Running With Scissors

The paperwork contains the words to the songs, plus a few pictures. Most fun, though, the CD contains a secret subfolder that contains a Quicktime Movie, that shows the "real" Al (or more likely not). I do love extras!


Oh this is an album by a guy named Al that is primo Yankovic   January 9, 2004
 9 out of 12 found this review helpful

Just when you thought it was safe to forget about "Weird Al" Yankovic, he comes back with "The Saga Begins," a lyrical adaptation of "Star Wars I" to Don McLean's "American Pie." This is probably Al's most inspired effort since the classic "Smells Like Nirvana" and his "Running With Scissors" album is one of his better collective efforts although I freely admit I might never get used to the look of Yankovic without glasses.

There are four additional parodies on this album: "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" which takes off on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)," "Jerry Springer" based on "One Week," "It's All About the Pentiums" parodies "It's All About The Benjamins," and "Grapefruit Diet" plays around with "Zoot Suit Riot." Only the last in this set is a below average effort, and I get the feeling it is included simply because Yankovic likes to cover as many musical styles as possible. In making a list of parodies you also have to include "Germs," which is done in the style of Nine Inch Nails. As always, the polka medley, this time around entitled "Polka Power" is a fun ride, although each riff of a pop hit ("Wannabe," "Ray of Light," "Tubthumping," etc.) always seems to make you want to hear just a little more. When will Madonna finally breakdown and do a polka album?

Of the totally original songs "The Weird Al Show Theme" is my favorite, mainly because I always like the way Yankovic harmonizes with himself. His voice is so eerily suited to these songs that you forget it is just as much a part of his appeal as is his coming up with all those funny lyrics (best evidenced on "The Saga Begins," where he constantly hits real close to the rhymes of the original song). "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder" is a rollickin' accordion tune and "Your Horoscope For Today" is fully of frenetic energy. The album concludes with the overlong "Albuquerque" and is the cut least bearing repetition on the album inasmuch as it mainly consists of Yankovic talking really fast about a bunch of nonsense, although since once upon a time I actually lived in Albuquerque I have to admit to a perverse pleasure in hearing the town's name sung in chorus over and over again.

Finally, a special mention to Tress MacNeille's female vocal on "Jerry Springer" and Tom Sauber's fiddle on "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder."