Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic is a 15-album box set by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on November 24, 2017. Squeeze Box marks Yankovic's second box set since 1994's Permanent Record: Al in the Box.[1]
Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
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Box set by | ||||
Released | November 24, 2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | Legacy Recordings | |||
Producer | "Weird Al" Yankovic, Rick Derringer | |||
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology | ||||
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The set is housed inside a replica of Yankovic's accordion, whence its name is derived.[2] This "unprecedented" style of packaging caused the entire set to have a rather long lead manufacturing time. Squeeze Box also comes with "a 100-page book including a treasure trove of unseen photos and memorabilia."[1]
A pre-order for the set was released on January 12, 2017, via Pledge Music, almost ten months ahead of its release. This was due to the time it would take for the manufacturer to create the packaging. The box was available in both vinyl and CD formats.[1][3] The CD version featured the discs themselves housed in custom-fitted pockets in sleeves with standard LP-size jackets.[4] The LP version marked the first time that five of Yankovic's albums (viz. Alapalooza, Bad Hair Day, Running with Scissors, Poodle Hat, and Straight Outta Lynwood) appeared on vinyl.[3] Following the Pledge Music pre-order, only a handful of the sets were manufactured and released.[1]
Squeeze Box collects all of Yankovic's 14 studio albums, ranging from his 1983 debut "Weird Al" Yankovic, to his 2014 studio release Mandatory Fun. Six of these records (viz. "Weird Al" Yankovic, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D, Dare to Be Stupid, Polka Party!, Even Worse, UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff) were produced by Rick Derringer.[5] The remaining albums (viz. Off the Deep End, Alapalooza, Bad Hair Day, Running with Scissors, Poodle Hat, Straight Outta Lynwood, Alpocalypse, and Mandatory Fun) were produced by Yankovic himself.[6] "Weird Al" Yankovic through Bad Hair Day had been released by the now-defunct Scotti Bros. Records, Running with Scissors through Alpocalypse were released by Volcano Entertainment, and Mandatory Fun was released by RCA Records. All three labels are now under the control of Sony Music Entertainment, whose Legacy Recordings unit released the compilation.[7] The songs that are featured in this collection have all been remastered.[3] The fifteenth record, Medium Rarities, is a bonus album composed of new and unreleased content.[1]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ricky" | Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, "Weird Al" Yankovic | "Mickey" by Toni Basil | 2:36 |
2. | "Gotta Boogie" | Yankovic | Original | 2:14 |
3. | "I Love Rocky Road" | Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Yankovic | "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts | 2:36 |
4. | "Buckingham Blues" | Yankovic | Original | 3:13 |
5. | "Happy Birthday" | Yankovic | Style parody of Tonio K[8] | 2:28 |
6. | "Stop Draggin' My Car Around" | Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Yankovic | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 3:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
7. | "My Bologna" | Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Yankovic | "My Sharona" by the Knack | 2:01 |
8. | "The Check's in the Mail" | Yankovic | Original | 3:13 |
9. | "Another One Rides the Bus" | John Deacon, Yankovic[nb 1] | "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen | 2:40 |
10. | "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" | Yankovic | Original | 3:39 |
11. | "Such a Groovy Guy" | Yankovic | Original | 3:02 |
12. | "Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung" | Yankovic | Original | 1:54 |
Total length: | 32:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
7. | "Mr. Popeil" | Yankovic | Style parody of the B-52s[13] | 4:42 |
8. | "King of Suede" | Gordon Sumner, Yankovic | "King of Pain" by the Police | 4:13 |
9. | "That Boy Could Dance" | Yankovic | Original | 3:34 |
10. | "Theme from Rocky XIII" | Frank Sullivan, James Peterik, Yankovic | "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor | 3:37 |
11. | "Nature Trail to Hell" | Yankovic | Original[11] | 5:55 |
Total length: | 44:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Like a Surgeon" | William Steinberg, Thomas Kelly, Alfred Yankovic | "Like a Virgin" by Madonna | 3:32 |
2. | "Dare to Be Stupid" | Yankovic | Style parody of Devo[14] | 3:25 |
3. | "I Want a New Duck" | Christopher Hayes, Hugh Cregg III, Yankovic | "I Want a New Drug" by Huey Lewis and the News | 3:04 |
4. | "One More Minute" | Yankovic | Style parody of Elvis Presley-like doo-wop[15] | 4:04 |
5. | "Yoda" | Raymond Davies, Yankovic | "Lola" by the Kinks | 3:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Living with a Hernia" | Daniel Hartman, Charlie Midnight, Alfred Yankovic | "Living in America" by James Brown | 3:20 |
2. | "Dog Eat Dog" | Yankovic | Style parody of Talking Heads[12] | 3:42 |
3. | "Addicted to Spuds" | Robert Palmer, Yankovic | "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer | 3:50 |
4. | "One of Those Days" | Yankovic | Original | 3:18 |
5. | "Polka Party!" | Various | A polka medley including:
| 3:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
6. | "Here's Johnny" | Peter Wolf, Ina Wolf, Yankovic | "Who's Johnny" by El DeBarge | 3:24 |
7. | "Don't Wear Those Shoes" | Yankovic | Original | 3:36 |
8. | "Toothless People" | Daryl Hohl, Michael Jagger, David Stewart, Yankovic | "Ruthless People" by Mick Jagger | 3:23 |
9. | "Good Enough for Now" | Yankovic | Style parody of country love songs[19] | 3:03 |
10. | "Christmas at Ground Zero" | Yankovic | Style parody of Phil Spector-produced Christmas songs[20] | 3:09 |
Total length: | 34:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fat" | Michael Jackson, Alfred Yankovic | "Bad" by Michael Jackson | 3:37 |
2. | "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White" | Yankovic | Original | 4:58 |
3. | "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long" | Rudy Clark, Yankovic | "Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison | 3:37 |
4. | "You Make Me" | Yankovic | Style parody of Oingo Boingo[12][21][22] | 3:06 |
5. | "I Think I'm a Clone Now" | Ritchie Cordell, Yankovic | "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany | 3:20 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
6. | "Lasagna" | Ritchie Valens, Yankovic | "La Bamba" by Los Lobos | 2:46 |
7. | "Melanie" | Yankovic | Original | 3:58 |
8. | "Alimony" | Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, Robert Bloom, Yankovic | "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol | 3:16 |
9. | "Velvet Elvis" | Yankovic | Style parody of the Police[23] | 4:30 |
10. | "Twister" | Yankovic | Style parody of Beastie Boys[24] | 1:03 |
11. | "Good Old Days" | Yankovic | Style parody of James Taylor[12][25] | 3:21 |
Total length: | 37:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" | Mark Knopfler, Gordon Sumner, Paul Henning, Alfred Yankovic | "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits with lyrics of "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" by Flatt & Scruggs | 3:11 |
2. | "Gandhi II" | Yankovic | Skit | 1:00 |
3. | "Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars" | Yankovic | Original | 3:28 |
4. | "Isle Thing" | Matthew Dike, Michael Ross, Yankovic | "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc | 3:37 |
5. | "The Hot Rocks Polka" | Various | A polka medley of Rolling Stones songs:
| 4:50 |
6. | "UHF" | Yankovic | Original | 5:09 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
7. | "Let Me Be Your Hog" | Yankovic | Original | 0:16 |
8. | "She Drives Like Crazy" | Roland Gift, David Steele, Yankovic | "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals | 3:42 |
9. | "Generic Blues" | Yankovic | Style parody of the blues[12] | 4:34 |
10. | "Spatula City" | Yankovic | Skit | 1:07 |
11. | "Fun Zone" | Yankovic | Instrumental | 1:45 |
12. | "Spam" | William Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, John Stipe, Yankovic | "Stand" by R.E.M. | 3:12 |
