Weird Al, the older gawd, is making the PR rounds for Alpocalypse in singularly strange fashion. A parody of Gaga’s Warhol-Madonna mimicry and appearing with the Roots to play “Accordian” on the Madvillain track of the same name. The wonderfulness of the weird one was nicely captured by fellow parody titan Blockhead: “There are many stages to enjoying the art of Weird Al Yankovic. When you’re a kid, he’s awesome cause he takes popular songs, changes the words and makes them ridiculous. When you’re a teen, you kinda think he’s corny but then he’ll drop some shit like “Amish Paradise” or “White and Nerdy” and you can’t front that he’s the OG of parody music. Then, you’re an adult and you can’t believe this guy still makes records…but you know what? This motherfucker still knocks it out the park.”
When I interviewed Andy Samberg, we spent an extensive amount of time waxing philosophic about the greatness of the Weird One. I quote: “the only time I’ve ever been irritated by Weird Al comparisons is when people say anything bad about Weird Al. I love being compared to Weird Al, he’s straight up on my hero list. Not everyone can do what he does. He’s very musically inclined, he’s super funny and joke oriented. He’s as legit as anyone that’s ever been in comedy. He has one of the most recognizable voices of all time, can do impressions of everyone and yet it’s still always him.”
No statement came from The Roots camp, but that’s implied in the laughter and looseness of the recording. UHF remains one of the classic flicks of our time and it’s a testament to Al’s idiosyncrasy (and the attenuated film industry) that we may never see another movie that out there. Three decades deep in the parody game, he mocks Gaga with a playful mockery that I envy. No one can make such affable satire. If you don’t like Weird Al, then we probably can’t be friends. If you need me, I’ll be watching Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse.
Download: (MP3 via Steady Bloggin)
MP3: The Roots ft. Weird Al -“Accordian”
