JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Spinal Tap, the band from the beloved 1984 mockumentary about a fictional rock band, is back. Their new movie is called "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." Here with me to talk about that sequel and its rocking soundtrack is Raina Douris, host of WXPN's World Cafe. Hi there.
RAINA DOURIS, BYLINE: Hi.
SUMMERS: Raina, can you just start by reminding us all who this band is, and what made the original "Spinal Tap" so amazing?
DOURIS: OK. Well, "Spinal Tap" was one of the first mockumentaries, which is a genre of film and TV that's gone on to become very, very popular. And the band is a parody of a rock band, poking fun at all the excess and self-seriousness that comes along with that. But what I think made it really special was the chemistry between Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who play the band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls. A lot - maybe most of the film - is improvised, and it really is just, like, great joke after great joke the entire way through.
SUMMERS: OK, and now it's been about four decades, and they are back. So tell us, where does this new movie pick up and what are these characters all up to?
DOURIS: OK. Well, they've all aged a lot and have lived - are living very different lives. Nigel is working at a cheese and guitar shop, playing in a folk band. David is making music for true crime podcasts and that music that plays when you're on hold on the phone. Derek is running the Museum of Glue. And then they find out that they have this contract where they're obligated to do one more show together. So they all reunite, and chaos ensues.
SUMMERS: Love that. OK, so as host of World Cafe, you have listened to probably thousands of phenomenal bands, so how does Spinal Tap hold up? Is this soundtrack good? And I will just note that I have heard that there's maybe a superstar cameo or two?
DOURIS: Yeah. I mean, you can really hear that they are having so much fun. There are some new tracks that they've done for the movie, and a bunch of old ones from the original have been rerecorded, like the song "(Listen To The) Flower People."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "(LISTEN TO THE) FLOWER PEOPLE")
CHRISTOPHER GUEST, MICHAEL MCKEAN AND HARRY SHEARER: (As Spinal Tap, singing) Flower people, walk on by. Flower people, don't you cry.
DOURIS: A classic. A few of them also do have celebrity guests. You've got - Garth Brooks is in there. Trisha Yearwood is on there. Elton John appears in the song "Stonehenge," which is performed during the climax of both films, actually.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STONEHENGE")
GUEST, MCKEAN AND SHEARER: (As Spinal Tap, singing) Stonehenge.
ELTON JOHN: (Singing) Where a man's a man, and the children dance to the pipes of Pan.
DOURIS: And I think my favorite cameo is Paul McCartney. He shows up for a version of the song "Cups And Cakes," which only appeared in the first movie as a song playing in the background on the radio. It is very British, and it is very - it's perfect for Paul McCartney.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CUPS AND CAKES")
PAUL MCCARTNEY: (Singing) Cups and cakes. Cups and cakes. Oh, what good things mother makes. You've got to take tea. Won't you take it with me? What a gay time it will be.
SUMMERS: That is incredible. Raina, I wonder - seeing these actors and rock stars on screen 40 years later, what was most surprising for you?
DOURIS: Well, one thing about rock and roll is that it's a genre that really idolizes youth and being sexy and reckless. But here we're seeing these guys as old men. Both the actors and their characters are dealing with aging in the entertainment industry. They do get into things like dealing with mortality, which is sort of a theme in rock music, if you think about it. Rock music is full of death and graves and blood, and all those things are very, very rock and roll. The thing is that the Spinal Tap members may be technically older, but they haven't emotionally matured at all since the original. The characters are really exactly the same.
SUMMERS: It's incredible. Before we let you go, do you have a favorite song from the movie that we should go out on?
DOURIS: Yeah. Speaking of that aging and mortality thing, there is a new song that they did for this movie called "The Devil's Just Not Getting Old." Has some great lines about how the devil is still into flame, how he's still testing extremely well. I just think it's a good reminder that you may be aging, but you're never too old to rock.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE DEVIL'S JUST NOT GETTING OLD")
GUEST, MCKEAN AND SHEARER: (As Spinal Tap, singing) He's not starting to lose his teeth. He's not starting to eat less beef. No, the devil's just not getting old.
SUMMERS: Raina Douris, host of World Cafe at WXPN in Philadelphia, thank you so much.
DOURIS: Thanks for having me. Rock on.
SUMMERS: Indeed. And you can also hear Raina on today's episode of New Music Friday from NPR Music. And "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues" is in theaters today.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE DEVIL'S JUST NOT GETTING OLD")
GUEST, MCKEAN AND SHEARER: (As Spinal Tap, singing) He's not complaining of shooting pains. He's not having varicose veins. He's not experiencing shrinking brains. His full story's not been told. He's still testing extremely well. He's still running a hell of a Hell. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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