A Piece Of Ando

The random assortment of things that go through my head on any given day.

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Consolidation

Dear readers (all like 5 of you ;-) ), I have come to realize that there is really no reason for me to have quite so many blogs. Quite honestly, I am not prolific enough to justify this.

Thus, due to my intent to rejuvenate and refocus my attentions on my personal website, I have migrated all my posts from PooreMan’s Blog to my personal domain, the amazing ando dot com, which contains more than…

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A Loving Declaration

Love is a tricky subject these days. It really shouldn’t be. But for some reason, people are scared of who or how other people love. I feel like we’re always hearing about who should be able to love who else, or who we shouldn’t love, and so on. And these days, it feels like love has been trivialized to mean certain specific things and only in certain specific circumstances. It just feels like…

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An Affirmation of Ando

An Affirmation of Ando

Those familiar with me know my typical stance on New Year’s Resolutions (I don’t make them), but if you’ve known me and been following anything I’ve said over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed me struggling over and over with some common themes. And while we’re assuming that you, my hypothetical reader, know me that well, you also know that I am far from being a very private person. I…

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The Case Against Custom Content Management

I posted an entry on my company’s blogabout Custom Content Management Systems (hereafter abbreviated to CMS), but as it was my first entry and I didn’t want to scare anyone off with how verbose I can be, I kept it pretty short and sweet. But I’d like to…

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Personal Goals Update

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Oy Gevalt, I'm So Ferklempt That I Could Plotz!

After the high quality of "Bad Hair Day", it would be easy to wonder what it would take to top it. As it turns out, it would take about 3 years and one Al-bum. In 1999, "Running With Scissors" was released, and everything that "Weird Al" Yankovic does right, he did VERY right on this album. Everything here is absolutely top-notch work.

The parody list starts off strong with "The Saga Begins", Al's second Star Wars song, this time detailing the events of Episode I. Next up is "Pretty Fly (For A Rabbi)", from which you can pick up some useful Yiddish. Based on the popularity of the Barenaked Ladies' original, "Jerry Springer" was no surprise, touching on one of Al's oft-used topics, over-the-top talk shows. With a new era of technology comes new material for Al's satire, and so for the first time, he brings computer geeks into the spotlight with "It's All About The Pentiums", which is still an awesome song, despite a few now-dated references (such as Y2K). Finally, a reminder of the brief revival that swing music got in the late 90's, "Grapefruit Diet" makes it almost impossible to sit still.

Equally brilliant are Al's original songs, beginning with "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder" (who, for any of you young whipper-snappers who don't know, was the lead singer for a 90's grunge band you may have heard of, Pearl Jam), which is almost criminally catchy. "The Weird Al Show Theme" is pretty self-explanatory, although if you never saw the show, definitely check out at least the video for this opening theme song. "Germs" stops a few inches short of being a direct parody of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer", and is almost creepy combined with the paranoid lyrics. "Your Horoscope For Today" takes on ska music (and even features two members of Reel Big Fish for good measure) and delivers hilariously twisted horoscopes. Obviously inspired by Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song", next up is "Truck Drivin' Song", about a cross-dressing trucker and his woes. Finishing out the album is an eleven-and-a-half-minute long masterpiece called "Albuquerque", which perfectly nails a hilarious, rambling, naive narrative with high-energy music and wraps it all up with the simple message that he hates sauerkraut (and that's all he's really trying to say).

The polka medley is "Polka Power!" and it neatly skewers late-90's pop music (and a few others), putting a polka beat to everyone from Hanson to Marilyn Manson, with some Matchbox 20, Madonna, and Beastie Boys thrown in for good measure. This is definitely one of his best polkas, in my top 3 for sure.

High points on this album: These are tough decisions, as this album is solid through and through. But for parodies, I'm going with "It's All About The Pentiums", probably at least in part due to the fact that it speaks to my computer geek side. For originals, I've got to go with "Your Horoscope For Today", for the sheer hilarity of each segment.

I don't want to run it into the ground, but "Running With Scissors" is an absolutely amazing Al-bum, and I can't say it enough. This is Al and his band at their very best. If you ever were to find someone who didn't know anything about Weird Al, this is the CD you should place in their hands. Yes, it really is that good.

