Weird Al Yankovic - Running With Scissors
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Free Music Notes for Running With Scissors
Free Music Review: "Running With Scissors" by Weird Al Yankovic
Hit: 5 Stars
Running With Scissors Volcano Entertainment
An Album by Weird Al Yankovic Manufactured 1999
12 Songs, $20.00
Its polka time! Put on your lederhosen and grab your accordion because your bout to hear one of the greatest CD`s of all time. It is called "Running With Scissors" by artist "Weird Al
Yankovic". In Running With Scissors, Weird Al Yankovic parodies 12 of the most popuar songs from the past with a traditional polka medley thats fun to sing and listen to! This CD is very comical, as Weird Al Yankovic is a musical comedian.
Weird Al has been doing this sort of thing since the late 1970`s, and he has become a favorie to those who don`t take life too seriously (or at least shouldn`t). One of the most enjoyed songs on "Running With Scissors" is "The Saga Begins", which is aparody of the hit song "American Pie" from the 1970`s where he describes the first Star Wars movie. "The Saga Begins" is not the only good song, there are many more on this great CD.
On every CD, Weird Al has an original "made-up" song. "Albuquerque" is about Weird Al Yankovic`s fictional life in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is truly unique with lyrics so long that they cannot be provided on the lyric packet (inside the CD). In its place, Al Yankovic
sarcastically writes, "You know what? THe rest of the lyics won`t fit here. What a drag, huh?
We all just feel just horrible about this. Well, I guess you will just have to listen really carefully and try to figure out the rest of the words for yourself. Good Luck." He really has a sense of humor!
Al Yankovic has an entire band. He is the leac vocal, who also plays the accordion and keyboards. The other band members consist of Al`s friendss. They are: Jim West, who plays guitar and banjo, Steve Jay, who plays bass guitar, and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (get it?- Bermuda shorts) who plays drums, percussion, and and is the band`s official historian. The all provide background vocals. Al`s group is based in Los Angeles, not far from Al`s birthplace in Lynwood, California.
"Running With Scissors" has become very famous. In 1999, the album was featured in three CD charts. In "The Billboard 200" and "The Top Canadian Albums" it ranked as the sixteenth best album. In hthe "Top Internet Albums" it was the third best, and two of the hit s ongs were "The Saga Begins" and "Its All About The Pentiums." THis is truly a timeless CD! All of its tunes are wonderfully handpicked! Don't be shy and give it a try, I know you will love it.
Free Music Review: One of the top 5 AL-bums of all time!
Hit: 5 Stars
Has Weird Al ever put out a bad album? Ok, maybe the Food and TV albums weren't creative, but his originals always shine and Running with Scissors is no exception.The Parodies are funny, and the originals are great.
The Saga Begins (the "American Pie" parody) opens the album with Al's second Star Wars song in 20 years. It's incredibly catchy, and Don Mclean himself has been quoted as saying that he sometimes finds himself mistaking Weird Al's new lyrics for his own after listening for it.
My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder is an original song about a guy lamenting his girlfriend's celebrity crush. It's out of left field, but really funny.
Pretty Fly for a Rabbi (the Offspring Parody) is surprisingly good. I like how they've replaced "Uno, Dos, Tres" with the Jambi chant from Pee Wee's Playhouse. Years later, I've found that I've remembered the Weird Al lyrics to this song, and forgotten the Offspring version (which I used to know by heart). Guess AL stands the test of time.
Track 4 is the theme to Weird Al's short lived Saturday Morning children's show. Although this is in the middle of the album, it felt like a bonus track. I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the CD.
Jerry Springer is a parody of One Week by the Barenaked Ladies. Trying to learn the lyrics to this song took me awhile (Just like the Barenaked Ladies version), but was well worth it.
Germs is a NIN-style parody. I'm not a big fan of this song. Not sure why. It's one of two I tend to skip past on the album.
Polka Power. What can I say? The Polka Medleys are always amazing, and this one is no exception.
Your Horoscope for Today is another original. It's pretty funny, and I enjoy listening to it. Apparently my horoscope involves falling from a window. See if you can figure out my sign based on that. ;-)
It's all about the Pentiums is a GREAT track about a computer geek. I really enjoy this song, and think it's one of Al's best all time parodies. If you've heard the original with Puff Diddy....Rob Zombie and Dave Grohl, you'll really appreciate the job Al has done on this track.
Truck Drivin Song is the second song I skip by on this album. It's sort of Country themed, and not as funny as the rest of the CD. I didn't enjoy this track much.
Grapefruit Diet....I love. Cherry Poppin Daddie's are parodied here, and it's dead on. Sort of like a sequel to "Fat". I love this song.
An 11 minute track (Albuquerque) wraps up the CD. This track is hilarious. I was laughing so hard the first time I heard it, and still enjoy it every time I listen to it. Right down to the belching drum solo finish.....it's pure gold. Too bad this wasn't the radio single. :-)
Overall, this is one of Al's top 5 albums, easily. I highly recommend picking it up. NOW.
Free Music Review: Some Very Catchy Music
Hit: 5 Stars
The only problem with this CD is that you can't get the songs out of your head.The Saga Begins is the first track. It's set to the music of American Pie, but the lyrics parody The Phantom Menace. I heard this song before I heard American Pie, and couldn't keep a straight face for a long time after I heard the real version.
My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder is also a good song. I don't know who Eddie Vedder is, but that doesn't make the song any less funnier, which is a compliment, I guess.
Pretty Fly For A Rabbi is actually not really offensive, but does display... questionable taste at some times. It's not as bad as Monty Python's "I Like Chinese" though.
The Weird Al Show Theme is short and sweet. You have to have a lyric sheet with you to enjoy it, though. The song moves fast.
