The picture in the background in the bedroom is Doctor Demento, from the syndicated radio show of the same name. He played comedy, offbeat, and rare recordings (he has a massive collection). He's largely responsible for launching Weird Al's career by playing Al's first parodies such as My Bologna (My Sharona) and Another One Rides the Bus (Another One Bites the Dust) Mainly those were just Al on accordion and some added percussion and sound effects.
That is a picture of Dr. Demento. The DJ who brought Weird Al to the attention of the world. He played his music on his radio show and then funded his first record. Dr Demento used to have a national radio show.
I hadn't listened to Dr. Demento for a while, so I made a point to listen one weekend, and I heard the release party for Al's first album. I had missed his rise on the show, but after hearing "Ricky," I was hooked. At a show in the 80's, I was taking a picture during this song, and someone threw a banana that ended up in the shot and in focus.
I remember that - I used to listen to Dr. Demento's live show on KMET Los Angeles on Sunday nights back in the 1980's. Four hours (as opposed to two hours for the nationwide syndicated show) of demented goodness, with a Top Ten during the last hour (instead of the Funny Five during the last half hour of the syndicated show). Great stuff. Weird Al had been sending in tapes that he'd recorded (and Dr. D would play) - and then the fateful night when Weird Al came to the studio with his accordion to perform Another One Rides the Bus live on air. He opened his case and the accordion fell on the floor! Oops! 🤣 But it was undamaged, and he performed the song with no other problems. It was glorious! 👍🥰 And, as they say, a star was born! 😋
Weird Al actually goes into detail about talking when he first made this video. He got permission from Michael Jackson and his management to utilize the exact same set that Michael Jackson used for his beat it video so everything you see is from the original Michael Jackson song is also in weird Al’s video.
I thought I remember reading that this particular set had already been dismantled, so they rebuilt it the best they could. But for Dat they had the exact same set.
@@niftyjig I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, & the only cool thing the city ever did* was to use "another one rides the bus" for public transpo ad, & some cuts from the Who's "Tommy" for a public service announcement. *well, besides having Jerry Springer as mayor.
The squeaky "fart" noises are actually the sounds of the hands of "musical" Mike Kieffer. Known as a Manualist, the art of playing music by squeezing air through the hands, he is featured on a few of Als earlier songs and had a minor career of his own.
The picture at the end is of Dr. Demento. The Dr. Let Al do "Another One Rides The Bus" on his radio show early on. The Dr's show inspired Al to work on comedy and parody music. A beautiful homage to his origins while in the throws of his success 🧡
Dr. Demento had a radio program for decades that featured all manner of novelty music. Although he's no longer on the radio, he still does a show every week and posts it on the Internet. The first song of Al's that Dr. D played was called Belvedere Cruisin'. He's played all of Al's major songs and many of his minor songs since then. Al did play Another One Rides the Bus live on Dr. D's program, and that's when he met his drummer, who's been with him ever since. Dr. D was a big inspiration for Al, and with all the radio airplay Al got on his show, it's not an exaggeration to say there would be no "Weird Al" without Dr. Demento. Dr. D appears in many of Al's videos, often in person, and he's acknowledged in every one of Al's studio albums.
18:53 Not only did Eddie Van Halen play that solo, but he did it for free (if you don't count the two 6-packs of beer they brought in for him in the studio) and he did it all in basically one take
MJ was a great fan of Al and left him the original locations for both "Eat it" and "Fat" (Al's persiflage of MJ's hit "Bad"). He stuck to the "Beat it" video so closely that you can play them side by side and you have to admire the synchronicity of Al's "remake".
The amazing thing about Al is he can sound like whoever he's parodying while still sounding like himself as well. It's not just Eat It, it's every song he does, practically.
what i have learned going to a lot of karaoke bars is that "sounding" like the artist is more about getting their phrasing and inflections down than it is matching their timbre. i have heard a lot of people who can match timbre, not be able to match vibrato (for example) who wind up not sounding like the artist at all. al is a great impersonator
Weird Al's diction when singing is not only amazing, it's super important to his craft. He has to make sure you hear every word for those jokes to land, while fitting it into someone else's song.
