Straight Outta Lynwood Full Album Reviews

[WEIRDALexis279]

WHITE AND NERDY - Though I would have liked "You're Pitiful" better as the lead parody, I think this is a great parody as well. I think it has a very similar theme to It's All About The Pentiums but it's still very funny. The only "bad" thing I will say about this song is it goes so fast you have to either listen really carefully or you have to read the lyrics to catch the funny parts. 8/10

PANCREAS - I'm still going a little back and forth on this one...I think it's an excellent style parody of Brian Wilson...but I'm just not into it as much. I don't like it...but I don't dislike it. I'll give it a 6/10

CANADIAN IDIOT - I like it a lot. It's a good parody...with that being said, I think this is my least favorite parody on the album. It just doesn't compare to all the other parodies. And how long did you think it took Al to come up with "Canadian Idiot" for "American Idiot"? I just think he could have done something more creative with this. Again, I like the song...it's just my least favorite parody. 7/10

I'LL SUE YA - Hilarious. Great lyrics. I love every scenerio in this. It's great. 9/10

POLKARAMA - A lot of people are dissing this polka. No, I don't think this polka is better than Angry White Boy, but I do like it very much. I think the Chicken Dance in the beginning is hilarious! and it starts out with "Let's get it started". This is probably the first polka I've ever listened too and knew every song. 9/10

VIRUS ALERT- This is another song that a lot of people don't like very much, but I love it. I think this is one of my favorite original on the album. I love the melody and I love his voice in this. Not to mention the lyrics are great! 10/10

CONFESSIONS PART III - My favorite song on the album. I was a little upset when I found out "Yeah" wasn't the Usher parody. But after hearing this song, I completely changed my mind. I love the "Slipped my mind the last two times, silly me!" 10/10

WEASEL STOMPING DAY - I didnt' really like this song at first, but it's starting to grow on me. This is the song that I normally skip over 5.5/10

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR - Love it. Think it's hilarious and it reminds me a lot of I'm So Sick Of You for some reason. I think it is brilliant musically and lyrically. 10/10

DO I CREEP YOU OUT - I must admit, I was not excited when I found out this was a Taylor Hicks parody. But, it turns out I really like this one SO much better than the original. It has sort of the same theme to Melanie, where it's a stalker, I think it's great. 9/10

TRAPPED IN THE DRIVE-THRU - Genius. Pure genius. It's EXACTLY what I do in a drive thru....with turning on the radio and checking your teeth and everything. Excellent song. Excellent parody. 10/10

DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS SONG - This song wins for my favorite original on the album. Hilarious the first time I listened to it, and I still crack up even after the hundreds of thousands of times I have listed to it. 10/10

Overall, I think this album beats out Poodle Hat, but not quite Running With Scissors. It's a very funny album with great songs. So this album will be placed as my second favorite Al album, right behind Running With Scissors...but anything can change.

[WeirdAbbott]

Ok, just got the album yesterday...it is AWESOME!! But here we go..

1. White And Nerdy- This is a very,very funny song, everything about it seemed so right, the video is HILLARIOUS!! 10/10

2. Pancreas- Not a big fan of this song, the only time I listened to it was on the original runthrough, and then it didn't hit my funny bone. 4/10

3. Canadian Idiot- Very high hopes for this song, and they were met to the max. The only thing that was wrong was the lack of a guitar solo..so that gives it a 9/10.

4. I'll Sue Ya- This is by far the greatest original on the album. My favorite lines are the "Colorado" and the Ben Affleck lines. 10/10

5. Polkarama- Very good, not the best..but its about time we got an updated one. 7/10

6. Virus Alert- I don't remember much from this song...i'll have to listen to it again. The only line I remember from it is "It'll mail your grandma all of your porn." That mad me laugh so hard. So i'll give it a 7/10 (Until further notice)

7. Confessions Pt. III- Very funny song...not too up to date on the original, so I can't compare it there, but very, very interesting confessions. 9/10

8. Weasel Stomping Day- Definatly the favorite song among my friends. I just showed them the liner notes, they read the lyrics and fell in love with it. I think it rubbed off on me too. 8/10

9. Close, But No Cigar- This song was not very musically appealing to me, but the lyrics were hillarious...reminds of something that Stephen Lynch would sing about. 7/10

10. Do I Creep You Out?- This song was ok, not the best song on the album, but it's not the worst either 6/10

11. Trapped In The Drive-Thru- 2 Words-- FREAKING GENIUS (although, I could have lived without the 'radio' part.) 10/10

12. Don't Download This Song- Very cool song to listen to every once and a while. Not the greatest song to close out the album, but it's not my choice 8/10.


