What I dislike is when a tune becomes widely recognizable and linked in many people’s minds to a parody song rather than to the original - but I have the same reaction when it happens with ads. I tell myself that hey, the good side is that people who otherwise wouldn’t have may actually learn about the original and discover they like it. And sometimes a re-written song (which may not necessarily be a parody, even if it happens to have funny lyrics) manages to punt the original into orbit.
That is rich, for those that don’t know almost all the LZ songs you know are blatant rip offs of old blues greats, mostly Alberts King and Collins. Most of the guitar solos from Claptons time in Cream are note for note from the same two plus a little BB King, but IMO were done as homage.
I saw a Dave Grohl interview in which he stated that he knew Nirvana had “made it” because Weird Al parodied them.
IMO some parodies are better than the original but that is rare, they are mostly meh
Capt
I could take them or leave them.
Not really the same thing, but I do enjoy me some Richard Cheese. For the unfamiliar, he does lounge/big band jazz versions of popular songs (e.g. Welcome to the Jungle). I don’t even know why, but that shit is hilarious to me.
According to Al, he originally did want to just sample Black Dog. Page told him, “No, buy you’re welcome to play it yourself”. Which Al’s band did so well that it’s virtually indistinguishable from the original recording.
Anyone who doubts Weird Al’s talent needs to listen to Genius In France.
It also allows him a share of the songwriter’s royalty on his versions of the songs.
Cite
Eh, I don’t think he presents himself as someone out to make some statement exposing the real music world or tear down some scene. He just makes humorous songs and is pretty successful at it. Choosing to respect someone’s wishes doesn’t make him a wimp or not a wimp, it’s just a decision.
If he was explicitly setting out to make a statement and then backing down when it got tough, I might agree. I never saw him as trying to do that.
It is rich, but that’s a bit of an overstatement to say “almost all the LZ songs you know are blatant rip offs of old blues greats.” We’ve done the thread before. LZ was certainly known for, um, “reappropriating” not only classic blues songs, but folk songs, and songs of bands they toured with or previously played with, especially on their early records. Some of these I file under “homage” and being “influenced” by a song, others are just blatant reworkings (or covers) of great tunes. But to say that “almost all the LZ songs you know” are ripoffs is pure hyperbole. Good Times Bad Times? Communication Breakdown? Thank You? Heartbreaker->Living Lovin’ Maid? Ramble On? Immigrant Song? Black Dog? Misty Mountain Hop? Kashmir? Fool in the Rain? All of My Love? I can go on like this forever.
I don’t remember this ever happening. By the time the public hears about a Weird Al song, the original artist has already given their permission. The only controversy related to a celebrity being offended by Weird Al’s parody of their song that I recall involved “Amish Paradise”, where there was apparently some sort of miscommunication that led to Coolio’s record label telling Weird Al he had permission to do the song when Coolio had not in fact given permission.
It isn’t clear to me that all of Weird Al’s song parodies would fall under fair use. Your own cite quotes the Supreme Court as saying that just claiming a work is a parody doesn’t make it so, that some parodies would not fall under fair use, and that it’s difficult to draw a firm line.
The 2 Live Crew song “Pretty Woman” was eventually determined to fall under fair use in part because much of their song (both music and lyrics) was original. They didn’t do a sound-alike version of Roy Orbison’s music and add new lyrics to it, which is what Weird Al often does. 2 Live Crew’s “Pretty Woman” lyrics also parodies the lyrics of Roy Orbison’s “Oh Pretty Women” by making the song mostly about a relationship with an ugly woman. While some of Weird Al’s song parodies do have lyrics that comment upon the original song/artist in some way (e.g. “Smells Like Nirvana”, “Achy Breaky Song”, “Trapped in the Drive-Thru”), others have lyrics that are totally unrelated to the original song/artist. “MacArthur Park” has such famously stupid lyrics that it seems an obvious target for parody, but Weird Al’s “Jurassic Park” turns it into a song about the plot of the novel/movie Jurassic Park. The song is arguably a parody of Jurassic Park, but I think Weird Al would have a difficult time convincing a judge that the lyrics were spoofing or commenting upon the lyrics of “MacArthur Park”.
Beyond that, I don’t think it’s wimpy to refrain from being a jerk. Most artists are happy to grant permission to Weird Al, and since his primary goal is apparently to make teenagers laugh and not to provide some scathing commentary upon the music industry then I don’t see how anyone would benefit from Weird Al not seeking permission.
I concede that you a right, I chalk up my overstatement to lack of coffee. But some stealing they did do, esp in the early days.
Capt
Yes. I have quite an aversion to song parodies and am reluctant to listen to any.
It extends even further though, as I don’t like “funny” music in general - I don’t enjoy any music that’s intended to be funny. Not cause I’m such a serious person, cause I’m not, it’s just the coupling of music and comedy can only make me feel bored, indifferent or annoyed.
Best Frank Zappa pastiche I’ve ever heard.
This happens to me a lot. I can no longer listen to Katy Perry sing “California Gurls” without automatically substituting the lyrics from The Key of Awesome’s parody.
Regards,
Shodan
Yeah, I knew I didn’t wanna say “sampled.” I knew Weird Al’s band actually played the instrumental from “Black Dog,” I just didn’t say it very well.
With Dweezil Zappa on lead guitar, even.
One of my favorite Zappa tunes. I couldn’t care less who wrote it, or sang it, or plays on it, I just love this tune. “Bob” is pretty good Dylan, too, but more of a novelty number. “Genius in France” is just, well, genius.
It’s funny, because Al himself went vegetarian at some point, but still has no problem singing about meat. He’s the non-judgmental type all vegetarians should strive to emulate lest normal people conclude (wrongly) that all vegetarians are douchenozzles.
Most of the time, they are better than the original. Assuming I can make out the lyrics of the original, they’re usually nothing special–the same topic over and over or a big downer. Listening to pop music is supposed to be a fun activity.
I’m at the age now that I no longer know what song Al and others are parodying. In most cases I will go and find the original and give it a listen. I will also say that most of the songs Al covers, I would long ago have been forgotten. And usually I find his versions much better and more entertaining than the original.
I’m kind of finding the idea of writing an entire song’s lyrics unoriginal unless you also write the music slightly puzzling. Was Bernie Taupin unoriginal because he wrote lyrics to songs that Elton John had already written the music for? Was Ira Gershwin unoriginal because he only wrote lyrics to his brother’s music? Lyric-writing and music-writing are two different talents. Often they’re found together in the same person, but they’re completely different talents that use completely different areas of the brain.