Ranking the Studio Albums: Dokken

Join Pete Pardo & Steven Reid for a ranking of the studio albums of US hard rock veterans Dokken. #dokken
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[@Dokken1975]

Back For The Attack is all killer no filler! Don Dokken’s Up From The Ashes is right in line with it. Both albums PERFECT!

[@christianpoint0888]

jason stabler totally agree ! What Billy White & Norum did is legendary !

[@anthonyrivers1619]

@@christianpoint0888 I STILL listen to Don's solo...used to wake up to it in the 90s with my Bookshelf CD player's alarm...

[@suttonkenzo5851]

Sorry to be so offtopic but does anyone know a tool to log back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the account password. I love any tips you can give me.

[@romanmajor5850]

@Sutton Kenzo Instablaster :)

[@cornchipsnovemberland3565]

Absolutely agree!!! Unfortunate that the band did not make a follow-up to "Up from the Ashes"...it's so great....

[@metalbemyname]

One of my favorites band 1 - Back For The Attack 2 - Under Lock And Key 3 - Tooth And Nail 4 - Dysfunctional 5 - Breaking The Chains 6 - Erase The Slate

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

Dysfunctional, are you crazy 🤔

[@antimurphy8212]

@@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251 -- for it's time it's an awesome album. Pretty heavy too

[@antimurphy8212]

@David Phillips Good point but it's not grunge at all.

[@nonrevnosnibormetalbeerrev6251]

@@antimurphy8212 it just wasn't the classic dokken though

[@danielsharp3683]

I like your ranking alot but would never put dysfunctional above erase the slate or the debut ...

[@cornchipsnovemberland3565]

1. Back for the Attack 2. Up from the Ashes 3. Under Lock and Key 4. Tooth and Nail 5. Dysfunctional 6. Erase the Slate 7. Lightning Strikes Again 8. Breaking the Chains 9. Broken Bones 10. Hell to Pay 11. Long Way Home LOVE Dokken!!! Don Dokken is my favorite tenor of the 80's...for me he was untouchable between 1985-1995...He had such a beautiful clarity and edge to his upper register. His phrasing is impeccable and the command he displayed flowing through various textures in his voice is remarkable. He remains a fine singer, although it is tragic how his voice has progressively deteriorated throughout the 21st century...

[@mexperplex5627]

I'm still in love with under lock and key ❤️❤️❤️

[@Geerladenlad]

12) Shadow Life 11) Hell To Pay 10) Broken Bones 9) Long Way From Home 8) Erase The Slate 7) Breaking The Chains 6) Lightning Strikes 5) Dysfunctional 4) Beast From The East 3) Back For The Attack 2) Tooth And Nail 1) Under Lock And Key

[@hevihoo]

My first thought was that "so, you don't actually like Dokken" but then I realized that your listing was from bottom to top. 😁 I guess my list would end up pretty much the same.

[@xdreampcs8554]

Very very close to my list. Erase The Slate is higher on my list but that is the only difference really.

[@georgekeating9501]

My rankings include 11 Shadow Life 10 Broken Bones 9 Long Way Home 8 Dysfunctional 7 Hell to Pay 6 Lightning Strikes Again 5 Erase the Slate 4 Breaking the Chains 3 Under Lock and Key 2 Tooth and Nail 1 Back for the Attack

[@mattgravel6175]

Great ranking the albums! Here is my list: 1) Tooth and Nail 2) Back for the Attack 3) Under Lock and Key 4) Up from the Ashes (Don Dokken) 5) Erase the Slate 6) Breaking the Chains 7) Lightning Strikes Again 8) Broken Bones 9) Hell to Pay 10) Dysfunctional 11) Long Way Home 12) Shadowlife

[@joerobinson2538]

Matt Gravel wow-I’m spot on with your list except mine would have BFTA at 1 and TAN at 2-and even those two are close for me. 🎸🎸🎸

[@mattgravel6175]

@@joerobinson2538 it was a very tough choice because i love both albums equally.

[@greenslider]

Yup...Silken supported Accept on Russian Roulette tour '86. Saw them Dublin SFX centre. Got a beermat signed by Don,George,Jeff and Mick.

[@ajvasta]

your background wall colors match so perfectly, it's like one big room

[@ArcangelofRock]

BIG Dokken fan! Obviously;the earlier albums are the best of their catalog. My favs: 1. Under Lock & Key 2. Back For the Attack 3. Lightning Strikes Again 4. Tooth & Nail 5. Up From The Ashes. With an Honorable mention to their live,acoustic album - One Live Night - featuring mostly previously released material and some great covers!

[@bradtech519]

1. Back for the attack 2. Under Lock and Key 3. Tooth and Nail 4. Breaking the Chains 5. One night live 6. Don Dokken up from the ashes 7. Erase the Slate 8. Beast From the East 9. Live from the Sun 10. Lightning strikes again 11. Dysfunctional 12. Broken bones 13. Return to the East Live 14. Long Way Home 15.Hell to pay 16. Shadowlife

[@kevinm5957]

My top 5 1) Back for the Attack 2) Under Lock and Key 3) Tooth and Nail 4) Breaking the Chains 5) Dysfunctional

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

I know the band, Dokken, through Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. My favorite Elm Street sequel. When I heard Dokken's theme "Dream Warriors" in the ending credits of the movie, I thought it was awesome. Every time that song comes on, I'm banging my head.

