World of Weird Al Yankovic

I haven't had a chance to see the enhanced part. Stupid laptop didn't have quicktime 6 installed and I was nowhere near the information superhighway. I'll be back to catch up on all the goin's on as soon as I get to finish PH.



<----- But I got it. At a place called Hot Poop! no less.



If you scroll to the bottom, you will see the owner. He was a nice guy. Said to me: "That just came out." All sorts of witty remarks came to mind, but what I said was "Trust me, I know!" We chatted for a few minutes, then he told me he had actually met Al once at a Garth Brooks concert. I had no idea Al was a GB fan... anyhoo, he said he had really lousy seats, and kept hearing people whisper all around him, looked behind him and there was AL!! (I would kill for bad seats like that.) Al was nice enough to give his kids an autograph complete with a doodle. Which the daughter promptly scribbled on. Noooooooooo..... Oh the humanity.



Anyway, back after I finish Poodle Hatting it.

Since I defy anyone to be able to make it through the dozens of song-by-song reviews that now comprise the review thread, I thought I'd start a new topic. (Plus, I envision myself posting a new Poodle Hat review every day, at least until someone realizes I'm not really looking at porn over here.)



Truthfully, first day reactions are completely worthless. For the most part, you are either so happy to have something new that you think it's the best ever, or you don't think it quite lives up to the hype and can't get into it yet. Ideally, the best time to post a review is about a year or so after its release. Lacking that luxury, I offer the next best thing: Day Two.



Poodle Hat may be my favorite album since Even Worse. There are really only two songs that don't grab me- Trash Day and Wanna B Ur Lovr (although I love the "do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk back by again?" line).



Other than that, these originals are vintage Al.



Hardware Store could easily sit aside any track from his 80's heyday, and Party at the Leper Colony is the feel good party track of the year. The two tribute songs, Bob and Genius in France, are also sure to become fan favorites.



The real standout for me, though, is Why Does This Always Happen To Me? Al's vocals remind me of Melanie (one of my personal Al-time favorites), and forget the pop culture references- because this track is actually the timeliest song on the album.



After the stuff we've just lived through- two wars, SARS, national disasters around the globe, etc.- leave it to Al to point out the dark side to our collective empathy. I have friends who were furious to see new episodes interrupted because we 'might've' hit Saddam with the first strike (which the news had already been speculating ALL night). I know some fans found this song a bit harsh, but the whole point is just to remind us it's still okay to laugh at ourselves. I don't think anyone could seriously believe that it's making light of any tragedies.



My girlfriend summed it up best when she pointed out why she thought Eminem REALLY wouldn't let Al do a video- Al's even better at putting rhymes together. Personally, I think Angry White Boy Polka should be the lead-off single. Not only is it hilarious, but it perfectly sums up how ridiculous and self-indulgant some of those songs are ("SHE NEVER LOVED ME! SHE NEVER LOVED ME!").



Plus, can't you just see Al getting the last laugh by ending the video dressed as Robin with an 'A'?

I guess I should give my review. I've only listened to the album about...12 times now. Or maybe more, I lost count.



Couch Potato: I've heard Eminem's original once or twice, so I love how well Al did with this and how many tv shows rhyme. Thank you, Al, for poking at reality shows. I'm amazed how many of these shows I know exist for how little I watch TV.



My friend laughed so hard at the J'Lo thing. She hates J'Lo.



Hardware Store: Hands down! Favorite song! I raised my eyebrows at the first sound of the tools and then the music, this must be one of the bounciest songs ever. I'll have this thing memorized, but the ability to sing it is another thing. I can't sing that fast. I have amazed anyone who will listen to this song.



Trash Day: I don't mind this one, I like it. I had my friend laughing so hard at it because she hates Hot in Herre. Reminds me everytime I get poked at to go help my dad take the garbage out. Ugh.



Party at the Leper Colony: I've liked this song for quite a long time. It's just gonna take me a while to get use the album version now. I've been listening to the concert bootleg too long. I'm sure a lot of OC people will agree with it.



Angry White Polka Boy: I like this polka. Not my favorite, but ranks up there because I love the polkas. I loved the Bwaitdaba part. My friend laughs at this because she knows all the songs and loved them polkafied.



