Weird Al Yankovic - Poodle Hat
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Free Music Notes for Poodle Hat
Free Music Review: Exploring new ground
Hit: 5 Stars
At first when I heard this album I didn't like about half the tracks because it really was outside some of the usual things I'd expect from the great Al. But then it started growing on me. Couch Potato is such a great song I can't even think of the original song my Enimem anymore. E-Bay is one of the best songs I've heard from Al in a LONG LONG time based on the I want it My Way by Backstreet Boys, one for the greatest hits shelf. Ode to a Superhero was anamazingly clean paradoy from orignal and told the story of Spider Man (Movie 1) quite acurately. Trash Day was quite odd but it's growing on me, it's a parody on a booty rap song if I can place the original correctly. The polka for this album did a great job of capturing the current pop music rolled together with Al's classic polka style. Some of the songs in the polka I didn't recognize, but I haven't been up on the current "hip" pop scene recently which is what it's targeting as usual. It's really funny because he ends the polka on Enimem again with the Real Slim Shady. The Leper Colony song was just plain funny, probably one of the weakest on the album though. Wanna B Ur Lovr is a "sexy" song about Al getting fixated on the "physical structure" of a librarian, priceless medaphores. A Complicated Song as both really well done musically but VERY VERY random, it's a complicated song because the ending has nothing to do with the song, it's quite random. Why Does This Always Happen to Me, IMO isn't really that funny, I dunno I didn't like it that much only "bad" song on the album IMO. Bob isn't a bad song but it's not great either. I guess I probably don't recognize the orignal song or maybe it's an original, either way it's not bad just not great. Lastly.... Genius in France... what can I say, hitting on current events making fun of the French saying that even though I'm a ....., I'm a genius in France. I'm 50% french and I think it's hillarious. Again 50% of the tracks on this album as instant hits, 30% will grow on you, and the last 20% are ok songs, once you buy the album to add to your mega collection of weird al songs, MP3 'em and put it on random with the rest. :-DFree Music Review: Vintage Al
Hit: 5 Stars
I love this CD. I had to look everywhere for it. "Couch Potato" is a very funny parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and mocks all the [stuff] thats on TV right now. Namely all the stupid shows Fox comes up with now. The funniest line is "I saw Will and Grace one time, one day, and I wish I hadn't cause Tivo now thinks I'm gay". A great song, CD is worth is just for it.
"Hardware store" is an epic in fast speech. I'd like to see him sing that bridge in concert.
"Trash Day" is alright, mostly because Nelly's music makes me cringe. But, since I hear "Hot in Here" all the time, it deserves recognition.
"Party at the Leper Colony" makes fun of the easily pull apart limbs of lepers and is kind of low, but kinda funny.
"Angry White Polka" is decent, I've only heard a couple of the songs in it, but it is basically filler.
"Wanna B Ur Lovr" is chalked full of pick-up lines. "Girl you must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy". Worth listening to a couple times.
"A Complicated Song". In a word, hilarious. Another gem on this ALbum.
"Why Does This Always Happen To Me". Incredibly unrelenting, unsympathetic, and quite enjoyable.
"Ode To A Superhero" is a parody of Billy Joel's Piano Man. "Sling us a web, you're the spider man". Hilarious. Another keeper, follows along the same lines as "The Saga Begins" and "Jurassic Park" in the Al's movie summarization songs.
"Bob" is a tribute to Bob Dylan and contains a lot of palindromes, which are phrases that are spelled the same forwards and backwards, like "Race Car" for example. Must have taken a while to do, even though on the first listen sounds like it was slapped together with no sense.
"Ebay" is a parody of the Backstreet Boy's "I Want it That Way" and is the best and closest sounding parody on this album, but probably the third best song to Complicated and Superhero.
"Genius in France" takes a great opportunity to make fun of the French. And it is just as unrelenting as "Why Does THis Always Happen To Me"
There you have it. One of the best ALbums to date. Great job Al.
Free Music Review: He's done it again!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Weird Al" Yankovic has produced another dozen pieces of pure gold! 4 years in the making, this album brings together the traditional blend of parodies and funny original songs along with the obligatory polka medley - and ALL of them stand up to the high standard Al has set for himself. "Couch Potato", the lead-off single and a send-off of Eminem's "Lose Yourself", is a hilarious jab at TV today - the rapping isn't nearly as crisp, clean, or energetic as the original, but then, who COULD be? The parody of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" in the song "A Complicated Guy" is absolutely hilarious, and the lyrics accompanying Billy Joel's "Piano Man" parody, "Ode To A Superhero", are delivered with perfect comedic timing. Also on the funny side are parodies of two songs I don't really care for (OK, I hate them) and are deserving of being parodied: Nelly's "Hot In Here" and the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" become "Trash Day" and "eBay". The polka medley is always a portion of the album I enjoy, and "Angry White Boy Polka" is no exception, taking hits from such bands as P.O.D., Limp Bizkit, The White Stripes, The Hives, Kid Rock, and more.But that's only half the album - the other six tracks are just as good, if not more so. "Hardware Store" is about the joys of visiting a new--you guessed it--a hardware store. "Party at the Leper Colony" is a self-explanatory song while "Wanna B Ur Lovr" is an homage to bad pick-up lines. "Why Does This Always Happen To Me?" is a painfully funny take on the self-centered; Ben Folds guests on piano. The album also contains two tribute songs: "Bob" which is a great take on the works of Bob Dylan and "Genius In France" gives props to Frank Zappa (son Dweezil Zappa also guests on this song).