[@shawnlusby1538]

Did you see the music video where they were playing in Freddy's house? George Lynch got sucked into the wall by Freddy during his guitar solo. At the end of the video, they defeated Freddy by the power of their music and Freddy woke up in his own bed. He said, "What a nightmare! Who were those guys?"

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

@@shawnlusby1538 YES!!! 😂😂😂 and Patricia Arquette smiled in excitement when Don killed Freddy with the power of his vocal chords before he woke up

[@shawnlusby1538]

@@rebeccassweetmusic4632 when Freddy has nightmares it's about Dokken!

[@hevihoo]

@@shawnlusby1538 😂

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

@@shawnlusby1538 Lol!

[@fatalstep1870]

Back for the attack and tooth and nail in my opinion are their most consistent releases. The songs are excellent, and very well written. The best production however is on under lock and key which also has some great songs on it.

[@MegaSaintAugustine]

My favorite 80's band (In close competition with Stryper) Here's my top 5 Dokken albums 5: Erase The Slate 4: Up From The Ashes 3: Under Lock And Key 2: Tooth And Nail - My introduction to the band 1: Back For The Attack - I played that cassette on a constant loop for a whole year

[@JackMcLeodJr]

I've watched this a couple of times Gents but couldn't resist posting 2 years later, I think Don's 'Up From The Ashes' is just as good as the classic Dokken lineup.. 'Crash and Burn' is absolutely amazing. Find a better solo than that in a hard rock track, Billy White and John Norum absolutely smash it out of the park all record ... It's one of the best! My favourite album ft. Lynch, Pilson and Wild Mick is probably Under Lock 🔒 and Key 🗝 but Tooth and Nail is right up there also. I think they both edge out the rest! And as a huge Reb Beach fan I gotta give a shout out to 'Erase The Slate' also. Actually my introduction to Dokken was that song, from the live show they did in 1999. Then I heard 'The Hunter' and was absolutely sold.

[@RanterInShades]

12. Shadowlife 11. Long Way Home 10. Hell to Pay 9. Broken Bones 8. Erase the Slate 7. Lightning Strikes Again 6. Dysfunctional 5. Breaking the Chains 4. Tooth & Nail 3. Up From the Ashes 2. Back for the Attack 1. Under Lock and Key

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

Dokken is and has been one of my favorite bands ever for over thirty years. I was a little kid when Dokken had their first run , and those albums will always be very special to me. I was a teenager when Dokken reunited with Dysfunctional , and at that time I hated that album . I did love Erase The Slate when it first came out because I have always loved Reb Beach's guitar playing and the first time I ever got to see them live was on this tour. It was about ten years ago that I finally gave Dysfunctional another listen and all the other albums that came out after a listen . I love them all. Ranking these all Dokken's albums is somewhat easy for me. My list would have to be at this moment. 12. Shadowlife 11. Hell To Pay 10. Long Way Home 9. Broken Bones 8. Dysfunctional 7. Lightning Strikes Again 6. Erase The Slate 5. Breaking The Chains 4. Up From The Ashes 3. Back For The Attack 2. Under Lock And Key 1. Tooth And Nail

[@charlesdoyle7600]

You should rank new Dokken, "Heaven Comes Down". If you only focus on Don Dokken not being able to sing like he did in his 20s, the you will hate it. If you can appreciate an Album by a 70 year old Don singing beautifully in his mid-range voice, then you will love the New Dokken. Heaven Comes Down sounds amazing and John Levin's guitar playing makes you forget about George.

[@kamranmalik8546]

Excellent rankings as always, now we need Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Ratt, and Def Leppard

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

Absolutely!!! I love every band that you mentioned, and I have every album from each band.

[@luiscardenas930]

I don't think he will do Quiet Riot based on him not liking Slade

[@twowheeledchaos4902]

Twisted Sister really? 🤢

[@matthewhall3200]

I would say a WASP ranking the albums would be cool at least a top 10 song show

[@oldsrocket8841]

@@twowheeledchaos4902 Twisted Sister rocks the house. Love the songs Burn in Hell & The Price.

[@jeffjackson9679]

Know they usually like to eliminate live albums from rankings, but "Beast From The East" IMO is their best album, equivalent to "Live From Leeds" for The Who for them.

[@juancarlosibarra3245]

one of the most underrated bands, they had many great songs, one of the best guitar players in rock, super singer, amazing drummer, talented bass player...

[@BKSaundersAZ]

Great Review and nice to see Dokken reviewed. For those who haven’t heard Don Dokken’s sole album “Up From the Ashes” it is absolutely a killer album. 1 Under Lock & Key 2 Tooth & Nail 3 Back for the Attack 4 Up From the Ashes 5 Breaking the Chains 6 Dysfunctional 7 Broken Bones 8 Erase the Slate 9 Long Way Home 10 Lightning Strikes Again 11 Hell to Pay 12 Shadow Life

[@williamwalker146]

Totally agree with Stephen, don't understand why Lynch was never held up to the level Eddie Van Halen. I actually enjoy Lynch's playing even more than EVH (I love EVH), but there's something even more technical, more spontaneous, and more unpredictable to George's playing than Eddie Van Halen's.

