Secret Mixtape Review: Mix #16 (10-31) is up!

[AndySlash]

ha, this is great.

i've seen weird al a few times, and still check out his music when it comes out (speaking of, he's got a new album out in a couple weeks...). he played a late night set at bonnaroo last year and without hyperbole it was one of the highlights of the weekend and one of the most memorable shows i've seen at roo. you could easily tell that he really enjoyed playing to a crowd of a few thousand drunk/stoned/tripping festival fans instead of a family crowd for a change.

[Lament]

I saw Weird Al twice in the mid/late-90s with my family. I feel like I remember more about the crowd than the actual shows.

[stip]

I will have a review up for this tonight or tomorrow at work (more likely tomorrow at work)

[Lament]

I too will have my review up tonight or tomorrow. New mix goes up Wednesday.

[stip]

Okay, here we go

Spoiler: show

So this is mix is mine, and since Lament knows that and no one else except maybe Brett is going to review this I see no reason to deny it. Plus at least some of you suspect.

Some backstory for this mix. Originally I had made an 80s mix that I really loved, but decided to scrap because we started the decades tournaments. But at one point I had a two run stretch of Once In A Lifetime followed by Weird Al's Talking Heads style parody Dog Eat Dog. I really liked hearing the weird al song following the original because it gives a better sense of how brilliant some of his parodies are. And that gave me the idea to expand this out into an entire mix. I wasn't sure how it was going to work, but I wanted to try.

And, contra to Varis' accusation, a lot of work went into this. There were a few things the mix needed to do:

1. It had to flow well (and I thought it did) with a limited selection of songs, a wide range of styles, and half of the placement was determined by the first part. I arranged the mix as a palindrome (hence the title) and so the weird al tracking was determined by the placement of the original tracks. So I needed the initial 9 songs to not only flow well, but to have the mirrored songs flow well in reverse. I could have just paired each song, but I thought that would have gotten old, plus...

2. I was hoping that the gimmick would not be immediately obvious. Ideally it would begin as a regular mix (albeit one with some questionable song selections) and then the listener would start to suspect or there would be that moment of understanding when the weird al section began. But I wanted it to be something of a puzzle. So I started it out with the 80s stuff hoping I could at least pass this off for a while as an 80s mix.

3. Originally I had made this an all 80s mix (and so it also had Like a Virgin/Like a surgeon, Living in America/Living with a Hernia, I Want a New Drug/I Want a New Duck, Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies with one of his polka medleys as the pivot track). But then Lament (who inexplicably kept bringing up Weird Al in the month before this mix) asked if I liked 80s or 90s weird al better, and so I decided I wanted to go for a mix of both. But the 90s tracks did stick out quite a bit, and complicated the flow and feel of the first half. On the plus side, it made it easier to include songs like Yoda, which came out in the 80s even though Lola is the 70s

4. It had to make some sacrifices on the originals ends to include certain weird al tracks. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite weird al songs. I never heard MacArthur Park before but had to track it down for this mix. My god, what a ridiculous song. See also Eye of the Tiger, which is fun ironically for about 45 seconds. But Rye or the Kaiser is great. I originally had Bad/Fat but then I decided to go with Beat it/Eat it just because Beat It is such a superior song.

So believe it or not (Varis or whoever) I actually put a lot of thought into this, both in terms of song selection and tracklisting (going for flow and trying to hide the gimmick). There were multiple iterations of this mix. Whether or not it was successful I don't know. Varis didn't think so. I was pretty happy with it, especially given the limitations.


So the tracklisting:

1. The Police - King of Pain (I'm not a police fan but this is a nice song)
2. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (one of my favorite songs from the 80s, and I thought starting out with these two would feel like a real mix
3. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
4. Michael Jackson - Beat it (so at this point at least I can call this an 80s mix)
5. Eminim - Lose Yourself
6. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (at this point the hope is that maybe people can imagine that there's some vague story the songs are telling about finding your way, etc.)
7. Richard Harris - MacArthur Park. Okay, by now I just have to spring for the finish line. Unfortunately this is a long ass song. I originally ended the first side of the mix with it, but I thought Lola and Smells Like Teen Spirit following Gangsta's Paradise would have tipped the weird Al hand for certain.
8. The Kinks - Lola (I owed listeners a decent song after that last one)
9. Nirvana - Smells like Teen spirit

then we have the pivot. My favorite 1-2 combo was Once in a Lifetime/Dog eat dog, especially because it isn't a direct parody, but I wanted once in a Lifetime to come earlier to help obscure the gimmick

