Dokken emerged onto the Sunset Strip music scene in the early 80's and never looked back. Although the cast of characters may have changed since their heyday, on their current tour with Poison and Sebastian Bach, a whole new generation of fans are discovering Dokken for the first time. Stepping up to the plate of shredding out those classic Dokken riffs alongside the distinctive melodic vocal style of Dokken front man Don Dokken is ex-Warlock guitarist Jon Levin.
Dokken is one of the few bands from the 80’s to continuously put out great music, never relying on their past laurels and following any musical trends. Even in 2008, as the ever changing musical market experiences ups and down every day, kind of like the stocks on Wall Street, Dokken remain a relevant band, debuting on the Billboard Hard Rock Charts at #18 with "Lightning Strikes Again, which is pretty impressive for a band that has been in the business for over 20 years. They say "Lightning never strikes twice, but as the fans lined all the way down the hallway at the Mohegan Sun Mall waiting to get an autograph from 80's legendary band Dokken, I think it is safe to say,” Lightning has struck again" with a new found success for these 80's rockers.
I recently caught up Dokken front man Don Dokken in Connecticut at Mohegan Sun. Don gives his fans an in-depth look at the success of "Lightning Strikes Again", his recent sinus surgery, the current Poison Tour, and Dokken 2008, in this Exclusive interview for Saviours of Rock.Com
You are currently on the road touring with Poison. Last time the band toured with Poison was in 2001 on the Power For The People Tour. How is the tour going so far?
The Poison camp is very nice to us. It is more of a team effort on this tour. Bret, Bobby, Rikki, and CC and I have been friends since the Hollywood days. It is a team effort and it is going very well.
Dokken has recently released one of their strongest efforts to date,” Lighting Strikes Again”. Tell me a little bit about the writing approach for this album. Was it hard to get back into the mindset of the 80's in order to write this album? It reminds me a lot like "Tooth and Nail".?
Yes, it was very difficult. It is hard to go back and write an album, when you were 30
Donlive & unplugged
years old and I am over 50.So, yes I had to get back in that mindset. This is what the fans wanted, and if I stay focused on that I would give them a straight-ahead Dokken. I personally like to put the Beatle influences in like on "Long Way Home" and "Dysfunctional". I like those albums, I am proud of those records. I understood like Jon said,” We are Cheerios, people like Cheerios and they want to eat Cheerios. If you give them Cheerios with salsa flavoring, they don't like it." So we just wanted Dokken. This is straight Cheerios no salsa. So I took the salsa out, which was the Beatles influence and this album is very straight ahead Dokken
I did miss the ballads on "Lightning Strikes Again? I did two, "How I Miss Your Smile", and "I Remember". I did my solo record,” Solitary" and all my angst love songs that I wanted to do. Honestly, the proudest album I have ever done is my solo album,” Solitary". I love that record. It is on my website for sale. I love that record, Jon even says,” Don that album is amazing". It is really a strong record. It is the kind of record where you can put it on and relax to a glass of wine and bubble bath.
Any plans to do another solo album. No.
What are your thoughts on doing another Dokken album. I know you have mentioned that you want to write a heavier album like Tool? But, do you think it is possible for Dokken to change their sound? I can't change my sound but I have decided the next album I want it to be Dokken but I want it to be heavier. I mean heavier like,” Kiss Of Death" type of songs or "When Heaven Comes Down", Tooth And Nail", "Lightning Strikes Again". I love to do more of those really deep thumping songs. I am a
Don Dokken - Breaking the Chains acoustic
dark lyricist, everyone knows that. I don't know how to write songs like Poison, for example. Poison songs are very up and very happy like,"Unskinny Bop". I just have a darker side. I write,” You weave your spell your eyes they beckon me, as they speak lies and misery,” that is dark. I can't write a song that is up. I mean I have done it with,” You Just Got Lucky". But, I am a moody guy and it comes out in my music.
There is a whole new generation of fans coming to the tour due to Bret's Reality show,” Rock of Love", and Sebastian's reality show. They are discovering the band for the first time, and seeing the new version of Dokken with Jon Levin. In my opinion, it is the strongest version of Dokken to date. What are thoughts on Dokken 2008? Yes, it is a stronger version. Maybe, now I will stop hearing about George Lynch all the time? I am sick of it. Now I don't have to defend myself, Jon defends himself, as guitarist against George. George is a great guitar player. He was a great part of Dokken. I give no disrespect for George Lynch, in his day. He was great. But Jon is more talented. The bottom line is, we get along. That is the most important thing. George and I don't get along. It is no secret.
The way I look at, that was then this is now. In 2008, with the release of,” Lightning Strikes Again", the music speaks for itself. Yes.