All Over Album Rating- 9/10

[GrayJ]

I JUST listened to the album, and watched all the videos. Here is me review:

Pre-Songs:

Your Pitiful - Great song, great lyrics. It's a shame this didn't make the album. 11/10

ALbum Songs:

White & Nerdy - Not a bad song. I really like the lyrics, and the video is amazing. 10/10

Pancreas - I also love this song. I know the album SMiLE, and I'm very familiar with Wilson's music. In fact, this song sounds more like Brian Wilson than Brian Wilson does. 10/10

Canadian Idiot - Hmm. In my opinion, it doesn't sound pretty close to the original. And predictable lyrics. It's an OK song. 7.5/10

I'll Sue Ya - I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's one of my favorite songs on the ALbum!. A dead-on RATM style parody, and I love the references in the lyrics! I sued Ben Affleck! 10/10

Polkarama! - I like this polka. Definitely better than PP!, or AWBP. My favorite polka-ed songs from PR!: Drop It Like It's Hot (with banjo!), Speed of Sound (gotta love those guitar chords on accordion!), and Candy Shop (totally not what I expected, and that's a good thing). Even so, a little slow for my tastes. 9/10

Virus Alert - One of the best on the ALbum. I love everything about it. Clever lyrics, and great chorus. It's too great to explain in words. I'm in love with this song. 10/10

Confessions Part III - I really like this song. My favorite line is: FYI, it was not a cold sore. 9.5/10

Weasel Stomping Day - It may be a short (and grotesque), but don't underestimate it. I think the reason many people don't like this song, is they're grossed out by it. I'm not. I'm a nut for this kind of humor. 9/10

Close But No Cigar - I don't really know if I like this song or not. It's a good song, but at the same time, it's has it's bad spots. I guess it's starting to grow on me a bit. 9/10

Do I Creep You Out - One word to describe this song: Bleeeeeeeeegggghhhh. 5/10

Trapped in the Drive-Thru - Best song on the ALbum. No, greatest song on any of the ALbums. NO, best song in THE WORLD. I love the story, the dragged out trip to the drive-thru, Led Zeppelin ( ), and everything about it. A great ending to the ALbum... 11/10
...or not?

Don't Download This Song - Oh, how could I forget this. Another golden glory. DOOOOON'T DOWNLOAD THIS SONG!!! 9/10

Overall: 9/10. A great ALbum, maybe even his best. Just so I don't make TOO long of a post, I'll do the videos later.

[Insert Coin(s) to Continue]

White & Nerdy - 10 / 10 - A very fun and original parody set to a great original song. Al perfectly blends and meshes the two personas being brought into the equation with this song and promptly delivers line after line of top-knotch comedy.

Pancreas - 6 / 10 - Al's voice sounds great on this track and it does have some musical appeal, but it feels like the same Weird Al song we've been listening to since the early 80s. It's hard to listen to it without thinking "I've heard this before". The content of the song is nothing special, but the musical value really brings it up.

Canadian Idiot - 6 / 10 - This song is very predictable and it really feels like Al was doing it just for the sake of doing a Green Day parody. There was nothing about the song that really set it at the Weird Al level of originality or anything else. It sounds as if anyone could have written it.

I'll Sue Ya - 8 / 10 - This is very different from anything that Al's ever done in the past and it is really fun to listen to. Not only is it musically pleasing, it is also very funny. He nails America's recent trend of suing for everything we can possibly find fault with (and sometimes more).