Wierd Al and Puddle's the Clown are the two singers with the best diction on the internet (I dare say... the world). In Puddle's case, I have understood lyrics after *decades* of hearing misunderstanding the band singing the same lyrics. He is amazing. And in Wierd Al's case... his entire shtick depends on people *understanding* the words. And he is a wordsmith.
damn near forty years later, and I can still sing every lyric of this song. EDIT: the picture in the background on Al's wall is a radio comedy DJ named "Dr. Demento" - the guy that gave Al his big break with his song "My Bologna". Dr. Demento used to have a sydicated radio show where he played funny songs ranging from stuff by Tom Lehrer to T-Bone Stankus.
Aha! You beat me to it. I loved listening to Dr. Demento. He had a skit on his show called "Star Dreck" that I still quote lines from. "Don't have a spaz Snotty!"
As a huge Weird Al fan I have to mention that Al is a perfectionist and has an extraordinary band that for over 40 years has been playing every genre of music you can think of. What Weird Al does is not easy. Which is why he is the only one consistantly doing it and has been making legit hits for over 40 years. He has even starred in his own hilarious film which he helped write called UHF. He has also directed other people's videos. Many people may not realize that Al has also recorded the entire Peter and the Wolf album and has written children's books. He is an all around savant.
I will disagree to a point... what Weird Al does is actually very easy. It doesn't take much talent or effort to parody or make fun of somebody, we all do it every day... the genius of Weird Al is that he's very very good at it... He takes something that everybody does and raises it to Olympic levels of accomplishment. "Like a Surgeon" isn't exactly an insanely groundbreaking idea... like most of Weird Al's work, it's 3rd grade nonsense.... but the brilliance of Weird Al is taking that silly concept all the way to perfection. He nails the zeitgeist almost every time.
Weird Al has always had a philosophy that absurdity, his specialty, is best done as seriously and accurately as possible to the point he often gets access to props, sets, crew, etc from original videos. Most artists take being parodied by Al as an honor and go out of their way to help out. It’s been proven to be incredible promotion for the original songs too.
@@melrupinski88Not exactly. Madonna made a comment to someone along the lines of, "I wonder when Weird Al is going to do 'Like a Surgeon,'" and that person contacted Al's manager and it got back to Al that Madonna had said that, and he decided it was a good idea. So, she never actually mentioned anything directly to Al. Just a bit of clarification to answer your question.
If nobody has mentioned it yet, the picture is of Dr Demento, the radio DJ that always played Al's latest and greatest. He did a whole show, I think 2-4 hours of parody and novelty songs and music each week on Sunday night. This is Al's nod to his one man marketing campaign.
I would stay up until the WEE hours of the morning in Germany where my dad was stationed in the Air Force, listening to AFN to hear Dr Demento in the late 80's.
Weird Al is one of the most creative and genius musicians in any genre. 40 years of being THE example of how to do a parody. Been a big fan since the 80s myself. Also, the picture hanging on the wall above the bed is Dr. Demento. The show that got Al his first start.
For any who are confused by the yellow slitted eyes at the end: Beat It was released as part of the Thriller album, and the video for the title track ended with Jackson sporting similar eyes.
Saw Weird Al in concert with 2 of my sons, years ago. We were only 5 rows back from the stage and I gotta say- it may have been the best concert I’ve ever been to! The man worked SO HARD during that show- at least 30 costume changes (and yes, his fat suit was in it!). He is a true artist and such fun. His band was so tight- always in sync with every song. Great act and a national treasure.
Saw him at one of his rare UK gigs ... it was 2015. So many great moments, but he won the hearts of the audience (even more than before) when he changed the word "aluminum" in the song "Foil" (parody of "Loyal") to the British version: aluminium. It definitely did not go unnoticed - a big roar of approval went up! ❤
My favorite wierd Al fact, is that I saw an interview with MJ and a few other celebs back in the day where they were asked how they felt about AL covering/ parodying their music. And they all said the same thing "I'm actually honored by it, the man has surprising talent. Like he can really really sing, rap, and dance" they all were firmly of the believe that Al could have been a serious musical badass. . . Yet respectfully refected that to just have fun instead. And I can't get over that lol
So many felt that when "Weird Al" parodied one of their songs they had 'made it'. Madonna was reported to have said 'when is "Weird Al" going to parody Like a Virgin"
@@divemonkeys Madonna was the only one, who actually got her request granted. After that, he would always approach the original artist himself. And then, there's Coolio....
@@AO968 - Coolio later said that his rejection of Amish Paradise was his biggest mistake ever. Also, at a later date they actually performed on stage together. But Weird Al did learn a lesson as well.
