It was said inWayne’s World 2that Keith Richards cannot be killed by conventional weapons. On his 14th (!) studio album, one might start to suspect the same of “Weird Al” Yankovic, the clever clown who has often managed to have more success on the charts than the songs he is parodying.
As his contract with RCA expires, he’s decided to go out in style with Mandatory Fun – and no-one is safe. Whether you’re a sports nut, an illiterate internet commenter or a whiny rich manchild, Yankovic has something in store.
He provides the single greatest bait-and-switch of his career on ‘Foil’ – his ‘Royals’ imitation – as a nod to those who associate his parodies with food, while closing number ‘Jackson Park Express’ could well be his finest epic-length about nothing in particular since the 1999 classic ‘Albuquerque’. A misstep comes with CSN pastiche ‘Mission Statement’, but it’s a mere scratch when it comes to the big picture. Pound for pound, this album counts among Al’s best.
Homer Simpson once said, “He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life.” Mandatory Fun makes sure that both stay in the affirmative camp.
3.5/5.
