Straight Outta Lynwood Review

Release Date: Sep 26, 2006
Label: Volcano
Genres: Parody
Number Of Tracks: 12
If you?re on the fence about Weird Al, the latest CD will be something that evokes more than a few laughs -- and that?s not something you?ll get on your average emo or death metal record.

Sound:	8
Lyrics:	9
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	8.7
Users rating:	8.5
Comments:	94

overall: 8.7

Featured review by: UG Team, on october 06, 2006

Sound: Some things in life don’t really change -- and that’s not such a bad thing in Weird Al Yankovic’s case. With his latest release Straight Outta Lynwood, Yankovic proves once again that the often humorless music world is always in need of a few good laughs. His latest CD does not quite meet the same comedic level of some of his earlier releases, but most of the songs do have some memorable lyrics that will have you chuckling out loud.

In the past Yankovic has pissed off the likes of Eminem and Coolio with the parodies he did of their songs, and it’s likely he may piss off a few more with his latest record. Straight Outta Lynwood has 5 new parodies of contemporary songs like Green Day’s “American Idiot,” which now becomes “Canadian Idiot.” Yankovic does have an amazing way of adapting his vocal style to fit everything from a rock song like “Canadian Idiot” to a rap track like “Confessions Part III,” his parody of Usher’s “Confessions Part II.” Because the lyrics tend to take center stage, it’s easy to forget about Yankovic’s vocals. That’s unfortunate, particularly considering he’s tackling more genres of music than many artists would dare to try.

The standout track -- and probably the most time-consuming for Yankovic -- is “Trapped In The Drive-Thru,” a parody of R. Kelly’s “Trapped In The Closet.” If you’ve heard Kelly’s song or perhaps seen his multi-part video series, you probably know that it is one of the most unusual songs around. It basically takes everyday dialogue and inserts them as lyrics in a scene where affairs, shootings, and a midget all play a key part. Yankovic takes the same free-form narrative format, but this time the tale takes place primarily at a drive-thru. By making every little action seem over the top, Yankovic pulls off the parody perfectly. If there’s one song that really conveys the talent of Weird Al, “Trapped In The Drive-Thru” would be it. The song is over 10 minutes long and could be tiring for the average listener, but Yankovic pulls it off pretty well.

The songs on Straight Outta Lynwood are not all works of musical genius, but most of them at least have a few laughs along the way. The song “Do I Creep You Out” has the hardship of overcoming a poorly written song in the first place. The original by Taylor Hicks called “Do I Make You Proud” is a bore, and that’s a pretty tough place to start. Even with a few witty lyrics sprinkled throughout, it’s still not a track that you’ll probably find yourself wanting to listen to more than a few times. Hearing music behind a song like the one by Hicks actually helps you to appreciate Yankovic originals like “Virus Alert.” // 8

Lyrics and Singing: Weird Al Yankovic can make or break his career with the words he writes, and he does a satisfying job of supplying both odd and comical lyrics in Straight Outta Lynwood. What is the most impressive aspect is the fact that Yankovic has a few songs on the latest record that have over 100 lines of lyrics. An example is “White & Nerdy,” a parody of “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire. Because it’s a rap song with a quick-time delivery, Yankovic has an even tougher job on his hands and he amazingly does some of his best work on it. He raps, “I've been browsin', inspectin'; X-Men comics, you know I collect 'em; The pens in my pocket, I must protect 'em; My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored; Shoppin' online for deals on some writable media; I edit, Wikipedia.” Imagine a song full of colorful lyrics like those and you’ve got “White & Nerdy” in a nutshell.

“Don’t Download This Song” is a satisfying ode to the unforeseen horrors of downloading. Yankovic sings about how a simple download is pretty much the end of all things good in the world -- of course, tongue-in-cheek all the way. He sings, “Oh, you don't wanna mess with the RIAA; They'll sue you if you burn that CD-R; It doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a 7-year-old girl; They'll treat you like the evil, hard-bitten criminal scum you are.” Yankovic really gets the point across in the song, and even goes so far as to mention Metallica’s Lars Ulrich (who infamously protested downloading) toward the end of the track. They are things that need to be said, even if it’s in a comical format. // 9

Impression: Probably the most impressive aspect of Straight Outta Lynwood is the amount of effort that Yankovic put into the album. If you peruse the liner notes, you’ll see that he played 8 different instruments for the song “Pancreas.” The CD also has an accompanying DVD, which has a behind-the-scenes section that drives the point home. You see Yankovic going over each song with a fine-tooth comb, instructing his band exactly what needs to be played and how to play it. Even if you don’t find one song on the CD that entertaining, you’re likely to respect Yankovic for his musical skills after watching the DVD.