[@georgehahn6149]

My list: 1: Tooth and Nail 2: Back for the Attack 3: Under Lock and Key 4: Breaking the Chains 5: Up from Ashes (Don Dokken solo) 6: Erase the Slate 7: Lightning Strikes Again 8: Hell to Pay 9: Long Way Home 10: Disfunctional 11: Broken Bones 12: Shadow Life

[@garyjoyce2160]

Have them all / but to me the 1984 & 85. Tooth 🦷 and Nail & Under 🔒 Lock and 🔑 KEY are Stone COLD classics/ obviously just my opinion. Loved them when they came out/ & still do today !!! Tremendous show guys ! Thanks to you both

[@benedictdonald4338]

Don’t sleep on the post -Lynch albums. They’re all fantastic.

[@johnappleton8133]

Yes the first 2 Lynch Mob albums are killer.

[@gwts1171]

@@johnappleton8133 The post-Lynch albums are better than the last two with him!

[@angusorvid8840]

@@johnappleton8133 Lynch got some great tones on the first Lynch Mob album. I was hoping they would get bigger, but they were classed as hair metal and that went the way of the dodo when grung flooded in around that time.

[@LuchaLibertaria]

@@angusorvid8840 Actually Lynch Mob was never "hair metal" (or any other made up genre.) Their first two albums are Hard Rock, Smoke This(1999) is Rap-Rock(whichs their worst), after that they made a comeback album in 2009 (Smoke and Mirrors) and since then they have followed the same Hard Rock formula. I agree w your point tho, when Alternative Rock exploded in the early 90s, Lynch Mob lost their momentum.

[@JasonSositko]

Back for the Attack is my favorite Dokken album... Just wish they could have squeezed out a few more

[@garyjoyce2160]

DOKKEN/ have every album/ with all the different configurations/ lineups! Saw a tremendous show at the MEADOWLANDS/ East Rutherford NJ. 11-5-84. They opened for THE LEGEND/ Ronnie JAMES DIO. Unreal show !

[@craigiecubsfan71]

Dokken’s later albums are some of their best work. Broken Bones is easily one of their best. So glad to see this!

[@jake6887]

1. Under lock and key 2. Tooth and Nail 3. Breaking the chains 4. Back for the Attack 5. Up from the Ashes

[@censuredoficial4289]

I agree. Under lock and key is their best album. \m/

[@mexperplex5627]

Totally agree💥👍😜

[@gabriellarrubia1006]

Awesome, one of my favorite bands ever... George Lynch is a top-5 of all time favorite guitarist for me, a huge influence on my own guitar playing. I'm really going to put in the writing time for this one; I feel compelled to seeing as how they're one of my faves: 11. Shadowlife (a mess of an album unfortunately, nothing really works here... potentially even worse than the average rock bottom 90s albums dished out by 80s bands.) 10. Long Way Home (nice to see John Norum here, but other than a really good opening track there's not much here that stands out) 9. Dysfunctional (the album title is fitting, I wouldn't call it bad per say. There are good musical moments but there's an awkwardness to it, like the band being at odds with each other actually manifests itself in the songwriting.) 8. Hell to Pay (a nice reboot with Jon Levin that actually showcases Dokken's capability to have a modern sound without straying too far from the old sound... Blends in nice with some of the better bands of the 2000s) 7. Broken Bones (very solid album that helps solidify Jon as an able replacement- at this point he just wins you over completely with tracks like Waterfall and Blind.) 6. Breaking the Chains (a must-hear for anyone like me who loves nwobhm or even some of the more obscure stuff from old-school European bands- this album captures that vibe entirely... George would only get better with time, but this is still a great one front to back.) 5. Lightning Strikes Again (total fan service with Jon Levin doing AMAZING guitar work, and really the album that justifies him sticking around even with occasional reunions with George. Oasis is a personal favorite.) 4. Erase the Slate (Dokken's first real comeback album, featuring Reb Beach- who also happens to be one of my favorite guitarists. Several amazing songs on here: Shattered, Voice of the Soul, Maddest Hatter, Change the World... The list goes on and on! Reb does some minor Lynch impersonations while maintaining his own trademark style in an album that sounds like a proper 90s effort without being a grunge rip-off. Really stands out within the catalog.) 3. Under Lock and Key (If you can't stomach more commercial ballads, you might take issue with this album, because it's chalk full of them. Otherwise, it's actually a perfect record. George's solos are all amazing and there are several hit staples like In My Dreams, Unchain the Night and The Hunter. Slippin' Away is beautiful, Will the Sun Rise has great atmosphere and Lightning Strikes Again makes the top cut as one of the band's finest displays of classic metal, kind of resembling Judas Priest in a sense.) 2. Tooth & Nail (Almost a close tie with Under Lock and Key, but I just can't get over how good Lynch's tone is on this record. It's also darker and more metal-oriented, with two of my absolute favorite deep-cuts: Don't Close Your Eyes and When Heaven Comes Down. George's dramatic and menacing phrasing on the latter's solo is something to take notes on.) 1. Back for the Attack (Total guitar overdose. Not to understate the songs themselves which are fantastic and carefully placed to create a plethora of stylistic variety ranging from classic metal, hard rock, AOR and blues rock- which ultimately makes for a very balanced and satisfying experience... I can't stress enough how George Lynch REALLY steals the show, however. Everything is jaw-dropping- from the fills in the verses to the outros, to the main solos themselves. There are little snippets of guitar playing on this album that are some of my favorite sounds ever! Sometimes I'll listen to this record and think "What did I do to deserve ANOTHER amazing solo", sometimes on songs you would dare to call filler otherwise. Anyway, there's great attention to detail. On a side note, I also like how Jeff's bass sits in the mix on this album in particular. Check out this album, because it has serious heavy hitters like Kiss of Death and Mr. Scary, enough variety to please just about everyone and unbelievable deep-cuts.)