Jerry Springer is my first Barenaked Ladies song. It isn't really their stuff, but just another parody, which I heard before the real song. The same thing happened with this, as with American Pie. It's, I think, the best song on the CD.
Germs makes paranoia sound fun. Well, not fun, but... something one can laugh at, which isn't exactly a good thing, but... you just need to listen to the song.
Polka Power is a mishmash, bouncing from Hanson to Spice Girls to Sex And Candy, to Ghetto Superstar, all in a bouncy, highly singable fashion. Polka is one of Weird Al's obsessions.
Your Horoscope For Today contains lines like, " Take down all those naked pictures of Ernest Borgine you've got hanging in your den". Need I say more ? I think not.
It's All About The Pentiums is the only song I don't like on this album. I don't like the genre it's parodying, either, which probably has something to do with it.
Truck Driving Song does to truck driving what The Lumberjack Song did for lumberjacks. You'll never be able to truck drive again without somebody snickering and checking your feet for high heels.
Grapefruit Diet is all about one of Weird Al's other obsessions: food. As my friend pointed out, " He's a (...) twig though !" Good point.
Albuquerque is about 11 minutes long, in a very conversational manner, about the strangest things and non-sequiters and everything else that only Weird Al or somebody on shrooms could think up. Well, maybe not the latter.
All in all, this is an absolutely wonderful album, and if you have a sense of humour and can stand a few sacred cows being at least slightly wounded, then have a listen and have a laugh.
If you like Monty Python, you'll have no problem at all with this.
Free Music Review: COULD POSSIBLY BE AL'S FINEST!
Hit: 5 Stars
I, too, was surprised at the HUGE success of Al's last album, "Bad Hair Day". I mean, I thought it was pretty good ("Amish Paradise" was--and is--one of the best parodies he's written), but as a whole I thought it was kinda flat. Nothing compared to "Off the Deep End" or "In 3-D". Now along comes "Running With Scissors"--rather unassumingly--and it turns out to be one of the best sounding AND best written albums Al has ever put out! Now, I'm not a big Top-40 listener, so the only songs I recognized from his parodies were "American Pie" (THE SAGA BEGINS) and Pretty Fly For A Rabbi (You know...) What happens then is I make every effort to go out and HEAR the songs he's parodying! I STILL haven't heard IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS yet, but I must say, Al's version (ALL ABOUT THE PENTIUMS) STILL deserves a place among his most cleverly-penned parodies. I really like the way THE SAGA BEGINS unfolds; I mean, he really does the original classic vocal and musical justice. However, having HATED the new Star Wars flick, I wish it could have been a bit more critical of the film...but then, Weird Al has never really been a nasty satirist (Then again, there is "Achy-Breaky Song"). The originals are actually pretty good, too. Usually his originals are my least favorite part of his albums, but I think I actually put some of these up there with his parodies. MY BABY'S IN LOVE WITH EDDIE VEDDER is catchy and funny. I don't know why everyone's so uptight about TRUCK DRIVIN' SONG, I thought it was a hoot (although I'll give you it IS a throwback to Monty Python). ALBURQUERQUE is hilarious the first few times, but it's length makes it one of those tracks that I rarely listen to (but again, for the sheer GRANDEUR of it all, it is still an instant classic). I'm not too fond of GERMS, but hey, every album has to have a clinker. And of course, POLKA POWER is a great "sing-along" driving song on long trips (although my favorite of all his polkas is still THE ALTERNATIVE POLKA). All in all, this album is definitely a true classic of musical comedy by our premiere polka parodist, Mr. "Weird Al" Yankovic. Oh, by the way, if you've never seen Al in concert, I highly recommend it. It's one of the funniest things you'll ever see (and he does a "concert-only" parody of "My Heart Will Go On". Killer.)Free Music Review: Oh this is an album by a guy named Al that is Primo Yankovic
Hit: 5 Stars
Just when you thought it was safe to forget about "Weird Al" Yankovic, he comes back with "The Saga Begins," a lyrical adaptation of "Star Wars I" to Don McLean's "American Pie." This is probably Al's most inspired effort since the classic "Smells Like Nirvana" and his "Running With Scissors" album is one of his better collective efforts although I freely admit I might never get used to the look of Yankovic without glasses.There are four additional parodies on this album: "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" which takes off on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)," "Jerry Springer" based on "One Week," "It's All About the Pentiums" parodies "It's All About The Benjamins," and "Grapefruit Diet" plays around with "Zoot Suit Riot." Only the last in this set is a below average effort, and I get the feeling it is included simply because Yankovic likes to cover as many musical styles as possible. In making a list of parodies you also have to include "Germs," which is done in the style of Nine Inch Nails. As always, the polka medley, this time around entitled "Polka Power" is a fun ride, although each riff of a pop hit ("Wannabe," "Ray of Light," "Tubthumping," etc.) always seems to make you want to hear just a little more. When will Madonna finally breakdown and do a polka album?
Of the totally original songs "The Weird Al Show Theme" is my favorite, mainly because I always like the way Yankovic harmonizes with himself. His voice is so eerily suited to these songs that you forget it is just as much a part of his appeal as is his coming up with all those funny lyrics (best evidenced on "The Saga Begins," where he constantly hits real close to the rhymes of the original song). "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder" is a rollickin' accordion tune and "Your Horoscope For Today" is fully of frenetic energy. The album concludes with the overlong "Albuquerque" and is the cut least bearing repetition on the album inasmuch as it mainly consists of Yankovic talking really fast about a bunch of nonsense, although since once upon a time I actually lived in Albuquerque I have to admit to a perverse pleasure in hearing the town's name sung in chorus over and over again.
Finally, a special mention to Tress MacNeille's female vocal on "Jerry Springer" and Tom Sauber's fiddle on "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder."