Even Worse
Encyclopedia
Even Worse is the fifth studio album
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
, released in 1988. The album was the fifth produced by former The McCoys
guitarist Rick Derringer
. Recorded between November 1987 and February 1988, this album helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after the critical and commercial disappointment of his previous album Polka Party!
(1986).
The music on Even Worse is built around parodies and pastiches of pop
and rock music
of the mid 1980s. Even Worse, like Polka Party! before it, themed all but one of its parodies. Half of the album is made up of parodies, featuring jabs at Michael Jackson
, George Harrison
, Tiffany
, the folk song "La Bamba
," and Billy Idol
. The other half of the album is original material, featuring many "style parodies," or musical imitations that come close to, but do not copy, existing artists. These style parodies include imitations of specific artists like Oingo Boingo
, Beastie Boys
, and James Taylor
. Even Worse has the distinction of being one of two albums by "Weird Al" Yankovic lacking any polka renditions of pop songs or medleys, the other being his debut album "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983), released five years earlier. This album's title and cover art of the album is a spoof on that of Michael Jackson's 1987 album, Bad
.
Even Worse was met with mostly positive reviews and peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard 200
and became Yankovic's best selling album. The album also produced one of Yankovic's hit singles, "Fat
," a parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad
," which peaked at number ninety-nine on the Billboard Hot 100
and became a staple of MTV. The album was quickly certified as a gold record, and later as a platinum record for sales of over one million copies in the United States, which, at the time, was Yankovic's first platinum record. "Fat" was later nominated and won a Grammy Award
for Best Concept Music Video
at the 1989 Grammy Awards
.
in 1986. Despite featuring parodies of hit songs like "Living in America" and "Addicted to Love" the album was a critical and commercial failure, failing to produce a charting single and only managing to peak at at only number 177 on the Billboard 200
. After the disappointment with Polka Party! Yankovic went on the record saying, "I thought it was the end of my career." For the most part of 1987, Yankovic took a short recording break.
In Novermber 1987, Yankovic returned to the studio to craft his follow-up to Polka Party! Once again, former The McCoys
guitarist Rick Derringer
was brought in to produce the album. During the first session, two songs were recorded, "Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White," and "Melanie." The next month, three songs were recorded, Good Old Days," "You Make Me," and "Velvet Elvis." Finally, in the early winter of 1988, the remaining songs were recorded.
about Vanna White
. Allmusic described the song as a "real winner for Yankovic" because it "was the first song [Yankovic] wrote that his [...] target audience [...] actually liked as much or even more than his parodies." "You Make Me" is a song involving a person's desire to engage in strange and/or violent behavior compelled by the weirdness of another person. According to the liner notes of The Permanent Record, "It's about as close as [Yankovic has] ever come to writing a real love song." Musically, the song is a style parody of Oingo Boingo
;
"Melanie" is stalker
's twisted love song to his neighbor Melanie. According to Yankovic, he wrote several additional verses for "Melanie" that he would only sing to his friends. "Twister" is an ode to the Milton Bradley
game Twister
. The song is a style parody of the Beastie Boys
. When Yankovic was recording the song, he initially recorded about 20 vocal takes. However, when it came time to pick the right take, he opted for the first because it sounded "more raw and more off-the-cuff." The album's closer, "Good Old Days" is about a psychopath fondly remembering his childhood. Yankovic described the song as an "experiment." He "wanted to see if [he] could write a song as if Charlie Manson and James Taylor were collaborating."
, is the story of a man who details his life as a clone of another person. The second parody recorded was "Alimony," a parody of "Mony Mony
" as covered by Billy Idol
. The song is a diatribe about the narrator's ex-wife, who takes everything he owns for alimony
payments. Although the song sounds as if it were recorded live—complete with clapping, screaming, and yelling—the track was entirely recorded in the studio. This is the only instance of Yankovic covering two songs originally made famous by the same artist on one album, as both "Mony Mony" and 'I Think We're Alone Now" were songs first performed by Tommy James and the Shondells.
