Friday, January 23, 2015

Friday Night Videos: Werewolves

This is something I wanted to start the year off with, but for some reason didn't get it set up.

Maybe it is the age I started playing or the time, but there was a strange alchemy that has forever link D&D (and most RPGs) and music together for me.  When I was in Jr. High we would not start playing until we saw at least one Iron Maiden video on the then commercial free MTV.  And in High School it was through D&D that I was introduced to scores of new bands and music that I remain a fan of to this day.

So it is with that in mind that I introduce my newest weekly feature.
Friday Night Videos.  I'll post a couple of videos, maybe around a theme, and talk about how they tied into my games.  I won't just focus on the 80s, though there will be a lot of that, nor will my focus be purely D&D related.

For my first post I want to include a video that I first saw on the show "Friday Night Videos" on NBC back in the day.  Just like the original, I'll have this up on Friday nights at 11:30 PM Central time.

First up is Ozzy Osbourne with the title track from his 1983 album, Bark at the Moon.
Honestly to this day I can write about werewolves and NOT think about this video.  I put this album on repeat when I was working on the monster section of Ghosts of Albion.



My Jr. High DM introduced me to Ozzy and my High School DM introduced me to Rush.
Of course the song has more to do with paranoia (and Paranoia) and a police state, I took it more literally as an enemy within yourself.  From 1984's Grace Under Pressure, "The Enemy Within".



Finally. Really how can we talk about werewolves and not include Warren Zevon's classic.
Excitable Boy was one of those albums that my DM threw at me and told me I had to listen to it before I came back for our next game (we were doing the Slave Lords adventures then).  The album is fantastic and it is almost regrettable that people usually only know "Werewolves of London".  You do get people that know about "Lawyers, Guns and Money", but most don't know what album it is from.   "Lawyers, Guns and Money" of course I used in my Buffy/Angel games.

"Werewolves of London" is honored in my games a number of ways but the most obvious is my vampire run strip club Mayfairs.



So what songs remind you of gaming?  Put in your requests below and I might pick them up on next weeks Friday Night Videos!  (People posting on Friday nights get to move to the front of the request lines).

5 comments:

Mercurius Aulicus said...

Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoiHX9azZeQ


And for a song actually about gaming: Mississipi Bones -- Dungeon Shuffle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcDpKBYbODM

paulgo said...

Great concept. I've got a similar association with Headbanger's Ball from hanging out with my cousins.

Knightsky said...

"Don't Pay The Ferryman" - Chris de Burgh

My wife says that Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok" makes her think of gaming conventions.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Mercurius Aulicus and Knightsky, excellent choices!

Paul, I tend to associate Headbanger's Ball more with college myself.

rainswept said...

Men Without Hats "Safety Dance". 1:36 for a look at B2 area 13. FOUNTAIN SQUARE (sans fountain). My Keep was maybe less of a garrison than some.