George Of The Jungle

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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

what would a playlist for an all-Al dance party look like?


It would look alot like my Window Media Player Playlists. ALL AL, ALL THE TIME, BABY!



Well, once in a while I listen to some other stuff.



But when I am working on my graphics there is nothing like Al's energy and creativity to inspire me! Maybe that's why most of my stuff incorporates WAY themes on some level. My muse is Weird!



:choon:
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Post by CatraDhtem »

But I found a song that, while written by Al, is not funny....More importantly, I don't think it was intended to be funny.
It is a song called "Take Me Down". I would like to hear it. Someday.


Yeah, I think the point of the humor in "Take Me Down" was moreso like an inside joke. The reaction was supposed to be something like, "Oh yeah, I've been thrown out of that place before!"



But I actually like "Take Me Down," and I'm not usually one to like homey folk tunes.



As far as where you can hear it.....gosh, if only someone came up with a sort of....oh, like a "Weird Al" Yankovic Songography that listed that kind of info for songs....like, let's say, with a new one being e-mailed out in December.....



In the meantime, "Take Me Down" was actually put onto "Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes 8" a couple of years ago through The Demento Society. It was also on an obscure regional CD called "SLO Unplugged II: Community Benefit" from about the same time.



And of course, it was originally featured on the "SLO Grown" contest album in 1978, but you will have better luck finder a chunk of kryptonite.
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Post by Elvis »

More importantly, I don't think it was intended to be funny.

It is a song called "Take Me Down".


I don't know. I've heard the song and I disagree with this. I think it was intended to be funny, but lot a lot of Al's early unreleased stuff, it's full of inside jokes.



If you ever do get a chance to listen to it, put yourself in the shoes of a teenage college kid back in the late 70's looking for something wild and crazy to do in a college town where "for your shopping pleasure the stores never close down until five o'clock" and the most exciting thing in town is a wall full of bubble gum, or some toilets at some inn.



Just reading the lyrics, I can understand how you might not think it's funny, but upon hearing it, you'll notice it's very clever and the humor is subtle, but definetely there. He almost sings it sarcastically as if to say, "this place sucks, but I still love it here."



Dave
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

I stand corrected. Makes me feel better that Al didn't completely break with humor. I guess I'm just not used to Mr. Yankovic being so subtle. (His humor is usually as subtle as an atomic blast! So I guess the concerts are "Ground Zero!")


As far as where you can hear it.....gosh, if only someone came up with a sort of....oh, like a "Weird Al" Yankovic Songography that listed that kind of info for songs....like, let's say, with a new one being e-mailed out in December.....


So clarify for me, please. I have (very briefly) looked at the much celebrated Songography, and it is chock full of information. (It made my head hurt, it was so full of wonderful WAY information!) but how does that help me actually hear the songs?



<Scottidog tries to remember if she signed up for the email...>
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Post by CatraDhtem »

So clarify for me, please. I have (very briefly) looked at the much celebrated Songography, and it is chock full of information. (It made my head hurt, it was so full of wonderful WAY information!) but how does that help me actually hear the songs?


It helps by listing how each song has ever been made available, so you can know exactly what item(s) to track down for your collection. I'm not getting on your case for asking or anything, so don't think that. :)



In my above post I had already listed the most recent (and the only-slightly easier to obtain) releases "Take Me Down" has been on just for the sake of being conveniently helpful, but next time oh you better believe that you're on your own. :sly:
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Post by Orthography Enthusiast »


I don't know. I've heard ["Take Me Down"]. and I disagree with this. I think it was intended to be funny, but lot a lot of Al's early unreleased stuff, it's full of inside jokes.

If you ever do get a chance to listen to it, put yourself in the shoes of a teenage college kid back in the late 70's looking for something wild and crazy to do in a college town where "for your shopping pleasure the stores never close down until five o'clock" and the most exciting thing in town is a wall full of bubble gum, or some toilets at some inn.... Dave


I've never heard "Take Me Down" but I just went and took a look at the lyrics... rest assured, the song was meant to be funny. I've been in the restrooms of the Madonna Innof the Madonna Inn. My dad snuck me in there when I was just a little lass so that I could get a look at the old-fashioned waterwheel pumping water for the urinals. Believe me, only Weird Al could possibly do justice to the Madonna Inn in song.



[I edited this on 12-10-02 because Scotti persuaded me that WOWAY really needed to have the World Famous Madonna Loo



I'm sure that even the line about the cows had a local barb-- the Hearst family still has a large cattle-ranching operation there on that beautiful piece of coast. I believe the cattle ranch property surrounds the land that belongs to Hearst Castle and San Simeon State Park.



Glad to provide a little local color, here. In the case of the Madonna, the local color is hot pink.
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

It helps by listing how each song has ever been made available, so you can know exactly what item(s) to track down for your collection. I'm not getting on your case for asking or anything, so don't think that.

In my above post I had already listed the most recent (and the only-slightly easier to obtain) releases "Take Me Down" has been on just for the sake of being conveniently helpful, but next time oh you better believe that you're on your own.


I guess I was hoping that the tooth fairy had a Weird cousin who would come program my Al holodeck with some of the more obscure songs.



Building my Al collection... beginning to look like a lifetime hobby.



Thanks for the info CD!
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Post by Ratbert197 »

Speaking of uncatagorized Al songs, should Bohemian Polka be classified as a cover or a polka medley?
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

Speaking of uncatagorized Al songs, should Bohemian Polka be classified as a cover or a polka medley?




Yes. At least I think so. (Meaning both, or course.) Actually, on further consideration it can't technically be called a medley because it is only one song.



So, that makes two songs that are pretty much covers, although BP is certainly a different arrangement than anything Freddie Mercury could have envisioned. But I think he would have appreciated it! He seemed to have had a healthy sense of humor.
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Post by CatraDhtem »

Speaking of uncatagorized Al songs, should Bohemian Polka be classified as a cover or a polka medley?


I suppose it could be called a "polka cover," but that kind of description doesn't do Al justice.



It gets even more confusing if you know that when "Alapalooza" was first released, the original shrinkwrap teaser sticker called it a parody.
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