Customer Reviews

Spike Jones in Hi-Fi (Spike Jones in Stereo)

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

 

 

This is a classic recording that was advertised for years in the back of Famous Monsters of Filmland. Spike Jones combines cornball humor and accomplished musicianship to create a spellbinding and silly theater of the mind.

It is a great showcase for Paul Frees, the genius who did Boris Badenov, the voice of Disney's Haunted Mansion, George of the Jungle's Ape, the Orson welles-style intro to George Pal's "War of the Worlds", and a zillion other things. Frees outdoes himself in 3 segments as Dracula (doing a hilarious, deeply nuanced Bela Lugosi impression), singing witty, morbid love duets with "Vampira", voiced with old-fashioned flair by the flawless Loulie Jean Norman. Frees' song as the Frankenstein Monster (in Karloff's lisp) is not as good as Bobby (Boris) Pickett's "Monster Mash", but still flavorful. His Germanic Mad Scientist uses his Verner von Drake voice from the Disneyland TV show, only not speeded up.

Some of the humor is not so much funny as it is a nostalgic trip back to the late fifties, when remarks about death were cause for uncomfortable, Charles Addams-esque giggles. Frees' Alfred Hitchcock is good, but the gags are hit-or-miss, like something from a Halloween edition of the Milton Berle show. Frees reprises his Peter Lorre for another go at "My Old Flame" in a recording with interesting variations from the one we've all heard on Jones' perennial Greatest Hits album. Thurl (Tony the Tiger) Ravenscroft does a nice parody of "Young Doctor" TV shows, second only to his turn in Chuck Jones' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". When these guys try to do Rock 'n' Roll, as in "Monster Movie Ball, the results are as unhip as Pat Boone, but still fun. Their musical strength is vaudeville and surreal parodies of romantic ballads and swing hits of the '40s and '50s, and in this they hold their own with the greatest bands of that era.

The highlight for me was the two-headed beatnik who speaks each word of his sentences out of alternate sides of the stereo speakers. Then he does an incredible version of Poe's "The Raven" sung to a lighthearted and very familiar (but maddenly unnameable) tune.

This really took me back to the days of my childhood when monsters and the fantastic were mysterious and fascinating. I played it over and over, savoring every texture as though I were still 10 years old. I'm into this sort of stuff, but very picky about quality and creativity. This represents a moment in time that will never be repeated.

Ok, this is a silly Spike Jones album, but still a sentimental old favorite for me. My sister and I used to play this 1959 album to death in the 1970's, and we eventually wore it out.I did find a new LP copy in the 80's.It has a lot of 'spooky' stuff that we used to love.Yeah, The songs are goofy, but the writers came up with some creative stuff like my favorite 'I Was A Teenage Brain Surgeon', voiced by the GREAT Thurl Ravenscroft ('You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch', Tony The Tiger,etc.)Voice Over King Paul Frees is featured in a number of character roles and this album really showcases his ability to play multiple characters simultaneously, like when he is parodying Edward R. Murrow on 'Poisen To Poisen' and interviewing 'Alfred', a great send-up of Hitchcock. 'Monster Movie Ball' is another great song.I agree that the comedy is uneven in spots, but overall it holds up as typical Spike Jones material. They took full advantage of the 'new' technology of 'Stereophonic Sound' on this LP. It's kind of neat to hear what a big deal 'STEREO' was in 1959.If Spike could have only lived until the digital era!Spike Jones always used the best studio musicians/composers/arrangers in the business, and it shows!Thanks to Collectors Music for resurrecting this old favorite from the graveyard of musical history! I thought it'd NEVER see the light of day on CD!Groovy, Man!

I initially heard this album as a small child. My father had a copy of the LP (not for retail sale for demonstration purposes only!) that he played for us, and transferred to tape. Every year the tape came out around October, to be played alternately with Bobby "Boris" pickett's "Monster Mash" album, A mix-tape of Halloween appropriate classical music (Dance Macabre, Symphonie Fantastique, etcetera) and Elvira's Haunted Hits (Screamin' Jay Hawkins anyone?).

