wolfeh comments on What's a piece of Media that is so underrated you must mention it?

What's a piece of Media that is so underrated you must mention it? (thelemmy.club)

submitted 6 months ago by Cantaloupe@fedioasis.cc to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Have you ever loved something, only to realize it’s a commercial flop or just obscure? What’s something that deserves more light than it got?

[–] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (14 children)

Pretty much everything "Weird Al" Yankovic and his band have ever done.

They've gained more recognition in recent years, but most people don't realize that his catalogue goes back to the mid-1970s. A lot of people are sleeping on his work, even today, because he's categorized as a "novelty artist".

The early stuff is rough, but from the mid-1980s on up is worth a listen even if you're not a fan.

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[–] TomArrr@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

He was huge in 80s. Songs like Eat It and Like A Surgeon charted very well too.

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[–] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 child)

There have only been 4 artists to have a Top 40 single in each of the last 4 decades ('80s, '90s, '00s, and '10s).

Michael Jackson
Madonna
Weird Al Yankovic
U2

(In that order.)

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[–] TomArrr@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago

And all worthy, imo, even though the first two are not to my personal taste, I can't deny their talent.

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[–] PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 6 months ago (4 children)

I've come to appreciate that guy and how hard all of that actually is and should probably listen to more. He did a "Peter and the Wolf" back in ancient times that was seriously great, peerless listening for a kiddo I'd say.

Did you watch the silly biopic? Daniel Radcliffe? Can't remember the name. I tried like 3 different times :( it was so over the top Weird Al that I couldn't fault it for being flat out him AF, but I also just could not finish it lol.

My only other comment in this thread (so far) is singing the virtues of a movie called "Freddy Got Fingered", so. Maybe it's me lol.

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[–] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 6 months ago (3 children)

I wish that album were still in print. You can easily "acquire" a digital copy, but it would be nice to own the physical record.

A great collab with Wendy Carlos.

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[–] PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

It's really fantastic and I'd buy a physical copy in whatever medium.

Thought I didn't know Wendy Carlos, went and looked, nope I'm familiar! What a badass, and what a cool mind she must have. Of course this came from the two of them, thanks for adding an additional little gem to a treasure from my childhood :)

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[–] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 6 months ago* (1 child)

She's a moog pioneer. And she collaborated with Al in '88.

A lot of people don't know that Al was on a Brian Wilson track in the early 1990s, "Let's Stick Together" (it later became "The Waltz").

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[–] PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 months ago

Yeah, I know her film score work (just by accident) a lot better than much else sadly. Looks like most of her library is unavailable on land, so to speak.

And I think I DID know that cuz I used to have a neighbor who was both a super fan and a trivia wiz, lol.

Definitely a supremely talented artist. The video of him conducting a Jr Orchestra is a lot of fun too, whatever he does, he really commits, which I've always admired.

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