragile butterfly with a tiny broken heart, fluttering its wings desperately its love lies dying and the attempt to scoop up the swiftly fading pieces only causes it to slip away even further into nonexistance. Don's voice has never sounded better, so round, warm and inviting, a delight even when sounding like the last light of hope in the universe has faded forever.

05.] "Lightning Strikes Again"
More forgettable than others, "Lightning" is harsh and unsettling compared to the silkier fare that populates the disc. Not as melodic or catchy, and bordering on annoyingly repetitive with that jarring chorus that flaunts the shrieking of the title, it is saved by Lynch's guitar that sparks a fire that grows until it is at full blaze before end. More metal than rock, it is a nice breather that breaks the mood between the lighter fare but whether it is a bridge one will wish to cross often is up to the individual's taste.

06.] "It's Not Love"
The tale of a female torturing the heart of her plaything, and his revenge is a pure pleasure fest, the male whipping out his pleading bitterness with ecstatic pride, crushing his love interest before song's end. The chorus is a harsh celebration of breaking love and just when least expected the phone conversation between Dokken and the chick over the line, his 'Baby', is just too good to be true. Lynch's guitar lurks, skulking with a rumble rhythm that gallops like a steed on an urgent mission or striking fiercely with the coldness of a cobra unleashed. The ripped cry of "Why baby why" that ushers in the chorus is unforgettable, a yearning fire in the night. The track's unpredictable nature that crosses the abyss between lower smoothed down areas (guitar creeping in the background with an irritable edge) that surges into hard rock brilliance (with the 80s gang background vocals in all their pumped up glory) at the drop of a pin makes it fresh, vibrant and exciting, branding it into memory. Don: "So what do you want?" Chickie: "I want you.." Don: "You can't have me, oh maybe just tonight..."

07.] "Jaded Heart"
A beautiful ballad with a powerful core that can move hearts. Elegant in its gentle beauty of love unreturning and a heart that has been jaded to the whiles of time, an open wound to collect sorrow, splitting it wide open til the bleeding point with each drifting guitar note, winding around throughout, trapping the chorus within a teardrop.

08.] "Don't Lie To Me"
"You didn't see me, but I overheard!" Oh dear... another mistreated man, but it also doubles as the perfect tune to slip between the sorrowful "Jaded..." and the next song. Reminiscent of Europe in its lighter, melody dripping side and the way the nature of the background vocals, the way they chime in with the lead but the edgy guitar wipes up some of that sticky sweetness. Not killer in the way that other songs here are, but it is definitely a nice diversion and a well delivered track all around.

09.] "Will the Sun Rise?"
A question all have pondered since the beginning of time and the prophesies ran amuck, putting fear into the hearts of all living things with the power of pondering. "Will the sun rise when it's over?" Will it indeed? This is another smoothie song that is deceptively deep with a bottom end that adds pressure to the proceedings without going overboard on the rhythm section. Like petals blown from a flower in the breeze of a brewing storm, it drifts through the verses and picks up in a swirl for the chorus, then settling softly for the end, wartorn and tattered.

10.] "Till the Living End"
It could have been comfortable on the quite heavier "Tooth and Nail", but it does end this album on a rocking note. Driving and much harder than even "Lightning", it can be tagged with the term metal easily. Full throttle vocals including plenty of screaming notes, drums that speed on with quick, harsh pacing and the guitar smokes, burning up the fretboard with precision and fire...all the ingredients for full fledged metallic tracks. It could have used a more pronounced AOR/melodic side, but for those that can't let go of the Dokken of yesteryear, this was a decent flirt with the past.