Customer Reviews

Spike Jones - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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 !

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.

This is one of my husbands favorits. We listen to Spike Jones in the car when we go on a trip and it sets the mood immediately.

I was a broadcaster in a small town in the West when an American Airlines plane with engine trouble carrying over a hundred passengers was forced to land at our airport...and Spike Joes was aboard. A friend at the airport called me and I grabbed a tape recorder and headed out. Jones was receptive and I did a thirty minute interview with him.....10 minutes of which I could use. He was just as funny as his music would indicate..but also a little raw. He spent someof the interview time promoting his latesst single at the time " Cherry Pink and Yellow Jaundice White". Yes..it was 1955.
This album has most of my favorites and if you are a Jones fan you won't want to be without it.

Spike Jones was sort of a comedian type of musician who made waltz and Dixie land beats with pans, glass bottles, whistles, circus horns, cranks, and pretty much any other strange item he could find. A lot of his lyrics he adds are nonsensical and a lot of random outbursts are shoved in here and there. Heck, on some of his songs, he doesn't even sing, but goes off talking in a fast or odd voice on some random topic like horse races. If you listen to too many of his songs in a row, it starts to get on your nerves and you just want to crack the CD in half after hearing over an hour of bottles popping, random outbursts, and weird noises. But that's what made Spike Jones unique, he parodied so many songs, and added kind of a novelty feeling to them, and of course, even made fun of Hitler and the nazis in a way nobody else could have. Some of his songs are actually listenable too, and don't go too heavy on the goofiness. If you aren't really in the mood, you will probably be more annoyed by his songs. His songs are so weird and bizarre for the time period he performed in, but are still good to listen too if you're in the weird mood and want a change in your typical music.

Unlike my 3 wolves moon shirt review, this one is for real.

Combining incredible musical skill and silliness, Spike Jones was a precursor to Weird Al. In fact, some of the songs on this fun CD are claimed to be censored versions of what really went on. Er.. at least one is. This CD is great for Christmas (with or without two front teeth or Rudolph with a cold), a young kids birthday, or anyone reminiscing about yesteryear's music.

Another madcap collection - old favourites plus some I'd never heard before - so just proves you're never too old ! The lyrics are the highlights, with some very modern new age 'music' sounds, yeh I listen to classical as well, and this is better than the cacaphonic new compositions from that genre, at least I can sing along and get happy !

The disk was all I expected. As might be expected, the reording and my memory were different. The difference was good, however.

I was so happy to find this. The family spent some great times together listening to the 78's. My Dad was a HUGE fan! I wish he were still around to listen to the CD quality. Mom and I had a great time reminiscing. I do have (1) very minor disappointment... I was used to and liked better a different version of "Hawaiian War Chant" it was my favorite as a kid. This one is much "quieter"