10. Smells Like Nirvana
11. Yoda
12. Jurassic Park
13. Amish Paradise
14. Couch Potato
15. Eat It
16. Theme From Rocky VIII
17. Dog Eat Dog
18. King of Suede



Overall I thought this would be a nice change of pace from the previous mixes, which were collections of songs the mix maker liked without any particular rhyme or reason to them (beyond perhaps the flow of the mix). No one had showcased an artist yet. I was working under the assumption that everyone likes Weird Al but no one (except for lament, apparently) thinks about him often. I figured people would link the videos (which are still really great, for the most part). Good times would be had by all.

And here we are. Still, this was a lot of fun for me to put together. Weird Al is an artist I tend to forget about and then once every 4-5 years or so go on a binge for about a month. It had been a long time (I think the last time was right before I moved to Long Island, so 2008, maybe?) That's what I did. It was worth it. For me, anyway.

Thank you Varis for the courtesy of the listen It's too bad you didn't like it.

[stip]

And just because these are brilliant (especially if you watch the original first):


Beat it and Eat it





The eat it video is only funny if you remember how absurd the beat it video was (even though the dance off as a response to gang violence was a real thing)



Smells Like Teen Spirit and Smells Like Nirvana






Gangsta's Paradise and Amish Paradise

[stip]

and while this wasn't in the mix



Bad and fat (the fat video still makes me laugh. I almost died the first time I watched it)

[William Bloke]

OK, now I feel bad (and not in the Michael Jackson way). Sorry stip, I didn't 'get it' and like I said in the other thread, appreciate I may have been too harsh here.

I have no probs with Weird Al, and always looked forward to his next thing as it came out - almost always clever and entertaining, occasionally sublime.

I appreciate my negative review may have clouded some judgements and limited other reviews, which is kinda dumb, but this is RM of course, and many seem happier to 'play safe and say nought' it seems to me.

So it wasn't my thing - big deal. I do humbly apologise for doubting your effort though. Obviously much thought went in and I always appreciate that in a mix (even if not necessarily at first listen).

To be honest I got it in my head early on that this may have been an Alex joint and as I continued through the mix I couldn't see past that. So in a way you were the victim of my personal irritation with that poster and my 3rd mistaken mixmaker in a row, although I hadn't actually announced it as such.

Ah, what do I know anyways? Thanks for the mix and also the backstory. Sorry if I offended.

[stip]

No worries. You're one of like 4 people who actually take the time to review people's mixes even after you've already gone. You get a lot of leeway.

[Heathen]

Okay, here we go

Spoiler: show

So this is mix is mine, and since Lament knows that and no one else except maybe Brett is going to review this I see no reason to deny it. Plus at least some of you suspect.

Some backstory for this mix. Originally I had made an 80s mix that I really loved, but decided to scrap because we started the decades tournaments. But at one point I had a two run stretch of Once In A Lifetime followed by Weird Al's Talking Heads style parody Dog Eat Dog. I really liked hearing the weird al song following the original because it gives a better sense of how brilliant some of his parodies are. And that gave me the idea to expand this out into an entire mix. I wasn't sure how it was going to work, but I wanted to try.

And, contra to Varis' accusation, a lot of work went into this. There were a few things the mix needed to do:

1. It had to flow well (and I thought it did) with a limited selection of songs, a wide range of styles, and half of the placement was determined by the first part. I arranged the mix as a palindrome (hence the title) and so the weird al tracking was determined by the placement of the original tracks. So I needed the initial 9 songs to not only flow well, but to have the mirrored songs flow well in reverse. I could have just paired each song, but I thought that would have gotten old, plus...

2. I was hoping that the gimmick would not be immediately obvious. Ideally it would begin as a regular mix (albeit one with some questionable song selections) and then the listener would start to suspect or there would be that moment of understanding when the weird al section began. But I wanted it to be something of a puzzle. So I started it out with the 80s stuff hoping I could at least pass this off for a while as an 80s mix.

