File Under: Style Parody of Doo Wop & Elvis (to an extent)
Music Video: YES
Best Music Video Moment: Al ripping out his heart
Best lyric: "I'd rather rip my heart right out of my ribcage with my barehands and throw it on the ground and stomp on it until I die."
Al has a knack for making great parodies of love songs. Probably one of his most Zappaesque qualities. This has always been one of my favorite Al originals, because I always likes when his humor goes to the darker side. It also has a masturbation joke in it too, which I didn't get as a kid.
"I'm stranded all alone/ At the gas station of love/ And I have to use the self-service pumps."
The increasing ridiculousness of the heartbroken protagonist's actions are wonderful.
Best lyric: "The long-term contract I had to sign/Says I'll be making these movies till the end of time" (Who knew that would come true for Mark Hamill?)
I loved Star Wars as a kid. Still do. I loved Weird Al. But Yoda was never one of my favorites. Which I know for the Al fans out there is a travesty, but what can I say? It just was never on heavy rotation. Part of it has to do with it being one of his most straightforward parodies wherein the song structure is essentially exactly the same, but he changed the lyrics from "Lola" to Yoda. Good accordion playing though.
Song Rating: B
It is better live, and it's one of the ones that comes near the end of the set usually. Here's him with a cameo from Al superfan Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The story goes that the record company told Al that he needed to do a straight cover of a song with no parody lyrics, so this is what he chose to do. If that's true, then it's next level malicious compliance, and he's all the better for it.
Song Rating: F (It is actually pretty amusing, but it's literal filler on the album, and has no purpose.)
Best Lyric: "They'll suck your brain out through a straw/ You just can't trust those guys"
Not an Al song that I listen to often, but it's probably one of the better original instrumentals that the band ever did. Has a bit of a Devoesque feel to it, to go along with the title track, and the bass line is fantastic. All of the little touches of the theremin and guitar effects create a fun atmosphere too.
File Under: Food, Parody of Cydni Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Music Video: No
Best Lyric: The eating noises
Probably the worst Al song ever made, and it doesn't really come close. I needed to go to the Ask Al archive to find the exact quote about this song.
"That song has never been one of my favorites, mostly because I was basically forced to do it. For some reason, my record label was dead-set against releasing the “Dare To Be Stupid” album unless I had a Cyndi Lauper parody on it. I grudgingly obliged them – and that was pretty much the last time they told me what to put on an album."
It definitely sounds like he intetionally made this song terrible, which actually makes it quite funny in that respect, but Al sounds like he's in physical pain singing the chorus to this song.
BTW the Ask Al archive is incredible. He was doing fan stuff on the internet from the beginning, and he shares a lot of insights (and makes some great sarcastic remarks) responding to fan questions.
File Under: Film tie-in, Original, Style Parody of 20s & 30s music
Music Video: YES
Best Music Video Moment: Mobster gun check
Best Lyric: "They say that money corrupts you/ But I can't really tell/ I got the whole world at my feet/ And I think it's pretty swell"
A song that was actually released as a single a year prior to the album release. It was the opening credits music for the 1984 gangster satire film Johnny Dangerously starring Michael Keaton and some other great talent. The movie is OK and has some funny moments. The song is a fun original from Al that I enjoy everytime I hear it. It's not particularly humorous, but the tune is pretty damn catchy.
File Under: TV, I guess it's supposed to be a parody of the 1972 Elton John song "Hercules"?
Music Video: No
Best Lyric: "Oh, but they're just jealous cause I've seen Porky's/ Twenty-seven times this week"
This song is just baffling to me. It barely sounds like that Elton John song, and it wasn't even contemporary. The song itslef is not horrible, and it's part of the many TV-critical songs by Al, but it's never something I listen to.
Cover of:
"12th Street Rag" by Euday L Bowman
"State Of Shock" by The Jacksons With Mick Jagger
"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top
"What's Love Got To Do With It?" by Tina Turner
"Method Of Modern Love" by Hall & Oates
"Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
"99 Luftballoons" by Nena
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"The Reflex" by Duran Duran
"Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" by Quiet Riot
"Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Music Video: No
Best Cover: 99 Luftballoons or The Reflex
As I've already stated, the polka medleys are always going to be a highlight. This isn't one of my favorites, but it's still an easy A. 99 Lufballoons is sung entirely in German and The Reflex has a bizarre pitchshifted vocal.
With that, we're through Dare To Be Stupid, which a lot consider to be Among Al's best, but it's probably only at #5 or so on my overall, maybe less. The great tracks are great, but the bad ones are among his worst.
Album Rating B-
The next album is also considered to be the worst...
Here's the first Al TV. It's essentially public acess TV. You can tell that he wasn't quite comfortable in front of a camera yet. There's some funny bits in here though.
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