Classic or Dud: Weird Al Yankovic

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― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Never owned any of his records but that old "Dare To Be Stupid" video is hilarious. Only saw it once 20 yrs ago but I'll never forget his brilliant Hendrix-at-Monterey-Pop parody (soaks his accordion in lighter fluid and ritualistically burns it JUST LIKE JIMI!!)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 18 August 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...

Classic for his 80's work, yes, and a few of the 90's items weren't too bad. It does seem like he's become gradually less and less inspired on his parody concepts - or maybe the idea just seems played out now. 'OK, hit song, goofy lyrics, didn't this used to feel more anarchic and brilliant?' cf - the terrible RHCP thing, Grapefruit Diet, etc...

Those who have cited In 3-D are right on, I still listen to that to this day and love it. The s/t and large chunks of Dare To Be Stupid and Polka Party are solid also.

There are two secret weapons to Al: 1) his backing band is shockingly tight and dead-on, and occasionally generates hotter performances than the originals (cf, the Survivor one) 2) the non-parody songs. If they weren't "funny" tunes on records full of parodies, you can bet a lot more people would be talking about the following excellent rock and roll songs: "Dare To Be Stupid," "Mr. Popeil," "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters From A Planet Near Mars," "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead," "Nature Trail To Hell," "You Make Me," "Velvet Elvis," "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," "Trigger Happy," "Frank's 2000 Inch TV," "Waffle King," and maybe "Everything You Know Is Wrong."

I would buy a compilation of that exact track order, I think.

TS: Rick Derringer on "Eat It" versus Eddie Van Halen on "Beat It."

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 6 October 2005 03:03 (eighteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

"You're Pitiful" (James Blunt parody)

― Marmot 4-Tay: Hold these goddamn chickens! (marmotwolof), Thursday, 27 July 2006 19:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Don't forget that his Talking Heads, TMBG and Zappa style parodies rank right up there with his Devo and B-52s. This being said, he's got the nerdiest taste of anyone outside of a Weird Al fan. What no Camper Van Beethoven?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:00 (seventeen years ago) link

2) the non-parody songs. If they weren't "funny" tunes on records full of parodies, you can bet a lot more people would be talking about the following excellent rock and roll songs:

Add "Slime Creatures From Outer Space", which is the best Thomas Dolby record not made by
Thomas Dolby, to that list.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Thursday, 27 July 2006 21:49 (seventeen years ago) link

SUPPLIES!

― Mr. Bribsly (drich), Friday, 28 July 2006 00:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh fuck, how did I forget Slime Creatures From Outer Space? Yeah, you're right on with that, although suddenly I can't remember anything but the chorus. I'm sure it's great though. Maybe a double A-side with "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters..."?

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Friday, 28 July 2006 01:59 (seventeen years ago) link

two months pass...

have we talked about the new album? trapped at the drive thru is awesome.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:33 (seventeen years ago) link

Very, very awesome.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:40 (seventeen years ago) link

I just found this quote from David Berman:

“You don't want to err on the side of Weird Al Yankovic. The idea of being weird is as quaint as a gaslight lamp, of course. Like calling mental institutions Laughing Academies. I suppose that's an example of humor obscuring truth. I use it more like psychological realism. I don’t take pleasure in Ingmar Bergman movies or bleak music that aggressively exterminates hope, like Nico albums. All humor falls between Weird Al and Nico.”

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 03:51 (seventeen years ago) link

pls would like to hear weird al do only-silver jews parody covers record pls thx

― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:21 (seventeen years ago) link

"skunks in the beerlight" or some such.

― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:24 (seventeen years ago) link

"fandom rules"

― your daughter is one (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:28 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't recall weird al ever parodying the songs themselves as much as just using them as jump-off points for other silly things earlier in his career. he seems like he's shifted gears a bit? i mean confessions is v. funny too but... also is white and nerdy just amish paradise pt II? also seems he's working to keep fans that liked him when they were kids -- confessions for example is pretty "mature" and etc. like the humor is dirtier overall.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Perhaps today's 13-year-olds simply demand it?

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

The fact that morning deejays around the country are writing parody songs every minute and almost exactly none of them are funnier than Al tells me that the guy is classic.

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 05:43 (seventeen years ago) link

I heard Donny Simpson play "White and Nerdy" on his syndicated morning show on r'n'b/rap station WPGC in DC, and comment on the lyrics (he noted he had an intern print them out for him). Is this getting MTV, VH1 and pop radio support, or is it also on BET and 'urban' r'n'b/rap radio (is Simpson an exception)?

