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Music Throwback Saturday: Weird Al, Part 3

How many different ways can one say someone’s none too bright?

The illustrious Illinois blogger SamuraiFrog decided to rank all of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s songs, 165 of them, an impressive undertaking. So, I decided to come up with a list of my 33 favorite Weird Al songs. Why 33? Because LPs play at 33 revolutions per minute. And I’m going to break them up into three posts of 11 songs each, mostly because posting 11 posts of three songs each would be weird.

Here are Part 1 and Part 2.

11. Trapped In The Drive-Thru
(based on Trapped in the Closet by R. Kelly, from Straight Outta Lynwood, 2006)
An epic narrative about everyday stuff that married couples might go through, just trying to pick up dinner. Though I HOPE you don’t. Unexpected Led Zeppelin riff.

10. Gump; #102 in US, 1996
(Parody of “Lump” by The Presidents of the United States of America; from Bad Hair Day, 1996)
I found the wordplay funny, and the clash between the movie, that I didn’t love and went on too long, being so succinctly described in 140 seconds pleased me.

9. Genius in France
(Style parody of Frank Zappa; from Poodle Hat, 2003)
I have fallen in love with this pairing of the “Jerry Lewis phenomenon” of being more highly regarded in Paris than in Peoria, while totally capturing the Zappa sound and vocals. How many different ways can one say someone’s none too bright? I think they are all here. Dweezil Zappa performs the opening guitar solo riff.

8. Dog Eat Dog
(Style parody of Talking Heads; from Polka Party!, 1986)
It’s all about office politics. A great imitation of David Byrne’s vocal style.

7. Dare To Be Stupid
(style parody of Devo; from Dare to Be Stupid, 1985)
All the cliches turned on their heads. Frog’s #1 song.

6. Mission Statement
(Style parody of Crosby, Stills & Nash; from Mandatory Fun, 2014)
It was the juxtaposition of the hippie-dippy CSNY and the corporate BS buzzwords, which, as a business librarian since the early 1990s, I’ve heard these far too often, as though they meant something, and learned to despise them.

5. White and Nerdy: #9 in US, #14 in Sweden, #80 in UK, 2006
(Parody of “Ridin'” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone; from Straight Outta Lynwood, 2006)
I’m not sure who bought this, his biggest single ever, which went platinum. Was it the white and nerdy kids, or the black kids impressed with Al’s rapping? With Key & Peele, AND Donny Osmond!

4. Amish Paradise; #53 in US, 1996
(Parody of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio; from Bad Hair Day, 1996)
From SamuraiFrog: “I think this parody is especially interesting if you take into consideration that Coolio’s original song is itself a reworking of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Pastime Paradise’ from his 1976 masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life…

“I’ve seen it criticized heavily for being weak (I think it was Entertainment Weekly who said something about the Amish being a pretty lame target for a parody), but those people are missing the point.” Another criticism was that the Amish and the Mennonites aren’t exactly the same; so fussy!

3. I Lost on JEOPARDY!; #81 in US, 1984
(Parody of “Jeopardy” by Greg Kihn Band; from “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D, 1984)
I did, so there’s that. I’m pretty sure JEOPARDY! was off the air, but came back later that year with Alex Trebek. Coincidence? This video features original host Art Fleming, who I used to watch with my aunt Deana at lunchtime when I was growing up. Plus cameos by Kihn, Dr. Demento, and Don Pardo.

2. Word Crimes; #39 in US, 2014
(Parody of “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke featuring TI and Pharrell Williams; from Mandatory Fun, 2014)
In spite of its infectious, Marvin Gaye-inspired tune, I HATE Blurred Lines lyrically; it’s a damn date rape song. Conversely, I LOVED the content and the visuals of Word Crimes, as I have lovingly(?) been accused of being a grammar Nazi. So I’m glad the tune has a much different manifestation.

This was Al’s fourth US Top 40 single, all in different decades. Michael Jackson and Madonna are the only other artists with Top 40 hits in four different decades.

