The First Album

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DrDecay
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Post by DrDecay »

Not only do the songs have a chain, but also every song is somehow incorperated on the album cover as well. I think that is so cool.
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Post by weird user »

I remember when I first got my copy. It was only the second time that I had seen a copy of the album in person (only a four month difference), and I felt like I had hit the jackpot.

One thing I wonder. I know that Al is embarrassed by most of his earlier songs that came before this album. I wonder if Al is now embarrassed by any of the songs that were released on this album.
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Post by Bruce the Duck »

I'm sure he is, but no more embarrased than he must be of "Syndicated Inc." :P

Actually, even the first album is WAAAY better than most of his early, unreleased stuff. I'm sorry to say, but some of those early songs, (especially the originals) like "Leisure Suit Serenade" and "Nobody Here But Us Frogs" were really crappy songs. And have you ever noticed how all of them have almost the exact same tune?
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Post by TheLazenby »

Yes. Listening to the 1976-1977 songs one after another, they just seem like one continuous song. I could probably rank the early songs thusly...

GREAT
* Never Met A Person As Wonderful As Me
* Belvedere Cruising (An Al classic. Just a great song.)
* Nobody Here But Us Frogs
* American Slob
* You Don't Take Your Showers (I like the short version better, but the long version from the Demento performance isn't bad...)
* Pac-Man (Al gets an A+ for effort!)

PRETTY GOOD
* School Cafeteria
* Cheerios, Apple Jacks, Cheerios
* Dead Car Battery Blues (This may be promoted to "Great" someday... I've been singing this quite a bit lately.)
* Take Me Down
* Won't Eat Prunes Again (and "Screaming Al" Yankovic debuts...)
* It's Still Billy Joel To Me (The demo's OK, but the live one's cooler...)
* More Songs About Food - the Demento food medley (this was originally listed under "Bad", but then I remembered how much I liked "Feel Like Throwin' Up"...)

BAD
* Leisure Suit Serenade
* Hit Me With A Rock (The "Plan 9 From Outer Space" of Al songs... it's so terrible, but yet you can't stop listening to it!! ;))
* The Beverly Hillbillies Miss You (I guess "Money For Nothing" spoiled me, but this just doesn't work...)
* You Light Up My Life (does this count?)
* I'm Stupid Blues (STOP SCREAMING, AL!! It's almost sad that this horrible song became "Albuquerque"...)
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Post by Well, Well, Well »

Bruce the Duck @ Apr 17 2007, 05:12 PM wrote: I'm sorry to say, but some of those early songs, (especially the originals) like "Leisure Suit Serenade" and "Nobody Here But Us Frogs" were really crappy songs.
That's very true. It's understandable that Al wouldn't want to even mention such tracks. I'm sure a number of people have gotten ahold of most of the Al rarities, but I, personally, stopped looking after hearing a few of the songs; they are just terrible. I do hope Al can one day put together a bonus disc of a few of the decent tracks, but even if he didn't, it's not like we'd really be missing out.
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Post by Big Spoon »

I have a few Al rarities and for the most part, they aren't really that good. I would like to hear more of them, just for the sake of knowing them, but I'm sure that they aren't that good overall.
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Post by Bruce the Duck »

The only songs I like from those early days are "Pacman" and "It's Still Billy Joel To Me." "Belvedere Cruising" was okay. The rest, bleh. That's why I'm not all that interested in tracking down "Orgy On My Own."
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Post by Keir »

DrDecay @ Dec 15 2004, 09:32 AM wrote: Not only do the songs have a chain, but also every song is somehow incorperated on the album cover as well. I think that is so cool.
I love that too. We should make a list of all the different song references on the cover.

“Ricky”:
- Mickey poster on wall
- I Love Lucy on TV

“Gotta Boogie”:
- disco ball

“I Love Rocky Road”:
- I Love Rocky Road bumper sticker
- lots of rocky road ice cream
- Joan Jett poster on wall

“Buckingham Blues”:
- Time magazine on floor with Chuck and Diane on cover
- poster of various British icons on wall

“Happy Birthday”:
- several packages of frozen broccoli
- a lot of beer
- birthday cake
- party hat on floor

“Stop Draggin' My Car Around”:
- person holding steering wheel under bed
- various car parts

“My Bologna”:
- package of bologna slices on wall
- large stick of bologna on floor

“The Check's in the Mail”:
- mail box

“Another One Rides the Bus”:
- toy bus full of people on floor
- can of sardines

“Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung”:
- man in iron lung in closet.

This could go on a long time…
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Post by weird user »

I keep looking for references to Such a Groovy Guy, and can't find any. If there aren't any references, then I wonder why.

There are also references to Al's life, including a picture of Dr. Demento (who gave Al his start) and some issues of Mad Magazine (which Al was obsessed with as a teenager).
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Post by weird user »

Was There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Frogs actually an original? The title sounds like a parody of There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens.

This album has a different feel from later albums, but I really like the uniqueness of it.
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