When it came time to record a lead single, Yankovic once again turned his attention to Michael Jackson
. Jackson had just released his album Bad
, a follow-up to 1983's immensely successful album Thriller
. After Yankovic first heard the lead single, "Bad
" he immediately envisioned a parody entitled "Fat." Initially, part of Yankovic didn't want to record another Michael Jackson parody. He later said, "I was still primarily known as the 'Eat It" guy and I didn't want to become known as the guy who just rides Michael's coattails." He later relented and sought out Jackson for permission. Jackson, a fan of Yankovic's work, had already let Yankovic parody his 1983 hit single "Beat It
." When presented with the new potential parody, Jackson not only approved it, but let Yankovic use his own Moonwalker
subway set for the music video. Yankovic later presented Jackson with a gold record of Even Worse after the album sold over 500,000 copies. Jackson was so pleased with the song and video, he ordered twelve copies to give to his friends. Yankovic later said "He doesn't have to let me do this kind of stuff. [...] The only reason he would let me is because he has a great sense of humor.
The music video for the song features a leather-clad Yankovic "expanding to 800 pounds and bouncing around a subway set." To find suitable back-up dancers, ads were placed in Los Angeles
newspapers for "Very Fat Dancers." One of the men used in the video was actually a pizza delivery man who had delivered food to the casting offices. Due to the music video, "Fat" became one of Yankovic's biggest hits. Although only managing to peak at number ninety-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, the song's music video got extensive play on MTV
, which helped the album attain platinum status. In addition, "Fat" was later nominated and won a Grammy Award
for Best Concept Music Video
at the 1989 Grammy Awards
, at the time, Yankovic's second Grammy Award.
The last parody recorded for the album was "Lasagna
," a parody of the traditional folk song "La Bamba
." The song is mainly about Italian culture with a heavy emphasis on cuisine. When Yankovic began writing the song, he originally wanted it to be sung in Italian. He later said, "I was actually going through Italian phrase books and dictionaries until I realized that the humor would be lost on 99% of the audience, so I decided to do the whole thing in English but with kind of a bad Italian accent." When the song was released as a single, it did not have a music video. However, ten years later in 1997 a short video was made for the The Weird Al Show
. Under U.S. law, Yankovic can parody any song he wants as long as he pays royalties to use the original music. However, as a personal rule, he asks for permission anyway in order to maintain good relations with the industry. This particular song is an exception to that rule. Although the song is a parody
of the Los Lobos
cover version, "Lasagna" marked Yankovic's first parody that did not require either permission from an artist or a payment of royalties, since the song "La Bamba" is a traditional folk song that is not attributed to any specific writer. Thus, Yankovic is the only writer given credit in the liner notes.
A notable facet about Even Worse is that it did not contain a polka medley. Even Worse was Yankovic's second—after his debut—and last album not to include a polka medley.
" as some of his best originals. Both Even Worse and "Fat" were nominated for Grammys. Although Even Worse was not a winner, "Fat" won a Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video
in 1989
.
at number 122 and steadily began to rise over the course of the next few weeks. On July 2, the album peaked at number 27. Eight weeks later, after steadily falling from the charts, the album dropped off, re-entering the following week at number 104. In the next few weeks, the album began descending down the chart. It later made a final reappearance at number 196 on October 29. The album spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart.
On July 18, 1988—less than three months after its release—the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). On January 27, 1994, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA. At the time of its certification, it was Yankovic's first Platinum record and until 1992
it was his best-selling album.
Other personnel
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, released in 1988. The album was the fifth produced by former The McCoys
The McCoys
The McCoys were a rock group that started in Union City, Indiana, in 1962.-Career:The original members, all from Union City, were guitarist Richard Zehringer , his brother Randy on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the...
guitarist Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
. Recorded between November 1987 and February 1988, this album helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after the critical and commercial disappointment of his previous album Polka Party!
Polka Party!
Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1986. The album is the third of Yankovic's to be produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
(1986).
The music on Even Worse is built around parodies and pastiches of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
of the mid 1980s. Even Worse, like Polka Party! before it, themed all but one of its parodies. Half of the album is made up of parodies, featuring jabs at Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
, the folk song "La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
," and Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
. The other half of the album is original material, featuring many "style parodies," or musical imitations that come close to, but do not copy, existing artists. These style parodies include imitations of specific artists like Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
. Even Worse has the distinction of being one of two albums by "Weird Al" Yankovic lacking any polka renditions of pop songs or medleys, the other being his debut album "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983), released five years earlier. This album's title and cover art of the album is a spoof on that of Michael Jackson's 1987 album, Bad
Bad (album)
Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album...
.
Even Worse was met with mostly positive reviews and peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and became Yankovic's best selling album. The album also produced one of Yankovic's hit singles, "Fat
Fat (song)
"Fat" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson. It is the second parody Yankovic did of a Jackson song, the first being "Eat It", a parody of Jackson's "Beat It"...
