Weird Al Says 'Don't Download This Song' 353
Kazzahdrane writes "Known geek and comedy singer/songwriter Weird Al Yankovic has released the first song from his new album 'Straight Outta Lynwood' for free on his MySpace page. The track is entitled 'Don't Download This Song' and tells of the dangers of illegally downloading music from filesharing sites." His MySpace page is most excellent. "Hi. Al here. No, really, it's Al. Seriously. What, you don't believe me? Go ahead, check weirdal.com. Hit the MySpace link. See if it brings you right back to this page. Go ahead. I'll wait. See? It's really me. I should point out... this means that conversely, all those other people on MySpace who are claiming to be me or implying that they are me... are definitely NOT me. I'm sure they're very nice people... they're just not 'Weird Al' Yankovic. I assure you."
E-Card & Video (Score:5, Informative)
I look forward to the music video that is supposed to air on Yahoo music [yahoo.com] at 10:00 PM Pacific Time tonight (August 22nd).
Enjoy one of the last artists that is still concerned about his fans and music no matter how hilarious and campy it may be. He has the sense to realize that he's very well off compared to his fans and jokes about solid gold humvees and diamond studded pools.
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Informative)
It's worth noting that it's also better to download the song from http://www.dontdownloadthissong.com/ [dontdownloadthissong.com], as opposed to the MySpace linked to in the summary (where the MP3 is 96kbps/22khz, as opposed to 160kbps/44khz).
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Ok, ok. I lied. It is.
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Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Insightful)
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There's a big difference between "can't hear artifacts" and "don't give a flying fig about 'em"... the words and melodies are the same, why not just relax a little!
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Audiophiles and the Emperors new trousers (Score:4, Funny)
There is some fine irony in that statement.
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Correction: I just listened to the higher bitrate version, and the pops are still there. Al is truly a genius.
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Funny)
Also, it's not all it's cracked up to be, because you'll find yourself replacing air filters like crazy to unclog all the angels that commit envy-suicide in your house when they see how much you are enjoying your sound system. I don't care how many fit on the head of a pin, it takes only a few trillion to completely block the airflow on a Filtrete.
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Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Informative)
The lyrics often sound like they came from a couple of bored teenagers, but his music has a wide variety including a lot of original songs that are not simply knockoffs of a specific song. Since You've Been Gone is an original in a barbershop quartet style. Swap a few lyrics, and Germs could seamlessly fit into a Nine Inch Nails album. Hardware Store is a brilliant rock and ska parody with a four part harmony I've wasted an embarassing amount of time listening to.
Good Old Days easy listening.
One More Minute 60s music.
Nature Trail to Hell metal.
Trigger Happy Beach Boys.
You Don't Love Me Anymore soft rock/ love songs.
And of course, an impressive collection of Polkas. Why not enjoy it all with a good sound system?
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Not at all. "Doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a seven year old girl / they treat you like the evil hardbitten criminal scum you are" should make it absolutely clear to everyone that this is indeed an honest defense of RIAA.
"Don't take away money from artists just like me / how else can I afford another solid gold Humvee / and diamond-studded swimming pools, they don't grow on trees"
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course you mean that Al is one of the last of the "old-world artists" - our new breed of upcoming new-school artists are born into a world where fame comes before (not neccesarily with) fortune. And this fame spreads as packets riding on word of mouth.
I don't have any right to dictate what is proper motivation or not for a creator, but I think an artist who's primary purpose is to make money has his or her head in the wrong p
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I would like it if artists where more concerned with quality then with money. But I try to avoid forcing my views on other people.
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My friends are a signed band, but they did go through many years of very crappy financial means before the big break. These friends of mine have earned every dime their contracts got them.
There are, however, bands and individual artists that magically appear and seem to be entirely concocted from spreadsheets and focus groups: this I do not like.
Nevertheless, some of the
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:3, Interesting)
I do not mean to imply that artist should not make money - far from that in fact. Of course artists should recieve compensation for thier works. But the leechery of hangers-on that has evolved around the artists of decades past has, I think, created a culture where the motivation to create art for money is out of ratio to what I (in opinion) feel is the proper scope.
Yes, I am an artist - not the best of course - but I make music and su
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That is not strictly the domain of artists. Everyone is vulnerable to that disease.
Artists tend to get the big heads like elite athletes do; the camera is on them and they come to believe they are truly great. In their minds they're deserving.
