Dokken - Long Way Home

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Sanctuary Records
Catalog Number: 86316
Format: CD
Total Time: 37:07:00

Similar to: Smashing my head against a brick wall.

The only reason I am writing this review of the new Dokken album Long Way Home is to tell everybody how crap it is. Now, I know that Sanctuary Records is picking up every old-school metal/rock band in history, but whoever is handing over those cheque-books should have their hands amputated. Either that or their head removed. You may have money but that doesn't mean you have any sense.

Dokken is playing friendly rock that is uninteresting, lifeless, and boring with some of the most vexing lyrics on the planet. Long Way Home is also nothing you haven't heard before on much better albums. This is already shaping up, along with Sacred Steel, as the worst album of 2002 and we're only 5 months into the year. Let's face it, Dokken, as a band, lost the plot a while ago and no amount of money can make them return to their former glories. Remember Back For The Attack (1987), Tooth And Nail (1984), and Breaking The Chains (1983)? Now they were albums. Remember Shadowlife (1997)? Now that wasn't. I wasn't game to hear Erase The Slate (1999) but I can only assume it sits somewhere between having your testicles stepped on and contracting genital herpes.

Even the musicians, well-known in their own rights, can't add passion to an ultimately dull album. John Norum (ex-Europe) on guitars has one good turn, Barry Sparks (Yngwie Malmsteen, MSG, Cosmosquad) adds no spark and is just playing along for the money, whilst "Wild" Mick Brown doesn't live up to his name. And then we come to Don Dokken himself. Can we move on yet? Words can hardly describe the sickening feelings I get whilst listening to this album. There are two good songs on the album and they are "Magic Road" and "Under The Gun." Listening to the rest is like paying someone to mutilate your own body.

Yes, Dokken has had a chequered career but that's over. Way over. He's had enough successful albums that he doesn't need to release any more, so I beg of him - DON'T RELEASE ANY MORE ALBUMS! YOUR MUSIC STINKS!

There are two things that saved this album (actually, two things that saved me whilst listening to the album). The first is that it is only 37 minutes long. The second is that my stereo has a wonderful invention on it called the "This is a shit CD" button otherwise known as the off-switch.

Click.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site (and reprinted here as a public service announcement, I guess :) -ed.]
Tracklisting:
Sunless Days / Little Girl / Everybody Needs (To Be With Someone) / You / Goodbye My Friend / Magic Road / There Was A Time / Heart Full Of Soul / Under The Gun / I've Found

Musicians:
Mick Brown - drums, percussion and vocals
Don Dokken - acoustic and rhythm guitar, vocals
John Norum - guitar
Barry Sparks - bass, vocals

Discography:
Back In The Streets (1979)
Breaking The Chains (1983)
Tooth And Nail (1984)
Under Lock And Key (1985)
Back For The Attack (1987)
Beast From The East (1988)
The Best Of Dokken (1994)
Dokken (1994) (Japan only)
Dysfunctional (1995)
One Live Night (1995)
Shadowlife (1997)
Erase The Slate (1999)
The Very Best of Dokken (1999)
Live From The Sun (2000)
Long Way Home (2002)
Change The World: An Introduction (2004)
Hell To Pay (2004)
The Definitive Rock Collection (2006)
From Conception: Live 1981 (2007)
Lightning Strikes Again (2007)

Genre: Melodic Metal

Origin US

Added: December 11th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.dokken.net
Hits: 2271
Language: english