The TV Album
Compilation album by
"Weird Al" Yankovic
ReleasedNovember 7, 1995
Recorded1983–1995
GenreComedy
Length39:52
LabelRock 'n Roll Records
Scotti Brothers
Producer"Weird Al" Yankovic, Rick Derringer
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology
Greatest Hits Volume II
(1994) 		The TV Album
(1995) 		Bad Hair Day
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [2]

The TV Album is a compilation CD of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic that features songs about television and TV shows. In 1993, Yankovic's former record label, Scotti Brothers, had released a similar album called The Food Album that contained songs about food. The artwork was done by Mad magazine veteran Jack Davis.[3]

Release

The album was released by Scotti Brothers Records and was only begrudgingly approved by Yankovic. At the time, Scotti Brothers had insisted on putting out a new album by Yankovic in order to meet monetary projections for the fiscal quarter, despite the fact that no new album was ready; Bad Hair Day would not be released until a year later. Scotti Brothers had previously released a similar compilation album in 1993 entitled The Food Album.[4] However, when it came time to release The TV Album, Yankovic reported that "the record company was a whole lot nicer when they asked the second time", and that there was "more groveling [and] less demanding".[5] Following the release of The Food Album and The TV Album—in addition to the various greatest hits records that had been released—Scotti Brothers used-up all of their compilation options in Yankovic's contract, which prevented the release of further compilations when Volcano Records acquired his contract in the late 1990s.[5]

In Canada, it was released as The MuchMusic TV Album.

Track listing

Track Title Length (Style) Parody of Description Original Album
1 "Bedrock Anthem" 3:43 "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers Discusses someone who wants to be a Flintstone and live in Bedrock, describing the various perks in the delivery style of "Give it Away". Alapalooza (1993)
2 "I Can't Watch This" 3:31 "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer About a man who hates what he sees on TV. Off the Deep End (1992)
3 "Frank's 2000" TV" 4:07 Style parody of R.E.M.'s early work About someone whose neighbor got a big-screen TV with a display which measures 2000 inches diagonally. Alapalooza
4 "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" 3:14 "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits A song about The Beverly Hillbillies to the tune of "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits. The TV Album lists the title without its asterisk.[6][7] UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff (1989)
5 "Ricky" 2:37 "Mickey" by Toni Basil About I Love Lucy, discussing an argument between Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. "Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)
6 "Talk Soup" 4:25 Style parody of Peter Gabriel's "Steam" About a man who is desperate to appear on Geraldo, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, or any other daytime talk show to talk about his bizarre relationships, uncommon family relations, and unusual opinions. Alapalooza
7 "Here's Johnny" 3:25 "Who's Johnny" by El DeBarge About The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Ed McMahon's famous line, "Here's Johnny!" Polka Party! (1986)
8 "The Brady Bunch" 2:41 "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats About a man's dislike of the show The Brady Bunch. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
9 "Cable TV" 3:38 Style parody of Elton John's "Hercules" About a man's love of cable television. Dare to Be Stupid (1985)
10 "I Lost on Jeopardy" 3:29 "Jeopardy" by the Greg Kihn Band About a man who lost on Jeopardy!. "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
11 "UHF" 5:08 Original About George's TV channel in UHF. UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff

References

  1. ^ Erelwine, Stephen Thomas. Weird Al Yankovic - The TV Album Reviews, Songs & More at AllMusic
  2. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 893. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone weird al yankovic alapalooza review.
  3. ^ "Jack Davis "Weird" Al Yankovic The TV Album Cover Illustration". Heritage Auctions. November 20, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Yankovic, Alfred M. (February 1999). "'Ask Al' Q&As for February 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Yankovic, Alfred M. (May 1999). "'Ask Al' Q&As for May, 1999". The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "The TV Album". Amazon. 1995.
  7. ^ "The TV Album | Weird Al Yankovic | Album | MTV". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05.
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