13. | "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" | Yankovic | Style parody of Harry Chapin and Gordon Lightfoot[12] | 6:50 |
Total length: | 42:28 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Smells Like Nirvana" | Kurt Cobain, David Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Alfred Yankovic | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana | 3:42 |
2. | "Trigger Happy" | Yankovic | Style parody of the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean[26] | 3:46 |
3. | "I Can't Watch This" | Stanley Burrell, Rick James, Alonzo Miller, Yankovic | "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer | 3:31 |
4. | "Polka Your Eyes Out" | Various | A polka medley including:
| 3:50 |
5. | "I Was Only Kidding" | Yankovic | Style parody of Tonio K[27] | 3:31 |
6. | "The White Stuff" | Maurice Starr, Yankovic | "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids on the Block | 2:43 |
7. | "When I Was Your Age" | Yankovic | Original | 4:35 |
8. | "Taco Grande" | Christian Carlos Warren, Gerardo Mejia, Alberto Slezynger, and Rosa Soy, Yankovic | "Rico Suave" by Gerardo | 3:44 |
9. | "Airline Amy" | Yankovic | Original composition inspired by the songs of Nick Lowe and Jonathan Richman[28] | 3:50 |
10. | "The Plumbing Song" | Frank Farian, B. Nail, Diane Warren, Yankovic | "Baby Don't Forget My Number" and "Blame It on the Rain" by Milli Vanilli | 4:08 |
11. | "You Don't Love Me Anymore" (includes hidden track[note 1]) | Yankovic | Original[29] | 14:14 |
Total length: | 41:18 |
Note
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
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1. | "Jurassic Park" | Jimmy Webb, Alfred Yankovic | "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris | 3:55 |
2. | "Young, Dumb & Ugly" | Yankovic | Style parody of AC/DC[31] | 4:24 |
3. | "Bedrock Anthem" | Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Michael "Flea" Balzary, Chad Smith, Yankovic | "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers | 3:43 |
4. | "Frank's 2000" TV" | Yankovic | Style parody of R.E.M.'s early work[31] | 4:07 |
5. | "Achy Breaky Song" | Don Von Tress, Yankovic | "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus | 3:23 |
6. | "Traffic Jam" | Yankovic | Style parody of Prince[32] | 4:01 |
7. | "Talk Soup" | Yankovic | Original | 4:25 |
8. | "Livin' in the Fridge" | Steven Tyler, Anthony Pereira, Mark Hudson, Yankovic | "Livin' on the Edge" by Aerosmith | 3:35 |
9. | "She Never Told Me She Was a Mime" | Yankovic | Original | 4:54 |
10. | "Harvey the Wonder Hamster" | Yankovic | Original; from Al TV | 0:21 |
11. | "Waffle King" | Yankovic | Style parody of Peter Gabriel[33] | 4:25 |
12. | "Bohemian Polka" | Freddie Mercury, Yankovic | Polka version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen with "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic | 3:39 |
Total length: | 44:34 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Parody of | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Perform This Way" | Stefani Germanotta, Jeppe Laursen, Paul Blair, Fernando Garibay, Alfred Yankovic | "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga | 2:54 |
2. | "CNR" | Yankovic | Style parody of The White Stripes[52] | 3:21 |
3. | "TMZ" | Taylor Swift, Liz Rose, Yankovic | "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift | 3:40 |
4. | "Skipper Dan" | Yankovic | Style parody of Weezer[52] | 4:01 |
5. | "Polka Face" | Various | A polka medley including:
| 4:47 |
6. | "Craigslist" | Yankovic | Style parody of The Doors[52] | 4:53 |
7. | "Party in the CIA" | Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, Jessica Cornish, Yankovic | "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus | 2:56 |
8. | "Ringtone" | Yankovic | Style parody of Queen[52] | 3:24 |
9. | "Another Tattoo" | Bobby Simmons Jr., Peter Hernandez, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Yankovic | "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars | 2:49 |
10. | "If That Isn't Love" | Yankovic | Style parody of Hanson[52] | 3:48 |
11. | "Whatever You Like" | Clifford Harris Jr., James Scheffer, David Siegel, Yankovic | "Whatever You Like" by T.I. | 3:41 |
12. | "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me" | Yankovic | Style parody of Jim Steinman[52] | 5:42 |
