Rutlemania!

If you are anywhere in the tri-state area, you are surely aware that New York City is in the giddy throes of Rutlemania. After a legendary career and equally epic breakup, The Rutles - Dirk, Stig, Nasty and Barry - have put aside their considerable differences for an historic run of shows at the Blender Theatre at Gramercy on East 23rd Street.


VH1 Classic helped whip things into a frenzy this week by screening the classic 1978 Rutle-mentary The Rutles: All You Need is Cash. It follows their stunning musical evolution from a scruffy, Liverpudlian dance-hall combo...


The Rutles, "Goose-Step Mama"


To loveable moptops...

The Rutles, "I Must Be in Love"


To matinee idols...
The Rutles, "Ouch!"


To global messengers of peace...
The Rutles, "Love Life"


To psychedelic visionaries...
The Rutles, "Cheese and Onions"


To the end, when drugs, bad business and overbearing women got in the way. But love & cash won out long enough for the boys to bring it all back home:

The Rutles, "Get Up and Go"


If you are not completely up on your Rutle lore, a screening All You Need is Cash and the 2002 follow-up Can't Buy Me Lunch are in order. Music wise, the career retrospective The Rutles is a good place to start. Now get up and go!


Rock Turtleneck Bonus: Beatle parodies for download
National Lampoon, "Magical Misery Tour" , Radio Dinner
(lyrics taken verbatim from John Lennon's famously bitter Rolling Stone interview)

Bonzo Dog Band, "Give Booze a Chance" (written by Python Neil Innes, who also wrote all the Rutles tracks)

Ron Lennon (aka Innes), "The Children of Rock & Roll"

The Dukes of Stratosphear (aka XTC), "The Mole from the Ministry," Chips from the Chocolate Fireball

The Dukes of Stratosphear, "You're a Good Man, Albert Brown," Chips from the Chocolate Fireball