A little slip, but much better than you'd think.

After coming off the success of DARE TO BE STUPID, our favorite 'Weirdo' followed it up quickly with this, his 4th AL-bum. Though it's somewhat apparent the writing/recording was rushed, it's way better than the "flop" some idiots like to say it was.

1. Living WIth A Hernia -- PARODY of James Brown's comeback hit from the Rocky IV soundtrack. Uptempo funk rock with dead-on impressions of the Godfather of Soul which became a big hit. Describes everything you wanted to know about what it's like to have a hernia. So funny, it almost makes you want to have one yourself (hey, I did say "almost").

2. Dog Eat Dog -- Original new wave song in the Talking Heads style, about corporate/office life. Though it's not a parody, in one line, Al borrows from their "Once in A Lifetime" song with "You may tell yourself: This is not my beautiful stapler."

3. Addicted to Spuds -- PARODY of the late Robert Palmer's (RIP) one huge classic rock hit. Al tells of someone he knows who is addicted to anything to do with potatoes, then he does too. Though it was a hit, I don't think there was a video for it.

4. One of Those Days -- A classic original that is reason enough to get this. Rocker about one certain day where everything goes wrong, from losing a sock in the drier, getting tied up and covered with ants, and having nothing but tater tots for dinner again.

5. Polka Party -- The typical polka medley, with songs from 1985 or so, including Papa Don't Preach, Method of Modern Love and Sussudio.

6. Here's Johnny -- PARODY of Debarge's "Who's Johnny," which stays true to the dance/pop of the original. It's about being obsessed with Ed McMahon, the guy who used to announce Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.

7. Don't Wear Those Shoes -- Good but not great keyboard rock based original. Al says his girl can do anything annoying at all, including "Run your vaccum during my favorite show" or "Lick the middle out of my Oreos," except for wearing a certain pair of shoes. I wonder what was wrong with them.

8. Toothless People -- Pop/rock PARODY of Mick Jagger's "Ruthless People," which will probably make you not want to lose any teeth. "Only can eat things like pudding and apple sauce," goes one of the lines.

9. Good Enough for Now -- One of the few, if any country songs Al ever has done. Mid tempo tune about meeting a girl who is "Almost everything I ever wanted. Not really, but you're good enough for now." It's probably a take-off on country love/breakup songs, and a good one too! Foreshadows "I Was Only Kidding," another original that would come out a few years later.

10. Christmas at Ground Zero -- A hit original which talks about nuclear war on the holiday season. Not one of his best, but good. I hear that several radio stations at the time banned this song due to 'lyrical content.' Although I can see how that would make sense, especially now, people have gotta realize what this song really is...A JOKE!

I do agree, this isn't as strong as it could've been. I think he should've kept maybe 6 of the 10 songs, and waited another several months or so to release it with a couple stronger songs. Maybe he could've saved some of the originals (which wouldn't age, like a parody of a certain song would).

Also, just like DARE TO BE STUPID, there are only 4 parodies here, instead of the usual 5. There were so many good songs at the time he could've parodied too. However, I don't agree it was a bad AL-bum by any means.

Potato skins, potato cakes, hash browns, and instant flakes

Many people claim that 1986's "Polka Party!" was Weird Al Yankovic's worst album. As a diehard fan, of course, I wouldn't agree with that claim. However, compared to the Prince of Parody's later CDs, this one does possess quite a few flaws. That's to be expected, since Al's band was pressured by the record company to squeeze out another collection of hilarious hits. After the band recovered from the exploding sci-fi success of "Dare to Be Stupid," "Polka Party!" was semi-rushed and nearly unfocused.
Still, there are many excellent highlights listeners can laugh along to. "Living with a Hernia" is a funky soul spoof of James Brown's "Living in America." This track bears an electrified saxophone and brass section while Al's lyrics describe a rather unpleasant bulge on an intestinal wall. "Dog Eat Dog," an original tune about life in the office, is performed in the new wave style of the Talking Heads. "Addicted to Spuds" is a slick Robert Palmer parody...done au gratin! "One of Those Days," with its rock guitar and piano, mixes mundane routines with absurd disasters. In 24 hours, poor Al endures all kinds of burdens, from another sock lost in the dryer to the explosion of the atomic bomb. "Polka Party!" lyrically dismembers several MTV pop artists. Such acts include Janet Jackson, Falco, Bananarama, and Tears for Fears.
Unfortunately, the album's last few tracks are not as good. "Here's Johnny," a boy band dance track that salutes The Tonight Show, is a little too artificial and sexually bizarre. The homogenized "Don't Wear Those Shoes" and the diseased "Toothless People" appear to have been written too fast. It's as if both songs were assembled at very the last minute of recording. "Good Enough for Now" is a mediocre country blues track sung by a fickle husband. Finally, "Christmas at Ground Zero" is a mock-holiday carol that clearly doesn't fit with the rest of the album. Then again, who wouldn't want to hear the cheery jingle of sleigh bells as U.S. soldiers defend their lives in Iraq?
I recommend this album only to Yankovic's hardcore fans. It's a cartoon time capsule that whet the buyer's appetite for "Even Worse" and "Off the Deep End."

