VinnyT
10-25-2006, 04:25 PM
I've been meaning to get around to doing this. Weird Al's most succesful album since the mid 80's, most of the songs on it are pretty good, along with a couple classics. We've all probably heard White & Nerdy by now.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Soli4.jpg
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1 "White & Nerdy": The big song off the album, and one of the better ones at that. Just great stuff all around that has most people saying "Hey, that's me!" Before they quickly realize what they just said and quickly just watch the awesome video quietly. Obviously a big reason for the albums success.
2 "Pancreas": Just doesn't seem to work. A Brian WIlson parody that never really picks up into something worth listening through. The enitre song is basicly about the diffrent uses of your pancreas, a joke which dies out unfortunatly before the song does. One of those weaker songs nortorious for being 2-4 on the album.
3 "Canadian Idiot" : Funny, but by now the song is kinda old so it comes across as something almost anyone else has already thought up from hearing the real song for the first time. Not bad though, but just kinda boring.
4 "I'll Sue Ya" In "Rage Against The Machine" mode, this is one of the better songs done, mostly because Al could be free with the music it being not a pardy of any one song. A song about suing almost anything he can think of. The video on the CD makes the song 5x better, it being by the same man behind Star Wars Gangsta Rap.
5 "Polkarama!" : One of the better polkas done ( Angry White Boy polka is still no.1). Reason for it being sorta low is how just the wrong songs are done too long while oehters are barely used. 3 "Hey's!" from Velvet Revolvers "Slither", then suddenly we've got "Candy Shop which just stays around too long. Still, the inclusion of both Modest Mouse AND Gorrilaz is pretty sweet.
6 "Virus Alert" : One of my personal favorites. A singing version of those junk e-mails about a random virus alert, followed by a list of various troubles you'll have; including poodle hickeys, and your grandmother being sent all of your porn. The video makes it even better, done by the same man behind Retarded Animal Babies.
7 "Confessions Part III" : One of the funnier ones, but only really if you've heard the other two and really understand the point of those songs. The confessions are supposed to be pretty minute flaws instead of major problems, but they come across as just the singer being a total asshole. " One night I drank too much and threw up on your dog" and "Sorry, it wasn't a cold sore!" were too big suprises from a Weird Al song, and make it even better. One of the songs I actually laughed out loud at.
8 "Weasel Stomping Day" : Another one-joke song that dies quicky. While this was the big Robot Chicken cartoon, it just never really clicked, and you just get turned away by the second or third crack of weasel spine. Parodying the style of old 60's christmas songs. Fortunatly this is the albums shortest song.
9 "Close But No Cigar": Not exactly funny, but just an over all good song (which can happen on these albums) about having perfect girlfriends who have a tiny flaw ( big earlobes, owning Joe Dirt on dvd, using the word "Infer" why they meand "imply") and casualy dumping them. The overall song is pretty catchy and could be passed off as a real song to some people. The video by John Kricfalusi( Ren & Stimpy) is pretty mature considering the other stuff on the album. It does go along with the song pretty well, but it still seems kinda outta place.
10 "Do I Creep You Out" : This Taylor Hicks parody had so much pontential, but Al opted for a stairght parody of his song instead of having a Hicks-ish convulsion while singing. Still pretty funny though, considering there not being much to work with.
11 "Trapped in the Drive Thru" : The Albums 'long song'. When I first read about it I just read about it being the long song, not thinking of it being a "Trapped in the closet" parody. Fans of the whole series of the "Closet" series should find this song pretty hilarious, as Al pulls various words from the actual song to keep fans guessing what's really coming up next. Pretty funny regardless. Better than "Genius in France", but still under the greatness of "Albeqerque"(sp)
12 "Don't Download This Song": Kinda boring, and its placement seems to be a clue that it was thrown in at the last minute. Just a song about downlaoding music and how it hurts the industry. It's literaly saved by Bill Plymptons awesome cartoon.
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I think the greatest thing about this album is what it makes you think about.
Think back to 1984 (if your old enough too). If you would have told anyone in 1984 that by the year 2006 Michael Jackson would be exiled and Freakin WEIRD AL YANKOVIC would still be relavent, they'd just call you a square and then proceed to beat you with one glove.
****1/2/*****
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Soli4.jpg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 "White & Nerdy": The big song off the album, and one of the better ones at that. Just great stuff all around that has most people saying "Hey, that's me!" Before they quickly realize what they just said and quickly just watch the awesome video quietly. Obviously a big reason for the albums success.
2 "Pancreas": Just doesn't seem to work. A Brian WIlson parody that never really picks up into something worth listening through. The enitre song is basicly about the diffrent uses of your pancreas, a joke which dies out unfortunatly before the song does. One of those weaker songs nortorious for being 2-4 on the album.
3 "Canadian Idiot" : Funny, but by now the song is kinda old so it comes across as something almost anyone else has already thought up from hearing the real song for the first time. Not bad though, but just kinda boring.
4 "I'll Sue Ya" In "Rage Against The Machine" mode, this is one of the better songs done, mostly because Al could be free with the music it being not a pardy of any one song. A song about suing almost anything he can think of. The video on the CD makes the song 5x better, it being by the same man behind Star Wars Gangsta Rap.
5 "Polkarama!" : One of the better polkas done ( Angry White Boy polka is still no.1). Reason for it being sorta low is how just the wrong songs are done too long while oehters are barely used. 3 "Hey's!" from Velvet Revolvers "Slither", then suddenly we've got "Candy Shop which just stays around too long. Still, the inclusion of both Modest Mouse AND Gorrilaz is pretty sweet.
6 "Virus Alert" : One of my personal favorites. A singing version of those junk e-mails about a random virus alert, followed by a list of various troubles you'll have; including poodle hickeys, and your grandmother being sent all of your porn. The video makes it even better, done by the same man behind Retarded Animal Babies.
7 "Confessions Part III" : One of the funnier ones, but only really if you've heard the other two and really understand the point of those songs. The confessions are supposed to be pretty minute flaws instead of major problems, but they come across as just the singer being a total asshole. " One night I drank too much and threw up on your dog" and "Sorry, it wasn't a cold sore!" were too big suprises from a Weird Al song, and make it even better. One of the songs I actually laughed out loud at.
8 "Weasel Stomping Day" : Another one-joke song that dies quicky. While this was the big Robot Chicken cartoon, it just never really clicked, and you just get turned away by the second or third crack of weasel spine. Parodying the style of old 60's christmas songs. Fortunatly this is the albums shortest song.
9 "Close But No Cigar": Not exactly funny, but just an over all good song (which can happen on these albums) about having perfect girlfriends who have a tiny flaw ( big earlobes, owning Joe Dirt on dvd, using the word "Infer" why they meand "imply") and casualy dumping them. The overall song is pretty catchy and could be passed off as a real song to some people. The video by John Kricfalusi( Ren & Stimpy) is pretty mature considering the other stuff on the album. It does go along with the song pretty well, but it still seems kinda outta place.
10 "Do I Creep You Out" : This Taylor Hicks parody had so much pontential, but Al opted for a stairght parody of his song instead of having a Hicks-ish convulsion while singing. Still pretty funny though, considering there not being much to work with.
11 "Trapped in the Drive Thru" : The Albums 'long song'. When I first read about it I just read about it being the long song, not thinking of it being a "Trapped in the closet" parody. Fans of the whole series of the "Closet" series should find this song pretty hilarious, as Al pulls various words from the actual song to keep fans guessing what's really coming up next. Pretty funny regardless. Better than "Genius in France", but still under the greatness of "Albeqerque"(sp)
12 "Don't Download This Song": Kinda boring, and its placement seems to be a clue that it was thrown in at the last minute. Just a song about downlaoding music and how it hurts the industry. It's literaly saved by Bill Plymptons awesome cartoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the greatest thing about this album is what it makes you think about.
Think back to 1984 (if your old enough too). If you would have told anyone in 1984 that by the year 2006 Michael Jackson would be exiled and Freakin WEIRD AL YANKOVIC would still be relavent, they'd just call you a square and then proceed to beat you with one glove.
****1/2/*****