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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny stuff, and make sure you get the bonus tracks, September 25, 2000
This review is from: Musical Depreciation Revue Anthology (Audio CD)
This compilation of Spike Jones recordings features many of the band's famous decimations of popular songs ("Cocktails for Two," "The William Tell Overture (Beetlebaum)," "Liebestraum," "Hawaiian War Chant," etc.). This set digs a little deeper than the usual Jones reissue, by including the more obscure numbers. "Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma" is an early hillbilly ditty co-written by Milton Berle; "By the Beautiful Sea" was almost immediately suppressed in the '40s because of a supposedly suggestive vocal; "The Late, Late Movies, Part II," a comedy routine by Paul Frees as a late-show pitchman, has been issued before but now it has an entirely different music track! (The familiar ragtime-piano background is now lounge-band jazz.) The anthologists, apparently determined to feature the rare stuff, bumped some of the Jones classics and made them bonus tracks: "Holiday for Strings" is one of The City Slickers' all-time best, with the band coming on like a four-alarm fire; "Laura," first half dead serious and last half crazy, is a shining example of how good and how disciplined the Jones musicians were. These and other tunes should have been included in the basic package. All in all, a fine collection, but make sure you get those bonus tracks.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent anthology, a few weak tracks, October 25, 2004
This review is from: Musical Depreciation Revue Anthology (Audio CD)
During his career and for 20 years after, Spike Jones was criticized as much as he was enjoyed for his crude satires and often puerile humor. But there was a lot more to Spike than just inane humor--his City Slickers were crack musicians who could literally play in any style from Dixieland to classical with the correct figuration.
This collection centers around his most popular recordings for RCA with a few fillers chosen by Dr. Demento. Some of these fillers are excellent, such as "The Sheik of Araby," "Clink Clink Polka," "Jones Polka" and the very rare "By the Beautiful Sea." Others, like "Ya Wanna Buy a Bunny?," "Wyatt Earp Makes Me Burp" and the track from the Spike Jones Spooktacular, are quite simply childish with no real musical appeal. I would much rather have had "Chinese Mule Train," "MacNamara's Band" and the hysterically funny "Drip, Drip, Drip [Sloppy Lagoon]" in their place.
The transfers are superb. I had some of these records on the original 78s and can vouch that this is EXACTLY how they sounded. The liner notes are likewise excellent, with complete documentation, rare photos and original record labels (though the record labels are awfully dark and hard to read). Overall, highly recommended.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great music gets Spiked, March 1, 2007
This review is from: Musical Depreciation Revue Anthology (Audio CD)
RHINO's SPIKE JONES ANTHOLOGY is a comprehensive and hilarious gathering of some of the best City Slickers 1940s and early '50s recordings. With a body of work as extensive as that of Spike Jones, naturally individual favorites might have gotten overlooked, yet no other Jones/Slickers album of this size contains so many super tracks. Sound quality is excellent on these 78 record to digital transfers. A highly informative 52-page booklet completes the package. For all lovers of zany music. Highest recommendation.
TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE -- 59:28
DISC TWO -- 63:44
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