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, original members Don Dokken and Mick Brown remain intact with the addition of guitar virtuoso ex-Warlock guitarist Jon Levin and bassist Barry Sparks.
Dokken is gearing up for the release of their tenth studio album, "Lightning Strikes Again" on April 11th on Frontiers Records and the U.S. release slated for May 13th on Rhino Records.
Dokken is one of the few bands from the 80’s to continuously put out great music, never relying on their past laurels and hits. Even in 2008, as the every changing musical market changes from day to day, Dokken remain a relevant band, proving that good music is timeless.
It has been four years since the release of "Hell To Pay". During this time period, Dokken has remained on the road touring relentlessly. The constant touring has played a major factor in the writing and production of "Lightning Strikes Again". The powerful hard driving force that Dokken is ever so known for in concert is captured on "Lightning Strikes Again". Catchy guitar riffs of Jon Levin, and the powerful signature vocal style of Don Dokken make this record a gem. In a previous interview that I conducted with Don, he stated,” We got an ace in the hole with Jon Levin". Don could not have said it better. Mechanically Jon has that Lynch guitar vibe that is ever so prevalent on "Lightning Strikes Again"
I recently caught up with Jon Levin and we discussed ”Lightning Strikes Again" in-depth.
Jon, Thank you so much for checking in. Let's begin by discussing,”Lightning Strikes Again". Everyone is so excited about this upcoming Dokken release?
I know the U.S. release date is the middle of May. The European release date is a month sooner.
Tell me a little bit about the writing process for "Lightning Strikes Again". It has been four years since the release of "Hell To Pay". Tell your thoughts about it?
I was very happy, the way it ended up, as far as we were writing in some other directions and I never really felt all that comfortable with it. Don came up with some stuff that was good but it didn't sound like what I thought a Dokken record should be. After the two of us, hashing it out for a long period of time, We felt like we managed to get back on track with our vision and
Levin live
something that sounded like an authentic Dokken record. It took awhile to get back in the swing of it. I know Don felt that he needed a little time to set his mind back to where he once was. Once we got to that place, we did really well and ended up coming up with a quite a bit of stuff over a pretty quick period of time. I know it took a real long time to get it down though.
Did Rhino Records want a more retro sound versus the more modern sound that "Hell To Pay" illustrated? I never really had any discussions with them to what they thought the record should be. Don didn't either. They really sort of sat back and let us do what we wanted to do; which was good. At the end of the day, Don and I both wanted to do something that we felt was the follow-up record where it left off on "Back For The Attack" or something.
Yes, I have heard the record, and I know the Dokken fans are really going to be happy with it. Let's talk about some of the clips from "Lightning Strikes Again". They remind me of 1987. "Hell To Pay" was good. You had "Escape" which had that early Dokken sound, but this album really does revisit the old Dokken classic sound with "Heart Of Stone" and "Oasis"? Yes, I think so too. To be honest, I was never really liked where "Hell To Pay" went. At the time, I thought I sort of liked it, we were reaching out and I was new to the band. There was some interesting music that came off it. At the end of the day, I didn't think it really sounded like a Dokken record.
Even though it is kind of a retro sound, it does have a modern day feeling too. With songs like "Judgement Day", and "Disease". Tell me about those songs. I love what Don did on the vocals for "Disease".?
"Disease" is sort of the ones that are outside of the record. We couldn't do all of them sounding like the same thing or we would have a boring album. But, I really liked what he did to that one as well. The "Judgement Day" one sort of started out as something vintage, and we sort of took it in a different direction. It sort of shines on it's own. Definitely, those two tracks stand out as the select tracks, buy they are still cool.
I really like it. Is there going to be a single for the radio? What song are you thinking of putting out to market the album? It is not really up to me. I know Rhino really wants to go with "Heart To Stone" or "Standing On The Outside". Either of those two are fine with me. I know they are both fine with Don as well.
The new Dokken
Anyway they want to run with it, is cool with us. Those two are both really good songs.
That's awesome. Will there be a video to go with the song? Don was on Fuse the other night, and there seems to be a lot of interest with the album? There was talk of us doing one; it is still too soon to tell. I just don't know the viability of a video is these days. You really don't see anyone doing it. There is sort of nowhere to play it. There are very few places that even play videos. It is not completely out of the question. I am sure at some point, we are going to do a live DVD, maybe in the next year.
Great, I was going to ask you that. Because the band, Dokken right now in 2008, has changed so much, now I think a DVD would be a great opportunity for the fans really to see what the band sounds like now too? I agree too. There hasn't been one in quite a long time. I think it is time we did one, and document what we are doing at this point.
You sound a lot like Lynch. I know Don has often said this in the past. Growing up as a guitarist, was George Lynch an influence in your guitar playing? Absolutely. I was a huge Dokken fan as a kid.
Wailin'
Let's discuss the title,” Lightning Strikes Again". Actually it is an old Dokken song revisited. How did you come up with the title? Was this Don's idea? That was Don's title. He came up with that title long before we even had any music written. I said," Hey you know what? "I like where you have gone with it, because now you have are sort of forcing yourself to do this the way I want to do it. If you are going to come up with a song title like that, you better have a real Dokken sounding album here." So he agreed.
