Favourite Spinal Tap Album? [poll]

Not to focus too much on their band name(s), but in hindsight it’s baffling how territorial and strict artists were in the 60’s when it came to originality. When the wah-wah pedal came, guitarists felt that they couldn’t use it because that was Eric Clapton’s trademark, and since Jimmy Page was the only one with a fuzz box, he had to actually play on your record if you wanted to use that.

That taken into consideration, just imagine how they felt about names. I mean, you simply could not be called the same as another group - or even something close to it. I recently heard an interview with Paul Stratford of the freakbeat-group The Frequent, and they had to change their name because they were sued by a band called The Numerous. They lost all momentum and broke up. It was crazy, and really puts into perspective just how controversial naming yourselves The New Originals was back in '64. Remember, this was years before The New Yardbirds etc., and was most likely a deliberately calculated and defiant move to provoke and upset the "other" Originals - and the establishment in general. A wild proto-punk move by the Tap that probably frightened The Originals into changing their name to The Regulars instead of taking them to court.

But it was even worse for solo artists. They used to change their legal names all the time (or lie - re:Bob Dylan) until David Jones (after having been sued by both Davie and Davy Jones) came up with the idea of using a pseudonym. You may like or dislike "David Bowie"’s music, but that was a landmark achievement on a purely humanitarian (and judicial) level.

 

Smell the Glove.
There is none blacker.

 

LOL

 

I remember going to the record store asking for those albums.
"Hi I would like to order "The sun never sweats" by Spinal Tap please"

 

You forgot 'Brain Hammer'.

 

The reissues of Spinal Tap's catalog on CD over the years are perhaps the only albums who's sound quality was improved by brickwalling.

 

No favourite - all of them ruined by Dobly.

 

Shark Sandwich all the way, their absolute creative peak before their disintegration due to muscular indifferences.

 

I'm surprised some group hasn't recorded their own versions of these classic non-existent albums. I nominate Steel Panther to at least write and record "Throb Detector".

 

You mean these aren't in existence?

 

They could be found most of the time in the 80s, in the budget priced bins and in gas stations.

 

I'll admit that 1976's Tap Dancing, their foray into disco and glam/dance has always been a guilty pleasure for me.

 

The Sun Never Sweats or GTFO. Much like Kiss’ Music from The Elder, only the true Tap fan gets this one. It’s deep. It contains multitudes. The critics couldn’t possibly understand an album this complex. Also, they’re a bunch of jealous doo-doo heads.

 

Echoing what Ian stated in his interview with "Marty" Di Bergi, don't listen to ANYONE who tries to convince you that the Smell The Glove tour wasn't successful just because they were playing 1,200-1,500 seat arenas and not 12,000-15,000 arenas, like they were in the '70s! They were being selective about what audiences they wanted to play for!

 

I've been a big Spinal Tap fan since the release of their 1980 release Shark Sandwich. Before that I didnt understand any of their work, it was too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Shark Sandwich that Derek Smalls' presence became more apparent. I think Smell the Glove is the group's undisputed masterpiece.

 

I know it's a ton of work and those guys have other things to do, but I always wished they had picked a few of the key album titles and released full albums with those titles, covers and the songs that were supposedly from them. And use a producer who cared enough to try to recreate the production style of the era they were supposed to be recorded in. Would be brilliant even all of the songs might not be.

 

Who says they haven't ?

 

The threatened “Burning of the Vinyl” protests played a big part in the change of mind

 

I have that one in Marbled vinyl. Its heavy man, I’m still trying to get it off the turntable.

 

I voted for Glove!
Giving that I can't track down a promo press...wonder if a one step or UHQR reissue is out of the question?

 

As a fan, I never agreed with the reviews of Shark Sandwich on its release. To me it was an instant and enduring classic.

 

I know it’s an unpopular opinion on this board, but my favorite version of Flower People is the US Duophonic with extra reverb.

 

I know We Are All Flower People is often derided for a growing pains sophomore effort but I feel like it was a last gasp of creativity, with their big early hit out of the way they could explore an album oriented psychedelic sound. I love their frequent use of the theremin. Nigel claims it is the first rock opera, predating SF Sorrow, about the day in the life of a man who eats a cake, reads a book in the rain, walks in the park, rides an elephant in Africa, pulls a prank on a cop, becomes a cat, chases a hot chick on skiis, tends a lonely lighthouse, plays bridge with the Queen, trips on acid and then watches the sunrise in the west. Although some claim that is a tenuous way to connect what is essentially a bunch of separate songs.

But do avoid the mono release. They literally took the left channel of the hard panned stereo release and used that for the mono. This means one of the hardest rockers on the stereo version becomes an acapella song with some extremely loud tambourine on the mono version, and another song which had 2 different vocals panned hard left and right singing questions and answers to each other on the stereo version now simply just has the answers. Kinda strange when all you hear is "yes I would........he ran into the bloke......10 past 2.......armadillo.........I won't do that."

Too bad the band dove into brain numbing hard rock and then jumped the shark (sandwich.)

 

I'm still pissed they weren't on one of the Live Aid bills.

Intravenus De Milo, btw.

 

Yes, but few people realize it was mastered specifically for Dobly-enabled receivers.