Weird Al Yankovic - Poodle Hat
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Free Music Notes for Poodle Hat
Free Music Review: Weird Al brings home the best album of his career!
Hit: 5 Stars
Let me just start off by saying that Weird Al is like a bottle of find wine, he just gets better with time. The more you listen to this album, the more you will enjoy it. Let me give you the rundown:1.)Couch Potato ~ This song is so great, one of the best Al parodies to date. Of course I am a huge Eminem fan, but the TV references in this song are really great. He included all the current "reality" TV phenomena. 5/5
2.)Hardware Store ~ This song is really good also. The lyrics are wonderful because he covers just about anything you would find in a hardware store in 3.5 mins. Listen to him go in the middle there. Whew! How much sugar did this man have? 4/5
3.)Trash Day ~ Being a big fan of rap music, I love "Hot In Herre" from Nelly, and this song isn't quite as good as the original. The original just had the feeling of a hot summer party jam, and this song just doesn't capture any kind of partying feelings, but it's still extremely catchy. 4/5
4.)Party At The Leper Colony ~ The music on this song is the best thing about it. The drum beat is awesome. The lyrics are twisted and a little grotesque, but it's not bad. 4/5
5.)Angry White Boy Polka ~ This is one of the very best songs on the album. You haven't lived until you've heard Weird Al sing "Chop Suey" from System Of A Down, who is the worst band alive. And he captured all the British rock bands in this one, giving them some well deserved credit that they didn't completely earn by themselves. 5/5
6.)Wanna B Ur Lvr ~ This is my favorite Al original on the album, and one of his best as of yet. I mean the lyrics are so corny that you have to laugh ur tail off. Talk about a demented love song, this would be it, and I wouldn't want it any other way. 5/5
7.)A Complicated Song ~ Parody of "Complicated" from Avril Lavigne, who is a really great singer. This is definitely one of the best parodies on Poodle Hat. I love how each verse/chorus he changes the subject of the song. Going from constipated, to related, to decapitated, to mutilated. Ahh, good times. 5/5
8.)Why Does This Always Happen To Me? ~ A very good Al original, with piano being played by the equally talented Ben Folds, for whom Al directed a video for a couple years back. Great song about a guy who thinks he is the center of the earth. 5/5
9.)Ode To A Superhero ~ This is my least favorite song on the album, but it's not horrible. It's just like Al was trying to duplicate the success of "Saga Begins", and didn't quite make it. The movie epic parodies have got to go, sorry Al. 3/5
10.)Bob ~ This song I will admit I didn't like at first, but it grew on me after repeated listens, and now it's one of my favorites. It takes a little time to appreciate the humor of it. It is in the exact style of a Bob Dylan song, and what is great about it is that all of the lines he uses are palindromic (read them backwards). My favorite line is "Lisa Bonet Ate No Basil" 5/5
11.)Ebay ~ Parody of "I Want It That Way" from the Backstreet Boys. The lyrics are truly great in this. It perfectly describes the point that people will buy just about anything, and e-bay is the place to get it. 5/5
12.)Genius In France ~ This is the very best song on the album. It's a Frank Zappa style parody, which is a big task to take on. Most musicians would've fallen flat on their butts, but Al hits it on the nose. The music changes every 45 seconds or so, and just listen to the lyrics...what can I say? they're magical. Ahh, those dumb French People. 5/5
So, in brief, This album is nothing short of incredible and you need to go get it immediately, there is no chance in the world that you will be disappointed. Im going to see the Poodle Hat Tour in 2 days, and it will be the 5th time I've seen the master live at work, so It will be fun. Don't be stupid now, if you are still reading this review, you are an idiot. You should be half way to the store right now to buy 300 copies of Poodle Hat!
