Inadvertent Album Themes

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Skippy
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Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Skippy »

It occurred to me that three of the four parodies from Polka Party! are of songs that were prominently featured in pretty popular movies at the time. ("Addicted to Love" was also in the 1986 cult film "Dangerously Close.") Also, four of the five songs parodied on Even Worse were cover versions.

So I was wondering if anyone has noticed any other accidental themes popping up on albums, whether it's a similar connection between the parodied songs or something with the style parodies, polka targets or whatever?
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Bruce the Duck
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Bruce the Duck »

Alapalooza had the likely unintentional prehistoric theme going, with the two lead parodies and the cover.

Also, some people think SOL had a rap theme, even though it only had one rap song. Though the polka did contain a fair amount of rap songs, and the cover had a rap theme going for it.
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Ovitz »

The parodies on "Even Worse" were mainly parodies of covers or remakes.
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eleventhirtyfour
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by eleventhirtyfour »

Also (and btw this isn't a great example), Bad Hair Day had 2 songs that were from movie soundtracks (Gangsta's Paradise; Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kilmer) and Gump was ABOUT a movie so...

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Bruce the Duck
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Bruce the Duck »

This is probably more of an intentional one for obvious reasons, but "UHF" certainly had a lot of television-based tracks, including Beverly Hillbillies, Isle Thing, UHF, and two fake television commercials.

Here are some grammar-based "themes".

Alpocalypse was heavy on the initialism-based titles with CIA, CNR, and TMZ.

Mandatory Fun is heavy on adjective titles with Handy, Tacky, and Inactive
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Mystik Tomato
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Mystik Tomato »

It's not a "theme" but I noticed that Alapalooza has the majority of songs freature a horn section.
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avesjohn
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by avesjohn »

Ovitz wrote:The parodies on "Even Worse" were mainly parodies of covers or remakes.
It's also the only album in which every parody target was a #1 hit (in the U.S., anyway). See my analysis of parody/polka targets...
Last edited by avesjohn on Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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louietheweaselfaceddogboy
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by louietheweaselfaceddogboy »

Poodle Hat had the on-going theme that each parody's title threw you off from what the original was. They weren't rhymes!

"Couch Potato" = "Lose Yourself"
"Trash Day" = "Hot In Herre"
"Ode to a Superhero" = "Piano Man"

Heck, even "eBay" is only a partial rhyme of "I Want it That Way." And "A Complicated Song" isn't even a rhyme at all... it literally just says its parody-target's name in the title!
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eleventhirtyfour
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by eleventhirtyfour »

Well, the new album is pretty much about different types of people. There's no songs about a specific product, TV show, food, etc. I honestly think this is the most theme-y album he has.
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Troodon
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Re: Inadvertent Album Themes

Post by Troodon »

The lead single for Straight Outta Lynwood was originally supposed to be "You're Pitiful", when Al couldn't get permission to do that one he switched to "White and Nerdy" which unintentionally fit the album "theme" a lot better. (It's also his highest charting single to date. Thanks Atlantic Records!)

Not sure if that's what you were looking for.
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