Helloween - Dr. Stein

[ellyssian]

And the humor is back. This tune was originally released on 1988's Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2, but is here is a performance from their forthcoming end-of-March 2010 release Unarmed: Best of 25th Anniversary (CD/DVD).

As with the track from Chameleon a few days back, this one includes horns (performed in the video by scantily clad nurses). The vocalist is Andi Deris, who has been with the band since Michael left in 1993. Die hard fans of Helloween (pre-Pink Chameleons) shouldn't be too concerned about the horns ~ for the most part, Andi's more limited vocal range has been compared to original lead vocalist (and co-guitarist) Kai Hansen's, and that early material was some of their heaviest material to date. This version of the tune is, as can be gathered from the video, clearly done for fun.

We're back to humor in the lyrics with this one, wherein the eponymous doctor has some (eventually fatal) fun with cloning. As a fan of lyrics that tell a story and show change over the course of the tune, I like how they chorus shows a progression of the "funny creatures" created by the good doctor, particularly how they start off as "great rock musicians" and then "They become great politicians" (with great imagery in the video, shedding light on the truth and explaining much about politics).

For reference, here's a clip of the original performance with Michael Kiske:

Once they killed his monster when it went into a trap
Now he's making better ones on a higher step

[Bridge:]
On a warm summer day the doctor went away
To a place where he could make it real
His assistant's hips were nice
So he cloned her once or twice
Now his hips are aching what a deal

[Chorus:]
Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
Lets them run into the night
They become great rock musicians
And their time is right

Sometimes when he's feeling bored
He's calling it a day
He's got his computers and they do it their own way

[Bridge:]
They mix some DNA, some skin and a certain spray
You can watch it on a laser screen
And the fellow's blue and grey
Or sometimes pink and green
Just check it out on Halloween

[Chorus:]
Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
Lets them run into the night
They become great politicians
And their time is right

[Solo: Mike/Kai/Mike/Kai]

[Bridge:]
One night he cloned himself
Put his brother on a shelf
But when he fell asleep that night
It crept up from behind and thought "well never mind"
Took a syringe and blew out his life

[Chorus:]
Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
Lets them run into the night
They become a great possession
And their time is right

[Chorus:]
Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
Lets them run into the night
They become a great oppression
And their time is right