Dokken - Unchain The Night (DVD)
Rhino
Hair Metal
10 songs (45:00)
Release year: 2007
Dokken, Rhino
Reviewed by Jeff

If you are a fan of 80's Hair Metal and are looking for a little "cheese" to go with your hamburger, fries and milkshake, then this Dokken DVD just might be for you!

Unchain The Night was originally released on VHS in 1986. It was a collection of music videos, most of which aired on MTV back in the early 80's. It included music videos for the songs Into The Fire, Just Got Lucky, Breaking The Chains, Alone Again, The Hunter, In My Dreams and It's Not Love. Now, Unchain The Night is finally available in DVD format. The picture quality in the transfer from VHS to DVD has improved somewhat and the audio, which sounds great, has been remastered as well. Also, this new version of Unchain The Night now includes videos for Walk Away, Dream Warriors, Heaven Sent and Burning Like A Flame. In addition, there are informative intros and commentaries before each new video by Don Dokken and Mick Brown.

As for the videos, they bring back alot of memories. I was never a big fan of anything lip synched but that was the way most bands filmed videos and still do to this very day. The best video out of the bunch is Dream Warriors, which is based on the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 - Dream Warriors . All of the footage that was shot is original; nothing from the movie is used. A very young and hot Patricia Arquette plays The Dreamer. George Lynch and Jeff Pilson look like a couple of ghouls. Even Robert Englund, Freddy Kruger himself, is in it.

The corniest video has to be Breaking The Chains. The band is "chained" to a stone wall and some really cheesy swooshing sound effects are used when they break the "chains" (which are very cheap!) and escape. Also, they bump into these swinging lights as they walk down the corridor. Just laughable.

What's interesting about the video Walk Away is that each band member was filmed separately and edited to look as if they were all playing together. It was a time when the band was not getting along and tensions between Don Dokken and George Lynch were very high. Walk Away was one of the last studio songs the band recorded before they broke up, only to reunite for the Dysfunctional album in 1995.

As for the commentaries and intros, Don Dokken and Mick Brown recollect about the making of the videos and reminisce about the past and discuss what the future holds for Dokken. Some of the stories they tell are quite entertaining and funny.

All in all Dokken was one of the biggest hair metal acts in the 80's and this collection of videos is a testament to the mark they left. For the $10-$13 is costs to purchase, this little piece of memorabilia just might well be worth the purchase!

 

Killing Songs :
Walk Away, Burning Like A Flame, Dream Warriors, Just Got Lucky, It's Not Love
Jeff quoted No Quote
Other albums by Dokken that we have reviewed:
Dokken - Lightning Strikes Again reviewed by Jeff and quoted 84 / 100
Dokken - From Conception: Live 1981 reviewed by Jeff and quoted No Quote
Dokken - Hell To Pay reviewed by Marty and quoted 80 / 100
Dokken - LIVE reviewed by Chris and quoted no quote
0 readers voted
Average:
 0
You did not vote yet.
Vote now

There are 5 replies to this review. Last one on Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:54 pm
View and Post comments