Ando's Rating: 10/10

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Freedom's Just Seven Digits Away

After a few years' break (during which a second greatest hits compilation was released), 1996 saw a new "Weird Al" Yankovic album, "Bad Hair Day". And from the opening track to the last fade-out, Al proved that he was only getting better and better. Despite some mixed critical response and a public controversy surrounding the lead track, this album stands as one of his best. It was his best-selling album up to this point, and stayed on the charts longer than any other.

The parody list is strong start to finish, and kicks off with one of the best-known parodies Al has ever done, "Amish Paradise". It also is the song known for its controversy, as Coolio (author of the original) publicly stated Al had not received his permission to do the parody. Whether this is true or just a publicity stunt, we may never know. However, "Amish Paradise" has been a fan favorite and concert staple ever since. "Cavity Search", while containing some rather cringe-worthy dental drill sounds, is still flawless. "Gump" is another fan favorite, sporting a hilarious music video. While some of us who missed out on Soul Asylum may not recognize the material parodied for "Syndicated Inc.", it's another in Al's long string of TV-related songs, although these can easily feel dated for name-dropping shows that aren't on anymore. Finally, "Phony Calls" answers the question of whether Al can pull off a female R&B trio parody with a resounding YES!

Some Al-bums with strong parodies may suffer in the category of originals, but not so here. Starting off with high energy, "Everything You Know Is Wrong" is a hilarious whirlwind of incredibly strange imagery (aliens from space who kinda look like Jamie Farr, anyone?). "Callin' In Sick" strikes VERY close to home for those of us in full-time corporate jobs. "Since You've Been Gone" marks Al's first (and so far only) foray into acapella music, as well as chalks up another twisted love song. "I'm So Sick Of You" is another energetic song about being tired of someone with annoying habits (a bit of a similar feel to "Don't Wear Those Shoes" but with much better lyrics and music). Anyone who's ever wanted payback at a bully can probably relate to "I Remember Larry", which also contains Al's second backmasked message (the first being in "Nature Trail To Hell"), which tells those who found it, "Wow, you must have an awful lot of free time on your hands". Wrapping up the album is "The Night Santa Went Crazy", which is Al's second twisted Christmas song, and is pretty self-explanatory. Santa Claus has enough and goes on a murderous rampage at the North Pole. In case you've heard the "Extra Gory Version", that was actually the original version, and Al's label forced him to tame it down.

The polka medley, "The Alternative Polka" is the final polka to start off exactly like the first song (here it is "Loser" by Beck), and as the name implies, all of the pieces are alternative songs from the early-to-mid-90's. If you read the liner notes, you'll find Weezer thanked, but you won't hear any Weezer songs in the medley. Originally, he had included "Buddy Holly" in the polka, but at the last minute, Weezer lead singer Rivers Cuomo asked him to pull it. Al recently put the clip out on his YouTube channel, so you can hear it, just not in the full context (unless someone with some talent finds a way to remix it in...which probably has already happened, knowing the Internet).

High points on this album: While it's a tough call, I have to say my favorite parody here is "Gump", but just barely. Similarly, scraping out a spot on top of the originals list is "Everything You Know Is Wrong".

Despite having been a Weird Al fan ever since I was 6 years old, this was the first Al-bum I owned almost immediately upon its release, so it was the first that felt completely "modern" and "relevant", so I have quite the soft spot for it. Even with that disclaimer, I think I can safely say that it was the best one released to this point, by a long shot. There isn't a bad song on it, and the maturity of the songwriting, as well as the ability of Al's band to create perfect parodies, shine through on this offering. I honestly can't think of anything more that won't get repetitive. Probably even to date some of his best work.

Ando's Rating: 10/10

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Contentment vs. Happiness

You see, 2012 was a slump year for me. I've told some of my closest friends/mentors/confidants this, but I think it's OK to say it publicly. Oh, don't get me wrong, 2012 has some really fun times. Katie Mae and I had our "first" anniversary complete with long-overdue reception and a second honeymoon to Chicago. And the party thrown for my 30th birthday was awesome and I loved it. But 2012 was a slump year.