3. Originally I had made this an all 80s mix (and so it also had Like a Virgin/Like a surgeon, Living in America/Living with a Hernia, I Want a New Drug/I Want a New Duck, Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies with one of his polka medleys as the pivot track). But then Lament (who inexplicably kept bringing up Weird Al in the month before this mix) asked if I liked 80s or 90s weird al better, and so I decided I wanted to go for a mix of both. But the 90s tracks did stick out quite a bit, and complicated the flow and feel of the first half. On the plus side, it made it easier to include songs like Yoda, which came out in the 80s even though Lola is the 70s

4. It had to make some sacrifices on the originals ends to include certain weird al tracks. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite weird al songs. I never heard MacArthur Park before but had to track it down for this mix. My god, what a ridiculous song. See also Eye of the Tiger, which is fun ironically for about 45 seconds. But Rye or the Kaiser is great. I originally had Bad/Fat but then I decided to go with Beat it/Eat it just because Beat It is such a superior song.

So believe it or not (Varis or whoever) I actually put a lot of thought into this, both in terms of song selection and tracklisting (going for flow and trying to hide the gimmick). There were multiple iterations of this mix. Whether or not it was successful I don't know. Varis didn't think so. I was pretty happy with it, especially given the limitations.


So the tracklisting:

1. The Police - King of Pain (I'm not a police fan but this is a nice song)
2. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (one of my favorite songs from the 80s, and I thought starting out with these two would feel like a real mix
3. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
4. Michael Jackson - Beat it (so at this point at least I can call this an 80s mix)
5. Eminim - Lose Yourself
6. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (at this point the hope is that maybe people can imagine that there's some vague story the songs are telling about finding your way, etc.)
7. Richard Harris - MacArthur Park. Okay, by now I just have to spring for the finish line. Unfortunately this is a long ass song. I originally ended the first side of the mix with it, but I thought Lola and Smells Like Teen Spirit following Gangsta's Paradise would have tipped the weird Al hand for certain.
8. The Kinks - Lola (I owed listeners a decent song after that last one)
9. Nirvana - Smells like Teen spirit

then we have the pivot. My favorite 1-2 combo was Once in a Lifetime/Dog eat dog, especially because it isn't a direct parody, but I wanted once in a Lifetime to come earlier to help obscure the gimmick

10. Smells Like Nirvana
11. Yoda
12. Jurassic Park
13. Amish Paradise
14. Couch Potato
15. Eat It
16. Theme From Rocky VIII
17. Dog Eat Dog
18. King of Suede



Overall I thought this would be a nice change of pace from the previous mixes, which were collections of songs the mix maker liked without any particular rhyme or reason to them (beyond perhaps the flow of the mix). No one had showcased an artist yet. I was working under the assumption that everyone likes Weird Al but no one (except for lament, apparently) thinks about him often. I figured people would link the videos (which are still really great, for the most part). Good times would be had by all.

And here we are. Still, this was a lot of fun for me to put together. Weird Al is an artist I tend to forget about and then once every 4-5 years or so go on a binge for about a month. It had been a long time (I think the last time was right before I moved to Long Island, so 2008, maybe?) That's what I did. It was worth it. For me, anyway.

Thank you Varis for the courtesy of the listen It's too bad you didn't like it.

This post is much funnier than Weird Al.

[stip]

well its always gratifying when the student surpasses the teacher

[Brett]

Well, thanks for revealing yourself, Stip, though I never would have guessed it was you. I almost didn't bother with checking out this mix, after seeing Varis's review, and, like him, would have guessed that it was potentially Alex or somebody's second account. I guess that makes me victim to sometimes playing it too safe as well. Anyway, to the review:

1. I feel like if I was a decade or two older, The Police would be one of my favorite bands. I quite like pretty much everything I've ever heard of theirs, and have just never really gotten deeply into them. This is just one of many good Police songs that I enjoy, but I don't have much to say about it at this point because it is familiar to me.

2. I don't really know much about Talking Heads, but they're another band that seem to be just far enough outside of my radar that I don't really think about them, but I do like their tunes when I hear them. This one's tainted a bit for me right now, because I've only ever heard it on the 80s SiriusXM station at the convenience store I work at right now. Not a bad tune, but the spoken-word delivery is a little off-putting at points.

