Posted on 07/19/2014 9:30:46 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
The success of any great piece of art is determined by a few key factors. Does it accomplish what it sets out to achieve? Does it illuminate some essential aspect of the human condition? Does it change those who are exposed to it — rewire the circuitry, add new ideas that disturb the status quo? Does it build on the art of others, in the process crafting something profoundly new? Most important, does it advocate for the enduring relevance of tinfoil?
Under these guidelines, Weird Al Yankovic's new "Mandatory Fun" is a stone cold masterpiece. Its goal remains the same since Yankovic changed the game with "My Bologna" and "Eat It": parodying hit songs to create gut-busting laughter. Thirty years later the Weird One hits every note....
Weird Al Yankovic
"Mandatory Fun"
(RCA Records)
4 stars
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I don’t know any of the songs being parodied on this album.
Then again, I couldn’t name 20 different pop divas from the 70s or 90s either.
I believe Weird Al has a very large dictionary.
People are loving this, which is great, because we love Weird Al. The guy truly is a genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv0H-vPoDc&list=UUshnCkfV7U6DqR4IHbQbI7Q
“I’m So Tacky” is Weird Al’s best work since “Eat It.”
I saw him in a Ramones music video I watched last week.
Ramones Aid (Something To Believe In)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VV5wFBtC_o
Yeah, that’s a big drawback. The folks that are lucky enough not to be exposed to the actual current pop stuff have no real connection when it is parodied. A shame, I always liked Weird Al.
Freegards
Here’s a guy who probably starting goofing on popular music songs in college or something, found that he had a gift for it, and parlayed it into a successful career. And the world is richer for it.
Right now the Mandatory Fun marching band scene on youtube is being played backwards!!
Copyright issues? I thought the way around that was to mirror image the video.
I like reversed humor (see Rebecca Black for examples) but this is ridiculous!
It serves to help the public “recognize” the songs when they hear the originals in public.
But on the other hand, it also works like the Nazi swing recordings where OTHER messages were slipped into the song and the listener may start casually slipping in the parody phrasing instead of the original, regardless of who sings it.
I never quite understood the appeal of Weird Al. Nothing he does seems at all funny to me.
He truly is brilliant. I remember when he got his start on Dr. Demento.
Absolutely, that’s his gimmick. Very talented. It’s just that if there’s no point of reference to modern pop you don’t get the full Weird Al effect. Nature of the beast. I know he does some original songs or at least he used to, has ever did an oldies parody album?
Freegards
I don’t know if Dr. Demento is still on the air, but a local (then syndicated) radio show (and affiliated compilation albums) helped spread word of Al’s talents.
To find anything like that in any kind of music these days, you are supposed to “pay” for radio.
I’ll listen to talk radio or CDs in my car and if I have the internet at home/work, why would I ever PAY for radio when I can stream a good live/archived program that wasn’t simply playing songs in a random order?
I’m agnostic on it.
As a matter of fact, Weird Al has a degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University.
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