Post #"These go to eleven"- When Fiction and Nonfiction Collide, or The Very Real, yet Made Up Band, Spinal Tap

Many times works of fiction resemble real life situations. This is true in books and music. It is especially true in film however. One key example of this is the film This Is Spinal Tap.

Made in 1984 by director Rob Reiner, This Is Spinal Tap is what is described as a mockumentary film. This is a genre that dates back to the 1930s with shows such as Orson Welles' radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds and continues today with TV shows such as The Office  and Parks and Recreation. This film is what really brought the mockumentary to the forefront as a legitimate genre. This film was made purely as a parody and satire of the life of rock bands living on the road and touring together and the lifestyles and situations that that brings with it. What makes this mockumentary even more unique is that many real life bands have commented how accurate the film portrays the rock music scene, especially in terms of touring.

The music in the film is just as real. The whole film centers around the band touring to promote their latest album Smell the Glove, which in turn serves as the film's retitled soundtrack, is as much as real as the band is. It is full of songs that parody the rock scene, such as "Gimme Some Money," a reference to the Grateful Dead's cover of The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "Big Bottom," a reference to Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." The whole soundtrack is full of these types of parodied titles and references to rock bands of the '60s and '70s. These songs are very well done and written too.

Overall, the film This is Spinal Tap is an important one in terms of music in film. It ushered in the mockumentary as a legitimate way to tell a story. It also used original music in a way that was not utilized before and has since been used in films such as School of Rock.