Wanna B Ur Lovr: I didn't like the biting your butt part, but it's pretty good. I'm sure it'll grow more of me later. I love Al's voice in this song.



A Complicated Song: The first verse was okay, I didn't mind it. I loved the other verses a lot though and I'm a sucker for decapitation stuff. What?



Why Does This Always Happen to Me?: Who doesn't relate to the part about missing part of your favorite show because of a news report or weather thing interrupt it. I have always, always hated that.

Also, that bit about never having that knife quite as sharp again kept reminding me of my job last summer. You could use that sucker once and it was never that sharp ever again.



Ode to be Superhero: Good thing I saw the Spiderman movie in theaters and own it. I loved how Al mention that maybe M.J. will get Peter in the sequel.



Bob: Al, you are talented when you can get palindromes to rhyme and you did. Though, the song went a bit slow for me. I love bouncy songs.



Ebay: I don't know anyone who doesn't relate to this song. It's so perfect and I love this one. Plus, thank you Al for mentioning Shatner's old toupee. You made this Trekkie happy.



Genius In France: Some parts are very, very hilarious. Though, I thought it was a bit long. Though, I had to email one of my former teachers because he loves Zappa. I got a lot of the direct references. Another bonus point for mentiong Star Trek again. What? I'm a Trekkie.



-CindyBob

I'd just like to add a thought to anyone who didn't like the polka because the song selection was narrowed by genre. I'd just like to say that I think that there wasn't any other songs in the last few years he really could have done.



Every Brittany or N Sync song sounds the same, I can't imagine him ever going country in a polka (OK, "Ghetto Superstar" in PP! is almost country because it's a deliberate sample of a country song), so that rules out that insipid Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow song or the Dixie Chicks, and there just isn't much Al can do when it comes to rap, thanks to all the language (Don't want the whole polka to be wacky sound effect censoring)



Yes, the polka is all rock (And let's face it, at the end of the day, as good a rapper he is, Em fits better in rock), but it's three different subgenres, the three most popular in rock over the last few years: nu metal, "the" bands, and...well, angry white boys. In fact, my only dissappointment with the polka is Staind has had much bigger hits then Outside, and Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd, or Godsmack should've been where "Renegades of Funk" was (Not only have Rage broke up, but it's not even they're song!) Plus, if you read Ask Al, I think he owed it to Fred Durst to do something with one of his songs (If Al struck when the iron was still hot, it would've been a Limp Bizkit parody).



Well, that's just my 27 cents on the polka issue. Carry on.





Hey wait---How come Bermuda hasn't reviewed the album yet? We're waiting!

Hey wait---How come Bermuda hasn't reviewed the album yet? We're waiting!

What's he going to say? "Man, this album sucks." just joking

Hey wait---How come Bermuda hasn't reviewed the album yet? We're waiting!

It's really good, everyone should buy it.

Wow, that was quick!

This is one of als best musically, and lyrically. All of weird al cds are great, but if I had to choose his best cds this would be tied with running with scissors off the deep end second, and third bad hair day.Giving it time I may be my number one favorite cd of his with rws pushed to second. What makes this cd so great is the music styles themselves have that weird sound to them,but in a great way. Even his parodies you swear you were hearing the original artists. I will break down this cd by songs now, and tell stuff about them. Below contains spoilers. cause this cd is the bomb as in awesome WEIRD Al RULES!!!!!!!

***************************************************************** spoilers below*********************************************











1.Couch potato- A parody of lose yourself by eminem- It is about someone addicted to tv so much that he has a love hate relationship with it. It is filled with jokes, and ala weird al made up tv shows. Lots of fun.

And I must say I didn't like em version. To me al did it first way to go al.

2. Hardware store- I can't tell exactly what artist style this is,but if I had to quess it would be they might be giants or peter gabriel more so the first quess I think. It is about a town that is so lame that a new hardware store opening up brings joy to their lives. He gets a vocal workout on this one especially towards the end of the song.This song would make tim allen, or any handy man happy.



3. Trash day- a parody of nelly hot in here, it is funny, both vocally and has clever lines, won't spoil the lyrics for you.



4. Party at the leper colony is a pun filled orignal in the style of willie and the hand jive of what it would be like living with a leper colony. Not meant to make fun of lepers just for some laughs.



