Bad Hair Day

Weird Al Yankovic

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 12, 1996)
• Original Release Date: March 12, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Volcano
• ASIN: B00000I02K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,533 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This CD serves up a mix of parodies and a batch of Yankovic originals. Weird Al's setting of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" in Amish country is inspired. What better way to send up the swaggering ways of hip-hop and contemporary R&B than to transpose them to this humble, traditionalist world? Yankovic turns U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" into a song about an unpleasant visit to the dentist's office. Here drills, not deep feelings, cause screams. "The Alternative Polka," a medley of eleven mid-'90s alternative hits, drains the songs of any cool factor in five minutes flat. Listening to send-ups is like hearing two songs at once; the gap in tone cracks you up. It's fun to hear Weird Al deflate the cool attitudes, grandeur, and emotionalism of pop hits. Yankovic's generic originals, despite some funny ideas and lines, have limited appeal. --Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Al-Bum!, April 7, 2003

By	Erik Bateson (California) - See all my reviews

What an excellent Al-bum! I have had it for about 5 years, and it is still one of my favorites. Look and see:

1. Amish Paradise: 5/5 Like "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi," Weird Al talks about religion and religious beliefs with comedy, not put-downs.
2. Everything You Know Is Wrong: 4/5 Gotta love it!
3. Cavity Search: 2/5 This song has an "overbite."
4. Calling in Sick: 4/5 Enjoyable
5. The Alternative Polka: 4/5 Ups and downs
6. Since You've Been Gone: 5/5 "I feel like chewing on tinfoil."
7. Gump: 5/5 Summarizes the whole tale of "Forrest Gump" in a few minutes. Remined me of "The Saga Begins."
8. I'm So Sick of You: 4/5 Funny, yet gross. "I don't know many females who have habits of biting their toenails."
9. Syndicated Inc. 2/5 I get it, it's just not funny.
10. I remember Larry: 5/5 Weird Al plays a psycho as he oftenly does.
11. Phone Calls: 5/5 The best part was the Moe-Bart "Simpsons" sound bite.
12. The Night Santa Went Crazy: 5/5 Like he so oftenly does, Al has saved the best for last.

So that's 50/60, but I'm giving it a 5 for its genious songs "Amish Paridise," "I Remember Larry," and "The Night Santa Went Crazy." I cannot wait for "Poodle Hat," which hits stores May 20th. Thank you for taking the time to read my review and feel free to leave me a helpful/not helpful feedback. God Bless America!

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Hair Day will give you a Good Funnybone Day, December 6, 2003

By	Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The continuing second wind streak of Weird Al Yankovic continues with Bad Hair Day, and you'll have a good funny bone day listening to this album.

"Amish Paradise" is a send-up of Coolio's "Gangsta Paradise" and the lyrics are on Amish life and attitudes of hard work, devotion to the Bible, pacifism, churning butter, and selling quilts to a humorous twist: "But if I finish all of my chores and you finish thine/then tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699." And on a boy who kicks him in the rear, he says "I just smiled at him and turned the other cheek/I really don't care, in fact I wish him well/'cause I'll be laughing my head off, when he's burning in hell." My head came off after that line. A great opener for the album.

"Everything You Know Is Wrong" is a crazy nonsense tune on weird happenings and dreams, such as being abducted into another dimension by Jamie Farr-like aliens. "Black is white, up is down, and short is long/and everything you thought was just so important doesn't matter." Very Marx Brothers chaotic.

No, "Cavity Song" is not about those airport searches by customs inspectors or cops. This parody of U2's "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me". It's Al's observations at a dentists, with the outdated magazines, and dental treatment. However, the piercing sound of the dental drill is a bit disconcerting, send-up or not. And why not use "Numb me, drill me, floss me, bill me" for a title instead of "Cavity Search?" Oh well.

"Callin' In Sick" is a Nirvana-type song, kind of like "Lithium", and on the different things we can do by calling in sick and having that needed day off. "I could sit all day in my underwear watching 'Ernest Goes To Camp'/I could sit and count my hair/I could burp my Tupperware" Yeah, really useful.

"The Alternative Polka" shows that Al is still up on the music shift that took place in the mid-90's, when alternative became the new style. Song medley list: Beck's "Loser", Stone Temple Pilots' "Sex Type Thing", Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do", Nine Inch Nails' "Closer", R.E.M.'s "Bang And Blame", Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know", Smashing Pumpkins' "Bullet On Butterfly Wings", Red Hot Chili Peppers' "My Friends", Foo Fighter's "I'll Stick Around", Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", and Green Day's "Basket Case."

"Since You've Been Gone" is a doowop song describing how one feels when a loved one's gone, "It's like I've got a great big mouthful of cod liver oil" or "an ice cream headache that won't go away." And there is a punchline to this song.

"Lump" by the Presidents of the United States of America is turned into "Gump", about that guy and his boxful of chocolates, you know that guy who "told JFK he had to p--" and who "went to the White House and showed LBJ his b-tt."
"I'm So Sick Of You" is a list of irritating things that really get on one's nerves. The girl here is someone with no class, manners, hygiene, someone so low on the food chain. Someone who snores when they're wide awake, bites their toenails, and uses a guy's razor to shave their back hair? Al, quick, DUMP HER NOW!

