"Weird Al" Yankovic: Running With Scissors

'Running With Scissors' is the first album of the Internet age for Al.  I distinctly remember the internet (specifically, alt.music.weird-al) going all a-flutter when Al posted the tiniest square of an album cover on his website.  Then we got a little more of the cover, and a little more, until the whole cover was revealed.  Then came the endless speculation that now seems typical for a new Al project among his fans.  Spoilers are now starting to come out for 'Mandatory Fun,' but I'm avoiding them until I can hear the whole CD.  As I've already paid for the CD, I'm not above listening to a leaked copy if it should appear, but I'd rather not know more than song titles until I hear it for myself.

'Running With Scissors' is the first multi-media experience on one of Al's CDs.  Putting the CD into a computer (especially if you have QuickYime) lets you click on a 'SECRET FILE,' which is a series of clips taken from a Disney Channel special from 1996 called 'There's No Going Home,' showing Al returning to his California roots, including interviews with his parents and grandfather, 'Blind Lemon' Yankovic. 

'The Saga Begins' is the lead parody from RWS.  Back in 1999, excitement was high for the upcoming Star Wars film, and with a first line of 'A long, long time ago...,' Don MacLean's 'American Pie' was a great parody target.  Al did a lot of research on the Internet for spoilers so that he could release the song and album as soon as possible after Episode I's premier, and even paid $500 to attend a charity screening to confirm the details in his song.  I love the promotional image for the song, with Al's shadow taunting him, created in response to the image of young Anakin walking along with a Vader shadow. The video was conceived as 'Star Wars, Unplugged,' as Al plays in a small Tatooine cantina surrounded by a group of Star Wars-type aliens.

'My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder' is a zydeco-style original from Al.  As an accordion virtuoso, it seems natural that Al would at some point find his way to this musical style. Lots of fun observations about how a guy like Eddie Vedder seems so sullen all the time. 'Yeah, he's her very favorite slacker multi-millionaire.'

With 'Pretty Fly (For a Rabbi),' Al finally got to do a parody of the offspring.  Al had originally toyed with the idea of doing 'Pretty Fly for a Jedi,' but decided a more epic, classic song was needed for Episode I.  Instead, we get a hard rock ode to the new rabbi in town, sprinkled with plenty of Yiddish and Hebrew expressions.

Next comes 'The Weird Al Show Theme'  Al had a short-lived Saturday morning kid's show back in 1997 on CBS.  As it was on at a different time every week, or sometimes not at all, I didn't get to see more than one episode of the show until it came out on DVD in 2006.  The show struggled to find a balance between Al's humor and CBS' desire to have an educational children's program, but there are a lot of funny bits.  While having the theme song is nice, I would have preferred a 'real' Al original in its place.

'Jerry Springer,' as a title, had a lot of people scratching their heads before hearing it.  It turned out to be a parody of Barenaked Ladies' 'One Week.'  Al had been a fan of BNL for a while (and they were even on 'The Weird Al Show' as musical guests), and now had a song that had become popular enough to parody.  Al nails BNL's rapid-fire style during the verses, and includes simulated Springer guest dialog during the instrumental break.

'Germs' is a style parody of Nine Inch Nails, and is my favorite original song on the album.  Al takes the anger and occasional paranoia of Trent Reznor and applies it to microscopic things he can't control.  Al's instrument, rhythm, and vocal choices leave do doubt as to whom he's paying homage to.

'Polka Power' was Al's best polka medley to date.  The 'doo doo doo' during 'Semi-Charmed Kind of Life,' followed by Marilyn Manson leading directly to Hanson are some of my favorite moments.  The song appropriately closes with 'Closing Time.'  Thanks to Wikipedia, here's a full list of the songs included:

• "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls
• "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
• "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" by Pras, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa
• "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys
• "Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth
• "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys
• "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
• "Ray of Light" by Madonna
• "Push" by Matchbox Twenty
• "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind
• "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson
• "MMMBop" by Hanson
• "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground
• "Closing Time" by Semisonic

Al original 'Your Horoscope for the Day' kicks off the second half of the album.  Inspired by The Onion's horoscope section, Al came up with his own predictions, and set them to ska music reminiscent of bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.  Al even brought in members of ska band Reel Big Fish to be the horn section.  Mine? 'Gemini: Your birthday party will be ruined once again by your explosive flatulence/ Your love life will run into trouble when your fiance hurls a javelin through your chest.'  He was half-right.

'It's All About the Pentiums' is Al's take on Puff Daddy (featuring a whole host of real musicians)'s 'It's All About the Benjamins.'  The video featured Al in full rap gear bragging about his computer skills, as well as guest appearances from Drew Carey and Emo Phillips. My favorite line is 'You're just about as useless as jpegs to Helen Keller.'

'Truck Driving Song' is a style parody of the sub-genre of country that focuses on big rig operators.  Here our narrator seems like your average trucker, until he reveals that he's 'driving a truck with my high heels on.' From there, he gets more and more descriptive of his cross-dressing habits.  Or maybe the narrator is a woman with a very deep voice.

'Grape Fruit Diet' is a parody of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies 'Zoot Suit Riot,' which was part of the swing music resurgence of the late 90s.  Once again, Al is fat, and 'makes sumo wrestlers look like Kate Moss.'  A great parody target, but going back to territory that he's covered before so well in 'Fat' makes this song seem a little less clever than some of the other parodies on this album.

'Albuquerque' is a style parody of The Rugburns 'Dick's Automotive,' which I didn't discover until years later.  At 11 minutes and 23 seconds, it's Al's longest song, and is quite epic.  Al bravely started doing this song in concert during the Straight Outta Lynwood tour a few years later.  When playing in the eponymous town, he got to the part near the end where he loses his train of thought, and started the whole thing over again, turning it into a 20 minute-plus song.  This song is difficult to listen to in the car, because it always seems to be playing just as we reach our destination, and then I have to start it over next time we get in the car.

Top to bottom, 'Running With Scissors' is one of my favorite Al CDs, and would be a great starting place for anyone wondering what this 'Weird Al' guy is all about.  Next time, we take a look at what's underneath Al's 'Poodle Hat.'