― curmudgeon (DC Steve), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link

I've heard the new albm several times at work--Trapped in the Drive Thru is hilarious--strangely, it's always followed by the new TV on the Radio album and the first few times I heard it I thought, "Damn, I didn't know TV on the Radio were so big that Weird Al would parody them."

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 12:59 (seventeen years ago) link

I finally heard "White and Nerdy" -- I think it's the greatest thing he's ever done.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:07 (seventeen years ago) link

It's one of the only times where the verses are much better than the one-joke chorus.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:07 (seventeen years ago) link

"My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored"

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:09 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't recall weird al ever parodying the songs themselves as much as just using them as jump-off points for other silly things earlier in his career.

"Ricky"? "I Love Rocky Road"? "Another One Rides The Bus"?

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Seconding Dan here! His first underground hit of any sort was "Yoda" aka "Lola!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:21 (seventeen years ago) link

trapped in the drive thru is amazing.

One thing I don't believe I'll ever get sick of if I live to be 100 years old: Weird Al gigantic pop hits of the day polka medleys. Polkamania is awesome. The gimmmick that keeps on giving! (And some of that shit like the Killers and Franz F sounds BETTER as polkas!)

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Ain't that the truth.

I vaguely remember a Grammys-themed special Weird Al did for syndicated TV as a one-off back in 1985 or so. Much Prince mocking, as well as Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon as a guest star, scarily.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:43 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah, Prince has never allowed Weird Al to parody his songs, so I think there's kind of a grudge there.

new album's pretty good, although a Cake pastiche might be the worst idea he's ever had. I do love "Confessions Part III", though.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Is this getting MTV, VH1 and pop radio support

I caught some VH1 in a hotel last week and there was some sort of "this week's countdown" going on - Al was in the top five!

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 13:49 (seventeen years ago) link

what i meant was that his parodies of songs weren't about the songs but about y'know, ice cream or star wars or something while confessions and trapped in the drive thru at least are "about" r. kelly and usher much more so.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 14:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Have you heard "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long"?

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link

(Parody of George Harrion's "(Got My Mind) Set On You" off of Polka Party)

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link

George CARRION.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:06 (seventeen years ago) link

haha stupid kebord

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:08 (seventeen years ago) link

(Parody of George Harrion's "(Got My Mind) Set On You" off of Polka Party)

It's on Even Worse.

Also think that "Smells Like Nirvana" is very actively about Nirvana, probably to the point of killing it. It does seem to be a gradually accelerating trend in his work though...

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link

I think it's hard for any parody to be completely not "about" the song it's based on, even if the lyrical topic something completely unrelated. even a song like "Headline News" is going to make use of the fact that the original has some quirk like a chorus comprised completely of "mmm mmm mmm mmm." Weird Al would never make songs like "Eat It" or "Fat" if the original artist was obese, but he damn sure had fun aping MJ's vocal tics.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Re: "Yoda" his first underground hit.

"My Bologna" was a Dr. Demento staple, and crossed over to mainstream Bay Area radio, while Yoda was still a sketch in Jim Henson's workshop. Approximately.

― Vornado (Vornado), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:45 (seventeen years ago) link

He has the best flow of any 45 year old white guy i've ever heard.

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Is "White And Nerdy" a Yankovic original? It sounds a lot like some Black Eyed Peas effort, but I cannot tell which (and that has always been typical of his originals anyway)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link

haha

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Thursday, 19 October 2006 10:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Too good.

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:11 (seventeen years ago) link

FAKE GEIR

― Sadly, he will be the next Alexis Petridish. (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 19 October 2006 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link

"He has the best flow of any 45 year old white guy i've ever heard."

Unless he was 15 when he did "My Bologna", he's um, several years older than 45 . . .

― Vornado (Vornado), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link

he's closer than you think. I just looked it up, and Weird Al's 47th birthday is next week.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link

I must say it was a guess, he has a lovely wrinkle free face.

― Rowlando for the kidz (Sam Rowlands), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Coming soon, "Blocked Up" - Weird Al's take on Akon(stipation)

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 19 October 2006 14:59 (seventeen years ago) link

Slate speaks.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 October 2006 03:31 (seventeen years ago) link

The first two long paragraphs of that article are basically just saying "He writes parodies" over and over again.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Friday, 20 October 2006 04:13 (seventeen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

New single/video is "Virus Alert" -- and it's a tribute to Sparks! Love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzRxkxu5ZKc

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 17:53 (seventeen years ago) link

it isn't really a single, is it? that's just one of the several animated videos on the DVD side of the DualDisc. definitely one of my favorite songs on the album either way, though.

― Alex in Baltimore (Alex in Baltimore), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 18:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Could well just be that, but someone on the Sparks list says they caught it being broadcast somewhere.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 18:12 (seventeen years ago) link

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