"Al's Band" Song Discussion Thread

All about Steve Jay, Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, Rubén Valtierra, and Jim West.

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Post by Orthography Enthusiast »

Well, I just bought, dowloaded and listened to it.

Fun to hear them all sing together without their usual front man (I hope we get to hear them sing something a little more carefully crafted in the future) and the whirlwind retrospective of their career with Al so far was fun. The lyrics, AS lyrics, I wasn't so impressed with. But then, by the nature of what they were doing, there was too much that had to be crammed in there, so metrically it's gonna suffer a little.

The music, and the performance, I loved. Mad props to Steve for coming up with an accordion-driven genre that Al didn't get to first... there aren't that many of them, and I don't know how thrilled I'd be about a ranchera tune... :P But this is energizing, with an exciting world-music vibe, and just really, really well played. I'll probably wind up playing the instrumental more often than the full version, but I'm very happy to be an owner. Thanks, guys.
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Post by AlejandraDD »

I was hoping of the song being told seperately by each in each of their styles of performing
Oh, that's pretty much what I pictured when I read the words extravaganza of musical styles or whatever they said. Oh, well.
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Post by HappyGilmore »

weirdojace @ November 18, 2008 11:56 pm wrote: Okay I'm gonna get lashed for this, but I'm gonna share my opinions because I can. You don't have to agree, you don't have to care.

This song is utter garbage. It's not funny, it has no lyrical structure, it has no catch, it has no real rhyme pattern, and it's not even good musically. If Al has any sense of music and comedy and how they mesh, he's thinking, "Wow, these guys are nothing without me." I was thinking the song would turn out this way, and I was right.

Look at this song. It's just a biography of Weird Al set to music. Not just music but WACKY ZANY MUSIC!!!! Too bad the music is so obnoxious it takes away from the vocals. But it doesn't even matter. At least Al knows that comedy songs depend on good music with well structured lyrics that just happen to be funny. If you want a biography of Al, just watch his Behind the Music special. Bonus: It's actually funny at parts.

It's okay. You guys are eating it up because it's Al-related and everything Al-related has to be amazing, right? Al's Band can make 100 of these songs and you guys will buy every one of them. So I'm sure they're happy. Hey, maybe next time we'll get a 10 minute disco song about eating cake during the recording sessions for Polka Party.

Also, Al plays accordion in his band. Let's keep it that way.
I'd kinda have to agree. So I'm gonna get lashed for this as well.

Don't get me wrong, I think the band members themselves are talented. But, after reading the lyrics and hearing it, it didn't live up to what I thought it could have been. It's not the whole 'gypsy rock' thing, but the structure of the song and the way the lyrics were written. I'll definitely support the group, but depending on the next song, I don't know if I'd get an album of it. Don't know if I'd say it's 'utter garbage', but it wasn't what I had hoped for.

Their solo works are another thing entirely. Like Jim with the slack key stuff. Not bad at all. Eh. I dunno. Maybe if I give it another listen.
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Post by Big Spoon »

I have to say, I thought the song was just okay. It was definitly good, don't get me wrong, I just didn't think it was anything special. One thing about it, I would have liked the music to be more than just those few notes over and over again.
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Post by Alinite27 »

Yeah, of course, I meant to support Jon...Why would I not?
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Post by Al's Homeboy »

Where is the sample located at?!

EDIT: Found it! From what I hear, it sounds really good. Really catchy.:)
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Post by Driew_La_27 »

I enjoyed it for what it was. :P Would I recommend it to anyone? No.
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Post by Kristine »

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Very funny.

Why didn't you guys like it?? You all need to spend more time listening to that style of music to appreciate it. Also, spend some time writing lyrics and you'll get a better sense of the skills required to get the point across in meter and rhyme.

For you guys that had trouble hearing the lyrics... listen to it with the lyrics up on your screen!! That's what I did. They put them on the site, use them! I know, novel concept, isn't it? MUCH funnier with one less thing to worry about. Just read as they sing.
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Post by algonacchick »

Oh, Kristine, believe me, there are people who liked it, myself included. I did exactly what you said. I read along as I listened. Lots of words squeezed in there, but I kinda liked that. I do like the instrumental better. I love the music, and that gypsy sound, as I mentioned above.
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Post by DonnaNoble »

I really love it!!!!

My new passtime is trying to mentally pull apart the vocals and find out whose singing what... yes I know that is very creepy and I need to get a life :P

I also read it with the lyrics up! I like it :D

I will agree, you DO have to be an Al fan to appreciate it... but I AM an Al fan so ha :P (JUST to make it clear, I'm not saying all Al fans have to like it...)
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