3. This was the first thing I saw on Varis's review that made me go, "Ugh, do I even want to bother?" Knowing how it fits in conceptually, now, I can tolerate it, but otherwise, this is just one of those songs in which I have a hard time finding any redemptive qualities. The cultural ubiquity and associations of the song make it even less likely that I would enjoy it at this point in time. Onto the next.

4. Here's another artist, who, throughout most of my life, was colored by cultural associations. However, on the flipside, after his death, I realized just how good of a musician/producer/songwriter/performer/whatever Michael Jackson really was. I don't seek his music out, but I do enjoy it when I hear it. The palette of 80s production techniques is utilized to great effect on this song, yet it doesn't really feel very dated, unlike the previous three songs which are, to greater or lesser extents, inherently tied to the decade in question.

5. This is the second point in Varis's review where I wasn't quite sure if I even wanted to touch this thing. Outside of being amused by "My Name Is," I've never liked Eminem. While he's obviously a ridiculously talented rapper in terms of his flow, and crafting memorable hooks, it's an art that is difficult for me to appreciate on most levels.

6. And then there was this one. This was the first song that made me start thinking about who could have created this mix, and my first thought, combined with the Eminem and Survivor songs, was that it may have been I Got Bugs. I can't remember if it was this song or Al's parody version that I heard first, but regardless, the two songs are always eternally intertwined in my regard. Probably why Coolio was a bit pissed about it at first. Again, being hip-hop, I have a hard time appreciating this song beyond the surface level, and it's further complicated by the Weird Al association.

7. I don't know where, but I know I've heard this song before. Some of the lyrics are hilariously absurd. I quite like some of the choices in terms of arrangement and structure; apparently this was originally supposed to be part of a cantata, which probably explains why it goes far beyond the typical pop structure. This song gets a few bonus points in terms of this mix, just because I'm not overly familiar with it, so I can listen with a more objective and open set of ears. So, there's some kudos to be given on that account.

8. I don't much care for this song. The vocal affectations for the "cola, Lola, etc." parts annoy me, and it's a general rock style that does nothing for me. Again, I get it's inclusion from a conceptual standpoint, and I get that there are a lot of people that enjoy this stuff, but it's not for me. I also have a difficult time following along with the song's progression, because it doesn't quite make sense in my mind.

9. Can I say anything about "Teen Spirit" that hasn't already been said millions of times before? Probably not. It's not my favorite Nirvana song, but probably not my least favorite, either, though I can't think of any offhand that I would like to listen to less at this point. Not a knock on it's quality, just that I've heard it too much, and there's not really anything new to find.

10. Gods, I can only imagine Varis's face hearing those opening notes again as this song starts up. I'm not sure that speeding this song up really benefits Al's version any, but it is pretty funny the way his vocals are mixed so much higher during the chorus. It really gives those toilet humor sound effects room to breath. The gargly bridge is probably the best part of this parody. The rest of it isn't really top notch Weird Al material.

11. This works much better as a Weird Al song . Not quite as popular as "The Saga Begins" in Al's group of Star Wars songs (There's only two so far, right? He should totally do a new one to make a bona fide trilogy.). Not much else to say on this one.

12. The original song's epic arrangements are simplified somewhat for "Jurassic Park," which makes sense in terms of Al's need to make his music more listener-friendly, and so as not to lose the listener's interest. The instrumental section with the dinosaur attacks is kind of amusing, though. I do think some more of the song's spirit could have been retained, though, and it would have played off the film's atmosphere rather well.

13. Some of my favorite Weird Al lyrics are present in "Amish Paradise." The musical accompaniment to this one seems to be exactly the same as Coolio's original (though I'm sure somebody with more attentive ears can prove me wrong there), which I think helps benefit the parody, unlike the Nirvana tune.

14. Somehow, I don't think I've ever heard this one. It's weird, no pun intended, to hear Al's voice so deep, though. Contrary to my enjoyment of "Amish Paradise," I don't really find anything fun or amusing about this song. Definitely just waiting for this one to end.

