Best song on Weird Al Yankovic's Internet Leaks & co

[fusoya]

Internet Leaks was the official name given to the set of songs which Al recorded and released through his website (and eventually through itunes) over the last couple of years. I'm also throwing in the other songs he's done since SOL that weren't put onto a real album yet. A lot of credit goes to Al for doing this - albums just aren't what they used to be. I haven't bought a CD in nearly a decade, and I have absolutely NO REASON to, since I only listen to music on my computer or my phone, so the CD would just get ripped to files and then discarded. Since the itunes store format allows you to buy tracks al a carte (no jokes, please), the albums just doesn't have the same selling appeal it used to, although I still personally prefer listening to music an album at a time. Al still says he plans on releasing a new album within the next year, but is it just gonna be Internet Leaks plus another 5 songs, or will it be all new material? They Might Be Giants learned this the hard way when they released demos of almost every song which wound up on Mink Car, and in some cases, the final releases were newly recorded and much much more polished (a bit TOO polished, in my opinion).

Regardless, at least it's new Al material! Most of Internet Leaks was performed on his tour this year, which I saw in Cleveland last month. I really really dig the new polka Polka Face(except for Womanizer, which is both nauseating and goes on way too long). Craigslist is the only studio release which I liked, but much like Drive Thru, it just isn't funny upon repeated listens. It had an awesome music video though.

* Poker Face, Womanizer, Right Round, Day & Night, Need You Now, Baby Baby Baby, So What, I Kissed A Girl, Fireflies, Blame It, Replay, Down, Break Your Heart, Tick Tock

[gaffa]

I voted for Skipper Dan. Of every song Al has done, this is the one that I think works best as a pop tune, completely outside of the context of comedy. It is funny, but the humor is pretty dark. Put it this way, it's one of a handful of Al tunes that works well in a general pop iPod playlist.

[Bosstone]

CNR. No contest. I like Skipper Dan a great deal -- it's a takeoff of Weezer, but there's also lots of Jonathan Coulton in both the music and the theme, being simultaneously funny and sadly wistful -- but CNR is more my speed, and it's funny to boot.

[fusoya]

I think I would have liked CNR much better if I actually gave a crap about Charles Nelson Reilly.

[TBG]

I haven't heard all of these (really waiting on that next CD) but the ones I have I like Craigslist. It's got a really cool video, too.

[bienville]

The Craigslist video was directed by Liam Lynch

• Creator of 90s MTV puppet show "Sifl and Ollie"
• Director of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
• Director of Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
• Director of Tenacious D short films (the really dirty ones)
• And the guy who did the United States of Whatever song

Liam Lynch is pretty much brilliant. I've tried to turn Dopers onto his video podcast before, to no avail. Here's the Thread I started for it once before- great links in that Thread worth checking out.

[CandidGamera]

Yes, Al's next album will probably have Polka Face and definitely have Internet Leaks, according to his website.

http://www.weirdal.com/latenews.htm

INTERNET LEAKS
Internet Leaks is the name of the Grammy-nominated digital-only EP that previews songs from the next Weird Al album (which will hopefully be out sometime this year). Internet Leaks contains the T.I. parody "Whatever You Like" as well as "Craigslist," "Skipper Dan," "CNR" and "Ringtone"! And it's available RIGHT NOW at iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Zune, Walmart and everywhere else digital music is sold!

[Bosstone]

Originally Posted by fusoya

I think I would have liked CNR much better if I actually gave a crap about Charles Nelson Reilly.

That's what makes it so funny, at least to me. The only things I know about Charles Nelson Reilly are he had a distinctive look, he did some voiceovers in 90s animated movies, and Alec Baldwin parodied him on SNL once. And all of a sudden here's a song talking about how utterly badass he was.

But then, I'm a netgeek who loves memes like Chuck Norris jokes and the like.

[fusoya]

Actually, what made it even more amusing is that before they performed CNR live (complete with White Stripes costumes), they showed a video of some game show that CNR used to host, which made him look anything BUT badass.

[Kamino Neko]

I've only heard You're Pitiful before now (and now, Polka Face)...going to acquire Internet Links before voting...but I can say if nothing on the album is particularly good, my vote's going to Polka Face, You're Pitiful is...rather a reflexive title. Hate that song so...whichever album it was supposed to be on (Straight Out of Linwood? I can't remember.) really benefited by the label refusing permission.

[Kamino Neko]

OK, listening to Internet Leaks...

Whatever You Like isn't bad. Not really a standout, though.
Craigslist is a dead on parody of the Doors. Unfortunately, I hate the Doors. So that one's dead in the water.
Skipper Dan isn't half bad. Better musically than lyrically.
CNR...the same.
Ringtone...meh.

In the end...I have to give it to CNR, just because I like Chuck.

[fusoya]

Also, one little trivia tidbit about Craiglist - yes, that's Ray Mazarek himself playing organ on it!

[TBG]

Originally Posted by Tengu

You're Pitiful is...rather a reflexive title. Hate that song so...whichever album it was supposed to be on (Straight Out of Linwood? I can't remember.) really benefited by the label refusing permission.

Yeah, I think Al really lucked out there. White and Nerdy replaced it, and was much better.