Misplaced Pages

Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic
Box set by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Released	November 24, 2017
Genre	Comedy rock comedy pop comedy hip hop parody polka
Label	Legacy Recordings
Producer	"Weird Al" Yankovic, Rick Derringer
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology
Mandatory Fun (2014) Squeeze Box (2017) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic is a 15-album box set by the American parody 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.

Packaging

The set is housed inside a replica of Yankovic's accordion, whence its name is derived. 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."

Release

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. The CD version featured the discs themselves housed in custom-fitted pockets in sleeves with standard LP-size jackets. 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. Following the Pledge Music pre-order, only a handful of the sets were manufactured and released.

Contents

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. 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. "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. The songs that are featured in this collection have all been remastered. The fifteenth record, Medium Rarities, is a bonus album composed of new and unreleased content.

"Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)

"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)

Dare to Be Stupid (1985)

Polka Party! (1986)

Even Worse (1988)

UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff (1989)

Off the Deep End (1992)

Note

1. After 10 minutes of silence, the hidden track "Bite Me" is "six seconds of primal screaming". The hidden track (and silence) was removed from future pressings and digital versions.

Alapalooza (1993)

Bad Hair Day (1996)

Running with Scissors (1999)

Poodle Hat (2003)

Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)

Alpocalypse (2011)

Mandatory Fun (2014)

Medium Rarities

Medium Rarities
Compilation album by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Released	November 24, 2017
Genre	Comedy
Length	51:58
Label	Legacy Way Moby

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.

"Pac-Man"

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 from the Beatles' lawyers ordering 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) and the estate of George Harrison (the writer of "Taxman"). The former "had a good sense of humor about" the parody. To clear the parody with the Harrison estate, Yankovic worked with Dhani Harrison, the son of George Harrison.

Accolades

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.

Charts

Notes

1. While Yankovic wrote new lyrics for the song, on February 2, 1981, he transferred copyright of the parody to John Deacon. This is reflected in the liner notes for the album itself, which lists only Deacon as the parody's writer.