1. Smells Like Nirvana ; #4 in New Zealand, #24 in Australia, #35 in US, #38 in Sweden, #48 in Canada, #58 in UK
(Parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana; from Off the Deep End, 1992)
The first time I ever heard Smells Like Teen Spirit, I thought the lyrics were very funny and terribly silly (“a mosquito, my libido.”) Then I discovered that it was meant to be a serious representation of youth angst. It was at that moment I felt a bit old, though, in fact, I eventually bought three or four Nirvana albums.

And it appeared that Weird Al had disappeared. He hadn’t released anything for a few years, and I figured that his decade-plus run had come to an end. Then this video came out on MTV. It is my favorite story about Al getting permission, in this case from Kurt Cobain. The song wasn’t about food, as the Nirvana lead singer had assumed. And it features both gargling AND kazoos! This song, his second US Top 40, was the beginning of a new phase in Al’s career.

December #2: Famous Monsters Chronicles, & EOY

The Great Songs :”Overlooked tracks from artists you know, obscure tracks from artists you may not know…

Weekly Sift explains the US polarized body politic: Small-government Freedom vs. Big-government Rights. Plus the Yearly Sift.

New York Times: For the Wealthiest, a Private Tax System That Saves Them Billions.

Deadliest U.S. mass shootings | 1984-2015.

Short video: A Conversation With Police on Race. Also, the Ferguson cop says life is ‘ruined’ after pointing AR-15 at journalists.

No Charges in the Murder of Tamir Rice and Why white people see black boys like him as older, bigger, and guiltier than they really are.

A girl narrates a letter to her dad as she grows up, and it makes rape culture obvious.

Shooting Parrots is blogging again! Why we’re hard-wired to believe conspiracy theories?

Latest Sunrise and Sunset Forecast in the US.

The city of Albany’s budget crisis.

Everyone on Earth is actually your cousin.

George Clayton Johnson, R.I.P. He was known for writing on the original Twilight Zone TV series, for co-writing the novel Logan’s Run and for writing the first-aired episode of the original Star Trek, among many things.

TEDx Grand Rapids talk: ‪”Valuable Bodies” by artist Riva Lehrer.

Second impressions By Tara Whittle.

Now I Know: The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine and How Panama United Great Britain and the derivation of the word “dude”.

The grilled cheese sandwich; you’re probably making it wrong.

Explain to me how it is that people who’ve been dead, usually exactly three years, seem to cycle up again in FB as recently deceased? Ravi Shankar and Dave Brubeck, just this month. Before that Andy Griffith. With Bob Denver, it was 7 years, so the feedback loop is shrinking.

Wide receiver Edgar Allan Poe.

Instagram Journalism, Internet Fame, & How to Think About Exercise, the former with Jeff Sharlet.

I wrote “Heaven forfend” to someone. My spellcheck does not like forfend?!

Kickstarter: The Official Famous Monsters of Filmland Chronicles Book from FantaCo.

Arthur celebrates the end of the year in search and words and phrases.

I LOVED to watch Meadowlark Lemon play with the Harlem Globetrotters.

The passing of Berowne of Savage Reflections at the age of 94, one of our regular ABC Wednesday contributors. He had a very rich life, but I’ll miss his weekly reflections.

A legendary Jerry Lewis film is reportedly about to join the National Film Registry.

Why West Coast Drivers Add ‘The’ to Their Freeway Numbers. “It’s not an affectation of the car-obsessed—it’s history.”

Satire

Make America Great Again.

How to Misrepresent Global Warming in One Graph, for Dummies.

Lawyer for Martin Shkreli Hikes Fees Five Thousand Per Cent.

Parents Outraged Schools “Indoctrinating” Students Into Islam With Arabic Numerals.

Single Woman With 3 Young Children Unaware She Subject Of 984 Judgments Today.

Chuck Miller

Seven Star Wars movies in one day. And the British weather forecast.

What’s Japanese for “You’re so stupid”?

A TV show I barely heard of called Galavant returns; clips of the musical numbers makes me want to check it out.

Music!

The niece! Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact – Gonna Be Alright.

From imgur: Hosanna in Excel Sheets

The Carole King tribute at the Kennedy Center Honors.

End of year musical mashups.

The Coverville Countdown: Best Covers of 2015, Part 1 and Part 2.

Pantheon Songs is dead. In its ashes: The Great Songs – “Overlooked tracks from artists you know, obscure tracks from artists you may not know, masterpieces, and other curios I’d play if I were an overnight DJ.”

