"Weird Al" Yankovic Complete Works box set*

I remember that. He seemed really happy, too.

 

Thanks for coming by to share with us!

 

Thank you very much for the information, Bermuda. I've been looking forward to this set since Al announced it over the summer. Just wondering if you could tell us if James Blunt himself is denying permission to include "You're Pitiful" or if it's still Atlantic Records that are being the party poopers.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (falls down the turboshaft)

 

'Dare to be Stupid' was a great Devo song that wasn't by Devo.

I always thought they should do a cover of it. If they ever do another album they should include it.

 

Wasn't one of the Mothersbaughs in The Complete Al being interviewed and saying he was jealous that Al had captured the perfect Devo sound that he had been seeking?

 

I think it was in a Behind The Music episode featuring "Weird Al" Yankovic. If I remember correctly, Mark Mothersbaugh said that Yankovic had written a better DEVO song than they ever did...and he hates him for it.

 

That was hilarious!

 

It was love from a genuine institution - like getting a lapdance from the Statue of Liberty.

 

Here's the song in question. Even better, the video is a perfect DEVO video too!

 

Speaking of artists who have done pastiches.... Utopia (Todd Rundgren's band) did a song for a movie 'Roadie'. They were told 'we can't use that, it sounds just like the Beatles'.

They said, 'well, what's wrong with sounding like the Beatles'. So they did an entire album of original Beatles songs - 'Deface the Music'. Check it out, it's very entertaining.

 

Technically, the songwriter/s have the final say, and I'm not sure that Blunt was the only writer. But as the artist, his voice probably counted the most. I think he's still under the label's spell, and the label also initially stood in the way of the sync rights for a video, and we learned how crucial a video was when Couch Potato came out as an audio track only (Eminem was okay with the song, but not a video.)

My feeling is, Blunt/Atlantic/whoever should just take whatever song payments they can, while they can. But, I often make sense.

Bermuda

 

I always find it interesting that Al has been exceedingly nice when asking artists' for permission to parody songs (when he really doesn't have to do that) but he often has not received that same kindness from artists in various situations over the years.

My conclusion is that Al is just an overall better person than some other artists.

 

He's a better person than most other artists! The permission thing is part courtesy, and part negotiation of the payment split. One might assume it's 50/50 - half for the music, and half for Al's "new lyrics" - but it's always best to get it in writing. Note that the artist isn't always the writer, and there was one occasion where the artist was a little miffed at the parody, which admittedly took a poke at the original song. But they couldn't do anything about it - they weren't the writer. BWAHAHAHA, take THAT Billy Ray... ummm, I've said too much.

 

And I thought you were going to say George Harrisong

 

Hey, George was doing parodies way before Al- his parody of He's So Fine is a classic.

 

Even in parodying "Achy Breaky Heart" and later "Born This Way," I think Al showed what a class act he is. Since the content of his lyrics, as funny as they are, are a bit mean-spirited, Al donated the money he made off his parodies of them to charity. The same can be said of his band too. Al, Bermuda and the rest of the band have always treated the fans with great respect. The entertainment industry could use a lot more people like them.

While George was definitely the most serious of The Beatles, I think people forget he had a good sense of humor. "This Song" is a pretty funny look at his take on the whole "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" trial. And let's not forget he pushed for Eric Idle and Neil Innes to do their Rutles parody of The Beatles. And he even set up a film company just so Monty Python could make "Life of Brian" because he wanted to see it himself.

Back to the box set, it's the purchase I'm most looking forward to making in 2017. While I would have been satisfied for a regular box set featuring all of Al's albums on vinyl, the accordion packaging sounds very cool, especially since it seems they're trying to get all of the details of Al's accordion right. The only thought I had is that at some point, Al and the record company might want to issue all of the albums, minus the rarities LP, individually. It might get some more sales from people who would like one or two of the albums on vinyl, but don't want to or can't afford to shell out for the box set.

 

Thanks for reminder on the Boxset, i know of quite a few interested in the collected work of AL.

 

In some live performances of "Lump," the Presidents of the United States of America would end the song with the final line of Weird Al's "Gump."

 

Word is that Don McLean has been known to slip in a line or two of The Saga Begins into American Pie as well.

 

Not Weird Al related but in the same vein, John Fogerty slips in "A Bathroom On The Right" at the end of Bad Moon Rising.

 

Hey, Jon! I just found this thread, as well, via WOWAY! I am absolutely ecstatic about this work, and look forward to buying it as soon as it's available. When y'all come back out on tour again, I will plan on getting you all to sign it for me. Thanks for everything y'all do to keep us, your most humble of fans, happy!

 

Is the accordion used for packaging playable?

 

I kind of doubt it.