Weird Al: The Book

by Nathan Rabin, Al Yankovic

Overview

The undisputed king of pop-culture parody, “Weird Al” Yankovic has sold more comedy recordings than any other artist in history, receiving three Grammy Awards (and 14 nominations) in the process. The man behind classics such as “Eat It,” “Amish Paradise,” and “White & Nerdy” performed in more than 100 cities throughout North America, Europe, and Australia in support of his latest (and, to date, highest-charting) album, Alpocalypse. At last the time has come for a comprehensive illustrated tribute to this icon of the American humor landscape. Covering more than three decades of hilarious songs, videos, concert performances, and his life story in words and pictures, and featuring an introduction, lists, tweets, and photo captions from Yankovic himself, Weird Al: The Book is the ultimate companion piece to an extraordinary career.

Praise for Weird Al: The Book:

“Part biography and part pop culture museum, Weird Al: The Book is a treat.… A gorgeous look at Yankovic’s life.”

—Huffington Post

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419704352
Publisher:	Abrams Image
Publication date:	10/01/2012
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Nathan Rabin is a film and music critic and the head writer for The Onion’s A.V. Club. Al Yankovic lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

The story of Alfred Matthew Yankovic's unlikely rise to fame as song parodist nonpareil "Weird Al" is adoringly chronicled by longtime fan Rabin (My Year of Flops) in this fun and colorful coffee table book. Rather than write his own autobiography—something the man who gave the world Like a Surgeon, Amish Paradise, and UHF "never had any interest" in doing—Weird Al personally requested that the head writer of the Onion's entertainment section do the honors. As a result, this book is far from definitive. Rabin's prose reads like an essay and Weird Al's voice appears only in captions for revealing archive photos, silly tweets, and random observations. From Weird Al's first accordion-powered 1979 single, "My Bologna" (a parody of The Knack's "My Sharona," recorded when he was an architecture student at California Polytechnic State University), to 2011's Alpocalypse (Weird Al's 13th and highest-charting album), Rabin covers the highlights and occasional lowlights of an impressive career that encompasses music, movies, television, and publishing. But the author's greater strength lies in analyzing the parodies and placing the performer's art into wider context. Such insight may force a reevaluation of Weird Al's body of work, but it also will leave readers wanting more of Weird Al.
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