Why? Because I settled for contentment. Even though a lot of things changed in one area of my life (my job situation), I sank further into just existing rather than living.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not the kind of person who wants nothing but exhilaration or adrenaline in my life. I don't have to go be extreme to be happy. But I basically accomplished very little in 2012. Really, it wasn't only 2012. I've always been a creative person, but when I look at the creative outlets I have in my life, I look at the past few years and am disgusted and saddened at myself.

My major outlet, music. Looking back from the end of 2012, I hadn't written a new song since 2007. Further, I played guitar on Christmas Eve of 2012 for a Christmas church service. Before that day, the last time I'd picked up my guitar was on March 3rd, at the reception when I played for Katie Mae. And aside from the practices leading up to that performance, I don't think I'd played since the end of 2011. And the most damning thing of all was that I honestly hadn't cared.

I write. Blogs are my most recent expression of writing, but it's easy enough to see how little I contributed to original content in 2012, and aside from a brief flurry of posts when I started my Tumblr in a brief attempt to re-ignite this outlet, I have been sorely deficient in that.

Fiction writing was my long-time outlet. As a kid, I wrote all the time. For school or just because I'd have an idea. As a college-age young adult, I wrote short stories fairly frequently. But I think the last time I wrote fiction was in 2007 or so. Again, damningly, I didn't seem to care.

Even freaking web development fell aside. I looked at the personal info section on my personal website and I found that the last time I'd touched that thing, I was 26. And like a broken record, I say again, I didn't care.

Those who know of my job situation know how turbulent a year 2012 was for me. I left a job I was honestly happy at for a chance at a startup. After a few months, they folded and I went through a month of unemployment before finally ending up at Asurion. But what sickens me about this was how little I cared even about that. Sure, I figure in each case, I made the right call because I think they all led me to where I am now, and introduced me to some amazing people along the way. But you'd think during that 2-month period when I literally had nothing to do but go on interviews and then do whatever I wanted, that I would have had a blast with all the time in the world on my hands. What did I do besides interview? Nothing. Well, nothing of note. I didn't write a song, I didn't even pull out my guitar. I didn't write any stories. I only wrote a blog entry to tell people about what happened when I finally got a job offer. What else did I do? I slept in, I stayed up late, I read Facebook, watched YouTube, maybe played a few video games that I'd already played ad nauseum. I didn't even pick up a new game, despite having well over 100 I've never touched. How dare I?

I wish I could point to the reason I finally looked at myself and was startled at how angry I made myself. I really can't, though. I just know that at a certain point I finally said "I can't stand what I've become!". And when I surveyed how un-creative I was, I resolved to change it. I swore 2013 would be the year Ando finally returned to The Amazing Ando!

Some of you may have started to see my efforts in that direction. I am pretty happy to report that I have not only written lyrics to a song (another in a long string of collaborations with my musical brain-brother Jeff), but spontaneously wrote music to a song whose lyrics I wrote in 2005. I've not only had a jam session with a great keyboardist, I've practiced guitar on my own a few more times, and on the 30th of this month, I am working up SUCH an epic jam session that I can barely wait for it to happen. I've wrapped up the AndoCon website, and am one step away from a complete visual overhaul of my personal website. And from a job perspective, I refused to allow myself to stick around at a place that I wasn't sure I'd be happy with, but took a leap of faith, and am wrapping up my first week at a new job.

None of that is what I originally sat down to write about, by the way. I was sparked to the title I gave this blog because of another friend. I met Chris while I was working at Allstate, my first job out of college. As it turns out, it was his first job out of college as well. We befriended over the fact that we had a LOT in common with each other, and he was the first person who ever traveled across the country (TWICE!) to come to our parties. Since then, I have taken 4 other jobs. He is still at Allstate. That gave me pause for some reason tonight. Why is he still at Allstate? I could ask him (and I probably should), but it led me down an interesting thought trail. Despite how little money I was making at Allstate and how much I didn't enjoy certain aspects of the job, I was a pretty useful little cog in their mechanisms. I know that 2 of my coworkers are still there in the unit. So why wasn't I as content to stay as Chris apparently is? I mean, as far as I know, he hasn't gotten any kind of huge promotion. What was it that made me leave?

I think it's a matter of the pursuit of happiness. If I were completely honest with myself, I probably could have remained content at Allstate. Oh sure, I had a few issues with them, but overall it was a stable place to be and I had made a solid reputation as a good web developer. Money surely would have stayed tighter, but we could have survived. But I couldn't be happy there. Until/unless I see some awesome stuff at my new job, I'll continue to say my favorite job I've had was at eA, where I went after Allstate. I'll even say I was happy there. And I KNOW I would've been content to stay there. But when the carrot dangled in front of my face, I allowed myself to keep looking for happiness. And every job I've had since then, I've tried to get one step closer to happiness. I still haven't found it, but I don't think I've literally made wrong choices. Every place I've worked, I've met at least ONE person who has made my time there worthwhile. At least one person that I would be sad to lose contact with.

I don't know for a fact I'll be happy in 2013. I don't know for a fact that I'll be happy at the job I have now. But I do know for a fact that I'm heading in the direction of happiness. Maybe for some people, contentment is happiness, or at least is an acceptable substitute.

But apparently, not for me. At least, not anymore.

[apieceofando]

It dwarfs the mighty redwoods and it towers over everyone

Following up on 1992's success "Weird Al" Yankovic already had half of his next Al-bum written (the originals) by the time "Off The Deep End" was released, and merely had to fill in the gaps with parodies. In 1993, he released "Alapalooza". Surprisingly to me, the critical reception was mediocre and even negative. I've always been a big fan of this album, and for years, it contained my favorite Weird Al song (until said favorite was finally surpassed).

The leading parody is "Jurassic Park", the first time in a while that Al parodied a song that wasn't modern (as even the older songs parodied on "Even Worse" were parodies of the 80's covers, not the originals). This is a gem, especially when combined with the claymation music video. "Bedrock Anthem" mashed up and parodied two Red Hot Chili Peppers songs, and while it took some time to grow on me, I never denied the genius of the lyrics. "Achy Breaky Song" said what so many of us were thinking in the early 90's, about how over-played and annoying the original was. Finally, a true masterpiece of parody, "Livin' In The Fridge" takes on Aerosmith flawlessly and makes us all cringe as we remember times we also have left things in the back of the refrigerator far too long.

While light on parodies, the originals list stretches out to 7. "Young, Dumb & Ugly" may not be for all, with its AC/DC style, but I think the lyrics are great, hearkening a bit back to "Dare To Be Stupid". Taking another huge step forward with musical prowess are "Frank's 2000" TV" and "Traffic Jam", the former with overtones of REM (especially their early work) and the latter just shy of directly taking on "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince (who, by the way, is one of the few artists to consistently deny Al permission to parody one of his songs). "Talk Soup" was actually commissioned by E! to be the theme song of the show by the same name, even though they ended up not using it. The weakest link on the album is probably "She Never Told Me She Was A Mime"; though the music is pretty good, it's just not outstanding. Depending on how you feel about Al's attachment to the rodent, "Harvey The Wonder Hamster" may be skippable, but come on, it's less than 30 seconds long. Wrapping up the originals list is "Waffle King", which is quite obviously channeling Peter Gabriel.

The polka on "Alapalooza" is actually not much of a medley this time, as "Bohemian Polka" is simply Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sped up to a frenzied polka beat, cutting down the almost-6-minute long song to just over 3-and-a-half minutes.

High points on this album: For parodies, I go with "Livin' In The Fridge". The rendition is perfect and the lyrics are hilarious (for example, "If you can name the object in that baggie over there, then Mister, you're a better man than I"). For originals, this is a bit tougher since there's so many, but I think topping my list is "Traffic Jam", largely due to the high energy of the song combined with how well I can relate to hating being stuck in traffic.

I suppose coming off the high of "Off The Deep End", it might be easy to look down on "Alapalooza", but I think this is very unfair. Weird Al's talent is very evident in this offering, and the maturity of his songwriting combined with the ever-increasing talent of his band takes another huge leap forward here. It also is reaching an era of music that sounds much less dated than some of Al's 80's albums. So I would urge anyone who has not given "Alapalooza" a chance yet to ignore the mediocre reviews and give it a try. Definitely worth the effort.

