Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Love the music and CD's of Weird Al? Do you have comments on it? You can post it here!

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
oddaustin
Regular
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado

Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by oddaustin »

I'm almost certain that there's been some thread like this before, but I couldn't find one, so I thought I'd ask, what's everybody favorite track(s) from each album?
Oh, and this thread is a nice contrast to this one, ah conflicting topics: http://weirdalforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=245

Anyhoozle, here's my list of songs:

"Weird Al" Yankovic: Happy Birthday
I'm surprised how awesome the originals are on this album. This one in particular is fantastic. The lyrics are funny (while admittedly not 'hilarious', but who cares) and the music is really solid and catchy. I would suggest though that if you haven't already and if you can find it, check out the original Placebo EP version of this, it's more raw and garage band sounding, which I think adds to the tone of the lyrics.
Runner Up: I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead

In 3-D: Nature Trail to Hell
This one is just plain epic. A great end to an okay album. It has so many different styles in it and I really like the lyrics, especially the 6 O' Clock news line. Also, who couldn't love a back masking of the phrase "Satan eats cheese whiz"? Answer: No one, no one couldn't love it. Now really the only thing to do is make an actual movie out of this. C'mon Hollywood! You've had 26 years to get started on this, let's see some slaughtered cup scout troops!
Runner Up: Polkas on 45

Dare to be Stupid: Dare to be Stupid
No Al fan dislikes this track. It's very hard not to fall in the love at first listen and attempt to elope to Mexico with this song. It's a spot on Devo style parody, and the lyrics and music video are just wonderfully strange. Don't ya get the feeling George W listened to this one a lot? I imagine it gave him quite a bit of influence during his presidential endeavors.
Runner Ups: Yoda, Slime Creatures from Outer Space

Polka Party!: Dog Eat Dog
I don't know what it is about this one. I actually never was very fond of this song until recently, it grew on me quite a bit after a few listens. The music is a nice Talking Heads style parody which contrasts nicely with the slacker office worker persona presented in the lyrics, though they are not all that funny, I guess I like it for the music more than anything. My favorite part however about this one is the outro.hi
Runner Up: Christmas at Ground Zero

Even Worse: Good Old Days
This one's just wonderfully disturbing. There's just something hilarious about the contrast of these horrifying lyrics over such calm James Taylor type music track. I can just imagine a music video for this song, which may or may not be a good thing.
Runner Up: Melanie

UHF: UHF
This is a really awesome theme to a really awesome movie. The production on this song is just insane, especially towards the end, the lyrics are pretty funny too. If you've only heard the 'single' version, you really need to hear the full five minute UHF soundtrack album version. It's a lot epic-er with the full guitar solo and such. Oh, also the music for this is brilliant and a half.
Runner Up: Generic Blues

Off the Deep End: Smells Like Teen Spirit
A wonderful satire on the band that this song parodies, Nirvana. Also, actually I like the production and vocal performance of this version better than "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Both this song and the music video are spot on, though you really have to know Nirvana to find them funny, but then again, who's never heard of Nirvana?
Runner Up: You Don't Love Me Anymore

Alapalooza: Youn Dumb, and Ugly/Traffic Jam/She Never Told Me She Was a Mime
I love the originals on this album, I can't pick the best out of these three, so I have chosen to choose them all. Young Dumb and Ugly: A very well made AC/DC style parody, and I just love the lyrics, an Outsiders like group of kids that attempt to rebel but instead break minimal taboos? Brilliant! Traffic Jam: I've heard that this is pretty much a direct parody of Prince's Let's Go Crazy that was never credited, but I disagree, there are certainly some similarities, but that can be said about any Al style parody. Aside from that, the music is quite awesome and catchy, and the lyrics are fantastic. She Never Told Me She Was a Mime: The music and lyrics are both great, I just really wish he would've shortened the song title to "She Never Told Me" because as it is it gives away the who joke of the song, and it would've been even funnier if you didn't know beforehand.
Runner Up: Livin' In the Fridge

Bad Hair Day: Everything You Know is Wrong
I love, love, love They Might Be Giants, and this song is a wonderful style parody of their earlier work. Everything about it from the kind of electronic drum sound to the keyboards and accordion and the lyrics, it's just so TMBG-ish. Even the title sounds like an early TMBG hit called "Everything Right is Wrong Again". I read somewhere on Al's official site that he was in negotiation with the two Johns at one point to have a national concert tour with them where they would co-headline, but TMBG turned it down. That's unfortunate cause I can't even imagine how amazing that would've been. Maybe TMBG would've covered this live if they had gone through with it.ne
Runner Up: The Night Santa Went Crazy

Running with Scissors: Albuquerque
What Al fan doesn't adore this one? Eleven and a half minutes of pure random awesomeness. I was psyched when he did this live during the Straight Outta Lynwood tour. I also quite like how there's a nod to the whole Monty Python "Cheese Shop" sketch in here. Now why didn't they make a music video for this? Bankruptcy you say? Excuses!
Runner Up: The Saga Begins