Free Music Review: I am now a Weird Al Fan
Hit: 5 Stars
In the past, I have always heard that Weird Al Yankovic's were filled with cursing and the lyrics were very sick. I'm not a fan of cds filled with gross stuff, but I am a fan of comedy (who isn't?), so after much thinking, I decided to give this cd a try. I was plesantly suprized. No cursing. Once in a while the lyrics get a bit gross, but it's nothing extreme. Heres a run-down of the cd...1. Couch Potato- This is a parody of EmenEm's song "Lose yourself". This one's about a couch potato who is obsessed with tv. The sad thing is that I actually know people like this. It is a very funny parady when you think about it compared to the original song. (5/5)
2. Hardware Store- This song isn't copying any other songs, but it's still funny. Think of the people that camp-out at movie theatres waiting for a star wars movie to come out, only the guy in the song is waiting for a hardware store to open instead. Weird Al talks extremly fast while describing all of the items that the hardware store carrys. This is one of the better non-parady songs on the cd. (5/5)
3. Trash Day- It is rotten here; it is hot in here. Which one's better? I would say Trash Day is better than the song it's making a parady of. Nelly's Hott in here. It's about someone who doesn't take their garbage out. I do think Nelly is very easy to make fun of though. I went to a few of the mardi Gra concerts at Universal Studios last spring, and both Hootie & the Blowfish and Smash Mouth made fun of this song, so it's not suprizing at all that Weird Al added it to this cd. (5/5)
4. Party at the Leper Colony- Probably my least favorite song on the cd. It's about a party at a Leper Colony. It's an original song, and I personally don't think there is anything special about it. (2/5)
5. Angry White Boy Polka- When you think hard about it, lots of other songs on the cd are a lot funnier than this, but this is the only song on the CD that had me laughing out loud for more than just a snicker. It's a collection of lyrics put together from songs including Emenem, the Strokes, The hives, the white stripes, POD, and lots more all put to accordian. (5/5)
6. Wanna B Ur Lovr- Not a parady. It's a bunch of pickup lines that probably wouldn't be helpful for a guy to use. (4/5)
7. A Complicated Song- A very song. It's a parady of Avril Lavine's Complicated. It's about a guy who gets constapated from eating too much pizza, then finds out that he was about to marry his cousin, and then got into a roller coaster accident (5/5)
8. Why Does This Always Happen to Me- Not a parady. It's about someone that claims a bunch of bad stuff happens to them, when what they complain about is really irrelevent to more important things. (3/5)
9. Ode to a Superhero- One of my favorites on the cd. It's a parady of Billy Joel's Piano Man, and is about Spiderman. It tells the story of the first spider man movie. (5/5)
10. Bob- This song is supposed to sound like a song by Bob Dylan. The only problem with it is that the lyrics make no sense at all. Another reviewer said to read the lyrics backwards. I did that and they still didn't make any sense. (2/5)
11. E-Bay- A parady of Backstreet Boy's I want it that way. Instead, it's I bought it on ebay. It's about a guy who can't resist from buying stuff on ebay. Kind of ironic for me since I sell stuff on ebay. (5/5)
12. Genius in France- This makes a parady of how President Bush started telling the country to hate the french because they didn't want to go to war in Iraq. It's a very long song, but I didn't think it was that great. (3/5)
Overall it's a great cd. Go buy it.
Free Music Review: Brilliant!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I love Weird Al, and this new CD does not disappoint! It's another example of his sheer genius, and ability to poke fun at popular culture. It's been far too long that we have been without his amazing accuracy at defining the American way of life. This album has parodies of more rap than his previous CDs, but for a girl who still likes to think of Eminem as the candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand, I found myself enjoying them as well. Here are my ratings for each song:
1. Couch Potato:
He must have written this one really recently, because he included the Anna Nicole Show, and even 8 Simple Rules.
Best Line: But I only watched Will and Grace one time, one day. Wish I hadn't, cause Tivo now thinks I'm gay!
2. Hardware Store: Wow, listen closely to this one! He throws in a lot of things, and does it all SO fast, you can miss the funny things he says!
Best Line: ...Automatic Circumcisers...
3. Party at the Leper Colony: This one would be great to play at a Halloween party! It is SO gross!
Best Line: I said 'Girl now don't fall to pieces on me' but she cried her eyes out literally.
