Weird Al's Latest Straight Outta Lynwood is a Must for Fans

Straight Outta Lynwood features some of Weird Al's most brilliant parodies-including the now infamous "White and Nerdy". The problem with Weird Al is he's either drop-dead hilarious, or he's just a little too weird. It's all personal taste, but it can mean the difference between life and death for a new release. Fortunately for Weird Al, he's just weird enough to land a top-seller.

"White and Nerdy" is the epitome of white geekiness in one entertaining song. "I don't have grills but I still wear braces" and "I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream," Weird Al declares. Chamillionaire's "Ridin" won an MTV music video award for best of rap; "White and Nerdy" deserves an award just for being, well, White and Nerdy.

What would we do without our "Pancreas"? This song is a tribute to one of the most important organs in our bodies-our beloved pancreas.

"Canadian Idiot," a new and refreshing version of Green Day's "American Idiot." Canadians, please do not be offended by this song.

"I'll Sue Ya'" makes fun of all the stupid, though often amusing, lawsuits people file against various companies. Delving into the genre of hard rock, "I'll Sue Ya'" really captures the frustration someone must have felt upon scorching his tongue with hot coffee.

"Polkarama!" is a typical, spastic medley of some popular songs all smashed into one track. None of the lyrics are in any way original, but there's something about putting the Pussycat Doll's "Don't Cha" to a polka tempo, sung by a guy, that grabs your attention.

Ever been worried that a computer virus might translate all of your documents into Swahili? Or possibly even make you physically attracted to sheep? Fear not-Weird Al has given us a "Virus Alert" to warn all of our friends.

"Confessions Part III" is a parody of "Confessions, Part II" by Usher, just to make sure he got all of those confessions he forgot the first two times.

"Weasel Stomping Day" is an odd, whimsical song about a new national holiday-Weasel Stomping Day. For those of us with a slightly sadistic sense of humor, "Weasel Stomping Day" is a convenient excuse for stepping on small furry creatures on one day out of the year. Calm down, animal rights leagues, "it's tradition so that makes it OK."

"Close But No Cigar" was one of the only disappointments on the entire CD. There was nothing special about this song that made it stand out from the crowd, typically a Weird Al trademark.

If you were surprised or possibly even disturbed by Taylor Hicks as an American Idol, you'll love Weird Al's take on his first single "Do I Make You Proud", with "Do I Creep You Out," the ultimate stalker song.

"Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is quite possibly the most emotional ballad ever written about a trip to the drive-thru. Scratch that; "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is the only song written about a drive-thru, based off of "Trapped in the Closet" by R. Kelly. The only downside to this song is that it borders on eleven minutes long, a bit tedious if you don't have the attention span.

"Don't Download This Song." The title says it all-don't download this song, or any other, for that matter. Pirating music is only the first step toward a life of crime, according to this song. So do Al a favor, and Don't Download This Song.

Straight Outta Lynwood is actually a two-sided disc. Side one features the audio CD, while side two features the animated music videos for "Don't Download This Song," "I'll Sue Ya'," "Weasel Stomping Day," "Close But No Cigar," "Pancreas," "Virus Alert," plus a special behind-the-scenes "Al In The Studio."

One more song that, unfortunately never made it on the album was "You're Pitiful," a parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful." Weird Al never received the proper approval from Blunt's record company, but the song is available for download on Al's website: www.weirdal.com.

If you like Weird Al and you've listened to the radio recently, you'll love Straight Outta Lynwood. If you love Weird Al but you're not up to date with popular songs, you might find yourself a little lost. Either way, no Weird Al collection is complete without a copy of Straight Outta Lynwood.