Dokken Video:

		List Price: $14.98		Label: Sanctuary Records Salesrank: 40854 Released: November 21, 2000
		Our Price: $12.99
		Used Price: $9.95
		MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
Like many another band from the metal-drenched 1980s, the Southern California-based quartet Dokken has trudged on through to the hip-hop new millennium mostly intact. This concert, shot live in Anaheim in November 1999, won't bring new converts to its cause, but it is a don't-miss disc for whatever fans the band has left. Lead singer Don Dokken can still hit many (not all) of the notes, even though when he's seen in close-up, he looks far too old to keep singing songs with titles like "Breaking the Chains" and "Tooth and Nail" much longer. Guitarist Reb Beach, who replaced departed axman (and resident musical genius) George Lynch several years ago, is a more than competent replacement, even if he has none of Lynch's virtuosity and chops.

For fans, this DVD is definitely worthwhile: in addition to the concert (which has been remixed into pummeling 5.1 Dolby surround), there are two "unplugged" acoustic numbers, about 15 minutes' worth of interviews with the current band members, and several paintings and illustrations by the lead singer. These colorful sci-fi fantasies are pretty much worthless as art but sure to make Dokken fans ecstatic to see their hero entering Roger Dean territory. --Kevin Filipski

Dokken - Live from the Sun Reviews:
GREAT VIDEO
2002-09-28 - I'm a huge Dokken fan. This video is excellent. Worth every penny I paid for it. Reb is great on the guitar. Don's voice is still as sexy as ever. I would highly recommend this video to anyone who is a Dokken fan.

Don't waste your money
2002-09-28 - First off, it's not a REAL DVD (meaing formatted in 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio). Second, whoever that [person] was that edited it I'd like to slap that person. I love Dokken and this video totally [disappointed me]. The numerous split screens and jumping all over the place got old FAST. If you can find it used on ebay for $... it's ok, but don't [throw] away your money on this [poor] editing.

A Wild Beach Ride...
2002-02-11 - Recorded at the Sun Theater in Anaheim, "Live From The Sun" features original Dokken members, Don Dokken on vocals, Jeff Pilson on bass and "Wild" Mick Brown on drums. Ex-Winger guitarist, Reb Beach replaces original guitarist, George Lynch. The disc features live concert material on DVD on one side, and on the other side an audio only CD recording of the concert.

The well edited video features multiple angles, split screen, and multiple window presentations. At times there are as many as four separate windows on screen at one time. The effect is pretty cool. Most of the time the image cuts are in synch with the music, and you have enough time for your eyes to rove around before the image switches to something else. This presentation helps keep repeated viewings from becoming predictable or boring.

Singer Don Dokken, is showing his age a bit, but he still has the same set of pipes that made him one of hard rock's great voices. Approaching 50, the man still rocks, but his singing style doesn't include a lot of prancing around on stage. That's more in bassist Jeff Pilson's department. He is all over the stage, and expends so much energy that he is soaked in sweat by the fourth number. Steady Mick Brown mans the drums.

What really makes this video exciting is Reb Beach. I had the opportunity of seeing Dokken live during the "Erase the Slate" tour, and this video doesn't come close to capturing the energy and excitement of Reb's playing. He is a rock and roll animal, and his playing blew me away. He has George Lynch's rhythm chops down pat. For the solos, he plays most of George's signature licks, mixed in with own wild playing style. Beach, to a greater degree than Lynch, incorporates the "tapping" technique into his playing style. Tapping, once the rage in the 80's, has almost disappeared, so it's cool to see it being used again in a tasteful manner. Reb is so technically proficient, that he makes everything look way too easy.