The Dokken boys 2008
You recently mentioned that you had sinus surgery. How did that go? Your voice has sounded really strong on this current tour and also on the "Solitary" tour? It hurt! (Laughter) It hurt like holy hell. The doctor lied to me and said it is not going to be that bad. They cut them and I had a bloody nose for five days and two black eyes, splints up my nose. My voice was getting worse, and I had sinus disease, and I had a lot of tissue out. I was surprised. They cut out a lot. I didn't know I had sinus disease.
Well, your voice sounds great, so it must have worked well. I remember on the last Poison tour, you broke your leg. So it is really never a dull moment with you on tour. Do you agree? I know it is like a curse. Last Poison tour, I broke my leg on a jet ski. But I finished the tour on a stool. (Laughter) .
Dokken recently performed to 30,000 fans at Rocklahoma. Why do you think festivals like Rocklahoma are so popular in this day and age? Yes, there were a lot of people there. I don't think 80's music is coming back. I think it is a nostalgia thing. When you hear a song you knew when you were growing up in high school or college, or your first love, or your wedding song, it is a memory. We all want to re-live our memories. We
Lightning Strikes Again
all want to re-live that wonderful moment when life was simpler. We didn't live with our parents, we didn't have a job, we didn't have kids, and we didn't have responsibilities. It was like go stand in line in the rain and go see a rock show. Life was a little more free. I think people want to re-live that. Every time I meet girls at the shows, and they tell me "I am married, I got two children, I got a husband. It is girl’s night out. I come to see Dokken. We just want to re-live our college days or high school days over again." It is like living a moment. I respect them for that. Life is about moments. When I hear a song, for example an old Deep Purple song, and the first time I heard that when I was in High School and that brings back a memory. The first time I heard Sabbath, or Thin Lizzy. The first time I heard Ian Gillan sing, I was like "Holy Shit". It brings back a memory. I have memories going down the street in my 62 Corvette Coupe and I had an eight track in it, and I remember I had the "Smoke In The Water" Deep Purple CD in, and I just listened to it over and over. So when I hear,” Smoke In The Water" now, and I think of going down the street and cruising the Boulevard, in my 62 Corvette.
Any plans to release a new Dokken DVD? I know you did a wonderful job on,” Live From The Sun". There were so many multi-faceted angles on that DVD. The sound was great. It was a really good production.
We are trying. I directed that. But we are not the headliner on this tour, so we can't really film. As when we are headlining, we are controlling the stage and cameras, it is well orchestrated. After the Poison tour, we are going to Japan end of October. When we get back from Japan, we are going to do a headlining run of theatres in November and do 25 to 30 shows in the same markets. We hope to play the Webster in Hartford. Then, we are just going to film everything and make a montage DVD. It will be backstage and onstage, on the bus, sleeping in our bunks, the whole thing.
That is great news. Also, it will document the current version of Dokken, and give the fans an updated version of Dokken to enjoy. Don, Is there anything else that you want to say about "Lightning Strikes Again"?
Tonight, I was shocked, to see hundreds of people line up for the CD. It was awesome to see they care enough to buy the CD. We still have our fans out there. And I have said before, when the fans stop coming then I am going home. I told Jon I wasn't going to tour afar this record. It was over. Jon said,” It can't be over yet"? Ronnie James Dio is 68. I go,"Alright I will keep going, until I can't do it anymore." I am trying. I am not a young pup like Bret.
One thing I have noticed, you can’t beat the heart and soul of Dokken. When you write from the heart, you can't go wrong. I remember when Dokken broke up and got back together in 1995. Dokken sold out 2 shows at The Strand within three months. The demand was there. It is like an event when Dokken releases an album.
Yes, it is like an event. It is like Oh My God, because we don't put albums out every year. It is like every three to four years. I know it is like a big deal for the fans and they said,” Another Dokken record finally." That is probably why; we charted the radio charts this year. We went 18 on the Hard Rock Charts; Number One on CD Universe, and the album is selling like crazy. That means that there is a new generation of fans. It is more of a word of mouth kind of way of selling records. One person buys your album, and he tells 2 friends, and he tells 5 friends. It is word of mouth. Dokken has almost become a cult band. Everyone knows Poison because of Rock of Love. But, we have our fan base.
Thank you Don, for taking time out to discuss,” Lightning Strikes Again. The Poison/Dokken/Sebastian Bach tour is a great bill, and it is very nice to see the great turnout at the Mohegan.
Thanks Deb. Mohegan was a fun show. I hope everyone makes it out to the shows this summer. Thank you for the support.
Interview
by Debby Rao
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