Customer Reviews

Poodle Hat

5 star:		(241)
4 star:		(97)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This is a great CD. Funny, yet kind of gross. I'll do some short reviews right here.

1. Couch Potato - Parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself." Funny, because the guy the song is about has memorized just about every show on the planet. 5/5

2. Hardware Store - Wow. Weird Al can talk really, really fast. I tried singing along - its really, really hard. Very funny, especially all the different items found in a store. 5/5

3. Trash Day - Spoof of Nelly's "Hot in Herre." I thought the original was kind of annoying, so I didn't really like this one. 2/5

4. Party at the Leper Colony - Kind of makes you squirmy, because the lyrics are all about various disembodied body parts. Funny, yet gross. 4/5

5. Angry White Boy Polka - Medley of various rock songs, all by "angry white boys", and accompanied by accordion. 5/5

6. Wanna B Ur Lover - Song of all cheesy pickup lines. Case in point: "I wish I was cross-eyed, so I could see you twice". Very, very clever and funny. 5/5

7. A Complicated Song - One of my favorites. He uses all the rhymes for "complicated" imaginable. Parody of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" (as you can probably guess.) 5/5

8. Why Does This Always Happen To Me? A funny song about a guy who only thinks about himself. Pretty funny. Also with Ben Folds of Ben Folds Five. 5/5

9. Ode to a Superhero - Parody of Billy Joel's "Piano Man." "The Saga Begins"-esque. Summs up the plot of "Spider-Man" within 5 minutes. I laughed so hard at this one. 5/5

10. Bob - Very goofy. Sang exactly like Bob Dylan. If you can't get the lyrics, here's a clue: Read 'em backwards. Get it now? Very funny. 5/5

11. eBay - Parody of "I Want It That Way" by the (YUCK) Backstreet Boys. Very funny. About this eBay-obsessed guy who owns all the useless stuff humanly possible. 5/5

12. Genius in France - "Albequerque" of "Poodle Hat." About 9 minutes long. All about this really stupid guy who's brilliant in France. Good if you hate the French, if so many of us do nowadays. Hilarious lines. Example: "It's hard to keep the fans at bay/they say 'Sign my poodle, si'l vous plait". Changes tempo every minute. 5/5

Total, thats a 57/60. Pretty good - definently an A.

BUY IT!!

I love this CD. I had to look everywhere for it.

"Couch Potato" is a very funny parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and mocks all the [stuff] thats on TV right now. Namely all the stupid shows Fox comes up with now. The funniest line is "I saw Will and Grace one time, one day, and I wish I hadn't cause Tivo now thinks I'm gay". A great song, CD is worth is just for it.

"Hardware store" is an epic in fast speech. I'd like to see him sing that bridge in concert.

"Trash Day" is alright, mostly because Nelly's music makes me cringe. But, since I hear "Hot in Here" all the time, it deserves recognition.

"Party at the Leper Colony" makes fun of the easily pull apart limbs of lepers and is kind of low, but kinda funny.

"Angry White Polka" is decent, I've only heard a couple of the songs in it, but it is basically filler.

"Wanna B Ur Lovr" is chalked full of pick-up lines. "Girl you must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy". Worth listening to a couple times.

"A Complicated Song". In a word, hilarious. Another gem on this ALbum.

"Why Does This Always Happen To Me". Incredibly unrelenting, unsympathetic, and quite enjoyable.

"Ode To A Superhero" is a parody of Billy Joel's Piano Man. "Sling us a web, you're the spider man". Hilarious. Another keeper, follows along the same lines as "The Saga Begins" and "Jurassic Park" in the Al's movie summarization songs.

"Bob" is a tribute to Bob Dylan and contains a lot of palindromes, which are phrases that are spelled the same forwards and backwards, like "Race Car" for example. Must have taken a while to do, even though on the first listen sounds like it was slapped together with no sense.

"Ebay" is a parody of the Backstreet Boy's "I Want it That Way" and is the best and closest sounding parody on this album, but probably the third best song to Complicated and Superhero.

"Genius in France" takes a great opportunity to make fun of the French. And it is just as unrelenting as "Why Does THis Always Happen To Me"

There you have it. One of the best ALbums to date. Great job Al.

