"Weird Al" Yankovic (album)

"Weird Al" Yankovic (album)
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Released 1983
Recorded 1979–1982
Cherokee Studios, Hollywood
Genre Comedy[1]
Funk/soul, pop, rock[2]
Length 32:34[2]
Label Rock 'n Roll Records
Producer Rick Derringer
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology
"Weird Al" Yankovic
(1983)
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
(1984)
Singles from "Weird Al" Yankovic
  1. "My Bologna"
    Released: November 1979 (1979-11)[3]
  2. "Another One Rides the Bus"
    Released: 1981 (1981)[4]
  3. "Ricky"
    Released: 1983 (1983)[3]
  4. "I Love Rocky Road"
    Released: 1983 (1983)[4]

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the eponymous debut album by American parodist Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic. Mostly recorded in March 1982, the album was released by Rock 'n Roll Records as an LP and on Compact Cassette in 1983,[2][5] and on Compact Disc on March 12, 1991.[6]

Consisting of five direct parodies and seven original songs, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodies pop and rock music of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and satirizes American culture and experiences of the same time period. The album, which was produced and engineered by Rick Derringer and Peter Kelsey respectively,[7] received a lukewarm reception by critics and reviewers.

Contents

Production

"Ace rock guitarist" Rick Derringer produced "Weird Al" Yankovic. (1974, Jim Summaria)

After hearing Yankovic's parody of his song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", songwriter Jake Hooker suggested to "ace rock guitarist" Rick Derringer that he would be the perfect producer for the burgeoning parodist. Agreeing, Derringer used his music industry prestige and convinced Cherokee Studios to record an album's worth of Yankovic's songs gratis, to be paid from sales revenue. Then, in March 1982, "Weird Al" Yankovic stepped into a professional recording studio for the first time and recorded nine of the songs for "Weird Al" Yankovic.[3]

The huge irony of my life; [...] it was difficult for me to get signed to a record deal back in early 80s because all the executives were saying "Oh, you do that ... novelty music. You're gonna have maybe one hit if you're lucky and then [...] you'll go right to oblivion. You know, nobody'll ever hear from you again."

"Weird Al" Yankovic, speaking with Bob Boilen on All Songs Considered in 2006[8]

After encountering difficulty picking up a record label for the first-time album, Jay Levey (a Los Angeles artists' manager) provided KIQQ-FM with a copy of "I Love Rocky Road". Impressing the program director of the Top 40 station, he played it immediately; "I Love Rocky Road" was one of the most-requested songs by the next day. At the same time, Tad Dowd—head of the new record label, Rock 'n Roll Records—had been trying to convince parent company Scotti Brothers Records to sign the 22-year-old Yankovic. The positive furor over the KIQQ playtest provided Dowd with the leverage needed to convince Scotti Bros. to offer a contract for Yankovic's first album.[3]

Scotti Brothers Records' contract planned an April 1983 release date for a twelve-track album: "I Love Rocky Road" and eight other tracks were already recorded, "Another One Rides the Bus" would be the original 1980 live recording from The Dr. Demento Show, and the last two songs ("Ricky" and "Buckingham Blues") would be recorded at Scotti Brothers' own studios in Santa Monica, California.[3][7]

Promotion

Dr. Demento helped promote "Weird Al" Yankovic. (August 15, 2004 (2004-08-15), David Rossi)

To promote the album, Levy coordinated a three-week tour in late Summer 1983 across the United States' East Coast and Midwest for both Yankovic and Dr. Demento. Promoted as "An Evening of Dementia with Dr. Demento in Person Plus 'Weird Al' Yankovic", Demento opened with recorded hits and short comedy films from his show before introducing Yankovic and the band. During their three weeks, the tour played in several famous clubs, including Bottom Line in New York City.[3]

Album cover

The album cover for "Weird Al" Yankovic was designed by Brazilian artist Rogerio. The band chose Rogerio because of his "MAD Magazine-like drawing style."[9][10] The cover art specifically features individual elements that correspond with each of the album's twelve songs.[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars[12]
Rolling Stone Record Guide 3/5 stars[13]

Eugene Chadbourne, reviewer for allmusic, felt that while "Weird Al" Yankovic was a detailed harbinger of parody to come, the album does not hold up well on its own. Chadbourne extolled most of the parodies ("Another One Rides the Bus", "My Bologna", "I Love Rocky Road") for their comedic value in contrast with their originals—songs he supposed to be "pretentious [&] overblown". However, also according to Chadbourne, "Ricky" lacks the comedic connection Yankovic cultivates in later albums, and the original songs "may not seem like they were written in ten minutes, but the ideas behind them don't seem to involve that much contemplation. [They're] like little bits of puff [whose ...] impact on the flow of an album side is more like ballast."[12]