How did you come up with the artwork for the concept for "Lightning Strikes Again"? I noticed the Phoenix? I think it reminds me of the "Back For The Attack" album cover.
Dave Williams is the artist. I think he has done every single Dokken record. Don wanted Dave to come up with something real vintage looking. I think he nailed it. I love the cover.
Padge in the studio
How do you think this feels chemistry wise? On "Lightning Strikes Again". I think it really shows the bands cohesiveness these days? I love playing with these guys. We also have done so many shows together, at this point. I have been in the band five years already.
Five years. It is hard to believe huh? Yes, it is. We have done hundreds of shows together. Right from the beginning we always had that chemistry. Now after playing so many shows, it really came together remarkably well. We play great together, the four of us sound great.
I wanted to ask you too. How did touring play a major role in the writing of this record? I think it has made you stronger and tighter, as a band too. Would you agree? It definitely does. Certainly when you spend so much time with people, you get to know them really well. You all become buddies. You have a great relationship like that. With the writing though, Don and I just really did it when we were home. We did a lot of it in my house. Don did some in his house. He set up a pro-tool studio here, Don would come over and I would have my ideas, he would have his ideas. We worked together until we got somewhere or didn't get somewhere. We did that for quite a long time. We wrote quite a number of songs.
I can remember back in 2004, when we were discussing "Hell To Pay", and it was your first Dokken album. You were telling me how easy it was working with Don and writing with Don and we discussed your first song that you wrote together,” Letters To Home". Has the writing chemistry always been this great, since day one? Yes, that was the first thing we wrote, we never had any problem writing songs together. In fact, you put the two of us together; sometimes we come up with too many
Don Dokken - Breaking the Chains acoustic
things that we don't know in which direction to go. A lot of times, we will put things on tape. Even now there are a lot of ideas that we never pursued. Maybe at some point we will. There is certainly no shortage of writing songs between the two of us. It really comes down to, which one are we going to focus on and finish. That is what our issue always was. We had so many ideas, at some point we say, which ones are we going to go after, and which ones aren't? There was a bunch of good ones at the end of the day that never got finished. But they are still really good and have potential to be great, but you can't finish everything.
I noticed there is a lot of a minor chord change too on "Lightning Strikes Again", which kind of reverts back to the classic Dokken sound? Don and I aren't into real happy sounding music, as in general. We like the dark or heavier stuff.
I am glad that Don did put a couple of ballads on the album. You play acoustic guitar too. What are your thoughts on the ballads? I like,” I Remember". I think that is a really strong song. Really for the ballads, a singer has to feel what he is singing for those. I really just stepped back and let Don run with it on those. I helped him on one, but those are really his songs.
Did Jeff Scott Soto do any back-up vocals on "Lightning Strikes Again"? I know there was some talk of it? Yes, he did, he ended up doing backgrounds. I don't know what ended up getting use and what didn't. He came down for one of two days, I don't remember which but he did sing back-up vocals.
Do you feel that this is a make it or break it record for Dokken? I know a lot of the 80's bands are watching to see how well it is received. I think the fans stay with Dokken too, because Dokken continues to put out good music year after year. I think it is the right time for the release because fans need an album more with lyrics and great guitar solos like yours. Because lately, they’re really hasn't been much to be happy with music in the music world lately? Yes, I know, things have really changed. When you say is it a make or break record, I don't really look at anything like that. It is a great record. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy it. We are really going to tour extensively on this.
I know the fans are so hyped up about the release, and the response has been tremendous? I think people really reacted favorably to the clips we put up.
Let tell the new Dokken fans how you got the gig in Dokken. I know you toured for many years in Warlock. Actually, I think it was in 1997 when George left the band, was it at the House of Blues with Dokken? It was the Dallas Starplex at the time. It was announced in 2004 that I joined the band. But I was technically doing a lot of shows in 2003 as well. I was really in the band in 2003. To make a long story short, I am also an attorney, most people already know that. I was representing one of the prior members of Dokken at the time when George Lynch quit the band. I got a call from Don, asking if I could play some demos. I wasn't even aware it was for Dokken. I thought it was something else. Sure enough, I went down and played on a couple of songs. A few weeks later they called me up and said can you do the show in Dallas at the Star Plex? I did that, I hadn't been onstage for a quite a number of years so it was a little bit uncomfortable situation for me not having been involved in it that long. But it went really well. One thing led to the next. Five years ago I ended up doing it full time.
Lightning Strikes Again
Any closing words about the upcoming Dokken release,” Lighting Strikes Again"? This record is great record. I really hope you all enjoy it. We spent a lot of time doing it. I think this is something you are going to get and crank up in your car. It is going to be something real special. I wish you all enjoyment listening to it. Hope to see everybody on the road.
Thank you Jon for this very special in depth interview on the upcoming Dokken release,” Lightning Strikes Again"?
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