Having seen Al in concert twice (the showmanship alone is worth the price of admission), I practically bounced off the walls when I heard about Poodle Hat's upcoming release. And boy oh boy was I ever rewarded for my anticipation...
For the reader's convienience, a track by track review follows:
1. Couch Potato (parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself")
- I'm kind of torn. I'm very impressed with Al's use of the music, yet at the same time I think he said all he needed to say with previous songs like Headline News and I Can't Watch This. A fun tune nonetheless.
2. Hardware Store (original Al)
- This song is great! I can say with all honesty I am addicted to this tune now. From the catchy music to the deftly edited chorus to the downright brilliant bridge (with a machine-gun speed listing of the wares of the store), this is one of Al's best.
3. Trash Day (parody of Nelly's "Hot in Herre")
- This shows how truly amazing Al is. I had a severe dislike for the original, but Al's version made me appreciate it again. Solid stuff with some great female backing vocals.
4. Party at the Leper Colony (original Al)
- I'll say this for Al: He knows he's not perfect and he won't hit one out of the park every time. The cute leper puns don't always work in the song, but the music is just so darned catchy that it more than makes up for it. Just don't think too hard about what the song is saying and you'll have a great time hearing this track.
5. Angry White Boy Polka (Al's polka medley of, well, angry white boys from Staind to Disturbed and everything in between)
- I heard this track for the first time in a Borders and almost knocked over a display laughing. Al has got the modern polka medley down to a science and does not let up here either. You've got to hear it to believe it.
6. Wanna B UR Lovr (original Al)
- This is the only song on the record that faltered a bit for me. I just never found the constant stream of bad pickup lines that funny. Maybe I just need to listen to it some more...
7. A Complicated Song (parody of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated")
- Another of my favorite songs on the album. It starts off as a simple parody, and just gets better and better as the song goes on. One of the things that has impressed me most about Al through the years is that his voice is so incredibly versatile. He puts those pipes to great use here. Even if you hated the original, you'll find yourself loving this one.
8. Why Does This Always Happen To Me? (original Al)
- Ben Folds tickles the ivories on this track to great effect on a nice piece of musicianship by Al and the band. Al doesn't try too hard, and he doesn't have to. Solid lyrics with some good music make for a good song to listen to.
9. Ode to a Superhero (parody of Billy Joel's "Piano Man")
- It worked when Al used the Phantom Menace for fodder, and it works again with Spider-Man. This is another of my favorites on this album, as Al does a perfect job of using Joel's music for his own purposes. It's not necessarily funny all the way through, but it doesn't need to be. This is one parody that stands on its own. You won't be able to help yourself singing along (I sure can't).
10. Bob (original Al, with a nod to Mr. Dylan)
- Sheer lyrical brilliance from Al! Not only does the delivery of the words and the music capture the folk legend perfectly, but the words...wow. Every phrase of the lyrics a palindrome? Unreal.
11. EBay (parody of the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way")
- Another great example of Al making a hated song great. This is another of my favorites on this album. Excellent lyrics plus dead-on impressions of the boy-band style which he has always done well (see also "The White Stuff"). Quality stuff.
12. Genius In France (original Al, with a nod to Frank Zappa)
- Dweezil Zappa guest plays guitar on this hilarious homage to his father. Absolutely brutal towards the French in ways to numerous to count, the song is this album's "Albuquerque" (see Running with Scissors for that gem). Granted it runs over 9 minutes, but you hardly notice the time flying by. What a way to end the album!

When you buy the album, put it in your computer for 8 bonus remixes (the vocal mix of Hardware Store is my personal favorite), photos, song synchronized lyrics, and a hysterical group of Al's home movies narrated by none other than Al himself. All in all, this is one of Al's best albums to date and even if you are not a die-hard CPFOA (Close Personal Friend of Al), the amazing work comes through which makes for a highly enjoyable time! Do I smell a Grammy?

I got this album at 10:30am on May 20th, and I started listening to it and I instantly LOVED it. Here's my main reviews for each song:
Couch Potato: Parody of Lose Yourself by Eminem.
This is a very cool song. But I just can't tell if he's dissing TV, or saying that he likes it.
Hardware Store: An Original Song by Al
This is one of my favorite songs on the album. I love it. He sings very fast and for so long. It's amazing!
Trash Day: Parody of Hot in Herre by Nelly
Another rapping by Al and it's hilarious.
Party At The Leper Colony: An Original Song By Al
It's funny but kind of makes you squirm.
Angry White Boy Polka: A Polka Medley Arranged by Al
Includes polka versions of songs by Staind, Papa Roach, Eminem, P.O.D., Kid Rock and more.
Wanna B Ur Lovr: An Original Song by Al
A funny love song by Al. Wait, A LOVE SONG BY AL?!
A Complicated Song: Parody of Complicated by Avril Lavigne
This song is so funny, but the first part is about constipation. Ew.
Why Does This Always Happen To Me?: An Original Song by Al
This is my least favorite, mainly because it's so violent. But Ben Folds does do a good job on the keyboard.
Ode To A Superhero: Parody of Piano Man by Billy Joel
The story of Spider-Man told in the tune of Piano Man. Nuff said.
Bob: An Original Song by Al
Um, this is one kinda hard to understand, but I like it.
Ebay: Parody of I Want it That Way by The Backstreet Boys
I love all the stuff he thought of to put in this song. The ending's really funny too.
Genius in France: An Original Song by Al
This song is the Albuquerque of Poodle Hat. Long and funny, though not as funny as Albuquerque.

