Al’s first album on a much bigger record label (Volcano, a division of Sony), and they promoted the hell out of it. This was also when VH-1 fell in love with Al, and he was almost constantly on that channel. Al decided to be a bit edgier with this album (the lyric “transvestite” appears in two songs…strangely enough, there’s a third song ABOUT a transvestite) and moved a bit away from the formula he’d be following the last decade and a half.
This was also when I hit my Al fandom peak, seeing them perform 10 times on that tour, and even hooking up with an Al-Gal or two after a couple shows.
IMO, this was one of Al’s best albums. He hit it on the nail with both the parodies AND originals, and it had one of his best polkas (still doesn’t beat Polka Your Eyes Out tho!). Having the Weird Al Show theme song is the one song that really felt out of place.
= Wannabe, Flagpole Sitter, Ghetto Superstar, Everybody, Walking On the Sun, Intergalatic, Tubthumping, Ray of Light, Push, Semi-Charmed Life, The Dope Show, Mmm Bop, Sex & Candy, Closing Time
There are so many great songs on this album, I was hoping the multiple choice would be enabled! The flat-out parodies (especially The Saga Begins, It’s All About the Pentiums and Pretty Fly for a Rabbi) are so spot-on that it’s hard not to vote for them. The more flat-out funny stuff, like Your Horoscope For Today and Albuquerque, which crosses the line from just surreal and absurd to truly funny about halfway through), pretty much all of the songs on this album rock!
It’s All About The Pentiums. Hands down. The Saga Begins is great and comes out of a better original song, but it’s just not quiiite as good in my view. Albuquerque is a piece of brilliance, but it’s not something I’ll listen to over and over again. That’s Your Horoscope For Today is a lot of fun since it’s a style parody of Mighty Mighty Bosstones and ska in general, which makes me happy.
The one sour note on this album, oddly, is Grapefruit Diet. I freaking love Zoot Suit Riot and I was happy to see he’d taken it on, but it just seemed a little half-hearted. “Yeah, it’s another food parody. Ha ha. Moving on.” And for once, the music actually wasn’t as good as the original.
Oops, that was a typo. It’s Pretty Fly For a RABBI
One little piece of trivia - the donut verse from Albuquerque took the lyrics from a really really old (this was pre 1st album) Weird Al song called I’m Stupid Blues, which was musically similar to Generic Blues.
Another bit of trivia, there was an alternate version of The Saga Begins recorded for Radio Disney. The above quoted line was changed to “do you see him talking to the Queen?” … see what I mean about Al being a lot edgier on this album!!!
The album starts strong, and “Albuqerque” is amazing, but I think “Truck Driving Song” is the worst thing he’s ever done. It’s the one Al album I cannot sit through from start to finish, and that song is why.
I think it’s arguably the strongest album he’s done, and for me Truck Driving Song is a really strong track. Germs and Albuquerque are the ones that, for me, don’t quite resonate.
I was first aware of this album due to hearing The Saga Begins on the radio while on vacation. I hadn’t bought a Weird Al album in a while, and wasn’t listening to the radio much. I heard this come on and I thought, “Hmm…that sounds a lot like Weird Al.” Once I found out it was, I went and bought the album on the strength of that track alone.
This was the first Weird Al album where I wasn’t familiar with the original versions of some of the parodies (All About the Pentiums and Pretty Fly for a Rabbi), and yet they’re among my favorite. I think that’s the real testament to his talents; I don’t need to know the originals to appreciate the parodies. I mean, c’mon - “You’re about as useless as jpegs to Helen Keller?” Genius.
As for Truck Driving Song I love it for a few reasons. Firstly, the music itself is pretty good. Maybe not awesome, but Weird Al doesn’t venture into the Country genre very much, and it’s a pretty respectable country song. I particularly like the pedal steel guitar. Secondly, it’s nice to hear Al use his lower register more; it’s not too shabby a voice.
Thirdly, and most importantly, I like the ambiguity of the song. On first listen I assumed, like I suspect most people did, that it was a song about a male truck driver who cross-dresses. That’s funny, especially when you contrast the “blue collar” nature of the work with the singer’s concern over his appearance. But on repeat listens, I realized it could be a song where the “singer” is actually a woman, but by using a male vocal creates an image of what a lot of us imagine a female truck driver typically looks like; pretty tough and butch, hard-drinking and chain-smoking. Now take that character and put her in a feathered boa, sequins, chiffon, and high heels. Still funny.
I have probably just expended more thought on Truck Driving Song than it could ever possibly merit, but I have wondered if I’m the only person who has ever considered a different interpretation than the transvestite one.
Many good ones on this one but I voted for ‘The Saga Begins’ for one reason…
Running with Scissors came out June 29, 1999.
Episode One came out May 19, 1999.
Either Al had access to advance knowledge or he managed to conceive, write, record and master ‘The Sage Begins’ within six weeks of the release of the movie. That includes printing, marketing, and distribution.