An interesting thing about people coming into money is that, no matter their background, education, or talents, once wealthy they co
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Insightful)
And me? Technology is the only expensive hobby I have. If I suddenly had a fortune, I'd probably still eat ramen, and I'd probably wear the same clothes, live in about the same amount of space, ride a bicycle in a small town or own a sensible car, and so on. I'm told all of this is rare.
Basically, if I was paid more per hour, then past a certain point, I'd simply work fewer hours.
I don't understand the point of working long hours at a high-paying job to support a family you rarely see living in an awesome house you're barely in except to sleep and a cool car you drive to and from work in.
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While your spirit is admirable, it probably won't last if you ever got rich. I've known some people who claim to only want a low-key lifestyle for themselves, modest car, etc, but when the money started rolling all of that went ouf the window.
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I know everyone has their drug of choice, but don't you think you're going a little hard on the coke heads?
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Actually, I only said that so I don't get modded offtopic. What I really want to say is, in your sig, what would the "night" represent? Linux?
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For example, I point you to Saint Anger by Metallica; their "Ok, we're getting old and gave up drinking and drugs" album.
If there was ever a reason to support music sharing, it's the 25 bucks I wasted on that terrible album.
Re:E-Card & Video (Score:5, Funny)
Is it ironic that the song makes me want to go out and buy his new record, giving Weird Al the money I think he deserves? I do believe it is!
Speaking of Weird Al (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Speaking of Weird Al (Score:5, Funny)
What do you mean his song? We're talking about SCO here. The real question is "Has Weird Al paid the license fee SCO demanded for his use of their song?"
And in other news... (Score:4, Funny)
Weird Al vs MC Lars (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Weird Al vs MC Lars (Score:5, Interesting)
Napster BAD! [campchaos.com] (as if you haven't seen it)
I can understand that artists want to get the money for the work they're doing... I respect that. Hell, I've even mailed artists money in the mail when I've downloaded songs I really liked (prior to itunes mostly) and I've had some good responses back from them doing that and some interesting t-shirts and signed stuff too I might add. Shrug, the whole drm, screw our fans, etc... it just gets on my nerves.
In the end the fans aren't the only ones hurt the bands are too.
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Keanu? Is that you? (Score:5, Funny)
Was this summary written by Keanu Reeves?
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Kudos
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KFG
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Another free song (Score:5, Interesting)
It's pretty app when thinking about the steretypical Slashdot person.
From what I can remember, he put it online because some copyright/trademark thing kept him from using it on the next album. Not sure what it was, though. It looks like you can at least listen to it on his MySpace page.
One thing I love about Weird Al's songs is that he does his research. In the song from this "article", he mentions such things as Kazaa. In "All about the Pentiums", he throws out a lot of technical terms.
Weird Al is one of my favorite people ever. He's pretty good to his fans, he fights the true fight, and is hilarious to boot. I can't wait for this next album.
Re:Another free song (Score:5, Informative)
Basically, James Blunt approved the parody, so Weird Al went ahead and did the track, but then James Blunt's record label objected - so Weird Al released it for free on his website.
"I have a long-standing history of respecting artists' wishes," Yankovic writes. "So if James Blunt himself were objecting, I wouldn't even offer my parody for free on my Web site. But since it's a bunch of suits -- who are actually going against their own artist's wishes -- I have absolutely no problem with it."
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His best parody ever.
Re:Another free song (Score:5, Informative)
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If you check out the preorder page for "Straight outta Lynnwood" it looks like it's a great deal.
$13.98 gets me a full audio CD, A second side with all the tracks in 5.1 PCM, Instrumentals for all the tracks, and 9 music videos (with one from that dude who did ren and stimpy). This album looks too good to pirate!
Re:Another free song (Score:5, Funny)
Who the hell is the label behind this?
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Unfortunately, the copyrights are owned by his record label, now Sony, which bought the record label that bought the record label that Weird Al started with, or something.
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Kindly kill yourself. No one loves you.
Re:Another free song (Score:4, Funny)
Pfft (Score:5, Funny)
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A link to MySpace... hmm... (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:A link to MySpace... hmm... (Score:5, Funny)
zerg (Score:2)
MC Lars (Score:3, Informative)
Download this song [myspace.com]
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Don't download it off iTunes, anyway... (Score:2)
Give to your fans or get screwed by your label? (Score:2)
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Please, Wierd Al should have understood what he was signing. The label is screwing him, not iTunes.
