ANYONE who was in a rock band, or worked around that business, or knows someone who was in that scene, can appreciate this movie, and usually laugh all the way through it.
I maintain that NO ONE is allowed to call themselves a musician if they haven't seen this movie. There are just so many references that get made, you'll be lost without seeing it.
Please, don’t forget to appreciate that actors not only, wrote/ improvised their lines, they also wrote AND performed the songs. That’s what, to me, is so amazing about this move.
And they invented the entire back story of the band, adding the improvisation during the interview. Rob Reiner had no knowledge of the answers, or back story prior to filming the scenes.
There’s never been a movie about the music business that was so painfully accurate.😃 As an aside, I did photography for a stage lighting magazine. I shot Springsteen in New Jersey, U2 in Boston, The Jacksons in L.A. Lots of shows but Spinal Tap in Marshfield Mass is the ONLY show security ever bounced me out of.😃 As I was being escorted out right before intermission I managed to catch the eye of my nephew who was standing by the light board. He told the LD who said, “Dammit!”. He got me back in to shoot the rest of the show with a laminate pass. After the show he said, “I’ll need that back.” I’m not proud to say I whined like a two year old.😃 The LD gave a bit of an exasperated look and said, “Fine, I’ll tell them I forgot to ask for it back.” 😃 To this day my most coveted back stage pass is a real Spinal Tap laminate.😁
I saw Spinal Tap play live once in New York City. They opened for themselves as "The Folksmen", then came back for a full-length Spinal Tap show. For Big Bottom, everyone played bass and they added a tuba player to crank things up to 11. Great show!
@@Arrtificemy kid plays in the OSU marching band and I’m going to lobby hard for this song to get on the field. The thought of all those sousaphones playing the base line is making me laugh.
@@Arrtifice The same director and much the same cast did a take on folk music, and the band featured in that film was indeed The Folksmen. It's called A Mighty Wind, which is hilarious considering their preference for double meaning.
The English comedy heavy metal band 'Bad News' released their mockumentary 6 months prior to Spinal Tap. The played Donington monsters of rock festival in 1986 and toured with an album. Check them out!
40 years later and these guys still get gigs. The actors really play the instruments and sing. They have played to full stadiums. They've performed on live TV. You have found a gold mine of material here. This is one of the funniest movies ever with the twist that the actors are actually the musicians. Please post as many reaction videos as possible so long as you don't get de-funded! Because the video you reacted to here is actually kind of mild compared to some of the movie. Love it!
The mastery of Spinal Tap is not just the humour in the songs and the dialogue throughout the film, but all of their songs are actually GOOD songs. They were well written and performed. Levity and content aside, most any of them could have been played on the radio when the film came out. In fact, I knew many people who thought they were a real band and were looking to find out when Spinal Tap was going to perform in the area.
They did tour as Spinal Tap a few times. They even made a couple of albums. After you watch This is Spinal Tap, you should watch A Mighty Wind. The same three actors, but they're an old folk band. Their versatility as musicians is amazing for a bunch of actors.
@@cholomite I saw them as spinal tap perform at the Albert Hall in London years back. They were actually better than some 'real' bands. I've still got the t shirt.
The comparison I would make between Spinal Tap and 'real' bands is the WWE and professional boxing/MMA. Yes, WWE is scripted and fake... but the athleticism and showmanship on display is not. Spinal Tap might is a parody, but the musicianship on display is very real, and it's spectacular.
The same core group of actors are also in "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show." Christopher Guest is a master at capturing the humor in everyday life.
Christopher Guest (Nigel-Lead guitarist, the often zoomed in on checkered pants guy)) is a very talented musicians, writer, actor( he AND THE TWO OTHER PRIMARY GUYS ( thats for Sonic Professor...)wrote Spinal Tap)and director. He's also been married Jamie Lee Curtis since 84'. He was also the 6 finger man in The Princess Bride. And what makes this band better than all other bands, is their amps go to 11.
The other two aren't slouches. Harry Shearer has been on TV since the 1950s and voices numerous characters on The Simpsons. Michael McKean played Lenny on Laverne & Shirley and played in a band with Squiggy on that show and is perhaps better known today as being Chuck, Slippin'g Jimmy's uptight brother on Better Call Saul
@@bgrigg07 i never said they were.. I was just mentioning Christopher Guest in my comment. I grew up in the 70's I know who they are.. I guess i should have taken the time to also comment on Harry and Michael to please others. I forget how quick people are to freak out on comments.. When a comment isn't exactly how they would comment.
Not only is the movie hilarious, it's such an expression of love made by talented people who really love eachother. The chemistry is amazing. And some of the behind the scenes stuff is so heartwarming.
Liz, If you don't also enjoy the majesty of "Stonehenge", the grandeur of "Sex Farm" or the heartache of "Lick My Love Pump", well, your entire career is for naught. Just once...give the viewers an entire movie view. IT'S A MUSICAL!
What makes Spinal Tap brilliant is that when it comes to the actual music, they play it straight. Yes, it's a parody, but the characters they're playing don't know that, and the music, costumes, and showmanship are only *slightly* more over-the-top than the hair metal bands of the early/mid-80s. They never break character to nod & wink at the audience, and it makes the it both better and funnier. By Grabthar's Hammer, what a performance!
That, and the fact that it's legitimately GOOD music. If Spinal Tap the band sucked, the movie wouldn't work as a parody of the entire musical scene, because the joke would be on them instead of on the cultural trends they're parodying.
When I do this at karaoke, it's always a hit. And: 1 - you can always tell when someone in the audience knows the song. 2 - you can always tell when someone is completely unfamiliar with it, but was paying attention to the lyrics! 😆🤣😆🤣😆
@@briangriffin5524 You're not supposed to be looking at those amps. See, they've got the little tagger on 'em... the knobs can't be twisted!! You know what, just move along.
So much awesomeness... Derek's double bass (which is two of the same bass)... the in-character commentary... all the songs... EVERYTHING! It's one of my favorites of all time!
Probably the best mockumentary ever created. It created the genre. Its the sole inspiration of shows like "the Office" and all of its spin-offs and, really all modern comedy shows. Watching the songs really, really does not do it justice, as the absolute brilliant comedy between is essential to understanding how amazingly funny and stupid the actual songs are.
Btw the singer of this song,if you dont recognize him , is the brilliant Michael McKean , recently seen as the older brother of "Saul" in" better call Saul" the bassist in the clip is the voice of bartender Moe and other voices in The Simpsons. Christopher Guest , leader of the band, is perhaps the most underrated comic genius of our time
@@AndersHaalandverby - Bassist Harry Shearer doesn't voice Moe (that's Hank Azaria), but he does voice Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Kent Brockman, Reverend Lovejoy, etc., etc. Pretty much all the deep voices.
I believe the creators of Modern Family have referred to it as a major influence as well. Also, the Officer at the air force base played Phil Dunphy's dad.
The writing in this movie is on another level. You could say that the writing goes to 11. Consider all of the synonyms used for Bottom. It gives new meaning to the last line "How could I leave this Behind."
This Is Spinal Tap is perhaps the only movie I've watched countless times and it's gotten funnier to me every single time. It's a masterpiece. I also have had the pleasure of seeing them live and for a bunch of actors, they have pretty good chops.
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'." Also, This Is Spinal Tap is arguably one of the funniest movies ever made and it's definitely worth watching.
The movie is a must see. Artists like The Edge, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Eddie Vedder, and Dee Snider have all said they saw similarities to their own lives, while some also said that when they watched it, they didn't know if they should laugh or cry because of it's accurate portrayal of the music industry.
@@neillenet291 From what I can tell, they are not based on any one band, but used inspiration from many bands, Sabbath and Priest included. The Stonehenge scene was based on a similar incident that Black Sabbath had. In Sabbath's case the stones were made too large and wouldn't fit in any of the venues they were touring at.
@@neillenet291 Just about every major rock and prog band of the era thought it was about them... Seems like incidents and accidents like those shown in the film will happen to you if you tour enough!