," a parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad
Bad (song)
"Bad" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Bad" was released by Epic Records in September 1987, as the second single from Jackson's seventh studio album of the same name. The song was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones...
," which peaked at number ninety-nine on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became a staple of MTV. The album was quickly certified as a gold record, and later as a platinum record for sales of over one million copies in the United States, which, at the time, was Yankovic's first platinum record. "Fat" was later nominated and won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Concept Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video was an honor presented to recording artists at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988 and the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989 for quality concept music videos...
at the 1989 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1989
The 31st Grammy Awards were held in 1989. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Linda Goldstein & Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"*Album of the Year...
.
Background and recording
After much success in the early 80s, comedy artist "Weird Al" Yankovic released Polka Party!Polka Party!
Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1986. The album is the third of Yankovic's to be produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
in 1986. Despite featuring parodies of hit songs like "Living in America" and "Addicted to Love" the album was a critical and commercial failure, failing to produce a charting single and only managing to peak at at only number 177 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. After the disappointment with Polka Party! Yankovic went on the record saying, "I thought it was the end of my career." For the most part of 1987, Yankovic took a short recording break.
In Novermber 1987, Yankovic returned to the studio to craft his follow-up to Polka Party! Once again, former The McCoys
The McCoys
The McCoys were a rock group that started in Union City, Indiana, in 1962.-Career:The original members, all from Union City, were guitarist Richard Zehringer , his brother Randy on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the...
guitarist Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
was brought in to produce the album. During the first session, two songs were recorded, "Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White," and "Melanie." The next month, three songs were recorded, Good Old Days," "You Make Me," and "Velvet Elvis." Finally, in the early winter of 1988, the remaining songs were recorded.
Originals
One of the first originals recorded for the album was "Stuck in a Closet With Vanna White" about a man describing his bizarre recurring dreamDream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
about Vanna White
Vanna White
Vanna White is an American television personality and film actress best known as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune since 1982.-Early life:...
. Allmusic described the song as a "real winner for Yankovic" because it "was the first song [Yankovic] wrote that his [...] target audience [...] actually liked as much or even more than his parodies." "You Make Me" is a song involving a person's desire to engage in strange and/or violent behavior compelled by the weirdness of another person. According to the liner notes of The Permanent Record, "It's about as close as [Yankovic has] ever come to writing a real love song." Musically, the song is a style parody of Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
;
"Melanie" is stalker
Stalker
-In media:* Stalker , a 1995 dark ambient album by Lustmord & Robert Rich, inspired by the film* Stalker , an episode of the American television series CSI...
's twisted love song to his neighbor Melanie. According to Yankovic, he wrote several additional verses for "Melanie" that he would only sing to his friends. "Twister" is an ode to the Milton Bradley
Milton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
game Twister
Twister (game)
Twister is a game of physical skill produced by Hasbro Games. It is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground. The mat has four rows of large colored circles on it with a different color in each row: red, yellow, blue, and green. A spinner is attached to a square board...
. The song is a style parody of the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. When Yankovic was recording the song, he initially recorded about 20 vocal takes. However, when it came time to pick the right take, he opted for the first because it sounded "more raw and more off-the-cuff." The album's closer, "Good Old Days" is about a psychopath fondly remembering his childhood. Yankovic described the song as an "experiment." He "wanted to see if [he] could write a song as if Charlie Manson and James Taylor were collaborating."
Parodies
The first parody recorded for Even Worse was "I Think I'm a Clone Now." The song, a spoof of "I Think We're Alone Now" as covered by TiffanyTiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
, is the story of a man who details his life as a clone of another person. The second parody recorded was "Alimony," a parody of "Mony Mony
Mony Mony
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by Tommy James & the Shondells, that reached #1 in the UK charts.-History:"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York...
" as covered by Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
. The song is a diatribe about the narrator's ex-wife, who takes everything he owns for alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
payments. Although the song sounds as if it were recorded live—complete with clapping, screaming, and yelling—the track was entirely recorded in the studio. This is the only instance of Yankovic covering two songs originally made famous by the same artist on one album, as both "Mony Mony" and 'I Think We're Alone Now" were songs first performed by Tommy James and the Shondells.
When it came time to record a lead single, Yankovic once again turned his attention to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. Jackson had just released his album Bad
Bad (album)
Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album...
, a follow-up to 1983's immensely successful album Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
. After Yankovic first heard the lead single, "Bad
Bad (song)
"Bad" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Bad" was released by Epic Records in September 1987, as the second single from Jackson's seventh studio album of the same name. The song was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones...