4. Trash Day: Every time I hear this one, I think Al must've been reading the Shel Silverstien poem 'Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out' when he wrote it.
Best Line: It's so bad the roaches are wearin' slippers.
5. Angry White Boy Polka: Al's obligatory Polka song of the album. I don't listen to any of the artists he covers in this song, but I played it for my best friend, and she could name every one!
6. Wanna B Ur Lovr: So sleazy! It's great! Most of the verses are constructed with cheesy pick-up lines, but then every so often he throws in an insult.
Best Line: My love for you is like diarrhea, I just can't hold it in.
7. A Complicated Song: I love this song! Each verse is a sicker than the next!
Best Line: Should I go ahead and propose and get hitched and have kids with eleven toes and move to Alabama where that kind of thing is tolerated?
8. Why Does This Always Happen?: Similar in nature to "A complicated Song' in that it has three unrelated verses that are each completely, wonderfully dreadful!
9. Ode to a Superhero: This is a parody of Piano Man by Billy Joel, and in the tradition of Al's Star Wars parody of American Pie, this one covers the Spiderman movie.
Best Line: Now Harry the rich kid's a friend of his, who horns in on Mary Jane. But to his great surprise it seems she prefers guys who can kiss upside-down in the rain.
10. Bob: A tribute(mockery?) of Bob Dylan. Don't even try to make sense of the lyrics, because just like the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show, it doesn't make any. They all are lines that can be read the same backwards or forwards. Really fun song!
Best Line: Do geese see God?
11. eBay: Positively the BEST song on the CD!!! :o) I love it!! A+++ If you've ever bought or sold on eBay, you will appreciate this one! He managed to find pretty much every detail of the eBay experience, and put it all in one Backstreet Boys parody!
Best Line: Tell me why, I bid on Shatner's old toupee, they had it on eBay.
12. Genius in France: A great song to pick up good come-back lines! It's almost nine minutes, but it makes more sense and has more continuity than the song Albuquerque from 'Running with Scissors'.
Best line: I couldn't poor water out of a boot with instructions on the heel.
That about sums it up and I only have two parting words for you: BUY IT !!!
Free Music Review: Jamaican Me Crazy!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
The king of parodies returns. After returning to form with his last release, 1999's "Running With Scissors", one would hope that Al would maintain the newfound hilarity he regained. Especially since his two previous albums that he released before 'Scissors', "Alapalooza", and "Bad Hair Day", left much to be desired. This latest CD is Al staying true to form. It is, I must say, even better than 'Scissors'. At first, I didn't think it would be. It opens with "Couch Potato", which is a parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself". It's a well written tune and quite listenable, but doesn't grab hold of you and make you laugh. The next track, the original "Hardware Store", falls flat and holds no interest at all. It is the biggest, and only, dud on the album. Things start to kick in with "Trash Day", which is a parody of Nelly's "Hot In Here". It isn't the best track on here, or Al's funniest parody, but it is catchy and fun to listen too. The rest of the CD is pure Al. "Party At The Leper Colony" is hilarious. The words are hysterical and it has a snappy tune. "Angry White Boy Polka", which is the latest collection of songs done to the tune of polka, features several songs from such artists as Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, The Hives, and others. Fans might like this, but I didn't. It's my least favorite polka medley he has done. Don't care for it. Mostly because I've only heard of 3 or 4 songs of the dozen or so that are in it. A real dissappointment. "Wanna B Ur Lover" is a riot from start to finish. Not only is it the best original tune on here, it is Al's best original song he has written in years. It's made even funnier because of the way Al sings it. It's a love song done only the way he could do it. It's along the lines of his earlier favorites, "One More Minute", and "You Don't Love Me Anymore". A hilarious classic. "A Complicated Song" is a parody of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated". This is the best parody on the CD. It is hilarious. I liked how Al came up with different choruses using a word that rhymed with 'complicated'. A good track. "Why Does This Always Happen To Me", is a pretty snappy little tune. It's not overly funny, but it will give you a smile. Features a fantastic piano performance from Ben Folds. "Ode To A Superhero", spoofs the Billy Joel classic, "Piano Man". The song is about Spider-Man. It's a pretty funny, well written tune. "Bob", which is a spoof of Bob Dylan and his sound, isn't knee slapping, but it's pretty good. The last parody is "E-Bay", a spoof of the Backstreet Boys song "I Want It That Way". One of the better tracks and parodies on the CD. It ends with an epic song called "Genius In France", which is an homage to Frank Zappa. It even features a guitar intro by Dweezil Zappa. This has become a new tradition with Al. Ending CD's with a very long, epic type song. He started it on the last album with "Albuquerque". "Genius In France" is the better of the two. It's much funnier and is better written. The music has more going for it as well. It's a long song, but it's classic Al. This CD is Al on top of his game. He remains consistently fresh, inventive, and hysterical, even when the music world around him that he parodies and mocks isn't. This latest offering is so much better, lyrically and musically, than "Running With Scissors". No matter where music goes, or what new trends come and then are soon gone, Al will be there, staying on top of the latest fads, and giving the world one big smile. We can only hope.Free Music Review: Weird Al at his finest!
