"Music video by ""Weird Al"" Yankovic performing Behind-The-Scenes Featurette on the Making of Straight Outta Lynwood. (C) 2006 Volcano III Entertainment, LLC"
The master at work. Hiding behind that goofy unassuming visage lies a veteran creator and a true professional. This is a great insight into how talented Al really is, as a producer, writer, arranger and performer.
Totally agree with you! He is amazing not just with the lyrics but his ear while creating and his leadership and ability to foster a team mentality with his fellow musicians.
@@chrisp5529 I have to say they've been together for so long and through so much I'm not sure the word "band" describes this grouping of people any more. They are more like a musical family than a band.
I guess this is what happens when a popular and successful musician/singer stays out of the public eye most of the time, doesn't get into controversies and doesn't let the fame get to his head. He remains relevant longer, maintains his image throughout his career and is generally happier and healthier because he can focus on his music and not have to deal with all the other S*** that comes with fame & success.
Yeah al has always been very much in the public eye but in a healthy way he is so wholesome and hasn't let fame go to his head and hasn't been influenced by the bad negative parts of fame very well said
and this is why he's a genius. he knows the art of creating parodies where he takes his time to craft these songs while thinking about harmonies, arrangements, time signatures, and all of these things to make the originals vital and the parody songs just as unique. he is way overdue for a rock n roll hall of fame induction.
I have the most respect for Al, one thing no one really talks about to much is his band, they are the heart of his operation and don't get the recognition they deserve. They have been there from the beginning over 30 years through the ups and downs been offered big money to go other places and they stayed with Al. They too deserve much respect.
It’s crazy that they’re not only amazing chameleon musicians, they’re also competent backing vocalists. They really were the key to his success, not having to allocate budget for those backing vocals, or session musicians for any random parts a less talented band might not be able to nail. Like imitating a particular guitarist’s style, or a solo, or whatever. Also being able to maximize session time, with everyone always present to do any part needed.
And people say Al isn’t a real musician because he makes parody songs. Look at how much work his puts into his originals. He slaves over these songs and knows exactly what he wants to get it perfect. He’s a true professional and a genius
My brother got to meet the drummer. He said that Al is a perfectionist, but it is because he wants the music to be perfect for his fans. And that Al makes sure that any fan in line to get an autograph after a show would get it no matter how late it got. Even the night Al was told his parents had died, and they told him to go home, he wouldn't leave until ever fan got the autograph.
I met him for my 28th birthday (I apologized it wasn't my 27th). What I heard about him was true; he is a really nice down-to-earth guy. I remember his keyboardist Ruben Valtierra said Al once sent him home from rehearsal after he couldn't play American Pie note-for-note.
@@Doommaster1994 “sent him home” sounds kinda bad, but I can only assume it was more of a “go home and get the song down so you can be ready next rehearsal” thing. Cuz if he doesn’t have his part down for the song that totally hinges on it, he’s not much use haha
This is really, really, really fascinating. It's neat how Weird Al directs the whole process. It's like he has a very definite idea of how he wants the songs to be recorded and he's moving people around to make it happen exactly the way it needs to.
But he's also being really patient and respectful the whole time and lets the musicians/engineers clarify when necessary since they know their tools better than him. He's a gem.
@@SuperJNG18 Right, and I'm sure he encourages people to do things. It isn't just do things his way. He can't think of everything and sometimes a band member will come up with something to help him along. Can't wait to see new work from him soon.
Late to the party here, but wanna say his real personality is so different from the persona in his performances, he'd make an excellent character actor in movies, IMHO. Also, his courtesy with and respect for all his musicians and the other vocalists is only matched by his own tremendous musicianship. After decades of success and awards, he's earned the right to give orders like an old-school maestro. But he chooses to be polite and deferential instead, even to the least prominent performers. That says a lot about his character as a person. It's clear this man could've have a stellar career in "straight" pop music. How lucky we are that he decided to make fun of pop music instead!
True, he knows it's hard work and you have to be patient with others. It will all come together if they have a good time and Al is clear with what he wants. He understood also if there was some mistakes at first, like when the woman laughed at the Weasel sounds, which Al admits she hadn't heard before, so of course she would laugh.
Al is a true artist. He doesn't just write "goofy" lyrics, lay down a few vocals, and call it a day--he's doing everything he can to make sure the songs sounds exactly how he envisions them. I love watching the sausage being made, so to speak.
