The Atrocious Music Collection: #23 in a series
Artist: The Webspinners
Album Title: The Amazing Spider-Man Rockomic: From Beyond the Grave
Category: “Rockomic,” of courseYear: 1972
Cover art style: Comic book
Audio: Full album
Acquisition: Princeton Record Exchange, Princeton, NJ, ca. 1990 - the sticker is still on the record
Click on picture for full-sized image
I'd like to begin with just a brief note about the Princeton Record Exchange, which is the magical place where I got this record. I’m kind of amazed so little of the collection comes from there, but I guess I really got into regular visits to the Exchange after my collection days had slowed down. There’s actually a 2011 documentary about it, and, as of this writing, the store is going as strong as ever. Wanted to give them a shout-out.
OK, on to Spiderman: From Beyond the Grave…
So remember that Broadway show, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, that got raked over the critical coals back in 2010? Good, we’re not going to talk about that, ‘cause we’re going all the way back to 1972 and the Spiderman “Rockomic” From Beyond the Grave. I don’t know much about Turn Off the Dark, but I’m pretty sure From Beyond the Grave is much, much edgier.
The story begins with a terrifying nightmare and later includes the seemingly obligatory flashback to Spidy’s origin story for the three people who both own this record and don’t know it. (Sidebar - let me remind you of my one rule for superhero movies: no origin stories!)
Open the record, and the whole tale is laid out in comic form. There’s Spidy battling his villians, Aunt May in trouble with the Kingpin, the flashback, Spidy teaming up with Dr. Strange, and the battle royale.
All songs are performed by The Webspinners, who remain otherwise uncredited. The lead singer, it turns out, was apparently Ron Dante who also sang lead for the fictional band The Archies – based on another comic, Archie. The composer/lyricist is Stephen Lemberg, who doesn’t appear to have done much beyond Spiderman, according to the internet. Not quite Bono and the Edge (composers for Turn off the Dark), but some of these tunes are groovin’ nevertheless. There is also a LOT more echo in the Rockomic. Way too much echo.
If you want to skip the story part - and if you do, why? Come on! This is still better then most network shows. Anyway, if you really want to skip the story part, the first song (Theme From Spider-Man), appears at 5:30 into side 1. This is not the same as the TV show theme some of you may remember, as a few lyric samples will reveal:
Everybody’s talking about that Marvel Spiderman.
No one lady’s sex machine/he makes all the little girls sigh
Frankly, I don’t remember that from the comic book.
There’s also the this refrain: How does he ever win?, which is pretty weird as the rest of the song praises him with superlatives, and not just about his prowess in flying (which he doesn't technically do, by the way) and in the sack.
None of the other songs are quite as jarring as the theme song, but the second song, a cheesy ballad, certainly meets the standard for atrociousness set by the opening number. Beginning at 13:15. (It’s Such a) Groove to Be Free has Peter Parker wallowing in his new powers which will allow him to leave all [his] teenage troubles behind. Like Spiderman, this song is pretty amazing.
By 21:35, Spiderman decides to take action, and we get The Stronger the Man (the Heavier the Load) which is an inoffensive shuffle. Then right before 28:00, after Spidy and Dr. Strange team up, we get the oddly cheerful Goin’ Cross Town, which is essentially a song about going out to beat people up, set to a New Orleans-style Dixieland backing track. An odd combination, but kind of fun.
In the end, Dr. Strange prevents the escape of the Kingpin by sending him to what is basically hell. Pretty grim. Dr. Strange comes off as a bit of dick, frankly, and Spidy oddly plays second fiddle to him on his own record. Anyway, all that’s left is a reprise of the Spiderman theme, instrumental/credits style (right before 36:00).
As we all know now, decades later, there’s money to be made in superheroes, but only when they’re done right. It is all about the tone and the characters, not the plot – same as any other genre. Like the Broadway show, the problem here is that while some of the “correct” plot points are hit, they are mostly tired and dull. Meanwhile, the musical element seems to have nothing to do with Spiderman. Like Julie Taymor’s missteps with Turn Off the Dark (especially the addition of Arachne from Greek mythology - see, I know a little bit about the show), the songs in From Beyond the Grave are tone-deaf to the character (who is a high schooler, by the way) and the NYC setting.
But credit where credit is due; I’m not sure I’d like any Spiderman musical, but at least this one didn't have a multi-million dollar budget.