Straight Outta Lynwood (new Weird Al album, featuring "Don't Download this Song")

Straight Outta Lynwood, Weird Al Yankovic's 12th studio album, will be released on September 26, 2006.

There was a bit of controversy concerning a song that was supposed to be released on the album, "You're Pitiful," a parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," back in June of this year when the song was released on Weird Al's website. As the story goes:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Yankovic recorded the song to be included on his Straight Outta Lynwood album after, according to Yankovic, having been given Blunt's blessing to parody the song. However, following its recording, Blunt's record company, Atlantic Records, allegedly told Yankovic that he could not include the song. (When asked by NPR, Atlantic had no official comment on the matter.)

Yankovic has a history of obtaining approval prior to releasing his parodies from the original artist's record company, however, after a miscommunication surrounding "Amish Paradise," a parody of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", he has gotten permission directly from the artist. However, Yankovic told NPR that this was the first time a record label has quashed a release of one of his parodies. "If James Blunt himself were objecting," Yankovic told NPR, "I wouldn't even offer my parody for free on my Web site. But since it's a bunch of suits — who are actually going against their own artist's wishes — I have absolutely no problem with it."

Yankovic told NPR in an e-mail that the question of whether Atlantic could legally forbid the parody, given the United States Supreme Court's 1994 Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. decision recognizing parody as fair use, is "moot," saying that the issue was "more of a political matter than a legal matter," suggesting that both Blunt and Volcano (Yankovic's label) would wish to avoid alienating Atlantic.

As mentioned, Yankovic released the song for free distribution on the Internet and it has become popular on The Dr. Demento Show.

Note the bolded portion - props to Al for STICKIN' IT TO THE MAN.

More recently, he has released another song on the album as a preview, titled "Don't Download this Song." Particularly, I love the big red "Click here to DOWNLOAD THIS SONG" button. And on the matter, I have to agree with what Crash Landon said:

<Crash> That might be one of the best songs released in the last decade.
<Pom> whoa now
<Crash> I mean it.
<Crash> It slaps the entire music industry in its cocksucking face. I'm totally cool with that.

The album will also include parodies of songs from Green Day, Chamillionaire, R. Kelly, and Usher - the only one known so far is a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty," "White and Nerdy."

Personally, while I'm not as familiar with the songs he parodies as I used to be, I still love getting his albums for his original songs (which I generally consider to be the better songs anyways on most of his albums). Already "Don't Download this Song" proves this album not to be an exception.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I dled it from ign, man that song rocks

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Crash speaks truth. This song is so on my hard drive. Simply beautiful.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Eh... it's alright. Wait, no. It's pretty played out.

Weird Al's about 5+ years late with this song. Lars Ulrich? Are we going to start making references to the Spice Girls now? Limewire and KaZaa (old by now)? How about instead mentioning BitTorrent, the cause of possibly the highest bandwidth use of the Internet (in terms of illegal file-sharing)?

Al can certainly make a catchy song, but this is certainly not a "in your face" landmark. Hardware Store and Horoscope for Today from his last album are tons better, and Albuquerque was pretty cool too.

On the whole, maybe I just feel like I'm outgrowing Weird Al.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I can't wait for the album to come out. It makes me wonder what new polka he'll be singing. I wonder if it'll give Angry White Boy Polka (in my opinion the best polka to date) a run for its money.

I thought Don't Download This Song was pretty good, but the animation that came with it was great!

Spoiler:

Oh, li'l Timmy... when will he learn?

Originally Posted by JazzFlight

Hardware Store and Horoscope for Today from his last album are tons better, and Albuquerque was pretty cool too.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Horoscope for Today in the Running with Scissors album rather than Poodle Hat?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Identity Crisis

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Horoscope for Today in the Running with Scissors album rather than Poodle Hat?

Probably. It all blurs together to me.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by JazzFlight

Eh... it's alright. Wait, no. It's pretty played out.

Weird Al's about 5+ years late with this song. Lars Ulrich? Are we going to start making references to the Spice Girls now? Limewire and KaZaa (old by now)? How about instead mentioning BitTorrent, the cause of possibly the highest bandwidth use of the Internet (in terms of illegal file-sharing)?

With that he's similarly "slow" as the industry or anyone else not really "into" p2p. Usually that's what I think when some industry officials rant about the "latest in file sharing technology" and then name... well... kazaa.
At least it used to be this way.

I like the song. I can even imagine the RIAA to adopt it.

FELIPE NO

So, I guess the video for "White and Nerdy" has leaked. I think it's close to becoming my favorite Weird Al video of all time (even more than "Amish Paradise"). I seriously couldn't stop laughing! LOL.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...hite+and+nerdy

How ya doing, buddy?

Was that fucking Seth Green in the library?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I am really enjoying the two songs I have heard off this album. White and Nerdy is a very funny video. I watched it quite a few times since I heard about it earlier today. For some odd reason it makes me want to go out and buy all of what Weird Al has to offer.

Quote:

Was that fucking Seth Green in the library?

I never stopped the video to see who it was, but I knew that guy looked familiar.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

"Trapped In The Drive Thru" may very well be one of the best Weird Al songs I've ever heard. And I've heard all the albums, mind you.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Denicalis

Was that fucking Seth Green in the library?

You're damned right it is.

That was also Donny Osmond dancing with Al in several spots.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Right before the library actually, showing off his pimp action figure collection.

I love that video

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Crash Landon

You're damned right it is.

That was also Donny Osmond dancing with Al in several spots.

That's fucking AWESOME.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'm calling Album of the Year. Fuck what you heard.

