Weird Al Yankovic: Smells Like Nirvana

Weird Al Yankovic: Smells Like Nirvana
Song released April 3, 1992
Music Video
VHS
B-

By this point, I had sort of lost track of Weird Al, and for that matter pop music.  I liked my retro bands like Jellyfish and Deee-lite, but grunge wasn't exactly my scene.  So considering this is a parody of, obviously, Nirvana, I enjoyed this more than I expected, then and now.  But then, everything's better with Dick Van Patten.

The videocassette that these twelve Yankovic videos are on ranges from C- to B+, averaging out to a definite B-.  Weird Al has an impressive range of parody styles, although "Smells Like" isn't that far a cry from "Ricky," especially in terms of visuals, with a bunch of people acting silly in a room.

Weird Al Yankovic: Fat

Weird Al Yankovic: Fat
Song released April 12, 1988
Music Video
VHS
C

Weak follow-up to "Eat It," but then "Bad" wasn't as good as "Beat It."  By this point, I had pretty much given up on Weird Al, although he still had some good songs ahead.

Weird Al Yankovic: Christmas at Ground Zero

Weird Al Yankovic: Christmas at Ground Zero
Song released November 1986
Music Video
VHS
B-

Al uses '50s footage of both Christmas and "duck and cover," including Reagan at the holidays.  The tune is bouncy, in contrast to its theme, but it's no "1999."

Weird Al Yankovic: Living with a Hernia

Weird Al Yankovic: Living with a Hernia
Song released October 21, 1986
Music Video
VHS
C

This James Brown parody is not very funny, other than sort of the costumes.  As with "Like a Surgeon," medicine is not exactly the best field for Al to explore.

Weird Al Yankovic: Dare to Be Stupid

Weird Al Yankovic: Dare to Be Stupid
Song released August 1986
Music Video
VHS
B-

Weird Al does Devo and, according to no less an authority than Mark Mothersbaugh, outdoes Devo.  I find it average for Al myself, although there are some good visuals in the video.

Weird Al Yankovic: One More Minute

Weird Al Yankovic: One More Minute
Song released August 1985
Music Video
VHS
C-

Talk about gross!  Doo-wop tune, with back-up singers, about the various physical tortures Al would rather undergo than "spend one more minute" with his ex.

Weird Al Yankovic: This Is the Life

Weird Al Yankovic: This is the Life
From the Dare to Be Stupid album, which was released August 1985
Music Video
VHS
B-

Uneven mix of Weird Al as big shot and footage from Johnny Dangerously.  Catchy song, but better enjoyed in context of the movie, http://reviewingeverymovieiown.blogspot.com/2014/11/johnny-dangerously.html.  I've tagged Henner as she's the only one I know for sure we'll see again on this blog.

Weird Al Yankovic: Like a Surgeon

Weird Al Yankovic: Like a Surgeon
Song released June 4, 1985
Music Video
VHS
C+

This video needs less of the gross-out medical gags and more of Al parodying Madonna's dance moves.  Bumped up from a C purely for the very brief and somewhat random George of the Jungle reference.

Weird Al Yankovic: I Lost on Jeopardy

Weird Al Yankovic: I Lost on Jeopardy

Song released June 4, 1984

Music Video

VHS

B+

This salute to the pre-Trebek version of the game show remains one of Al's catchiest songs, with the onscreen tech crew (including Dr. Demento) doing the oos.  Don Pardo, whom I then best knew from Saturday Night Live reruns, seems to take particular glee in calling Al a loser.  Unlike "Eat It," this doesn't attempt to capture the original video, except in the closing shots, with Greg Kihn himself in the car.  Look for the naughty "answer" about chrome-sucking, which we're not given the question for.

Weird Al Yankovic: Eat It

Weird Al Yankovic: Eat It
Song released February 28, 1984
Music Video
VHS
B

Faithful parody of the Michael Jackson original, and, from what I recall, better than the later "Fat."  This has less of a homespun quality than Al's earlier videos, although still not very big-budget of course.  This time Dr. Demento only appears in a framed photo.

Weird Al Yankovic: I Love Rocky Road

Weird Al Yankovic: I Love Rocky Road
Song released July 5, 1983
Music Video
VHS
B-

Weird Al's cover of the Joan Jett hit (itself a cover of an Arrows song) is definitely catchy (and one I still think of at ice cream parlors), but the lyrics and video are less interesting than those for "Ricky."  It is notable that the subject is another popular one for Al: food, especially junk food.  And this time Dr. Demento gets a little bit more to do, as the cashier.

Weird Al Yankovic: Ricky

Weird Al Yankovic: Ricky
Song released May 3, 1983
Music Video
VHS
B

In what has turned out to be a very long career, especially for a song-parodist, this remains one of his best songs and best videos.  Yes, it was obviously done on the cheap (I'm sure being able to film mostly in black & white was appreciated), and the editing is choppy.  (Perhaps deliberately, but that hasn't aged well.)  As a late Baby Boomer (born in '59), Yankovic has always had an affection for television, including here for what many regard as the most classic show of all.  Aided ably by Tress MacNeille for his Lucy, Al plays both Ricky Ricardo and his own scruffy self.  And, yes, it's a parody of the queer-in-many-senses song "Mickey."  (Seriously, listen to the lyrics if you never have.)  Sweet and silly, not on the level of "Eat It," but still a good place to start.