The DVD would not necessarily be a must-have if it was sold on it's own, but it does have a few videos that are worth the watch. The video for “Weasel Stomping Day” was conceptualized partly by actor Seth Green, the same man behind the Cartoon Network’s show “Robot Chicken.” Full of slightly disturbing, but fascinating stop motion animation, “Weasel Stomping Day” could easily be one of the segments shown in “Robot Chicken.” That unique addition is the must-see item on the DVD.

Weird Al Yankovic is pretty reliable in what he puts out every few years. If you haven’t been a fan of Weird Al, then this CD is not likely to change your mind. But Straight Outta Lynwood has plenty of the trademark Yankovic offerings that have made him an interesting fixture in the music industry: adaptable vocals, the ability to write memorably and witty lyrics, and that ever-present accordion. Some may call these traits cheesy, but these traits could also be the things that have kept the fans so loyal for the past 25 years. If you’re on the fence about Weird Al, the latest CD will be something that evokes more than a few laughs -- and that’s not something you’ll get on your average emo or death metal record. // 9

Comments

[VaeVictis]

Holy christ, I thought he died..well..
I don't know if that is a bad thing or not.

[Swamplord]

keep it up al

[deej]

alfred is the man. dont nobody be dissing (thats for him to do)

[sk8tin4life]

my library teacher looks lik weird al cuz she has a mustache nd the same hair

[C3_Rocka]

It is a good selection of songs but very repetitive

[Seymore190]

I will never forget Weird Al, Bad Hair Day was the first CD that I ever bought, and I listened the balls off that record. Amazing that he is still around, the guy has a lot of longevity.

[stampy_69]

yeah! Weird Al Yankovic RULES!

[TUBZhimself]

hell yeah, bout time for a new wierd al album

[Sk8erDude5787]

White and Nerdy is hilarious!!!

[CurtisJay]

this review is written very well

[Letterbomb11]

OTher than one factual error, quite good. He rarely pisses off the people he parodies because he tries to get permission from the atrists (Coolio was an exception to the rule, but that was due to a miscommunication.)

[jamsea]

Weird Al made me like music. Before him all I could listen to was my brother's Nsync and Spice Girls cassette tapes (yes, tapes :P). Weird Al is awesome!

[The_bushidoka]

I went on Youtube and watched the White and Nerdy video after reading this article. Oh, my Gosh. It's so funny. Seth Green's in the video for this one, too. See if you can find him.

[tumples]

albuquerque was the best one by far

[DopeDanny]

yeah the sunday nite before the album came out they had Al and the song Weasel stomping Day in the episode of Robot Chicken,it was hilarious.You guys should try to check it out if u havent seen it

[zeppelfloyd]

tumples wrote:

albuquerque was the best one by far

i love that song. but yah this album is awesome i got it the day it came out.

[redvetteZ06]

I gre up listening to Weird Al in the 80's (he was the first concert I went ot by myself) and it's comforting that he still makees music to this day. To be honest the last album I bought of his was Bad Hair Day (great album) but I will always respect him for what he does. Go Al and long live UHF!

[nirvana_62]

I love Weird Al The weasel stomping day song is ... er ... its ...something ... I'm not sure if its good or bad

[DoctorFu]

I love Weird Al and his music is always refreshing.

Also, his birthday is the same as mine! If that isn't reason enough to get this CD, well you know..

[les_zack611]

weird al's my hero, thank god he made a new cd

[Codezzzz]

sk8tin4life wrote:

my library teacher looks lik weird al cuz she has a mustache nd the same hair

who the hell has a library teacher?

[AngryGuitarist]

wierd al is the man

[BreakingTheGirl]

Codezzzz wrote:

sk8tin4life wrote:

my library teacher looks lik weird al cuz she has a mustache nd the same hair



who the hell has a library teacher?

lol...

[Rize]

Weird All kicks ass!

Keep kicking that ass!

[TheDandyWarhol]

Weird al is AWESOME!but no song can beat Smells like Nirvana.

