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: "Even Worse"
Release Date: April 12, 1988
Record Label: Rock 'n Roll Records, Scotti Brothers
Preconceived Notions: Now having a substantial amount of material under my belt, I figure that I would be able to like each album. While "Polka Party!" rambled on in oh so silly of ways, it did manage to have some solid hits. Also, I am starting to guess that Weird Al albums are specifically only great when they are released as an odd number. So far, "'Weird Al' Yankovic" and "Dare to Be Stupid" remain really good albums while the others not so much. Maybe it is because the source material has sadly become dated, but it is hard to really get into the humor of them. With this one, we are yet again at an odd-numbered album and the next Michael Jackson parody. Let's hope this goes over well.
Track List:
- Fat
- Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White
- (This Song's Just) Six Words Long
- You Make Me
- I Think I'm a Clone Now
- Lasagna
- Melanie
- Alimony
- Velvet Elvis
- Twister
- Good Old Days
Best Song: "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long"
If there's one quick way to my soft spot, find a way to make a meta song about the writing process for all of these pop hits. While the song doesn't live up to its promise, it does have my favorite chorus on the album. This is largely because it is what I've thought every time that I have heard the George Harrison song that this is based off of. It is an ode to running out of inspiration in all of the right, silly ways. I am really obsessed with the song in a way that has provided an ear worm.
Worst Song: "Velvet Elvis"
Wikipedia lists this as a parody of The Police. While his previous take on the band was pretty effective, I am not entirely getting the appeal here. I understand that Elvis Presley was an iconic figure, but writing a whole ode to this statue just seems absurd. I know that it is meant to be silly, but when you have other inspired arbitrary gags like "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White" on the album, there is some sense that this could have had more than a dumb concept over a somewhat grating, repetitive rhythm.
Was That a Parody?: "You Make Me"
Okay, this was a hard section to fill largely because I recognized almost all of the parodies on this album. Even the ones based roughly on the style, I could hear. So instead, I have decided to dedicate this to the Oingo Boingo homage, which is a particularly strange song anyways. However, it does work because that band's mixture of tribal beats with aggressive guitars and dance beats is pretty spot on here. I like the work on the song, even if I don't feel that it is necessarily the most memorable on the list.
Most Dated Song: "Fat"
Maybe it is my own personal disinterest, but hearing a song in which obesity is the punchline doesn't have the momentum or quality that I look for. It is essentially a whole lot of fat jokes strung together in a way that does feel like a spiritual sequel to "Eat It," but without as much cleverness behind it. Also, just based on moral standards, "Fat" hasn't aged well because the culture has become overly sensitive to differences that something like this would likely not fly without some form of controversy in today's day and age.
Strangest Song: "I Think I'm a Clone Now"
Another masterpiece on this album. The concept is very primitive, but the lyrical approach to it is rather phenomenal. The chorus is enviably catchy and the payoff manages to excel in a loving tribute to realizing something as absurd as being a clone. It is wonderful, catchy, and easily one of the best songs on the album and in his career. I just want to listen to this again and again to catch all of the strange references. Excellent adaptation of source material.
Great Notes: None, but there are some songs that I unfortunately can't talk about because they are runner-ups in a lot of these categories.
Final Thoughts: Not as amazing as it could be. However, I am starting to adore when Weird Al gets the satire right. He is quite a craftsman with words, as evident by "I Think I'm a Clone Now" and "Good Old Days." He is bizarre, dark, and often excels his source material. My only gripe is that the album feels like an unintentional sequel in so many ways from "Fat" to yet another parody of The Police. I am also getting burned out on the food-based songs. Yes, it is easy source material and did wonders for "Eat It" and "Theme from Rocky XIII (Fry or the Kaiser)," but now it is wearing thin. I wanted to like "Lasagna," but it just felt redundant. Still, his energy and nuanced ear makes his work tolerable at worst.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet: The fumes of "Dare to Be Stupid" continue to reek through, though I wouldn't mind another unqualified masterpiece album before I upgrade my liking of him.
Polka Ranking (All Albums)
1. "Polkas on 45" (from "'Weird Al' Yankovic in 3-D" - 1984)
2. "Polka Party!" (from "Polka Party! - 1986)
2. "Polka Party!" (from "Polka Party! - 1986)
3. "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)
2. "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)
3. Even Worse (1988)
4. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
5. Polka Party! (1986)
5. Polka Party! (1986)
UP NEXT: Peter and the Wolf (1988)
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