Weird Al and Zappa

sarley27 · Post by **sarley27** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 2:30 am

Well....I think I beat Elvis in posts, or will soon.

Sorry Dave!!!

Post by **weird_el** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 2:44 am

Quality will always be preferential to quantity. I wish more people felt this way. It's really my only criticism of this particular message board. I'd much rather read posts from people who actually have something to say and not people who are just trying to reach some numerical goal.

That's all I have to say re: this, and now back to our regularly scheduled Al talk.

El

mrmeadows · Post by **mrmeadows** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 4:15 am

It's a bit of a weird one but one could argue Al's polka's are like most Zappa songs. Zappa would change the music in the middle of his songs all the time just like Al does in his medly's.

His polkas always reminded me of Spike Jones, as well. That is, taking a popular song and making the music all crazy while retaining the same lyrics. For an example, find a copy of SJ's version of "Cocktails for Two".

Meadows

Phillipemoz · Post by **Phillipemoz** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 6:16 am

I'm listening to some zappa instrumentals on my computer right now, which made me think of "Welcome to the fun zone," Al's only instrumental. Kind of zappa-esque, although not really Al's area of expertise. Zappa was such a genius musically and humor-wise. Zappa did all kinds of music, wacky instrumenals, guitar solos, rock songs with bizarre lyrics about things like going to Montana to raise him up some dental floss. Al, of course does all types of music as well, but he also does rap, something zappa didn't do much with (although there was a rap "promiscuous" off Broadway the Hardway, and many of zappa's songs had a kind of talking-ryming style similar to rap).

Al's first album was mostly accordian parodies of various songs. It is an essential album for true Al fans but it sounds amaturish by his current standards.

zappa's first album, Freak Out!, is hailed as groundbreaking, but besides Trouble Every Day, it is very weird music that most people probably wouldn't like. Zappa's later albums were more commercially successful while retaining his weirdness and uniqueness.

When asked if he had ever met Frank Zappa, Weird Al said he did and that he asked if he would sign his copy of "Freak Out." Zappa signed it and asked if Al would him his autograph for his son (I believe it was Dweezil) because he liked "Another One Rides the Bus."

On broadway the hard way, zappa does a song ("Why don't you like me" or "He's white Jim"?) making fun of Michael Jackson, and he does it to Jazz Music. In one inturlude he sings "He's bad, he's bad," and then he asks audience members (it was recorded live) their names and substitutes them into Billy Jean- "Billy Jean is not Uncle Bob", etc.

Much of Zappa's influence is not direct and he influenced all of music in general, which in turn influenced musicians who influenced Al and who he made fun of.

Freak Out is considered by many as the first "Rock Concept" album, and is rumered to be the inspiration for "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band," considered by many rock critics as one of the most essential albums in rock history. It opened the door from convention R+B songs (like "I want to hold your hand)," to all sorts of weird and different music. No one knows for sure how much zappa really influenced other artists. Zappa was on the fringe, well known by many but still not in the mainstream. He was definatly an inspiration to many artists who dared to be different.

So many of the artists of Zappa's time and today are so serious, zappa injected humor into many of his songs. Weird Al does the same, makes music that is funny and often bizarre.

Another song comparison- Montana and Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota. Both are about states - and both beginning with M, now that I think of it. And they are both up North. Zappa is singing about moving to Montana so he can raise him up a crop of dental floss. Al is singing about a ball of twine, and if you think about it, dental floss is also a type of string that you could make a ball of twine out of.

KagayakiWashi · Post by **KagayakiWashi** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:53 pm

It's a bit of a weird one but one could argue Al's polka's are like most Zappa songs. Zappa would change the music in the middle of his songs all the time just like Al does in his medly's.
His polkas always reminded me of Spike Jones, as well. That is, taking a popular song and making the music all crazy while retaining the same lyrics. For an example, find a copy of SJ's version of "Cocktails for Two".

