This is a new…old bunch of songs by Dokken! This is how we can describe in one phrase the new release by the American band; after all, the title itself indicates exactly what the potential listener is getting with “The Lost Songs 1978-1981”. Probably, the older fans would remember an illegal release of an album called “Back In The Streets” that included 6 unreleased Dokken songs from the very early days. That album had a very good distribution and the guy behind it made a lot of money without having any permission whatsoever. But that was 1989 and Dokken had just broken up so things were easier for such illegal activities.
Flash forward three decades and luckily for all of us, Don Dokken found some cassettes and masters of many songs from those early days and managed to work on them and present the final result to the fans under an official release. What we get is essentially those 6 songs from that illegal album plus 5 more compositions from that era. Naturally the sound is not the best we could have hoped for but it’s better than those versions that are floating around online. The truth is that we didn’t expect a great sonic result as the overall potential of that record lies on its archival interest and the fact that we have a unique opportunity to take a good look at a band making its first steps. That was a time when Don Dokken worked so hard in order to make Dokken a successful band and get signed to a record label. So, we can trace down all those early elements that evolved later on into the “Breakin’ the Chains” record.
All in all, this is a precious album for all the Dokken fans. These are songs that might not be on the same quality level as “Tooth and Nail” or “Under Lock and Key” but they are quite interesting and remarkable. I am pretty sure that all the die hard fans and collectors of Dokken will get a kick out of it. Having said that, I can’t wait for the brand new studio Dokken album.
Highlight: On the band’s official website, there is available a repress of the first ever 7’’ single (“Hard Rock Woman”). It is a limited autographed edition and it comes in a very affordable price. Don’t miss it!
