- Bob Gajarsky
"Weird Al" Yankovic has returned to mock pop culture through his latest release, Alapalooza.
The album's sleeve, and the first single, are both based on the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park. Parodying the Jimmy Webb classic "MacArthur Park" (covered by the Four Tops and Donna Summer, among others) may not have been the best move as a first single because of its lack of recognition by today's pop purchasers. Yankovic has always had the most success parodying hits of the moment ("Smells Like Nirvana", "Eat It", "Fat"), and this song goes against that trend.
A better choice for a first single would have been "Bedrock Anthem", which medleys the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Under The Bridge" and "Give It Away" in a Flintstone setting, complete with the voices of Barney, Fred, and Dino. Another parody, "Achy Breaky Song", rips apart the big hit by Billy Ray Cyrus. All songwriting proceeds from this song will be given to a good cause, the United Cerebral Palsy Association, which might explain Cyrus' decision to allow Al's parody to be recorded.
Weird Al's original songs have definite links to some of star artists. "Young, Dumb and Ugly" owes its guitar part to the Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Frank's 2000" TV" bears more than a striking resemblance to R.E.M.'s "Texarkana", and "Traffic Jam" has an introduction similar to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy". Since Al has always surrounded himself with solid, talented musicians, these songs come off without a hitch.
The inside cover features Al in his best Freddie Mercury pose, and continues the Queen trend on his polka-based cover of their classic, titled here "Bohemian Polka". Most of Al's previous polkas had been medleys of present-day songs, with unique takes on them. However, this polka has to rate as one of his weakest, and a weak spot on the album.
Overall? It falls short of the benchmarks he had previously established for parody albums with In 3-D and Dare to be Stupid. However, Weird Al is back, and the shining moments like "Bedrock Anthem" and "Achy Breaky Song", along with some clever originals, make Alapalooza worth purchasing.
