Spinal Tap - The Who : The Kids Are Alright (1979) Discussion

Well not really no. The only connection is the Rock N Roll, and the Who and Tap play very different music!

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One part that reminds me of Entwistles scene is when Nigel is showing off his many guitars, which is almost to me a direct correlation between the two movies. Also the Listen to Me (The Flower People) that performance is like the My Generation performance on The Smothers Brothers show.

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[–] Quinibus-Flestrin 19 years ago

It's not really like the Smothers Brothers show; the Who were funny in that one, whereas "The Flower People", despite being nothing like "My Generation", is taken completely seriously, not at all like The Who's music. The only similarity is its an old-timey variety-type show.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] paulo20 19 years ago

Well, not sure, but I will say that Harry Shearer bears a resemblance to Keith Moon.

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[–] iamond 19 years ago

the bit when their trying to work out the harmonies for barbara ann and spinal tap at elvis' grave trying to work out harmonies is pretty similar.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Quinibus-Flestrin 19 years ago

Well, "Kids are alright", and I think "The Song Remains the Same", were probably huge influences; still I dont think Tap was a spoof one one particular band or band doc, but simply on rock in general.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] madscientist2787 19 years ago

I found Spinal Tap-esque bits in here too.

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[–] Quinibus-Flestrin 19 years ago

Have you seen "Song remains the same", though? There's a scene where Jimmy Page does a guitar solo with a violin bow; i think we all know that scene this was mocked in spinal tap. It's got bits from Hard Rock acts from 60s and 70s, there isnt one specific band they parodied.

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[–] hempick2 19 years ago

I thought it was a cello bow. :-\

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[–] JINXYBOY 19 years ago

The only real reference to the Who in Spinal Tap as far as I can think is when they start singing a song called 'Saucy Jack'. They refer to Saucy Jack as a 'Horsey One'.

Surely a reference to Happy Jack....who was a donkey???

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[–] zingzangspillip 19 years ago

They refer to him as a "haughty" one. It's probably the only word that rhymes with naughty.

I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the God they made.

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[–] pbl1 18 years ago

saucy jack was about jack the ripper -- no "relation" to happy jack

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[–] Dr_Keating 18 years ago

This is Spinal Tap was a mockumentary made to make fun of rockumentaries and Rock bands in general , so Spinal Tap was inspired by the Kids Are Alright and the Who, but all other rockumentaries and contemporary bands did as well.

"Mein Fuhrer, I Can Walk" -- Dr. Strangelove

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[–] a-ride-in-the-ocean 17 years ago

You guys aren't trying hard enough.

Resemblences I noticed;

Derek Smalls seems very similar to John Entwistle in many respects

The scene in Spinal Tap where they soundcheck Gimme Some Money is very similar to the Barbara Ann scene in Kids Are Alright

Lick My Love Pump sounds like the piano playing Pete features on his Scoop collection and the Chinese Eyes album

The constantly dying drummers is probably at least partly inspired by Keith Moon

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[–] SteveResin 15 years ago

Spinal Tap sent up lots of different bands but their ultimate source of inspiration was the rock band Saxon. One of Tap even went on the road with Saxon in the early 80s to experience touring, and the scene where Tap get lost in the caverns of the hall they're playing and can't find the stage (LOL) actually happened to Saxon on that tour.

"Kunta Kinte... yabba dabba dabba doo"

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[–] A_Fistful_of_Pennies 14 years ago

The exploding drums could have been the inspiration for the spontaneous combustion of Spinal Tap's drummers.

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[–] beatlenut8 14 years ago

Nigel Tuffnell was based soley on Jeff Beck I heard. If you look at the hairstyles and the voices on both, they're the same

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] darryl-tahirali 10 years ago

I really enjoyed this film on IFC.

Doesn't it seem like the inspiration for Spinal Tap? - Filburt222

A more likely inspiration for This Is Spinal Tap is The Last Waltz, directed by Martin Scorsese, a profile of the Band and its farewell concert in 1976.

Spinal Tap has the same mix of interview segments, ones that try to be profound but don't really work, and concert footage, and Spinal Tap's "director" is "Marty DeBergi" (Rob Reiner, who did direct the film).

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If I were a comedian, I'd incorporate myself so I could become a laughingstock.

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[–] etabacek 9 years ago

Spinal Pap's one drummer dying is a direct correlation to John Bonam's death by choking on his own vomit, except the Spinal Pap's drummer had 'someone else's' vomit in his mouth.

Keith Moon was the greatest 'Keith Moon Style' drummer ever!!

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[–] darryl-tahirali 9 years ago

Spinal Pap's one drummer dying is a direct correlation to John Bonam's death by choking on his own vomit, except the Spinal Pap's drummer had 'someone else's' vomit in his mouth. - etabacek

Yes. So what? It was one throwaway gag in an entire movie.

Have you ever seen The Last Waltz? Have you seen how it's structured, with interview segments interspersed with concert footage? That's the model for This Is Spinal Tap. Also, The Last Waltz was directed by Martin Scorsese, while Rob Reiner in Spinal Tap plays "Marty Di Bergi," the director of the "documentary." Also, as much as I love Last Waltz, it is pompous and self-important, and Spinal Tap mocks that at every turn.

Spinal Tap draws from many sources and stories, but I think its structure comes from Last Waltz. That's my point.

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"Colorless green ideas sleep furiously." - Noam Chomsky

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