Introducing Yankovic as the guest DJ for All Songs Considered on National Public Radio in 2006, host Bob Boilen opined that upon his debut, Yankovic "seemed the epitome of throw-away novelty act".[8]

Reviewing Yankovic in 2008, Brian Raftery of Wired magazine wrote that "Ricky" introduced the world to "an accordion-playing spaz with a coif like Rick James and a voice like an urgent goose." In 1983, Yankovic was considered a fad of the time—comparing him to parachute pants and Contras—and "thoroughly disposable."[14]

Musical databasing and review websites allmusic and Artistdirect rate "Weird Al" Yankovic three and a half out of five stars.[12][15]

Track listing

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the only album in Yankovic's discography in which the accordion is prevalent in every song; in subsequent albums it's only used where deemed appropriate or wholly inappropriate for comedic effect.[16]

Side 1

  1. "Ricky" (orig. Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic)[17] – 2:36
  2. "Gotta Boogie" (Yankovic) – 2:14
    • A play on words discussing a man with a "boogie" on his finger and his quandary therein.
  3. "I Love Rocky Road" (orig. Jake Hooker, arr. Yankovic) – 2:36
  4. "Buckingham Blues" (Yankovic) – 3:13
    • A blues song satirizing the socialite lifestyle of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales. Originally, the song was going to a be a parody of "Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp; worried about spoiling a Jack And Diane movie deal, Mellencamp shot down the parody. Yankovic considered tweaking the "Jack & Diane" melody to avoid the song being a true parody, but decided against it and later re-wrote it as an original song.[19] Answering a fan in 1998, Yankovic replied he would not re-write and re-record the song in light of Princess Diana's death.[20]
  5. "Happy Birthday" (Yankovic) – 2:28
  6. "Stop Draggin' My Car Around" (orig. Tom Petty, arr. Yankovic)[21] – 3:16

Side 2

  1. "My Bologna" (orig. Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, arr. Yankovic)[23] – 2:01
  2. "The Check's in the Mail" (Yankovic) – 3:13
    • Business-related prevarications, exampling avoidance, litigation, and the titular payment delay.
  3. "Another One Rides the Bus" (orig. John Deacon, arr. Yankovic)[24] – 2:40
  4. "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" (Yankovic) – 3:39
    • A rejection of the stereotypical attitudes and accouterments of the hippie/yuppie lifestyles.
  5. "Such a Groovy Guy" (Yankovic) – 3:02
  6. "Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung" (Yankovic) – 1:54
    • An audience favorite from Yankovic's days playing in coffeehouses at Cal Poly,[3] the song describes the rather lopsided relationship between the narrator and the eponymous "Mr. Frump" in his iron lung, until the latter's death.

Other songs

  • "It's Still Billy Joel to Me", Yankovic's 1980 parody of Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", was originally planned for this album. Wary of the song being considered "dated" three years later, and doubtful that Joel would give his blessing, the band never bothered to ask.[25]
  • Yankovic's parody of The Kinks' song "Lola"—"Yoda"—was written in 1980 (during the initial theatre run of The Empire Strikes Back), and a "huge hit" on The Dr. Demento Show. However, the complexities of receiving permission from filmmaker George Lucas and the Kinks' publishers delayed its release until 1985.[3]

Charts and certifications

"Weird Al" Yankovic reached a peak position of 139 on the Billboard 200 chart[3][26] and was certified gold on February 24, 2003.[27]

Singles

Year Song Peak positions
(Billboard Hot 100)[26]
1981 "Another One Rides the Bus" 104
1983 "Ricky" 63
1983 "I Love Rocky Road" 106

Personnel

Jim West does not feature on "Weird Al" Yankovic, but was performing with the band at the time. (March 10, 2007 (2007-03-10), Chris Smith)

The credits on "Weird Al" Yankovic give special thanks to Jim West. West was playing guitar with Yankovic and the band at live performances, but was not present for recording the album.[28]