[mmanson]

it wouldnt piss em off if they wrote good music or excuse me for most of em actually wrote their own music. eminem and all of the rappers/ gay rockers suck. when did he do smells like nirvana was cobain alive well n e way i dont think him, grohl, or noveselic is mad over it. im not really a wierd al fan but i think its funny when someone makes fun and shows people what they really are and when they see it they realize that is them and they get mad. posers

[shiznac]

weird al is awesome! i love how he killed that stupid rap song that was going around

[Alibi:Destroyed]

Sweet. Weird Al rocks.

[kmbuchamushroom]

What about the polka??

[SetMyAngerFree]

weird al doesnt technically piss them off cuz he always asks the dudes who made the song first. he doesnt have to though but prince said he cant parody his songs and that is why al has never parodied one.

[Sid McCall]

kmbuchamushroom wrote:

What about the polka??

the polka was frickin awesome. you have to hear it. but don't read which songs are on it first, just put on the song and be surprised as they come. It's SO much better that way...

[Formalities555]

He's a genius lyricist and singer . . .especially singer . . .Maybe he ought to write some original music though?

[Formalities555]

Of course artists are pissed about people downloading THEIR music. But I bet you those who aren't superstars do it too . . .

[sassamafras]

Ridin dirty deserved its parody...that song is soooo annoying

[Lotrean]

Well, he's partly a Serb, so he's one of the best..

SRBIJA!!!

[bassman2013]

sassamafras wrote:

Ridin dirty deserved its parody...that song is soooo annoying

hell yea dude

[GMR5]

Weird Al Yankovic is amazing. I love his work.

[Roybordom]

weird al never dies! yeah!

[Learn_to_fly]

hahaha too bad 'you're pitiful', the parody of 'you're beautiful' by james blunt didnt make the record

[Nybb]

Like a lot of other people, Wierd Al was one of the first musicians I started listening to and I totally respect his musicianship. He shows that you don't need to be shredding all the time to be talented. The fact that he's in like his late 40's and still writes stuff that teenagers find funny is amazing.

[junckyard42]

weird Al lives on

[rockstarbowker]

mmanson wrote:

it wouldnt piss em off if they wrote good music or excuse me for most of em actually wrote their own music. eminem and all of the rappers/ gay rockers suck. when did he do smells like nirvana was cobain alive well n e way i dont think him, grohl, or noveselic is mad over it. im not really a wierd al fan but i think its funny when someone makes fun and shows people what they really are and when they see it they realize that is them and they get mad. posers

Cobain was alive and he really liked it and thought it was funny.

[The_Trooper14]

I seriously thought that he was dead

[cool#9]

weird al is the god of the accordian, thank god he's got a new album

[Learn_to_fly]

cool#9 wrote:

weird al is the god of the accordian

Ain't that the truth

[ReaperofSorrow]

I read that most artists like it when Al parodies them, and he does get permission. Cobain was quoted as saying he didn't realize how big Nirvan was till Weird Al did a parody. And Chamillionaire loved the parody too. Like that one person said, only Prince has really turned him down.

[scarfacesuit]

you can really listen to any genre and appreciate weird al... he could be the missing link to the feuds in the music world. he really isn't that contraversial... he's just kinda funny.

[strat41]

haha sounds pretty good

[Dorito]

The video for Weasel Stomping Day IS a part of Robot Chicken, and not only did Cobain aprove/like the parody, he played/recorded the guitar for it.

Checked.

[» Declan «]

Yay!!

[fluffything]

i love this dudes music

[Oldmonkeys]

wierd al's polkas are awesome

[punkrockjoe]

white and nerdy is damn funny. very clever I'm sure someone this clever could actually write real songs if he put his mind to it.

[Man Guy]

i am the greatest in comedy music,

because i actually write my own music

[vmanoman]

dude, this guy is gonna start a frickin new world order

[Fossilized Love]

Danny. S: Become a multi-millionaire, then you can talk shit.

Man Guy: Your ego speaks lengths you can't fill. In other words, you're a jackoff.

[Mizuti]

weird al rocks. bought this the first day it was out.

one little note: did anybody else notice the darker tone of the album? it seemed a little angrier than his older stuff. example "weasel stomping day", "close but no cigar", and "dont download this song". might just be me though.

