My Amazon Reviews: Weird Al Yankovic "Alpocalypse"

Pa-Pa-Polkaface  
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Whenever Weird Al manages to capture the current pop zeitgeist, he can be counted on to make a brilliant song or two per album. When he tackled Michael Jackson at his best, he created two of the most incredible parodies of the 80's with "Eat It" and "Fat." Then there was "White and Nerdy." And now, thanks to Lady Gaga, he's back in a big way. From the goof on gath of the cover to the ever-present pop-polka medley, "Alpocalypse" shows once more why Weird Al Yankovic has remained the the eminent musical comedian/parodist of the last three decades.

The hits to duds ratio is about equal, and the standouts are gutbusters. Most importantly is the tackling of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" into "Perform This Way," which not only parodies the song but the artist (something Al rarely does). The video also neatly ties Al's timelines together, skewering Madonna (another frequent Al target) and Gaga at the same time. At the same time, Al reimagines Jim Morrison as an upset user of "Craigslist" and Charles Nelson Reilly as the topic of a Racountours/Jack White guitar crusher. Technology also takes it on the chin, as "Ringtone" evokes "my wife to smash my I-Phone with a brick...but I hate to waste a $1.99" over his obnoxious cell tones.

Another eason why Al is a genius is how the man can write a parody of almost any genre. He ricochets from Bruno Mars to Miley Cyrus to The Doors to Queen. Often the originals take on all at once. Of the originals, my favorite is the finale, "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me," a tirade against stupid emails set to a gorgeous melody. Like one of those massively building Jim Steinman songs, Al begs and pleads...

I just can't believe you believe those urban legends.
But I have high hopes that someone will point you toward Snopes
And debunk that crazy junk you're spewing constantly.

On the smiley meter, 4 and a half teeth. This man deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame.

 

My Amazon Reviews: Green Day "Nimrod"

Don't be a Nimrod 
3 Out Of 5 Stars 
 



Green Day overcame the creative slump of "Insomnia" with "Nimrod," their first real attempt at playing like a bunch of grown-ups. Granted, there are still plenty of explosive short and sharp punkers to be found here ("Take Back" and the goofy "Platypus"), this was the album where they threw out the rulebook and began to experimenting. It also gave them their first bonafide mass-appeal hit with "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."

The spiraling blender of styles makes this a very interesting album. The topics range from the usual angry punk-outs ("Nice Guys Finish Last") to some very adult issues. "Hitching A Ride" confronts the difficulty in staying sober while trying to live one day at a time. The bitter old man in "The Grouch" details maturing in age but seeing your dreams fall behind. Then there's the instrumental "Last Ride In," playing like the end credits from a 60's beach romance. (They topped this with the eventual "Austin Powers" soundtrack song "Espionage"). There's also a vicious sense of humor in "The Grouch" and a more playful one in "King For a Day," in which the gay son is trying to sort out why he can't have his "GI Joe in panty hose."

The most fascinating thing about "Nimrod" is just how far Green Day had evolved since becoming superstars. The snotty juvenilia that was so charming on "Dookie" and sounded forced on "Insomnia" has pretty much vanished. The band is inventing characters for songs and exploring other musical textures, something that would fully open on "Warning" in another few years.

     

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