Review Summary: This album will leave you wondering "what the hell was wrong with this guy?".....which makes it all better!
Okay to start things off, this review is over a album VERY DIFFERENT to those on here already. Spike Jones was basically a comedian and artist, more or less like Weird Al Yankovic but from a early age. His work was well-known in the 40's after his band "The City Slickers" signed a recording contract with RCA Victor and he appeared on Bing Crosby's recording of White Christmas just a short time before. Though he was not one to record a full album over a list of single songs, the albums you find today are greatest hits or best ofs. You will probably ask me why I decided to review this album....I have no idea, it is one of those classics to me and if anyone on Sputnik grew up on this like I did or has any idea of the artist, only you can understand.
Growing up my dad had this album called "The Best of Spike Jones", now I have never heard of the band (or single artist, I was young) but the cover kind of pulled me in. I remember picking up the record and looking at a bright red background with some guy on the front thinking, "ok, this has to be the worst cover I have ever seen". It wasn't until my dad played "Man On The Flying Trapeze" that I understood. I couldn't stop laughing to this song, he would mess up line by line and after lines he would tell a joke followed by a loud "OOWWWOOO" and a cowbell. The humor of Spike Jones is old (from the 40's), but it's those lame jokes that make you chuckle. All around, it's the feeling you get as you listen and go "I remember this", that brings everything back.
The Best Of Spike Jones also holds eleven other songs of other great Jones' songs. All twelve songs are short in length, around three minutes or less and some are better then others. This album is a great listen for those that enjoy comedy or into "big bands", as they call them and should at least be on Sputnik (though it wasn't).
To wrap things up, the main point of this review is to enjoy the classics and to expand your choice in music. It's like the kids that sit in front of their TV watching shows like The Flinstones, Top Cat or The Jetsons that their parents watched. And as they sit and watch, their parents can say "I remember this episode", it makes them happy when their kids enjoy something they once did. This brings back great memories for me and even though it may be worthless in your opinion, it's something I remember from my childhood and that makes it a classic to me.
Recommended Tracks:
The Man on the Flying Trapeze
Hawaiian War Chant
Der Fuehrer's Face