Polkarama! - 9 / 10 - I don't know why people don't like this polka -- I think it's great! The selection of songs was pretty good for the most part (could have dropped Coldplay, Velvet Revolver, and Kanye West from the mix) and the musical style was really a throwback to his old polkas. This is the first polka medley in the long time that really sounds like a polka song. He ties everything in together quite well with this medley.

Virus Alert - 9 / 10 - This track features some of Al's best vocal work. I'm always impressed at the way Al travels from the lowest notes on his scale to the very highest in just a matter of seconds. It is so different from everything else we've heard in the past.

Confessions Part III - 9 / 10 - I really enjoyed this track. I'm a fan of Usher and I thought his Confessions album was great, so I immediately picked up on the references to Confessions parts one and two. I love the way Al delivers this song as if he is continuing on the two existing Confessions parts.

Weasel Stomping Day - 10 / 10 - This track is just plain fun! What's not to like about stomping small, furry creatures? The stomping and crushing noises really add so much to the song, as well.

Close But No Cigar - 9 / 10 - A great new original. I really wasn't expecting much out of it, but I was pleasently surprised. Al really delivers in this track, muscially and comicly. The entire concept for the song may not be completely novel, but Al really does a good job with the delivery.

Do I Creep You Out - 8 / 10 - Although the original song isn't extremely popular, Al does a good take off on the entire idea. This seems to me like a throwback to the days of simpler songs and concepts. Nothing too abstract or anything in this song. Really, stocker songs never get old.

Trapped in the Drive-Thru - 10 / 10 - Brilliantly delivered! It really matches the original series better than any Al song I've ever heard before. He does such a great job mimicing R. Kelly's story-telling style for this track...making it of epic length, too, really helps. The track delivers nonstop irrelevent laughs from beginning to end. The only thing I don't care for is the little radio section. I'm sure Led Zeppelin fans will stick their arms up for their moment of personal comedy, but it really doesn't do anything for the rest of the musical audiences. And, really, past the Zeppelin fans yelling out "That's Black Dog!!" it really has no purpose in the song.

Don't Download This Song - 8 / 10 - Great song. The harmonies and music sound beautiful. Al does a great job mimicing the We Are the World style with this one.

[R. Wappin]

Well, I just watched all the videos! Here's what I think:

Don't Download This Song- 5/10. Well... this video is okay... but it seems awkwardly detatched from the song its supposed to be representing. Maybe it would be better if it followed what was being said a little more closely? Oh well, even though its different than I would have done it, at least the animation style is really unique, which makes it pretty cool I guess.

I'll Sue Ya - 9/10 Now this is what I'm talking about! I love this song and this was an awesome video for it. I just keep loving it more and more every time I see it. The end was a lot like how I imagined it, with strobe lights flashing, money flying everywhere and Al going crazy. It had a lot of its own great humorous touches thrown in there too. It only lost a point for being kinda tweeny and messy.

Weasel Stomping Day - 10/10 This video is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's delightfully twisted without going overboard. Probably the only reason I like 'I'll Sue Ya' better is because I liked the song better, but as a video this one gets a perfect score.

Close But No Cigar - 8/10 Okay, now HERE'S the one I was looking forward too. Too be perfectly honest, I don't think I was fully prepared for how weird this was going to be. I mean c'mon, it's John K.! I love John K.'s style, but for some reason the animation felt a little 'off' in some sections, while in other parts the animation was brilliant. In terms of the content, some stuff was just a little too bizarre for me. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE John K.'s bizarreness, but this just isn't a very bizarre song you know?) I mean, the cat eating all the girls? What the crap? I also think it took the lyrics a little too literally sometimes. Overall a throughly entertaining video, but it will be the last thing I imagine whenever I hear the song.

Pancreas- WTF/10. Nothing else needs to, (or can be) said. Is this even an animation??? What IS this thing???

Virus Alert - 7/10 Overall an entertaining, solid video. I think some of the parts could have represented a little better, and I'm not really sure I like how he represented the viruses as little monster things, but Dave managed to create an animation without exposed genitilia! For that he deserves a round of applause, folks. I lolled at the random goat picture.

