Comments on: With a baton in one hand and a pistol in the other

With a baton in one hand and a pistol in the other

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:51:04 -0800

I know it's YouTube. But Spike Jones ^ must be seen as well as heard.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:51:57 -0800

Bonus: Click the word "well" for an unbelievable performance by Perez Prado.

By: jonson

jonson — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:08:43 -0800

I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk

By: squidfartz

squidfartz — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:17:59 -0800

You sire, (Astro Zombie) are a fucking genius. EXcellent post.

By: squidfartz

squidfartz — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:18:46 -0800

...and 'Sire', I'm your 'Squire' MeFi might consider a re-edit option sometime.

By: pax digita

pax digita — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:23:09 -0800

OMG, I [heart] the City Slickers. I can't click the links yet, but I hope at least one of them is from a USO tour back in the day -- I've heard they were terrific live.

By: Dr. Wu

Dr. Wu — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:25:42 -0800

jonson wins. This awesome post alone demonstrates the incredible value of YouTube. All those who whine about YouTube posts on MeFi are now encouraged to cease their whining.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:26:17 -0800

damn, i have to go to work right now, but thanks much

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:30:45 -0800

Damn! I'm at work and can't access. But I will say now - Astro Zombie, you (tentatively) rule!

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:33:40 -0800

I just reflect the glory and manic vaudeville inventiveness of the City Slickers.

By: DrJohnEvans

DrJohnEvans — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:35:32 -0800

Fantastic. Fantastic beyond words.

By: PHINC

PHINC — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:39:13 -0800

I've heard Prado scream a hundred times, but I haven't seen him scream until now, thanks.

By: cosmicbandito

cosmicbandito — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:53:21 -0800

While I appluad the comedic genius and musical chops of Spike and the City Slickers, some of their songs were pretty jingoistic, and are a lot less listenable now that the war is over: You're A Sap Mister Jap Der Fuher's Face Just sayin'...

By: Dr. Wu

Dr. Wu — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:57:56 -0800

cosmicbandito, obviously, you're correct, but these songs must be viewed as products of their times, when such things were far more acceptable. Not to mention that everyone, especially in the entertainment world, got into the act of wartime propaganda. Finding such stuff offensive misses the point, I think. I mean, sure, it's offensive(ish), but, more to the point, it's a history lesson: by listening to such songs, we can and should observe how standards of acceptability and tolerance have changed.

By: xmutex

xmutex — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:58:13 -0800

Is this something I'd have to be 93 years old to care about?

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:00:28 -0800

Yep.

By: cosmicbandito

cosmicbandito — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:04:10 -0800

By: kyrademon

kyrademon — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:06:13 -0800

Astro Zombie, I want to have your babies.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:08:58 -0800

Damn it. I already gave them to a group of hobos.

By: Dr. Wu

Dr. Wu — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:09:16 -0800

Fair enough, cosmicbandito. I guess we're looking for different things in the music. Personally, I find that considering the historical situation enriches my enjoyment of the songs on a musical level. But I am 93-year-old dork.

By: rough ashlar

rough ashlar — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:11:16 -0800

Yeah Dr Wu, I'm aware of the context, but it makes it much more difficult to listen to the song and enjoy it as a simple piece of music when I have to remind myself that racism and rampant nationalism were the norm then. I like Spike, but everytime the wartime songs come on, I skip them. I want to enjoy the music, not be reminded what a shitty time in history this was. posted by cosmicbandito at 12:04 PM PST If you live to 93, perhaps you'll feel the same way about some of today's Country music. Or the parodies played on the Rush Limbaugh show.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:12:04 -0800

Der Fuher's Face Der Führer's Face, courtesy of YouTube and the Disney Corporation.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:13:44 -0800

cosmicbandito, we were in a real war back then, and Der Fuhrer was a genuine menace. I'd say "Der Fuhrer's Face" was an entirely appropriate (and funny) call to arms. Ditto You're a Sap. Apart from the racial slur (which was culturally acceptable at the time) the lyrics are pretty mild. You can re-define the 1940's in terms of baby-boom peacenik values if you want, but you're trading historical facts for rather a rather dubious and unearned feeling of moral superiority.

By: casconed

casconed — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:14:31 -0800

obligatory bitching about annoying caret notation and excessive youtubing.
however, in spite of all that, this is a fine post. well done.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:16:58 -0800

Yeah, the dumbdumbdumb caret notation is semantically meaningless and annoying, but the post is good. Thumbs up, AZ.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:18:20 -0800

By the way, I recommend Jordan Young's bio, The Man Who Murdered Music.

By: pointilist

pointilist — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:19:45 -0800

Love this guy. Thanks

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:19:50 -0800

It's called a caret notation? All this time I've been calling it a CARROT notation. God, I feel like an idiot!

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 12:25:15 -0800

Great post AZee. This guy has to be Spike's illegitimate grandson.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:07:35 -0800

And here I was assuming this was just a mispelled Spike Jonze post.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:08:22 -0800

You know me better than that, smackfu. I spel good.

By: elr

elr — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 13:23:48 -0800

Great, I watch all those cool videos just to wind up with "You're A Sap, Mister Jap" stuck in my head. At least our propaganda pop was better than Hitler's They totally would've whomped us in the film department if we didn't have the looney toons. anyways, yay for Perez Pado and Billy Barty!

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 14:32:23 -0800

I'd like to say it was Spike Jones who inspired me to become a percussionist. But I'd be lying. Spectacular post! Way to use the powers of YouTube for good!

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 14:37:25 -0800

And I want his suit.

By: pointilist

pointilist — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:40:28 -0800

And the caret worked for me- took me right where I thought it would (checking to see if you had meant to spell Spike Jonze).

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:21:41 -0800

Excellent!!!!

By: Robot Johnny

Robot Johnny — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:32:45 -0800

This is wonderful. I listened to Spike Jones records all the time as a kid, and have just recently loaded up the old iTunes with about five or six album's worth of stuff -- but I have never seen any live performances, so this is quite timely!

By: mss

mss — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:52:29 -0800

Johnny I'm with you. I credit Spike with developing my sense of humor by being around on 78's when I was little and of that age where everything needed to be played over and over. Of course the most played were "William Tell" and "Dance of the Hours". Lets go to Doodles down on the track. and of course the winner was always ..........[crash bang whoop whistle] F e i t l e b a u m

By: lekvar

lekvar — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:56:03 -0800

Is this Spike "Goon Show" Jones? Curse my job and its "no-streaming-videao" rules!

By: lekvar

lekvar — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:58:28 -0800

No, lekvar, that would be Spike Milligan, you great simperng git.

By: eegphalanges

eegphalanges — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:34:34 -0800

This was the bestus thing all day. Entertainment from an era when men had hands and knew what to do with them. The Perez Pado "Secret Love" competition is just beautiful. Thanks!

By: Jofus

Jofus — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 05:39:12 -0800

Late to the party here, but, holy hot shit Astrozombie, this post is like a much long, cool, lime cordial on a dry and dusty day.

By: Jofus

Jofus — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:13:18 -0800

much *needed* dammit. Much Needed.