The Future of Weird Al Releases

[TMBJon]

From Al's AMA:

Sorry to say, I'm not sure if there will be another recorded polka medley after the one on the new album. They are a lot of work to put together (mostly for my manager, who has to deal with stacks of paperwork each time). But I think the polka medley will always be a part of the live show, so maybe it will just continue to evolve over time. This is all conjecture, of course... I have NO IDEA what I'm doing next.

[PlayAWarGame]

Maybe he could do some Public Domain Polkas? Ooh, that's a nice title!

[Big Spoon]

I really hope we get at least some sort of polka in the future, even if it's in a different form than we're used to.

[minnick27]

Id imagine his concert only would be the best option since it involves no paperwork

[CharlesNelson]

Alright, guys. I love MF to death, it's officially my second favorite Al album of all-time, but I'm ready for more new music. xD

Seriously, who knows when he's going to release new music, now that he's an independent artist? Ostensibly, he could write a new parody before the Mandatory Tour even starts, if the right hit song and idea come together. Now that he can release singles whenever he wants, he can start anytime he wants, including (again, I'm speculating) as early as this winter.

I also dreaded reading in his AMA that he might be done recording polkas, because I was just starting to get into them more this past year or so. It took me longer as a fan to get into his polkas than his originals and parodies. A lot of that probably has to do with being 20 years old and not old enough to know most of the songs on most of his polkas. And polka itself is an acquired taste. But I really hope NOW That's What I Call Polka isn't how he's going to go out, per se, because I was and still am underwhelmed by it. :/

[Well, Well, Well]

I love that Al has stated that he has NO IDEA what he's going to do next. I have no doubt that he will satisfy longtime fans while also continuing to make a name for himself and generate solid sales. I'm excited about the possibilities. I do think the output will be less than 5.2 songs a year. after listening to some of the interviews and podcast appearances by Al it does seem like he's taking the end of the record contract as somewhat of a retirement, where he's not going to feel pressured at all to release something.

I think (hope) when he looks back at the success of MF he'll see that a solid, topical parody with a good video is likely to generate the most sales and the most attention. I could see Al releasing, say, three songs in three days or something like that, similar to the 8 videos in 8 days. I also personally like the idea of EPs with a mix of parodies and originals (maybe using the infamous bandcamp site!). I guess I don't have any problem with digital releases because I've still been listening to the original leak on my itunes and ipod, even though I did purchase a copy of the cd. Really that's only useful for the car (not like I couldn't have burned a copy) and the booklet and the nostalgia of buying physical records.

the only thing that seems certain is that there won't be any more recorded polkas. this does make me think that the traditional 12 track album won't be seen again, and that songs won't be heard for the first time with the release of a physical album. either this or we will be treated to more Alpocalypse-type releases, which is probably Al's weakest album of the past 3 (although a number of factors could be responsible for that)... unless, say, he records only parodies as early digital singles, later put on a record with some originals. the Internet Leaks experiment could have played out differently if slightly better songs--that were parodies--were released individually. I still don't like the idea of half an album already having been heard though.


(also, this is a great topic. this shouldn't be hidden at the bottom of the Music page. looking at those 14 subforums above makes it almost hard to find.)

[CharlesNelson]

I do think the output will be less than 5.2 songs a year. after listening to some of the interviews and podcast appearances by Al it does seem like he's taking the end of the record contract as somewhat of a retirement, where he's not going to feel pressured at all to release something.

He definitely won't feel pressured to release music now, but I didn't at all get the vibe from him that it was "somewhat of a retirement." He has specifically stated that he is not retiring, that he couldn't imagine what he would do otherwise.

(also, this is a great topic. this shouldn't be hidden at the bottom of the Music page. looking at those 14 subforums above makes it almost hard to find.)

I agree! Could we have a "Future Releases Speculation" subforum in Music? The Album 14 subforum was started I believe the same week that Alpocalypse came out.

[Waffle King]

I'm.....not really thrilled with the prospect of Al's future releases.Obviously no Polka (or even fewer polkas) seems sacrilegious.But,I can't really get with a "single" every few months over a full album that I can immerse into.As a fan,I like the prospect of more output from Al,but I've always thought the breaks between albums (when they weren't too long) helped his longevity with the "average" fan.Right around the time for a new album,people start to miss him.I can't count how many times people would say to me "Seems about time for a new Weird Al album.You're a fan,have you heard anything?"I don't know that a few stray songs spread out over time would have the same impact.

Anyway,that's just my random thoughts.Whatever Al chooses to do (or not do,as the case may be),I'll be eagerly looking forward to it.

[mellow weasel]

I'm.....not really thrilled with the prospect of Al's future releases.

Nothing is set in stone. If singles strategy doesn't work, Al can always come back to album format. Just like when digital distribution before releasing the album didn't really work on "Alpocalypse", he learnt his lesson and went almost opposite direction on "MF".

[jbracciante]

The most likely scenario I see is an inverse Internet Leaks/Alpocalypse style of album, where the album is a collection of parodies he's released over however long with the polka and originals being brand new.

I like this strategy the best. I never understood what Al was trying to accomplish with Internet Leaks. In interviews he would praise digital for it's timeliness, and keeping parodies topical and relevant, and then 4/5 songs he released weren't parodies. And the 1 parody he did release, was the 1 song without a video.

We've seen from Al's biggest singles (Eat It, Smells Like Nirvana, and White & Nerdy) that success is a 3 ingredient recipe. Great parody, great video, great timing.

I hope Al somehow finds a way to combine these 3 ingredients on all his future singles, so they can all be hits.

I love the originals, but they don't get stale. Parodies of CSNY, The Doors, The Pixies, etc. could be released 10 years in the past, or 10 years in the future. Their reception will largely be unaffected by release strategy. Al should be using the originals as incentives to buy albums (new material), but using digital singles (with VIDEOS!) for his parodies as he thinks them up.