[Orthography Enthusiast]

Well, I just watched all the videos! Here's what I think:

...

Close But No Cigar - 8/10 Okay, now HERE'S the one I was looking forward too. Too be perfectly honest, I don't think I was fully prepared for how weird this was going to be. I mean c'mon, it's John K.! I love John K.'s style, but for some reason the animation felt a little sub-par in some sections. In other parts the animation was brilliant. In terms of the content, some stuff was just a little too bizarre. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE John K.'s bizarreness, but this just isn't a very bizarre song you know?) I mean, the cat eating all the girls? What the crap? I also think it took the lyrics a little to literally sometimes. Overall a throughly entertaining video, but it will be the last thing I imagine whenever I hear the song.

...

Pancreas- WTF/10. Nothing else needs to, (or can be) said. Is this even an animation??? What IS this thing???

I don't know, maybe you have to be a woman to see something kinda profound and metaphorical about watching a girl shrink down and get chewed up by ridiculous picky criticism from her S.O.

But I did.

I like the video a lot... and if Al ever encounters anybody who feels there should be more T & A in his ouevre (besides "Can't Watch This" of course) he can just direct them here.

Of COURSE the Pancreas video is an animation! Didn't you notice the dancing, choreographed pancreases? Watch it again a few times and think of a lava lamp synchronized to a musical score and see if it doesn't grow on you. It's not split-a-gut funny perhaps, but it's goofily surreal and kind of puts me in mind of one of Al's educational films like "Dirt". In fact, i wonder if the animator wasn't paying homage to one of Al's educational films.

[cromulnt]

My thoughts...

1. "White & Nerdy" - I think this is his strongest lead-off parody since "Smells Like Nirvana", and his best rap parody ever. He really nailed Chamillionaire's and Krayzie Bone's rap styles, with plenty of clever one-liners thrown in. And it's amazing how much Al has kept up with the current trends, with all the references to MySpace, Wikipedia, "ROTFLOL", and so forth. Very fresh, and a great nerd anthem.

2. "Pancreas" - Maybe it's because I'm not that familiar with the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson, but I can't really get that into this one. I can appreciate the instrumental and structural complexity of the song, but the tune doesn't really stick with me, and the lyrics don't really amuse me that much either.

3. "Canadian Idiot" - Not the most creative idea ever, but the song still made me laugh. And I guess it doesn't hurt that I'm a Green Day fan. I don't really like the way they cut out the solo, though - that would've been a great spot for Al to bust out the accordion.

4. "I'll Sue Ya" - The first of several really awesome originals. Al does a great job at recreating the style and vibe of RATM, and the lyrics are a brilliant slam at all the frivolous lawsuits that have popped up lately. The New Jersey line made me ROTFLOL, and I'm from NJ! Love the Ben Affleck line too - he's always rubbed me the wrong way.

5. "Polkarama!" - I enjoyed this one in spite of the rather awkward ending. Hearing Al sing "Don't Cha", "Candy Shop", "Drop It Like It's Hot", and "Pon De Replay" was as hilarious as one might expect. I enjoyed hearing the alternative/indie songs too as I'm a fan of that type of music, and the "Chicken Dance" intro was a nice touch.

6. "Virus Alert" - As I said in the song's thread, it's my favorite original and second favorite track overall. The lyrics are classic Al absurdity, and the tune is really, well, infectious. It's also makes great use of the instrumental talents of Al and his band.

7. "Confessions Part 3" - Like "Canadian Idiot", this isn't really new territory for Al, but still good for quite a few laughs. These types of lyrics are right up Al's alley.

8. "Weasel Stomping Day" - I love this song just because it's so ridiculous. It's his best attempt at a Christmas-type tune. I love the background vocals, the orchestration, and of course, the weasel sounds. People have compared this to "Harvey the Wonder Hamster", which I also loved. I wouldn't complain if Al did more "short and sweet" songs.

9. "Close But No Cigar" - Another one of my favorites. It's not the most laugh-out-loud hilarious song on the album (though I do love the line "She was sweeter than aspartame"), but it's still a really fun song, and a spot-on style parody of one of my favorite bands. Oh, and the video is classic John K.

