Can anything stop “Weird Al” Yankovic? The short answer is: No. But would you really even want to? The man has outlasted many of the artists he’s parodied. (And though we’ve never met the man, I can honestly say I’d prefer to spend the afternoon at Six Flags with him than, say, Axl Rose.)
To many, he may always be known for his parodies of Michael Jackson songs and polka medleys. But to overlook his enormous body of purely original songs (so-called “genre parodies”) is like saying you only know Robert De Niro’s work from “Meet The Fockers.”
And then there’s this very simple fact: The man and his band are great musicians, both in the studio and onstage. Just take a look at his latest release, “Ringtone,” a spot-on parody of 1970s-era Queen with all the complex vocal and guitar harmonies intact. Yet, it still stands on its own as a purely original work.
So tune your accordion, spread some mayonnaise on the lawn, and brace yourself for the:
Top 5 original “Weird Al” songs:
1. “Weasel Stomping Day”
I have no idea to what lengths Yankovic went to arrange this joyous choral arrangement. I’m just glad he did.
2. “Bob”
When I first heard this song, I thought it was just a really good “Highway 61 Revisited”-era Bob Dylan impression. Then someone pointed out to me that the lyrics are all palindromes.
3. “One More Minute”
Aside from “Melanie” and “You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” this is perhaps the closest he’s come to a genuine love song.
4. “Frank’s 2000″ TV”
R.E.M. couldn’t have done it better.
5. “My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder”
The true counterpoint to grunge: Zydeco.
Runners up: “Don’t Download This Song,” “Truck Driving Song,” “Trigger Happy,” “Good Old Days,” “Harvey The Wonder Hamster,” “The Night Santa Went Crazy,” “Why Does This Always Happen To Me?”
Yes indeed, Weird Al is a genius. I remember seeing him open for the Monkees at Great Woods many years ago (just how many, I don’t like to think about)… for some reason I particularly remember the Like a Surgeon performance in which he dressed the part and wheeled out a gurney on stage. And remember AlTV?
“Pancreas” is the greatest song Brian Wilson never wrote.
(Oh, and “Trapped in the Drive Thru” is actually a parody of “Trapped in the Closet,” a multi-part R&B soap opera/song by R. Kelly at his most WTF.)
Thanks for the heads-up! I’ve removed it from the Runners Up list. Looks like I should have done my homework a little better.
Isn’t Trapped in the Closet really just a parody of itself? Does that make Trapped in the Drive Thru a parody of a parody?
God I love One More Minute…
Al would be a whole lot of fun at Six Flags. If you look at the Gallery section of weirdal.com you’ll find the pictures of him enjoying roller coasters.