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.
When I was in college I worked at a butcher shop/deli. We did some catering too and occasionally I would make the catering deliveries. People suck at tipping, just an FYI. If I carry 10 chafing dishes into your living room and light all of those little sterno heating things, at least hit me with a five spot, you know? I'm in college and could have used that to buy a 7". Anyway, I bring this up because I had to make a delivery the day this record came out, so I stopped at the mall and picked this up. While I was on the clock. Bonus. More than anything I remember how bizarre it was to see Al on the cover without classes. He got his eyes fixed with lasers. Dudes with glasses everywhere mourned.
As for the record itself, it's not one of my favorites. The parodies are mostly of songs I either don't know or that are really bad. His Offspring send up "Pretty Fly For A Rabbi" is painful to listen to. I know that people love "The Saga Begins," but I hate the song "American Pie" so it's not one I can listen to often. I don't really know most of the others. The originals are better, but most aren't that great either.
What really saves this record are two songs. "Your Horoscope For Today" is a ska song, so it's upbeat and catchy, but lyrically it's a ton of fun with Al breaking down ridiculous horoscopes for each of the astrological signs. The other song that saves this album is "Alburquerque." It's completely and utterly insane with eleven and a half minutes of the craziest story telling Al has ever recorded. It's a song that is difficult to describe and really needs to be heard to be believed.
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Your Horoscope For Today":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjlD6yYq5as
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Alburquerque":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn58OF_lA-Q
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