One of the most impressive live acts you will ever see. He and his bamd are incredibly good musicians. It's wild seeing them seamlessly go through all styles just crush it. Al could never be appreciated enough.
I took my mom to see Weird Al, thinking it would just be a goofy good time, and it was legitimately one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Not only was I crying laughing through most of it, but he is actually very talented. Like even just the quick-changes he did were impressive. Walks behind the drums in a suit, comes out from behind them in a spongebob t-shirt and a tutu. It was ridiculous, hilarious and very entertaining.
He’s an amazing performer. I’ve seen him twice now; the first was his parody work, and recently we saw his originals tour - I actually think the second one was a better show, because his originals are fantastic.
Eat it was Weird Al’s break out hit. It helps that he used the same sets and dance choreographer for his parody. It is amazingly accurate and uniquely Weird Al. Not to mention that he is still relevant today is a testament to not only his musical talent but he vocal range that he can still sing all these styles and range but still sound like Weird Al.
And that Michael Jackson approved pretty much everything Al asked for with enthusiasm and encouragement; pretty heady stuff coming from the King of Pop...
I've absolutely been waiting for you to hit some Weird Al. Even though his work it parody, his ability to sing in the style of all those different artists is amazing. He's a true artist with a lot of songs. I hope you do many more! //GUSH OFF//
Yes, Al is a musician's musician... as well as a builder of bridges between the comedy and the music. Kind of a badass. And he's real, too. What a fantastic human.
When Weird Al was first starting out, one of his things is that he wouldn't parody an artists song without their permission, even if the studio had already given permission. He had a hard time at first getting artists permission, until he approached Michael Jackson who loved the idea so much he not only showed him the exact set locations and gave him props from his music video to use, but went to all of his fellow artists and advocated for Weird Al and convinced a lot of them to allow him parody their songs. MJ was the first and biggest Weird Al fan.
You really need to cover his Hardware Store song. He broke a record recording that song of the longest single breath rap. Its why he doesn't perform the song live. He nearly passed out recording it the first time. It is a stunning song that needs to be assessed.
Weird Al is the epitome of the man who takes being absurd seriously and that brings so much joy into the world. And that itself is magnified by him just being a decent guy off the stage. I usually go through his choice of lyrics but hearing an analysis of his voice is much appreciated.
Boy, that took me back. In the 80's if Weird Al did a parody of your song it was a huge badge of honor. MTV couldn't wait for Al to cover a popular song, the cover video became as big as the original in some cases.
in a lot of cases, weird Al's version of something would get around the world FASTER than the original and cause said original track to get a "secondary pop" in sales/airplay.
Weird Al is a national treasure. His parodies are funny and pay homage to the original song. Most artists are honored when he creates a parody of their song.
as they should be. It was hilarious back in the day when Coolio (supposedly) got mad at him for covering his song (which was ALSO a cover)! Also: spam is amazing once or twice a year....just sayin'
@@whodoesntluvpapas I don't think he got mad (especially when he got the royalty checks). Al had asked for permission and the record company had given it. Coolio later said how stupid he was for rejecting the parody.
40 years of Weird Al's parodies. It became a sign you made it when Weird Al parodied one of your songs. That he still does it from time to time tells you he still hasn't lost it.
My introduction to Weird Al was my dad's single of his first song, Another One Rides The Bus, we both loved it because we both loved Queen. When Eat It came out, then, I was over the moon that he'd made a parody of Beat It.
The fact that Al's guitarist, Jim West, has to emulate not only Eddie Van Halen, but also Rick Derringer (who did the solo here), when doing this song live really speaks to his skill on the instrument, and the same can very much be said about the rest of the band. Those guys have serious chops for such a comedic group.
I bought this album as a kid when it first came out. The best part was that Michael Jackson’s “Bad” was all lined up on the shelf with posters, and right next to it was Weird Al’s “Even Worse.”
How Al changes his voice/vocals around slightly to be more in the style of the artist he's paradoy-ing is actually really amazing! He's always been a favorite musician of mine and his talent has always been really obvious
I saw Weird Al live for the first time in March. It was incredible and whoever did the mixing for his live performances deserves a medal. It wasn't until I was sitting there that I realised, not only does he have to sing well, but every word needs to come through clearly in concert in order for his jokes to land. This was particularly pertinent since he was singing only his "deep cut" original songs, a couple of which i hadn't even heard before. He is a rare talent and probably aligns more with musical theater in how he has to sing well and play a character.