Poodle Hat: Why Does This Happen to Me?
This is probably my favorite Al song ever. This is a perfect example of how a song can have amazing music, all around amazing piano performance, all around amazing vocal performance, and be amazingly funny as well. This song seams to have gotten grossly overlooked and that saddens me. I am glad however that Al played it live during the SOL tour. I do wish though that it was included on the Essentials compilation, cause if any Al song is essential, it's this one.
Runner Up: Hardware Store

Straight Outta Lynwood: White & Nerdy
Easily ten and a half times better than the original song, this one not only breathed new air into Al's career and got a whole new generation of young kids to listen to him, it happens to be one of his best ever. The lyrics are very funny, and the vocal performance is impressive to say the least. How he does this one live at all and doesn't die of asphyxiation half way through is beyond me.
Runner Ups: I'll Sue Ya, Weasel Stomping Day, Pancreas

Upcoming 13th Album/Internet Leaks: Skipper Dan
Ironically enough this song is not funny at all, and usually that would certainly deter me and any Al fan from enjoying one of his songs, but for me this seams so wildly unfunny and depressing that it must've been at least partly intentional. I think this song was a way for Al to branch out and make a song that was at least a tad bit serious. I find that attempt to branch out admirable, and it makes this song unique. That being said, that's not even the reason I hold this song at a near godly level, it's the melody and music that really gets me. This song is so amazingly catchy and musically brilliant that even if the lyrics were about sodomizing Satan (yeah, sorry about that visual) it would be amazing.

So, there are my favorite tracks from each album, if you disagree with any of my choices I'm sure you'll comment about it below, cause that's how the internet works. Looking back over this I seam to love his original songs more, or at least find them more memorable than the parodies. Hmmm, oh well. So, what are your favorite songs from all these albums? Discuss!
User avatar
TMBJon
Deliriously Dedicated
Posts: 20491
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 4:24 pm
Awards: Greatest Member of All Time
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by TMBJon »

Why do so many people say Skipper Dan is not funny? I never understood this.
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
User avatar
oddaustin
Regular
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by oddaustin »

I could see how some might consider it funny, it has kind of that humorous irony thing where the song is depressing but has an up-beat tempo, but overall, to me at least the song is just depressing, but as I said seams like a nice way for Al to branch out. Also, I forgot to mention, another reason I love the song is because it sounds to me like a mixture of Fountains of Wayne and Jonathan Coulton (though I think Weezer was the intent), two of my favorite musical acts ever.
User avatar
TMBJon
Deliriously Dedicated
Posts: 20491
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 4:24 pm
Awards: Greatest Member of All Time
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by TMBJon »

The part you find depressing is the part I find funny. By your logic, Al's least funny song is "Why Does This Always Happen To Me?"
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
User avatar
oddaustin
Regular
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by oddaustin »

Well, with WDTAHTM I think it's a little more obviously ironic, or maybe the humor just didn't hit me in Skipper Dan as it did with the former. Just in my opinion it was more not funny than it was funny, if you find it hilarious, that's awesome, I wish I could too, but I'm alright with just admiring the musical achievements in the song.
User avatar
TMBJon
Deliriously Dedicated
Posts: 20491
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 4:24 pm
Awards: Greatest Member of All Time
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by TMBJon »

You don't find irony in the fact that the protagonist wanted to be a famous actor but ended up working at Disney World instead? Not exactly subtle...
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
User avatar
oddaustin
Regular
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by oddaustin »

Again, maybe the humor of the irony didn't hit me as it did for you.

All I'm saying is that I find the ridiculousness of worrying that your knife is blunt, or that you're owed money, or that you're not going to get to see your favorite show in it's entirety when you should be more concerned with killing someone, or that your friend is dead, or that there was a gigantic earthquake funny. Being worried over the petty when in the presence of something truly terrifying is funny, that ignorance is funny.

There is no ignorance in Skipper Dan, it's just about a guy who's dreams have been crushed.
User avatar
TMBJon
Deliriously Dedicated
Posts: 20491
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 4:24 pm
Awards: Greatest Member of All Time
Location: Santa Monica, CA

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by TMBJon »

I find the devastation of someone else's life to be extremely funny.
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
User avatar
oddaustin
Regular
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Location: Longmont, Colorado

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by oddaustin »

Ha, ha. Well to each his own, I suppose.
User avatar
weirdojace
Off The Deep End
Posts: 5107
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2003 9:23 pm
Awards: I think I got Best Fan Parody when I was like 15.
Location: TN
Contact:

Re: Favorite Songs (from Each Album)

Post by weirdojace »

Skipper Dan is written in the style of a Jonathan Coulton song. Funny idea, but done in a serious manner. In fact, anybody who liked Skipper Dan should check out his music.
Post Reply