It was 8 years after the movie that they released their 2nd album (Break Like the Wind) & it wasn't until that time that they actually toured... & I was at their very 1st performance ever at Universal Amphitheater...&... The drummer survived (BOO)...but he showed up (& played) with his foot in a cast (I can only assume they tried to take him out & it failed). Greatest intro ever...they dropped down from cables & David St Hubbins hit the stage...Nigel Tufnel was stuck 10' in the air & Derek Smalls was suspended with his waste right at the height his head would have been had he hit the stage...which allowed him to pivot on the cable & bring his head down to the microphone that was at that height to sing background vocals on their opening song, "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock Ya". Awesomest of Awesome concerts.
"I do not, for one, think that the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem *may* have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being *crushed* by a *dwarf*."
I could barely wait until you got to "mud flaps" and I wasn't disappointed at your reaction! "This is Spinal Tap" is brilliant comedy. The three main actors...Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, are all improv masters. They began with an outline and basically did improv instead of acting from a script for the movie. They recruited others with similar skills to be in the cast. Luckily, they're also pretty good musicians, too. Christopher Guest has gone on to create more mockumentaries that include music, especially "A Mighty Wind", which has the same three performing folk music in their later years. There's a commentary on the Criterion DVD of "This is Spinal Tap" that's in character and is just as funny as the movie itself. I have seen this movie literally hundreds of times and it's still hilarious to me.
I was coming on just to make that “mudflaps” comment. Elizabeth did exactly what I thought she would! I love that she could see the humor and not get bogged down in the crude lyrics.
will still say your ability to give a realistic review and remain professional in the face of such obviously preposterous shenanigans of a song is just....amazing...so glad I'm subbed to your channel!!
It should be noted that they wrote those songs and are actually singing them and playing all their own instruments. Another Mockumentary that Guest, Shearer, and McKean did (among others) was about music called A Mighty Wind. Very funny. A mockumentary about the folk music scene. Again wrote, played, and sang all their own music for that one as well.
Ahh, I was going to mention A Mighty Wind. I figured some else would have by now. It’s a whole different kind of funny. The whole lot of movies that were done by that group of actors are all pretty good. Except, I didn’t get Home for Purim, so that was my least favorite.
@@JasonSmith-jr7jh treetopjones is correct, Jeanine says dobly, dubly, or doubly, however you want to spell it, but she meant Dolby, as in the audio technology.
I was an audio engineer in UK at the time, never heard of Spinal tap 'til I moved to USA and can attest that all Marshall Amps went/go to 11. Also thanks to Roger Daltrey (lead singer WHO) for swinging his mic as I made a fortune in mic lead repairs as all the local bands emulated him. You will see in his later stuff he folded the lead and wrapped gaffer tape around it to relieve the strain. Good move for him. Great job as usual. Thanks!
@TrulyMadlyShallowly No joke. I worked on them long before the movie. They all went to 11. It obviously made no difference to the max volume, but musos knew about it. ST used it as a joke and spawned " it goes to eleven "
@@cliff481 I NEVER KNEW. I have been making 'goed to eleven' jokes forever and never knew that was always the case (and I mean, why not. 7 is fine too)
In the 70's, Michael McKean and his best friend and improv partner, David Lander, created 2 characters called Lenny and Squiggy. While at a party with their friend, Penny Marshall, she asked McKean and Lander to do those characters, just because it was funny. They did, and the producer of the soon to be 'Laverne & Shirley' show, who was also at the party, asked McKean and Lander if they would do those characters on a show he was going to make. It was supposed to be a one time appearance, but the characters were so funny that they just kept bringing them back. They ended up being in every episode. Lenny & Squiggy quickly became the stars of the show. In the show the Lenny and Squiggy characters had a band called, ' Lenny and the Squigtones.' Now this is where it gets interesting and is also the birth of Spinal Tap: In an Andy Kaufman-like fashion McKean and Landers pretended to be Lenny & Squiggy outside the show. The idea being that they are just being themselves on the show, they are not actors. They even went as far as to claim that Mike McKean and David Landers were their managers. So McKean and Landers went on all the talk shows of that time as Lenny & Squiggy, and people thought that was really who they were, and they often played a musical number with their band Lenny & the Squigtones. Much like when Spinal Tap came out, people thought they were a real band. Here's the crazy part, the guitarist in the band was none other than Nigel Tufnel, played by Christopher Guest. Check out this link of American Bandstand in 1979, Lenny & the Squigtones with Nigel Tufnel on guitar, pre-Spinal Tap. ua-cam.com/video/mS5qlEcttEw/v-deo.html
You MUST watch this movie, and more than once. If you have *anything* whatsoever to do with rock and roll music, it's just a must. This troupe of enormously talented comedians and musicians (they do play some of their own music "on tour") pretty much IMPROVISED the entire movie. And then they got the media to play along with them, and they had interviews on PBS, splashy stories in Guitar Player magazine, all done "straight", as if they really were this legendary metal band!!!! The movie has in-jokes taking off on anyone who ever was anyone in rock: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Cream, Hendrix, AC/DC, Jeff Beck, the list goes on and on and on... savage satire!!! I still own a concert T-shirt from Spinal Tap that I can't even wear in pubic... I think it's based on the Smell The Glove album cover that they *wanted to do* (see the Fran Drescher scene with the Manager)!!
To answer your question, yes, they have done tours. They even did Glastonbury. For the movie "A Mighty Wind" (recommended viewing), the folk band they played in that movie "opened" for Spinal Tap.
Christopher Guest told a story about this. The Folksmen were the opening act for Spinal Tap. In the audience Guest's son asked his mom, Jamie Lee Curtis, "When do the old guys finish, and the loud guys come on?"
The soundtrack for A Mighty Wind is a great one, with much that didn't make it on the film. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, as the folk duo Mitch & Mickey, sing one called When You're Next to Me. It made it on to my wedding dance soundtrack, a truly beautiful love song.
Spinal tap was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen. They played in Halifax, Toronto, AND Vancouver all on the same Canada Day (that’s over 7000 km or 4000 mi and 5 time zones). The actors you see in this film are AMAZING musicians verging on rock god status. Thank you for reviewing this. Please watch the whole movie.
Spinal Tap were musical guests on SNL as part of the promotion for the mockmentary, and they played it up. Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKeon did not break character once. A couple of years later, Spinal Tap put out another studio album called “Break like the Wind.”
Gotta love any band made up of Lenny from Laverne and Shirley, Saul Goodman’s brother, Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and the infamous Six-Fingered Man. Not to mention David Kaff and Ric Parnell.
Spinal Tap has toured several times. I saw them in 1991 when they were touring their album "Break Like The Wind". Still have the shirt, which was "obviously" printed over a design for a failed 1990 tour. They also hired local drummers in every city to continue with the running joke in the movie of all their drummers dying.
Spinal Tap actually played live shows as a "real" band on a number of occasions. In fact, they put out a follow-up album in 1992 called "Break Like The WInd", and even did a tour to support it. I had the pleasure of seeing them live on this tour and they were quite excellent, playing most of the songs off the movie soundtrack as well as tracks from the new album. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to say the least.
How cheeky (pun intended) was it ending (see previous) that sentence with a word that contains a ripe full pair (sort of again) of undertones (you get the gist).
Absolutely my favorite wordplay in this song, probably because it seems like something the less observant might miss (pretty sure I did first time 'round).
*Runs around room screaming and waving hands*!!! Aaaaaaahhhhh! I am so glad you did this! You would LOVE This Is Spinal Tap. They are currently filming the long overdue sequel. Yay!
I'm a member of the New England Bass-ment Hangout. It a group of bass players from New England and beyond. Last year we had a "Get Together" and a couple of us took the stage and performed "Big Bottom" without any rehearsal or preparation. It was far from perfect but it was a blast.
