Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet?: "Polka Party!" (1986)

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: "Polka Party!" 

Release Date: October 21, 1986

Record Label: Rock 'n Roll Records, Scotti Brothers

Preconceived Notions: After "Dare to Be Stupid" proved to be a phenomenal understanding of the satirical medium, I am ready to believe that Weird Al's reputation is greatly earned. The last album showed a growth in satirical wording and technique in ways that make his jump to modern Weird Al seem all the more prevalent. With three albums under his belt, he is ready to take the world by storm with top notch albums that transcend the dated source material.

Track List:

1. Living with a Hernia
2. Dog Eat Dog
3. Addicted to Spuds
4. One of Those Days
5. Polka Party!
6. Here's Johnny
7. Don't Wear Those Shoes
8. Toothless People
9. Good Enough for You
10. Christmas at Ground Zero

Best Song: "Living with a Hernia"

If there is one testament to Weird Al's craft so far, it is that he knows how to open a record with energy and absurdity. I haven't really been disappointed solely by an opening song yet. This take on the James Brown classic is definitely a weird and enjoyable trip that continues his surgical parodies with a song that turns pain into comedic gold. His understanding of Brown's inflections when he utters the lines is impressive. Also, its similarity to "Living in America" is so profound that you'd likely forget that Brown ever did that song.

Worst Song: "Don't Wear Those Shoes"

I guess I am just from a different camp than most Weird Al fans when dealing his music. I don't find his more self-deprecating songs funny. I like it when there's themes, or even the more morose tracks work in a slighted way. While this sounds almost like it was going for the same ideas as "One More Minute," it doesn't feel like it succeeds as much in bringing the laughs. Hearing Weird Al go on about taking abuse is a little confusing and not all that funny or interesting. If anything, the musical style here also dates it pretty badly.

Was That a Parody?: "Here's Johnny"

Even though I enjoy the take on Ed McMahon, I am kind of baffled by the song's direction. I initially thought that it was a parody of Fine Young Cannibal's "She Drives Me Crazy," but upon researching Wikipedia, it is actually El DeBarge's "Who's Johnny." If nothing else, that ranks up there as one of the songs that he has parodied that have not stood the test of time. Unlike almost everyone in this category before, I don't actually know who El DeBarge is or why I should care about them. However, this is still a really fun song.

Most Dated Song: "Dog Eat Dog"

Another song about climbing the corporate ladder. This one nearly isn't as bad as "The Check's in the Mail," but the production in particular doesn't hold up and is sort of unmemorable. If the album suffers from a consistent theme, it is from wild, broad themes that are inherently funny, but don't necessarily have great material for a three minute ditty. This song is fine, but the parody of 80's yuppy culture has not aged all that well and has been the most baffling aspect of his work so far.

Strangest Song: "Christmas at Ground Zero"

This was a tough one because more than the others, he embraces the opaque and goes for a lot of violent, dark imagery in his songs. In fact, there's a sense that he may even be overdoing to compensate for material. However, this is a Christmas standard for the nihilist in all of us who want to see the world burn. With imagery of bombs going off to the sound of Christmas classics while people loot and commit vandalism, this is probably one of the album's most endearing songs decades later and its comedic value still holds up in a category of holiday songs that has only become more congested over time.

Great Notes: John Roarke, the announcer for Fridays, did the voice for Ed McMahon on "Here's Johnny," and it was wonderful.

Final Thoughts: I am not understanding why I am all over the place with Weird Al during this venture. Right as I like him, the next album becomes insanely generic and meets my expectations of why many consider him a gimmick. Yes, he is very good at crafting tunes, but the lyrical content is sometimes baffling in these early ventures and leaves much to be desired. This particular album is surprisingly dark and absurd simultaneously in ways that don't work for me. It has some standouts as usual, but it feels too silly and the substance doesn't entirely work. If nothing else, the songs here are questionably more dated than the work on "'Weird Al' Yankovic in 3-D" and considerably less memorable. Even then, "Christmas at Ground Zero" is a remind of the man's genius and I can't write him off no matter how much I don't connect with particular songs.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Do I LOVE Weird Al Yet: If nothing else, I have become a little skeptical. I am now four albums in and I have seen his potential. I have only fallen in love with one of his albums, but "Polka Party!" makes me second guess calling it LOVE. 

Polka Ranking (All Albums)

1. "Polkas on 45" (from "'Weird Al' Yankovic in 3-D" - 1984)
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. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
4. Polka Party! (1986)

UP NEXT: Even Worse (1988)