POODLE HAT REVIEWS!!!

[TMBJon]

Even though it's a dumb argument because obviously Bob is a music video seeing as it fits every possible description of what a music video is.

[gtrmu]

I have to agree that PH is one of his strongest albums

Maybe it's just me, but to me, Poodle Hat is a bit weak, at least the parodies are. They seem rushed *maybe that's because they WERE rushed.* But just overall, not an enjoyable album for me. Although I will admit the PH material works better live, especially WBUL.

[Elvis]

Are you kidding me? There are still people that actually believe "Bob" is a video. hahahaha, fools!

Dave

[Killingsworth]

Maybe it's just me, but to me, Poodle Hat is a bit weak, at least the parodies are. They seem rushed *maybe that's because they WERE rushed.* But just overall, not an enjoyable album for me. Although I will admit the PH material works better live, especially WBUL.

It's funny. I was also born in 1991

What's really funny about that to me, was that I wasn't an actual fan of Weird Al at that point; I started getting into his work in 2006, after Straight Outta Lynwood.

These.

All of them.

I wouldn't say that Poodle Hat is a bad or a weak album, it's just an album where his originals FAR outshine his parodies. I don't think it really deserved to win a Grammy as much as SOL or Alpocalypse, though. I think the real reason he got the Grammy for this album was to make up for them snubbing him for BHD and RWS when the comedy category was changed to just "spoken word" (or maybe he wasn't really facing any stiff competition for the Grammy in 03/04, I dunno).

[JohnnyLurg]

Note also that only one other comedy music "album," a Flight of the Conchords EP, has won that Grammy in years since Poodle Hat.

[Yankomaniac]

This album gets a pretty bad rap so I have decided to break it down in my own opinion in this review of a pretty sweet album. Of course when ranking ALbums it does not compare to the vast majority of them.

1. Couch Potato - An obvious parody target, sure. It blows my mind how many rhymes Al can come up with about television shows, and I'm sure he got the exact product he was going for here. 9/10

2. Hardware Store - Okay this a good one in every regard. Background vocals really make this one and of course the long list of things they rattle off in the Hardware Store which I still don't believe anybody can do. One of my favorites from this album, love the guitar licks and the effects Jim used in this. All around brilliant song. 10/10

3. Trash Day - Finally now that Al had done it the song was listenable to me, and catchy. Love hearing it when it comes up on the album. Hard to rate some these seeing as they are parodies so they are meant to be lame but they always execute them so well that it seems impossible to rate them too badly. 9/10

4. Party At The Leper Colony - Not a popular song based on the subject matter and what not but I love it. Great guitar licks I look forward to hearing every time I put the album on. Like anything, you listen to it enough, it grows on you, especially Al. 9/10

5. Angry White Boy Polka - A wicked polka for sure, and an interesting time for music with all the pretty descent bands at the time. Love the My Way cut the most but in the end I find it's one of the only polkas that does not end as good as the rest and I don't think they should have ended it with Real Slim Shady. 9/10

6. Wanna B Ur Lovr - Classic Al now, and everyone loves it. Certainly some genius lyrics he came up with but what gets me every time is that bass slappage. Another great original all around. 10/10

7. A Complicated Song - Not one of favorite parodies by a long shot but a hilarious parody none the less. Pretty childish even for Al but again it's what he was going for. 6/10

8. Why Does This Always Happen To Me? - Excellent original, great production on everything, they really are studio masters! This song is funny, edgy, unpredictable and just flat out great. Who doesn't want to turn around and stab their boss right in the face sometimes? Kudos to that piano solo we all love so much. 10/10

9. Ode To A Superhero - Gonna say this is the best parody on here and it's quite a work of art. Its kind of like this parody was as big for Al as Spider Man was and like Saga is a lot bigger like Star Wars was, I don't know. The accordion solo is great and same with the harmonica it's pleasing to the ears. 10/10

10. Bob - You have to be a genius to come up with these palindromes, it's pretty wild. Good homage. 9/10

11. eBay - Would come second to Ode To A Superhero for albums best parody. Great job on this all around and you would never expect a Backstreet Boys parody, after the original was done years before to be so great it makes you forget the original so much more when listening to it. Hilarious. 10/10

12. Genius In France - Such an amazing way to end this or any album! Some of Jim's best guitar work, especially post Running With Scissors. The tones and squeals he put on the bends are insane. Dweezil's intro solo is certainly killer but is really just a nice warm up for the way Kimo melts your mind in this one, you really gotta pay attention to it. The keyboard parts are mint, Al really went to town when writing this and it shows. The lyrics are just Weird Al being whacky and so himself and that makes it pretty special, still hoping for a live version one day, even if it is only at a couple special shows. Again, more great bass lines and back up vocals only bass player extraordinaire Stephen Jay can provide for Al. Amazing cut here, kind of makes the album as great as it is to me, and I am getting pretty tired here. 10/10

All in all I give it a 9/10. It has it's awesome moments and it's mildly awesome moments.

[YankoSwag 8888]

Favourite Song: Wanna B Ur Lovr
Favourite Original: Wanna B Ur Lovr
Favourite Parody: Couch Potato
Funniest Song: Party At The Leper Colony
Least Favourite Song: Hardware Store (sorry)

9/10