Spinal tap is genius on several different levels. The actors wrote and performed their songs themselves. Absolutely nailing this style and feel of the music they were trying to create. It's a bunch of American actors playing British rockstars and at least to someone who isn't from the UK. The accents are very believable all the way through. The ridiculous. Things that go on with the band throughout the film may seem absolutely outrageous to the uninitiated but big rock stars of the day watched this film and were unaware it was a spoof because everything that went on in this movie legitimately happens on tours and they thought it was a real documentary. And yes, Spinal Tap did legitimately go on tour after this film.
@@Lona_Chess I think the description by Bobbi Flekman "...you put a greased naked woman on all fours with a dog collar around her neck, and a leash, and a man's arm extended out up to here holding the leash and pushing a black glove into her face to sniff it..." paints the picture :/
Normally I get a good chuckle out of Tap, but Elizabeth’s reactions on top had me in tears. Do watch the movie, and check out the live performances. For a bunch of actors (hence the diction) they’re a great band.
The movie is a masterpiece and I mean that in all seriousness. If you watch it multiple times you will be astonished at all the little hidden nuggets you missed in previous times.
There are so many great jokes in this movie for music fans... but if you're a performer, there is a whole other plateau to the humor in this classic!!! ☮💙🎶
I watched this movie in high school and loved it. Classic! Never thought I'd have a chance to see them live but some years later they reunited for a real tour. It was a thrill and an honor to see them live.
Every musician I know who has watched "This is Spinal Tap" has been deeply moved to laughter, tears, self reflection, and every other emotional reaction imaginable. "This is Spinal Tap" was the original, which focuses on the band as they tour the USA promoting their new album "Smell the Glove". It was perhaps the first ever "mocumentary" as well. I have covered Spinal Tap songs before playing dive bars and such, and it always goes over well. Those who know, KNOW as soon as the song starts, and those who never heard of Spinal Tap just think it's a cool song they never heard before. There is a sequel, "The Return of Spinal Tap", which is an actual full live concert filmed at Albert Hall, done as a concert video with "bonus interviews" interspersed between songs in a format used by many concert film producers in the last 20 years. The first movie is about the band, the music is a big part. The second film features the music first and foremost. Several people I know have actually commented, "I loved the first Spinal Tap movie, but I didn't realize how damned GOOD they actually are as musicians." I have heard that a third film is in production right now, as we speak... No idea what direction they will go with it this time, but they are 2 for 2 absolute genius, so I will be watching no matter what they come up with.
I believe the "first ever" mocumentary was "The Rutles" movie "All You Need is Cash," with members of Monty Python, original Saturday Night Live cast, Bonzo Dog Band, and George Harrison mocking the Beatles. The humor is much more British, as you would expect, but it is tremendous fun. Beatlemania was a perfect target, and The Rutles was a perfect score.
The direction they're going is perfect for today's rock scene. Word is they are playing band member's who have retired & all hate each other at this point, but decide to do a reunion for the money. Sound familiar? Just like the first movie, it could be 100 different bands :-) Brilliant!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My all time favorite movie. So many phrases that are part of our pop culture now. Cameos galore. I've watched it dozens of times and pick up new things every time. And last Monday was Nigel Tufnel day.
The best part is that the songs are actually written and performed by the cast. They did do a couple of tours in character. They also did another film called "A Mighty Wind" where the same cast wrote and performed the music as well. A few years ago they did actually do a show where they performed songs from both films. I recommend checking all three films. You won't regret it.
It's a great movie. So many classic artists at that time were alternately highly amused (and deeply concerned) that they were the inspiration for different scenes in the film.
This is such a small part of what makes that movie a classic lol. Rob Halford actually said some of the stuff that happened to them was pretty spot on LOL
Michael McKeon, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest are all incredible actors and musicians! Any song from "Smell The Glove" is just rock gold but one of my favorites has to be Hell Hole! And when you get a chance, you must check out their alter egos known as The Folksmen. They do an awesome rendition of Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones!
You absolutely have to watch this! Even the metal guys from the 80's have talked about how "hitting the nail on the head" these guys were with the movie. One of my favorites as an 80's headbanger. When you do watch it, I want to see a full movie review!
Ya gotta love that Rob Reiner gave these comic geniuses full reign to improvise their parts. IMO This is Spinal Tap is the funniest movie of all time. Unlike other comments, I don't think it makes fun of '80's bands. It makes fun of '70's bands like Deep Purple and possibly ELP, who had Keith Emerson play piano upside down.
it parodies everything about 70s hard rock, I know Uriah Heep was mentioned by Chris Guest in some interviews. The sexist lyrics I would say Deep Purple were a big influence tho'!
You're right, it's definitely the 70's bands that they are satiring. The 'hair metal' era had not started yet when the movie came out or just barely started.
@@paulelverstone8677 side note the original Nigel Tufnel character looked like a british invasion mod (or something) on the Lenny and the Squigtones LP from 1979
This is one of my favourite reactions of yours... every particularly bawdy line ilicited such funny reactions the first time around. You are so delightful and classy; you remind me of someone from my past who was very refined, a consummate lady, but with a devilishly wicked sense of humour whose opportune expurgations of choice profanity and graphic humour could reduce a room to tears of laughter.
It is an incredible mockumentary that was mostly improvised! Although some folks here have commented that it mocks the metal scene of the 1980's it is really more of a loving nod to the era...and it happens to be pretty accurate!
Elizabeth... I hope you turned the volume up to 11. This is the best way to listen to Spinal Tap. Heck Yeah you should watch the whole movie and Rock of Ages the musical with Tom Cruise after that. btw... since we are talking about a spoof song on "Big Balls," now would be the perfect time to do an analysis of "She's Got Balls" by AC/DC. This is a "Double-Dog Dare" also. Thank you for your effort, excellence, and enthusiasm.
McKean, Shearer and Guest were also The Folksmen in the movie A Mighty Wind, and they toured as the Folksmen as an opening act for Spinal Tap. Since the tour happened before A Mighty Wind, the people who were there to see Tap had no idea who they were and booed them off the stage.
Anyone who has performed on stage can relate to the humor in Spinal Tap. Classic, classic film. The best satire has a large dose of reality, that's what makes it funny :)
This is one of my all time favorite movies. So good. I wouldn't call it a musical, though. It's a mockumentary with concert performances. Most of the dialogue was improvised and these guys are masters at it.
What I love about this is that it's honestly exactly in line with songs produced in that era Freakin' at the freakers ball - 1972 You sexy thing -1975 Walk this way - 1975 Tush - 1975 Big balls - 1976 Shake your booty - 1976 Fat bottom girls - 1978 Pull up to the bumper - 1981 Centerfold - 1981 Slide it in - 1984 Sugar walls - 1984 Knocking at your back door - 1984 (1984 was the same year as Spinal Tap)
Spinal Tap (and all the Christopher Guest mockumentaries) are great! Can't wait for this one. Some other non-mockumentary rock and roll movies you should check out: Almost Famous and Sing Street. Two must see movies for people who love music and people who make it.
Even a Charismatic Voice analysis of a Spinal Tap song can't convince me that we're not living in the worst possible timeline. But I appreciate the effort!