In my inner Autumnal landscape, only the classical mix-tape can compete with Spike Jones Spooktacular. The variety of the characters, subject matter, and the quality of the band make this a quintessential element in the alchemy that evokes the spirit of Halloween.

As others have already said, if you're into this sort of thing (Spike Jones, the Creature Feature wave of the 1950's and 1960s and related comedy/campiness) - this is one great little time capsule/treasure into that lost era. I too have memories of having the LP version of Spike Jones in Hi Fi, though the one thing I recall most was that the record was so scratched and beat-up by the time I got my hands on it - it was near unlistenable. Still I remember hearing `I Was a Teenage Brain Surgeon' and the Alfred Hitchcock send-up with some clarity. The painted cover (with Spike as the Brain Surgeon amidst all the monsters) was unforgettable as well. I have to wonder if this record wasn't a formative record for Dee Dee Ramone as one could argue the Teenage Brain Surgeon song seems to be a prototype of sorts for the Ramones "Teen Age Lobotomy" which came later (1970s)...High spots for me on this great album: The interview with "Alfred" (again one has to wonder if this bit of black comedy didn't influence ol' Hitch himself poking fun at his macabre reputation in later Alfred Hitchcock paperback book covers and other media), the Dracula & Vampira duets, the Peter Lorre "My Old Flame" tune and the "This is Your Death" spoof that segues into the Two-Headed Beatnik bit....One word of caution, like with a lot of Amazon stuff when it appears the stock goes down with the individual sellers who offer this CD - the price seems to shoot WAY UP. I paid $30.00-plus dollars for my copy in June 2010 - and now I see its rocketed up over $60.00....So, you might be better off with a used copy if you're on the fence about whether you'll like this or not...So, again if you're nostalgic and appreciative of Famous Monsters type humor, are a Spike Jones fan - or like campy humor: you can't go wrong...Keep in mind this originally came out in 1959!... If you're not on-board with any of the preceding - you might be disappointed (particularly with the price.)

At last the marriage of two of my favorite things: Halloween and novelty music and by the master himself (and a few choice guests!).. . Fans of Disney's Haunted Mansion (and Bullwinkle's Boris) will recognize the voice of Paul Frees. Here is a collection of delightful, wacky and a bit dark fun from the king of parody (the extended re cut of My Old Flame is fantastic!!). . .A must for fans of SJ and/or Halloween!

This album came out in 1959. Stereo was a new concept then. The stereo is brilliant on this. The album is theater for the mind and ears. There is some really cool jazz & 50's rock'n'roll on this disc, not the usual Spike "City Slickers" style at all. There is only one cut that is in The Slickers style. Spike was trying to do something very different here, and succeeded magnificently. The humor is GREAT satire about the tv shows and media of the late 1950's, and about classic horror and sci-fi films. If u r too young for this, you propably won't get most of the numerous jokes & lyrics! SPIKE JONES was a genius. The Frank Zappa of the 1940's!? Incredibly creative and versatile. Read books about him. Seems that most people who knew him and worked w/him loved him as person also, not just as an artist. If you are in the age group that grew up in this era (1930's-80's)(?), and also have studied music/are a musician, love old horror movies & tv shows, and have of a sense of humor, I don't see how you could not think that this is a Masterpiece! I also HIGHLY recommend the Spike EP (vinal) "Spike Jones Plays The Charleston" - another Masterpiece,and very different from The Spooktacular. NOT on CD, you'll have to search Ebay for this one..... Also I highly recommend the video "the Spike Jones Story"

Spike's long play albums do not have the timing and tight editing his 78's do. This is to be expected. Filling up a long play album takes a heck of lot of jokes. Spike seemed to be more concerned with filling time than with the careful editing and pacing of material. I foound this album to be slow paced. In fact, it painfully drags in spots. The songs are naturally tighter but lack the spark of his old wit. I felt the whole "monster and gore" theme of the album to be overplayed. Get this album only after you are completely familiar with Spike's older works...or if you enjoyed this album in your youth or while visiting a friend's place.