Customer Reviews

Spike Jones Is Murdering the Classics

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a ten year old Spike Jones Fan and I like all of the albums Spike made. My favorite song on this one is Number 12, Carmen. I recommend this to all kids, no matter how old they are!

I've always liked this Spike Jones collection,I own the original LP and I literally wore out my original copy of it and had to replace it so I'm glad it was issued on CD but for two things: It is a straight CD copy of the original 1971 LP master laden with RCA's infamous fake stereo which makes some of the tracks almost unlistenable. Since RCA has restored the original mono sound of a number of artists whose recordings were ruined by the fake stereo effect (Elvis Presley probably bieng the most notable example) I wish they had taken the effort to do that here. The other problem I had with the original issue of this album was that a couple of the tracks were edited for no discernable reason. The "Nutcracker Suite" was originally issued with a sort of storybook narration which has been edited out here and the sections rearranged (Though the original full length recording has since been reissued on the collection "Spiked! The Music Of Spike Jones" in it's original superb monophonic sound). I like this collection and perhaps one day RCA will offer an expanded CD version with some additional tracks in their original mono sound. If you're a Spike Jones fan you will certainly enjoy this album.

Frankly, I didn't know how many stars to give this. I gave it 5 because it's a wonderful compilation -- ALL of Spike's classical music. ("Nutcracker Suite" is edited down, deleting most of the choir passages -- which are hard to understand anyway.) BUT: the 1971 re-mastering added heavy electronic echo, phase shift and filtering to simulate stereo. This CD actually mixes the end result back to mono again! -- with painful results!

This is my favorite album of Spike Jones', especially Carmen, and is one of his finest! I'm so glad to see it in CD format and recommend it hightly as a first time purchase or for collectors!

I have had the vinyl record of this since the early 70's (still play it). Now my kids are loving it, so I need to acquire in CD as my vinyl is a bit scratched. Spike Jones humor is timeless. Pal-Yat-Chee is one of the best tracks on the album.

STRANGELY ENOUGH IT IS ONLY AFTER HEARING THE MURDER ON A VINYL LP OF THIS THAT I BEGAN LIKING CLASSICAL MUSIC. THE OPERA
CARMEN ON A TYPEWRITER? LUCKILY FOR CONTEMPORARTY POP ARTISTS HE ISN'T AROUND TODAY. HE SURE WOULD HAVE FUN MURDERING THEM.
AND WHAT KIND OF NOISES COULD HE HAVE INVENTED WITH TODAYS ELECTRONIC TOOLS AVAILABLE TO HIM? BUT HE MADE DO WITH WHAT HE HAD. GUNS TO SHOOT MUSICIANS BICYCLE HORNS A LATRINOPHONE (STRINGS ON A TOILET BOWL) AND ANYTHING HE COULD GET HIS HANDS ON. IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME STAGE ACT. IF YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION CHECK OUT YOUR FAVORITE WEIRD ARTIST AND YOU'LL FIND THE FLAME OF SPIKES' GENIUS RELIVING IN HIM. IF YOU TAKE YOURSELF AND THE WORLD SERIOUSLY STAY AWAY FROM THIS. IF YOU LIKE PARODY, NOVELTY SONGS, ABSURDITY, AND JUST PLAIN FOOLISHNESS THIS IS ONE OF SPIKE'S BEST COLLECTIONS. I NO LONGER HAVE THE DISC AND WILL PURCHASE THIS CD FOR SURE. UNFORTUNATELY
AMAZON DOES NOT LIST THE TRACKS BUT FROM MEMORY HERE ARE A FEW.
CARMEN (OVER TEN MINUTES OF PURE INSANITY)
THE BEETLEBAUM (BET ON THIS LONG SHOT)
WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE TURNED INTO A CAR RACE
A SHORTENED YET VERY GOOD VERSION OF SPIKES NUTCRACKER SUITE
FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE (DONE IN THE STYLE OF "I LOVE TO LAUGH" FROM MARY POPPINS.
CHLOE
THE BLUE DANUBE (ACCORDING TO SPIKE IT ISN'T BLUE)
AND OTHER SONGS I CAN'T REMEMBER OTHER THAN SIDE A AND B WERE BOTH GOOD.
HERE ARE SOME PROVEN USES FOR THIS CD THAT I HAVE TRIED.
1. PLAY IT LOUD AND EARLY ON A SATURDAY MORNING. YOU'LL PUT SMILES ON THEIR FACES?
2. PLAY IT AT A PARTY AND GET THROWN OUT AND OR YOUR DISC BROKEN!

I grew up listening to the record of Spike Jones and couldn't wait to find it on CD. I searched for years and finally found it here and it is even better than I had remembered. :)

... I would have thrown out this one out of my collection long ago. Those remasterings are terrible: reverb (added on purpose, I suppose) and distortion (sneaked in by accident, I hope) are meeting here... But where to find a really nice digitally remastered "Carmen", comparable with the version that appeared on the yellow RCA double LP back in the seventies?