Meadows

I very well think that his polkas are a way of recognizing Spike Jones(big Spike fan), in the sense that Weird Al doesn't really cover songs...but OH! he does! Almost every album. Polkas are a way of making them sound silly, Spike Jones "just" sped them up, added gunshots*, cannons, cowbells, gargling, gulping**, whistles, you name it, to make it sound funny.

*Weird Al did this! "Gonna shoot my own mother! *POW!* Caught her meesin' 'round with another man!" - Polkas on 45

**Weird Al did this! "....I'm running and I'm cryyyyying Gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp! WAKE UP!!!...." - The Angry White Boy Polka

In fact, Spike was the first thing that came to mind when I heard this..

And AWBP is a perfect example of the mad, angry...well, you know, singing about all sortsa crap, then Al just makes it look silly and happy. Very Spikeish(You Always Hurt the One You Love, Cocktails for Two, thankfully he didn't do a "Very Spikeish" rendition of "Silent Night" on the Christmas album)

About Frank....I try to keep my music clean. I loved "Dancin' Fool" and "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", as well as "Uncle Meat" from his classical album, so I can't say too much about him, but do you think Al was making refrences to him by using his name(just plain FRANK) in "Frank's 2000" TV" and "Everything You Know is Wrong". I noticed he also used LOUIE in there. Does he just like these names?

ilikecheezealot · Post by **ilikecheezealot** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 6:25 pm

About Frank....I try to keep my music clean. I loved "Dancin' Fool" and "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow", as well as "Uncle Meat" from his classical album, so I can't say too much about him, but do you think Al was making refrences to him by using his name(just plain FRANK) in "Frank's 2000" TV" and "Everything You Know is Wrong". I noticed he also used LOUIE in there. Does he just like these names?

He also uses Bernie many many many times.

Lounge Chair · Post by **Lounge Chair** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 7:23 pm

About Frank... do you think Al was making refrences to him by using his name(just plain FRANK) in "Frank's 2000" TV" and "Everything You Know is Wrong".

I wondered the same thing. Al could also be referencing Frankie Yankovic. After I eat a vegetarian frankfurter (Smart Dogs ROCK!) my head might clear up, but frankly, I'm not certain.

KagayakiWashi · Post by **KagayakiWashi** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 10:50 pm

About Frank... do you think Al was making refrences to him by using his name(just plain FRANK) in "Frank's 2000" TV" and "Everything You Know is Wrong".

I wondered the same thing. Al could also be referencing Frankie Yankovic. After I eat a vegetarian frankfurter (Smart Dogs ROCK!) my head might clear up, but frankly, I'm not certain.

Who stole the keeshka?

Who stole the keeshka?

Who stole the keeshka?

Round and packed and fully sacked it was hanging on the rack

Some one stole the keeshka when I turned my back!

Who stole the keeshka?

Who stole the keeshka?

Who stole the keeshka?

Yasha found the keeshka

Yasha found the keeshka

Yasha found the keeshka

He hung it on the rack

He found the keeshka

He found the keeshka

He found the keeshka

I can't remember how that song went, but I loved it!

rboy27 · Post by **rboy27** » Sat Jul 19, 2003 8:07 am

*duting off the topic*

Hello? Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3. Testing.

After listening to Have I Offended Someone (best Zappa album ever!) I found these refrences:

1. The song "In France", just look at the title.

2. In "In France" Frank says two French phrases at the end, just like Al.

I'm trying to think of the others, but I can't remember. Don't forget, I'm new to Zappa.

-Rich, just Rich

danthefanman · Post by **danthefanman** » Sat Jul 19, 2003 8:46 pm

Here's one odd off topic coincidence, im tryin to get that 300 posts.

Dweezil, Zappa's son who did the guitar solo for GIF, is dating Lisa Loeb who does the voice of MJ in the new Spider-Man series. Which I find odd being an Al fan and a Spider-fan.