Ando's rating: 9/10

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I Really Love You...NOT!

After six studio Al-bums, "Weird Al" Yankovic was looking for the next Big Thing to propel him into the 1990s. Even after recording some of the originals that would comprise half of the next album, he waited, looking for just the right spark of comedic genius. And did he ever find it. When "Off The Deep End" was finally released in 1992, Weird Al proved that he wasn't going anywhere but up. Not that he had exactly been a nobody before, but it was with this album that his popularity expanded far beyond niche comedy fans.

The parody list starts off strong with "Smells Like Nirvana", which has been a fan favorite and concert staple ever since its release. Those who weren't old enough yet to remember much about 90's music may laugh off most of the rest of the parodies, but for many of us, "I Can't Watch This", "The White Stuff", "Taco Grande", and "The Plumbing Song" are a reminder of how cool 90's artists thought they were while being utterly laughable in retrospect- especially for those who remember New Kids on the Block and Milli Vanilli as some of the earliest "boy bands". But even without 90's nostalgia (and uttering that phrase makes me feel old), these songs are all comedy gold, with nigh-flawless musical interpretations and spot-on hilarious lyrics.

Speaking of music, the quality of the music on this album soars to new heights, and the maturity of Al's band shines through on the originals and style parodies, such as "Trigger Happy" which perfectly captures 60's surfer music. "I Was Only Kidding" and "You Don't Love Me Anymore" are two more entries in the category of Twisted Love Songs. "When I Was Your Age", with its grumpy-old-man vibe, is one of Al's strongest originals, even to this day. Though I realize it is a style parody, "Airline Amy" is actually not overtly that hilarious, the humor subdued to a few puns. But it's still an awesome song with great music and tight harmony. Oh, and if you ever notice that your CD player tells you that "You Don't Love Me Anymore" is over 14 minutes long, after the song fades out, skip ahead 10 minutes for the quick bonus track "Bite Me". Not all CDs have this, though.

The polka medley here is "Polka Your Eyes Out", and is the first of a trilogy of polkas that actually begin exactly like the beginning of the first song in the medley (this one being "Cradle Of Love" by Billy Idol) before kicking into the polka beat. All the songs in this polka are from the late 80's and early 90's, ranging from the afore-mentioned Billy Idol to REM to Metallica to Bell Biv DeVoe, and many others in-between.

High points on this album: Despite the obvious Nirvana parody, I still call my favorite "The White Stuff". And mostly because I love laughing at this type of humor, my favorite original is "When I Was Your Age" (and it never really does get old, either, as there will always be grumpy parents).

This is a great album from start to finish (I often skip "I Was Only Kidding", but just because it can give me a headache, not because it's not a funny song), and solidly ushered Al into the 90's. And honestly, it would still only get better from here. It had already been an unofficial rule that an artist knew they'd "arrived" when Weird Al wanted to parody one of their songs, and of all bands to "arrive", Nirvana was an obvious choice. That parody stands the test of time, and I would imagine other bands have perhaps been more willing to go along with Al's parody ideas since Kurt Cobain was cool with it. So for many reasons, "Off The Deep End" was an important release for Al.

Ando's rating: 9/10

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Disconnect the Phone, Now Leave the Dishes in the Sink

In 1989, theater audiences got to see "Weird Al" Yankovic in his first (and so far only) starring role in a movie: the masterful comedy "UHF". Accompanying it (aside from lackluster reception and a cult following) was the oddly - but aptly - titled "UHF Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff". While little actual content from the movie is contained on this album, there is plenty of "Other Stuff". The format of this album is a little different due to its Soundtrack feel, but overall, it's still a Weird Al album through and through.

The parody weight is a little light on the UHF Soundtrack, with only four. The opening track is in the movie, and has quite the mouthful of a name: "Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies", so named due to legal issues. It also marks one of the few times the original artist also performs on Al's parody, as Dire Straits' guitarist Mark Knopfler requested to play guitar as part of the agreement to allow the parody. The next two parodies are a bit on the weak side, as "Isle Thing" and "She Drives Like Crazy" have not aged well (although the latter is spot-on from the standpoint of faithful musical rendition of the original). But buried toward the bottom of the track list is the fan favorite "Spam", which should definitely not be ignored.

