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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 25, 2007 21:59:19 GMT -5
Okay, I figured that I'd contribute a thread to the music sub-board, and I'll make one on one of my favorite artists, "Weird Al" Yankovic. Say what you will about him, he has continually displayed musical prowess and great humor. Perhaps some of his stuff is a little lowbrow, but regardless, he is a great musician.
Are you a Weird Al fan? Got any Al stories to tell? Do you prefer his original works or his parodies? Do you think that the music industry has been selling him short?
I'm all ears.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jul 25, 2007 22:10:47 GMT -5
A great musician. I have all of his stuff and have enjoyed him since "In 3-D" came out when I was in 2nd grade.
I think he's a better musician than he is a comedian, and that's saying something. I vastly prefer his originals, but on occasion, his parodies are golden.
My favorite originals are his "style-parodies". For the uninitiated, these are Al originals, but they're done in the style of another artist. Some favorites (and the artist he's channeling):
"You Make Me" - Oingo Boingo "Mr. Popeil"- B-52s "Velvet Elvis"- The Police "Genius in France"- Frank Zappa "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?"- Ben Folds "Pancreas"- Brian Wilson "Dog Eat Dog"- Talking Heads and so many more...
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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 25, 2007 22:49:27 GMT -5
"In 3-D" seems to be a break-out point for fans. That was the first album of his I bought and said, "Wow, this guy's really not about just parody, maybe I should buy some more of his stuff."
It is a great album. But I wonder what's so special about it.
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Post by Afgncaap5 on Jul 25, 2007 23:06:33 GMT -5
"In 3-D" was kinda when he broke out of being "a guy with an accordian in a recording studio" and proved he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Not that there was anything wrong with his music before, but a lot of that music was written while he was still just doing it as a hobby (which is probably why the Accordian is so prominant in his music before In 3-D came out.)
My favorite CD of his is the Running With Scissors CD. While he doesn't have many "stand out" songs in it, the album as an ensemble has a better balance than a lot of the others.
And I agree: he's a better musician than comedian, and his comedy already shines.
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Post by Donna SadCat Lady on Jul 26, 2007 0:04:05 GMT -5
I love Weird Al, and I'll say this about him. He does for hearing pop music what MST does for watching bad movies. I know I've never listened to "My Sharona," "Our Love's in Jeopardy," or even "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the same way after he got done with them.
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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 26, 2007 8:15:58 GMT -5
My favorite CD of his is the Running With Scissors CD. While he doesn't have many "stand out" songs in it, the album as an ensemble has a better balance than a lot of the others. Running With Scissors is a great album. I agree on the ensemble strength of that album. It didn't have the hits "Bad Hair Day" had, but still, 'Albuquerque' is one of the greatest "songs" ever.
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Jul 26, 2007 11:37:02 GMT -5
I almost never listen to him any more, but I appreciate a lot of his stuff. In terms of parodies, no music has ever passed the first minute or so of "Amish Paradise" in humor. I appreciate the polkas a lot, too, although the last couple have been rather so-so, probably because I lost touch with music after the 1990s.
I think my favorite song he ever did was the polka version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." I still listen to that one. I don't see it getting a lot of love, but I absolutely adore it.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jul 26, 2007 14:31:20 GMT -5
I've found my enjoyment of Al is largely dependent on my awareness or enjoyment of the music he's parodying.
So the '80s stuff is golden for me. The stuff on "..Deep End" and "Alapalooza" doesn't hold up well at all because the era (1990-1992) was so awful for popular music.
And while I enjoy his recent stuff, the hip-hop world isn't my bag. So even though "Straight Outta Lynwood" is funny, I don't listen to it over and over like I did with "Bad Hair Day" or "Poodle Hat".
The same goes for "Running With Scissors". I mean ska was popular for what, 30 seconds? And now that "The Phantom Menace" has been proven to be the worst movie ever, "The Saga Begins" has lost its luster. Don't get me wrong, I still like a lot from that album, but when your material is dependent on pop culture, it's tough to make it hold its appeal over time.
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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 26, 2007 14:35:20 GMT -5
The stuff on "Straight Outta Lynwood" is great for me because of the fact that all the songs he parodied on that album were on the radio constantly the summer it came out. So, I got to hear these crappy songs over and over again. Al improved them, I think. But, as he said in his Marshall Mathers interview:
"I could only change the lyrics."
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Post by Mod City on Jul 26, 2007 15:25:35 GMT -5
I found Al about the time of Dare to be Stupid, and it's probably still my favorite. I also really liked the UHF soundtrack.
As a general rule, I like his older stuff better, but there are some modern gems, as well.
A few of my favorites (memory don't fail me now): "Christmas At Ground Zero" "The Check's In The Mail" "Dare To Be Stupid" "One More Minute" "Dog Eat Dog"
As for the newer stuff, I got a kick out of "Springer," and really liked "All About The Pentiums."
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Post by Hugh Beaumont on Jul 26, 2007 23:10:30 GMT -5
I believe my first exposure to him was "Dare To Be Stupid," as it appeared on the soundtrack to the original Transformers animated movie. I've never really listened to his albums much, but I enjoy his singles and videos, and I really love the man. I was heartbroken when he lost both of his parents. He's seems to truly be a great guy and a talented musician and comedian.
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Post by Katie on Jul 27, 2007 15:16:54 GMT -5
I really like weird al, really genius stuff that he does, the toher day I watched his video for "Trapped in the Drive Thru" which is a parody of R Kellys ridiculously stupid "Trapped in the Closet" absolutely hysterical.
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Post by Donna SadCat Lady on Jul 27, 2007 18:17:08 GMT -5
I was heartbroken when he lost both of his parents. Oh, Lord, I read about that--a carbon monoxide leak, wasn't it? I had hoped that was just an urban legend. So it really happened? How very sad. What a shame.
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Post by Crowfan on Jul 27, 2007 21:55:47 GMT -5
I used to listen to him in high school. Loved his parodies. My favorites were "My Bologna" and "I Lost On Jeopardy"
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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 27, 2007 22:37:00 GMT -5
I really like weird al, really genius stuff that he does, the toher day I watched his video for "Trapped in the Drive Thru" which is a parody of R Kellys ridiculously stupid "Trapped in the Closet" absolutely hysterical. I didn't realize they made a video of that. Now I must see it.
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