This whole concept is legendary. It spawned the term 'mockumentary'. It gave us the quote "-goes to 11'. JK Rowling drew inspiration from the band's inability to keep a drummer (they keep dying of bizarre accidents, such as spontaneously exploding during live performances) to have the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts needing to be annually refilled (because Voldemort cursed it for not hiring him as a young teacher). Every touring rock band has claimed to suffer the same difficulties as shown in the film, asking the writers-actors-musicians if they took the events from the inquiring band's real-life experiences. Micheal McKean (David St Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) are actors who are brilliant comedic actors who are also very good musicians. While Shearer is best known for his exceptional voice-acting on "The Simpsons", McKean and Guest are both also excellent dramatic actors and have worked together creating other off-beat and sometimes musical films. What was done in the rock genre with Spinal Tap, they do again in folk music with "A Mighty Wind" and in straight dramedy in "Best in Show" where they lampoon the world of high-level canine competition. They specialize in ensemble acting with improv filling out a conceptual framework. As a trivia aside, this film features the first onscreen appearance of a young Anjelica Huston as the fabricator employed to manufacture the tiny Stonehenge in danger of being trod upon by dwarves. (Don't get me started on the cameos or this comment will never end!) As I understand it (I'm no musician or music theorist), McKean and Guest wrote Spinal Tap's songs specifically to be bad. All the tricks to emphasize song impact were turned on their heads quite intentionally, trying to screw up the beat, the arrangement, everything. And yet the songs still manage to work and entertain. Hearing you analyze "Big Bottoms" brought back that fact, and I would LOVE to hear you take apart their songs to point out the intentionally-'bad' decisions in crafting them. Basically, it would let the less musically literate of your viewership in on the joke our ignorance leaves us out of. Just love your open-minded approach to music, embracing the weirdest of musical expressions. Do keep it up!
Too many spoilers...& you left out the 6 fingered man credit. But please tag her in her top comment of the thread she pinned & let her know a comment about 80s hair bands is not the proper analogy to have pinned to promote this movie... she's basing likes she gets in that thread on whether she watches it or not & I'm afraid most will just pass by that comment as "that person missed the whole point of the movie" & never seen her comment in that thread on account of it.
You GOTTA watch the whole movie, it sooo mocks the whole 1980's metal scene!
Let's see how many likes this post gets. Will it go in my recording queue?!
@@metalmark1214 you had to have lived thru the early 80's...
@@timnewman1172 I did. I survived all the hairspray bands. The ozone layer didn't..
ANYONE who was in a rock band, or worked around that business, or knows someone who was in that scene, can appreciate this movie, and usually laugh all the way through it.
It is hilarious.
I will preemptively give this video an 11 out of 10.
LOL LOL LOL only those Spinal Tap fans will get this!!! Brilliant!!!
I've seen that clip!
lol, we see what you did there!
@@TheCharismaticVoiceE, is D minor really the saddest of all keys???
Nobody plays like Nigel.
I maintain that NO ONE is allowed to call themselves a musician if they haven't seen this movie. There are just so many references that get made, you'll be lost without seeing it.
"There's such a fine line between clever and stupid." - David St. Hubbins
😏
@davidsthubbins176 Well done, Sir! Huge fan!
A true legend. The patron saint of quality footwear
You can’t really dust for vomit
these go to 11
Please, don’t forget to appreciate that actors not only, wrote/ improvised their lines, they also wrote AND performed the songs. That’s what, to me, is so amazing about this move.
They toured as a "real" band.
And they invented the entire back story of the band, adding the improvisation during the interview. Rob Reiner had no knowledge of the answers, or back story prior to filming the scenes.
They also put out an album and it's freaking great 😅
As a drummer, I always watch this movie with caution… 😉
@@Hedwallfxtd That made me laugh!
There’s never been a movie about the music business that was so painfully accurate.😃 As an aside, I did photography for a stage lighting magazine. I shot Springsteen in New Jersey, U2 in Boston, The Jacksons in L.A. Lots of shows but Spinal Tap in Marshfield Mass is the ONLY show security ever bounced me out of.😃 As I was being escorted out right before intermission I managed to catch the eye of my nephew who was standing by the light board. He told the LD who said, “Dammit!”. He got me back in to shoot the rest of the show with a laminate pass. After the show he said, “I’ll need that back.” I’m not proud to say I whined like a two year old.😃 The LD gave a bit of an exasperated look and said, “Fine, I’ll tell them I forgot to ask for it back.” 😃
To this day my most coveted back stage pass is a real Spinal Tap laminate.😁
@danwilms if whining like a 2 year old got you that laminate, you should be very proud indeed. It worked!
They may play for laughs, but their musicianship is legit.
I saw Spinal Tap play live once in New York City. They opened for themselves as "The Folksmen", then came back for a full-length Spinal Tap show. For Big Bottom, everyone played bass and they added a tuba player to crank things up to 11. Great show!
@@Arrtificemy kid plays in the OSU marching band and I’m going to lobby hard for this song to get on the field. The thought of all those sousaphones playing the base line is making me laugh.
@@Arrtificewas that at Carnegie hall? That’s when I saw them too. Howard Johnson is the tuba player. Will Lee came out on bass for that song too .
@@Arrtifice The same director and much the same cast did a take on folk music, and the band featured in that film was indeed The Folksmen. It's called A Mighty Wind, which is hilarious considering their preference for double meaning.
Now you have to react to Michael McKean's other band.
Lenny and the squigtones.
"How can I leave this behind" is such a great double entendre. The cast did such an amazing job writing and performing the songs.
I was hoping she would pick up on that. It's clever writing.
Talk about mud flaps my girl got em,
it's a triple entendre.
or more
And most people don't even notice it.
By far the best joke in the song.
Its not just a mockumentary, its the first mockumentary. This created the genre.
As much as I love the Tap, the Rutles "All you need is cash" beat them to it by a decade or so.
@@bassplooker1 Thanks, that's got quite the cast list, I'll have to give it a watch.
@@bassplooker1 True story...Eric Idle did it first.
The English comedy heavy metal band 'Bad News' released their mockumentary 6 months prior to Spinal Tap. The played Donington monsters of rock festival in 1986 and toured with an album. Check them out!
No it is a rockumentary 😄
Having The Charismatic Voice do Big Bottoms from Spinal Tap was NOT on my 2024 bingo card, but hey, I am totally here for it! :)
Wait til she hears "Sex Farm." I still haven't figured out what that one's about!
Talk about mudflaps, my girls got em!
I saw Spinal Tap twice in concert. Totally awesome. The second time I saw them, they opened for themselves as The Folksmen.
Did you see them at the Enormodome?
Nice. I only saw them once and it was with some puppet show.
@@StefanEngler-rb8lumate that wasn’t spinal tap, that was spinal tap 2
E at Oes?
@@matthewtyler-jones8317 I didn’t really like their new direction
40 years later and these guys still get gigs. The actors really play the instruments and sing. They have played to full stadiums. They've performed on live TV. You have found a gold mine of material here. This is one of the funniest movies ever with the twist that the actors are actually the musicians. Please post as many reaction videos as possible so long as you don't get de-funded! Because the video you reacted to here is actually kind of mild compared to some of the movie. Love it!
Every musician should watch Spinal Tap. It's one of the best movies ever. It's how I learned that D minor is the saddest of all keys.
Managers should make all bands watch it
Then watch Fear of a Black Hat
@@christophertaylor9100 dont know that one
@@Paulfroe Its basically a rap/hip hop version of Spinal Tap, also hilarious
It's the only key in which to play the delicate, lyrical "Lick My Love Pump".
Please watch the whole thing! It's the best mockumentary on rock bands ever!
Followed very closely by All You Need Is Cash (The Rutles)
I've read that numerous bands have watched it. Despite being a comedy, they saw more of a tragedy. A lot of the jokes hit too close.
@@ericq9049 And 'Bad News' by Bad News.
The mastery of Spinal Tap is not just the humour in the songs and the dialogue throughout the film, but all of their songs are actually GOOD songs. They were well written and performed. Levity and content aside, most any of them could have been played on the radio when the film came out. In fact, I knew many people who thought they were a real band and were looking to find out when Spinal Tap was going to perform in the area.
They did tour as Spinal Tap a few times. They even made a couple of albums.
After you watch This is Spinal Tap, you should watch A Mighty Wind. The same three actors, but they're an old folk band. Their versatility as musicians is amazing for a bunch of actors.
@@cholomite I saw them as spinal tap perform at the Albert Hall in London years back. They were actually better than some 'real' bands. I've still got the t shirt.
“a particular asspect…”. niiiiice.
The comparison I would make between Spinal Tap and 'real' bands is the WWE and professional boxing/MMA. Yes, WWE is scripted and fake... but the athleticism and showmanship on display is not. Spinal Tap might is a parody, but the musicianship on display is very real, and it's spectacular.