" he immediately envisioned a parody entitled "Fat." Initially, part of Yankovic didn't want to record another Michael Jackson parody. He later said, "I was still primarily known as the 'Eat It" guy and I didn't want to become known as the guy who just rides Michael's coattails." He later relented and sought out Jackson for permission. Jackson, a fan of Yankovic's work, had already let Yankovic parody his 1983 hit single "Beat It
Beat It
"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...
." When presented with the new potential parody, Jackson not only approved it, but let Yankovic use his own Moonwalker
Moonwalker
Moonwalker, also known as Michael Jackson: Moonwalker, is an American anthology film released in 1988 by singer Michael Jackson....
subway set for the music video. Yankovic later presented Jackson with a gold record of Even Worse after the album sold over 500,000 copies. Jackson was so pleased with the song and video, he ordered twelve copies to give to his friends. Yankovic later said "He doesn't have to let me do this kind of stuff. [...] The only reason he would let me is because he has a great sense of humor.
The music video for the song features a leather-clad Yankovic "expanding to 800 pounds and bouncing around a subway set." To find suitable back-up dancers, ads were placed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
newspapers for "Very Fat Dancers." One of the men used in the video was actually a pizza delivery man who had delivered food to the casting offices. Due to the music video, "Fat" became one of Yankovic's biggest hits. Although only managing to peak at number ninety-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, the song's music video got extensive play on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, which helped the album attain platinum status. In addition, "Fat" was later nominated and won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Concept Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video was an honor presented to recording artists at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988 and the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989 for quality concept music videos...
at the 1989 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1989
The 31st Grammy Awards were held in 1989. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Linda Goldstein & Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"*Album of the Year...
, at the time, Yankovic's second Grammy Award.
The last parody recorded for the album was "Lasagna
Lasagna (song)
"Lasagna" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "La Bamba", a traditional song popularized by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos.-Track listing:The following tracks are on the single:# "Lasagna" – 2:45# "Velvet Elvis" – 4:27...
," a parody of the traditional folk song "La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
." The song is mainly about Italian culture with a heavy emphasis on cuisine. When Yankovic began writing the song, he originally wanted it to be sung in Italian. He later said, "I was actually going through Italian phrase books and dictionaries until I realized that the humor would be lost on 99% of the audience, so I decided to do the whole thing in English but with kind of a bad Italian accent." When the song was released as a single, it did not have a music video. However, ten years later in 1997 a short video was made for the The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
. Under U.S. law, Yankovic can parody any song he wants as long as he pays royalties to use the original music. However, as a personal rule, he asks for permission anyway in order to maintain good relations with the industry. This particular song is an exception to that rule. Although the song is a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
cover version, "Lasagna" marked Yankovic's first parody that did not require either permission from an artist or a payment of royalties, since the song "La Bamba" is a traditional folk song that is not attributed to any specific writer. Thus, Yankovic is the only writer given credit in the liner notes.
A notable facet about Even Worse is that it did not contain a polka medley. Even Worse was Yankovic's second—after his debut—and last album not to include a polka medley.
Critical response
Even Worse has received relatively favorable reviews. Allmusic awarded Even Worse four out of five stars, one of the highest ratings for Yankovic on the site. AllMusic reviewer Eugene Chadbourne said, "Trust Weird Al Yankovic to name an album "Even Worse" even as his recordings were getting better again." Unlike previous albums, which were praised for their parodies but criticized for their originals, Chadbourne wrote that "Yankovic even manages to shatter all previous barriers and comes up with some funny original material as well," citing "Good Old Days" and "Stuck in a Closet With Vanna WhiteVanna White
Vanna White is an American television personality and film actress best known as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune since 1982.-Early life:...
" as some of his best originals. Both Even Worse and "Fat" were nominated for Grammys. Although Even Worse was not a winner, "Fat" won a Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video was an honor presented to recording artists at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988 and the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989 for quality concept music videos...
in 1989
Grammy Awards of 1989
The 31st Grammy Awards were held in 1989. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Linda Goldstein & Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"*Album of the Year...
.
Commercial performance
Even Worse was released April 12, 1988, and, at the time of its release, was Yankovic's best selling album. Even Worse initially debuted on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 122 and steadily began to rise over the course of the next few weeks. On July 2, the album peaked at number 27. Eight weeks later, after steadily falling from the charts, the album dropped off, re-entering the following week at number 104. In the next few weeks, the album began descending down the chart. It later made a final reappearance at number 196 on October 29. The album spent a total of 25 weeks on the chart.