The section from 8:02-8:33 shows just how much of professional and perfectionist Al is (being an artist myself I totally get)...without being an a-hole about it. You can tell he's exhausted and probably frustrated but he isn't taking it out on the crew.
That bit, when the rest of the band has gone home (or is asleep in the next room) and it’s just you and the guy on the board can be so tedious. He looks like he put in a full day and is in the middle of a full night.
The workings of musical geniuses. "Weird Al" Yankovic, Guitarist Jim " Kimo" West, Bassist Steve Jay, Drummer Jon "Bermuda" Swartz and Keyboardist Ruben Valtierra are still together after all these years. I have seen them live since 1999. Originals and parodies from "Weird Al" are truly exceptional!
4:45 makes me feel better when PT crashes! If Al wasn’t known as a parody artist, he’d still be one of the best in the business! The band is top notch, plus they’ve been together since day one. Love it.
80% of Weird Al's songs are his amazing original songs. Out of his 14 studio albums, less than half are parodies. He writes songs for movies, tv and commercials.
I had the great pleasure to meet him after a show in 1999. Not only is he VERY "normal" behind-the-scenes, he's generous, witty, and just seems like a great person to have as a friend. His close friends are very lucky!
Proof that weird al is one of the greatest musicians of all time. Not only does he put incredible effort and precision into his work but his imagination has lasted longer than all but the greatest of artists. Plus his parody songs will outlast almost all other forms of music. My favorite thing is that he stays up to date. I would watch Ray Stevens if he managed to do the same thing.
@Rob R Well, they're parodies in a different way. They are called style parodies, meaning the song is original, but it is parodying a style of another singer. Even if you don't know what it is, it is still entertaining to listen to anyway, so that's good.
Al is on another level. He hears things a normal human cannot. And because of that, he hears mistakes a normal human cannot, which means his musicians also have to be on another level to keep up with him.
I've been a fan of Weird Al since I was twelve and this video just reaffirms why he is an absolute genius and still one of the most talented artists in the industry thirty five years on.
Alot of people don't give "Weird Al" enough credit! He is a musical genius! He doesn't just throw these songs together willy nilly, it takes alot of time to write/craft the song, and then arrange the song, record the song....all of it!!! He is very smart! Always listened to "Weird Al", probably when it wasn't cool to!! But I was always at home listening to music. I wasn't running the streets and getting myself in trouble or being promiscuous!! I was a nerd!! I read books and listened to "Weird Al".........oh, and I listened to my favorite band of ALL TIME......Dire Straits!!!
Never knew that making funny music was so serious. Actually, not surprised that Al puts so much effort to his music. His product has been top notch for decades.
The part at the end with Nina always brings a smile to my face. My nieces and nephews were about that age when this was made and reminds me of fun times when they would visit
I have Straight Outta Lynwood in my top ten albums of all time. It is a superb record. Let's be honest, most Weird Al records have at least one weak track on them, but SOL doesn't. Every track is a gem. This video doesn't feature three of the best - White and Nerdy, Canadian Idiot and Trapped In The Drive-Thru, all of which are excellent. The parody of James Blunt's You're Beautiful - You're Pitiful - was also supposed to be on this album but was left out for contractual reasons. It's available on YT, of course. Weird Al deserves more recognition as a superb singer and musician, not just a funny man. He's one of a kind.
This is going to sound odd but, people looking to get into the music industry need to watch this video and see how a REAL musician works. It's hard work, lots of time, tons of tweaking and NOT something you can get from reality TV. You have to work hard and be willing to cope with the fact you DON'T know everything about producing music and will always have room to grow and learn as an artist.
Lol. - I know lots and lots about Weird Al, I've read/watched about him for years and years of my life, I know exactly how dedicated he is to his work but still... ... ...Anybody here find it weird to actually SEE Weird Al "working"?
Well, I figured he worked really hard anyway, to make each album and song work. It's nice to see him be patient and humorous with others. He knows it can take time and patience to put this together. You have to take these things one step at a time. He treats it like architecture, which he studied in college.
