Based on my Film of the Week "sermon" this week--which, as I said, was unusually presented first--it seemed fitting to continue geeking out about This Is Spinal Tap.
Yes, it was a satirical parody of both the documentary format as well as rock 'n' roll music. But when I watch it, it seems clear to me that there was a lot of love behind it. The main reason I say this is because the film doesn't star actors playing musicians. It stars actors who actually are proper musicians themselves. Christopher Guest (as Nigel Tufnel--lead guitar), Michael McKean (as David St. Hubbins--lead guitar), and Harry Shearer (as Derek Smalls--bass) performed all their own music in the film.
The songs performed in the movie were all co-written by Guest, McKean, Shearer, and director Rob Reiner. They chronicle not only the history of Spinal Tap from their beginnings around the time of the British Invasion (when they were still known as The Thamesmen), but also the history of rock music during that time. Their 1965 single "Gimme Some Money," as well as its B-side "Cups and Cakes," both have that kind of early to mid 1960s pop feel to it. 1967's "(Listen to the) Flower People" clearly embraced the psychedelic movement of the time. By the 1970s, the group had begun to adopt a heavier sound with such classics as 1973's "Big Bottom," 1976's "Heavy Duty," and--my personal favourite--1974's "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight." (NOTE: Dates were taken from the liner notes to the soundtrack which appears to be a "Greatest Hits" kind of thing. To be clear, all the songs were actually written in the early 1980s specifically for the movie.)
To further blur the line between fiction and reality, Spinal Tap actually toured off and on over the next 25 years. They even released another album in 1992, Break Like the Wind, which finally featured the first song Nigel and David wrote together in 1955, the skiffle number "All the Way Home." When Tap toured again in 2001, some of the shows even featured The Folksmen as their opening act. (The Folksmen would be featured in Christopher Guest's 2003 mockumentary about folk music, A Mighty Wind, and were also played by Guest, McKean, and Shearer--that's right, they opened for themselves!)
To this day, that soundtrack and everything that follows still sounds, at least to me, like a love letter to rock music in its many varieties over the years, but specifically to heavy metal--admittedly with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but a love letter nonetheless. So, to complement this week's film "sermon," please enjoy the soundtrack to 1984's This Is Spinal Tap. It should be noted that the YouTube link does include the 1984 single "Christmas With the Devil" (as well as its B-side, the "Scratch Mix" of the same song) that were included on the reissue of the CD in 2000.
Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember that you should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me.
Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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