"Weird Al" Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood
To give you a good idea what sort of person I am, I'm kicking off this blog with, of all people, "Weird Al" Yankovic. I've been a fan of "Weird Al" since the early 80's, when I first heard "Eat It." Here it is, over 20 years later, and I'm still listening. I can't remember the last "Weird Al" album I didn't run out and get a copy soon after release. Some may think the 46-year-old Al has lost his touch, but I disagree. Sure Poodle Hat had its weak spots, but "Why Does This Always Happen to Me," Al's duet with Ben Folds, was as good as any original Al song from the '80s or '90s.
"Weird Al" kicks off Straight Outta Lynwood appropriately with a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin." This is a genre I'm not too familiar with, but from what I've heard of the original song, musically Al nails it as usual. The lyrics follow Al's long running theme of making fun of his own geekiness. However, it's the next track, "Pancreas," that wins me over to the album. In my opinion Al is at his best when writing his original songs, even though they're usually in the style of a certain group or genre instead of a song itself. "Pancreas" shows Al's musical talents as he takes on Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. The song really reflects on the songs that appeared on Smile, Brian Wilson's long awaited masterpiece.
"Canadian Idiot" falls flat to me. I didn't really like the song he parodies by Green Day, and the jokes don't really stand out. "I'll Sue Ya" has some funny lines, and does a good job of capturing Rage Against the Machine's sound, even though the band has been broken up for some time.
No "Weird Al" album would be complete without his take on today's current hits in a polka medley. This track made me feel old because I only recognized about two-thirds of the songs he used. But considering the quality of the original songs, I don't think I'm missing much. The next few songs on the album don't really grab me. I guess I don't really get where Al is going with any of them. "Close But No Cigar" kind of reminds me of Cake, but not quite.
My favorite song on the album is "Trapped in the Drive-Thru," a parody of R. Kelly's epic "Trapped in the Closet." I am not a R. Kelly fan, but I strongly urge you to go out and hear "Trapped in the Closet" (all 12 parts) if you haven't already. The original version is much funnier than Al's, just because it goes on and on, introducing more absurd characters as the story meanders all over the place. Al does a great job of capturing R Kelly's dramatic cliffhangers and dialogue. Unlike R. Kelly's version, I can at least relate to Al and his wife's dilemma of what to eat for dinner.
Finally the album closes out with "Don't Download This Song," which is mildly funny, and reminds me of those '80s charity songs like "We Are The World." The real humor in the song lies in the fact is Al made this song available free to download before Straight Outta Lynwood was released.
Overall, like all "Weird Al" Yankovic albums, Straight Outta Lynwood has its highlights and forgettable filler. But to me, the funny songs make it worth it.
For further reading:
"Weird Al"'s homepage
All Music Guide's "Weird Al" entry
Wikipedia's "Weird Al" entry
"Weird Al" kicks off Straight Outta Lynwood appropriately with a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin." This is a genre I'm not too familiar with, but from what I've heard of the original song, musically Al nails it as usual. The lyrics follow Al's long running theme of making fun of his own geekiness. However, it's the next track, "Pancreas," that wins me over to the album. In my opinion Al is at his best when writing his original songs, even though they're usually in the style of a certain group or genre instead of a song itself. "Pancreas" shows Al's musical talents as he takes on Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. The song really reflects on the songs that appeared on Smile, Brian Wilson's long awaited masterpiece.
"Canadian Idiot" falls flat to me. I didn't really like the song he parodies by Green Day, and the jokes don't really stand out. "I'll Sue Ya" has some funny lines, and does a good job of capturing Rage Against the Machine's sound, even though the band has been broken up for some time.
No "Weird Al" album would be complete without his take on today's current hits in a polka medley. This track made me feel old because I only recognized about two-thirds of the songs he used. But considering the quality of the original songs, I don't think I'm missing much. The next few songs on the album don't really grab me. I guess I don't really get where Al is going with any of them. "Close But No Cigar" kind of reminds me of Cake, but not quite.
My favorite song on the album is "Trapped in the Drive-Thru," a parody of R. Kelly's epic "Trapped in the Closet." I am not a R. Kelly fan, but I strongly urge you to go out and hear "Trapped in the Closet" (all 12 parts) if you haven't already. The original version is much funnier than Al's, just because it goes on and on, introducing more absurd characters as the story meanders all over the place. Al does a great job of capturing R Kelly's dramatic cliffhangers and dialogue. Unlike R. Kelly's version, I can at least relate to Al and his wife's dilemma of what to eat for dinner.
Finally the album closes out with "Don't Download This Song," which is mildly funny, and reminds me of those '80s charity songs like "We Are The World." The real humor in the song lies in the fact is Al made this song available free to download before Straight Outta Lynwood was released.
Overall, like all "Weird Al" Yankovic albums, Straight Outta Lynwood has its highlights and forgettable filler. But to me, the funny songs make it worth it.
For further reading:
"Weird Al"'s homepage
All Music Guide's "Weird Al" entry
Wikipedia's "Weird Al" entry
Labels: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Beach Boys, Ben Folds, Brian Wilson, Cake, Chamillionaire, Green Day, R. Kelly, Rage Against the Machine, We Are The World
posted by Tom at 6:03 PM
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