Speaking in terms of original songs, I will also truly only count four. The first, "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars" bears a bit of resemblance to his earlier track "Slime Creatures From Outer Space", but is no less fun for that. The title track, "UHF", is just plain solid, as it not only reflects themes from the movie but just has great music and execution. It keeps getting better with "Generic Blues", which is another case where Al takes a genre well known for its exaggerations and then exaggerates them further, landing here at a blues song so blues-y that apparently even B.B. King lists it in his top 10 favorite blues songs of all time. High praise indeed. And finally, the epic tale told in "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota", with its nod to Harry Chapin, is flawless, and has even spawned the real tourist location (yes, there really is a huge ball of twine in Minnesota) to make the song more accurate by building a Twine Ball Inn and releasing postcards that say "Greetings from the Twine Ball! Wish you were here!" Talk about life imitating art.

Making a glorious return on the UHF Soundtrack is the polka medley. This would also begin a trend that future medleys would follow, of having some defining characteristic shared by all songs in the medley. In this one, "The Hot Rocks Polka", the characteristic is that all songs in the medley are Rolling Stones songs. For quite some time, this was my favorite polka medley, as everything flows together beautifully and the medley just works. Plus, a polka treatment is just what some of these songs needed.

Finally, there is some movie material to cover as well. One of UHF's endearing qualities is the series of oddball commercials shown throughout the movie. The audio for two of these commercials was included on the Soundtrack: that of the TV movie "Gandhi II" and the store "Spatula City". The shortest track on any Weird Al album to date is "Let Me Be Your Hog", which comes in at 15 seconds and was featured in the movie (the scene where Uncle Harvey is in the pool, before he gets the fateful call from Big Louie). And finally, "Fun Zone" is a high-energy song which was played in Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse, and has been the opening of Weird Al concerts ever since.

High points on this album: For parodies, I think the sheer brilliance of "Spam" tops the list. Once more, the list of original songs is so strong that picking a favorite is hard, but I have always been somewhat partial to "Generic Blues" - where else can you find a line like "My brothers and sisters all hated me 'cause I was an only child"? As noted above, "The Hot Rocks Polka" is also one of the best polka medleys.

Certainly, the UHF Soundtrack has some outstanding material, but I must admit, looking at the track list here and then seeing the next several albums, it feels like everything from the eponymous first album to this point was the airplane of Al's awesomeness taxiing to the runway. It would be three years before the next album would be released, but that's when I really feel the plane takes off. While I have a great deal of love for these first six albums, I know I'm not alone in feeling that the best would be yet to come.

Ando's rating: 8/10

[apieceofando]

Wherever Things Are Illin'...

Despite my 21st-Century defense of his fourth album "Polka Party!", it was considered overall a failure. After a short break, "Weird Al" Yankovic proved that he would not be held back and knocked his fifth album out of the park. In 1988, he released "Even Worse". It satisfied fans and critics alike and put a spark back in Al's career.

The parody list is interesting here. The obvious first being "Fat", Al's second Michael Jackson parody and the only music video from this album (which, by the way, was shot in the same subway set as the original "Bad" video). Another fan favorite is "Lasagna", which is interesting as it is the only parody Al never asked permission for or paid royalties for, as it parodies a folk song (albeit a specific band's version). Two other parodies, "I Think I'm A Clone Now" and "Alimony", are both parodies of songs originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells, although Al parodied 80's cover versions of both. Finally, "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long", which is probably the weakest parody of the lot.

However, I think where "Even Worse" shines brightest is in the original songs. These are wonderfully executed. To begin with, the outright strange imagery in "Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White" and "You Make Me", combined with the energy in both songs, make them some of the best material on the album. Al's first foray into writing stalker songs, "Melanie", is solid, especially the vocal harmony. "Twister" and "Good Old Days" mark some of the earliest times that Al manages to pull off a serious feel to hilarious subject matter- the equivalent of a comedian finally nailing telling a hilarious joke with a perfectly straight face. This would definitely not be the last time. And finally, "Velvet Elvis" captures all the cheesiness of, well, a velvet Elvis while being a splendid style parody of The Police.