The set list primarily contains "classic" songs from 80's period, like "Alone Again", "It's Not Love" and "Kiss of Death". The exceptions are "Erase the Slate" and "The Maddest Hatter" two harder tunes from the Beach era Dokken, and "Too High To Fly" from the reunion album "Dysfunctional". "Too High" is one song that assumes a new life when performed live. Recognizing this, the video attempts to add some additional atmosphere to the number, the results are only partially successful, but they did try. The final number "In My Dreams", features excerpts from the original 1985 music video, acknowledging the passage of time, and noting the changes that have occurred over the years.

Dokken has had a long and rocky past, and part of their history is explored in a short but informative interview segment, one of the disc's bonus features. A couple of music videos of acoustic numbers are also included. A photo gallery of the band, and images of art by Don Dokken, round out the extras. This video becomes a bit more significant because both Reb Beach and Jeff Pilson have since left Dokken. I fully expect that Don Dokken will continue to rock on, and recommend "Live From The Sun", the best concert DVD I have seen, to fans of heavy metal everywhere.

Would be nice to hear "Burning Like A Flame" again...
2001-11-20 - The DVD itself and its cover are beautiful. The cover for "Live From The Sun" is much more attractive than most DVD covers are.
The songs that were selected for the concert and performed at the Sun Theatre in Aneheim, CA, while not the best, still consists of some of Dokken's best tracks recorded. "Erase the Slate" and "Maddest Hatter" are from Dokken's latest project which was released in mid-'99. The concert itself, the camera footage and sound quality are all top-notch, as are the special features which are very interesting themselves. The band interviews, band photo gallery and Don Dokken's own special art gallery all help make this DVD well worth the price. This is why I rate "Dokken: Live From The Sun" with five stars. The only small gripe I have is that the band Dokken rarely seems to play one of my very favorite songs of theirs live anymore--"Burning Like A Flame." Besides that, and over-doing the split camera shots, everything is fantastic. I realise George is gone and everything, but the truth is he was an excellent guitar player, but he no longer fits with the band. For those who didn't know, Dokken broke up after "Back For The Attack" in 1988 and got back together in '95 and collaberated on a brand new project titled "Dysfunctional." Shortly after, George left (again), and they got back together in '97 and debuted an attrocious grunge-like, alternative sounding awful piece of work called "Shadowlife." Needless to say, none of the songs off that album are ever played live by the band. This leads us to 1999, the release of Dokken's first great album to date in years, "Erase The Slate" with Reb Beach, the band's new guitarist. Reb is wonderful; he treats each and every one of Gerorge's songs with respect and does the solos unbelievably well, too. You will not be disappointed by this DVD as long as you can get over the fact that, yes, George IS gone, and yes, Beach does all of the songs just as well. Don's voice not have been in top form when this performance was recorded, but nonetheless, does a fine job singing his heart out in each of the songs.

If you are not a Dokken fan, I don't know why you are reading this in the first place. If you are just getting into Dokken,
I would still recommend this DVD to get you acquainted with the band. If you are a long-time fan, you will still find yourself to be very entertained by this performance. Great DVD.
Peace bros.

(note: Reb Beach left Dokken a while back and now John Norum, former guitarist of Europe, and one of the guitarists on Don Dokken's solo project "Up From The Ashes," is the new guitarist for Dokken. I will miss Reb, but John is fantastic as well, so I will not call this a loss.)

A Dokken fan dream come true.
2001-10-13 - Dokken was one of those bands from the 80's that was kind of ignore by the critics, but not by the fans. A lot of the songs like "Alone Again", "In my Dreams" (one of the best songs on this DVD), "Paris is Burning" are still landmarks of the heavy/hard rock scene from the 80's.

This DVD has superior quality in sound and images with a lot of creativity on the "sub scenes" featuring clips from their original videos. Also there are 2 excellent unplugged songs taken from the "One Live Night". The interview is also interesting which describes a lot of the turbelence behind the downfall of the band during the late 80's.

Reb Beach (Winger, Alice Cooper) is an excellent replacement for George Lynch and in some ways he is even better!!! I think this DVD is one of the best around, not only for the music but also because of the quality and the information that it has.