15. Another one of Al's more clever parodies. I think I prefer this era of his vocal stylings, too. It feels a little less like straight up attempts at imitation and more like a sly, but still somewhat endearing tribute to the original song's spirit, which I think was his intent at the time.

16. Hm, this one seems "new" to me as well. "Rye or the kaiser" is a funny take off from "eye of the tiger," but otherwise I'm not sold on this parody, either. It hardly seems necessary (though I guess you can argue that none of them really are), and comes off as weak and uninspired.

17... Uh, well, now I see why Varis's review stopped at track sixteen. There is no 17, nor for that matter is there an 18. I'm pretty sure that's an error and it kind of kills Stip's mix at this point. Maybe I'll youtube the others just for completion's sake.

Anyway, interesting, if not quite absurd concept Stip. I ,too, thought at first that maybe back-to-back comparisons would be a better idea, but after listening, I think the palindrome effect is better. If only you hadn't forgotten to add in the last two songs. Ah well; I look forward to Mix #7 in a few days.

[Lament]

If only you hadn't forgotten to add in the last two songs. Ah well; I look forward to Mix #7 in a few days.

I'll take the blame for this. I don't know why the last two didn't end up in the folder I uploaded. My apologies, Stip.

EDIT: I'm reuploading the zip file with the last two tracks added in for posterity's sake.

[Brett]

Eh, it's no big thing. I did youtube the other two songs, which I believe were also either unheard by me so far, or just not heard enough to remember. The Talking Heads one was a pretty good variation on the original, with lots of little touches thrown in that made it a more complete parody of their overall style. "King of Suede" was a more direct version of the original tune that didn't really stand out to me on one listen.

[stip]

I did some reading on this as I was selecting songs and apparently Weird Al and his band just try and reproduce the song by ear. So I think they are all meant to be faithful reproductions musically, but without going to sheet music.

[Brett]

Interesting to know. It would explain why some songs are more faithfully arranged than others.

[Jorge]

I did some reading on this as I was selecting songs and apparently Weird Al and his band just try and reproduce the song by ear. So I think they are all meant to be faithful reproductions musically, but without going to sheet music.

I understand some of his songs are more "style parodies" than actual reproductions. Like that Talking Heads one, which has pieces of "And She Was" as well as "Once In a Lifetime" and a few others.

[Lament]

I'm not gonna spoiler this review since Stip has already revealed himself, and I'm pretty sure every song on here is more or less known by everyone at this point...


When I first started getting really obsessed with music, The Police were one of the first “older” bands I went back and got really into. There was a time when I was maybe a freshman or sophomore in high school where The Police were my second favorite band in the world after U2. The years haven't been very kind to perception of though. For me personally I find that I enjoy each progressive album significantly less than the one before it. There was time when Synchronicity was one of my favorite albums in the world, but now I just find it bland and uninteresting. King of Pain is encapsulates all of that for me. When I got my first Police cd (the greatest hits one) for Christmas when I was like fourteen, King of Pain was a song that I instantly fell in love with. This mix was probably the first time I listened to it all the way through in over a decade, and it just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Remain in Light is an album I got a few months after the above Police story. With U2 and the Police being my two favorite bands, I threw myself pretty heavily into that era. Remember when MTV used to have those entire 80s weekends? Anyways, I was sitting around watching one of those when the video for Once in a Lifetime came on and then spent the rest of the day determined to get one of my parents to drive me to a record store to buy Remain in Light. The Talking Heads were high on my list of bands that I wanted to check out (especially because of their association with Brian Eno), but this song brought a ridiculous urgency to my quest. This is almost the complete opposite of King of Pain for me. No matter how many times I hear this song it's still amazing. I enjoy every bit as much as I did the first time all those years ago, perhaps even more. Everything about it is unique and brilliant.

Eye of the Tiger made me groan a little bit, and was the first sign that maybe something was “up.” I don't really find anything about this song enjoyable. When I was in high school, this kid I had known since I was like six stayed with my family for like a week while his parents were out of town one summer. I was at the height of my U2/The Cure/Joy Division/New Order hysteria. Anyways, all I remember is him listening to some Survivor album (what seemed like) non-stop the entire time, and being really into it. I mean, he knew all of the songs that WEREN'T Eye of the Tiger too. That's what this song reminds me of. By the end of that week, I fucking hated that kid so much. Still hate him to this day. But he also grew up to be a terrible human being.