Speaking of myspace (Score:5, Interesting)
Since we're already spending so much time here and acting like junior high kids, I want myspace style slashdot profiles. Imagine what this would do to the community. When you read a post and think to yourself "Overweight, Undersexed Wow junkie" you can click the link and see their photos to confirm your suspicions. Plus, think of the fun we'd all have writing the CSS code to design our pages. Instead of harping on people for their grammar, we could point out how their profile page isn't XHTML compliant.
Taco would be everybody's friend by default, but if you're friends with the real CowboyNeal (or a girl) you would totally put that in your top eight.
Our mail system would be IMAP though
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Direct Link (Score:5, Informative)
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OMFG - the label! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:OMFG - the label! (Score:5, Interesting)
Weird Al was originally on a very obscure indie label called "Scotti Brothers." Its name was changed to "Volcano" when another label bought them out, then that label was co-opted by Sony BMG. So yes, he is distributed by Sony, but it's not exactly a diabolical plan on Weird Al's part. Actually I have friends who were in another band on the "Scotti Brothers" label, and found themselves in effect Sony artists. Which is not a good thing, because Sony won't honor the Scotti Bros. terms or release them from the contract-- so their first few CDs are basically buried forever.
This actually happens quite a bit with Indie bands, they sign contracts with small labels (which are usually somewhat vague, as neither have access to top-notch entertainment lawyers) and the labels are bought out by the majors-- and the bands find themselves having to deal with exactly the people they were trying to avoid.
Looks doubtful (Score:3, Insightful)
Better call Alanis. (Score:5, Interesting)
The album, according to Amazon, is being released as a DualDisc, and that means that some computers and players won't be able to handle the album [wikipedia.org]. Of three computers in my dorm room last year, none of them could play the newest Springsteen album.
Because of the format choice, there might be some people that don't have any choice but to download the song, either legally (assuming iTunes sells it like they do some of his other albums) or through other means.
Argh! A Geek tragedy, complete with DeusExMachina. (Score:5, Funny)
Being a Weird Al fan, and well-aware of the problems he has collecting from his label, my mind registers the topic both as a must-Read-More and as another chapter to take note of in the long saga of digital music rights. With significant anticipation, I add it to my other fifteen or so open tabs and proceed to work my way through my article reading queue.
I (grudgingly) visit myspace, but something's amiss. There is no download link! Nothing in the navigation menu, the news posts, or the comments make mention of where I can obtain the song, yet visitors proceed to comment on how much they enjoyed it. Looking for an alternate link, I return to Slashdot, only to find more reactions without mention of any download difficulties. And so I begin to worry irrationally: "I'm the only one in the world who can't listen to Weird Al!" I've had usability issues with myspace before, but normally after a minute or so of misguided clicking I'm able to stumble upon something that hints at actual content. I try two other domains, weirdal.com and dontdownloadthissong.com, only to find the former hopelessly slashdotted and the latter unusable. My frustration continues to build.
I reflect that perhaps it is a browser compatability issue - I am using Konqueror after all - and try my luck with firefox. After configuring it to *not* attempt DNS queries over IPv6, that I might reach the content I so desperately seek this century, I find that myspace persists to mock me. It is as if some divine administrative force knows my IP address and has modified the web server specifically to torment me.
I search for torrent files - first through links from kind slashdotters looking to boost their karma, and when that fails, via KTorrent's integrated search plugin. Bittorrent.com? No matches. Isohunt.com? Nada. Mininova? Bytenova? Torrentspy?! My heart races as I continue to exhaust the list of built-in known search engines, until... Aha! The Pirate Bay has found one match, uploaded a mere twenty-two minutes ago.
But to use a torrent from the most infamous peer-to-peer site in existence, what would that make me? Is the torrent legal? Just because Weird Al chooses to distribute it on his webpage doesn't mean he releases that right to others. I'm sure under these circumstances he couldn't possibly mind, but not having heard of the song's existence prior to reading Slashdot, I simply do not know the record label's stance on the matter, or whether they even have partial rights over this particular mp3. But it does not matter - I must have the song!
The irony - that I am bittorrenting a free-as-in-beer song that possesses a satirical name mocking filesharing litigation, and am potentially committing a copyright violation in the process - is not lost on me. My idealistic side taunts the RIAA, "I just DARE you to try to sue me over this, my only infringement!" My pessimistically pragmatic side notes that the unusual circumstances would make no difference, as I would be forced to settle, and never see my day in court anyway.
I emerge from my digression to the present.
No peers or seeders. For the moment, the music industry and other enemies of Peer-to-Peer breathe a sigh of relief.
Then it occurs to me that the song might be unreachable to those who have not installed the dreaded Flash Plugin. But why? A slashdot commenter mentions that the song is indeed in the mp3 format, so it is not as if my lack of such a player could possibly prevent me from obtaining this song. For what kind of sick madman would consign a publically-downloadable mp3 to the clutches of a proprietary system and that system alone?
As a rule, I have abstained from using Flash on my desktop's Gentoo installation. This self-denial is due to a combination of fac
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Ascii illustration (Score:5, Funny)
You: O
/ \
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Nice avoidance of the
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it was easy... all they had to do was copy/paste it from one of the many other identical stick figure "joke going over your head" stick figures that have been posted by many people on slashdot so far.
in fact the filter probably has the stick figure hard coded into it to make it easier to post. It's only a matter of time until we only have to type <jokeoverhead> and it will do it automatically
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Joke: ->
You: O
/ \
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Re:No problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Really if you don't like Weird Al then you must have been unloved as a child.
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I dunno, the songs are universally less interesting than the originals, and his voice is grating. They're usually good for laughs the first listen through, but I can't imagine owning an album.
Re:No problem (Score:4, Insightful)
I like to sing. Because Al has jokes in his lyrics, he usually does a really good job speaking clearly so the listener can get the jokes. I could sing along with Smells Like Nirvana the second time I heard it. I still don't know all of the words to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, and I've heard that dozens of times. Weird Al is one of the only musicians whose lyrics I never need to look up after hearing a song.
I also have a taste for really bad puns and silly jokes. That's a help too.
If you have a less silly sense of humor, I can respect that. If you don't like the voice... I have many friends who go berserk for Rush, and I can't listen to their lead singer without wanting to shove a pencil through my ears. So I can respect that too.
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Or how you assume everyone has the same opinion as you? Some of his songs are funny, some are not, but Amish Paradise, Fat, and the Saga begins are fantastic, not to mention the music videos.
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Not like Weird Al? You must be Communist. Or live in Oregon. Or both.
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Re:I bought his last album (Score:5, Informative)
in addition, as for Al's supposed anti-downloading stance, it should be mentioned that he is in a somewhat unique position: literally hundreds of songs that AREN'T his are constantly attributed to him on file sharing systems, just because they're (ostensibly) "funny". Al maintains a relatively innocent, upbeat personna, but many of the songs misattributed to him are stupid, mean spirited, or far raunchier than anything Al would want to be associated with. it's a significant problem for the guy that goes much deeper than simple lost royalties.
that said, every time i've heard him asked about file sharing, that is how he has framed his response. he doesn't want people to think he wrote "smoke a bowla"
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That category covers Weird Al's entire catalogue rather nicely, though. Really, his songs are mildly amusing for the first few times you hear them - maybe a couple dozen at most. They're not particularly
Re:I bought his last album (Score:5, Informative)
I have very mixed feelings about [Napster]. On one hand, I'm concerned that the rampant downloading of my copyright-protected material over the Internet is severely eating into my album sales and having a decidedly adverse effect on my career. On the other hand, I can get all the Metallica songs I want for FREE! WOW!!!!!
He's previously said that his biggest problem with internet downloading is that many files on the internet are incorrectly labelled with him as the artist, some of these being much more offensive than his actual material.
Re:Best commentary on downloading since Tapster (Score:5, Interesting)
Crap. I hit submit by accident.
Back in 2000, Spinal Tap (sorry, I don't have a n-umlaut key on my keyboard) borrowed the domain tapster.com [theregister.co.uk] from some sort of brewery interest web site to put up a parody of Napster. Contrary to Nigel's comment, they actually had a lot of songs up there, mostly Spinal Tap, but they did have at least one "mislabeled" song, which was Zappa's "I am the Slime".
But the Tapster curse lives on, and even the "orignal" tapster.com is no more.
Re:Blackened (Score:5, Informative)
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The question shouldn't be whether or not it really is Al. The question should be whether or not it's an honest-to-Allah MySpace site.
I mean, if it really is a MySpace site, then how come my eyes aren't bleeding?
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I'm pretty sure that "Don't download this song" is a style parody of "We Are The World" - that benefit song sung by hundreds of celebrities in the 80's (Michael Jackson et al). It was also taken off in the Simpsons with "We're sending our love