Monday 30 September 2013

Stuck In Your Head: Denver the Last Dinosaur



There are songs that are ear-worms. These songs will stick for you for the longest time and just when you think they are out of your head, one small reminder will have you focusing on the song again. Sometimes a song will fade from memory, but the moment you hear the first few seconds it comes back in full force, plaguing your mind once again. For some, it’s Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog, for many others it’s the DuckTales theme Then there are moments where more than one song can plague your consciousnesses.

Why do I bring up this subject? I’d like to blame my friend Mike “The Birdman” Dodd and the return of his Saturday Morning Cartoon streams. This past weekend, he streamed a show from my childhood called Denver The Last Dinosaur and in a single moment the title song came rushing back, riding on a wave of nostalgia. Re-watching the show as an adult, even with the rose tinted glasses it made me realize one very important thing.

My god it’s full of Eighties.

If this series had not got its start in the era of excess, you would think that it is more of a parody. The title starts off with a countdown showcasing some nameless glam rockers before cutting to two kids skateboarding followed by one of their friends riding their BMX over a hill and crashing into the titular character’s egg. From then on the title theme is a mix of Denver mugging the camera while on stage and realistic dinosaurs from the past.

It is as eighties you can get.

To be honest, the song and show is kind of fun. Yeah the premise is silly, but this was an era where mysterious alien ooze can turn four turtles into ninja warriors to fight their masters tin plated rival, an intergalactic war between transforming robots is being fought on Earth and a barely dressed barbarian wielding a large sword is waging a war against the undead. The shows back then were a vehicle to sell merchandise so story telling was not critical. Usually by the end of the show, the villain’s latest scheme was stopped and all loose plot threads were accounted for.

In the end, the song is not bad. In the Pantheon of 80’s cartoon themes I would rate this track alongside the likes of Transformers, Thundercats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The title track has some pretty solid visuals and it honestly feels like an experimental New Wave music video. The song certainly cheesy and the music is used often in the show, but tell me one cartoon from the 80’s that wasn’t.

If you want a show that takes you back to that era, I would suggest you take a look at Denver The Last Dinosaur. However, if you  are something high class such as Avatar the Last Airbender or the DC Animated Universe then you will be disappointed. If you wish to see the show, you can find it on the World Event Productions Youtube page.

This is Daimo Mac and I am lost in the music.

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Also a side note. Mike Dodd will be doing a charity stream in October for Toronto’s Sick kids as part as the Extra Life charity. Help him reach his goal. you can find the donation page at www.birdmangivesback.com

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