The first few listens to DOKKEN's dusted-down 1981 live disc may prove a bit unsettling. There seems to be a bizarre, unresolving element that permeates the disc, making it sound somewhat out of place with today's music scene. Then after the second or third listen, it becomes obvious. Don Dokken can actually sing. I mean, the melodic do-ray-me Freddie Mercury stuff or the bluesy, traditional hard rock fare. It's a stark reminder of how far we've allowed the bar to drop vocal-wise in today's world of grunt 'n yell extreme music. Not to mention drummer Mick Brown and bass player Jeff Pilson's harmonized choruses drive the point home even further. Geez, everybody could sing.

But enough "now vs. then" observations. This is a drool-worthy live performance for any fan of early DOKKEN or the long-gone early 1980s L.A. rock scene. For the youngsters, DOKKEN were one of the first hard rock bands of the early 80s to come out not only with a flashy guitar player, not only with great vocals, but with records that featured at least five or six good songs at a clip. Their songs were always laden with hooks, and many translated just as well onto acoustic guitar as electric. This was not a common phenomenon in the early-mid 1980s one-hit rock scene. Such a shame the youngsters are fed the 'hair metal' bit, with all the stuff getting sort of lumped in together. In reality, bands like DOKKEN were miles ahead of the rest of the pack, and tracks like the brooding yet shimmery "In the Middle" and the start-stop riffage of "You're a Liar" are prime examples. Guitarist George Lynch burns the joint up with crazy VAN HALEN-inspired speed solos practically any time Don Dokken stops to take a breath. The version of "Night Rider" is an especially tasty reminder of the era - for anyone too young to attend a blazing L.A. rock show, listening to Dokken work the crowd and Lynch's extended guitar are practically perfect moments from an early 80s time capsule.

One can't help but wonder there must be a story behind this release. The quality is excellent, especially the beefed-up basslines. But was this originally supposed to be included on a box set that never happened? A bonus disc to a greatest hits package? There's practically no artwork whatsoever, except for a couple of grainy looking JPEG-ish inserts, and some very brief liner notes from Don. Personally, I can't think of any current 'greatest hits' type of fan that would be interested in buying this disc, with none of the band's hits on it. It seems that only freaks and geeks like those who read this webzine would be excited about such a release. So where's the artwork? Where's the endless liner notes and pointless trivia?

At any rate, this is a nice surprise that may quickly wipe away your memories of DOKKEN's last few struggling-to-stay-alive records and incessant lineup changes. Sure, you could download this album and you'd hardly be missing anything, but if you've got ten bucks, it's money well spent.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.dokken.net

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