Heavy heavy-metal parody
Spinal Tap
From the Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack
“This is Spinal Tap"
Polygram Records
Once or twice a year that great
American institution, the novel
ty record, makes its way onto
the charts. The latest entry is
Spinal Tap's From The Original
Motion Picture Soundtrack, “This
is Spinal Tap."
With a title as cumbersome as
its subject matter, the sound
track album dishes up an ap
petizer of vintage psuedo-sixties
schlock, but saves the main
course for an array of irreverent,
heavy-metal parodies. The
members of the British quartet
are (ostensibly) David St. Hub
bins (guitar and lead vocals),
Nigel Tutnel (lead guitar and
vocals), Derek Smalls (bass), and
Mick Shrimpton (drums).
The songs cover most of the
typical heavy-metal themes, and
many cuts ape styles of specific
groups.
"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You
Tonight" is an upbeat number
reminiscent of Boston's
"Smokin'," with Nigel's self
indulgent and, at times, off-key
guitar leads, electronically
masked vocals, and a flashy but
feeble organ solo.
The subject is sex with pre
pubescent girls and owes its
pedigree to Led Zeppelin's "The
Ocean." St. Hubbins belts out
the saucy lyric, "You're sweet
but you're just four feet/And
you still got your baby
teeth/You're too young and I'm
too well hung/But tonight I'm
gonna rock you."
"Heavy Duty" is a plodding
tribute to all those songs that
plug themselves by talking
about how great rock'n'roll is. It
features extra-low echoed
vocals and a duel between syn
thesizer and guitar with each
trying to play a higher note than
the other. Both eventually go
completely out of control.
"Big Bottom" has a throbbing,
monotonous beat and flatulent
synthesizer outbursts. St. Hub
bins is the titanium-voiced
mega-stud as he sings, "I met
her on Monday/It was my lucky
bun day.. . I love her each week
day/Each velvety cheek
day... Big bottom, drive me
out of my mind/How could I
leave this behind?"
"Stonehenge" is a swipe at
ponderous attempts to fuse
classical music and rock, and be
philosophical at the same time.
The song opens with desolate
whistling sounds and lonely
chords, accompanied by a
spoken narrative about the
Druid race. It moves to standard
rock bombast with swirling syn
thesizer motifs, back to eerie
sound effects with more narr
rative, then to a sprightly man
dolin playing Irish folk music,
and once more to the spoken
Druid bit. It is the least obvious
of the parodies, because its
thematic and musical elements
have been used with such great
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The rest of the album is equal
ly overblown, and continues to
borrow bits and pieces from
other rock songs, using them in
all the wrong places and for all
the wrong reasons.
The record is a success
because it manages to make
heavy metal, and other forms of
dinosaur rock, look insipid
without being that way itself.
These novelty discs tend to lose
their appeal quickly, and this
one is probably no exception,
but it does retain an endearing
quality.
Perhaps the final paragragh of
the Rocklopedia Brittanicus’ en
try on the band (reprinted in the
album) best sums it up.
“Though neither a critics' nor a
public favorite, Spinal Tap con
tinues to fill a much needed
void."
Kevin Frank
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U'N'IVER'SITY OF OREGON
CLASSIC SUMMER
RENEWAL OF BODY & MIND
June 18-August 10,1984.
Summer Session time schedules are now available.
Pick up your copy at the Summer Session office, Room
333 Oregon Hall, or in the Registrar's Office, and file
an intent to register card today. Classes begin June
19, so make plans now to treat yourself to an Oregon
Summer. Visa and Mastercard accepted.