Mandatory Fun – Weird Al Review
October 2, 2014
He’s here, he’s weird, and he released a new album this year. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s fourteenth studio album Mandatory Fun, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200, shows that this parodist is still going strong. “Handy,” a parody of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” is the first on the album. Honestly, it’s unimpressive. Yankovic’s character is a handyman and it lacks a real joke or purpose.
For the most part, the song parodies aren’t his best. “Foil,” a parody of “Royals” by Lorde, begins by telling you how aluminum foil can preserve food and then how it can be a hat that protects you from aliens. The parody of “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, called “Inactive,” is about being lazy. The parody of Pharell’s “Happy” is called “Tacky,” which explains the whole song. They could have been better, but it would probably be hard for him to top songs like “White and Nerdy” and “Smells Like Nirvana.”
If I had to pick a favorite song parody, it would be the parody of “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. “Word Crimes” is an anthem for grammar Nazis and English teachers everywhere. It educates the listener on things including homophones, the difference between “its” and “it’s” and the literal use of “literally.” The original song was rather controversial, and the parody stirred up just a bit of controversy in England for its use of the word “spastic,” which they consider an offensive term. If you know anyone who has trouble with grammar, it might be a good idea to send them this song.
“Now That’s What I Call Polka!” is the polka medley including popular songs such as “Call Me Maybe,” “Get Lucky,” and “Thrift Shop.” I always like these compilations, mostly because of the way he enunciates when singing the songs.
This album also has some style parodies. Some of these are “My Own Eyes” (in the style of Foo Fighters) and the album’s closer “Jackson Park Express” (in the style of Cat Stevens). “Mission Statement,” a style parody of Crosby, Stills & Nash, is the least impressive. It is the fake mission statement of a fictional company. The joke is that it is not very specific and goes on for too long; four and a half minutes, actually.
I honestly like “First World Problems,” a style parody of the Pixies. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Some of these problems are filling up on bread before getting your meal, buying too many groceries to fit in the fridge, and forgetting your gardener’s name.
Even the songs that weren’t particularly funny had a few chuckle-worthy moments and the style parodies sounded similar to the original bands. The music was well done on all of the songs, but the lyrics on some of those songs were just…not funny. I would give the album 4/10 accordions.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. If you’d like to buy the album:
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