Spike Jones Albums (7)
'Let's Sing a Song of Christmas'
Release Date 1/1/1970
Tracks 20
Label MGM
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Verve's Let's Sing a Song of Christmas is an excellent collection of Spike Jones' Christmas recordings, featuring no less than 20 tracks, including "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)," "Jingle Bells Medley," "Nuttin' for Christmas," "The Angel in the Christmas Play," "Frosty the Snowman," "Christmas Alphabet Medley" and "What Are You Doing New Years." There have been other collections of Jones' holiday tunes, but this one is arguably the best, given its generous selection, great fidelity and liner notes by Richard Carpenter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Spike Jones' New Band'
Release Date 1/1/1963
Tracks 12
Label Liberty
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'Spike Jones in Hi-Fi (Spike Jones in Stereo)'
Release Date 1/1/1960
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
This album was also identified as Spike Jones in Hi-Fi, although just saying "Spike Jones, the monster one" has always worked fastest for identification purposes. Practically every record released in the late '50s said "in hi-fi" or "in stereo" on it anyway; in fact, this album makes both claims -- the former on the front in jagged, dripping monster letters and the latter on the back cover in a slightly more normal typeface. Voiceover artist Paul Frees, known for his Dracula and Peter Lorre imitations in cartoons, joins forces with the Jones band here for one of those completely perfect collaborations. Monsters are a rich source of comedy material as well as spine tingles, and Frees adds just the right dramatic continuity to the proceedings. The tracks include much manically tossed-off silliness cooked up by Jones and his arranging buddy Carl Brandt, such as "Teenage Brain Surgeon," definitely one of the Jones band's most rocking numbers. Then there are the classic standards that can be interpreted as having monstrous overtones. For example, having the hapless Frankenstein monster sing "Everything Happens to Me" might even make a listener forget the Billie Holiday version. The jokes even extend to the liner credits, where the vocal on "My Old Flame" is credited to one "I.M. Arson." The Jones band is in rip-roaring, startling form as usual, so hang on to your seats. Because of the content and how well it is pulled off, this is definitely recomended for children, who will probably want to keep it in their rooms once they see the cover. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
'Spooktacular in Screaming Sound'
Release Date 1/1/1959
Tracks 11
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This album was also identified as Spike Jones in Hi-Fi, although just saying "Spike Jones, the monster one" has always worked fastest for identification purposes. Practically every record released in the late '50s said "in hi-fi" or "in stereo" on it anyway; in fact, this album makes both claims -- the former on the front in jagged, dripping monster letters and the latter on the back cover in a slightly more normal typeface. Voiceover artist Paul Frees, known for his Dracula and Peter Lorre imitations in cartoons, joins forces with the Jones band here for one of those completely perfect collaborations. Monsters are a rich source of comedy material as well as spine tingles, and Frees adds just the right dramatic continuity to the proceedings. The tracks include much manically tossed-off silliness cooked up by Jones and his arranging buddy Carl Brandt, such as "Teenage Brain Surgeon," definitely one of the Jones band's most rocking numbers. Then there are the classic standards that can be interpreted as having monstrous overtones. For example, having the hapless Frankenstein monster sing "Everything Happens to Me" might even make a listener forget the Billie Holiday version. The jokes even extend to the liner credits, where the vocal on "My Old Flame" is credited to one "I.M. Arson." The Jones band is in rip-roaring, startling form as usual, so hang on to your seats. Because of the content and how well it is pulled off, this is definitely recomended for children, who will probably want to keep it in their rooms once they see the cover. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
'Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry'
Release Date 1/1/1957
Tracks 12
Label Verve
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Because this was Spike Jones' first long playing album, he became fascinated with the possibilities of high fidelity reproduction, overemphasizing special effects at the expense of the music, making for a rather dull dated recording. Remakes of "Cocktails For Two" and "Pal-Yat-Chee" are inferior to the originals and new material like "Wyatt Earp Make Me Burp" and "Brahm's Alibi" are instantly forgettable. The cover of the LP is also rather misleading, as the photo includes Dick Morgan, who died three years before the recording session, and comedian Sir Frederick Gas, who'd been fired two years earlier. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
