anthontherun @ Apr 15 2005, 01:26 PM wrote:
Even Worse is proof of how bad the late 1980s music scene was. Every song parodied on that album except for "Bad" was a remake of a song from the 50s or 60s.
Well said, Anth. Not only that, but two of the 60's songs were essentially by the same artist. Sure, Billy Idol and Tiffany had their poppy covers in the late 80's so the songs were somewhat fresh, but "Mony, Mony" and "I Think We're Alone Now" were both originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells 20-some years prior. Nothing against Tommy James or oldies music, but I expect Al to mix things up a bit more. One classic rock song per album is plenty.
So partially for the reasons stated--not to mention the lack of a polka--Even Worse remains my least favorite album. Of course, it isn't a complete disaster (no "Weird Al" album even comes close to that!) My complete review follows. . .
FAT: I'm with a lot of you on this one. Overrated. Funny enough, but not as strong as the weakest parody on a couple of his other albums. Still, could be one of the best music videos Al has ever done. Extra points for that, of course. 7/10
STUCK IN A CLOSET WITH VANNA WHITE: One of two rambling nonsense songs on the album. Neither one is great, and this is the lesser of them. The dream imagery is interesting, but not particularly funny. Usually a skipped track. 4.5/10
(THIS SONG'S JUST) SIX WORDS LONG: Excellent. A deeper, much richer song than the original, in that it actually says more in commenting on how little the original actually says! One of Al's most ingenious twists, and the first time he actually satirized the
song itself, instead of just turning the lyrics into an ode to food or TV or something silly. Minor quibble: It always sounds to me like Al is singing "This song IS just six words long" (7 words), despite the apostrophe "s" in the title. Always bugged me a bit. . .but whatever. Nonetheless 10/10
YOU MAKE ME: More incoherence, so soon after SIACWVW.
Too soon, really, although this song is a step up. I like the music, and some of the non-sequiturs are "out there" enough to illicit a chuckle or two. In the end it doesn't add up to much, but it's fun. 7/10
I THINK I'M A CLONE NOW: Witty stuff! Could have made a nifty video (think multiple Als running around!), but alas. A solid parody. 8/10
LASAGNA: I love this one! It's about my favorite kind of food (Italian), it features Al playing a mean accordion, and it's a clever idea. Second favorite parody on the album, next to TSJSWL. 9/10
MELANIE: =I don't think it's Al's best "love" song, but it isn't bad. The lament of a stalker. . .that's pretty funny. 7/10
ALIMONY: This one always sounded kinda rushed to me. Al's vocals seem a little off (some parts don't even sound like him), and the parody concept is a little obvious. Some laughs, but Al's done better. 6/10
VELVET ELVIS: Hated this song when I first heard the album, but it's grown on me. Not a hilarious song, but the music is good and it's kinda fun to sing along with when I'm alone in the car. 7.5/10
TWISTER: I'm a Beastie Boys fan, and my only problem with this song is that it's too short. Otherwise, it's dead-on (early) BB. . .meets MB. 8/10
GOOD OLD DAYS: A classic. Almost as good as One More Minute, in Al Originals Hall of Fame. Still, it falls short of a perfect "10" for me. Not really sure why. Maybe because the pace is a little too leisurely (even though I know the intent is to sound "laid back.") 9/10
OVERALL: Like I said, my least favorite Al-bum. The standouts are TSJSWL, "Lasagna", and GOD, but the other songs are merely "above average" or less. That may be pretty good for most artists, but Al usually does better. That being said, this is my favorite album
title out of all of them. Michael Jackson's album was "Bad", and Al's is "Even Worse"! Now
that's funny! 6/10
Meadows