References

1. ^ ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Squeeze Box". Pledge Music. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
2. Kreps, Daniel (January 12, 2017). "'Weird Al' Yankovic Plans Career-Spanning Box Set With Rarities LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
3. ^ Blevins, Joe (January 12, 2017). "That Career-Spanning 'Weird Al' Box Set Is Finally Available for Pre-Order". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
4. "'Weird Al' Yankovic: Squeeze Box – Exclusives". Pledge Music. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
5. "Players". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
6. "Weird Al Yankovic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
7. "Latest Releases". Legacy Recordings. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
8. Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). "Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A.V. Club. Chicago, Illinois: The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
9. "Another One Rides The Bus". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
10. "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983). "Weird Al" Yankovic (LP liner notes). California, United States: Rock 'n Roll Records. PZ 38679.
11. ^ Yankovic, Alfred (July 15, 2014). "'Weird Al' Yankovic confirming that both 'Midnight Star' and 'Nature Trail to Hell' are not style parodies". Reddit. IAmA. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
12. ^ Hansen, Barret (1994). Permanent Record: Al in the Box (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. California, United States: Scotti Brothers Records.
13. Yankovic, Alfred M. (January 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for July 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Archived from the original on June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
14. Yankovic, Alfred M. (January 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for January 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
15. 'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection (Media notes). Jay Levey, "Weird Al" Yankovic. Volcano Entertainment. 2003. 82876-53727-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. Yankovic, Alfred M. (December 1998). "'Ask Al' Q&As for July/August 1998". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved April 19, 2011.
17. Yankovic, Alfred M. (April 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for April 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
18. "#023: Cable TV (Style Parody of Hercules by Elton John)". The "Weird Al" Phabet Podcast. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
19. Thelen, Christopher (September 2, 2001). "Polka Party!". Daily Vault. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
20. Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). "Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A.V. Club. Chicago, Illinois: The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
21. Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 28, 2006). "'Ask Al' Q&As for June 28, 2006". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
22. Yankovic, Alfred M. (January 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for January, 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
23. Yankovic, Al. "47: Kansas City, MO" (Concert recording). Stitcher. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
24. Yankovic, Alfred M. (September 1998). "'Ask Al' Q&As for September, 1998". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
25. Chadbourne, Eugene. "Even Worse Review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
26. Yankovic, Alfred M. (March 1999). "'Ask Al' Q&As for March, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
27. Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 2006). "'Ask Al' Q&As for June, 2006". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
28. Yankovic, Alfred M. (March–April 2006). "'Ask Al' Q&As for March/April, 2006". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
29. 'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection (Media notes). Jay Levey, "Weird Al" Yankovic. Volcano Entertainment. 2003. 82876-53727-9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
30. Yankovic, Weird Al. "Ask Al". "Weird Al" Yankovic.
31. ^ Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). "Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A.V. Club. Chicago, Illinois: The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
32. Greenman, Ben (2017). Dig If You Will the Picture: Funk, Sex, God and Genius in the Music of Prince. New York City: Henry Holt and Company. p. 58. ISBN 978-1250128362.
33. McCall, Tris (May 17, 2011). "Song of the Day: 'Dare to Be Stupid,' 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
34. Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). "Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A.V. Club. Chicago, Illinois: The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
35. Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 1999). "'Ask Al' Q&As for June, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
36. Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 28, 2006). "'Ask Al' Q&As for June 28, 2006". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
37. Yankovic, Alfred M. (February 1998). "'Ask Al' Q&As for January/February, 1998". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
38. Yankovic, Alfred M. (January 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for January, 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
39. Yankovic, Alfred M. (February 2000). "'Ask Al' Q&As for February, 2000". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
40. Yankovic, Alfred M. (August 1999). "'Ask Al' Q&As for August, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
41. "'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A. V. Club. June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
42. Yankovic, Alfred M. (June 28, 2006). "'Ask Al' Q&As for June 28, 2006". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
43. Yankovic, Alfred (July 15, 2014). "Hmm. ..." Reddit. IAmA. Retrieved July 15, 2014. 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.
44. "Weird Al" Yankovic Breaks Down His Most Iconic Tracks. GQ. December 23, 2022. Event occurs at 15:59. Retrieved December 27, 2022. It started out as a pastiche, but I won't tell you of which band because its going to wind up as a Misplaced Pages entry.
45. Cunningham, Jen (September 23, 2015). "10 Times "Weird Al" Parodied Pre-1980s Hits (And Was Awesome)". REBEAT Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
46. Yankovic, Alfred M. (August 2003). "'Ask Al' Q&As for August 7, 2003". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
47. Rabin, Nathan (June 29, 2011). "Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic". The A.V. Club. Chicago, Illinois: The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
48. ^ Moss, Corey (May 7, 2003). "Weird Al Parodies 'Lose Yourself' But Won't Spoof Em's Video". VH1. Archived from the original on December 26, 2004. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
49. Anderson, Kyle (July 3, 2014). "'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Stories Behind The Songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
50. ^ "Weird Al Unleashes His New Album With a Bill Plympton Video Don't Download This Song!!!". Ain't It Cool News. September 11, 2006. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
51. ^ Moss, Corey (September 26, 2006). "Track By Track: In Weird Al's Lynwood, Green Day's 'Idiot' Is Canadian". MTV. Viacom. Archived from the original on April 3, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
52. Martens, China (September 18, 2006). "Don't Not Download This Song". IDG News Service. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
53. ^ Yankovic, Weird Al (2011). Alpocalypse (liner). Jive Records.
54. ^ Mandatory Fun (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. RCA Records. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
55. Kenneth Partridge (July 15, 2014). "'Weird Al' Yankovic's 'Mandatory Fun': Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
56. ^ Grosinger, Matt (February 16, 2017). "Weird Al Talks His Previously Unreleased Song 'Pac-Man', Which You Can Finally Hear!". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
57. Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (February 10, 2019). "How Weird Al Topped Guns N' Roses And The Grateful Dead For His Latest Grammy Win". Forbes. ISSN 0015-6914. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
58. "Weird Al Yankovic Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
59. "Weird Al Yankovic Chart History (Top Comedy Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2017.

• Comedy
• Music

• 2017 compilation albums
• Albums produced by Rick Derringer
• Legacy Recordings compilation albums
• "Weird Al" Yankovic compilation albums