Early Song Saturday: Dokken's Mr. Scary

 

How's it going lurkers? If you read my previously published Song Saturday blog about Dokken on February 18, 2017, you may recall the significance of last Thursday.

What was so significant about last Thursday?

November 2, 1987 was the day that Dokken's 4th album, Back For The Attack released in stores; Last Thursday was the 30th anniversary of their Back For The Attack album. I cannot believe it has been 30 years!

Realizing that I was ONLY going on 5 years old, when Dokken's theme song for the 3rd A Nightmare On Elm Street film ("Dream Warriors") released and was in K5, when Back For The Attack released, makes me feel old.

3 decades?! Wow! Where has the time gone?! Shouldn't I be older than 35? Honestly, it feels that way. 

My love for music had influence over me wanting to host my own radio show and becoming a disk jockey. By 20 years old, it actually came to fruition.

Looking back, I really should've aired some of Dokken's songs on my radio show. Then again, I don't think their songs would've attracted many college students, during the early 21st Century. However, my audience was male-dominated, 15 years ago.

Years later, my gender demographic is STILL is male-dominated. Therefore, I could've aired Dokken and other bands from the 1980's and '90s. Listeners would've listened to my show, regardless.

After digging up the previous Song Saturday blog about Dokken's Back For The Attack album, I made some minor changes. Music videos for "Dream Warriors," "Burning Like A Flame," and "Heaven Sent" are still in the previous blog. 

Nevertheless, Dokken's "Mr. Scary" from Back For The Attack was originally featured as a bonus song for that particular Song Saturday blog.  Last night, I transferred it for today's early Song Saturday blog. 

Earlier this year, it was mentioned in the preceding Song Saturday blog that "Mr. Scary" was a guitar solo by George Lynch and Jeff Pilson. 

On the band's Back For The Attack album, "Mr. Scary" is the 6th song, which happens to be the song after "Heaven Sent." 

You may be wondering, "Anna, why didn't you share 'Mr. Scary' in a Song Saturday blog last month?"

There are only so many Saturdays in a month. If I could've, I would've re-shared the song.

Although, re-sharing it today is more fitting, since Dokken's Back For The Attack recently turned 30. "Mr. Scary" has Classic '80s Guitar Solo written all over it. Without a doubt, they are by far 1 of the most highly UNDERRATED Metal bands from the 1980's.

Even though Dokken's Back For The Attack was heavily promoted 30 years ago for A Nightmare On Elm Street: Dream Warriors, it's sad that they NEVER received the same amount of praise as other '80s Metal bands.

In the meantime, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dokken's Back For The Attack, let's revisit "Mr. Scary" for not only an early Song Saturday, but also as a throwback!

Dokken "Mr. Scary" Back For The Attack (1987)

Song Saturday: Dokken's Back For The Attack {Horror Triple Dose}

How's it going lurkers? I originally planned to publish this blog last Saturday. February 10th was the 30th anniversary for Dokken's release of their single "Dream Warriors." 

"Dream Warriors" was not only written and used as A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' theme song, but can also be found on Dokken's 4th album, Back For The Attack.

"Dream Warriors" brings back childhood memories. So does A Nightmare On Elm Street. Dokken released their single 3 weeks before the Slasher Horror film released in theaters; A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors released on February 27, 1987. 

At the time, I was only 4 going on 5 years old. I remember the band's music video for "Dream Warriors" being heavily played on MTV. My mother would usually change the channel so that I wouldn't get scared of Freddy Krueger in the music video.

Most people don't know, that some of today's Hollywood "A-List actors and actresses" made their film debuts in Slasher Horror films. Johnny Depp made his film debut in the original A Nightmare On Elm Street, for example. 

Watching Freddy Krueger pull the character, Glen through the bed only to slash and spit Glen into pieces saddens me, until this day. Poor Glen.

Another A-Lister, who debuted in a Slasher Horror film was Patricia Arquette. Patricia debuted in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Trailer (1987)

She also made her cameo appearance in Dokken's music video for "Dream Warriors." Dokken used movie clips for their music video, along with filming their own original video scenes. 

The actress' character, Kristen ends up being "rescued" by Dokken from Freddy by the band performing the sequel's theme song, "Dream Warriors."

At the end of their music video, Freddy wakes up from his "nightmare" about Dokken. When you watch the music video, you have to laugh at how silly it looks. Luckily, the music video was MUCH better than the actual movie. Dokken was heavily advertised for A Nghtmare On Elm Street 3.

About 10 minutes into the movie, the character Taryn was shown in the hallway wearing a Dokken T-shirt.

Even though A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors heavily advertised Dokken and gave the band more commercial success, this Slasher was a joke. Giving mentally disturbed teenagers "special powers" to fight Freddy Krueger in their dreams felt TOO contrived. 

Yes, I know the movie is titled "Dream Warriors" for a reason. However, that movie is as God-awful as Sharknado and other movies, which are currently airing on Syfy. 

I tried watching Dream Warriors years ago and ended up turning it off because I couldn't take it seriously at all. It was LAME.

Have you ever noticed that the original A Nightmare On Elm Street (excluding the 2010 remake) still gets aired on cable whereas the sequels usually don't?