My children and I are big Weird Al fans, and I was pleasantly surprised when I got this CD for Christmas! It contains five parody songs, one that parodies a singer, and six great Weird Al originals, including one of his great polka hits. The songs are all very good, with a group of them being fantastic (Couch Potato, Hardware Store, Ode to a Superhero and eBay)!

The liner notes are nice, containing the lyrics to all of the included songs, plus some nice pictures. But, be sure to pop this baby into your computer! The included MOV file has some great home movie clips of little Al, all hilariously narrated by big Al. Plus, there is a photo gallery, some bonus mixes (six instrumental versions, a vocal only mix, and a Al + piano mix), and the song lyrics. But, when I say song lyrics, I don't mean they are just typed in there, they actually scroll across the screen while the music is playing!

Yep, this is a great album, with lots of great extras! My kids and I highly recommend this CD to you. Buy it!

Here's the thing most folks don't realize about Al - you actually have to be intelligent to "get" the parodies. Al's rhyme schemes very closely mimic the original song's. And I'm not just talking about "Rotten here" instead of "Hot in here" on the Nelly parody. Things like Eminem's line "make me king" - which became "Larry King" on "Couch Potato" or the line "John is a real esatate novelist who never had time for a wife" - which became "Norm is a billionaire scientist who never had time for his son" on "Ode to a superhero." They're small, subtle things that show Al does more then just write any old lyrics to parody a song.

"Bob" - is not just a Dylan style parody - but every line in the song is a palindrome. How many people would write a song like that? Again - you have to be intelligent to get it!

And - Why does this always happen to me - a Ben Folds style parody (with Ben Folds on keys) is great! But - you have to be smart to understand it!

Finally - It really seems like Al went about challenging himself on tracks like "Hardware Store" and Genius in France." Coming up with, and producing songs like those is no easy task. They are complex, amazing works of music.

Overall an awesome CD that gets better with repeated listening.

--*Rob

I just bought this album 2 days ago and listen to it frequently.
First of all, I love the case design and CD design. And the lyric book's pictures. I also really like the CD photo with Al gulping the hole in the middle of the CD.
But that's nut the important part. The important part is the music. There are NO BAD SONGS ON IT(as compared with "Running with Scissors").

1. Couch Potato-
This song is a fabulous parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and I think it's better than the original!

2. Hardware Store-
My favorite song. Sometimes I wonder if Al can really talk that fast without breathing in between...

3. Trash Day-
I don't listen to Nelly but I think Al's parody of "Hot in Here" is just great. "It's rotten, so rotten here..."

4. Party at the Leper Colony-
As gross as it may sound by the name, this song doesn't make you puke. Period. Just real fun.

5. Angry White Boy Polka-
Nice name, huh? I haven't heard many of the songs on here like with "Polka Power!" on "Running With Scissors" but it's a good combination of tunes that just seem to flow together.

6. Wanna B Ur Lovr-
This song is strange, yes, but it gives you some insight on how not to pick up a girlfriend. Funny.

7. A Complicated Song-
Hilarious rendition of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated." It goes from too much pizza, to a girlfriend who is a cousin, to a roller coaster that takes your head off. ^_^

8. Why Does This Always Happen to Me?-
Graphic, rude, and funny. Weird Al is so Creative...

9. Ode to a Superhero-
A great parody of Billy Joel's "Piano Man." It talks about Spider-Man and the whole story of the Tobey Maguire movie.

10. Bob-
All palindromes, put together in an order they rhyme in, and the result is (drum roll please)...music!

11. eBay-
This song's lyrics are so true!!! You always see useless stuff you'd throw away on eBay. Parody of Backstreet Boys' "I Want it That Way."

12. Genius In France-
About a man who is dumber than a box of hair, who goes to France and is considered a genius. makes fun of French folks, too! Anyway, it's a great song if maybe a little too long.

THIS ALBUM ROCKS!!! PLEASE BUY IT!!!

Ciao

I've always liked "Weird Al" Yankovic, but only some of his albums have made me laugh out loud. To date I still think "Off the Deep End" is his best album (I still listen to it on cassette!), but Poodle Hat was a pleasant surprise.