The Sound of Silence- Disturbed.

The Artist Formerly Known As Terence Trent D’Arby.

At 90, Dick Van Dyke sings “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” with Conan O’Brien and The Vantastix.

NPR: In memoriam, 2015.

Frank Sinatra’s Drummer Tells the Story of His Final Concert.

New Yorker: The Discovery of Roscoe Holcomb and the “High Lonesome Sound”.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. No YES? NO!

Animated

New group I joined on Facebook: Stephen R. Bissette, writer-artist. NOT started by Steve, BTW.

Evanier on Mel Blanc. Mark has been blogging for 15 years.

Extinct Attractions: Thurl Ravenscroft Documentary (2004) – Grinch, Haunted Mansion, Tony the Tiger.

Trouble with Comics: Favorite Holiday Comics.

I supported the Kickstarter for the documentary I Am Big Bird, but I did NOT know the BINGHAMTON connection of the early career of Caroll Spinney.

Today’s Video Link

Google alerts (me)

Like any rational person, Dustbury LOVES Pet Sounds. I’d love to see Brian Wilson at Tanglewood in June 2016.

How Arthur@AmeriNZ blogs.

Google alert (not me)

Roger Alin Green, 74, died Sunday, December 13, 2015, at his home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Renaissance redux

Perhaps my enthusiasm made them think it would be more in keeping with what they would like.

In my recent prog rock post, I ended, “I own albums by FM, Electric Light Orchestra, Kansas, Renaissance, Supertramp, Genesis, and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, but not the ones listed.”

Then Arthur commented:

I don’t have most of the albums you talk about…, BUT the ones you list at the very end of this post, I want to know more about your connection to those. That’s because I had something by most of the bands you list, but you’re the only one I know who’s ever listed Renaissance. (I have two of their albums on vinyl and chose to bring them with me from America when I had to leave so many other things behind)

Let’s start with the group Renaissance. I must have heard them in New Paltz during my college days.

1977 was pretty much, from an emotional point of view, my annus horribilis, graduated from college but directionless. In the first months of the year, I was crashing on my parents’ sofa in Charlotte, NC. My birthday was coming up in March, and all I really wanted was Scheherazade and Other Stories, the 1975 album by the British group.

I received it, and I played it. I sensed a really unenthusiastic, albeit mostly unspoken, response from the family, especially my father, who said something like “Hmm” in that particular way he did when he was displeased. He had heard a variety of musical genres, Beatles, Stones, Young Rascals, Led Zeppelin on my turntable.

Yet, I got the clear impression that this particular group was just – I don’t know, how do I put it? – Too white? Too weird? Perhaps my enthusiasm made them think it would be more in keeping with what they would like. Or something; in any case, the rejection was a bit soul-crushing.

I played it all the more for that, but at the same time, it sucked much of the joy out of listening to it. I hadn’t heard it in years until I found it on YouTube. LISTEN. My, I love it all over again, especially side 2. I mean, the second half, which literally made me weep, as I anticipated movements I had not heard in three decades.

Anyway, less than two months after my birthday in 1977, I hitchhiked out of Charlotte, unannounced, and continued my wanderings. Did I take the LP with me, or did I have them ship it to me subsequently? I have no idea.

Coincidentally, this is an album that the Wife – even younger than YOU, Arthur 😉 – was familiar with, because her college roommate Alison played the music of the group incessantly.

Other prog rock groups

FM – I misremembered; I have a couple by a duo called AMFM, at least one of which I got from a Kickstarter sale by their label, Polyvinyl.

Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record on CD, plus extra songs. Also, a greatest hits CD. Saw Jeff Lynne’s ELO perform a song from Alone in the Universe, the 2015 album, on CBS This Morning Saturday in November.

Kansas – just a greatest hits CD.

Supertramp – Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America on vinyl. Had to burn a copy of the latter onto CD, because I LOVE that album.

Genesis – I own none of the Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, though I have a LOT of solo Gabriel. Abacab (1981), Genesis (1983), Invisible Touch (1986), We Can’t Dance (1991), the latter two on CD, plus the greatest hits.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention – Vinyl: Fillmore East – June 1971. CD – Jazz from Hell, You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (show from 1974, released in 1988), the compilation album Strictly Genteel, the single Peaches en Regalia, and a greatest hits album.

