Recently there have been a few new releases of music about Doctor Who in celebration of the 50th anniversary. I wish I’d been able to post this before the special aired, but life sort of got in the way, and I’m only just now getting caught up on everything.
“I Am the Doctor” by Devo Spice
First up we have Devo Spice’s song and video for “I Am the Doctor,” a track mostly about the eleventh Doctor (or whatever number Matt Smith is now…). In addition, there are numerous references to the other two “modern” Doctors as well. The video also features clips from the show that fit the lyrics. Technically, this isn’t new, but it will appear on a Doctor Who themed album, for which there was a successful Kickstarter. Unfortunately, I somehow managed to miss it (I could have sworn I was following Devo Spice on Twitter, but apparently I was not). It isn’t out at the moment, but at least we have a couple of tracks to sample for now (“Companion Application,” a song about being a companion which features the fifth Doctor rejecting Devo Spice, requires a free account to listen to, download free in 128k MP3 format, or purchase in 320k for just 99 cents). I can’t wait to hear the whole thing!
Bigger on the Inside single by Dr. Pants
Somehow I’ve never mentioned Dr. Pants in any of my columns. Dr. Pants writes geeky pop rock music, and this single is a good introduction to their music, especially if you’re a Doctor Who fan (which, if you’re not, why the heck are you reading this?). There are two tracks here: one, the title track which is, obviously, about the TARDIS, the “old police box that you can’t access.” I like the way they turn the song into a metaphor about humanity’s depths in the final verse (it’s sort of the reverse of Amanda Palmer’s song also titled “Bigger on the Inside,” in which the metaphor is the entire point, with no other reference to Doctor Who than the title. And, yes, I feel pretty safe in my assumption that it’s a reference to the show given who her husband is…).
The second is “Screwdriver Is Sonic,” celebrating the nearly unlimited power of the sonic screwdriver (at least when the story calls for it). Name a fandom, name a cool technology, and the sonic screwdriver can defeat it. Because it’s sonic, obviously. Both are fun, catchy songs, so go check them out now.
Bigger on the Inside: A Time Traveler’s Mixtape by More or Les
It’s not just Dr. Pants who released a tribute to the Doctor with a reference to the famous observation about the TARDIS; Canadian artist More or Les also recently put out a mixtape of songs about the Whoniverse. Actually, I previously mentioned the title track as a stand out on the recent third Grandpa Funnybook mixtape. This mixtape also includes a remix of the song (or should I say “regeneration”) as the final track.
Interestingly, most of the songs are about the various characters surrounding the Doctor rather than the Doctor himself. For example, probably my favorite track is “Angels and Monsters,” a song about the various aliens and creatures that the Doctor has faced. From the weeping angels to the Judoon, to the Silence (in a verse with guest Wordburglar), to the Sisters of Plenitude, he pretty much covers the range, except for the Daleks and Cybermen who get their own songs (“Get Exterminated!” and “Tenth Planet”, respectively). Also not mentioned is the Master, but he also gets his own song, “The Sound of Drums,” which incorporates the drum beat that the Master has been hearing his whole life from the episode of the same name. I absolutely loved that episode (and the others in the serial), so of course I love this song.
But it’s not just the “bad guys” that get songs. The companions get their own song with, I believe, every single one of them mentioned in “Travel Companions.” It’s a pretty impressive feat for a four minute song! Rose also gets her own song, “Rose Full of Tears,” which tells her story with the ninth Doctor. And, in addition to the title song, the TARDIS gets another one, “Magic Blue Box,” about the mad man in the box that is the Doctor and his inability to control where (and when, of course) the TARDIS goes.
I really cannot recommend this particular mixtape enough. If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, you really need to grab it immediately! It’s free, so what do you have to lose?