[@LuchaLibertaria]

Great Review! 🤘

[@godetonter4764]

Def Leppard - Slang was the biggest mistake in Rock history. A serious identity crisis . Aging Rock stars going all the way to fit in with young up and coming trends. Dig those bowl haircuts , and Joe Elliot yarling

[@godetonter4764]

When Heaven Comes Down defined Alice and Chains music career ( Variations of the intro rif appear throughout the Facelift album anyway )

[@shaunsmith3538]

1. Back for the attack 2. Under lock and key 3. Up from the ashes 4. Tooth & nail 5. Breaking the chains 6. Erase the slate 7. Broken bones 8. Lightning strikes again 9. Hell to pay 10. Dysfunctional 11. Long way home 12. Shadowlife 👍

[@adamsmashups4839]

Just heard the new Dokken song,Fugitive,a few days a go.Yeah,his voice isn't the same,but the song is certainly better than I expected.I look forward to the new album.

[@cameronsmith8328]

Back for the Attack is my 2nd favourite album of all time. Love the songs, love the performances, love Lynch’s guitar tone. It’s topped only by Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien.

[@woutwout8398]

Am I the only one who actually loves the cover of Under Lock And Key? C'mon, this is 1985 - many hardrock bands were dolled up then and I think they actually look pretty cool in these outfits. My favorite album of theirs too.

[@bmboldt]

I just want to say that George Lynch's Sacred Groove is awesome other then a couple songs. Glenn Hughes and Ray Gillen tear it up also.

[@anthonyrivers1619]

It's awesome!

[@davek6949]

12. Shadowlife 11. Hell to Pay 10. Long Way Home 09. Dysfunctional 08. Broken Bones 07. Breaking the Chains 06. Lightning Strikes Again 05. Erase the Slate 04. Tooth and Nail 03. Up From the Ashes 02. Under Lock and Key 01. Back for the Attack

[@eliadflorea759]

Agree with your ranking

[@realmusiklover]

A word for the Return To The East live albums from a few years back. Obvs Don not at the peak of the powers but he's still in good voice, and the band are incredible. Recommended.

[@ronbartkowiak3459]

Glad to see Dokken get some love. Waiting for my new SOT tee shirt!

[@LuchaLibertaria]

Great to see Steven Reid back on the show. My Ranking: 1- Back For The Attack 2- Breaking The Chains 3- Tooth And Nail 4- Erase The Slate 5- Under Lock And Key 6- Dysfunctional 7- Hell To Pay 8- Lightning Strikes Again 9- Broken Bones 10- Long Way Home Honourable Mention: Don Dokken - Up From The Ashes Avoid: Shadowlife

[@cstomp1]

Thank you! For me Back For The Attack is their. Phenomenal performance by George Lynch start to finish.

[@LuchaLibertaria]

@@cstomp1 Mr. Scary is bad ass🔥🔥🔥

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thanks Lucha! It's always great fun doing these with Peter.

[@godetonter4764]

Don Dokken - Up From the Ashes sounds like a very boring Dokken album . The album is way to long , no hooks , no Heavy songs , a lot of the songs resemble each other . It sounds alright for the first 36 minutes as background music , but the moment it's finished playing it's forgotten . The first 4 Dokken albums are just so much better

[@LuchaLibertaria]

@@godetonter4764 I think Crash'n Burn is one of the heaviest songs Don Dokken has ever made. Up From The Ashes has a more dark & moody vibe to it, so if its not your style, you probably wouldn't like that album.

[@TheBrownEye]

Glad to see the love for Erase the Slate. I saw them with Beach, and it's too bad we never got another album with him, as it tops everything that came after.

[@EdwardBox]

Great to see one of US metal best ever bands getting some SOT love! Like the reviewers, numbers 1 and 2 can switch depending on my mood. 1.UnderLock and key 2.Tooth and Nail 3.Back For the Attack 4. Up from the Ashes 5. Dysfunctional 6. Lightning Strikes Again 7. Erase the Slate 8. Breaking the Chains 9. Broken Bones 10. Hell to Pay 11. Long Way Home 12. Shadow Life - dreadful and unlistenable! Never heard and was not aware of Solitary. The first two Lynch Mob albums are right up there with anything from the era and Smoke and Mirrors from 2009 is a solid effort as is Lynch's solo album form 1993 Sacred Groove. The recent album, The End Machine with 75% of the band and Robert Mason is very good. best thing Lynch has done in ages.

