February 18, 2018 - The Spiders - Mr. Tax (1968)

The Japanese Group Sounds bands voraciously absorbed the music and fashion styles of the Beatles and the British Invasion, aiming to promote and profit from its popularity among their own population, and even playfully plagiarizing. Mr. Tax, by the Spiders, pays tribute to Taxman, by the Beatles, swiping the main guitar riff and subject matter. However, as you will hear, this is the extent of their similarities, and the result is an unintended parody.

A clock ticks off the seconds left before the meeting between the narrator and Mr. Tax. The familiar guitar riff arrives at 0:19, and away we go. The first verse goes something like this:

Forgive me for coming so late
I'm very sad to see you, Mr. Tax
How are you, how are you, how are you?
Fine thank you, fine thank you, and you?
I'm in poor health, I'm in poor health, Mr. Tax

At this point we would expect a second verse...well, there is a brief return to the intro section, but then at 0:52 we are abruptly steered into an all-thumbs guitar solo with one of those sitar effects on it. This is a section of complete absurdity, and it often makes me shake my head with wonder and amusement. The solo ends at 1:12 and we are at the second and final verse:

What a sad thing it is, Mr. Tax
Please lift your face a little, Mr. Tax
excuse me, excuse me, excuse me
I hate you, I hate you, Mr. Tax
It is getting cold, it is getting cold, Mr. Tax...

The final 0:35 finds an increase in hostility by the narrator towards poor Mr. Tax. He says leave me alone, I hate you, and get out. He finally starts meowing like a cat with a bad fur ball, hoping it will creep out Mr. Tax enough for him to abandon his efforts to collect and Start! off through the door or out the window!

Wild Scheme A-Go-Go! (a drunk Mr. Tax shows up at 1:08, and man he is completely pissed off and wasted). Oh you crazy Spiders, planning to smuggle puppies onto an airplane. You guys and your Hello Kitty cuteness, I tell ya.