After watching MTV Classic, I realized a number of Dokken's music videos had Horror in them yet their songs consisted of topics regarding love, relationships, heartbreak, fear, etc.

Judging by this Metal band's music videos, album covers, and instruments, I assume they are fellow Horror fans. If not everyone from Dokken, at least a small percentage of them may be Horror fans. 

Throughout the years, guitarist George Lynch had skulls, bones, snakes, and demons designed on his guitars.

In addition to Lynch's guitars, Dokken has a song on Back For The Attack titled, "Mr Scary." George Lynch and Jeff Pilson wrote the song. 

Mr. Scary" is a guitar solo following "Heaven Sent" on the Back For The Attack album.

Also, I want to add that the success of Dokken's "Dream Warriors" for A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors led to the following sequels to include a Heavy Metal song on its soundtrack.

Those of you reading today's blog are probably wondering about my favorite songs from Dokken. Right now, I have their song "Breaking The Chains" stuck in my head, which is on their 1981 debut album, Breaking The Chains.

As for the Metal band's Back For The Attack album, my mother bought me that album, when I was a little girl and I have owned it on vinyl for nearly 30 years. Although, I haven't played the album on my turntable in 17 years. Decades later, "Heaven Sent" is still my favorite from Back For The Attack.

I believe Dokken is 1 of the most HIGHLY UNDERRATED Metal bands from the 1980's. Not that I hated listening to every Glam Metal band, during my early childhood in the '80s, but there were other Metal bands, that did NOT  get the amount of exposure and praise as they should've.

Dokken was NOT  the stereotypically flamboyant, '80s Glam Metal band that constantly wore Androgynous Fashion for female fans and groupies.

Anyway, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Back For The Attack album, here are 3 Horror themed music videos by Dokken for Song Saturday.

1) Dokken "Dream Warriors" Back For The Attack (1987); A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Soundtrack (1987)

2) Dokken "Burning Like A Flame" Back For The Attack (1987)

3) Dokken "Heaven Sent" Back For The Attack (1987)

Song Saturday: The White Coffin Terror's "Silent Night, Deadly Night"

How's it going lurkers? Before I turned off my TV last night, I heard that vinyl records are making a comeback for the younger generations on my local ABC News. The younger generations supposedly like the sound quality from vinyl albums.

I still have some vinyl albums from the 1980's, when I was growing up. Some records are children's Christmas albums. The rest are '80s Rock and Pop albums by The Bangles, Paula Abdul, Milli Vanilli, Dokken, and the '80s Glam Metal band, Cinderella.

By the time of reaching adolescence during the '90s, I bought more Rock CD's. Had I been a little older during the '80s, I probably would've had more vinyl records than CD's.

It has been ~15 years, since I last listened to Dokken's Back For The Attack vinyl album. Suddenly, their classic music video for "Dream Warriors" comes to mind. 

In 1987, "Dream Warriors" was the theme song for A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Watching Dokken's music video was creepy. Their music video for "Dream Warriors" featured Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.

I remember Dokken's "Dream Warriors" being in heavy rotation on MTV in 1987. Until this day, I don't know what scared me more at 5 years old, Freddy Krueger's skin-burned face or his claws? 

Now that I am an adult, I believe it was Krueger's face. However, I still feel that gremlins are more horrifying than he is because of their fugly eyes. 

Normally, I believe the uglier, the more frightening something or someone is.

For instance, have you ever seen something/someone so hideous that you screamed with horror?

As harsh as it may sound to say about someone, I am sure there are other lurkers reading this blog and completely understand my views. It is SO easy to be frightened by someone or something that's downright hideous.

It is not always the face that can be creepy. Sometimes that person or thing can have the most hideous eyes and you will be creeped out, if not traumatized.

In fact, I watched the shitty remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, last year. I never had the chance to watch the original Christmas Slasher from 1984, but I did watch the 2012 remake, Silent Night.

Silent Night Trailer (2012)

While watching the trailer for Silent Night, I was instantly frightened by the hideous eyes on that Santa Claus mask. 

Like I already said, it's easy to be frightened, if not traumatized by something or someone so hideous. The eyes on that Santa Claus mask rivals the hideous eyes on gremlins.

Last December, I published a blog on Horror-Punks.com about the Silent Night, Deadly Night remake. Silent Night was a joke. 

Last month, I had a conversation with a fellow Horror-Punk friend, Charlie J.J. Kruger. Even though I have never watched the original Christmas Slasher, we both agreed that Silent Night was terrible.

Watching that bratty, pill-popping, 12-year-old girl literally get tased to death and The White Coffin Terror's song as the ending theme were the best. The Santa Claus mask was the only part of Silent Night, that was scary. 

In 2 more weeks, I will try setting aside more time to watch the original Silent Night, Deadly Night and give a review for it. Watching the Christmas Slasher is not set in stone, but it is my goal.

Since I am already on the topic of songs from Slashers, it would only be fitting to share a little Psychobilly Christmas Music.

Originally, I planned to share The White Coffin Terror next week. Now, I have decided to share them today. 

Anyway, here is The White Coffin Terror's "Silent Night, Deadly Night" for today's Song Saturday.

The White Coffin Terror "Silent Night, Deadly Night" Psychobilly Christmas (2008), Silent Night Ending Theme Song (2012)