On July 18, 1988—less than three months after its release—the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). On January 27, 1994, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA. At the time of its certification, it was Yankovic's first Platinum record and until 1992
Off the Deep End
Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's...
it was his best-selling album.
Side 1
- "FatFat (song)"Fat" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson. It is the second parody Yankovic did of a Jackson song, the first being "Eat It", a parody of Jackson's "Beat It"...
" (orig. Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) – 3:37- Parody of "Bad" by Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- Parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson
- "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White" (Yankovic) – 4:58
- Original
- "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long" (orig. Rudy ClarkRudy ClarkRudy Clark is an American songwriter about whom little biographical information seems to be known. Supposedly a former mail carrier hailing from New York City, he was most active from the early 1960s through the early 1970s...
, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) – 3:37- Parody of "Got My Mind Set on YouGot My Mind Set on You"Got My Mind Set on You" is a song written by Rudy Clark and originally recorded by James Ray in 1962.It is best known for the cover version released by George Harrison in 1987.- George Harrison version :...
" by George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
- Parody of "Got My Mind Set on You
- "You Make Me" (Yankovic) – 3:06
- Style parody of Oingo BoingoOingo BoingoOingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
- Style parody of Oingo Boingo
- "I Think I'm a Clone NowI Think I'm a Clone Now"I Think I'm a Clone Now" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "I Think We're Alone Now", which was originally recorded by Tommy James & The Shondells...
" (orig. Ritchie Cordell, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) – 3:20- Parody of "I Think We're Alone Now" by TiffanyTiffany (singer)Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
- Parody of "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany
Side 2
- "LasagnaLasagna (song)"Lasagna" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "La Bamba", a traditional song popularized by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos.-Track listing:The following tracks are on the single:# "Lasagna" – 2:45# "Velvet Elvis" – 4:27...
" (arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) – 2:46- Parody of the folk song "La BambaLa Bamba (song)"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs...
"
- Parody of the folk song "La Bamba
- "Melanie" (Yankovic) – 3:58
- Original
- "Alimony" (orig. Tommy JamesTommy JamesTommy James is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells.-Early life and career:...
, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, Bobby BloomBobby BloomRobert "Bobby" Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for being a one-hit wonder with the 1970 song, "Montego Bay," which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.-Biography:...
, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) – 3:16- Parody of the live version of "Mony Mony" by Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
- Parody of the live version of "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol
- "Velvet Elvis" (Yankovic) – 4:30
- Style parody of The PoliceThe PoliceThe Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
referring to Velvet ElvisVelvet ElvisA Velvet Elvis is a painting of Elvis Presley on velvet. It typically represents a costumed torso of Elvis holding a microphone, painted on black velvet...
paintings
- Style parody of The Police
- "Twister" (Yankovic) – 1:03
- Style parody of Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
- Style parody of Beastie Boys
- "Good Old Days" (Yankovic) – 3:21
- Style parody of James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
- Style parody of James Taylor
Credits and personnel
Band members and production- "Weird Al" Yankovic - accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Jim WestJim West (guitarist)James "Jim" "Kimo" West is a guitarist best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. West auditioned for Yankovic, after being introduced by Steve Jay, and the two have worked together ever since...
- guitar, background vocals - Steve JaySteve JayEugene Stephen "Steve" Jay is a bass guitarist best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic.Jay was born in Florida. He auditioned for Yankovic after answering an ad in the newspaper, and the two have worked together ever since...
- banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, background vocals - Jon "Bermuda" SchwartzJon Schwartz (drummer)Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz is a drummer best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic. The two met while recording "Another One Rides the Bus" at the Dr. Demento show on September 14, 1980...
- percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Rick DerringerRick DerringerRick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Tony Papa - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- Jamey Dell - assistant engineer
- Tony Lane - art direction
- Nancy Donald - art direction
- Lou Beach - illustrations
- Sam Emerson - photography
- Christine Wilson - Even Worse lettering
Other personnel
- Kim Bullard - synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
- Joe Sublett - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Ronny Jay - record scratching
- Nichole Larson - background vocals
Charts
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
27 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
AUS 100 ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
UK 200 UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1988 | "Fat Fat (song) "Fat" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson. It is the second parody Yankovic did of a Jackson song, the first being "Eat It", a parody of Jackson's "Beat It"... " |
99 | 11 | 80 |