Total length: | 45:56 |
Medium Rarities | |
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Compilation album by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
Released | November 24, 2017 |
Genre | Comedy |
Length | 51:58 |
Label |
Medium Rarities is the name of the fifteenth album included in Squeeze Box. This release, exclusive to this box set, is composed entirely of rare and unreleased tracks from Yankovic's career.[1]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Take Me Down" | Promotional song for San Luis Obispo, California | 2:28 | |
2. | "My Bologna" |
| Capitol single version; parody of "My Sharona" by the Knack | 2:20 |
3. | "Yoda" |
| Demo; parody of "Lola" by the Kinks | 3:27 |
4. | "Dr. Demento Jingle" |
| Original | 0:10 |
5. | "Pac-Man" |
| Parody of "Taxman" by the Beatles | 2:31 |
6. | "Dare to Be Stupid" |
| Instrumental; style parody of Devo | 3:23 |
7. | "Jurashiku Park" |
| "Jurassic Park" sung in Japanese; parody of "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris | 3:53 |
8. | "Headline News" |
| Parody of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies | 3:46 |
9. | "Since You've Been Gone" |
| Karaoke version | 1:20 |
10. | "The Night Santa Went Crazy" |
| "Extra Gory Version" | 4:03 |
11. | "Spy Hard" |
| Theme to Spy Hard | 2:49 |
12. | "Lousy Haircut" |
| From the Weird Al Show episode "Promises, Promises"; style parody of "Firestarter" by the Prodigy | 0:40 |
13. | "Homer and Marge" |
| From the episode "Three Gays of the Condo" of The Simpsons; parody of "Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp | 1:49 |
14. | "The Brain Song" |
| From the 3-D short film Al's Brain | 2:41 |
15. | "30 Rock Theme Parody" |
| From an episode of 30 Rock; parody of "30 Rock Theme" composed by Jeff Richmond | 0:30 |
16. | "Super Duper Party Pony" |
| From the episode "Pinkie Pride" of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic | 1:46 |
17. | "Sir Isaac Newton vs. Bill Nye" |
| From the webseries Epic Rap Battles of History | 2:47 |
18. | "Let the Pun Fit the Crime" |
| From the episode "The Boy Wander" of Wander Over Yonder | 2:10 |
19. | "Hey, Hey, We're the Monks" | From the episode "Completely Mad... Alena" of Galavant | 1:16 | |
20. | "Comedy Bang! Bang! Theme" | Theme to Comedy Bang! Bang! (Season 5 only) | 0:30 | |
21. | "It's My World (And We're All Living In It)" | Theme to Milo Murphy's Law | 2:27 | |
22. | "Beat on the Brat" | Ramones cover | 2:37 | |
23. | "Happy Birthday" |
| New version | 2:35 |
One of the first rarities announced for the album was "Pac-Man", a parody of the Beatles' song "Taxman", and based on the arcade game of the same name. The song had been recorded in 1981, and was popular on the Dr. Demento Show. Yankovic, who recorded the song in a friend's garage on a TEAC Cassette Portastudio, sampled sounds from the actual Pac-Man arcade game for use in the song. After the song was played a few times on Dr. Demento's radio program, the host received a cease-and-desist letter that ordered him to stop airing the spoof. In order to get the song on the Medium Rarities album, Yankovic had to get permission from both Bandai Namco Entertainment (the company that owns the rights to Pac-Man) as well as the estate of George Harrison (the writer of "Taxman"). In regards to the former, the company "had a good sense of humor about" the parody.[55] So as to clear the parody with the Harrison estate, Yankovic worked with Dhani Harrison, the son of George Harrison.[55]
Squeeze Box won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. As one of the box set's art directors, Yankovic received the award along with the other art directors, Meghan Foley and Annie Stoll.[56]
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[57] | 185 |
US Top Comedy Albums (Billboard)[58] | 1 |
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I guess 'Hardware Store' would fall in that category as well – that was originally going to be in somebody else's style, but then I scrapped that idea and made it a pure original.
It started out as a pastiche, but I won't tell you of which band because its going to wind up as a Wikipedia entry.
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