10. "Do I Creep You Out" - Definitely the weakest song on the album. It was a funny idea, but the lyrics are only mildly amusing at best. Plus, I don't really think this was the best song to parody, both because it's not that great and because it really wasn't a big hit. I did like the "live" ending, though it would've been better if Al spoofed Taylor's over-the-top "Soul Patrol" chants.

11. "Trapped In The Drive-Thru" - Wow. This is a burger-flippin' riot. Al nails the overdramaticism and ridiculous detail-orienation of the original song(s) perfectly, and as Al himself noted, pairing the style with such a mundane activity proved to be the perfect formula for comedic brilliance. I can't get enough of this song - contrary to what some has said, the joke hasn't worn on me and those 11 minutes fly right by every time I listen to this.

12. "Don't Download This Song" - Great album closer. Maybe it's a little underwhelming after the grand scope of "Drive-Thru", but it's still great take on "We Are The World"-type songs and a clever satire of both sides of the file-sharing controversy. And of course I just have to turn my volume up at the end of the song.

Overall, I think this may very well be the most consistent AL-bum ever. Usually I find that his albums have at least one or two duds, and I thought that on his last two albums, the originals easily outshined the parodies. But here, Al seems to have regained his edge when it comes to parodies - "W&N" and "Drive Thru" are pure genius, and even the weakest parody ("DICYO") doesn't appraoch the same level of lameness as, say, "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch" or "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi". And once again, the originals on this album prove that Al is not just a great satirist, but a really talented musician as well. Al and TBITB really pulled through on this one!

[Orthography Enthusiast]

Really nice review!
IMHO, few Al songs approach the same level of lameness as "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch." Al doesn't do his best work while having his arm twisted.

I love "trapped..." too. Banality raised to sublimity.

[webmonkees]

In order of listening, format, opines:

You're Pitiful mp3
-The compression ratio is proportional to the gravity wave of.. what?
I picture 'Piano Man' esque Al with a hotel cover band.. velvet and smoky atmosphere.. great background action in some Jim Carrey film.

Don't download this song mp3

-At this point, I had pre-ordered, so I did.
Overboard, made me feel guilty and went out and spent 4 bucks on my um, 'missing' albums to replace the downloaded ones. Al albums, that is. figure I need to send him the cut, 8 cents.
Little too orchestral, slow. Well, it is art, I suppose..

White And Nerdy video
-It's all about the Macintoshes, baby!
Racist and Socialist.. what? huh? Hits home quite a bit, although
I prefer to try to roll with the Rastas..
Only know 3.145 and then it gets fuzzy, don't own a Segway, and don't collect X-men. And had actually gone two weekends ago to a Renissance Faire. . My geekiness (Meek I guess) was offended by Nerd, but guess circus performers don't get as much respect as Nerds, and easier to rhyme with 'Dirty')
Oh, the music? Quite the Al, it is.

Weasel Stomping Day video
-Febuary 30th, in case you were wondering.
Like something that CBS wouldn't let Al air on his show. Bit crude, even if it is just clay.

Canadian Idiot mp3
-DDTS didn't cure me. Album pre-ordered so I felt empowered.
Bit too south to get the jokes, but owning a copy of Canadian Bacon helps.
Dead-on musically, but a bit cut-and-paste and unecessarily bashing (like France)


Confessions pt. III LP
-I have Chicken Pot Pie and Pac-Man. No really, in the freezer and on the X-Box.
... I guess I'll have to listen to it more to judge it.

Trapped in the Drive-Thru LP
-Biggie Size your Parody?
Hadn't heard the original, but my intro to the forum mentioned a epic parody in the style of Roger Water's Pros and cons of hitchiking. . LOL on Black Dog. I guess it takes a patient person, but I like it. Check out that Pros and Cons album, you may see that even the original isn't. But what is? Update: So the drip-drop is on the original? Huh. minus .012 points for not coming up with the hydrodynamic pacing device.