[@markbunton9919]

Great job guys. I totally agree with both of your points of view on all the albums. One other live album that is worth a mention is the Reb Beach live album. He did a solid job on Lynch's songs.

[@haitolawrence5986]

The teeth on the cover of 'Tooth and Nail' are coming out of the bottom of the Dokken logo. The monster claw is rising up to meet it. 😎

[@gordy3714]

Back for the Attack is my favourite Dokken album, and it has there best song on Heaven Sent.

[@travisharvey7911]

gordy that Heaven Sent solo is just killer

[@beachbum6460]

That and 'Cry of the Gypsy' are the 2 best songs on that album.

[@johnappleton8133]

1. Tooth And Nail (Masterpiece for Dokken) 2. Back For The Attack (Masterpiece if a couple tracks were removed) 3. Breaking The Chains (Strong Debut with some X-Citer tracks on it) 4. Under Lock And Key (Strong album with a couple of weak balladry tracks that drags it down a little) 5. Lynch Mob Wicked Sensation (Masterpiece) 6.Don Dokken Up From The Ashes (Very Strong Album Don's best outside Dokken) 7. Lynch Mob Lynch Mob (Strong Release little weaker than debut but still strong) 8. Lynch Mob Smoke And Mirrors ( Best modern release by all Dokken members I've heard) 9. Dokken Erase The Slate ( Ok release, had potential to be great but flawed) The rest of all other albums have a couple strong tracks on them but rest either bland weak or filler.

[@lucypoopies]

Great ranking video Pete... And undoubtedly one of your BEST guests as well IMO.

[@HuddshouseofRockNMetal]

Love Steven's passion for Dokken!

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thank you. It's great fun getting to talk about great bands and great music with Peter.

[@darkhymnsfromthecoldnorth]

Not a massive Dokken fan, but i like them ok. I would have liked them more had i gotten into them as a kid, or just earlier on. But i like you and Steven, so I'm down to hear you guys talk.

[@richb6291]

Hi Pete and Steven , wonderful video , really enjoyed it ...took me back to those days of choosing albums in a store and the thrill of listening first time .......love your choices too , though Back for the Attack would be my number 1 ( perhaps its being a guitarist??) , Kiss of Death floored me when I heard it ....though the tops five you nominated are all A1 .Great show .....btw Steven , are you a friend of Paul Jerome Smith ? As believe we met when my band Tara Secret played the night before Firefest about 10 years ago and we discussed George Lynch etc . Excellent show guys well done ☺️

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Hi Rich, thanks for the positive comments. Yes, I am lucky enough to call Paul Jerome Smith a good friend and we did indeed meet and discuss George Lynch all the years ago. How time flies! Tara's Secret were a good band!

[@leonvanderhorst1965]

I have a very rare copy of Breaking The Chains with Don Dokken in chains on the cover (Don Dokken - Breakin' The Chains, Carrere 1981). 1. Tooth And Nail 2. Under Lock And Key 3. Back For The Attack 4. Breaking The Chains

[@alessandrobianchi5308]

Great band dokken!💥💥..this is my personal top five of their albums: 1) back for the attack 2)tooth and nail 3)under lock and key 4) erase the slate 5)long way home Thanks for this ranking!👍

[@thomasmartin-rx2uu]

1.Back for the Attack 2. Erase the Slate 3.Tooth and Nail 4.Under Lock and Key and everything else

[@LeatherRebel75]

I've seen Dokken twice, but only in the 21st century. First time: in 2002? The lineup was The Scorpions, Whitesnake, and Dokken. Yes, it was THAT badass. Second time, was like around 2012 or so, at our local county fair. I want to say it was Slaughter followed by Dokken. I even got to chat briefly with Don before his manager dragged him off. He seemed like a pretty cool guy!

[@DokkenSabbath]

My favorite band of all-time! I'm so glad to see some Dokken love! Under Lock and Key is my favorite album of all-time. My ranking: 1. Under Lock and Key 2. Back for the Attack 3. Don Dokken - Up from the Ashes 4. Breaking the Chains 5. Tooth and Nail 6. Lightning Strikes Again 7. Dysfunctional 8. Broken Bones 9. Erase the Slate 10. Hell to Pay 11. Don Dokken - Solitary 12. Long Way Home 13. Shadowlife (AVOID!)

[@tbone8223]

Don dokkens up from the ashes is a masterpiece that lots of people seem to forget about

[@Horrorfreak106]

@@tbone8223 It really is. A shame that people miss out because it says "Don Dokken" instead of "Dokken". The production is top notch, it has an amazing lineup, the songwriting is some of the band's best work, it's just fucking amazing.

[@johnkatsoudas4767]

I agree. The only reason I got Shadowlife is because I am a completest when it comes to all my favorite bands. Great ranking!!

