BBB Reviews: “Weird Al” Yankovic (self-titled first album) (Revised 2018)

Before I begin the review, let me state for the record that this was actually the LAST album I bought of Al’s. That’s right, I purchased Straight Outta Lynwood before this. (Editor's Note 2018: I did manage to buy the other albums in a timely fashion after this.) After listening to this CD for the first time on my 18th birthday (which was in 2007), I thought it was a solid record, though it was only some 23 minutes long.

So here goes nothing (with lyrics widgets), “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC!

1. “Ricky”: The lead-off track on the very first album is indeed a parody. That song in question is “Mickey”, by Toni Basil, a music video that apparently looked like it was performed by drunk cheerleaders.

Anyways, back off a tangent, this song is primarily a two and a half minute synopsis on the plot of the show. Al, playing Ricky Ricardo, pretty much owns his whiny yet lovable wife of Lucy, played by Tress MacNeille. Or at least that’s how it is played in the music video. The highlight of the song in my opinion, other than the obvious retread of the famous opening theme at the end, is when Lucy is trying to persuade Ricky to let her go to the club capped off with that signature “cry”. That sounds like a plot for at least one show a season!

This song however definitely showed Al’s comedic talents, and would help him branch out into the stratosphere. For now, like Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, this song is mild-mannered and unassuming.

Weird Al Yankovic - Ricky lyrics | LyricsMode.com

2. “Gotta Boogie”: Don’t let the opening synthesizer/drum riff in the opening fool you.

This song is not about boogie, in terms of dancing.

This song is about boogie, the one that comes out of your NOSE!

For a song just a scratch over two minutes long, there isn’t much to say. There’s not much variation in the instrumentals, and there is definitely not much variety in the lyrics. Moral of the story: just put it in a tissue and put it in the trash! 

3. “I Love Rocky Road”: Ah, the song that launched “The Food Album”. Or so I think…

This track is a parody off the famous tune, “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett. Instead of talking about punk taking over the jukeboxes, this one revolves around Al talking about, “chocolate’s getting old, (and) vanilla just leaves me cold.”

Al’s fascination with this ice cream is quite irregular. He keeps quarts in the locker at school, yet when he hears the ice cream truck, he starts to drool. Paradise for him would be locking him in the freezer and throw away the key. Soda jerkers know him by name, and he doesn’t care about tooth root.

Also the music video to this is pretty well known too (as seen in the link for the, gasp, Music Video Collection!) However, you’re treated to a live version instead!

And no, Al did not get pelted with ice cream in this performance!

4. “Buckingham Blues”: This song fits the coronation of “Weird” in Al’s name to a ‘t’.

The song, an original in lyrics, has a bluesy-folk riff in the background while the song is sung as if it was “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp. Replace Jack and Diane with Chuck and Diane… and um…yeah…

This three minute+ song revolves around the socialite lifestyle of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales. Yes, the same Princess Diana that unfortunately lost her life in that auto accident in Paris back in 1997 attempting to get away from the Paparazzi.

With the “Jack and Diane” analogy, that was really only in the first verse in the song as everything is totally sarcastic. Al riffs on Chuck not knowing what his job entails while whatever Diana wears is on the six o’clock news. That’s just a case of the Buckingham Blues! Not a bad track I must say, pretty good satire.

5. “Happy Birthday”: Full of pip and pop, this original song revolves around anything BUT a ‘happy’ birthday.

Among topics “yelled” (Al talks very fast in this song and it took me a couple of takes to get it all in), are poison-filled skies, the ‘monkeys’ at the Pentagon about the press the button and cause World War 3, and essentially everyone dying.

Yep, another tradition is born: typical gore/death song on an ‘Al’ album. Not much beyond that, but it’s a start.

6. “Stop Draggin’ My Car Around”: Written apparently by Tom Petty but used/sung by Stevie Nicks, this song is a parody of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”. However, unlike a figurative drag in the original, Al is talking about a literal drag.

The unfortunate drag of a tow truck.

Between parking in a loading dock, the owner of a bar not liking the car, and then just finally not paying on time (though the check was in the mail), Al gets to see his ‘64 Plymouth finally being towed away for good. Poor guy, always seems to have hard luck!

In addition, the choice of following the original’s beat of a slower pace makes all the pain the main character suffering all the more unbearable. That and, well, what engine does it have?

7. “My Bologna”: A song that was famous on the Dr. Demento show long before Al made this album, it is a parody of “My Sharona” by The Knack.

In a fast-paced ditty (a shade over two minutes), Al sings about what seems to be his favorite cured lunch meat. Mentioning the pace, the original song was at a much more moderate tempo than this, as Al sounds to be out of breath at times. (Editor’s Note 2018: The demo version from ‘Medium Rarities’ has a tempo closer to the song it parodies.)

In addition to the pace, this song predominantly features the song of Al’s accordion, an instrument who is as signature as Al’s mustache at the time. Although Al would undergo a lot of cosmetic and aesthetic changes throughout his career, the accordion never truly left (though it’s appearances would be heavily toned down after this album).

8. “The Check’s in the Mail”: An original, and another traditional Al song of problems with the lady-folk.

Al is divorced, and while he has a new chick (that the old chick can “talk” to just to avoid Al), the old one wants to suck his accounts DRY. As in, she won’t wait for the check to come in, she wants to SUE, and SUE NOW! I wouldn’t be surprised if that old chick’s name was ‘Sue’.

This song has issues most men will relate to, mainly the litigation and avoidance themes. In the grand scheme of thematics, this song didn’t fit too well.

9. “Another One Rides the Bus”: For a first album, I must admit Mr. Yankovic really bit off a lot from that creative tree. 

The song he parodies here is by far the most famous of all the other songs featured on the album."

Taken off of “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen, this song was originally featured on the Dr. Demento show in 1980, and was also the debut of Al’s television performances in 1981 as he was on “The Tomorrow Show with Tom Synder”. The latter of the two can be seen on the Music Video Collection in the special feature section.

Back to the song, it’s a crazy-sounding track. Substitute guitars for percussion sound-effects and accordions, and that is the overall jist of the aural presentation. As a matter of fact, the hysterically low budget of the track helps it become a much more effective parody  once you realize Al was a unknown at this stage in his career.

The lyrics are not much to comprehend: it’s about the different types of passengers encountered on a crowded public bus. With that in mind, here is the music video from the DVD. Perhaps you might just buy it!

10. “I’ll Be Mellow When I’m Dead”:  An original track, it’s a bizarre branch of the Al song tree.

Usually Al is a free spirit, yet he attacks that very ideal in this track as he doesn’t care for jacuzzis, incense, Perrier, sushi, 

amongst other “in desirables”.

Despite the attacks of that style, the song is not instrumentally “designed” like its theorem. As a matter of fact, and quite hilariously, it sounds like almost every other track with it being mainly accordion based. For the longest song in the album (3:39), there’s not much more discussion then what I just wrote.

11. “Such a Groovy Guy”: An unusual topic graces this original, that of being a narcissistic bastard.

He raves about his style, his approach, yet his lady doesn’t think so.

With pouring chocolate pudding down your lady’s pants, that is something I can rest assure you can hold you back from getting action.

Knowing his crap doesn’t stink, the lady folk leaves him while Al wonders what did he do that was so wrong. It was quite obvious, but the narcissism derails his thought process. All Al needed to complete this “look” was the jumpsuit he used from the “Living with a Hernia” music video.

12. “Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung”: Here it is, the finale. Apparently, this original was quite a hit in bars where Al used to sing this tune.

The story behind it is simple, yet effective: Al visits Mr. Frump in the hospital every day. He tells Mr. Frump his stories and troubles in life, but because Frump is in a iron lung, really can’t speak. So in that sense, it’s as if the guy from the song prior is getting some meditation from a guy who “agrees” with him.

Speaking of the iron lung (yes, the pun is intentional), the sound effect for Frump’s “vocals” revolve around percussion and deep breathing. Hmm, sounds like a low budget thing doesn’t it?

CONCLUSION: This album is definitely a stepping stone in Al’s career. While his voice wasn’t fully honed out yet, the creativity and his “spin on things” definitely made this album better than most first outings from other singers. From here, Al can only go up from here, and not just in quality. Also in…DIMENSIONS……