Whatever You Like

[WeirdAbbott]

All I've gotta say is good thing Al didn't steal my (and Abbot's ) idea of "I Kissed A Squirrel" or I would have rioted and burned his MySpace page down!



Dave

*cough*Two T's*cough*

I'm actually glad that Al didn't do a "I Kissed a Girl" parody, because everyone would have assumed that I stole the idea from him.

[candyperfume]

Found this on my morning news search....

Weird Al Yankovic Exposed For Stealing DeadlyX Song "Whatever You Like"

For some reason I don't think Al's worried.

Seriously, the parody that this DeadlyX hack came up with pretty much amounts to a slam about overweight and ugly people, so I have to wonder if this "writer" (blogger? message board member? whatever the dynamics of the site are) actually listened to Al's parody or is just enraged that someone else had the nerve to come up with another, and infinitely better, parody of a very simplistic hip hop song.

Coincidentally, this goes back to my point about the non-risk of Al waiting a while to release a parody in order to get it just right. Crap like this is his "competition," and then when Al's version comes out the difference is like night and day.

What is this guy talking about? Al's WYL video??

These fools need to leave the parodying to the master!

[CatraDhtem]

What is this guy talking about?  Al's WYL video??

I think they're just referring to the clip Al uploaded onto YouTube, which is just the single cover being displayed as the song plays out.

It's definitely not meant to be a "video" by any stretch of the imagination (I think even the most adamant "Bob" supporters would agree to that), but I think it says something about the somewhat lowered expectations people have of YouTube and just Internet videos in general that the article even referred to it as a "music video."

[The Doctor]

I don't think the "2 weeks" is really relevant. Do we really know how long it typically takes Al to do one song? Usually he's working on multiple songs at once, so if he's only working on one, I don't see why it's a problem.

I mean, I came up with my parody in a few hours. I know it's not good, but if you multiply that by 20, that's an awesome song.

[Elvis]

Who wants to read another rambling and somewhat unclear review of the new song? Aww... come on.... someone...

I was waiting to post my review until I had several listens under my belt. The only problem was that I was not finding myself listening. I just can't get myself to hit the repeat button over and over again, like I did when YP, DDTS, or W&N first came out. If the posts are true, then the people who have literally listened hundreds of times have me perplexed. Me.... maybe half a dozen?

Initial thoughts:  It's okay, not laugh out loud funny, but not shut it off terrible.  It definitely benefits to watch T.I.'s video first.  I like that it's not political, or specific to what happened over the last few weeks.  It's less about the economy and more about being a cheapskate, so the song will still be relevant in a few years.  

I stand by my initial thoughts: It's okay, not laugh out loud funny, but not shut it off terrible. It's not as strong as any of the parodies on SOL, but it could pass for a #4 parody -- one that's good enough for the album, but not one that, even if the album were released today, I'd expect to be pushed as the #1 or #2, or even #3 single.

Now, I haven't spent the last 30 years making a living off predicting which songs will have staying power, so maybe I'm missing something Al sees in the original, but I just don't see T.I.'s WYL as something memorable. I have to remind myself that T.I.'s song has been #1 for the last 5 or 6 weeks, so there's obviously a lot of people who like it, and presumably will remember it in the future, but I personally think "I Kissed A Girl" or "Disturbia" would have been a better choice. Time will tell.

Like others, I'm having a hard time with the lyrics. The concept is good, but only a few lines made me crack a smile. It doesn't flow like other songs, and other than, "it's all about the washingtons," there really aren't quotable lines. I know there's something in there about ramen noodles and government cheese, but I honestly can't remember any other lyrics, a point which was just illustrated to me when someone asked me to proofread something, and I suggested they try to work in a WYL reference, and it was pointed out to me, they already did! I think the lyrics would have benefitted with more time (for rewirtes).

The brilliance in songs like EI, SLN, LAS, W&N, and, well, most of his hits, is that he took the main chorus and changed it just enough to still have the same feel as the original song, but be something totally different. In WYL, he says the same exact thing T.I. does. It comes across as kind of amateurish. Yes, I realize he re-used the chorus for HN also, and that song is brilliant, but the focus of that parody was the three distinct verses, not the chorus. And, no, I don't have any better ideas for the chorus, but remember, I wouldn't have chosen this song to begin with.

I'm still not convinced on the whole iTunes thing yet, but one thing I do like about it, is that Al is willing to try new things. He's rarely released songs off an album cycle, and, as he points out, never has gone from concept to "on the shelves" as quickly before. It must feel great to Al to know that he can successfully turn around a parody very quickly, if he chooses. I also love that it was immediately, and legitimately, released on YouTube, because now I don't feel like a hooligan for listening to it.

Looking forward to see what Al comes up with next!

Overall: 4.5/10

Dave

[Teh Dingo]

Everyone do yourselves a favor and not even give that clown attention.


I mean the guy who says Al ripped him off....not Dave

*slowly backs out of the topic*

[The Doctor]

I guess I don't understand the view-point everyone else sees. I don't care if T.I.'s song is known next year or beyond. Al's WYL is a great song, *says the guy who is nearing his 300th listen*
The song is catchy. The lyrics are clever. It is very deserving of being a Weird Al song.
There's many different sides to an Al-song. And I don't think a lot of you guys understand that, and that's why so many of the best Al-songs don't get the respect they deserve. Al's music is NOT about " FUNNY!! "
It's more about subtle humor, or cleverness, or pure "WTF??!" moments. Al isn't tied to ANY certain genre, or set of humor, or anything. Al is free to pretty much do whatever he wants to. That's what I love about him.

Really, there must be something about the song that you see that I don't.
This song beats CBNC, WSD, ISY, VA, and possibly CI, and is probably tied, floating around with the rest of SOL. If you ask me, that's pretty darn good. Not saying the other songs are bad, but this song does feel like W&N.

Then again, would I like this song if I wasn't an Al fan? Who knows?

I'm not hear to complain. I'm here to enjoy the splendor that is Al.

or something like that.

Did I make any sense at all in this post?

[AlejandraDD]

*sigh* I had written a very long post about Al, iTunes and marketing, and my browser crashed before I could post it.

Very short version: Al is a genius.

[Well, Well, Well]

Ur so bias Stephen.

[The Doctor]

Maybe I am.

All I know is I love my Pancreas.