Just saw him live recently and it was all original songs. Fantastic and his backing band is one of the tightest groups of musicians I’ve ever heard. As good as his parody songs are, his original songs are where he really shines.
I went and saw the concert in my area and he was terrific. I argue he has on the the best and most versitile bands there is. From the old days when he only had Bermuda Shwartz was beating on his accordian case as percussion in the song my Bologna.
Weird Al is a treasure. Live, the band is always tight. Especially when you consider the costume changes and all the on stage antics. Funny yes, but a total professional. I introduced my kids to Al when they were very young. They love him to this day. I am a great parent.
Hopeful this leads to an interview with AL. I've always thought he was super underrated as a singer in his ability to mimic styles, and would love to hear more on his process. I would also check out his Tiny Desk performance. One of my favorites.
I very enthusiastically recommend Al's song Hardware Store, if you haven't already heard it. It's one of his originals, and there is no official video that I'm aware of, but the vocal acrobatics he does in that tune are nothing short of godlike. Personally, it's probably my favorite song of his. Just, when he says "would you look at all this stuff," don't pause. Calling it magical just sells it short. Cheers.
I believe the "fart boxing" is actually done with the hands by one of his band members. Al and his band are incredible at what they do. It's quite fun seeing your reaction! EDIT: If he does another tour, I highly encourage everyone to go! It's insane how much work they all put into their live shows.
Weird Al’s concerts are epic. He was so good and so much fun, that after seeing him live in my hometown, we immediately went home and bought tickets for the next night about two hours south of my city. He’s the only artist that I’ve seen back-to-back nights. I couldn’t get enough of his talent in a live setting. A remarkable musician, singer, comedian, writer and performer. And his band is unbelievably talented. I’m so glad I saw him twice because I never had another opportunity to go to his concert again.
He's one of only two artists who I've seen live more than once, and for him, I've seen three of his concerts and would attend a 4th without hesitation. They are EPIC! You're right, it's not just Weird Al, but his band as well. They emulate the styles of all of these artists, and that isn't easy. In some cases, these are famous guitarists with unique riffs, and in other cases it's a random studio musician, but the SOUND is iconic. To play the guitar, drums, and keyboard in all those varying styles is mind-boggling.
I went to see him for the 3rd time last year. This tour ("Ill-Advised Self-Indulgent" something) was all about his style parodies (e.g. One More Minute, Craigslist) and it was great. He even sang one oldie from our hometown hero.
I've always been a fan of Weird Al, but I didn't fully realize just how amazing his vocal abilities are until I saw him perform live a few years ago. He seamlessly transitions from one vocal style to another, with killer range and pinpoint pitch accuracy. Not a bum note in the whole show.
Great reaction. I am glad someone with your musical education and background is dissecting how great Weird Al is at adapting to who he parodies plus the detail he put into his videos and songs. Add the fact that his lyrics are funny and match the song perfectly while still making sense. Besides his live action videos, he has some of the greatest animated parody videos as well. One of my favorites is Word Crimes. One that is underrated and really shows off is his voice is his Jurassic Park a parody of MacArthur Park. Basically he tells the whole Jurassic movie story in the song.
Weird Al has had the same backing band from the beginning and they are masters at their instruments.. Criminally underrated... BTW my favorite parady is Aluminum Foil!!!!!!
Al has so much talent. He had 2 Star Wars tribute songs, The Saga Begins and Yoda. The band deserves credits also. They can play most any style music very well.
I remember first hearing Yoda on the Dr Demento Show way back in the 80's. It's where I also learned that Bill Mumy (from the "Lost in Space" tv show) was part of the duo Barnes & Barnes, famous for their silly song "Fish Heads".
Al’s band is top notch musicians and everyone I know who has seen them live were more than surprised by the level they performed many different styles and genres.
22:05 That picture is "Dr Demento", a radio DJ Al loved and listened to all the time in college who played wacky and silly songs on his program. Weird Al got his start in musical stardom from submitting his first ever parody "My Bologna" to Dr Demento's show, which stayed as the #1 song for 3 weeks straight and helped Al get his first record deal.
