Search - Dokken :: From Conception: Live 1981

Dokken - 'From Conception: Live 1981' (Rhino)

Mike Reed | USA | 07/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nicely assembled and edited archive live 1981 performance of Dokken just prior to their debut lp - 'Breaking The Chains' release. Total of ten tracks. Some are right off the album, like the title cut, "Paris Is Burning", the eight-minute "Nightrider" and "Young Girls". Tunes here that appear to be exclusive to this disc are the jamming "Going Down" {their own version, not the cover}, "Hit And Run" and "You're A Liar". Just recently caught Dokken on tour as support band for Poison. Didn't realize that Don Dokken was 55. As he sounds good live, but he isn't near as lively on stage as he once was. Drummer Mick Brown was pretty happening as well."

Nice taste of early Dokken

R. Gorham | 04/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"THE BAND: Don Dokken (vocals), George Lynch (guitars), Jeff Pilson (bass), Mick Brown (drums & percussion).



THE DISC: (2007) 10 tracks clocking in at approximately 48 minutes. Included with the disc is a 3-page foldout containing one band photo, and a short note from Don Dokken about what was going on with the band at the time, and how he came across these old tapes. "From The Conception" features 10 live tracks - 6 songs taken from the album "Breaking The Chains" (1983), 3 songs previously unreleased, and 1 George Lynch guitar solo. Label - Rhino.



COMMENTS: I'm a long time Dokken fan and this is a great sounding disc. Dokken is featured here in early raw form - as Don Dokken says in the liner notes - these recordings were "Before we saw success... we were hungry and ready to take on the world". The unreleased songs are the true highlights - "Goin' Down", "Hit And Run", and "Liar" are extremely cool to hear decades later. All 3 tracks rock in typical Dokken fashion. And the classics sound awesome - the thundering intro of "Paris Is Burning", the 8-minute "Night Rider", and their 1st hit "Breaking The Chains" stand above the rest. There is some controversy here though - I've read from 3 different sources that this is the same set list from a 1983 King Biscuit Flower Hour show (so why advertise as 1981?); and bassist Juan Croucier played with the band through 1982 including their 1983 debut (so if this is truly a 1981 recording, why is Jeff Pilson listed as the bass player here?). That aside - this is a great taste of early Dokken. The band sounds incredibly tight and if what Don Dokken says is true - "...finding some old 2-inch tapes that were in faded boxes... the tapes were moldy and we weren't sure they would be able to be played" - this has truly turned out to be a great find. Here's hoping that other bands of the time will have similar success in finding some old undiscovered live tapes (some David Lee Roth era Van Halen, or early 80's Def Leppard would be tops on my wish list). Regardless of the year recorded or the actual players on "From Conception - Live 1981", this is a good album. Perhaps not essential for the low-flying Dokken fan, but for the diehards - an absolute yes (4 stars).

"