[@iceman2796]

I like that you have Long Way Home 12th. This is not a strong album. I consider it the 2nd worst Dokken album just like you. I would have Broken Bones 13 and Shadowlife 11th. I don't hate any of the Dokken albums. To me every album has at least 3 or 4 strong songs.

[@ericsloss3963]

I love their 80s output. Fantastic. All of those albums were good to great. Very spotty after that. 1. Under Lock and Key-Fantastic. I think they are a little more sure of themselves here. 2. Tooth and Nail-Blistering 2nd album. Great work by everyone. Jeff's 1st album 3. Back for the Attack-Has my favorite Dokken song Dream Warriors on it. 4. Erase the Slate-Great great great album. Any of the top 4 can be #1 for me at any time. Breathe of fresh air. 5. Breaking the Chains-Solid debut. Production was a bit thin. Cld have been punchier. 6. Up from the Ashes-If we are including this album, I wld put it here. Great stuff. Shld have sold better. Big gap between the top 6 and everything else. Huge. 7. Dysfunctional-All right album. It doesn't feel like Dokken though. 8. Lightning Strikes Again-Music is great, but Don's voice really brings it down. Wld have been much higher if his vocals were the same 9. Broken Bones-Once again the music is pretty damn good, but Don's vocals are not there. 10. Long Way Home-Huge letdown after the great Erase the Slate. A lot of middling songs. Too many mid-tempo stuff. 11. Hell to Pay-Same as LWH. Not enough punch here. 12.. Shadowlife-Awful awful awful album. All the blame goes to George Lynch. This is his baby, so he has to live in it.

[@geronimo9097]

I was blessed, my college buddies loved Dokken.😆 Saw them when they toured with Twisted Sister. After Dokken played, I listened to 1 TS song and left. Saw the Monsters of Rock and they opened for Aerosmith in '88? (What. A. Show!!)

[@seangagnonProvidenceR.I.]

Straight to the toooop TOOTH AND NAIL \../\../

[@paullogue6567]

Great video and channel Pete! Good to see Steven too. 🤘😎🤘 Paul (Eden’s Curse)

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thanks Paul. There's a fair bit of love for the Eden's Curse shirt I wore on our recent Cinderella ranking show!

[@paullogue9767]

@@TranquilityFireReid Very cool Steven. Give me a shout if you fancy a guest on one of these cool vids ;-) Hope you ansd yours are well matey? P \m/

[@TranquilityFireReid]

@@paullogue9767 Yeah, all good here Paul. Hopefully the same goes for you? That sounds like a good idea! I'll have a word with Peter.

[@paullogue6567]

@@TranquilityFireReid Kool! Stay in touch mate. I'm sure you still have my email?

[@TranquilityFireReid]

@@paullogue6567 Sure do mate!

[@LittleSuzi86]

Dokken was my favorite in the eighties for sure, saw them 3 times! Great music! Thanks for the reviews🤘🏼

[@jimmyr204]

Lucky enough to catch the solo band on tour for Up From The Ashes way back in the day. At the old Bayou in DC. Wore my t-shirt until it disintegrated. What a show! Also got to see the original lineup touring for Dysfunctional. Great video guys for one of my favorite bands!

[@TheOneAboveAll]

Dokken Trivia: Juan Croucier doesn't play on the Breaking the chains album. He only performed live with the band. Peter Baltes of Accept did all the bass for the album. He wasn't credited for it though. I'm only a fan of 3 albums of Dokken... 3) Breaking the chains 2) Under lock and key 1) Tooth and nail.

[@billschuster6680]

Cool trivia. I've been listening to that album for three and a half decades and I had no idea Juan didn't actually play on it. Can't always trust those album credits.

[@TheOneAboveAll]

@@billschuster6680 Yes. Odd that they didnt give him credit. 0dayrox.org/2019/07/dokken-breaking-the-chains-rock-candy-remaster.html

[@tigerbalm666]

Dude, I saw Dokken at Monsters in Seattle! Drove my Camaro to it.

[@froggy5935]

1. Tooth and Nail; 2. Back for the Attack; 3. Under lock and Key

[@jtoms3]

Shadowlife may not be in the top 5, but I think it's better than it's given credit for. 1. Tooth and Nail 2. Breaking the Chains 3. Back for the Attack 4. Under Lock and Key 5. Up from the Ashes 6. Broken Bones 7. Dysfunctional 8. Erase the Slate 9. Lightning Strikes Again 10. Hell to Pay 11. Shadowlife 12. Long Way Home

[@FinalBaton]

It's so hard to rank the top 3... so phenomenal the three of them. But if I had to pick one right now you know what? I think I'd go Back For the Attack. It's got crushing guitar tone it's got sticky-sweet melodies, it's got speed, it's got George Lynch guitar acrobatics, great vocal harmonies. It's got it all. Oh, and my most listened-to outside of the top 3 is Don Dokken's Rise From the Ashes.

[@kennykirby3096]

Years ago, they opened for Loverboy at Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville and they kicked ass. George Lynch was a beast that night!

