Back from the Dead (Spinal Tap album)

Back from the Dead
Studio album by Spinal Tap
Released	June 16, 2009
Genre	Comedy rock, heavy metal
Length	66:07
Label	Spuzzle, Polymer
Producer	C.J. Vanston
Spinal Tap chronology
Break Like the Wind (1992) Back from the Dead (2009) The End Continues (2025)

Back from the Dead is an album by the comedy heavy metal band Spinal Tap. Released on June 16, 2009, it is the first release by Spinal Tap name since 1992's Break Like the Wind, and was Spinal Tap's last album until 2025's The End Continues.

Concept and music

The concept of Back from the Dead is that Spın̈al Tap has reunited in honor of the 25th anniversary of This Is Spinal Tap, and have launched an "unwigged and unplugged" tour.^[1][2]

Back from the Dead features re-recorded versions of songs featured in This Is Spın̈al Tap and its soundtrack album, and five songs not previously available on an album: "Warmer Than Hell", "Short and Sweet", "Celtic Blues", "Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare", and "Back from the Dead".^[1][3] "Jazz Oddyssey", which appeared briefly during the film, appears in three parts within Back from the Dead.^[1][3] "Sex Farm" appears in a funk-oriented version, while "(Listen to the) Flower People" appears in a reggae-oriented version.^[1]

Back from the Dead features guest appearances by Phil Collen, Keith Emerson, John Mayer and Steve Vai.^[3]

Packaging and artwork

The CD/DVD version of the album featured a card stock foldout from which a diorama of a "stage" could be assembled with cut outs of all three band members depicted as action figures. A representation of the famed model of Stonehenge sat in the middle, flanked by images of the upraised hands of concertgoers. The band members demonstrated the packaging during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.^[4]

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
NME	[5][a]
Planet Sound	[6]

Back from the Dead was released on June 16, 2009.^[3][7] The album is packaged with a DVD featuring commentary on each of the album's tracks.^[8] Preceding the album's release, it was streamed for free by Entertainment Weekly and Spinner.^[3][9] An exclusive version of Back from the Dead was made available through Amazon MP3, featuring a newly recorded version of "(Listen to the) Flower People" in its original style.^[10] An additional track, "Saucy Jack", was released through the official Spın̈al Tap website.^[3] Fifteen of the songs have been released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series,^[11][12] along with "Short and Sweet" appearing as a packaged song in Lego Rock Band.^[13]

While AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the straightforward approach of the re-recorded songs hurt the remakes, which "pale next to the originals", he wrote that the new songs are "top-notch, eclipsing the often forced Break Like the Wind, and striking the right balance between parody and real rock & roll. They're the reason to hear Back from the Dead, which otherwise is just a tad too satisfied with its own humor for its own good."^[1] Back from the Dead was nominated for Best Comedy Album for the 52nd Grammy Awards.^[14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner	2:42
2.	"Back from the Dead" (originally released online in 2000[15])	Guest, McKean, Shearer, C. J. Vanston	4:06
3.	"(Funky) Sex Farm" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	4:30
4.	"Rock 'n' Roll Creation" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	5:05
5.	"Jazz Oddyssey I"	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Vanston, Greg Bissonette	2:19
6.	"Gimme Some Money" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	2:33
7.	"Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare" (original version from The T.V. Show[16])	Guest, McKean, Shearer	3:19
8.	"Heavy Duty" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	4:57
9.	"America" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	3:39
10.	"Jazz Oddyssey II"	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Vanston, Bissonette	2:00
11.	"(Listen to the) Flower People (Reggae Stylee)" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	3:20
12.	"Hell Hole" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	3:34
13.	"Big Bottom" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	3:39
14.	"Celtic Blues" (original version from The Return of Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer	1:25
15.	"Jazz Oddyssey III"	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Vanston, Bissonette	2:16
16.	"Warmer Than Hell" (originally released in 2007[17])	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Vanston	3:51
17.	"Stonehenge" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	4:30
18.	"Short and Sweet" (guitar solo by John Mayer, Phil Collen and Steve Vai)	Music: Guest, McKean, Shearer – Lyrics: McKean, Annette O'Toole	6:35
19.	"Cups and Cakes" (original version on This Is Spinal Tap)	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	1:40
Total length:			66:00

Amazon MP3 exclusive (only available in US, UK and Germany)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
20.	"(Listen to the) Flower People (2009)"	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	2:48

iTunes exclusive

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
20.	"Sex Farm (2009)"	Guest, McKean, Shearer, Reiner	3:13

SpinalTap.com exclusive

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
20.	"Saucy Jack"	Guest, McKean, Shearer	1:38

Personnel

Note that for this release, the credits show the musicians under their real names, although the characters of David, Derek and Nigel are referenced elsewhere in the album package.

Spinal Tap

• Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) – bass guitar, vocals
• David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) – lead vocals, guitar
• Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) – lead guitar, vocals
• Gregg Bissonette – drums
• C. J. Vanston – keyboards

Additional musicians

• Parker Posey – screams on "Back from the Dead"
• Keith Emerson – keyboards on "Heavy Duty"
• Chris Tedesco – trumpet on "(Funky) Sex Farm"
• Glen Berger – baritone sax on "(Funky) Sex Farm" and "(Listen To The) Flower People (Reggae Stylee)"
• Jo Pusateri – percussion on "(Funky) Sex Farm"
• Phil Collen – guitar solo on "Short and Sweet"
• John Mayer – guitar solo on "Short and Sweet"
• Steve Vai – guitar solo on "Short and Sweet"

Charts

Chart performance for Back from the Dead

Chart (2009)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18]	76
US Billboard 200[19]	52

Notes

1. Displayed on the current site as ; see the archive for the original 11/10.

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review of Back from the Dead". Allmusic. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
2. Kaczmarski, Sandy (May 31, 2009). "Unwigged and Unplugged: Spinal Tap Unwiped". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
3. "SPINAL TAP: Entire New Album Available For Streaming". blabbermouth.net. June 15, 2009. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
4. The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, June 15, 2009
5. Woodhouse, Alan (18 June 2009). "Album Review: Spinal Tap - 'Back From The Dead'". NME. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
6. Earls, John. "Review: Spinal Tap/Back From The Dead". Teletext. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
7. "Best bets: Jack Black starts at 'Year One'". Today.com. June 14, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
8. "Eleven heaven for Spinal Tap". The Age. Australia. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
9. Pastorek, Whitney (June 2, 2009). "Spinal Tap's 'Back from the Dead,' now streaming exclusively on EW's Music Mix!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
10. "ASIN: B002BAV6MS". Amazon MP3. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
11. Willis, Danny (June 12, 2009). "New to Rock Band: Spinal Tap, and…Evanescence?". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
12. "DLC Week of 8/4". Harmonix. July 31, 2009. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009.
13. "LEGO Rock Band – Full Track List!". Harmonix. October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009.
14. "GRAMMY.com". The Recording Academy. December 2, 2009. Archived from the original on December 9, 2009.
15. "SpinalTapFan.com page on "Back from the Dead"". SpinalTapFan.com. August 16, 2010.
16. "SpinalTapFan.com page on "Rock and Roll Nightmare"". SpinalTapFan.com. August 16, 2010.
17. MacInnes, Paul (August 16, 2010). "Spinal Tap to reform for Live Earth". The Guardian. London.
18. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 264.
19. "Spinal Tap Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2022.