I was supposed to post this like last month or whatever. Better late than never I guess as I get the ball rolling on this long-running series again. This is the bonus post for 1984. I did part one last month in case anyone forgot, which is probably everyone since it was awhile ago.
As always – these are five (or for this year ten) of my favorite songs from a year, not necessarily my five absolute favorites. Nothing definitive here, though these are in the ballpark. Whatever the case, let’s get to it.
Prince – Purple Rain
I’ll start off with the spectacular power ballad from the seminal album and film that turned Prince into a massive superstar. This is a gorgeous song that explores coming of age and the day of judgment, which I guess will involve rain. Not sure my copy of Revelations mentions that but I digress. While Prince showcased an array of instrumental and songwriting prowess to this point, here he lets his voice get in on the action.
Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA
The Boss wrote this to recall the hard times Vietnam War vets faced when coming back into society. The song got confused by some as a patriotic anthem, but it is most certainly not. Rather it’s a dire look at people whose lives are essentially dead ends – no jobs, no hope, no future. I don’t know how so many people got the message mixed up, I turned seven the year this came out and I understood what it was about. No matter though, it is an awesome song and one of Bruce’s shining moments.
Hall and Oates – Out Of Touch
This crazy track was the final top ten hit for the massive pop duo. It’s quite the electro-dance number replete with the smooth harmonies Hall and Oates were famous for. I’m not a “fun and dancing” kind of person but even I can jam out to some Hall and Oates. This was a great way for them to cap off their electric string of hits through the early ’80’s.
Dokken – Don’t Close Your Eyes
This quasi-ballad but super hard rocker was one of many shining stars from the amazing Tooth And Nail record. This song is the perfect marriage of Dokken’s rock attack and melodic sensibilities that would come to define the “hair metal” era.
Ratt – Back For More
This song was re-recorded from an EP released a year prior, but the Out Of The Cellar version is one of many kick ass tracks on an amazing debut album. But this song is the one that puts it all over the edge for me, it’s snarling and pounding and right in your face. Ratt’s sound and presentation would go a long way to defining the 80’s metal movement for sure.
That does it for my bonus 1984 content. It’ll be 5 songs a year from here on out, and I think with my massive procrastination this series will now run into next year. But I’d have to count too much to figure it out one way or another, I’ll know more come September.
This week let’s go back to 1984 and head right into the fire – Dokken were on the ropes with their record company after a debut that failed to sell. They needed to get their name out there and move some records. This was the result.
Dokken – Tooth And Nail
Released September 14, 1984 via Elektra Records
Dokken had at least broken onto the scene by 1984 via US remix and re-release of their debut Breaking The Chains a year prior. The album did not perform to label expectations and Elektra weren’t all that into the concept of funding more Dokken music. But they were talked into ponying up for another record and the band convened in Hollywood to record their second effort.
Dokken’s line-up already had one change between albums. While mainman Don Dokken was still around, along with guitarist George Lynch and drummer Mick Brown, it was the bass position that needed a new hand. Juan Croucier took his bass and dance moves to Ratt, so Dokken filled the void with Jeff Pilson.
The album was produced by Tom Werman, up until the point that it wasn’t. Werman vacated the job after a nasty confrontation with George Lynch. Don Dokken wanted Michael Wagener from the beginning, so Wagener was brought in despite objections from the rest of the band. Roy Thomas Baker was also brought in to babysit the angry cocaine fiends. The actual stories of all the drama around this album are numerous and can be found in many books and interviews, the whole thing is just crazy and worth a deep dive.
Eventually the album got recorded and released, and we have a 10 track record running at a somewhat lean 38 minutes. There is a Rock Candy reisusse with a few bonus tracks but there’s not much else that I know of in the way of reissues, this album is generally one that you’re getting what you get.
Without Warning
Up first is an instrumental intro. It’s fairly brief at 1:34. Here Lynch is setting a tone more than anything, it’s not a firecracker guitar virtuoso thing. It works just fine to get the ears warmed up for the rest of the album. Grade: B+
Tooth And Nail
Up next is the title track and a total scorcher of a song. It outlines the exact mindset of the band through this time – desperate and ready to do everything to take a shot at the top. While Dokken would handle several of their songs in a more pop-oriented format, this one is a total callback to the more heavy metal-oriented debut album. Grade: A+
Just Got Lucky
And now for one of those more pop-leaning songs. This one has a pretty bright and melodic ring to it, though it still has a nice crunch. This ages-old tale of hooking up with the wrong person did modestly well on the Modern Rock chart as a single, but in the years since it has become one of the band’s signature songs. George Lynch filmed his solo for the music video on top of an active volcano in Hawaii. It was so active that he and the film crew were sent away by the parks department and the volcano erupted while they were flying off. Grade: A+
Heartless Heart
A straightforward rocker with some nice gang vocals and the usual guitar work. Again, Dokken retained a pretty nice heavy-rooted sound while they pursued more commercial accessibility. This sounds like death metal compared to some of the sap of the late-80’s glam and hair scene. Grade: A
Don’t Close Your Eyes
Lynch just plain goes ham here, almost maybe showing off stuff he might have used if he’d gotten the Ozzy gig. Very well done, nice and heavy song here. This wasn’t a single but it’s another essential parrt of the Dokken catalog. Grade: S
When Heaven Comes Down
The hits keep coming with another sharp, heavy song at just the perfect pace for headbanging along to. This album started off hot and hasn’t let up one moment. Grade: A+
Into The Fire
The rock keeps going here though Dokken do thrown in a bit more in the way of pop sensibilities here. It worked, as this was a decently performing single and has also been Dokken’s most-played live song. It’s exactly the right balance of rocking and catchy to draw people in. The pop as all hell third verse coming right out of the guitar solo says it all. Grade: A+
Bullets To Spare
Nothing dives off the path here – it’s another heavy, crisp song. Again with a pretty good headbanging pace to it. If this is the least heralded track from the album, then you have one hell of an album on your hands. Grade: A
Alone Again
And now it’s time for the ballad. That’s what the record label told Don when the album was underway – the ballad was becoming a mandatory inclusion as the 80’s rock world formed around this glam rock sound. So Don dusted off this old piece of a song he and Jeff Pilson had lying around and they recorded the ballad.
And it worked. Alone Again was the best-performing single, going to 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and getting to 20 on the Top Rock Songs chart. It also works in the context of the album – this isn’t a saccharine mess, it’s a well-constructed song that still rocks even with its more somber tone and content. Grade: A
Turn On The Action
And we close out the album with one more hot rocker. It’s a nice, high-energy groove to leave off with. Nothing much more to say, the album keeps it up all the way through. Grade: A
Tooth And Nail was not the smash hit Dokken were looking for, but it did provide much-needed momentum to placate the record label and get their name out there more. The album got to number 49 on the Billboard 200 and would go gold in 1985 after steady sales. It would eventually get platinum after the band’s next few albums provided the commercial peak everyone was truly after. Dokken toured as opener for a range of acts through the year, before setting back into studio to record the follow-up that would see their fortunes shine even brighter.
After looking back at my song grades, it makes the album itself very easy to grade.
Album Grade: A+
This one is more than just a band who pushed themselves to record something worth listening to – this album helped define the sound of what 80’s rock could be and also would be. This was more melodic and catchy, but also retained a solid, heavy feel to it. Not many could handle that kind of balancing act and not many did, with some being on the heavy side of it and many others going for the quick hit off the pop ballad. But in 1984 Dokken helped establish would rock was going to do through the ensuing years.
The Crooked Wanderer 