For the second and last time in his career thus far, Al wrapped an album without adding a polka medley; a fact which slightly saddens me.

High points on this album: For being one of the first Weird Al songs I heard as a child, I have an enormous soft spot for "Lasagna", though I don't deny the parody genius of "Fat" (a fact emphasized to me last year when, after over 20 years of listening to this song, I finally "got" a pun that had eluded me). As for originals, this is truly a tough call, but I have always loved "Velvet Elvis".

For all the praise Al got for "Fat" and the strength of the originals, I personally feel like this is overall a lukewarm album. Oh, it's certainly got some really great music, and I can clearly see this as a big step forward into the sheer brilliance to come, but I see some of the parodies as a bit lackluster. They're not even over-the-top like some of Al's earlier material. They're just not as great as what was to come just a few years later. I suppose some of the mediocre vibe I get from this album might come from feeling it as a transitional album. Certainly, it had great critical reception, as it was his first to go platinum. But with weak parodies and no polka, I can't help but be left wanting a bit more.

Ando's rating: 7/10

[universalentertainment]

We’re in lesbians with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).

[apieceofando]

Are You Ready To Polka?

In 1986, "Weird Al" Yankovic's fourth album, "Polka Party!" was released. If you take a look at chart numbers and critical reviews, you would think that this was his worst album. To me, that could not be farther from the truth. I find this album to be the first that started to truly capture the essence of Al's comedy. I believe it is the beginning of Al coming into his best work. I disagree with critics of this album who would claim its tracks aren't funny. I would contend that even the weaker songs of this album are of higher calibre than the weaker songs of "Dare to be Stupid".

The album opens strong with "Living With a Hernia", kicking off a string of brilliant parodies, to be followed by "Addicted To Spuds", "Here's Johnny", and "Toothless People". "Hernia" is a flawless sendup of James Brown's anthem from Rocky IV (and even the music video used the same concert hall Brown used for the original video). The only complaint I can come up with for "Spuds" is that there wasn't a music video for it. The closest  we ever get is a segment of the video for "UHF" that parodies the "Addicted To Love" video, showing us a glimpse of how a "Spuds" video might have looked. I wouldn't be surprised if many people didn't know "Here's Johnny" was actually a parody, because I really don't recall the original ("Who's Johnny?" by El DeBarge) being a big hit, or at least, it's not one that has lasted even in our current 80's nostalgia. For those who may not know, the "Johnny" here is Johnny Carson, and the song is a tribute to the late Ed McMahon, the announcer from Carson's TV show. "Toothless People" is a parody of "Ruthless People", one of Mick Jagger's solo songs, which also has apparently not managed to last in collective nostalgia.

For originals, the first is "Dog Eat Dog", a Talking Heads style parody that those of us living the corporate life can readily relate to. "One of Those Days" is a description of someone's really, REALLY bad day (everything from the Cheetos being gone to the world ending. Seriously...), while "Don't Wear Those Shoes" is exactly what it sounds like - imploring a woman to not wear a particular pair of shoes, with many suggestions of other things she might do besides wear them (even exposing herself on the 6:00 news). While those two are the weakest links on the album, the originals pick back up with "Good Enough For Now", the only country style parody Al has done, which is the next in a string of twisted love songs. The album closes with "Christmas At Ground Zero", a joyously happy song about the nuclear holocaust killing everyone on Christmas Day. 

This time, the title track "Polka Party!" is, unsurprisingly, a polka medley, this time purely of 80's music, ranging from Bananarama to Janet Jackson to INXS to Madonna, with many stops in between. Definitely one of the better polkas.

High points on this album: This is where picking favorite songs becomes as difficult as picking favorite hairs on one's head, as each one is great and special in its own way. For parodies, I go with "Addicted To Spuds", as the humor is about as perfect as Al gets. My favorite original is pretty much a toss-up between "Dog Eat Dog" (on days when I really am frustrated by working in a corporate office) and "Good Enough For Now", for the sheer amount of half-hearted commitment in it. I'll give an honorable mention to "Polka Party!" as well, but being the first one to stick to a specific topic, though it isn't quite my favorite.

