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"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid
Dare To Be Stupid has a lot to live up to. It's Al's third album, immediately after the album that brought him into the spotlight, which means it was a critical point for his career. However, Al apparently performs well under pressure, considering that this album blessed the world with songs like Like A Surgeon and Yoda. However, how does the album hold up under scrutiny?
Like A Surgeon
Parody of Like A Virgin by Madonna
One of Al's most iconic parodies; likely one of his top 3 for the 1980s. Definitely feels like a sufficient sequel to Eat It, and I appreciante that it's not just another food songs. It also happens to be one of Al's only "requested" parodies; and by the original artist at that! And God damn, that music video... it does things to me. Additionally, for the longest time, I thought Al was saying "Better give me all your gosners".
Rating: 9 grand lost in malpractice suits out of 10
Dare To Be Stupid
A love letter to DEVO, stupidity, and flipping common sayings upon their head. Also, likely Al's most iconic song that isn't a parody; It was even had its home album named after it! From what I've heard from DEVO fans, the song is an accurate take on the red-cone-wearing band's iconic synthesized sound. ALSO, this was included in the Illustrated Al, despite already having a music video. Funny how life works that way.
Rating: 8 cones of ice cream mounted upon a band member's cranium out of 10
I Want A New Duck
Parody of I Want A New Drug by Huey Lewis and the News
I'll say it now; I'm not familiar with the original song. However, this doesn't plague it with the same issues as Ricky or The Brady Bunch; this time, it wasn't based on a TV show that I haven't watched-- it's just based on ducks. We all know what a duck is. My favorite part is either the part about duck pate, or the part where he says "And show me how to get down... How to get down, baby... GET IT?!"
Rating: 8 plates of duck pate out of 10
One More Minute
Good GOD this is Al's best "anti-love song". It's made extra potent by the fact that he wrote it while he was going through a breakup. When my dad had the cassette in '85, he misheard "self-service pumps" as "seltzer dispulse". Damn it, now I'm thirsty. On the note of the seltzer dispulse self-service pumps, who doesn't love a song with a blatant masturbation joke? Also, the concept of cleaning the toilets in Grand Central Station with your tongue is always the first thing to come to mind when I hear of Grand Central Station. Thanks, Al.
Rating: 10 of your toenails icepicked out of 10
Yoda
Parody of Lola by The Kinks
This is the oldest song on this album, originally having been written in 1980-- if Al were capable of getting George Lucas' blessing, he could have had this on the debut album-- or even the Placebo EP! Of course, this song was rerecorded for the 1985 album, but I think I prefer the demo seen as it's played with just the accordion and some manualism, likely courtesy of "Musical Mike" Kieffer. It makes it feel more like something that would have been on the debut album... makes sense, seen as that album was pretty much just a compilation of demos.
Rating: 8 rocks lifted out of 10
George Of The Jungle
Cover of the theme song to George Of The Jungle
Yeah, it's a cover of a TV theme song. Al was forced into making a cover, there wasn't much that he could do to make it funny. However, he still pulled through by making it a cover of a theme song for a kid's show. It's alright.
Rating: 7 record labels forcing covers out of 10
Slime Creatures From Outer Space
I like this song. Not much else to say. Al tried to recapture the song with "Radioactive Hamsters From A Planet Near Mars" on UHF: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack And Other Stuff, but it just wasn't as good, simply because Al had done it before. Anytime I see someone touting "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" garb, I think of this song. And then I laugh. Because I thought about Al.
Rating: 9 cities leveled out of 10
Girls Just Want to Have Lunch
Parody of Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Yeah, people don't give this song enough credit. Al was forced into paroding Cyndi Lauper by his record label (Give Al a break, already!!) and he complied... by writing the most overblown parody of himself he could, by taking a song that was popular at the time and turning it into a song about food. And... is that Musical Mike I hear again!? Sweeeet!
Rating: 8 roast beef sammiches out of 10
This Is the Life
No doubt, this is one of his best originals. Even originating one of Al's best quotes: "if money can't buy happiness, I guess I'll have to rent it," which even made it into Weird: The Al Yankovic Story! When Al and Madonna are fucking, you can see that exact quote laser etched into his mirror.
Rating: 10 tubs filled with Perriere out of 10
Cable TV
An amazing original. What could be better? I'll tell you what: another amazing original right after it! That's right, Cable TV! It's even the first instance of 27! (unless you're counting "the amount of times he says Nature Trail To Hell except for the first verse.") This song alone could stand to make this album the one with the highest density of good originals, but everyone else on this record really brings its originals to S-class. This is the first Al-bum I've reviewed to have only originals as their class acts, and it's obvious why.
Rating: 10 channels out of 10
Hooked On Polkas
Al's first polka medley to be released as a single, accompanied by Polka Power! and the Hamilton Polka, as well as The Hot Rocks Polka, which was the B-side for Isle Thing. However, it was only released in Japan. Also, I believe this is the first instance of Al singing in a language other than English-- specifically German, when he's singing 99 Luftballons. And he says "cum" in this one. Funny.
Rating: 8 instances of me running out of ideas for the rating item to give to the polka medley out of 10
Conclusion
Wow, this is a great album. Definitely has the best originals (sure, there are other ones I like more, but the quantity on this one helps.) and some pretty awesome parodies too. It hasn't quite pierced my top 5 yet, but it's definitely on its way up there. It also sort of feels like an end of an era for Al's career in a way, but not in a sad way. It simply feels like it marks the end of Al's "early career".
Rating: 9 items scattered across the LP cover out of 10
Formats owned on: CD, LP