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This Is Spinal Tap

 
Album Review: This Is Spinal Tap
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This Is Spinal Tap

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  • Artist: Spinal Tap
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1984
  • Total Time: 35:36
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Soundtrack
  • Genre: Comedy

Review

1984's perfect, side-splitting rock documentary spoof This Is Spinal Tap wouldn't have succeeded if Spinal Tap's "original" music didn't properly mimic what it poked fun at. But not only does the music have the exact traits of hard rock and heavy metal, the lyrics are a scream. The soundtrack features the howlingly funny songs used in director Rob Reiner's film. The music was all co-written by Reiner, Michael McKean (aka vocalist/guitarist David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (aka lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (aka bassist Derek Smalls). McKean, Guest, and Shearer -- all extremely talented comic actors and writers -- are credited with performing the music along with a keyboardist, drummer, and synthesizer player. "Hell Hole" and "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" are mindlessly catchy. The appropriately melodramatic "Heavy Duty" has a cliched, hysterical chorus. "Rock and Roll Creation" and "Stonehenge" mock the music and image of mystical, allegedly demonic bands like Black Sabbath; "Stonehenge" in particular is a riot thanks to Tufnel's narration about the Druids. "Big Bottom" and "Sex Farm" are two more highlights that needle the rampant misogyny, sexism, and machismo in the heavy metal subculture. "America," "Cups and Cakes," "Gimme Some Money," and "(Listen to The) Flower People" show a keen sense of rock history because they are meant to illustrate the '60s pop and psychedelia that influenced heavy metal's originators. The fictional liner notes are very funny too; included are the album covers of "Rock ‘N' Roll Creation," "Brainhammer," "Shark Sandwich," "Heavy Metal Memories," "The Sun Never Sweats," and "Intravenus de Milo," as well as the band's bio in The Rocklopedia Brittanicus. The 2000 remastered CD -- re-released in conjunction with the DVD and VHS re-releases -- includes lyrics and two versions of "Christmas With the Devil" as bonus tracks. ~ Bret Adams, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Hell Hole (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (3:07)
Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (2:38)
Heavy Duty (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (4:28)
Rock & Roll Creation Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (4:08)
America (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (3:31)
Cups and Cakes (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (1:33)
Big Bottom (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (3:32)
Sex Farm (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (3:20)
Stonehenge (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (4:36)
Gimme Some Money (Lyrics) Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (2:26)
(Listen to The) Flower People Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (2:38)
Christmas with the Devil [*] Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (4:28)
Christmas with the Devil [Scratch Mix][*] Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner Spinal Tap (4:42)

Credits

Spinal Tap (Main Performer), Harlan Collins (Synthesizer), Harlan Collins (Arranger), Christopher Guest (Guitar), Christopher Guest (Mandolin), Christopher Guest (Vocals), Christopher Guest (Producer), Patrick McDonald (Engineer), Patrick McDonald (Mixing), Rick Parnell (Percussion), Harry Shearer (Bass), Harry Shearer (Vocals), Harry Shearer (Producer), Michael McKean (Guitar), Michael McKean (Vocals), Michael McKean (Producer), David Kaff (Keyboards), R.J. Parnell (Percussion), R.J. Parnell (Drums), Kenneth Karman (Editing), Kenneth Karman (Music Editor), David Kalf (Keyboards), Jon Sinclair (Keyboards)
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Wikipedia: This Is Spinal Tap (album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
"Big Bottom" redirects here. For the Big Bottom massacre of American pioneers, see Big Bottom massacre.
This Is Spinal Tap
Soundtrack by Spinal Tap
Released 1984
Genre Comedy rock, heavy metal
Length 35:36
Label Polydor
Producer Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Professional reviews
Spinal Tap chronology
This Is Spınal Tap
(1984)		 Break Like the Wind
(1992)

This Is Spinal Tap (or simply Spinal Tap) was the soundtrack to the film This Is Spinal Tap, released in 1984. It was re-released in 2000 with lyrics and two versions of "Christmas with the Devil" as bonus tracks. The cover art is identical to that of the fictional album Smell the Glove featured in the film.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Hell Hole" – 3:07
  2. "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" – 2:38
  3. "Heavy Duty" – 4:28
  4. "Rock and Roll Creation" – 4:08
  5. "America" – 3:31
  6. "Cups and Cakes" – 1:33
  7. "Big Bottom" – 3:32
  8. "Sex Farm" – 3:20
  9. "Stonehenge" – 4:36
  10. "Gimme Some Money" – 2:26
  11. "(Listen to the) Flower People" – 2:38
2000 CD Bonus tracks
  1. "Christmas with the Devil" – 4:24
  2. "Christmas with the Devil (Scratch Mix)" – 4:42

Missing film songs

Noticeably missing tracks from the film include "All The Way Home", "Lick My Love Pump", "Jazz Odyssey", and the band's a cappella performance of "Heartbreak Hotel". "All The Way Home", however, did later appear on the Break Like the Wind album, while "Jazz Odyssey" later appeared on the Back From The Dead album.

Other appearances

"Gimme Some Money" was featured in the 1991 comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.

The song "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" is featured in the video game Guitar Hero II. When played as the encore song at the end of the career mode's second tier, the in-game band's drummer spontaneously combusts upon the song's completion, a direct reference to This Is Spinal Tap.

Seattle grunge band Soundgarden covered the song "Big Bottom" several times at their live shows while they were active.

In early 2007, American Express Small Business Services used "Gimme Some Money" (with vocals) as background music in a television ad.

Personnel

External links

v • d • e
Spinal Tap
Nigel Tufnel · David St. Hubbins · Derek Smalls
Studio albums
This Is Spinal Tap · Break Like the Wind · Back from the Dead
Feature film
Cast and crew
Related articles
Stub icon This soundtrack-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Stub icon This 1980s metal album-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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