Hit: 5 Stars
While many dismiss Weird Al as a song parodist obsessed with TV and food, one must remember that Al merely comments on pop culture through his unique perspective. Sadly, much of today's pop culture centers around TV and food (and other phenomenon, such as eBay and the rest of the internet revolution). Al makes his parody accessible through the masterful appropriation and interpretation of contemporary pop artists and their work. Interspersed between his parody are brilliant (and sometimes lyrically juvenile) originals that showcase the variety of musicianship of his band.The astute 9-year-old reviewer below makes some great observations about the work on "Poodle Hat", although I'd like add some comments from a more adult perspective where appropriate:
== SONG PARODIES ==
On both "Couch Potato" (TV culture commentary) and "Trash Day" (about the consequences of putting off a very important chore ;)), Al demonstrates his gift for adapting witty lyrics about our culture and everyday minutiae to contemporary styles. I'm not a fan of Eminem or Nelly (whose singles, respectively, the two songs parody), but Al nails the musical style and has written brilliantly funny lyrics that fit the songs perfectly. In "A Complicated Song", Al goes all over the map in a rather convoluted narrative structured around Avril Lavigne's "Complicated". Al takes us back a couple of years to mock The Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" with an insightful, well-written satire of online auction culture in "eBay".
For classic songs, Al seems to reserve those parodies for movie culture (historically, Star Wars), and in this case, he adapts Billy Joel's "Piano Man" to summarize the plot line of 2002's "Spider-Man" in true Weird Al fashion. And, of course, there's the obligatory polka medley, with "Angry White Boy Polka" gathering some of today's angriest alt-punk-metal-type songs into a cheerful, upbeat arrangement (much to the hilarious contrast of the lyrics).
== STYLE PARODIES ==
There are a couple of style parodies on the album, including the novel "Bob", which is a style parody in the vein of Bob Dylan; the lyrics to that song are confusing at first, until it becomes clear that each line of the lyrics is a palindrome. The final track on the album, "Genius in France", is a style tribute to Frank Zappa, and serves as a silly, yet subtilely patriotic poke at the French.
== ORIGINALS ==
Most of the originals are standard Weird Al fare: "Party at the Leper Colony" is a groaner consisting of just about any leper joke imaginable; "Wanna B Ur Lover" is a PG-13 mockery of cheesy pick-up lines with a wink and a tip of the hat to Spinal Tap; "Why Does This Always Happen To Me" is classic original Al, in the tradition of "One More Minute". The real standout original to me on "Poodle Hat" is "Hardware Store", which is a frantic, excitable, anticipatory ramble about the impending opening of a big-box hardware store from the perspective of the do-it-yourselfer. The style is hard to describe...think of REM's "End of the World" with an ominous orchestral feel and you might come close.
All told, I think this album is brilliant...one of Al's best!
(oh, and if you get a chance to see Weird Al live, don't hesitate to get your tickets...it's a GREAT show!)