@ghjong001 you aren't wrong!👍
The same core group of actors are also in "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show." Christopher Guest is a master at capturing the humor in everyday life.
"how could I leave this behind" is one of m favorite plays on words of all time
It's brilliant.
Spinal Tap is a CLASSIC 😀 Definitely a must-watch for any rock/metal fan or musician
I had the pleasure of seeing McKean, Guest, and Shearer perform this song live acoustically, with interpretive dance! It was awesome!
Christopher Guest (Nigel-Lead guitarist, the often zoomed in on checkered pants guy)) is a very talented musicians, writer, actor( he AND THE TWO OTHER PRIMARY GUYS ( thats for Sonic Professor...)wrote Spinal Tap)and director. He's also been married Jamie Lee Curtis since 84'. He was also the 6 finger man in The Princess Bride. And what makes this band better than all other bands, is their amps go to 11.
@@anathardayaldar good catch stupid typo.. but technically I am correctly 5 fingers and one thumb.. ha
Don't forget he was also an SNL cast member.
If I remember correctly, JLC saw him in Spinal Tap and said that's the man she's going to marry.
The other two aren't slouches. Harry Shearer has been on TV since the 1950s and voices numerous characters on The Simpsons. Michael McKean played Lenny on Laverne & Shirley and played in a band with Squiggy on that show and is perhaps better known today as being Chuck, Slippin'g Jimmy's uptight brother on Better Call Saul
@@bgrigg07 i never said they were.. I was just mentioning Christopher Guest in my comment. I grew up in the 70's I know who they are.. I guess i should have taken the time to also comment on Harry and Michael to please others. I forget how quick people are to freak out on comments.. When a comment isn't exactly how they would comment.
Not only is the movie hilarious, it's such an expression of love made by talented people who really love eachother. The chemistry is amazing. And some of the behind the scenes stuff is so heartwarming.
Liz, If you don't also enjoy the majesty of "Stonehenge", the grandeur of "Sex Farm" or the heartache of "Lick My Love Pump", well, your entire career is for naught. Just once...give the viewers an entire movie view. IT'S A MUSICAL!
Yes! 👍🏽 What they said 🧡🧡🧡
Stonehenge is legit good song very Led Zeppelin/Iron Maiden style.
This could be done as a fundraiser, just saying I would pay to take part in a watch along😂❤🎉
"Lick My Love Pump" is a mix of Mozart and Bach...
listen what the flower people!
What makes Spinal Tap brilliant is that when it comes to the actual music, they play it straight. Yes, it's a parody, but the characters they're playing don't know that, and the music, costumes, and showmanship are only *slightly* more over-the-top than the hair metal bands of the early/mid-80s. They never break character to nod & wink at the audience, and it makes the it both better and funnier. By Grabthar's Hammer, what a performance!
That, and the fact that it's legitimately GOOD music. If Spinal Tap the band sucked, the movie wouldn't work as a parody of the entire musical scene, because the joke would be on them instead of on the cultural trends they're parodying.
When I do this at karaoke, it's always a hit. And:
1 - you can always tell when someone in the audience knows the song.
2 - you can always tell when someone is completely unfamiliar with it, but was paying attention to the lyrics!
😆🤣😆🤣😆
This movie is a national treasure! 11 out of 10!
I see what you did there.
Yeah but which nation? 🇬🇧🇺🇲
This one goes to 11
Yes 🇬🇧🫱🏻🫲🏼🇺🇸
After you watch the movie, get a copy of the DVD and listen to the commentary track. They stay in character and it’s almost funnier than the movie. 😂😂
The volume level on the speakers goes past 10 up to 11! 😅
@@briangriffin5524 You're not supposed to be looking at those amps. See, they've got the little tagger on 'em... the knobs can't be twisted!! You know what, just move along.
The DVD also had a good hour of deleted scenes that are pretty much as good as the movie.
I heard an interview with Derek Smalls a few years ago, all in character. Wonderful.
The Criterion Collection of THIS IS SPINAL TAP has another hour of hilarious scenes...
So much awesomeness... Derek's double bass (which is two of the same bass)... the in-character commentary... all the songs... EVERYTHING! It's one of my favorites of all time!
Probably the best mockumentary ever created. It created the genre. Its the sole inspiration of shows like "the Office" and all of its spin-offs and, really all modern comedy shows. Watching the songs really, really does not do it justice, as the absolute brilliant comedy between is essential to understanding how amazingly funny and stupid the actual songs are.
Btw the singer of this song,if you dont recognize him , is the brilliant Michael McKean , recently seen as the older brother of "Saul" in" better call Saul" the bassist in the clip is the voice of bartender Moe and other voices in The Simpsons. Christopher Guest , leader of the band, is perhaps the most underrated comic genius of our time
McKean - Years ago half of Lenny & Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley.
@@AndersHaalandverby - Bassist Harry Shearer doesn't voice Moe (that's Hank Azaria), but he does voice Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Kent Brockman, Reverend Lovejoy, etc., etc. Pretty much all the deep voices.
@@AndersHaalandverby And his musical performances in "Better Call Saul" were amazing too.
I believe the creators of Modern Family have referred to it as a major influence as well. Also, the Officer at the air force base played Phil Dunphy's dad.
The writing in this movie is on another level. You could say that the writing goes to 11.
Consider all of the synonyms used for Bottom. It gives new meaning to the last line "How could I leave this Behind."
Most of the Movie was Improv according Rob Reiner
This Is Spinal Tap is perhaps the only movie I've watched countless times and it's gotten funnier to me every single time. It's a masterpiece.
I also have had the pleasure of seeing them live and for a bunch of actors, they have pretty good chops.
For sure, it's the kind of movie you have to watch over & over & each time you catch something you missed before!
"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'."
Also, This Is Spinal Tap is arguably one of the funniest movies ever made and it's definitely worth watching.
You won’t get many arguments on that one!
It's one of those movies that I can watch over and over and never get sick of.
The movie is a must see. Artists like The Edge, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Eddie Vedder, and Dee Snider have all said they saw similarities to their own lives, while some also said that when they watched it, they didn't know if they should laugh or cry because of it's accurate portrayal of the music industry.
Heart did too, they especially commented on the scene where they went to the album promo and no one showed up. They said that happens! lol
I think the movie was based on judas priest and black sabbath.
@@neillenet291 From what I can tell, they are not based on any one band, but used inspiration from many bands, Sabbath and Priest included. The Stonehenge scene was based on a similar incident that Black Sabbath had. In Sabbath's case the stones were made too large and wouldn't fit in any of the venues they were touring at.
@snjstr i didn't mean the entire movie was based on those two bands.Rob Reiner mentioned they were partly the inspiration.
@@neillenet291 Just about every major rock and prog band of the era thought it was about them... Seems like incidents and accidents like those shown in the film will happen to you if you tour enough!
It was 8 years after the movie that they released their 2nd album (Break Like the Wind) & it wasn't until that time that they actually toured...
& I was at their very 1st performance ever at Universal Amphitheater...&...
The drummer survived (BOO)...but he showed up (& played) with his foot in a cast (I can only assume they tried to take him out & it failed).
Greatest intro ever...they dropped down from cables & David St Hubbins hit the stage...Nigel Tufnel was stuck 10' in the air & Derek Smalls was suspended with his waste right at the height his head would have been had he hit the stage...which allowed him to pivot on the cable & bring his head down to the microphone that was at that height to sing background vocals on their opening song, "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock Ya".
Awesomest of Awesome concerts.
"I do not, for one, think that the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem *may* have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being *crushed* by a *dwarf*."
Fkn Classic 🤘
Not to mention the absolute disaster that was the miniature bread backstage. How is Nigel supposed to work in such an environment?
@@lockyalexander1120 - Everything has to be folded.
@@fdsfsdfsd1552it’s a complete catastrophe!
