Spinal Tap - Back from the Dead

[Stuart F]

The loudest rock band in history are back with a new album this week, plus a documentary on Radio 2 last night, plus (most excitingly) a ONE NIGHT ONLY WORLD TOUR at Wembley Arena next week

I have tickets to the gig and it's undoubtedly the single MOST exciting thing of 2009. Finally a chance to experience Jazz Odyssey in all its glory! ("He wrote this").
I've no doubt it will be a hugely emotional experience to be there at the unveiling of Stonehenge - I expect I'll cry cry cry all the way home

[Andrew F]

Lucky you. Aren't they putting in an appearance at Glastonbury as well?

I'll just have to be content with the snazzy new Blu Ray edition of the film coming in a few months...

[Tony]

I would like to have gone to this, but loathe Wembley Arena with a passion

[Stuart F]

Lucky you. Aren't they putting in an appearance at Glastonbury as well?

They are! Not sure which stage, but hopefully the set will be available on BBC3 / Red button next week.

[Dissident Aggressor]

I would like to have gone to this, but loathe Wembley Arena with a passion

While I agree that it's not a good venue at all, if there's someone I really want to see, I'll go anyway. I'm seeing Dream Theater and Opeth there in October, which I'm very excited about.

I don't like arenas generally. Venues like Brixton Academy and Hammersmith Apollo are ideal venues for shows like this. Big enough to get a good sized crowd but still small enough to get a good view from pretty much anywhere in the venue.

[BigManRestless]

What are the new versions of the soundtrack songs like? I was very disappointed when I bought the This Is Spinal Tap soundtrack album back in the day (on vinyl) and the studio versions on it seemed very lacklustre compared to the live versions in the film.

[Tony]

There is a free mp3 of the new Flower People on Amazon. It sounds wrong

[Andrew F]

There is a free mp3 of the new Flower People on Amazon. It sounds wrong

I thought it sounded fine - although it does seem a bit pointless re-recording the songs all over again in the same style. Oddly, though, the new album is on Spotify at the moment, and the version of Flower People on there is completely different, a reggae one.

[sirkobble]

The best track on it is the finished version of Saucy Jack, which, erm... isn't on it. It's a free download on the Spinal Tap website.

I don't mind the re-recordings (although Cups And Cakes is nothing without the faux-George Martin arrangement), and it's worth it for the rare/oldnew material and the DVD. A bizarre project all round though. Not an unwelcome one, by any means. But a bizarre decision. Think of it like a deluxe radio session with a new EP stuck to it.

The Amazon Flower People is non-album too, exclusive to them. iTunes have an exclusive Sex Farm too redone in its original arrangement, I haven't got that though.

In the Spinal Tap canon, these are supposed to be, on the whole, the official original studio versions. Which doesn't really work considering what's already been established in the fiction. But what the hey.

I'm still hoping in vain for a recording of the acoustic out-of-character tour they're doing.

[Andrew F]

I notice Play.com have a set of special features listed for the forthcoming 25th Anniversary Blu Ray, which looks a bit special. There's also a significantly more expensive Marshall Amp limited edition - no idea whether that's just novelty packaging or an actual (miniature) amp included.

[sirkobble]

Some thoughts on the 25th anniversary edition listing:

That's an amazing package - especially as it includes The Return Of presumably in full. And yet still is missing loads of stuff, some of which has been on different DVD editions before (and there are at least three different DVD special editions all with exclusive extras). Shearer is quoted as saying they like to mix the different editions up to make it interesting for the fans/collectors, so it's not surprising really.

The one major omission from this is The Final Tour test film, which was on the original Criterion. I wonder if the cast and crew commentaries from that have made it on here too. The out of character Guest/McKean/Shearer one is one of my favourite commentaries ever. Also surprised to see the same deleted scenes package pop up as before - it would have been a good opportunity to exhume and chop up the four hour rough cut for a definitive collection of offcuts.

I wonder if the Majesty Of Rock video is on it too. It's never been released since the original singles VHS. There were 4 on the DVD and this also lists Bitch School, so surely they wouldn't just miss that one off?

The features list is the same on DVD and Blu, so hopefully it's the full whack on both formats. Would have to be a 3 disc set though to hold all that on the DVD, surely?

[ChrisL]

I notice Play.com have a set of special features listed for the forthcoming 25th Anniversary Blu Ray, which looks a bit special. There's also a significantly more expensive Marshall Amp limited edition - no idea whether that's just novelty packaging or an actual (miniature) amp included.

It is indeed an actual amp!

Limited Edition version

I have no need of this whatsoever, nor can I justify the expense, but I must have it!

[Kevin Jon Davies]

Comic Strip's "Bad News" did it all first and did it much better.

[ChrisL]

Earlier maybe, but better? You crazy!

[Stuart F]

Comic Strip's "Bad News" did it all first and did it much better.

Did they though? As far as I know much of Spinal Tap was recorded in 1981/82 and then another year or two in the editing by the time it was released in 84.

I've always thought Spinal Tap / Bad News were essentially contemporaneous. Prefer Spinal Tap mind you