[Dixielandjazz] Spinal Tap

[eupher dude]

"This Is Spinal Tap" wasn't a film school project, by any means.  Rob Reiner was several years post-"All In The Family" when he made it.  

The core band is Michael McKean, who was Lenny on "Laverne and Shirley", Chris Guest, who later played the 6-fingered man in "The Princess Bride" and directed several movies, and 
Harry Shearer, who now does lots of voices on "The Simpsons" and is a political satirist.  Tap started as a "Saturday Night Live" bit, and grew into a life of its own.  

It was also improvised.  The three named above, and Reiner, came up with a story line and scene outlines, with a concept of what had to happen in each scene, and things that 
specifically needed to be said.  The overall scene was totally off-the-cuff.  The music, while decidedly in a heavy metal style including blatantly juvenile sexual content, is amazing
in both its satire and the quality of performance.  The band not only wrote the music, they performed it.

Later, Chris guest would direct such things as "Waiting For Guffman" "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind", all in a similar improvised style. "A Mighty Wind" reuinited Guest, McKean, and Shearer
in a musical setting...it's a great movie too, which is around 60s folk performers.  Again, the music is written AND performed by the acting company, and it's terrific stuff.

Yes, I happen to LOVE "This Is Spinal Tap".  (They do say they started off in skiffle bands, by the way.)  It's amazing satire, every bit as good and relevant as Tom Lehrer or Spike Jones, just in
a different style.  

There are LOTS of people who don't realize it's all a joke.  It's so well done.  And they keep adding to the legend with things like that interview.  Amazing stuff.

steve