Maybe we just fix the choreography. Keep the dwarf clear.
I could barely wait until you got to "mud flaps" and I wasn't disappointed at your reaction! "This is Spinal Tap" is brilliant comedy. The three main actors...Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, are all improv masters. They began with an outline and basically did improv instead of acting from a script for the movie. They recruited others with similar skills to be in the cast. Luckily, they're also pretty good musicians, too. Christopher Guest has gone on to create more mockumentaries that include music, especially "A Mighty Wind", which has the same three performing folk music in their later years. There's a commentary on the Criterion DVD of "This is Spinal Tap" that's in character and is just as funny as the movie itself. I have seen this movie literally hundreds of times and it's still hilarious to me.
The brief delay as she processed then recognized...
I was coming on just to make that “mudflaps” comment. Elizabeth did exactly what I thought she would! I love that she could see the humor and not get bogged down in the crude lyrics.
They’re also American yet managed to do specific British accents so convincingly that a lot of people didn’t know they weren’t.
will still say your ability to give a realistic review and remain professional in the face of such obviously preposterous shenanigans of a song is just....amazing...so glad I'm subbed to your channel!!
I've always loved that the both guitarists are playing bass, and the bassist Derek is playing a double neck bass. Big bottom indeed. 🤣
"AND ON THE BASS!"
He wrote this
And if I’m not mistaken, both necks are set up identically, completely negating the value of a double neck bass, but sweetening the visual pun.
@@wesmorris6036 exactly… two 4 string basses tuned in standard E, which as you said makes it even funnier.
He was playing lead bass 😂
Yes, you should. No question. One of the funniest mockumentaries ever made, tied with the great "What We Do in the Shadows."
Don't forget, David St. Hubbins (the blonde singer) also played Lenny in Lavergne & Shirley
It should be noted that they wrote those songs and are actually singing them and playing all their own instruments. Another Mockumentary that Guest, Shearer, and McKean did (among others) was about music called A Mighty Wind. Very funny. A mockumentary about the folk music scene. Again wrote, played, and sang all their own music for that one as well.
I still think "Best In Show" was funnier then Mighty Wind, but they are all great!
@@iron_rush_theater1246 Oh definitely Best of Show is funnier than Mighty Wind. Mighty Wind has is moments, but Best of Show is just all moments! lol
Waiting For Guffman is the tops for me 😂😂😂😂
Fred Willard's commentary during the dog show with the British guy makes me laugh like few other things.
Ahh, I was going to mention A Mighty Wind. I figured some else would have by now. It’s a whole different kind of funny. The whole lot of movies that were done by that group of actors are all pretty good. Except, I didn’t get Home for Purim, so that was my least favorite.
I’m so glad they recorded this in ‘Doubly’, that always sounds best! Elizabeth, please watch their “Stonehenge” performance.
"In Dublin?...."
@@JasonSmith-jr7jh Dolby is the word intended.
@@treetopjones737 You must have missed that part in the film...
One of the lines I always think of when someone mentions Spinal Tap is "So are we doing Stonehenge tonight?!" :)
@@JasonSmith-jr7jh treetopjones is correct, Jeanine says dobly, dubly, or doubly, however you want to spell it, but she meant Dolby, as in the audio technology.
I was an audio engineer in UK at the time, never heard of Spinal tap 'til I moved to USA and can attest that all Marshall Amps went/go to 11. Also thanks to Roger Daltrey (lead singer WHO) for swinging his mic as I made a fortune in mic lead repairs as all the local bands emulated him. You will see in his later stuff he folded the lead and wrapped gaffer tape around it to relieve the strain. Good move for him. Great job as usual. Thanks!
Ok, I'm being very literal here maybe but I have to ask: 11 because of ST, or were they always or is this... dare I ask... a joke?
@TrulyMadlyShallowly No joke. I worked on them long before the movie. They all went to 11. It obviously made no difference to the max volume, but musos knew about it. ST used it as a joke and spawned " it goes to eleven "
@@cliff481 I NEVER KNEW. I have been making 'goed to eleven' jokes forever and never knew that was always the case (and I mean, why not. 7 is fine too)
Decades later, I find one of the funniest elements to be the gratuitous "you know what I mean" as though there had been some sort of subtle entendre.
For me it’s funny because it sounds like they ran out of double entendres 😂
He's walking that fine line between stupid and clever 😀
I know what you mean.
In the 70's, Michael McKean and his best friend and improv partner, David Lander, created 2 characters called Lenny and Squiggy. While at a party with their friend, Penny Marshall, she asked McKean and Lander to do those characters, just because it was funny. They did, and the producer of the soon to be 'Laverne & Shirley' show, who was also at the party, asked McKean and Lander if they would do those characters on a show he was going to make. It was supposed to be a one time appearance, but the characters were so funny that they just kept bringing them back. They ended up being in every episode. Lenny & Squiggy quickly became the stars of the show. In the show the Lenny and Squiggy characters had a band called, ' Lenny and the Squigtones.' Now this is where it gets interesting and is also the birth of Spinal Tap: In an Andy Kaufman-like fashion McKean and Landers pretended to be Lenny & Squiggy outside the show. The idea being that they are just being themselves on the show, they are not actors. They even went as far as to claim that Mike McKean and David Landers were their managers. So McKean and Landers went on all the talk shows of that time as Lenny & Squiggy, and people thought that was really who they were, and they often played a musical number with their band Lenny & the Squigtones. Much like when Spinal Tap came out, people thought they were a real band. Here's the crazy part, the guitarist in the band was none other than Nigel Tufnel, played by Christopher Guest. Check out this link of American Bandstand in 1979, Lenny & the Squigtones with Nigel Tufnel on guitar, pre-Spinal Tap.
ua-cam.com/video/mS5qlEcttEw/v-deo.html
Also, Harry Shearer of 'The Simpsons' fame is plays Derek Smalls the bassist.
Thanks for this! TIL.
You just don’t find nuanced, sophisticated lyrics like this in today’s music
Hahahaha
You MUST watch this movie, and more than once. If you have *anything* whatsoever to do with rock and roll music, it's just a must. This troupe of enormously talented comedians and musicians (they do play some of their own music "on tour") pretty much IMPROVISED the entire movie. And then they got the media to play along with them, and they had interviews on PBS, splashy stories in Guitar Player magazine, all done "straight", as if they really were this legendary metal band!!!!
The movie has in-jokes taking off on anyone who ever was anyone in rock: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Cream, Hendrix, AC/DC, Jeff Beck, the list goes on and on and on... savage satire!!!
I still own a concert T-shirt from Spinal Tap that I can't even wear in pubic... I think it's based on the Smell The Glove album cover that they *wanted to do* (see the Fran Drescher scene with the Manager)!!
What's wrong with being sexy?
@@rikardottosson1272 ist
There’s a fine line between clever and stupid.
To answer your question, yes, they have done tours. They even did Glastonbury. For the movie "A Mighty Wind" (recommended viewing), the folk band they played in that movie "opened" for Spinal Tap.
Christopher Guest told a story about this.
The Folksmen were the opening act for Spinal Tap. In the audience Guest's son asked his mom, Jamie Lee Curtis, "When do the old guys finish, and the loud guys come on?"
The Folksmen! Because *of course* a folk band would be opening for Spinal Tap.
"A Mighty Wind" is fantastic, too. Fans of Schitt's Creek will love it.
The soundtrack for A Mighty Wind is a great one, with much that didn't make it on the film. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, as the folk duo Mitch & Mickey, sing one called When You're Next to Me. It made it on to my wedding dance soundtrack, a truly beautiful love song.
Spinal tap was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen. They played in Halifax, Toronto, AND Vancouver all on the same Canada Day (that’s over 7000 km or 4000 mi and 5 time zones). The actors you see in this film are AMAZING musicians verging on rock god status. Thank you for reviewing this. Please watch the whole movie.
Spinal Tap were musical guests on SNL as part of the promotion for the mockmentary, and they played it up. Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKeon did not break character once. A couple of years later, Spinal Tap put out another studio album called “Break like the Wind.”