The songs here are extremely original. "Hardware Store" is probably one of the most complex original songs he has ever written. Someone said they tried to sing along. Well, you can't. He uses a simple mixing technique (that Eminem himself uses on "Lose Yourself") that blends many different takes together. Whether the voice is sped up or not, I have no clue because speaking that fast *is* possible, and I wouldn't put it past Weird Al to be, well, weird like that.

Now I didn't think Weird Al could top "It's All About the Pentiums," but he did with "Trash Day"! This song had me laughing until my ribs hurt. The female voice is a delightful touch! (I figured he'd do it himself, but I'm glad he didn't!)

Party at the Leper Colony, Wanna B Ur Lover, and Genius in France are the weaker tracks that take some warming up to get used to. They start off slowly but have great finales or solos. Genius in France is just weird in general. As a French citizen myself, I found it particularly amusing. Any Frenchman who is insulted by this should move to Australia.

A Complicated Song is actually *better* than Avril Lavigne's own song, which cracks me up. E-Bay takes some getting used to for sure because, again, it's far superior to the real song, and I hate their stuff so much that this song is almost insulting to hear...you just have to get used to it. Fortunately, Al's lyrics are awesome! I mean, with eBay as a topic, you can write about most anything, and he chooses his "items for sale" wisely!

Why Does This Always Happen To Me is thematically a variation of You Don't Love Me Anymore.

Is there a bad song on this album? Yes. Angry White Boy Polka. Weird Al has yet to top his Polka Your Eyes Out.

Still, the last two albums of Weird Al have rekindled my affection for him. He is a very very important part of our modern rock history, and I regret having stopped listening to him for nearly a decade.

By the way, the video included on the CD is so funny, I was crying when it was over. For real! Weird Al is one of these people I wish I knew in real life. He must be a treat to know.

Couch Potato - 10/10 - Great parody of Eminem's Lose Yourself.

Hardware Store - 10/10 - My favorite off of the album, an original song written by Al.

Trash Day - 10/10 - Parody of Nelly's Hot in Herre. Very funny.

Party at the Leper Colony - 10/10 - Great song. What I love about the song is Al took regular sayings and turned them around. You have to be paying attention to them.

Angry White Boy Polka - 10/10 - Hilarious.

Wanna B Ur Lovr - 100/10 - Absolutely hilarious. I love the fact he took the dumbest pick-up lines and made a song of it, which also makes fun of some R&B songs that are poorly written, that the singer takes too seriously.

A Complicated Song - 10/10 - Hilarious parody of Avril Lavigne's Complicated.

Why Does This Always Happen To Me - 10/10 - Very very funny original song written by Al, with Ben Folds on piano.

Ode to a Superhero - 10/10 - Hilarious parody of Piano Man by Billy Joel, about, who else? Spider-man.

Bob - 10/10 - Each line in this song is a palindrome. If noone knows what that is, what is Bob spelled backwards? Radar?

e-Bay - 10/10 - Very funny parody of Backstreet Boys' I Want it That Way.

Genius in France - 1000/10 - Extremely hilarious. I can't stop laughing when I listen to it.

I love the enhanced portion of this CD. Al's home movies are funny. And the bonus mixes are worth listening to.

In his 20+ years of bringing parodies and polkas to the masses, Weird Al has reinvented himself more times than Madonna. Well, sort of. Unlike the artists he spoofs, he has a strong ear for current musical trends and has not tried to hang onto the style of pop that brought him fame in the eighties. Michael Jackson parodies are long gone, replaced by people like Eminem and Nelly. Maybe this is why each new Al album is thought of as a "comeback" rather than just another album. However, Al has not strayed too far from the themes that show up again and again in his music: television and popular culture.

With Poodle Hat, Al and his vastly underrated band take on a surprising wide variety of musical styles. It's not too often that you'll find an album that mixes rap anthems, Billy Joel, and the Backstreet Boys. But it works. Al's fun lyrics, better than expected vocals, and strong instrumental backing tie it all together. Couch Potato, Al's Eminem parody, is as catchy as the original - maybe more so. Lyrically it's more or less a repeat of Al's song "Brady Bunch" (and several others), giving a list of current TV shows and Al's comments on them. Still, it could be a big hit for Al, if only he would do a video for it. Al has agreed not to (at Eminem's request), so Al can forget about huge exposure for the song on MTV.

A few songs seem like filler ("Hardware Store","Trash Day"), but most of the album is a lot of fun. Stand outs include "Ode to a Superhero" (Piano Man turned into the Spiderman saga), "Bob" (a clever Bob Dylan-type song) and "eBay" (the Backsteet Boys parody).

While there's no song here that I'm temped to listen to repeatedly for a month (like "Albuquerque"), it's still a good strong album and a must for Al fans.