Meg's argument was so damn awesome. First, it was spectacularly concise. (especially compared to my rambling)
And really, she made maybe the best argument that's been made on this podcast ever. Teen girls (and probably good 5% of teen boys) thought Rick was hot. I mean, that right there is the reason for his career success. And that is very 80s.
It was so fun, she just really sets you up for a big monologue, and then delivers in one line. So funny!
Springfield sounds SO 80s. Weird Al sounds...80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s...whatever his subject matter is. Al is incredible but is a chameleon who can look and sound like anyone. Rick is firmly lodged in the windpipe of the 80s, and when combined with the heartthrob thing, AND the fact he had FOURTEEN FUCKING HITS, that's why Rick got my vote.
OK, I got really curious when you guy were guessing who Weird Al beat for the Grammy so I looked it up.
Apparently the comedy recording award can go to a single or a full album.
Here are the other nominees:
The 3 Faces Of Al (Nick Danger) (Album) by Firesign Theatre.
Rappin' Rodney (Single) by Rodney Dangerfield
Hurt Me Baby - Make Me Write Bad Checks! (Album) by Rick Dees
Here And Now (Album) by Richard Pryor
That first one I don't think I've ever heard of. I forgot about Rappin' Rodney, but as much as I loved Rodney, that is not good. And Rick "Disco Duck" Dees is just fucking awful. Richard Pryor is obviously a fucking comedy legend.
So beating Pryor was an impressive feat from a first time Grammy nominee
Weird that it's a small thing vs. an entire body of work, I assume that has since changed to 2 awards, long-form and short-form? So, yes, the competition SUCKED HUGE ASS except for that Pryor album, which, wow, that had to be a shock to Weird Al to 'beat it.'
You caught me. I liked the music, too. As 80’s pop stars go, he’s a pretty good one. Really tacky side note: I used to go to a bar in Alliance, the old Bier Haus after it became Chives. Several Mount Union College football players worked there as bartenders and what have you, and one of them was named Jessie. The extremely hot quarterback. So, the other guys at the bar would tease him about all the women trying to pick him up with a falsetto “I wish that I WAS Jessie’s Girl.” Not me, though. I was above all that.
It's great that music brings back these memories!! Also, I agree, his music was super catchy and mostly rock adjacent 🎸! He's not my favorite, but then again, I can sing along to a dozen of his 80s songs, so he did have an impact on my decade. Not sure how Joe missed out on "Human Touch," but man, that song was so popular back then!
Springfield easily wins the "actors turned singer" category... what 80s star wins the "singer turned actor" category? Whitney? It's not Madonna. Or was Rick actually a singer first--I don't know!
I didn't see that. If it's someone that I only have a passing interest in I tend to only read the first half or so of the obit and skip the life story.
As a VH guy, the first time I heard "Eat It," I just knew it wasn't him. Tone, texture, cadence, whatever it is that makes Eddie Van Halen himself, I could just tell it was someone else. That said, I never checked and never heard who did the solo until this week, 40 years later!
Meg's argument was so damn awesome. First, it was spectacularly concise. (especially compared to my rambling)
And really, she made maybe the best argument that's been made on this podcast ever. Teen girls (and probably good 5% of teen boys) thought Rick was hot. I mean, that right there is the reason for his career success. And that is very 80s.
It was so fun, she just really sets you up for a big monologue, and then delivers in one line. So funny!
Springfield sounds SO 80s. Weird Al sounds...80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s...whatever his subject matter is. Al is incredible but is a chameleon who can look and sound like anyone. Rick is firmly lodged in the windpipe of the 80s, and when combined with the heartthrob thing, AND the fact he had FOURTEEN FUCKING HITS, that's why Rick got my vote.
OK, I got really curious when you guy were guessing who Weird Al beat for the Grammy so I looked it up.
Apparently the comedy recording award can go to a single or a full album.
Here are the other nominees:
The 3 Faces Of Al (Nick Danger) (Album) by Firesign Theatre.
Rappin' Rodney (Single) by Rodney Dangerfield
Hurt Me Baby - Make Me Write Bad Checks! (Album) by Rick Dees
Here And Now (Album) by Richard Pryor
That first one I don't think I've ever heard of. I forgot about Rappin' Rodney, but as much as I loved Rodney, that is not good. And Rick "Disco Duck" Dees is just fucking awful. Richard Pryor is obviously a fucking comedy legend.
So beating Pryor was an impressive feat from a first time Grammy nominee
Rappin Rodney was a stone-cold CLASSIC, man! It was a nuanced take on race relations in America. So deep.
But, seriously, Here and Now is fucking brilliant.
Weird that it's a small thing vs. an entire body of work, I assume that has since changed to 2 awards, long-form and short-form? So, yes, the competition SUCKED HUGE ASS except for that Pryor album, which, wow, that had to be a shock to Weird Al to 'beat it.'
I remember you getting the Millennium Falcon for Christmas at the house on Parkside Drive.
Desperation is a stinky perfume, Joseph.
To quote Mom: "???????"
Your argument/plea for Weird Al.
Not despair, dude. Just facts.
Not sure what this is in reference to, but I like it! 😂
You caught me. I liked the music, too. As 80’s pop stars go, he’s a pretty good one. Really tacky side note: I used to go to a bar in Alliance, the old Bier Haus after it became Chives. Several Mount Union College football players worked there as bartenders and what have you, and one of them was named Jessie. The extremely hot quarterback. So, the other guys at the bar would tease him about all the women trying to pick him up with a falsetto “I wish that I WAS Jessie’s Girl.” Not me, though. I was above all that.
It's great that music brings back these memories!! Also, I agree, his music was super catchy and mostly rock adjacent 🎸! He's not my favorite, but then again, I can sing along to a dozen of his 80s songs, so he did have an impact on my decade. Not sure how Joe missed out on "Human Touch," but man, that song was so popular back then!
Springfield easily wins the "actors turned singer" category... what 80s star wins the "singer turned actor" category? Whitney? It's not Madonna. Or was Rick actually a singer first--I don't know!
I didn't know Rick Derringer did the solo on Eat It. I guess I always assumed it was still Eddie.
By the way, Derringer just died a few weeks ago. I saw his obit in the NY Times.
Wow. Just read that obit. He was a Trumper. Fuck.
I didn't see that. If it's someone that I only have a passing interest in I tend to only read the first half or so of the obit and skip the life story.
Weird that political affiliation was in his obituary!
As a VH guy, the first time I heard "Eat It," I just knew it wasn't him. Tone, texture, cadence, whatever it is that makes Eddie Van Halen himself, I could just tell it was someone else. That said, I never checked and never heard who did the solo until this week, 40 years later!