I can review albums on here, right? Wait who am I asking, I made this damn blog. Ah well, I’ve loved Weird Al Yankovic since first hearing his polka medleys when I was younger. Each of his albums and songs have been a great influence on my own sense of humour, and I regularly listen to the parodies more than the actual songs themselves. With his latest album, Weird Al now has to compete with the new developments in music and technology, as Youtube has changed the music parody scene forever. Anyone can upload their own pastiche on the latest hits in a flash, which stands against the album release structure.
Because this is an all new music review, and I may do more of these later, I guess it makes sense to change the way I write about them. I’ll give a quick summary of each song, and an overall impression at the very end as a way to cap the whole experience.
Handy (Based on ‘Fancy’ by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX)
First off, a song based on the current big hit of the year. From what I gather, the original song is about a woman who talks about how fancy she is, and we’re all supposed to already know this. I prefer Weird Al’s decision to change the subject to carpentry. The song is a great example of Weird Al at his best when it comes to changing the meaning of a song, as well as his performance qualities.
Lame Claim to Fame
For this first original song, Weird Al turns his attention to late-70s/early 80s Rock, where the likes of Southern Culture on the Skids, Mountain and Deep Purple reigned supreme with cowbells in hand. This song is the first style parody on the album, where Weird Al matches the performing style of a band to sing an original song.
Foil (Based on ‘Royals’ by Lorde)
The second song parody on the album is based on the Lorde hit from last year, ‘Royals’. I like this song, what with it’s basic yet catchy beat and playful lyrics. However, I can also enjoy a heartfelt tribute to the wonders of aluminium foil. It can be used to keep your food preserved! They make stylish hats for conspiracy theorists! Is there anything foil can’t do? This was another fun little song, and the music video had Patton Oswalt in it.
Sports Song
The subject here, in case you couldn’t tell from the title, is sports in general. This song implies that our team is the best team in the whole world, and your team are all poopy and should give up because of how poopy you all are.
Word Crimes (Based on ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke feat. T.I, Pharrell Williams)
I’m very torn on the original song, as it’s utterly repugnant lyrics are matched by a singer I’m not exactly torn over becoming the next one hit wonder. However, the music is very catchy. That’s why I’m glad Weird Al wrote a song about grammar issues instead of casual sexism. Everything about this song spoke to me, an English graduate that looks on most status updates with disgust. Another great parody, especially for it’s brilliant use of the line ‘Cunning Linguist’.
My Own Eyes
This original song is a tribute to the Foo Fighters, and the style is spot on. Whether its Weird Al’s impression of Dave Grohl’s reverbed vocals, or the instrumentation that perfectly captures the spirit of the band. Not only that, but the creativity in these lyrics shows how brilliant a comedian Weird Al can be, where each description gets more outlandish and funny as the song goes on.
NOW That’s What I Call Polka!
Of all the things I look forward to with every Weird Al album, it’s the Polka Medley. My current favourite is the Hot Rocks Polka featuring the best of Rolling Stones, but this new Polka is a new challenger to that title. This is absolutely fantastic, with every song naturally blending into the other. The choice of songs is very cool, and the new arrangements are exactly how I expected to hear them as polkas.
Mission Statement
If I heard someone had made a Cosby, Stills and Nash tribute song based on office jargon, I would expect a terrifying car crash of a song. However, Weird Al is one of the best lyricists in the music industry, and was therefore going to knock this out of the park. Whether it’s the instrumentation or the vocal harmonies, Weird Al manages to get the sound spot on.
Inactive (Based on ‘Radioactive’ by Imagine Dragons)
Another song I liked was Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, a haunting rock anthem that was recently remixed to include Kendrick Lamar. If you haven’t already, watch the duet they performed at the Grammies, and learn why these two are expected to do great things. In the mean time, here’s a song about being a lazy ass who cant do anything other than watch TV and eat cheetos. This isn’t as inspired as some of the other songs on the album, but it’s still great fun to listen to.
First World Problems
I heard that there was going to be a Pixies tribute song, which was very exciting for me. Thankfully, I was very happy to hear a great interpretation of the Pixies style, with all the different minor annoyances that plague us privileged white people. It was also cool hearing the Amanda Palmer appearance as well.
Tacky (Based on ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams)
This was the first music video shown from this album, and I could dig it. The song itself is about the numerous things that make tacky people unbearable and terrible, whether it’s a YOLO License Plate or live-tweeting a funeral. As the final song parody on the album, its a great note to go out on. The music video was also great fun to watch, especially for all the cameos from other comedians.
Jackson Park Express
Finally, we have an all new epic to match ‘Albuquerque’, ‘The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota’ and ‘Trapped in the Dive Thru’. Based on the music of Cat Stevens, this is about a man on a bus, coming up with an imaginary conversation with another woman on the bus. To describe the lyrics would spoil the fun, but I was stunned by how brilliant this was. It was a little odd thinking about how this particular song speaks to me on too much of a level, but this song is still a wonderful way to close the album.
Final Thoughts:
People have been wondering if this is possibly the end of Weird Al, as Youtube and the internet in general have made the art of the music parody all the more crowded. I hereby claim that this new competition has actually made Weird Al even better than he has in years, with an album that stands amongst his best work. When it comes to deciding whether the overwhelming quantity of Youtube parodies is better than the quality of Weird Al’s parodies, the answer couldn’t be easier. I’ve seen some unbearable Youtube videos that make the likes of Tenacious D and the Lonely Island all the more cherished. With ‘Mandatory Fun’, I can see myself listening to all the songs several times over, as I have with previous Weird Al songs. The magic hasn’t died, and Weird Al Yankovic remains the premier pop comedian in the industry.
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