References

  1. ^ "Weird Al Yankovic by Weird Al Yankovic on Yahoo! Music". Yahoo! Music. Sunnyvale, California, USA: Yahoo!, Inc.. http://music.yahoo.com/release/102248. Retrieved 2010-10-17. 
  2. ^ a b c ""Weird Al" Yankovic - "Weird Al" Yankovic". Discogs. Portland, Oregon, US: Zink Media, Inc.. http://www.discogs.com/release/787176. Retrieved 2010-10-17. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hansen, Barret (1994). Album notes for Permanent Record: Al in the Box by "Weird Al" Yankovic [liner]. California, USA: Scotti Brothers Records.
  4. ^ a b Schwartz, Jon. ""WEIRD AL" DISC/VIDEO/BIBLIOGRAPHY (U.S. ONLY)" (text file). The Demented Music Database. Jeff Morris. http://dmdb.org/discographies/al.disco.txt. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 
  5. ^ "Amazon.com: "Weird Al" Yankovic 1st Lp 1983: "Weird Al" Yankovic: Music". Seattle, Washington, US: Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Al-Yankovic-1st-1983/dp/B000VZT61I. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  6. ^ "Amazon.com: "Weird Al" Yankovic: "Weird Al" Yankovic: Music". Seattle, Washington, US: Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Al-Yankovic/dp/B00000HZY9. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Weird Al Yankovic - Weird Al Yankovic - CD - Buy.com". Aliso Viejo, California, USA: Buy.com. http://www.buy.com/prod/weird-al-yankovic/q/loc/109/60343834.html. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  8. ^ a b Boilen, Bob (2006-11-02). "Guest DJ "Weird Al" Yankovic". All Songs Considered. Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15960999. Retrieved 2008-10-30. "Singer, songwriter and satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic has been spoofing artists and making his own original comic tunes for nearly 30 years. His latest album, Straight Out Of Lynwood [sic], is his first to break the top-ten. On this edition of All Songs Considered, Yankovic talks about his music and shares some of the songs that have inspired him over the years. Hear an eclectic mix of music by the Bonzo Dog Band, Tom Lehrer, The Trashmen and more." 
  9. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (July 1999). ""Ask Al" Q&As for July, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0799. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  10. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (November/December 1996). "Midnight Star "Ask Al" Q&As for November/December, 1996". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#1196. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  11. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (September 1999). ""Ask Al" Q&As for September, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0999. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  12. ^ a b c "allmusic ((( "Weird Al" Yankovic > Overview )))". allmusic. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA: Macrovision. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r82658. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  13. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 893. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. 
  14. ^ a b Brian, Raftery (2008-09-22). "Weird Al: Forefather of the YouTube Spoof". Wired. http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/16-10/ff_weirdal. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  15. ^ "Weird Al Yankovic : "Weird Al" Yankovic". Artistdirect.com. Artistdirect. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,188926,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-14. 
  16. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (January 1999). ""Ask Al" Q&As for January, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0199. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  17. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Mickey". Allmusic. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA: Macrovision. http://www.allmusic.com/song/t1317229. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
  18. ^ a b Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 1999). ""Ask Al" Q&As for June, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0699. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  19. ^ a b c d Rabin, Nathan (2011-06-29). "“Weird Al” Yankovic". The A.V. Club (Chicago, Illinois, USA: The Onion, Inc). Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. http://www.webcitation.org/5zodtUwdj. Retrieved 2011-06-29. 
  20. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (March 1998). "Midnight Star "Ask Al" Q&As for March/April, 1998". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0398. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  21. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tom Petty | Main". MTV.com. New York City, USA: Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/petty_tom/artist.jhtml#bio. Retrieved 2008-11-16. 
  22. ^ "A Success At Last, and He's Eating It Up". The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA: Brian Tierney): p. D01. 1984-03-22. 
  23. ^ Tarnow, Noah (1998-07-16). "Don't Knock The Knack". Rolling Stone (New York City, USA: Jann Wenner). 
  24. ^ Palmer, Robert (1980-09-26). "The Pop Life; Confident disk from Jerry Lee Lewis". The New York Times (New York City, USA: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.): p. C14. 
  25. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (April 2000). ""Ask Al" Q&As for April, 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0400. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  26. ^ a b Yankovic, Alfred M. (2003). "Awards". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/awards.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-11. 
  27. ^ "Gold & Platinum – Search Results: "Weird Al" Yankovic". Recording Industry Association of America. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Off%20the%20Deep%20End&artist=%22Weird%20Al%22%20Yankovic&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-06-26. 
  28. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (April 1999). ""Ask Al" Q&As for April, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0499. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”