[@treeduck3705]

I'll rank 7: 1. Under Lock and Key 2. Back for the Attack 3. Tooth and Nail 4. Don Dokken - Up From the Ashes 5. Breaking the Chains 6. Erase the slate 7. Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation

[@xdreampcs8554]

For clarity about some Dokken albums not having that classic sound. 1.) Dysfunctional was intended to be Don's follow up to Up From The Ashes. He had quite a bit of material written when he came back into contact with Jeff and soon after Mick. Dysfunctional was finished completely before George Lynch came back. John Kalodner heard the finished album and convinced Don to reach out to George as Colombia records was offering a contract only IF George came back. Lynch listened to the finished material and liked what he heard. He agreed to comeback and he re recorded the guitar solos and riffs. 2.)Long Way Home was also intended to be a Don solo album. Jeff and Reb departed and Don didn't think this material was for Dokken. If i remember correctly CMC/Sanctuary wanted to release it as a Dokken record, not a Don Dokken solo record. 3.) Ahh Shadowlife. Lynch, Pilson, and Mick wanted to do something different and Don admitted to avoid the fighting he played along begrudgingly. Don's only prerequisite was to not use the classic Dokken font on the cover because he felt it was not a Dokken record. Lynch is famously quoted as saying i wanted this to be the end of Dokken. Very few people know the real reason Lynch was so opposed to Don and the music business. How Don got a record deal in Germany was he took George's and Mick's songs with out permission (Paris Is Burning) being one, and rather than sue they chose to join the band as a means to break out in the music business. That's why Paris Is Burning in the US was recorded live allegedly on Breaking The Chains. The band had also had a different name and Mick and George were shocked when the album came out. Don insisted the record company made the name change to feature the lead singer at the time. In revisionist history, Don claims Dokken is and always was his band. George and Mick were always at odds with Don about this but George gets most of the blame for the Don/Lynch feud. Two great interviews with Mick and Jeff are here on KZbin under interviewer Brian Sword. It will verify what i said about George, Mick, and Don. kzbin.info/www/bejne/javYXph3r6mUetk

[@garyjskadra1180]

11 - Shadowlife 10 - Broken Bones 9 - Hell To Pay 8 - Long Way Home 7 - Lightning Strikes Again 6 - Dysfunctional 5 - Back For The Attack 4 - Erase The Slate 3 - Breaking The Chains 2 - Tooth And 💅 Nail 1 - Under 🔐 Lock And 🔑 Key

[@stevehawthorn8733]

You do realise that the guitar duties on Up from the Ashes are split pretty much between both John Norum and Billy White so both are superb on this one, it's definitely not all just John Norum so Billy White is in no way the second guitarist

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

George was scary (no pun intended) good on 'back for the attack". The tone was insain. His melodic solos had peaked, rhythms were so sophisticated, he was mental!! I must disagree...'under lock and key" was without doubt their defining album. It should be their no. 1 Tooth and back are close 2nds. Even our girlfriends liked ULAK the best. When you win over 80s chicks AND you don't sound like poison... You know you have a winner!

[@Mission2Transition641]

So, true!

[@MrClassicmetal]

I agree 100%. On BFTA he brought his A game. Every song had 2 phenomenal solos, and his phrasing was out of this world.

[@Dokken1975]

Mr ClassicMetal to me the only other album George has done that compares to BFTA is Wicked Sensation. The solos on that record are incredible too!

[@MrClassicmetal]

@@Dokken1975 Yes indeed. He still displayed the same chops on that album, and he had that sound.

[@diannecarpenter7718]

Dokken ' Tooth and Nail ' is my favorite!!🎤🎸🎵🥁

[@davidburgreen2469]

This was really fun to watch. I am the same age as Pete, and I actually remember when face to face was in its infancy and how amazed I was to think I could talk to someone across the planet; granted with glitches, twitches, and drops, but that this is so common now is awesome. I LOVED Dokken in the 1980s, it was really hard for them to do any wrong when I was a teen and in my early/starting 20s. I will have to check out Erase the Slate.

[@Horrorfreak106]

Top 5 for me: 1. Up From The Ashes (Yeah sure, it says "Don Dokken" but cmon, it's a Dokken record) 2. Under Lock And Key 3. Back For The Attack 4. Tooth And Nail 5. Lightning Strikes Again

[@augustgeary5538]

The whole top three can change order on any given day 1: Tooth and nail 2: Under lock and key 3: Back for the attack 4: Dysfunctional (love this album. Hole in the head and the maze sound a lot like kings x) 6: breaking the chains 7: erase the slate 8: lightning strikes 9: broken bones 10: long way home 11: shadow life 12: heaven comes down 13: hell to pay

[@chadbarker4023]

Cool. Bout to go crank some Dokken! Love these videos man.

[@Dokkensound]

Good well thought out ranking. Thanks for the kind words on ETS. It's sad it went out of print.

[@jeffrichards8257]

Beast of the east live album one of the great live albums

[@gellargod]

I disagree on Dysfunctional. I love this album. It's in my top 10

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Finally someone who thinks as highly of this album as I do.

[@dusty3913]

It's in their top 10 too???

[@mattlentry3936]

Dysfunctional is their best album in my opinion. The riffs and piercing solos are rivaled by none. Possibly George’s finest hour.

[@gellargod]

@@mattlentry3936 I would rank it third in my top ten

[@lening9]

1) Tooth and Nail 2) Under Lock and Key 3) Breaking the Chains (Don Dokken album) 4) Back for the Attack 5) Up from the Ashes (Don Dokken album) 6) Long Way Home 7) Erase the Slate 8) Hell to Pay 9) Lightning Strikes Again 10) Broken Bones 11) Dysfunctional 12) Shadowlife 13) Solitary (Don Dokken album)

[@db_uptown4239]

Oh hell yeah! Thank you for this gents.

[@kyleturner1359]

Side 2 of Tooth and Nail, in my opinion, blows away side 1. Agree with y'all's top 3.

[@kamikazekrush3758]

I'll just list my top 3, 1- Back for the Attack 2- Under lock and Key 3- Up From The Ashes, and #3 is basically equal to #2 to me, and the star of that CD wasnt john norum, it was actually Billy White who was incredible, but unfortunately seems to have abandoned metal music years ago

[@dalepearson8475]

Tooth n nail, and lock n key, followed bye attack. Truly all master pieces

[@roblamb5468]

Great show guys awesome for Dokken I love how you rated these albums .

[@mitchwooten5150]

Love the new logo! Gonna get me some Sea of tranquility merch! Great videos as always pete! KEEP Rockin!

[@DSpeir-pi6tm]

In my top 4 favorite 80's bands . I like all their 80's albums in no particular order any ones good for me . I saw them live 6 - 7 years ago . I still have the set list the sound guy gave me . Cool show :)

[@lukecold8562]

I adore Hell to pay, My second favorite right behind the great Erase the slate.

[@angryagain3801]

1. Back for the Attack 2. T&N 3. Under Lock and Key 4. Dysfunctional 5. Erase the Slate 6. Breaking the Chains I don't know the other albums I heard "Shadow Life" when it was new but couldn't get into it.

[@a.s.8121]

Saw them in 1988 opening for AC/DC in Hamburg/Germany. They were really great. Not so great in 2009. As for their albums, nothing matches the first releases but i like Dysfunctional & Erase The Slate, too. Really great & interesting show, guys !

[@harryurz]

The co-headline 1980s UK tour with Accept for "Under Lock and Key" was awesome.

[@kitoyobeni1]

1. Under Lock And Key 2. Tooth and Nail 3. Back For The Attack 4. Breaking The Chains 5. Up From The Ashes 6. Dysfunctional 7. Erase The Slate 8. Long Way Home 9. Lightning Strikes Again 10. Hell To Pay 11. Broken Bones 12. Shadowlife I'd include George's stuff here too, but there is so much. Wicked Sensation would be #4, and I'd have the rest of the Lynch Mob and KXM stuff (and Lynch/Pilson, T&N, End Machine, Dirty Shirley, and Ultraphonix, as well as his solo album) right around Don's solo album and Erase The Slate (other than Smoke This, which is as puzzling as Shadowlife).

[@Tbone-bv3wg]

I saw Dokken once at Garden State Arts Center when they opened for Alice Cooper. Warrant and Slaughter were also opening acts. This was back in 97 on the Rock 'n' Roll Carnival Tour. George Lynch was playing with them too.

[@captainbeyond7469]

Great show Steven is awesome 👍 As a guitar player myself I’ve always greatly admired George Lynch.

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thank you!

[@captainbeyond7469]

TranquilityFire Reid You’re welcome!!! Still waiting for that Sensational Alex Harvey Band ranking the albums show.

[@lahloonatic]

When not even the combo of Pardo and the mighty unflappable enthusiasm of Alan Reid can make me curious, I have to admit there’s no way to unsee the videos of Dokken 2019. Immensely enjoyable regardless. Cheers!

[@DimensionTee]

I need to go check out some Dokken. I remember seeing the video to It's Not Love on Raw Power in the early 90s in the UK and liking it, but never really followed up on them. I have few George Lynch bits here and there (KXM and Ultraphonic - big Kings X and Living Colour fan), so I definitely need to delve deeper. Really looking forward to the Alter Bridge ranking, I'll be priming my list for that one.

[@diannecarpenter7718]

Thank you for ranking the studio albums of Dokken!!🎤🎸🎵🥁

[@archibaldsalyards926]

The Remastered version of Back has Back For The Attack on it!

[@Rolf2112]

Thanks for the show Pete, love Dokken, met Don twice great guy. 1) ULAK 2)BFTA 3) FTAN 4)BTC 5) Lightning strikes again, for me . Kind of surprised you dont like some Ratt albums (at least musically)

[@shack8110]

Thanks for doing this. I was a Dokken nut in the 80s and know nothing about them after that. I want to check out Erase the Slate, Up From the Ashes and Wicked Sensation.

[@amilspence6612]

1 - Back for the Attack 2- Tooth and Nail 3- Under Lock and Key 4 - Lightning Strikes Again 5 - Erase The Slate 6 - Up From the Ashes 7 - Breaking the Chains 8 - Broken Bones 9 - Hell to Pay 10- Dysfunctional 11 - Long Way Home 12 - Shadowlife