I'll Sue Ya dvd
-My iPod won't play the videos, so I'm suing Apple.
I like off-kilter musicl that confuses people when they really listen. Zappa, Al, Phish
(Japanese bands like The Pillows is one extreme example)
Due to initial exposure being the video, little dreadlocked Al stuck in my head
singing the song (visually) when I play the audio track.

Pancreas dvd
-sure to spur I (pancreas) NY etc. stickers.
I dig Beach-Boys music, and it fits right in with Al style, and the making of
impressed me more. And there's science in there, dang it!
I love the film. I play around with pub-domain films (Dare To Be Stupid Monkeys)
and kick myself for not using the mirror effect. Great sync.
Great song.

Close but no cigar dvd
-If I don't win, I get to live longer?
Oh me oh my. John K. with some animation that doesn't make you want to wash your eyes off (see Ren & Stimpy Lost (weekend?) Episodes) Bizzare to hear Al synced to a cartoon like that. Much better than the Harlem Shuffle video.. um what?
A theme he's gone to before, but a nice revisit.

Virus Alert dvd
-STINKY CHEESE cured my v1a9ra baldness
Also a fan of Retarded Animal Babies, I predict this will go viral on Utube. Ironic. Watch
carefully for all the RAB characters making cameos. Another well-executed song.

Polkarama cd
-refreshing, freshly squeezed polka without the pulp!
As usual, I have to find out what (was) hot by hearing a medley. Great out-of-context
abuse of Candy store. After such imitators as Richard Cheese getting into the bizarre covers act..


Did I creep you out cd
Yes, yes you did. I'll get back to that one later.

The Button on the CD Case
-push da button elevator go down
Clever, it is. Volcano should be commended for their indulgence in the supplemental experience they're providing fans. Free LP with purchase, videos, DVD easter eggs, and most importantly,

THAT CLEVER LITTLE BUTTON to open the case! Music execs should pull the budget out of the RIAA and really study how this thing's put together.

Sure, bonus videos and such would be great additions to a artist's release, but that button has really, really, really advanced the state-of-the-art in CD packaging and makes it that much harder to steal.

The DualDisk pamphlet helped so very much, I was confused and tried to seperate the two halves to play. Thanks, DualDisk Pamphlet makers!

Overall: 8.5 on the Al-Bum richter scale. Other rankings: 1/14, 7 stars, thumbs up, USDA approved, A Consumer Reports Best Buy, Approved for highway use.

[Dumb N00b]

No ratings here, just my humble opinion on each track of SOL:

White and Nerdy: Perfect parody idea, perfectly executed. There is nothing else to say.

Pancreas: The 50's and early 60's were a strange time. And anything, no matter how off the wall, can sound catchy and authentic when you have a musical genius doing it. Brilliantly executed. Apparently Al did a song about the pancreas because the original artist did a lot of silly songs about food, which Al would know nothing about. Perfect subject to use instead to compensate for this ignorance.

Canadian Idiot: This would be a total throwaway were it not for the "preemptive strike" line. That makes the whole song worthwhile and funny, as well as having a message much closer to the original's than most parodies.

I'll Sue Ya: My mother hates this one. I like some Rage Against the Machine, and this is perfect. The video is perfect as well. Even if it is one of those depressing Al-dies-in-the-end ones. Absolutely great parody/subject matter, beautiful execution.

Polkarama!: Lyrics are much weirder than they were in the '80s. That is all I have to say about this. And I KNOW how weird the 80s were.

Virus Alert: Al sounds so concerned. And worried for your safety. If you haven't already, type in wizzlepants.com. And yes, of course I emailed splunge.

Confessions Part III: Al, you creep me out sometimes.

Do I Creep You Out: Um, yes, in fact I just said so. Great singing on both of them.

Trapped in the Drive Thru: No stupider than Trapped in the Closet. But honestly banal instead of concealedly. Honest banality is a wonderful thing, especially to a hip-hop beat.

Don't Download This Song: I'd do almost anything like that for Al's career if he sang it that well. Almost. Perfect contradiction for a nice shade of gray.