Weird Al Yankovic
Bad Hair Day
»
Weird Al Yankovic
Bad Hair Day
BMG, 1996
RiYL: Dr. Demento, Polka Bros., Ween |
He's been skewering our favorite bands for years with parodies of their hit songs. Way back when we all thought the coolest things on the radio were Michael Jackson and Madonna, Yankovic was right there with "Eat It" and "Like A Surgeon."
When we all found Nirvana, Yankovic was making fun of the grunge nation with "Smells Like Nirvana." By 1996, Yankovic's albums were a familiar formula -- half parodies, half amusing-but-horribly-stuck-in-the-'80s originals and one polka medley of the year's hottest singles thrown in for good measure.
Bad Hair Day won't disappoint those who know what to expect, skewering everyone from Coolio to U2 to Soul Asylum to the Smashing Pumpkins, first single "Amish Paradise" is a take-off of Coolio's unbelievably successful hit, "Gangsta's Paradise." While "Weird Al" knows how to make amusing rhymes from another's lyrics, the song borders on religious intolerance.
Much more innocent but equally amusing is "Phony Calls," a parody of TLC's "Waterfalls" and a paean to late-night pranksters. "Cavity Search," taken from U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," is testament to Yankovic's band, as it successfully navigates U2's tough composition. In fact, through the years Yankovic's band has proved quite versatile in deconstructing the songs he's parodied.
Unfortunately, the band's original compositions don't show off that versatility. Songs such as "Everything You Know Is Wrong" and "I Remember Larry" not only sound as if they're 15 years old, they lack the melodies that would have made them good songs back then.
"The Alternative Polka" is Yankovic's by-now-expected medley of the year's hit singles, this time featuring Beck's "Loser," Stone Temple Pilots' "Sex Type Thing," Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" and Foo Fighters' "I'll Stick Around," among others. There's something undescribably great about hearing Trent Reznor's lyrics set to a polka melody.
It's amazing that Yankovic has been able to sustain a career doing what he does for this long. Maybe it's our generation's affinity for the '80s. Maybe we have a soft spot for hearing our favorite songs recast with more amusing lyrics. Whatever the reason, "Weird Al" is here to stay. Poor Michael Jackson.
PATRICK KASTNER | Affectionately known as Cousin Patty (yes, it's a "Throw Momma From The Train" reference), Patrick Kastner is a designer for the Columbus Post-Dispatch.