Arthur also asked:

I’ve since had time to follow the link and saw there were a lot I’d never heard of. Which made me wonder, Roger: How many of those, if any, had YOU not heard of?

LOTS. 50-45, 42, 41, 39, 38, 36, 35, 29, 26-24, and 19.

Music Throwback Christmas: For Unto Us A Child Is Born

Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6 King James Version (KJV)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Here are three traditional versions of the Handel Messiah piece:

Artist not listed. Some commenters think the tempo is a little fast; I think other versions can be a bit too slow.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Sir Colin Davis, Tenebrae, London Symphony Orchestra

Here is the Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration version:

Sounds of Blackness

Merry Christmas!

The office party

I am among the WORST gift wrappers on the planet.

I was not sleeping well the night before the holiday office party. Part of it was the fact that I knew The Wife was going to get a routine medical exam REALLY early the next morning. This meant that, instead of her getting up at 5:30 a.m., which, after all these years, I’m still barely used to, she’d be up before 5. Arrgh.

Abandoning the bed, I tried to sleep in the recliner downstairs for a while, then onto the sofa. I was awake enough to note the kitchen light was on but fell back asleep until 7:20. Not only did I have to rush to get dressed for work, but I also had to wake the Daughter – usual rising time 6:30 – so she could get to school before 8.

Also, I had to wrap the gift for the grab bag. I had chosen the soundtrack to the great Broadway musical Hamilton, which may very well be the album of the year. Fortunately, the Wife came home, so I could take a shower, and SHE could wrap the gift because I am among the WORST gift wrappers on the planet. Plus, I was running so late, she drove me to work.

I do two reference questions. Noticing that the Outlook calendar has noted the noon party time, I didn’t rush, knowing from experience that my colleagues are always late getting started. But when I looked up at 12:10, no one was there, as though I were in one of those Left Behind films. I hadn’t heard them leave; I wear headphones with music to minimize the external chatter. I walked the handful of blocks to the venue.

The first party game was putting together a list of holiday-related items. So I had at it, running through A to N without stopping, then picking off some other letters. The secretary/party coordinator said it didn’t specifically have to be the immediate upcoming holidays, so I used that for my V response. And even starting late, I won the contest.

Here was my list.
A: apple – I’ve sung, in a choir, the anthem “Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree”
B: bells
C: carols
D: ding dong. Thinking of “Ding Dong Merrily On High”, though the George Harrison song would also fit
E: eats
F: fun – these last two were pretty generic, but whatevs, as the Daughter says
G: greenery
H: holly
I ivy – the lat two from “The Holly and the Ivy,” naturally
J: joy, as in “to the world”
K: kisses, as in Hershey
L: love
M: manger
N: nativity
O: open the window; I’m thinking A Visit from St. Nicholas
P: pouch – Santa’s, of course
Q: quest for the King; a tad obtuse, but it’s Q
R: reindeer
S: Silent Night
T: Toys for Tots – we had just collected presents for them
U: unity -another vague one
V: Valentine’s, Saint – hey she said holidays, so I reached into February; Vixen would have been better
W: We Three Kings
X: Xmas
Y: in the Year of Our Lord
Z: Zion

I won two scratch-off lottery cards. I hadn’t played these in decades, and the second one seemed to have rather complicated instructions. But I had a 2X on a card, which means I won $10 X 2 or 20 bucks. When I went to the corner store later to cash it in, the proprietor seemed irritated that I didn’t know the procedure, which was to scratch off the code BELOW the game, and scan it to see if it’s a winner.

The grab bag had several alcoholic beverages, mostly wine, and I scored a nice Riesling plus a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate. Then there was a guessing game about who brought which gift. I think EVERYONE figured that it was I who brought Hamilton, especially after the only other likely candidate acknowledged that she would have coveted it had she not already owned it. I figured out only three gifts out of 12, whereas a couple of folks nailed six.

I should oversleep more often? Or I should get scratch-off lottery tickets more often? Or I should arrive late more often? There’s a life lesson here SOMEWHERE.

Tag: music