Weird Al is a favorite. I love hearing artists talk about a Weird Al parody being a "special level" or achievement. Also, Weird Al puts great love and respect into his parodies. Another thing I just learned that I love, is watching you watch something very silly. I felt all that joy, thanks!
I never truly understood how good Weird Al is as a straight vocalist until I saw the video of him singing George Harrison’s What Is Life at a tribute concert in 2014. Live, out front, with nowhere to hide, and not an easy song to sing, and he absolutely kills it. Would love to see your reaction to that.
Finally! If you listen to his other songs, including his originals, you'll see that he has an incredible range in his voice and can sing just about anything in any style.
I think we should also show some love to Al's long-term band members who were also able to adapt to the styles of the artists they were parodying. Those guys are talented artists in their own right. What isn't obvious from most of the videos is that they perform some very complicated choreographies in their stage shows.
Weird Al and his band are without a doubt some of the world's greatest musicians to ever walk the Earth. Look at all the different genres they have done with amazing accuracy and creativity. There are not many people who could be able to have the range that they have.
Plus they hold up live, I've been to six of his concerts and it's never a disappointment even as he's gotten into his 60s; a bunch of relatively-contemporary rock/blues bands I've gone to see (albeit they are often 5-10 years older than Al) it's been "well, half the band is replacements for the original band members who are dead or retired, and the other half should strongly consider retiring."
OMG, Thank you for reviewing this song. Weird Al was an amazing vocalist. I wish you grew up in the 70's and 80's, that would give you a much greater understanding of this song. We were not allowed to leave the table until we ate everything on our plates, if you didn't eat you went to bed hungry! Every time you would hear there are thousands of kids starving in (Country changed with every time it was said).... Spam and Tang were a staple in our household, for breakfast you had fried spam and eggs with toast on a good day, and for dinner it was a fried spam sandwich with a random vegetable! As our parents said if it's good enough for the astronauts, it's good enough for you!!!
It's an insanely long shot but it would so awesome if you did one of Weird Al's Polkas because they really show off his insane level of range and talent. Loved this video :)
@@clydekimsey7503 The Transformers: The Movie (original 80's movie) would beg to differ. Fun fact: Dare to be Stupid was the theme song for Junkion and introduced Wreck-Gar, years later in Transformers: Animated, the character Wreck-Gar was voiced by Weird Al.
Ok, true story. The first “album” I ever bought with my own money was a cassette of Weird Al “In 3D”. I’d been catching Dr.Demento shows every Saturday for a year, and of course Mr.Yankovic got heavy rotation, along with the occasional video on MTV. My love of music, in terms of self discovery, beyond what my parents enjoyed, really started with Weird Al. Legend doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the iceberg-to-mountain that is his maestro levels of mimicry and lyric craft. The mind boggles!
Can I just take a moment to appreciate how you're touching on foods you find delicious that you want to get your child into while you're also analyzing an absolutely ridiculous Weird Al song about making kids eat? I find this vastly enjoyable.
The guy in the picture over Al's bed is Doctor Demento, who was a radio broadcaster & had a radio station and that was the first place that Weird Al performed and did the song "My Bologna", as a parody of "My Sharona" on his accordion. Lol! And Al's career was born! You should react to Weird Al's "Living with a Hernia" with was a parody of James Brown's "Living in America". Al is a genius!
Al was the first concert I ever went to. It was the Poodle Hat tour, so I must have been 14ish? Al's range of vocal and musical styles has got to be unmatched. And so many costume changes. If you're familiar with the "Amish Paradise" era than you might already know "Everything You Know Is Wrong", but if not, it's a great listen. Also, I didn't see anyone else mention it in the chat (but it goes by too fast for me) but Al's producer who played guitar on this song was Rick Derringer, who played with the McCoys ("Hang on Sloopy"), both Winter Brothers (Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo", "Frankenstein") and had a solo career as well.
Weird Al does have amazing attention to detail when it comes to the parody music videos. Its often said that for "Smells like Nirvana" he was wearing the same underwear brand and deodarant as Kurt Cobain. And thats the level of detail we expect from Al. 😅
I grew up watching all of Weird Al’s videos(born in ‘84). I had an older cousin that was a huge fan and we’d binge his videos when I’d go visit. He also lived here in my hometown when I had my first job at a movie theater in the mall. He’d come in there all the time to watch movies and every time he’d show up early and stick around afterwards just to hang out with the employees. He’s such a genuine and just awesome human being. Great reaction🤘🏼
I've seen Weird Al live 3 times and would attend a 4th without hesitation. His band switches styles effortlessly, his costume changes (fat suit and all) add to the comedy, he exudes so much energy that I began to worry he'd faint on stage, yet by the end it seemed like he had so much more to give. Also, these concerts attract the most fun-loving audience ever. I've never heard so many dad jokes than I did at a Weird Al concert.
