Customer Reviews

The Spike Jones Story

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

 

 

Finally! A Spike Jones DVD! Spike previously has been represented in this format only on two video compliations, "The Unknown Mark Brothers," and a Reader's Digest comedy box set.

This disc is a repackaging of the 1988 biographical VHS (and Spike's ONLY audio/visual biography ever made).

Lots of clips and quick editing capture the "look and feel" of Spike's brand on music. His friends, coworkers, and family members reveal details about the man himself in documentary style.

LOTS of musical excerpts in this one hour program - but like a movie preview, the clips leave you hungry for the full-length versions.

It's nice to have the 21 cue marks, but most seem to be put in at random places.

Some bonus tracks would have been nice for this reissue. There are none here. Still, at $11.95, this disc is an entertainment bargain!

This is a must have DVD for all Spike Jones fans out there.
It is a 1988 TV special that features interviews with guests that either knew Spike professionally,worked with him or was a member of his family.It contains live concert footage as well as a myriad of rarely seen movie and TV footage.It certainly leaves you salivating for more and complete material.And if this show is any indication there seems to be plenty of it out there just waiting to be put together and marketed.
After listening to Spike and his zany bands of misfits for years
only on records it gave me new insights as to exactly what Spike was like live and on TV and how he worked.He obviously had a good screen presence and put on an hilarious show but more importantly it showed me exactly just how talented he and all his band members were.
The DVD itself contains NO extras at all(thus lowering its' rating by one star).But considering the total and unfortunate lack of other such shows about Spike Jones I am grateful for just having this one.
In concluding I can only say that if you want a greater respect/appreciation for Spike Jones' music then this DVD is just what the doctor ordered.
Thank you music lovers and thank YOU Spike and the rest of the gang for the great "music" and laughs you've given us all.

Finally a great Spike Jones biography on DVD... a biography that just happened to originally be released about 15 YEARS AGO!! ;) ... BUT ANYWAY!

The great thing about this DVD is that it was filmed (or video taped anyway) when George Rock was still amoung us. I'm just a fan in my 20's but I have a great respect for George Rock's talent in the city slickers... this biography was actually dedicated to his memory (He obviously died shortly after this was put together).

I loved this DVD, while much of the footage was simply from Spikes TV show... there's also a lot of rare footage. Interviews with Sir Frederic Gas and Billy Barty are a plus... not to mention the insights of a younger Dr. Demento.

Buy this DVD... It's a great price and good for multiple viewings (if you're a crazy fan like me anyway)

I wanted to see more old video footage of Spike and Co performing. Behind the scenes details of his percussion pieces and props would have been of interest to me.
Best to just listen to his legacy of great recordings and let your imagination run wild. No pictures needed.

BE

To my knowledge this is the only film documentary of Spike ever produced. Spike was hugely popular with the World War II generation in the USA. Interestingly, the executive producers of this production are Danish. To me, Spike Jones was the Frank Zappa AND the Weird Al Yankovich of the 40's and 50's. He was an absolutely brilliant musical satirist/comedian, band leader, and percussionist. This is a great documentary film. All of the folks interviewed seemed to love Spike, despite his reputation as being a sometimes overly strict band leader. Spike's show, which consisted of his orchestra of musician/comedians, singers, other wild personalities and circus-type performers toured relentlessly in the 1940's. Spike had his own weekly TV show in the early 1950's. I especially love his record albums "Spike Jones in Stereo: A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound" (1959), and, the brilliant "Spike Jones Plays The Charleston" (Still only available on vinyl). Spike was truly an American one-of-a-kind artist. This documentary was originally released on VHS in 1988. It's nice to see it available on DVD now also.

Wierd Al of the past, Spike Jones brought amazing musicianship and humor to his original compositions and perhaps more importantly, his parodies of the hit songs of his era. Spike was a fantastic percussionist and a bombastic bandleader, often playing melodies on tuned bicycle horns and shooting off guns on stage. Grab this DVD for a guaranteed laugh or two ... or 200!