Search - Dokken :: Live From the Sun: Best From the West

Up with the Sun

cd-heaven | ROCK CITY | 04/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME. This is one smokin' live album, and have I mentioned it's AWESOME! What a great pick in Reb Beach taking over for not so irreplacable after all George Lynch. This band was headed in a terminal velocity downward spiral with Lynch on board after hearing the last 2 efforts of the band prior to Reb Beach stepping in. The sound quality is fantastic, the song selection is super, the band sounds great, even if Sir Dokken himself can't hit the high notes like he use to, you know he's really enjoying being on stage with a guitarist whose not fighting for the spotlight. THe newer material, only Erase The Slate and Maddest Hatter are already live Dokken staples and older cuts like Alone Agian, Kiss Of Death, and Into the Fire get superb treatment from Beach, proving he's the one in the sun!"

Welcome to live rock in the '90s! Take that!

T. Mitchell | South Carolina | 04/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I waited for April 18th to come around. I bought the disc, and I must say that I was not disappointed. After the so-so live album "Beast from the East", it gives me great pleasure to see the boys from Dokken deliver a true-to-life testament of what a quality live show they can deliver. While we all enjoyed "One Live Night", which as we now know was a sort of swan song for George Lynch, this set is a great mixture of old and new that gives the new line-up a chance to show what they can do. Mick Brown's drumming is better than ever, Jeff Pilson is excellent on bass and vocals as always, and Don Dokken still shows why he has always been considered one of the if not THE best vocalist of the 80s and 90s hard rock world. This is a great effort for a notoriously underrated band! As for the man brave enough to replace George Lynch, Reb Beach gives an admirable effort. His skills are on par with the best, and he plays the old solos very well for the most part, though not quite as crisply as George did. Sorry, just an opinion, but overall he is still an excellent guitarist and a perfect fit with the band and their style. His work with Winger was always under-valued due to the fact it was Winger after all, and while they were very talented musically, they didn't get any respect because they hit late in the '80s. Above all, and to put it simply, buy this disc because it's a hell of a great album! Support these guys in the '90's along with Poison, Ratt, Great White, Cinderella, and all the rest! Thanks for coming back to the forefront guys. You've definitely been missed! See you on tour this summer."

FOR REB'S SAKE

BUDDY HICKS | Broussard, LA USA | 04/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With the release of "Erase the Slate", Dokken showed that there is life after Lynch after all. Undoubtedly though, there were still people who needed "proof" that Reb Beach was up to the challenge. With that in mind, "Live from the Sun" appears to be a release to help silence the critics. The problem is that Reb Beach will never be George Lynch. The two players have TOTALLY different styles. George Lynch made a lasting mark on music with Dokken, but the ride is over now. It's time to let Reb make his own "Mr. Scary". Then, and only then, will the critics realize that Reb IS the future of Dokken. Now, Dokken needs to once and for all "erase the slate". The 4 star rating is for Reb - anyone who can hang with Lynch on classics like "Into the Fire", "Kiss of Death" and "Tooth and Nail" deserves it."