I've seen him 6 times myself. At one, he purposefully fell to the ground at the end of Smells Like Nirvana (which I've seen him do before), except he wasn't getting back up and then a roadie walked out, grabbed one of his arms and "dragged" him off stage. He didn't seem injured cause he was kind of pushing himself along the ground with his legs, but I was definitely concerned for a minute, cause he's so energetic, and to be frank, aging, it seems like he could easily injure himself. Turned out a storm was coming though and they had to pause the show for about 20 minutes. When he came back on, he was so rearing to go that everyone got right back into it like we hadn't just been standing around for 20 minutes. He's a true performer through and through.
The fart-boxing is actually done by Musical Mike, who does it entirely with his hands. You can see him in a couple videos. Edit: That photo near the end is of Dr. Demento, who pretty much gave Al his big break. Glad you're enjoying Al's work!
As people have said, Weird Al is a musical genius who can mimic any style, like a really good voice impersonator. He's also a brilliant lyricist and a damn fine dancer. It should also be noted that his band of many years are pitch perfect with their rendering of the music and there's never any sampling. My favorites out of many, many great parodies and original songs are Smells Like Nirvana, a dead on rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit and it's accompanying video and The Saga Begins, a takeoff of American Pie with a Star Wars theme. Really just go through his catalog A-Z and pick one, he's that good!
My first experience was listening to an old Cleveland station (one that has since changed its call letters) back in the summer of 1983, and they were interviewing Al and they played "Rickey" during the interview. Not long after, on that station's Sunday night show that was equal parts serious radio show and Dr. Demento-style comedy, they played "Another One Rides The Bus". I was an Al fan for life from that point on.
@@kat021171 From a displaced Cle, I can't even remember the station it played on but it was a few years after 83' I started listening to Dr. Demento. My father and me would make time to listen together.
I think my favourite thing about Weird Al is how even thorugh that ridiculously nasal voice that you know is HIS, he still manages to do things with his voice so you KNOW the artist whose voice he's mimicing, absolute genius. As an amateur burper, I am very much looking forward toa video on the mechanics of burping!
One of my favorites by Weird Al is "Living with a hernia" based on "Living in America" by James Brown. He uses the same dancers and singers as the original, and it's a classic. Al is still around because he is a perfectionist with the music and dances, and is not being mean or hateful with his parodies, but does them with love.
Some important notes (granted other comments have covered it). Eat It was on Weird Al's second album, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D back in 1984, roughly 12 years prior to the existence of Amish Paradise. The fart sounds heard in this song, along with many others in his discography (although mainly in his first album than any other) are actually created by "Musical Mike" Kieffer, using his amazing talent to make fart sounds of all kinds purely from his hands. The low voice heard in the chorus is his bassist, Steve Jay, not Al. And Eat It's video was released right around the same time MTV came around, and as a result, it got put into heavy rotation and Al became an overnight sensation. "Hey, look, it's that Eat It guy!"
Very shocked you haven't gotten to him before...people always underestimate him because of his silly songs, but he's a crazy talented musician. More please!
That's the thing. His talent is often diminished because he's copying someone else, but what they fail to take into consideration when they say this is that he still had to have the talent to be able to reproduce that very same rhythm and style. If Prince is talented for doing a guitar solo, then so is Weird Al for doing the exact same guitar solo.
Poppycock! If he was so talented he would've made his own original stuff and sold it. Anyone with some musical background can copy someone, and can especially make it sound like the original in a studio. Originality is where its at and this guy mocked the industry with his kindergarten skills imo. Performers like him impair the talent pool and advance an agenda for anyone with no real talent to reach the mainstream.@@neil2444
This has happened to Don McLean with American Pie. When his daughters were teenagers, they would be playing and singing The Saga Begins so much at home, that, during live concerts, Don had to consciously make sure he was singing the correct version of the lyrics and not slipping in Al's words. "A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away. Oops. Let's start that again. A long, long time ago, I can still remember when..."
