Barnes & Barnes: Zabagabee DVD Review

In 1987, the compilation Zabagabee: The Best Of Barnes & Barnes was released. That same year saw the release of a videocassette titled Zabagabee, featuring the duo's music videos along with some delightful and humorous testimony on the greatness of Barnes & Barnes. Both are now being reissued, with Zabagabee getting its first DVD release, providing the perfect opportunity to rediscover the great duo that gave the world "Fish Heads," the most requested song on the Dr. Demento Show. You've heard the song. Have you seen the video? If you were watching MTV in its early days, you probably have. There was a time when music videos were exciting, fun and inventive. The videos by Barnes & Barnes are among the best examples of that.

The DVD opens with footage of the duo, and they are so young. A bit of voiceover narration tells us: "Barnes & Barnes. The name itself conjures up images of mystery. Have they always been with us? Have they never been with us?" The tone is serious, perhaps even haunting. And the voice (which I've just learned is Miguel Ferrer) goes on to tell us that this program will attempt to unravel some of that mystery. So right away we know this isn't an ordinary collection of music videos. But of course, no one ever expected the ordinary from Barnes & Barnes. Jose Ferrer (yes, the Academy Award-winning actor of Cyrano de Bergerac) appears on screen, announcing, "I'm here to pay tribute to the supreme artistry of Art and Artie Barnes," and then tells a tale of seeing Barnes & Barnes in a Shakespeare play in the West End of London, which inspired him to become an actor himself. What's particularly lovely is how seriously Jose Ferrer delivers these lines. Jerry Siegel (the comic book writer) says that Barnes & Barnes forced him to create Superman. You see what they're doing here, right? That awful Forrest Gump movie, in addition to ripping off Being There, completely ripped off Barnes & Barnes by placing that character at key historical moments with key players. Don't ever watch Forrest Gump again. Watch Zabagabee instead. It's much better, much funnier, has better performances, and even better music.

And speaking of music, the first music video presented here is that of "Fish Heads." And it's the full video, with the sequence before the music starts. This video, by the way, was directed by Bill Paxton (yes, of True Lies and Twister) and Rocky Schenck, and both Bill Paxton and Dr. Demento are in it. The video is hilarious, and after it, Dr. Demento appears to tell us about his fond memories of Barnes & Barnes, saying their greatest hour was their acoustic set at Woodstock. The picture quality, by the way, is not always perfect. Nor should it be. Something would seem wrong if it had been completely cleaned up, if it didn't have that videocassette quality to the images at times. That quality works especially well with the interviews. Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, Woody Herman, Rosemary Clooney, Shirley Jones, Mark Hamill and Shaun Cassidy are among those providing information on Barnes & Barnes. Shirley Jones is hilarious, saying, "They used to shave my uncle." Mark Hamill, who always seems up for some humor, says, "I don't remember who I met first, whether it was Barnes or Barnes." And Shaun Cassidy admits he kept Barnes & Barnes locked in his closet for eleven years. (I wonder if his Under Wraps and Room Service album titles were his way of hinting at what was going on.)

The next music video is for "Love Tap," which stars Bill Paxton and is a total delight. The music videos are playful and creative. The video for "Soak It Up" contains some wild and amusing imagery, at moments poking fun at what others were doing in music videos at the time. Bill Paxton and Annerose Bücklers star in it. And just the fact that they made a video for "Ah A" at all is funny. It's a wonderfully strange choice. Rae Dawn Chong (from The Squeeze and Commando) is in the video, and she also offers her own testimony regarding the duo before it. Devo's "Booji Boy" character offers some information on waxing a carrot, and "Weird Al" Yankovic mentions that his father told him how Barnes & Barnes flew missions during World War II. One of the most delightful appearances on this DVD is by Jonathan Harris (Bill Mumy's co-star on Lost In Space), who says, "Haven't got a clue who they are, you understand. But I've been asked to say a few words, so I shall say a few words." It is a joy just to listen to this guy talk. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (of the band America) play a bit of "Fish Heads" on acoustic guitars, Dewey commenting, "They don't write 'em like that anymore." And Stephen Stills reveals, "We were going to call it Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Barnes & Barnes," and gives the reason why Neil Young quit the band.

We are also treated to videos for "Party In My Pants," "Pizza Face" and "When You Die." One of the many things I love about the duo's music videos is the animation, particularly in "Party In My Pants." I also love the pizza face baby. And as far as folks you likely know who pop up in these videos, Teri Hatcher is in "Party In My Pants," and both Miguel Ferrer and Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers) are in "Pizza Face." I just wish Barnes & Barnes had done a video for "Cemetery Girls." Then everything would be complete.

Zabagabee is scheduled to be released on DVD on July 24, 2026 through Liberation Hall.