The Enhanced CD contains Al's home movies with running commentary, song lyrics, a photo gallery, and 8 alternate mixes to the original works on the album.
In all, this is a hilarious CD, one no self-respecting Al-coholic should be without, and one everyone ought to listen to at least once.
Free Music Review: AL'S CREATIVE BRILLIANCE SHINES AGAIN! YOU GOTTA BUY THIS!
Hit: 5 Stars
Make no bones about it, Poodle Hat is doggone GREAT! (OK, sorryfor the lame opening line, I'm just so excited, and I really love the album.)
For starters, Hardware Store is a masterpiece, both musically and vocally. The staccato vocal point/counterpoint is amazing and complex, and the way the song rises like a religious hymn to all things hardware blends wonderfully with the tone of the song. Yankovic knows what he's doing when it comes to arrangements. Most note worthy, however, is the astonishing way Al is able to cram an incredible laundry list of hardware items into a few short seconds. It MUST be heard to be believed that anyone can clearly ennuciate so many words in such a short time. It is AMAZING!
Wanna B Ur Lovr is my personal favorite. The sultry music and the riotous lyrics come together to make a montage of pickup lines that would send any woman running for the hills. The glissando and Al's mock sexy delivery, bending the lyrics and groaning them out...YIKES!
Genius in France is a long (9 + minutes) style tribute to Frank Zappa, which grows on me more and more each time I hear it. Be warned, if you're sensitive about France, this may not your favorite song, but it's right on target Zappa (with Dweezil on guitar).
Also dead on is "Bob" an homage to Dylan. The trick with this one is that each line is a palindrome (it reads the same both forward and backward). I love it! I could go on and on about this album, but you'll just have to check out for yourself: Party at the Leper Colony (original song), Trash Day (parody of Nelly's Hot in Herre), Ebay Backstreet Boys I Want it That Way), Couch Potato (Eminem's Lose yourself), Complicated Song (Avril Lavigne's Complicated), Ode to a Superhero (Billy Joel's Piano Man) and Why Does This Always Happen to Me (original), and more current rock songs the way they were meant to be heard...polka-fied! Buy this CD!! The extras you get with the CD (Al's home movies, etc.) are worth the price alone. Buy it this very instant!!!
Free Music Review: Al: At His Peak
Hit: 5 Stars
It's been four years since the Running With Scissors album. Last time that happened, it was after Polka Party--Al's only real failure--and we were rewarded with the classic Even Worse. Was it worth it this time? Did we get an album that rocks the house?Believe it.
These are, for the most part, the best songs that Al has ever recorded. It's uneven to be sure--"Party At The Leper Colony" is a one-joke pony that moves slowly, "Wanna Be Ur Lovr" drags on too long, and "Why Does This Always Happen To Me?", continuing on the tradition of a 'misguided soul' song (see also "You Don't Love Me Anymore" or "Valerie"), is over the top and awkward--but the rest are high grade songs, from "Hot In Herre" with a trash riff ("Trash Day"), "Lose Yourself" becoming a TV addict's anthem ("Couch Potato"), mixing Internet lifestyling with boybands ("eBay"), or just plain making fun of Avril Lavigne ("A Complicated Song"). Al's own writing is up to standard, with a-poke-at-Bob-Dylan number--filed with palindromes--and the They Might Be Giants inspired (at least that's the feeling) "Genius In France". Don't forget the traditional polka, too--this time a mix of emotional rock songs from The Hives, The Strokes, The Vines, The White Stripes, and others called "The Angry White Boy Polka".
Best of the album is actually a tie: "Ode To A Superhero" (Spider-man meets "Piano Man") is almost poignant, while "Hardware Store" is the shining star, with an insane tempo--watch for Al to run through tools (both real and...questionable) without leaving a pause anywhere!--or the choir in the chorus.
The Enchanced CD features the fine-once Al's Home Videos, a set of still photos, a set of lyrics (which play WITH the songs), and a set of instrumentals and remixes ("Why Do These..." is excellent this way--Ben Folds' piano is grand).
Is "Poodle Hat" worth it? If you liked Al before, you'll keep on liking him just the same, and you'd be happy with what you get on this album.