@@danuttall I think Kurt Cobain would throw in lyrics from Smells Like Nirvana - maybe deliberately - and The Presidents of the USA would switch into Gump lyrics accidentally.
Weird Al is an underrated vocalist due to the fact that he's, first and foremost, a comedy act. Approximating all those different musical styles and techniques isn't easy.
I love "the saga begins". I was introduced to it way before the original and I don't think I've actually made it through "American Pie" all the way through without switching. I used to listen to his 'Running with scissors' cd so much that I would sing Albuquerque to myself while I was on stand as a lifeguard. It filled the time perfectly between rotations.
Yeah Van Halen played the guitar solo in the original and the rest of the guitar was played by Steve Lukather from Toto... a band i'm surprised you haven't really touched on yet. They were a band of top class session musicians that all contributed quite heavily to Michael Jackson's solo success. They're all over Thriller. Plus every singer Toto had was incredible.
And the solo here was done by Weird Al’s guitarist, Jim West. Heck, all of Al’s band are really underrated as musicians because, they have a wide variety of styles and artists to emulate, and they all do it so flawlessly.
You gotta do "Hardware Store" lyrical and vocal gymnastics in a musical theatre style with THE most incredible breakdown the you MUST NOT PAUSE but will know when it's coming.
There was an interview I think on VH1 a while back where Al was talking about how often people kind of write off his band. He feels like they’re more important to the bit than he is, as he needs players who can morph into whatever he needs, from polka music to rap to rock, and to do it so perfectly and quickly (many of the earlier songs had to be sussed out by ear and turned around fast to capitalize on popularity). One of my favorite stories from that interview was how Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo asked him to change “Dare to be Stupid” so that it didn’t sound so much like an actual Devo song. His story was intercut with footage of Mothersbaugh relating the first time the band heard the song and briefly thought they, themselves, had recorded it in a lost weekend.
Al makes it a point that for the first few seconds you REALLY think it's the original, and they're so good at it! My 13yo son's first live concert was Weird Al last year and it was such an amazing show! Can't wait til he comes back!
@@0okamino I listened to Dr. Demento for years. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to. He introduced the world to comedic music. I still play videos about Boot to the Head with friends. Or how dead puppies aren't much fun.
Al often sings live to playback in his videos. That's why you're able to see the different ways in which he manipulates his facial expressions and posture to match how he did it in the studio while still seeing him stay true to the original choreography. Dude is for real a master of his craft
Great reaction and superb "burp analysis"! You might enjoy his song "BoB" which is composed entirely of palindromes. The title and every line of the song is a perfect palindrome - very creative! Great reaction, really enjoyed it!
A talented musical technician breaking down Weird Al just made me complete. He's such a part of my life that any time he's brought into modern times is amazing. One important thing to remember with Al is the era in which he became famous... The flashy 80s and the grungy/emo 90s took themselves so seriously, but Al was able to do his thing with a vast majority of the artists he parodied approving.
Thank you for covering this, Weird Al has always been an amazing character and his excellent choreography and music parody is always worthy of any recognition. Great coverage and fantastic showing of appreciation. Bless you.
Your appreciation of Weird Al's diction is so deserved! I've listened to his stuff since I was in middle school (some...ahem...30+ years ago) and I've always loved how comprehensible his delivery of lyrics is! It may be a natural tendency for him, but I could also see that being an intentional effort since, with parodies, the lyrics matter tremendously! If the details of the lyrics are lost, it's possible the theme would be lost as well. Thanks for reacting to an absolute favorite performer of mine!
Dang, I was going to ask you if you’d seen “The Saga Begins” and suggest it. Guess I won’t ! 😅 Goofy as this guy is, he’s really quite the musician and performer…and his lyric parodies are just amazing. BTW - the picture on the wall is Dr. Demento. He had a radio program for a couple decades or so called the Dr. Demento Show. He played goofball songs for a couple hours…and is how Weird Al got his break on the airwaves.
@@riverrail I was a DJ at a small radio station in the late 80s / early 90s. The highlight of my week was Sunday night when I got to break out the Dr Demento show and play it on air.
Elizabeth, this video is a PERFECT illustration of why you are the best reaction presenter IN THE UNIVERSE. So many others pretend. You, though? A couple times in this video you almost fell out of your chair with purely honest laughter. You brighten my day. Thank you.
