Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet?: "UHF" (1989)

It's that time of our lives again. The parody composer Weird Al Yankovic has released his latest album "Mandatory Fun." Upon listening to it, I was left with one feeling: Why are people obsessed with this guy? He did a lot of good songs, but there's a lot of untapped material that I am unaware of. For the next two weeks, I will be listening and reviewing each day Weird Al's discography from "'Weird Al' Yankovic" to "Mandatory Fun" with thoughts on the highs and lows and answer the eternal question: Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet?

Album: "UHF"

Release Date: July 18, 1988

Record Label: Rock 'n Roll Records, Scotti Brothers

Preconceived Notions:

Track Listing: Having seen the film many years ago, it is one of the few reasons that I don't entirely write off Weird Al. It was a very solid comedy that managed to mix his pop culture skewering sense of humor with an original story. However, upon looking at the soundtrack, I didn't recognize too many of the songs (I will skip the skits in this evaluation), which made revisiting it particularly interesting and allowed me to judge it on its own merits.

Track Listing:

1. Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies
2. Gandhi II
3. Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet near Mars
4. Isle Thing
5. The Hot Rocks Polka
6. UHF
7. Let Me Be Your Hog
8. She Drives Like Crazy
9. Generic Blues
10. Spatula City
11. Fun Zone
12. Spam
13. The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota

Best Song: "UHF"

The theme song to the film manages to encapsulate all of the charm of watching public access TV in the 80's in one big grandiose theme song. Along with the peppy build-up to the chorus, this captures all of the joy and lunacy that was necessary to enjoy the film. The guitar hook, while a little cheesy, works in making this a particularly catchy track. Sure, a lot of elements feel way too 80's, but it reflects Weird Al's dedication to making memorable hooks to his original songs.

Worst Song: "Spam"

It will be a controversial opinion, but it has to stand in evaluating my personal interest in Weird Al: I am bored of his food songs. Yes, "Eat It" has a lot of charm, but I am baffled at how the rest of his career progressed while he continued to churn out occasional food song duds. I get the comedy of what this is going for, but along with my disinterest in his song about marketing on "'Weird Al' Yankovic in 3-D," this song is a particular drag. I will admit that R.E.M. was ripe for parody, but "Spam" doesn't do anyone any justice.

Was That a Parody?: "Generic Blues"

This one is a cheat because I know that it wasn't based off of an exact song. However, the issue with this category is my familiarity enough with his adaptations to know the source material, which is the case here. However, I want to note that since the blues is about particularly sad things, is this song really a comedic parody? It does sound an awful lot like something an actual blues singer would sing about. Along with the 12-bar melody, it is a spot-on parody of blues. It is less successful than "Buckingham Blues," but I do feel its authenticity is warranted. 

Most Dated Song: "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies"

Much like "Brady Bunch," the idea of explaining TV show plots over pop songs does have some charm. However, it is some that often feels short lived. I really enjoy the production of this song and the song actually works. However, more than the Gilligan's Island parody "Isle Thing," I feel like nobody cares about The Beverly Hillbillies enough to know these characters. It does a great job of making me want to know more, but it still doesn't stop it from being a song about a show that hasn't aged all that well.

Strangest Song: "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" 

In the folksy adult contemporary genre, he makes an epic about taking a car ride to see its titular object. It is an endearing ditty thanks to its soft rock leanings. However, along with a Wikipedia page that lists all of the real places in the song, it is a road trip with the strangest desires. Why is this family so happy about this ball of twine? It is full of wonderment and mystery in all of the right ways. It also feels strangely sincere in its goals to the point that picking up a hitchhiker named Bernie doesn't seem out of place. I really just admire how strange it goes without losing focus of the main gag.

Great Notes: Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler insisted on playing guitar on "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies," which was a parody of his own song "Money for Nothing."

Final Thoughts: Another really solid album. However, as this is the seventh album that he released in the 80's, I cannot help but feel grateful that he scaled back on releases in the decades to come. While there are several enjoyable moments from a very funny film, it does manage to play into a lot of familiar tropes, including the uninspired cuts "Isle Thing" and "Spam." While there's some brilliance scattered throughout, this isn't a particularly memorable album considering what he has done before. Even then, he still knows how to craft a tune and "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" reflects the absurd charm that he has been carrying this entire decade.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet?: After a series of decent, not great, records, I do worry that I am starting to grow weary of his shtick. "Dare to Be Stupid" is still a gem and "Even Worse" has several brilliant moments, but if "UHF" is any indicator, it may be that his style is getting a little tired and the once fresh sound is starting to fade.

Polka Ranking (All Albums)

1. "Polkas on 45" (from "'Weird Al' Yankovic in 3-D" - 1984)
2. "The Hot Rocks Polka" (from "UHF" - 1989)
3. "Polka Party!" (from "Polka Party! - 1986)

4. "Hooked on Polkas" (from "Dare to Be Stupid" - 1985)

Ranking (All Albums)

1. Dare to Be Stupid (1985)
2. "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)
3. Even Worse (1988)

4. UHF (1989)
5. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
6. Polka Party! (1986)
7. Peter and the Wolf (1988)


UP NEXT: "Off the Deep End" (1992)