So Underrated It's Funny......Weird Al Style!

Polka Party(1986). Weird Al Yankovic's Fourth Album.



Following the hit CD's 'Weird Al In 3-D' and 'Dare To Be Stupid', Weird Al went in to record 'Polka Party'. Upon its release, it failed to market a huge hit single like the past albums, so over time it has become a forgotten gem in his catalogue. Fans usually pass this album by, so it begs the question, is this album any good? Read on to find out!



Track Ratings-



Living With A Hernia- A parody of James Brown's 80's Hit "Living In America" finds Weird Al singing his hernia woes. Weird Al's takeoff of Brown's vocals and the hilarious lyrics make this a winner!



Dog Eat Dog- A Parody of the Talking Heads' hit "Once In A Lifetime", Weird Al finds time to twist a tale of corporate competition, sometimes telling himself this "isn't his beautiful stapler" all the while successfully mimicing the Talking Heads' vocalist perfectly. Hilarious!



Addicted To Spuds- A Parody of Robert Palmer's "Addicted To Love", "Addicted To Spuds" weaves a tale of a man so obsessed with potatoes he will go to any length to get them. Absolutely hilarious lyrics!



One Of Those Days- An original song by Weird Al, "One Of Those Days" finds Weird Al looking back on all of his bad luck, which includes "A 747 Crashing Into His Den" and "A Steamroller Demolishing His Mom". Funny stuff, with an original yet interesting beat!



Polka Party!- Any Weird Al fan knows his polka versions of popular songs is always an album highlight, and he finds time to make fun of Madonna, Tears For Fears, The Rolling Stones, Banarama, Lionel Richie, and more!



Here's Johnny- A Parody of El Debarge's "Who's Johnny(Short Circuit Theme), "Here's Johnny" is 'Polka Party!'s weakest track, as his parody isn't all that funny or different from the original.



Don't Wear Those Shoes- An Original song by Weird Al, "Don't Wear Those Shoes" finds Weird Al begging his wife to not wear her shoes, and in return, she can do anything she wants. Pretty good, but not all that funny.



Toothless People- A Parody of Mick Jagger's "Ruthless People", "Toothless People" finds Weird Al's hilarious take on Jagger's vocals describing the horrors of toothless people, such as 'their breath is lethal'. Funny stuff!



Good Enough For Now- An Original song by Weird Al, "Good Enough For Now" finds Weird Al using a Country beat to flesh out every man's feelings, such as 'I couldn't live without you....on second thought I could' or 'You're the woman I've always dreamed of...not really, but you're good enough for now'. Hilarious lyrics make this a pretty funny song.



Christmas At Ground Zero- An Original Song by Weird Al, "Christmas At Ground Zero" finds Weird Al singing about a Christmas gone horribly wrong, and he uses Jingle Bells to enhance the feeling. Not all that funny, but it's an okay song.



Overall, 'Polka Party' is a funny, if not flawed listen. The first side is a lot funnier than the second half, but it still has it's moments. Not Weird Al's best, but still a good Parody CD worthy of my collection.



RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF PARODIES AND WEIRD AL YANKOVIC! NOT HIS BEST, BUT NOT HIS WORST EITHER. GET '3-D' OR 'BAD HAIR DAY' IF YOU'RE NEW TO HIM THOUGH!



Also Recommended-



Bad Hair Day- Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al Yankovic In 3-D- Weird Al Yankovic

Poodle Hat- Weird Al Yankovic



Thanks For Reading!