Maybe it's just me, but I only see "Don't Wear Those Shoes" and "Toothless People" as at all weak, and even there, I love them. I personally don't see what people don't like about this album. I think it's a shame that it is Al's lowest-charting album. If you haven't heard it yet, I strongly encourage you to give it a chance. If you truly appreciate Al's comedy genius, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Ando's rating: 9/10

[apieceofando]

There are only two kinds of programming languages: those people always bitch about and those nobody uses.

Bjarne Stroustrup

[apieceofando]

Put Down That Chainsaw and Listen To Me

1985 brought "Weird Al" Yankovic's third album, "Dare to be Stupid". While the album does have a few of Al's best early songs, it's really the first one to be hit-and-miss. The material that works does so brilliantly, while the material that doesn't work just isn't that impressive. Understand that this isn't meant to be a harsh critique, because even at his worst, Weird Al is still funnier than many comics I know, and even his weakest material is still pretty good. But with the bar set fairly high from "Eat It", you really can't help but see where he nails it, and where he doesn't. Nobody, not even Weird Al, is perfect.

Probably the most well-known items on Dare to be Stupid are the parodies, both strong and weak. In the former category, "Like A Surgeon" and "Yoda", both fan favorites and concert staples to this day. "Surgeon" also has the distinction of being the only parody suggestion Al has ever actually taken, from Madonna herself. "Yoda" was one of his earliest-written parodies, but delays with obtaining permission from the original artist and George Lucas kept it off earlier albums. As far as weaker parodies, "I Want A New Duck" and "Girls Just Want To Have Lunch" fall prey to some of the same over-the-top, nigh-slapstick comedy that I mentioned in my review of Al's self-titled debut album. Both of these songs are pretty true to the original music, but the lyrical quality isn't Al's best. But don't feel like I'm being unduly harsh, because even Al himself says "Girls" is one of his least-favorite songs, as his label pressured him to parody a Cyndi Lauper song. So I think at the very least, that one can be forgiven.

The originals on this album probably get worse criticism than they deserve. While there are one or two that fall a bit flat. The strongest is the title track, as "Dare to be Stupid" is another fan favorite and concert staple to this day, filled with exhortations to thumb one's nose at conventional wisdom (encouraging listeners to do everything from "talk with your mouth full" to "put your head in a microwave and get yourself a tan"). "One More Minute" is another trend-setter, this being the first among many twisted or anti- love songs. In this case, written for a girlfriend who broke up with him (yes, that's her picture he tears up in the music video). "Slime Creatures From Outer Space", while not quite of the level of the previous 2 originals, is still pretty enjoyable, with its plot similar to a bad 50's sci-fi movie. "This is the Life" is moderately amusing in its description of a lavish lifestyle. "Cable TV" is probably the weakest original track, though in a way, it is the first song to deal with the subject of watching TV (in general, not counting the specific show in the song "The Brady Bunch"), which would come to be a bit of a recurring theme, though not near as recurring as food.

As with "In 3-D", there is a polka medley, "Hooked On Polkas", which is mostly 80's music, though there are still a couple of throwbacks to classic rock. Among the polkas, I think I personally would consider this my least favorite. And finally, the last track of "Dare To Be Stupid" is the only time Al has ever recorded a straight cover, with no lyric changes, no polka beat, not even an accordion, and that is "George of the Jungle", a cover of the theme song of the old TV show. It's actually pretty good, despite it not being really what most would consider a "Weird Al song", since he neither parodies or personalizes it at all.

High points on this album: For parodies, I think many would agree that "Yoda" is the best of the bunch here. The music is expertly done and the lyrics are top-notch. And despite the fact that it was written before events in "Return of the Jedi" rendered some of it inaccurate, it has passed the test of time, being much-loved even today, over 25 years later. As far as originals, I consider the title track "Dare to be Stupid" the best. It was my favorite song for years of my life, and I think also passes the test of time.

Perhaps this album is not Al's strongest, but I think it's better than some give it credit for. Just because "Girls" and "Cable TV" are not that great and "George of the Jungle" is a cover, that shouldn't detract from the brilliance of the stronger tracks. It's definitely worth being in your music library.

Ando's Rating: 7/10