I can't really point to why this is, but I've always found Weird Al's own songs to be strangely uncompelling. Don't know why. They're about funny stuff just like his parodies. Maybe the tunes themselves?
Yeah, there's definitely a Coulton-ish touch to this one.
Of course, that can only be an improvement, so I don't think I'll be complaining about it :P
@Spiff >> I'm with ya on that one. Al is a creative guy, but compared to JoCo, his lyrics have all the subtlety of a whoopie-cushion, and that's part of what makes him sort of boring to me. Also he suffers from the Loudness War - a problem dear Coulton doesn't face, thank god.
I like it, for the same reasons I like so many of JoCo's- that combo of sweet/sadness mixed together. Nice song; I don't like everything Wierd Al does, but then there are a few JoCo ones that get skipped the scond they come on my iPod also. (Please don't beat me!)
@JoAnn >> I can't exactly say I listen much to either "Resolutions", "See You All In Hell" or "Sibling Rivalry", myself, so you're not entirely alone
... Unless the songs you don't listen to are along the lines of "When You Go" or "So Far So Good", in which case I'd be forced to call upon the Spanish Inquisition.
Skyen, try and steal "When you go" from my iPod and I will cause you grievious bodily harm. *grin* I like those also. Resolutions, See You All In Hell and Bacteria- bleh. Also Rock'n'roll boy. Sorry, but for all that I am glad the child is so talented so young, he is off key just enough that I wince through that one. I kinda like Sibling Rivalry though.
The funniest part (in my opinion) is that there actually is a Skipper Dan! I have to wonder if the song is a true story, or if Weird Al did a "Dance Soterios Johnson, Dance" and just invent a backstrory for a real person. Either way, the more I think about it, the funnier it gets.
EDIT: Even if it's just a coincidence (Dan is not a terribly uncommon name), I still found it hilarious watching the actual Skipper Dan and imagining him as the actor from the Weird Al song.
I can't view it due to "Copy right restrictions" in my country...the UK.
What was it?
ETA: Don't worry I figured out it was Skipper Dan and found an alternative version to view. I quite like it. Certainly not the usual Weird Al, but I quite like Weird Al, although I haven't really listened to him since I found Jonathan, as Jonathan's music fills that void better.
All of whom Al said he was heavily influenced by- I just finished transferring all my old cassette recordings of the Dr Demento show from the early 80's over to MP3's, and one of Wierd Al's first times as a guest is on one of them.
I just finished transferring all my old cassette recordings of the Dr Demento show from the early 80's over to MP3's, and one of Wierd Al's first times as a guest is on one of them.
Happy to give them to you...um...how? Also not all the recordings are clear and crackle free, these were from the early 80's and have been through a lot, fair warning!
They are on my itunes, if you can tell me how to give them to you I will.
JoAnn, if Jmonkee's suggestion doesn't work, I'll look into it. That would be awesome to have. I used to make tapes off of Dr. Demento all the time in the 80s but I don't think I have any left. Maybe I do but I'd be afraid to put them into a player they are so old! I remember an interview Dr. D did with Al from either his first or second album. I had it on tape and must have listened to it a few times. Dr. asks Al a bunch of stupid questions, like what's your favorite color - his answer: chartreuse - and what's your favorite weather - answer: earthquake weather. Then then pretended there was an earthquake and the Dr. warned Al about his influence now that he was a star or something.
It's like listening to my own tapes. We seem to have recorded the same shows. I remember listening to Dr. demento in the 70's on Sunday nights with my family. We got to stay up late to listen to the whole thing. One of my favorite memories of my childhood was putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house while listening to a Dr. Demento Christmas special.
Thanks JoAnn! I haven't had the chance to listen yet, but it looks like there's a lot of good stuff there. Is Weird Al just on that one show, or was he a regular?
As a guest, he was on a lot of times, don't know how often though- at least once a year I bet. He was the most requested artist ever in the history of the show I think.
I have a lot of comedy albums, if anyone wants something in particular, sing out. Smothers Brothers, Bill Cosby, Alan Sherman, etc.
Only Steve Martin I have is the Dentist song from Little Shop of Horrors and an instrumental when he was part of the Foggy Mountain Breakdown on the Tonight show a while back. Which is an amazing piece of shared muscial improv, you can catch it on YouTube. I don't have anything else of his unless it is part of one of the Dr Dementos and I didnt catch and put his name down. Sorry!
I dunno if you guys *newsgroup* at all, but in alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.comedy gets Demento posted there all the time. And if you requested earlier stuff I can pretty much guarantee you'd get it posted.