The SNL performance included my favorite Spinal Tap line: "I'm David St. Hubbins, lead bass"
I'm glad you clarified which Weird Al you were referencing.
And that she was saying high synths and not Hyacinths.
The double entendre of the line, “How could I leave this behind” is perfect.
Gotta love any band made up of Lenny from Laverne and Shirley, Saul Goodman’s brother, Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and the infamous Six-Fingered Man. Not to mention David Kaff and Ric Parnell.
I also like the episode that Spinal Tap tours to Springfield in the Simpsons.
not to mention the 5th Baron Haden-Guest, husband to Jamie Lee Curtis
@@brettk4294they did?!😮
Christopher Guest: His amps go up to 11 and with 6 fingers on his right hand, he can count to 11.
The same 3 guys were also part of a group called The Folksmen that were featured in the movie A Mighty Wind.
Spinal Tap has toured several times. I saw them in 1991 when they were touring their album "Break Like The Wind". Still have the shirt, which was "obviously" printed over a design for a failed 1990 tour. They also hired local drummers in every city to continue with the running joke in the movie of all their drummers dying.
Combusting, not just dying.
@@treetopjones737 Freak gardening accident.
Choked on vomit. We're not sure whose.
Spinal Tap actually played live shows as a "real" band on a number of occasions. In fact, they put out a follow-up album in 1992 called "Break Like The WInd", and even did a tour to support it. I had the pleasure of seeing them live on this tour and they were quite excellent, playing most of the songs off the movie soundtrack as well as tracks from the new album. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to say the least.
Big bottoms got me out of my mind! How could I leave this......behind?!
How cheeky (pun intended) was it ending (see previous) that sentence with a word that contains a ripe full pair (sort of again) of undertones (you get the gist).
@@lonepigeon68 - It's Asstounding !
Absolutely my favorite wordplay in this song, probably because it seems like something the less observant might miss (pretty sure I did first time 'round).
*Runs around room screaming and waving hands*!!! Aaaaaaahhhhh! I am so glad you did this! You would LOVE This Is Spinal Tap. They are currently filming the long overdue sequel. Yay!
I'm a member of the New England Bass-ment Hangout. It a group of bass players from New England and beyond. Last year we had a "Get Together" and a couple of us took the stage and performed "Big Bottom" without any rehearsal or preparation. It was far from perfect but it was a blast.
Spinal tap is genius on several different levels. The actors wrote and performed their songs themselves. Absolutely nailing this style and feel of the music they were trying to create. It's a bunch of American actors playing British rockstars and at least to someone who isn't from the UK. The accents are very believable all the way through. The ridiculous. Things that go on with the band throughout the film may seem absolutely outrageous to the uninitiated but big rock stars of the day watched this film and were unaware it was a spoof because everything that went on in this movie legitimately happens on tours and they thought it was a real documentary. And yes, Spinal Tap did legitimately go on tour after this film.
"What's wrong with being Sexy?" is the line from this movie that kills me every time 🤣
How much more black could this be....none, none more black.😆
"-ist! -ist!"
I’ve always wanted to see the banned album cover they thought was merely “sexy.” 😅😅
@@Lona_Chess I think the description by Bobbi Flekman "...you put a greased naked woman on all fours with a dog collar around her neck, and a leash, and a man's arm extended out up to here holding the leash and pushing a black glove into her face to sniff it..." paints the picture :/
@@lrjh750f1 *enters description into ChatGPT*
👀
Normally I get a good chuckle out of Tap, but Elizabeth’s reactions on top had me in tears. Do watch the movie, and check out the live performances. For a bunch of actors (hence the diction) they’re a great band.
The movie is a masterpiece and I mean that in all seriousness. If you watch it multiple times you will be astonished at all the little hidden nuggets you missed in previous times.
There are so many great jokes in this movie for music fans... but if you're a performer, there is a whole other plateau to the humor in this classic!!! ☮💙🎶
I watched this movie in high school and loved it. Classic! Never thought I'd have a chance to see them live but some years later they reunited for a real tour. It was a thrill and an honor to see them live.
Every musician I know who has watched "This is Spinal Tap" has been deeply moved to laughter, tears, self reflection, and every other emotional reaction imaginable.
"This is Spinal Tap" was the original, which focuses on the band as they tour the USA promoting their new album "Smell the Glove". It was perhaps the first ever "mocumentary" as well. I have covered Spinal Tap songs before playing dive bars and such, and it always goes over well. Those who know, KNOW as soon as the song starts, and those who never heard of Spinal Tap just think it's a cool song they never heard before.
There is a sequel, "The Return of Spinal Tap", which is an actual full live concert filmed at Albert Hall, done as a concert video with "bonus interviews" interspersed between songs in a format used by many concert film producers in the last 20 years. The first movie is about the band, the music is a big part. The second film features the music first and foremost. Several people I know have actually commented, "I loved the first Spinal Tap movie, but I didn't realize how damned GOOD they actually are as musicians."
I have heard that a third film is in production right now, as we speak... No idea what direction they will go with it this time, but they are 2 for 2 absolute genius, so I will be watching no matter what they come up with.
I believe the "first ever" mocumentary was "The Rutles" movie "All You Need is Cash," with members of Monty Python, original Saturday Night Live cast, Bonzo Dog Band, and George Harrison mocking the Beatles. The humor is much more British, as you would expect, but it is tremendous fun. Beatlemania was a perfect target, and The Rutles was a perfect score.
The direction they're going is perfect for today's rock scene. Word is they are playing band member's who have retired & all hate each other at this point, but decide to do a reunion for the money. Sound familiar? Just like the first movie, it could be 100 different bands :-) Brilliant!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My all time favorite movie. So many phrases that are part of our pop culture now. Cameos galore. I've watched it dozens of times and pick up new things every time. And last Monday was Nigel Tufnel day.
The best part is that the songs are actually written and performed by the cast. They did do a couple of tours in character. They also did another film called "A Mighty Wind" where the same cast wrote and performed the music as well. A few years ago they did actually do a show where they performed songs from both films. I recommend checking all three films. You won't regret it.
It's a great movie. So many classic artists at that time were alternately highly amused (and deeply concerned) that they were the inspiration for different scenes in the film.
I believe Status Quo are proud these days of being an inspiration for Tap. (One of them has an amp that goes to 12!)
@@Kartissa Handled with grace and humor. Well done Status Quo.
They did this at Live8 and every bass player who was playing at that gig was invited on stage with them to play along to that amazing riff
Live Earth. It was great fun.
Even non bass players. Hetfield playing bass was a cool sight.
Literally an army of Bass Players
This is such a small part of what makes that movie a classic lol.
Rob Halford actually said some of the stuff that happened to them was pretty spot on LOL
Michael McKeon, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest are all incredible actors and musicians! Any song from "Smell The Glove" is just rock gold but one of my favorites has to be Hell Hole! And when you get a chance, you must check out their alter egos known as The Folksmen. They do an awesome rendition of Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones!
Yes! The follow-up musical mockumentary they did, "A Mighty Wind," is a classic as well!
Don't forget the classic "Give Me Some Money" by the Thamesmen.
Please!! The whole movie is exactly what this songs has shown an absolute blast of fun.
You absolutely have to watch this! Even the metal guys from the 80's have talked about how "hitting the nail on the head" these guys were with the movie. One of my favorites as an 80's headbanger. When you do watch it, I want to see a full movie review!
Ya gotta love that Rob Reiner gave these comic geniuses full reign to improvise their parts. IMO This is Spinal Tap is the funniest movie of all time. Unlike other comments, I don't think it makes fun of '80's bands. It makes fun of '70's bands like Deep Purple and possibly ELP, who had Keith Emerson play piano upside down.
ISTR Mckeown was parodying Robert Plant, Tufnell was Jeff Beck and Shearer was Geezer Butler so definitely the 70's imho...
