Pledge Music (2017)
Over the next several weeks, we're going to celebrate Weird Al Wednesday as I go through each of the 15 albums in the Squeeze Box accordion box set. There are many albums in this set that were hugely influential to me as a young kid and there are no shortage of incredible songs throughout. Weird Al and The Blues Brothers are definitely the building blocks for my earliest appreciation of music.
I don't remember exactly how or when I discovered Weird Al. While I can pinpoint a lot of the most influential things that have entered my life, I'm really hazy with Al. I assume I must have seen him on Nickelodeon on Nick Rocks or something like that, but I genuinely have no concrete recollection. What I do know if that Dare To Be Stupid was probably his 'current' album when I found Al, as I do remember Polka Party being the first 'new' Weird Al record that I got.
Dare To Be Stupid is a record I know so very, very well. I wore out the cassette of it I had in my walkman and listened to it over and over. I don't know that it's the best Weird Al record, but it certainly has some of his best songs. You can't even really talk about Weird Al to me without a conversation about the song "Yoda" on here, a parody of "Lola." Honestly, I don't even really know the original version of this song, yes I've heard it and I sort of know some of the words, but "Yoda" is the definitive version of the song if you ask me. Music about Star Wars? My young brain could barely contain itself.
Also incredible are the Devo inspired title track, The doo wop pastiche "One More Minute" and "This Is The Life" (if you haven't seen Johnny Dangerously for some weird reason, you really need to). I can't say that "Girls Just Want To Have Lunch" is one of my favorites, but Al has also gone on record saying he didn't really want to do it, but acquiesced to record label pressure. He also brought back a polka medley with "Hooked On Polkas." Making the cut this time are songs like "Sharp Dressed Man," "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "99 Luftballoons."
I just love this record. Absolutely love it. In many ways it's a definitive Weird Al release with iconic songs and tremendous energy. It's not my very favorite, but it's right up there.
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Yoda":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdu8I1gWqk4
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Dare To Be Stupid":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMhwddNQSWQ
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "One More Minute":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWhpk-8QLFQ
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