5. Angry white boy polka- is a good polka if you like the harder music groups like pod, system of a down and such. I like it very much so, but may take some other pop music people a few listenings to like it.



6. Wanna B Ur Lovr- I can't say what style this is either a beck or a prince song. It is a inuendo filled song with pick up lines that most of you from lame guys using them on you or even you guys tried them out. Although he twists some of them around to catch you off guard.



7. A complicated song- title is an inside joke on how hard it was for al to write this song. It is a parody of complicated by avril, and it is a 3 parodies in one song. They are weived in some how,but if youdon't like a song that jumps from one idea to the next you may not like it. Though it left me in stiches.



8.

Why Does This Always Happen To Me - (featuring Ben Folds)

alot like one of those days,but more twisted. I say twisted like you don't love me anymore. great stuff.



9. Ode To A Superhero- this one is done like the sage abegins you take an old classic song and use it to tell a movies story. In this case it is billy joels piano man about the story of the movie spider man. This is a great song.



10. BoB- original style parody did in style of bob dylan, it sounds just like bob dylan, and you will have to study the lyrics to get the real briliant work behind this. read foot notes below if you want to know exactly why it is also great besides vocal accuracy, funny words etc.



11. Ebay- parody of backstreet boys- I want it that way.

It is about stuff al bought on ebay(at least not in real life to my knowlege). It makes fun of ebay and how anyone will buy almost anything on ebay.



12. Genius in france- A tribute to frank zappa, and boy does this sound like a frank zappa song. This is

sweet. this is up there with weird al's rws last song called Albuquerque



*footnotes for bob read if you want to spoil the genius of this song. All lyrics can be read front and backwords just read the lyrics up to the dots. he could pr obubally do this song from the end to the beginning though the song would change order,but the words would still be same as in the first sentence said would now be the last one said and the last sentence said would be the first. enjoy.

I came, I lurked, I bought, I reviewed......



Couch Potato - One of Al's best parodys for sure. After listening to it 30 or so times before getting the album it has gotten a little old after hearing some of the rest of the CD, but it still holds up very well. You can't argue when Al spoofs both a song and some of America's inane pop culture (aka the crap on TV today) all in one song.



Hardware Store - Good, not great. Im not as in love with the song as some on here, but it's ok, and yes "the verse" is freakin' incredible.



Trash Day - I was not at all looking foreward to this song, i thought it would suck, but it wasn't too bad. A few very funny lines...but probably the worse parody on the CD.



Party at the Lepar Colony - Not very good at all. A funny premise that had potential that was not lived up to.



Angry Whit Boy Polka - Polkas always rule !!! And this was no exception, not the best one ever, but good. Anyone else here notice that many of the songs in the polka were also done Lounge-style by Richard Cheese on his "Tuxicity" album?



Wanna B Ur Lovr - Boring, slow, boring. Not that creative, i dont find it offensive, but it's just not really that funny either. Maybe it will grow on me after another 27 listens!



A Comlicated Song - NOW THATS MORE LIKE IT AL!!! I love the whole song, every verse is great and i like how it hits different topics.



Why Does This Always Happen To Me? - Another brilliant song. I LOVE songs that seem serious on the surface and then hit you with the punchline, and this one does that in spades. I'd say best original on the album.



Ode To A Superhero - Eh, ok, but not great. I like Billy Joel, but the idea of a movie song is getting kinda old, plust i wasn't a big fan of the movie, which probably causes me to not like the song as much. Im sure fans of Spiderman will dig it though.



Bob - Al's genius in full swing. So creative i love it. Not tremendously funny, but so unique it rules.



Ebay - Love It! Tied wiht Compliated as best parody, for sure. I'll even admit to liking the BSB song because i find it to be a brilliant pop song, wether you like pop or not. All the items Al lists are so funny...



I WANNA BUY SHATNERS OLD TOUPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

and an Alf alarm clock, too!



Genius in France - im not familiar w/ Zappa, but i like this song, and every time i hear it i like it more. Another brilliantly creative song. It hits so many styles and rocks. POODLE....POODLE



Overall, a very good ALbum not his best at tyhis point but i bet it will get better with age, they ussually do.



I'll say 8/10 Can't wait to see some of these tunes live!!!

Can't wait to see some of these tunes live!!!

Especially "Hardware Store". :biggrin: