Its time to take a trip back to the 80s where metal was king. I just pulled out Dokken's Greatest Hits and was listening to a few tracks. Track 1 "Breaking The Chains" goes back to '83 and has all the classic Dokken, the heavy riffs and fist pounding chorus. Track 5 "Alone Again" comes from their 2nd major label release Tooth & Nail and is probably their best ballad. The swooning by a rocker mixed with a bit of keyboards really got the girls going. Track 8 "In My Dreams" put Dokken on the map and helped blow up 1985. Songwise, its straight forward hairband rock. Track 9 "Its Not Love" came from Under Lock & Key, Dokken's best cd and is probably one of my favorite tracks. You can really hear a lot of Ratt in this song, Out of the Cellar had just come out the year before. Track 10 "Dream Warriors" Dokken's most popular song written for Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is full of over the top guitar and vocals. Track 12 "Heaven Sent" is from the last Dokken release before the 90s when metal died and grunge took over. Its not a ballad but its a slower and moodier song, probably my 2nd favorite Dokken song. Track 14 "Walk Away" is another power ballad but more of a stadium anthem song. Its over produced sound doesn't stand the test of time and sounds rather foolish now.

Dokken were never really original, they were another band from the 80s that rode the coattails of Motley Crue, Ratt and Poison. They did the spandex/makeup look for a couple records but soon gave it up after the style faded. George Lynch and Don Dokken made for a good duo but that didn't stand the test of time. Currently only 2 original members are still in Dokken, Don the lead singer and Mick Brown the drummer. Dokken went on to record 5 more records which all have been duds. I joke every summer when I see the reunion tours that come to town with all the 80s bands that I want to see Dokken but in reality, I really don't. I saw them in '96 and it was bad, I saw them again in '02 and it was worse. I can only imagine how it would be come '07.

http://www.dokken.net/