Spike Jones - Greatest Hits

Spike Jones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 24, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000JY9Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,298 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #68 in Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy > Contemporary Comedy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than meets the eye!, December 23, 1999

By 

Ted Hering (Redding, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spike Jones - Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

If you think there's nothing here but the same old songs in yet another package, you're in for a surprise! Rather than using the echo and filter processed LP masters, the engineers went back to the metal parts -- and accidently released several alternate versions of these standards in the process. "Hawaiian War Chant" is the 1945 "lower plate wobble" version (in pristine sound, unlike the Harlequin release transferred from scratchy test pressings). "Der Fuehrer's Face" is the legendary trombone take. And "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" contains an unedited conclusion, with minor bloopers such as a bumped music stand, a "clam" on the chimes, and an almost maniacal laugh from Rudolph. And yes, there are a few tracks that are making their first showing on CD. I was going to give this CD four-and-a-half stars, but the system doesn't permit it. One weakness in planning: "Dance of the Hours" is placed BEFORE "William Tell Overture," spoiling the comic sequence.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Musical Mayhem and Madness !, August 15, 2004

By 

Eddie Landsberg "My 10th year as a reviewer !... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Spike Jones - Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

o.k. two of my faves are missing from this one... LAURA, and Spike Jones version of Carmen.... also interestingly, the versions are different than the ones on some other CDs currently available... but who's to complain... ? Spike Jones is Spike Jones and he was brilliant... What cracks me up is the way he can go from playing a tune so straight that you'd never guess that a few minutes later midgets'll be jumping out of tubas, air raid sirens going off, and all mayhem will be breaking lose. In fact, I love seeing the reaction of people who might really get into the "straight" intros to the tunes, and their face change colors when suddenly the madness begins. - - as "cornball" as some of the comedy is, some of it has a level of surrealistic irreverance and musical calculation that i takes the music to level of high art... I mean... Its one thing to fire shotguns in the air, break glasses and belching... but to have the band doing it in perfect time and key ? No wonder FRANK ZAPPA actually sited Spike Jones as a primary influence in his autobio... and he wasn't the only modern musician who's been influenced by Spike... I'm a straight Jazz organist... I recorded a new CD recently... I do a very NORMAL version of LAURA, but the truth is, in my head when I was playing it, maybe the other musicians were hearing Charlie Parker's version... but whenever I play LAURA, or even MY OLD FLAME its Spike I hear !

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars pre rock and roll anarchy!, December 25, 2004

By 

kevin m antonio (rumford, ri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spike Jones - Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

Oh man, is this great... funny, wild, and even a little dangerous. Spike Jones was rock and roll before rock and roll... and he hated the form! Hated it. Which is too bad, because he seems to have planted some of the seeds for its birth; thumbing his nose at the high brows, total disregard for convention to name a few.
As for the music... Paul Frees's recitation of "My Old Flame" is so funny AND horrific it makes Eminem look like a wimp. Yes.
"Der Fuehrer's Face": listen to how the line "Superduper supermen" is delivered to find out what Spike and gang REALLY thought of the Nazis.
Doodle Weaver is THE secret weapon of Spike's arsenal. His performances on "Dance of the Hours" (at the Indy 500! Weaver's imitation of passing cars is so precise) and "William Tell Overture" (as a horserace, what else?) will live on long after we're gone. The only quibble is "Dance" comes on before "William Tell" and it really should be the other way around. Why? I don't want to spoil your fun; buy it and find out.
"Ya Wanna Buy A Bunny" is hysterical! Lots of great stuff on here, but my fave is "Chinese Mule Train". Racist as anything, true, but fall down funny (so I guess I'm going to h-e double hockey sticks...).
A warning: this is one of those cds you will either think is the greatest thing you've ever heard, or you will absolutely loathe it. There is NO middle ground. I hope you will think the former.