FELIPE NO

I seriously can't get enough of this video - I love all the little touches he threw in there. The Pac Man-shaped candles, the SW Holiday Special, Seth Green spanking his ass, Donny Osmond's bizarre spastic dancing, the "gangsta" Vulcan hand sign at the end... LOL! Absolutely brilliant. Needless to say, I'm definitely buying this album.

How ya doing, buddy?

OMFG HE PARODIED THE STARWARS KID!!!!!
It's like... near the beginning of the music video. Simply amazing.

EDIT: It's EXACTLY at 1:24 (on the google page). Take a look. I wonder what else he has hidden in this video... (f-ing genius, I tell you)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've gotten the album from a friend, but no doubt I'm going to buy it for all the music videos they're sticking onto that thing. Pretty good album so far, but I haven't had a chance to listen to all of it (mostly because my girlfriend abhors Weird Al). Probably the best songs on this album is White and Nerdy, Polkarama!, Virus Alert, and Don't Download This Song. Confessions Part III is pretty good too, but it's too easy of a target.

Personally, I crapped my pants when I heard Candy Shop in polka form.

Most amazing jew boots

I can't wait to buy this next week. This'll be the first album I actually buy in years.

The world needs more Weird Al.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

My friend introduced me to Weird Al when I was in highschool, and I think it was his Running With Scissors CD, I'm not sure, but there was one about the night Santa went crazy and all that. His parodies are so cool, but some of the songs I'm not sure what songs they are parodies of: does anyone have a link to a list of his songs and what they are supposed to be parodies of? Anyway his music is great, and since most of his parodies are off hit songs it already has catchy tunes to go with the lyrics. There are some oddballs in his CDs now and then that suck though.

As for the White & Nerdy music video, the first time I seen a Segway or even heard of it since highschool, once again, lol what a joke, I remember how the articles were talking about how it would be the next big thing and revolutionize travel or something, hah, what a joke. If I were that rich I wouldn't spend it on some damn Segway. I wouldn't mind playing with one and testing it out though, looks interesting. I wonder if everyone who has one first thought they were gonna fall of when they leaned too far.

For those of you who own the Weird Al CDs, I think he puts special stuff on there aside from the music too right, like his music videos and all that? If not, is there any place where you can buy them like a DVD compilation or something? I think I've seen some DVDs of top music stars and some, but not all, of their music videos, but it's usually a mix of music and music videos on the disc, in places like Wal-Mart or what have you.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

For me, it's all about "Pancreas". Weird Al shows his love for Brian Wilson's SMiLE album here in a track that is both parody and loving homage. Brilliant...and downright FUNNY.

Granted, you probably think it's hilarious only if you've HEARD SMiLE (and you SHOULD).

I was speaking idiomatically.

I downloaded the album alreadly (lol torrents,) and it's pretty solid. Pretty much recommending it for every Wierd Al fan.

I watched the White and Nerdy video, and I like how he's playing Minesweeper on a Mac. THIS MAKES NO SENSE.

Originally Posted by Maico

As for the White & Nerdy music video, the first time I seen a Segway or even heard of it since highschool, once again, lol what a joke, I remember how the articles were talking about how it would be the next big thing and revolutionize travel or something, hah, what a joke. If I were that rich I wouldn't spend it on some damn Segway. I wouldn't mind playing with one and testing it out though, looks interesting. I wonder if everyone who has one first thought they were gonna fall of when they leaned too far.

I've tried a Segway before. They're not that hard to use. It only takes about a minute to get used to how it works.

The problem is it's price point. When it was released, it was very expensive, and even today, you're still looking at dropping $5,000 on one. People would rather spend $5,000 on a car, instead of a personal transport vehicle. Most of it's adoption is in public service, by police and the like, or people who live in urban areas and lives very close to where they work.

It's still a very nice machine, but really, you aren't going to see high adoption rates of it in North America, becasue our population is sprawled out. In Europe and Asia, however, I'm certain that they have a better adoption rates.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'm going to pick this up next week as well. I skipped Poodle Hat since I wasn't terribly impressed with the songs I heard from it, and other people I talked to thought the rest wasn't any better, but this is sounding pretty good. I really need to find some torrents for all of his old albums (Running With Scissors and older). I've got them all in cassette form, but that does me no good anymore.

Originally Posted by Maico

His parodies are so cool, but some of the songs I'm not sure what songs they are parodies of: does anyone have a link to a list of his songs and what they are supposed to be parodies of?

I stumbled upon this list on his main site yesterday.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Cheezeman3000

I wonder what else he has hidden in this video...

There's a list of trivia items found on the Wiki Page for the single.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Merv Burger

I downloaded the album alreadly (lol torrents,)

Quote:

For those of you who own the Weird Al CDs, I think he puts special stuff on there aside from the music too right, like his music videos and all that? If not, is there any place where you can buy them like a DVD compilation or something? I think I've seen some DVDs of top music stars and some, but not all, of their music videos, but it's usually a mix of music and music videos on the disc, in places like Wal-Mart or what have you.

Not usually music videos, though, no. For you hooligans out there, though, here's:

-The extra on Poodle Hat, including Al's home movies, instrumental versions of several Poodle Hat songs, and all the Poodle Hat songs with lyrics (the intro to the home videos is where he says "Thanks for buying my album, instead of just downloading it off the internet like some kind of HOOLIGAN").
http://www.sendspace.com/file/y0ipbu

-The mockumentary that came on Running With Scissors
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vmuim2

As far as music videos go, the only compilation that I'm aware of is this.

Jam it back in, in the dark.