Resurrection is a slow process. I was prepared for a mediocre performance when my compadres and I walked into Hammerjacks for our first glimpse of the D-man since his glory days with Dokken. After all, this new project falls on the heels of one of the early `80s monster rock dynasties, which featured the unequaled guitar virtuosity of legend George Lynch. It comes after years of bitter personal disputes with his former bandmate, sure to have taken a staggering emotional toll. It comes at a time when many are saying the rock of the last 10 years is dead. Don Dokken proves otherwise.
I felt almost prophetic as the band drove the opener, "Paris Is Burning" through a muddy mix that didn't even include lead vocals until the third verse. Don moved woodenly behind a red Les Paul and dark sunglasses, forcing my friends and me to anxiously urge him to loosen up as if we were watching the first space shuttle launch since the tragic explosion.
The blast off remained rough through "Give It Up," "Crash And Burn" and "The Hunter," but in answer to our wishes and to the crowd's increasing enthusiastic support, the ride smoothed out during "In My Dreams" and "It's Not Love" as Don ditched the shades and began to shake off the rust. He also shedded the Les Paul, leaving the guitar duties up to new kid Billy White and former Europe axeman John Norum, who may not be the next George Lynch, but holds his own nonetheless. By this time, Don was moving like I've never seen him with Dokken, climbing onto the cabinets with the energy of a 20-year-old.
Former King Diamond drummer Mickey Dee followed "It's Not Love" with a standard solo. Nothing new here. Don was quick to bring the rest of the band back out for "Down In Flames," which featured what would have been an interesting White/Norum guitar duel, but was lost amidst a wave of useless effects and the overbearing thunder of Peter Baltes' bass. The four-man simulthrash and precise guitar harmonies through the rest of the song made for a nice recovery, though.
Giving his co-rockers the next song off, Don produced an acoustic 12-string for "Alone Again" and wooed the audience with some damn impressive fretwork and trademark passionate vocals. His soloing lasted for a full five minutes and ranged from straight-forward melodic picking to fluid Spanish phrasing. I had to wonder why Don's former bandmates refused to let him play. Jealous maybe?
Being fully loosened up by this point, Mr. Dokken took the opportunity during a break to vent his frustration about the rap and pop infiltration of the music industry. "I don't want you to get pissed at me, but it's your fault," he said in his appeal for us to voice our opinions about the latest MTV programming direction. Not a pissed off fan in the house I dare say.
The set closed with "Into The Fire" and a three-song encore that drove the crowd into a frenzy. All the while, Don Dokken kept shaking his head and smiling in disbelief at the audience's approval. This new found humility looked at least as good on him as the shiny Les Paul, and as the house lights came on and the satisfied ticket buyers filed out the door, it was very clear that Don Dokken is well on his way up from the ashes.