I've loved Michael Jackson for most of my life, but the level of burnout I have from him because of the past five years or so makes it really hard to listen to him anymore. I still end up playing this song at the club nearly every week. This is probably one of the first songs I legitimately have memories of. It's a great one, just one I can't get into like I could before the past few years. Lose Yourself is another one I find myself playing at work almost weekly, but I still love this one every single time. Also, it's amusing watching 700 mostly drunk people attempt to scream along to the verses, tough guy mannerisms and all.

Gangsta's Paradise is ok. But the original Stevie Wonder song it's based on is better. You could probably guess I'd say that though. But yeah, that's what I think of when I hear this song. That and the video where Michelle Pfeiffer sits down in the chair and listens to Coolio rap to her.

When McArthur's Park started, I realized something was “up,” and was pretty sure I knew what it was going to be (to be fair, I obviously know whose mixes these are when I'm listening to them, so that's the only reason why). I knew the Weird Al parody of this before I knew the original, so obviously every time I hear the original that's what comes to mind. It's a weird fucking song, and I figured the Weird Al connection was the only reason it'd be on this mix. When Lola came on next, I was certain of my suspicions. At least Lola is a pretty decent song though. Overrated, but I still enjoy it from time to time.

I think at this point there's nothing left to be written about Smells Like Teen Spirit. I'm firmly in the “It's just fucking awesome and never gets old and never will” camp. It's crazy to me how captivating and exciting this song still is.

So...yeah. The second half. I really, really, really don't care for Weird Al. Like I said earlier, I've seen him live a few times, and it just doesn't do it for me. I remember thinking his songs were funny when I was like 9 or 10, but once I got really into music it just seemed lame. I actually don't think many of them hold up very well (though I suppose maybe they're not supposed to). I'm surprised how many people DO still harbor a soft spot for him, but more power to them. He seems to show up quite a few times in that “List bands that were once your favorite” thread. The Jurassic Park one reminds me of the first time I heard it. I went to the mall with a friend of mine in junior high, and he bought the single just because he was so excited there was a new Weird Al song. He hadn't heard it, but was confident enough in ol' Yankovic's track record to plop down a few bucks for it. His mom played it over and over again on the way home. I asked him what song it was supposed to be parodying, and he had no idea either (McArthur's Park was a weird fucking song to be parodying in the early 90s). He was still totally in love with it. I felt really awkward sitting in that car listening to him and his mom and his brother laughing uncontrollably while I couldn't figure out what was good about it.

I see now though that I probably deserve some of the blame for this. I actually can't remember how the Stip/Weird Al thing started. I feel like Heathen probably made a comment about it, and I just ran with it. It seemed to work in so many threads, and Stip always seemed eager to play along with it. When I listened to this for the first time, I simultaneously thought it was the best and the worst thing to happen to this thread. Knowing that it was Stip's, I kinda loved it, especially on the heels of Jorge's mix. I was worried that it would turn people off from participating, and when I saw Varis' review I wondered if anyone else would even bother to listen to it. I'm glad a few of you did though. It's too bad more people didn't give it a first listen without knowing an entire half of Weird Al songs was about to hit them. Varis' reaction is priceless enough though.

Also, I just now realized the title is a palindrome. Well played, Stip.

[stip]

I did some reading on this as I was selecting songs and apparently Weird Al and his band just try and reproduce the song by ear. So I think they are all meant to be faithful reproductions musically, but without going to sheet music.

I understand some of his songs are more "style parodies" than actual reproductions. Like that Talking Heads one, which has pieces of "And She Was" as well as "Once In a Lifetime" and a few others.

Yup. I meant the direct parodies.

[Brett]

I really wish I hadn't read Varis's review before I listened to this mix, because I want to know what my own reaction would have been like.

I think so many people, myself included, are putting Weird Al on their list in the "Bands that were once our favorite" thread is because it was an easy way for people who were young in the late 80s/early 90s to get into music, especially stuff that may have predated them. I know that's the way it was for me. It's really the only reason that I actually still get some enjoyment out of his material, because otherwise I would probably despise it.