Weird Al: Musician or Novelty Act?

Lumenskir · 03-11-2008, 09:59 PM

I got into this weird discussion with my friend about Weird Al after he found out that I had been to a concert of his.

He basically claims that to call Weird Al a musician and what he makes music would be wrong, since his work is just simple parodies. I countered that I'd consider movies like Blazing Saddles and Airplane! to be both movies and parodies, but he made the claim that those movies were humorous deconstructions of genres, while Weird Al is comparable to Epic Movie and it's ilk, a piece of something presented as something funny solely because it triggers remembrance.

The conversation trailed off from there, but I thought it was interesting enough to present before NPF. Should Weird Al be thought of as a 'musician', or are his offerings merely intended to be the aural equivalent of a simple pleasure?

Krylo · 03-11-2008, 10:01 PM

Weird Al has done music of his own that isn't parodying anything. Like "The Good Old Days".

It's also some of his best stuff.

So yeah, he's a musician.

POS Industries · 03-11-2008, 10:32 PM

A musician is, by definition, a person who plays music.

Also, all musicians are novelty acts.

russianreversal · 03-11-2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krylo

Weird Al has done music of his own that isn't parodying anything. Like "The Good Old Days".

It's also some of his best stuff.

I like "Everything you know is wrong."

And hey, what's with the negative connotation for novelty act? Even if he is, there are still "real musicians" way less talented than him.

EDIT: Also like to point out the ad up top, now changed by google's spiders into a way more kickass one (at least mine was).

Fifthfiend · 03-11-2008, 10:49 PM

Yankovich decontextualizes the overwrought emotionalism of modern pop music to throw back its curtain of pretense and stand it revealed as nothing more than socially constructed artifice while at the same time lyrically deconstructing the absurdism of the modernist facade of musical consumerism itself.

Not an artist? He is the only artist!

russianreversal · 03-11-2008, 10:53 PM

I bet you ripped that off like allmusic.com or something.

Fifthfiend · 03-11-2008, 10:58 PM

Suck it!

The SSB Intern · 03-11-2008, 11:05 PM

Weird Al is an artist. Well kinda. I mean he's good at what he does.

Quote:

Originally Posted by russianreversal

I bet you ripped that off like allmusic.com or something.

What are blathering about? Fifthfiend always talks like that.

**Satan's Onion** · 03-12-2008, 12:53 AM

Not only is he a musician, he and his band are damned good musicians, and (I suspect) rather underrated. The parodies, particularly nowadays, are almost note-perfect recreations of the original songs with new lyrics; the original songs (about half of his musical catalogue, by the way, is made up of original compositions) cover an astonishingly wide range of musical styles, and usually cover them very well.

Also, Fifth (and anyone else): It's "Yankovic", no h. You don't pronounce it with an h, you don't spell it with an h. There is no h in "Yankovic".

Fifthfiend · 03-12-2008, 01:15 AM

I actually misspelled The Only Artist's name.

My shame knows no bounds.

03-11-2008, 10:01 PM	#2
Krylo The Straightest Shota Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: It's a secret to everybody. Posts: 17,789	Weird Al has done music of his own that isn't parodying anything. Like "The Good Old Days". It's also some of his best stuff. So yeah, he's a musician. __________________ I am very tired.

03-11-2008, 10:32 PM	#3
POS Industries Argus Agony Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gotta go fishing! Posts: 10,483	A musician is, by definition, a person who plays music. Also, all musicians are novelty acts. __________________ Either you're dead or my watch has stopped.

03-11-2008, 10:49 PM	#5
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	Yankovich decontextualizes the overwrought emotionalism of modern pop music to throw back its curtain of pretense and stand it revealed as nothing more than socially constructed artifice while at the same time lyrically deconstructing the absurdism of the modernist facade of musical consumerism itself. Not an artist? He is the only artist! __________________ check out my buttspresso

03-11-2008, 10:58 PM	#7
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	Suck it! __________________ check out my buttspresso

03-12-2008, 12:53 AM	#9
Satan's Onion Swing You Sinners! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: 4th Street Posts: 2,666	Not only is he a musician, he and his band are damned good musicians, and (I suspect) rather underrated. The parodies, particularly nowadays, are almost note-perfect recreations of the original songs with new lyrics; the original songs (about half of his musical catalogue, by the way, is made up of original compositions) cover an astonishingly wide range of musical styles, and usually cover them very well. Also, Fifth (and anyone else): It's "Yankovic", no h. You don't pronounce it with an h, you don't spell it with an h. There is no h in "Yankovic". __________________ Good evening, ladies. Please enter and be tained . Last edited by Satan's Onion; 03-12-2008 at 12:57 AM.

03-11-2008, 10:53 PM	#6
russianreversal . Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,435	I bet you ripped that off like allmusic.com or something.

03-12-2008, 01:15 AM	#10
Fifthfiend for all seasons Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 19,409	I actually misspelled The Only Artist's name. My shame knows no bounds. __________________ check out my buttspresso