[Y-y-yeah]

this dude works hard
its like his 16th album

[mmanson]

rockstarbowker wrote:

mmanson wrote:

it wouldnt piss em off if they wrote good music or excuse me for most of em actually wrote their own music. eminem and all of the rappers/ gay rockers suck. when did he do smells like nirvana was cobain alive well n e way i dont think him, grohl, or noveselic is mad over it. im not really a wierd al fan but i think its funny when someone makes fun and shows people what they really are and when they see it they realize that is them and they get mad. posers

Cobain was alive and he really liked it and thought it was funny.

see. everyone else needs to stop being fake. raps not "bad" its lame. Green day is not punk and never were.

[Freeze1186]

Formalities555 wrote:

He's a genius lyricist and singer . . .especially singer . . .Maybe he ought to write some original music though?

Dude, like half of the songs on every Weird Al album are original music that Al wrote.

[I_need_a_drink]

I think the real question here is.What the hell could you teach a library?.....I mean it's full of books....Anyway Al's the man "dare to be stupid" is probably my fav ....so far haven't heard the new stuff.

[Kutanmoogle]

sexmeister wrote:

weird al is a loser he makes fun of his own skin colour that fag deserves a boot up that ass and people actually listen the that garbage that he calls music

sexmeister wrote:

weird all id a stupid dumb BITCH he maked fun of his own skin colour he desveres a boot up his ass and i cant believe people actually listen the to the garbage he calls music

I like how you switched it up. Great creativity, unlike ol' Al [/sarcasm]

You're a fool. Weird Al's music is fun.

[Devon_555]

mmanson wrote:

rockstarbowker wrote:

mmanson wrote:

it wouldnt piss em off if they wrote good music or excuse me for most of em actually wrote their own music. eminem and all of the rappers/ gay rockers suck. when did he do smells like nirvana was cobain alive well n e way i dont think him, grohl, or noveselic is mad over it. im not really a wierd al fan but i think its funny when someone makes fun and shows people what they really are and when they see it they realize that is them and they get mad. posers

Cobain was alive and he really liked it and thought it was funny.

see. everyone else needs to stop being fake. raps not "bad" its lame. Green day is not punk and never were.

You sit there and call everyone fake but your the poser saying that you aren't. If you thought everyone was a fake and you weren't why even be on this site?

[FooFighter09]

weird al rocks

[FooFighter09]

sexmeister wrote:

kk who ever things weird als music is fun or whatever is a ****ed in the head the song white and nerdy the fagget it clearly making fun of white people and u idiots thing it funny like no pride in your skin colour or something or r u just like almost every other idiot who tries 2 blacl

dude he makes fun of people because they can take laughing at themselves obviously you can't

[kelso12345]

sweet

[LORD V4DER]

sexmeister :
kk who ever things weird als music is fun or whatever is a ****ed in the head the song white and nerdy the fagget it clearly making fun of white people and u idiots thing it funny like no pride in your skin colour or something or r u just like almost every other idiot who tries 2 blacl

Hey man, lighten up...UH-OH! ANOTHER SKIN JOKE!

[fishergirl106]

sexmeister wrote:

kk who ever things weird als music is fun or whatever is a ****ed in the head the song white and nerdy the fagget it clearly making fun of white people and u idiots thing it funny like no pride in your skin colour or something or r u just like almost every other idiot who tries 2 blacl

umm... you clearly dont get that weird al makes parodies of famous songs. he's umm not trying to diss white people with "white and nerdy"... umm.. gosh.. i really dont understand how you are offended by this! lmao

Checked...

[FatMatt420]

Oh man, Weird Al. It's been a long time since I've even heard about him. I'm actually glad he came out with another album, but I don't think any song on his new album could compare to his classic "Jurassic Park" song. "Jurassic park is scary.. in the dark.. all the animals are RUNNIIING WIIIIILD!"

[Anarion614]

awesome

[Peeex]

Weird Al is awesome! I don't consider him a great musician, but he sure is one of the funniest comedians alive!

[Big Tommy P]

i still think "What if God Smoked Cannibas" is the best song, might have to get this album

[frettoucher55]

LORD V4DER wrote:

sexmeister :
kk who ever things weird als music is fun or whatever is a ****ed in the head the song white and nerdy the fagget it clearly making fun of white people and u idiots thing it funny like no pride in your skin colour or something or r u just like almost every other idiot who tries 2 blacl

ok dude it is obvious you are amazingly slow, and the perfect example is that you think the color of your skin is some how important and needs to be protected. your color does not show who you are it is how you display yourself that does and by what you are showing everyone you are the IDIOT. so do us all a favor and stop typing and take a look at the world around you and maybe you will figure out what everyone knows and that skin color meens nothing.

weired al kicks a**

[cwotspot]

weird al needs to start writing his own music because this parody crap is getting really old.