The TV junkie song "Syndicated Inc." based on Soul Asylum's "Misery" shows Al hasn't lost his TV songs touch.

"I Remember Larry" is a song about the title character, someone who did all sorts of bad stuff to Al, like putting Ben Gay in his jockstrap, giving him Ex-lax brownies, dumped toxic waste on his lawn. Well, Al gets even with him in a cruel but well-deserved way-in fact that's what I'd do--if I was in a nice mood.

"Don't go makin' phony calls/please stick to the seven-digit numbers you're used to" go the chorus of "Phony Calls", based on TLC's "Waterfalls" on a prank phone caller. He uses a clip from the Simpsons, where Bart asks for "Mike Rotch." and the bartender asks for...

"Like a big fat drunk disgruntled Yuletide Rambo/And he smiled as he said with a twinkle in his eye, 'Merry Christmas to all..now you're all gonna die!" "The Night Santa Went Crazy" is a Soul Asylum-type ballad about Santa having snapped, going postal and taking it out on the reindeer: "And he ground up poor Rudolph into reindeer sausage/He got Dancer and Prancer with an old German Luger/and he slashed up Dasher just like Freddie Krueger." The funniest Christmas song since "Christmas At Ground Zero."

Probably my third favourite Weird Al album, after Dare To Be Stupid and Off The Deep End.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless, funny: 'Weird Al' in his prime, July 19, 2003

By	M. Heidenreich "Well, Well, Well" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

I will start by saying that before Running With Scissors came out in 1999, this was Weird Al Yankovics best album. It has everything youd ever want in a Weird Al recording, plus a little bit more; i.e. controversy. Remember Coolio claiming he didnt give Al permission to parody his one-hit wonderful Gangstas Paradise? Huh. I find it hard to believe that Al would just go ahead and do it anyway (hes not that kind of guy), but thats neither here nor there, really. Whats done is done, and in that you have one of the most surprising popularities to come out of 1996. Along with the controversial Amish Paradise you get a number more parodies and even some great originals that often go overlooked. Heres an overview:

1. Amish Paradise - 5/5 - arguably Als best parody to date. I have always wondered what the Amish think of this, and if they know its not intended to hurt anyone. Anyway its a classic parody with endless laughs.

2. Everything You Know Is Wrong - 4/5 - an eminent original with a chorus that becomes embedded in your mind for days on end. Fast-paced with excerpts including anything from a rabid wolverine to Colonel Sanders.

3. Cavity Search - 5/5 - anyone whos ever been to the dentist can appreciate this one. Takes U2s Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me and replaces it (fittingly) with numb me / drill me / floss me / bill me. A definite hidden gem.

4. Callin In Sick - 4/5 - again, theres got to be millions who can relate to the basis here. On a day off, you may not do the same things as Al (watch Ernest Goes To Camp or count your hair), but you can laugh at the song.

5. The Alternative Polka - 5/5 - uses Beck, STP, Sheryl Crow, NIN, Alanis Morissette, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Green Day to make Als best Polka song to date. Awesome.

6. Since Youve Been Gone - 5/5 - even at just 1:22, its still one of the best. Again its very hard to relate, but impossible not to laugh. Highlight quote: Im feeling like I stuck my hand inside a blender and turned it on. Heartfelt...

7. Gump - 5/5 - if you have not seen Forest Gump you will not understand this song. It uses The Presidents Of The United States Of Americas smash Lump to build an everlasting gem even Tom Hanks could appreciate.

8. Im So Sick Of You - 2/5 - the only song here I skip over. Listen to Since Youve Been Gone instead.

9. Syndicated Inc. - 4/5 - I will say I have not heard Soul Asylums Misery. Nevertheless, I do enjoy this song. Al talks about his love for 15+ television shows including Regis & Kathy Lee and M*A*S*H*, to name a few. Sung beautifully.

10. I Remember Larry - 3.5/5 - another decent original. There are plentiful laughs to be had, but it just doesnt compare to Everything You Know Is Wrong. Highlight quote: ...all those brownies he made with the ex-lax inside.

11. Phony Calls - 4.5/5 - TLCs Waterfalls is given a whole new twist. We can relate to just about everything. And if not, we can just as easily laugh away. But we couldve done without the Bart Simpson Mike Rotch part. And is there really phone police?

12. The Night Santa Went Crazy - 5/5 - * warning: do not let your children hear this * I have to admit, this one might not be as good as Christmas At Ground Zero, but its still awesome. Very imaginative, very funny. Also, if you want a bit more craziness, try the Extra Gory version on the Amish Paradise single.

You know how much you love Weird Al Yankovic; or, for that matter, how much you dont. If you let this album slip through your fingertips you are making a huge mistake. The most popular tunes here are clearly Amish Paradise and Gump, but the real treasures are found in the songs you dont know. For example, both Since Youve Been Gone--even at 1:22--and Everything You Know Is Wrong have the potential to be among your favorites. And lets not forget the songs that ANYONE can relate to, Cavity Search, Callin In Sick, and even Phony Calls. Every single song here is good and even with Im So Sick Of You I can still give Bad Hair Day 5 stars and feel good about it. Oh and on another positive note, The Alternative Polka outdoes every other polka/pop mix that Al has done. Stop procrastinating and pick up one of the funniest albums of the 90s and runner up to Running With Scissors for the best Weird Al Yankovic album to date.