I get weird Al tunes going round and round in my head all day and I don’t even mind because they make me laugh. At the moment I’m hearing “Stop forwarding that crap to me.” LOL
It's so cool to watch professional musicians work. Never ceases to amaze me. Edit: And when you watch someone as genuinely pleasant and nice as Weird Al, it's beyond enjoyable.
Proof that this his VEVO account is controlled by his record company and not him: The entire description is in quotes. ("Listen up while I tell you this, I hope you never use quotation marks for emphasis...")
I was 7 or 8 years old when my parents got me the CD and I accidentally stumbled upon this when playing it in the computer. Helped me learn music production very early on. Thanks Al
i remember watching this in 2006 when i was in high school and loving it, and now i watch it and it makes me realize what an inspiration and a multi talented artist al yankovic is
As a kid, I never understood "I'll Sue Ya". I had never heard of Rage Against the Machine. Only now do I realize how well he imitated their style. Genius!
It was awesome seeing the creative process behind Al’s songs, he’s got a really good ear for what would work best for the music and not to mention how incredibly talented his band is
Al seems like he'd be the nicest musician to work with. Granted, I know they wouldn't show him getting upset in a video like this, but I honestly can't see him getting upset as anything more than just a fluster that passes after a little while.
Well, it's basically his job, making music and perfecting it. Granted, it's a really rewarding and luxurious job, but it can still really frustrate anyone at times. This is coming from a fellow musician. xD
Wow what a beautiful "Behind-The-Scenes Featurette". I teared up a bit. Weird Al, if you read this...thank you. If you never existed I doubt I would have become a musician. Life is a strange thing. I've worked in the music business for 20 years now, and I can trace my early childhood musical obsessions to this... Pink Floyd --> Weird Al --> many things you introduced me to (especially the medleys) --> musical exploration. Anyway...thanks so much!!!
Of all the great composers of our time, Meatloaf, Axl Rose, none of them can hold a candle to Al. By far, the hardest working man in show biz. Thanks Al!
Guitar, flute, cello, French horn, toy piano, drums, choir with precise voca... WAIT, toy piano?? Yep, Yankovic. 8:00-8:32 nope, not just a funny voice.
This is great! Love behind-the-scenes vids & having been in plenty of studios during albums being made I recognize the care and attention to detail that you put into your music. Which is apparent when you hear it - but watching this just reinforces the love you have for the music.
Al is an incredible producer. Amazing knowledge of musical theory and instrumentation. His original songs are always my favorite, the parodies are kind of funny, but his original songs are genius.
Why would he not? It's not like he's not a trained musician and hasn't been making music for 3 decades? He's giving proper direction to the session musicians working on his album (as well as to his own band)...you WANT that if you're hired for a job, not some hack telling you just figure it out....and Al's anything BUT a hack.
Yeah, but it's a refreshing site to see a musician, who actually knows and understands music theory. So often the musicians of today, don't know shit about music theory. They just say go faster, or make it sound like this "proceeds to sing beat."
Twisted Puppet I'll agree there. The way you phrased it -- "throwing out music terms" -- came across like he was just saying phrases he'd heard without understanding them.
Twisted Puppet You can see that he really loves what he does and he's really passionate about his work even if the lyrics aren't "serious", he really enjoys this and its something he really does take seriously. Also, Was that Ida Menzel @ 5:10?
this guy is a better musician than most of the professional musicians I know. Amazing ears and just a great artist-musician, thanks for all the amazing music you've done.
I know this is only a very small fraction of what happens behind the scenes in the making of the song but I still find it very interesting getting a glimpse into how the songs come together.
Straight outta Lynwood special edition was the first album I ever bought with my own money, and finding this on the dvd was like a special treat. This takes me back
Man watching this video in 2022 and I start thinking back to the memories of my school days of 2007 back when limewire file sharing was still a thing. but these days pirating isn’t a thing anymore. It’s always been illegal it’s just a fact in the government hasn’t caught up to it yet until 2008. That’s why I started buying secondhand vinyl records
I’m getting cds again cause I can’t trust apple. And microsoft is making steam a nightmare to use. So I just want physical back ups so when shit hits the fan. At least I got my favorite tunes with me without having to pay subscription for BS.
I love " Weird " Al's music, I have been a fan for years and it all stems from listening to Dr. Demento all those years ago, unfortunately due to circumstances I haven't been either able to afford to go to a concert or had transportation to a concert, I would love to meet him in person.