[MuffinMan]

He does write original songs, their on every album. If you haven't noticed them then you may be a bit dense. And everyone who says artists get mad over his songs: no they don't. He specifically asks permission to do songs, he left "You're Pitiful" off of this album because the record label of the original artist didn't want the parody.

Overall I like the new album immensly, but I think Canadian Idiot could have been done a bit better.

[zeppelfloyd]

mmanson wrote:

it wouldnt piss em off if they wrote good music or excuse me for most of em actually wrote their own music. eminem and all of the rappers/ gay rockers suck. when did he do smells like nirvana was cobain alive well n e way i dont think him, grohl, or noveselic is mad over it. im not really a wierd al fan but i think its funny when someone makes fun and shows people what they really are and when they see it they realize that is them and they get mad. posers

Weird Al dosen't make the people mad you idiot. He asks them if he can release the song, he could release it even if they don't want him to but he dosen't wanna make em mad so he asks. only person who got angry was coolio on ahmish paradise cause Al's ppl thought coolio's ppl said he could do it but they were wrong. And hes not making fun of the artists he just makes funny (/better) lyrics. and yes he writes his own stuff. if you don't beileve me then tell me what song hes imitating in weasel stomping day or virus alert. i'll be waiting for an answer on that one.

[Gemini]

Everyone saying he should write his own lyrics is clearly stupid or pays absolutely no attention to the artists they bash. Weird Al does write his own lyrics. The parodies are just a trademark that people tend to LOVE.

[outlaw metaler]

Wierd al is the bomb and canadian idiots lyrcis are way more meaning ful than americain idiots

Any way he has to have some of the best videoes ever

also love the zepplin song on stuck in a drive thru

[starinmycar]

Excellent!

[flame843]

Big Tommy P wrote:

i still think "What if God Smoked Cannibas" is the best song, might have to get this album

That's not actually a Weird Al song...

[IrishGuitar77]

YES!!!!! i dc if u guys think bad about him what he does is a joke and its hillarious and he kicks some serious A** so ya

Checked.

[nerk13]

I love Weird Al! His songs are absolutely hilarious, and he sings them quite well. White and Nerdy is a funny video, me and friends were watching it this morning and laughing, mostly because he kept mentioning all the stuff we love. I guess that makes us white and nerdy...

[jables23092]

to all the people saying he should write original music....about half his cd is original...every time....ever remember "albuquerque"?....that was the first weird al song i ever heard...i loved it, but yeah it's an original, he has tons of them just pick up a cd...they are great....oh and on the cd "ill sue ya" isnt marked as a parody but it's obvious it is RATM....especially when you watch the animated videos...but yeah i guess he just didnt bother making it official, just real close....ANYWAYS, get this cd...and "running with scissors", and "poodle hat"...some of his best new stuff

[Cal&Chris_Co.]

Man Guy wrote:

i am the greatest in comedy music,

because i actually write my own music

no, not really.

[SL!!!]

sk8tin4life wrote:

my library teacher looks lik weird al cuz she has a mustache nd the same hair

best thing anyone here has ever said. lol.

[imnotokay652]

I love Weird Al.

[hemi-san]

amish paradice was friggin sweet

[someguy1]

sassamafras wrote:

Ridin dirty deserved its parody...that song is soooo annoying

shit yes that song totally sucks ass but white aand nerdy is awsome dido 4 your pitiful

[break-me-in]

Formalities555 wrote:

He's a genius lyricist and singer . . .especially singer . . .Maybe he ought to write some original music though?

He does...

I'm not sure about whether he does on this one, as I don't own it, but if you go and buy some older stuff, he has some completely original tracks. (Don't worry, they're all complete jokes.)

[almighty bowl]

sk8tin4life wrote:

my library teacher looks lik weird al cuz she has a mustache nd the same hair

she?

[mindbender747]

punkrockjoe wrote:

white and nerdy is damn funny. very clever I'm sure someone this clever could actually write real songs if he put his mind to it.

He does write original songs. "Virus Alert" is an original song, and it is funny cuz it says that the virus will make it where your computer only plays Jethro Tull

H