I remember when I first got internet, I was given a leaflet saying, 'for many people, Usenet is the internet.' I never really used it though. (I did use gopher once though, in my first couple of days of internet, and somehow stumbled upon the phone number of the White House.)
Is it legal to share all these Demento recordings?
I drive happily about town singing along to "Jane and Joan are almost ready. Jane and Joan need a timeout. Jane and Joan have to start putting their ideas into action." I just like the scansion.
Is it legal to share all these Demento recordings?
Thereby hangs a tale !
;' )
I *think* radio broadcats can be viewed as public domain because they were broadcast to the ether... But If it were a released CD of the same then not. But AFAIK these are direct off air recordings.
I'm VERY surprised that Usenet is *hard* to get... Its always been standard with any ISP I#ve ben with... weird! (And alts are there in abundance!)
Thanks for putting those up JoAnn! Now, will someone who knows how these work please tell me if there is a way to download all those files at once, instead of clicking on each one?
please tell me if there is a way to download all those files at once, instead of clicking on each one?
I'm afraid the answer is, you can't do that on mediafire. A weakness, to be sure.
To allow users to download multiple files, the person uploading them would need to zip them all into a single file. Then you could just download that one zip file.
But then, you run into the size limit (I think it's 100 MB max).
If anyone knows a better (free) site, without these limitations, please let me know!
Comments
Of course, that can only be an improvement, so I don't think I'll be complaining about it :P
@Spiff >> I'm with ya on that one. Al is a creative guy, but compared to JoCo, his lyrics have all the subtlety of a whoopie-cushion, and that's part of what makes him sort of boring to me. Also he suffers from the Loudness War - a problem dear Coulton doesn't face, thank god.
Is that an original tune? It doesn't sound familiar, but I mostly know Weird Al for his parodies.
... Unless the songs you don't listen to are along the lines of "When You Go" or "So Far So Good", in which case I'd be forced to call upon the Spanish Inquisition.
EDIT: Even if it's just a coincidence (Dan is not a terribly uncommon name), I still found it hilarious watching the actual Skipper Dan and imagining him as the actor from the Weird Al song.
What was it?
ETA: Don't worry I figured out it was Skipper Dan and found an alternative version to view.
I quite like it. Certainly not the usual Weird Al, but I quite like Weird Al, although I haven't really listened to him since I found Jonathan, as Jonathan's music fills that void better.
Is this part of Weird Al's strategy to sell fewer CDs, play to smaller crowds, and avoid the bother of attending the Grammys?
"Re Skipper Dan: um, no guys, you have it backwards - it is I who have been writing like @alyankovic all this time."
"But yeah, They Might Be Giants totally steal from me CONSTANTLY."
sounds about right. What comedy musician wouldn't be influenced by Wierd Al?
Okay, the bass notes are JoCo-y. The handclaps!
But yeah, I'm looking too hard. It's Weird Al. JoCo could do worse than to get ripped off by him.
edit: Oh, this is very Shop Vac-y.
(Sorry if this is an old song, it's the first time I've heard it)
They are on my itunes, if you can tell me how to give them to you I will.
Mediafire is free and very easy to use, give it a try...
Hope it works out! If you have any more requests...I have around 10,400 songs in my iTunes at present...lots of showtunes, and I am slowly working my way through my old albums, like "When Dallience was in flower and maidens lost their heads". In case 17th and 18th century bawdy appeals to anyone here. Nah, not likely...
I remember listening to Dr. demento in the 70's on Sunday nights with my family. We got to stay up late to listen to the whole thing.
One of my favorite memories of my childhood was putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house while listening to a Dr. Demento Christmas special.
I have a lot of comedy albums, if anyone wants something in particular, sing out. Smothers Brothers, Bill Cosby, Alan Sherman, etc.
And if you requested earlier stuff I can pretty much guarantee you'd get it posted.
(Comedy albums? Snowed under with them!!)
Is it legal to share all these Demento recordings?
Wow, someone besides me likes "Sibling Rivalry"!
I drive happily about town singing along to "Jane and Joan are almost ready. Jane and Joan need a timeout. Jane and Joan have to start putting their ideas into action." I just like the scansion.
;' )
I *think* radio broadcats can be viewed as public domain because they were broadcast to the ether...
But If it were a released CD of the same then not.
But AFAIK these are direct off air recordings.
I'm VERY surprised that Usenet is *hard* to get... Its always been standard with any ISP I#ve ben with... weird!
(And alts are there in abundance!)
To allow users to download multiple files, the person uploading them would need to zip them all into a single file. Then you could just download that one zip file.
But then, you run into the size limit (I think it's 100 MB max).
If anyone knows a better (free) site, without these limitations, please let me know!
http://www.bigupload.com