The set and props of "Rock & Roll Creation" seems a clear parody of Yes.
it parodies everything about 70s hard rock, I know Uriah Heep was mentioned by Chris Guest in some interviews. The sexist lyrics I would say Deep Purple were a big influence tho'!
You're right, it's definitely the 70's bands that they are satiring. The 'hair metal' era had not started yet when the movie came out or just barely started.
@@paulelverstone8677 side note the original Nigel Tufnel character looked like a british invasion mod (or something) on the Lenny and the Squigtones LP from 1979
I was expecting this reaction to go all the way to 11 and I was not disappointed. I also agree that Elizabeth should watch the entire movie.
I saw them in Chicago back in the 90’s on their Break Like The Wind tour. They were hilarious and excellent live performers.
This is one of my favourite reactions of yours... every particularly bawdy line ilicited such funny reactions the first time around. You are so delightful and classy; you remind me of someone from my past who was very refined, a consummate lady, but with a devilishly wicked sense of humour whose opportune expurgations of choice profanity and graphic humour could reduce a room to tears of laughter.
I think Big Bottoms is actually a parody of Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen.
I was looking for this comment! I concur
First thing I thought😁
Is it actually? It sounds nothing like it.
@bartelbyfloats Maybe just the title.
She did mention Big Balls by AC/DC, but I'm always reminded of Whole Lotta Rosie as well as Fat Bottomed Girls.
Your first 30 seconds of the song resulted in more musical analysis than I’ve ever heard about the entire library of music from the band
You can't call yourself a true Metalhead until you've watched Spinal Tap. The album "This is Spinal Tap" is also highly recommended. It's great.
@@zag7165 this is truly a "right of passage" film 🤘🏽
Don't forget "Break Like the Wind". ...another good example of a sequel lp...with Jeff Beck,no less.
I actually got to see them Live!!!! With the props, makeup and all the goodness!!!!!
It is an incredible mockumentary that was mostly improvised! Although some folks here have commented that it mocks the metal scene of the 1980's it is really more of a loving nod to the era...and it happens to be pretty accurate!
Elizabeth... I hope you turned the volume up to 11. This is the best way to listen to Spinal Tap. Heck Yeah you should watch the whole movie and Rock of Ages the musical with Tom Cruise after that. btw... since we are talking about a spoof song on "Big Balls," now would be the perfect time to do an analysis of "She's Got Balls" by AC/DC. This is a "Double-Dog Dare" also. Thank you for your effort, excellence, and enthusiasm.
I'm thinking you mean the song "The Jack". But otherwise agree.
Second Rock of Ages
@@ththejackjumper no, i know the difference between The Jack and She's Got Balls.
A Mighty Wind is another great one with most of the original cast. That one covers Folk music and Lawrence Welk-esque performances
The Folksmen.
I can't tell you how pleased I am that you took this in the spirit it was intended...🥰
McKean, Shearer and Guest were also The Folksmen in the movie A Mighty Wind, and they toured as the Folksmen as an opening act for Spinal Tap.
Since the tour happened before A Mighty Wind, the people who were there to see Tap had no idea who they were and booed them off the stage.
Anyone who has performed on stage can relate to the humor in Spinal Tap. Classic, classic film. The best satire has a large dose of reality, that's what makes it funny :)
I love that you continued doing a serious vocal technique analysis on this ridiculous exercise. Way to soldier on!
Tis the season for Spinal Tap's "Christmas with the Devil." No bells in Hell. No snow below.
One Christmas tradition I never skip.👹🎄
Also time for: Cashing in on Christmas with Bad News.
The movie is so packed with jokes, you will need to watch it more than once. And it’s so quotable.
This is one of my all time favorite movies. So good. I wouldn't call it a musical, though. It's a mockumentary with concert performances. Most of the dialogue was improvised and these guys are masters at it.
HELLO, CLEVELAND!
hellooo springfield...homage
There were many times we didn’t get lost under the stage!
If you like intertwining melodies of Mozart and Bach, you wlil love the tasteful tribute that Nigel Tufnell plays on his piano 😂
D minor is the saddest key
Isn't that his 'Mach' piece?
@@rikardottosson1272 people weep instantly...
"What do you call this?", "This piece (chewing gum and pointing at the keyboard) is called Lick My Love Pump..."
This movie is a GOAT comedy, and it rewards rewatching. They put out an actual album for the songs in the movie too.
I still have that CD, as well as their follow-up 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥.
Bout time you analyze the genius of Spinal Tap!
Yeah. I can't wait till she gets to Savatage. Hopefully soon now that she's getting exposed to Art Rock.
What I love about this is that it's honestly exactly in line with songs produced in that era
Freakin' at the freakers ball - 1972
You sexy thing -1975
Walk this way - 1975
Tush - 1975
Big balls - 1976
Shake your booty - 1976
Fat bottom girls - 1978
Pull up to the bumper - 1981
Centerfold - 1981
Slide it in - 1984
Sugar walls - 1984
Knocking at your back door - 1984
(1984 was the same year as Spinal Tap)
You need to see the whole movie! Love the Stonehenge scenario.
Spinal Tap (and all the Christopher Guest mockumentaries) are great! Can't wait for this one.
Some other non-mockumentary rock and roll movies you should check out: Almost Famous and Sing Street. Two must see movies for people who love music and people who make it.
Love Alomst Famous! Great movie.
Even a Charismatic Voice analysis of a Spinal Tap song can't convince me that we're not living in the worst possible timeline. But I appreciate the effort!
What? You don't like the humor? It holds up after 40 years.
This whole concept is legendary.
It spawned the term 'mockumentary'.
It gave us the quote "-goes to 11'.
JK Rowling drew inspiration from the band's inability to keep a drummer (they keep dying of bizarre accidents, such as spontaneously exploding during live performances) to have the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts needing to be annually refilled (because Voldemort cursed it for not hiring him as a young teacher).
Every touring rock band has claimed to suffer the same difficulties as shown in the film, asking the writers-actors-musicians if they took the events from the inquiring band's real-life experiences.
Micheal McKean (David St Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) are actors who are brilliant comedic actors who are also very good musicians. While Shearer is best known for his exceptional voice-acting on "The Simpsons", McKean and Guest are both also excellent dramatic actors and have worked together creating other off-beat and sometimes musical films. What was done in the rock genre with Spinal Tap, they do again in folk music with "A Mighty Wind" and in straight dramedy in "Best in Show" where they lampoon the world of high-level canine competition. They specialize in ensemble acting with improv filling out a conceptual framework.
As a trivia aside, this film features the first onscreen appearance of a young Anjelica Huston as the fabricator employed to manufacture the tiny Stonehenge in danger of being trod upon by dwarves. (Don't get me started on the cameos or this comment will never end!)
As I understand it (I'm no musician or music theorist), McKean and Guest wrote Spinal Tap's songs specifically to be bad. All the tricks to emphasize song impact were turned on their heads quite intentionally, trying to screw up the beat, the arrangement, everything. And yet the songs still manage to work and entertain. Hearing you analyze "Big Bottoms" brought back that fact, and I would LOVE to hear you take apart their songs to point out the intentionally-'bad' decisions in crafting them. Basically, it would let the less musically literate of your viewership in on the joke our ignorance leaves us out of.
Just love your open-minded approach to music, embracing the weirdest of musical expressions. Do keep it up!
The word goes back to at least 1956.
English group The Comic Strip tv series did a similar rock mockumentary that came out just before this too, it’s called Bad News Tour.
Too many spoilers...& you left out the 6 fingered man credit.
But please tag her in her top comment of the thread she pinned & let her know a comment about 80s hair bands is not the proper analogy to have pinned to promote this movie... she's basing likes she gets in that thread on whether she watches it or not & I'm afraid most will just pass by that comment as "that person missed the whole point of the movie" & never seen her comment in that thread on account of it.
If you’ve played out live, the jokes in this movie are even funnier. One of the most hilarious movies ever, and much of it improvised!