This week the Hard Times takes a look at “Electrified Brain,” the latest offering from legendary Richmond thrashers Municipal Waste.
At least, we thought we were going to…Turns out, between releasing a movie and touring relentlessly with his Ill-Advised Vanity tour, the clown prince of pop himself ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic somehow also found the time to write a full-length parody album of “Electrified Brain” entitled “Perfect Refried Bean”…I mean, you gotta hand it to the guy, he never stops working!
Anyway, long story short, we got our hands on the wrong album. But, if you’re not one to bristle at spoilers, we listened to “Perfect Refried Bean” to let you know what each “Electrified Brain” track got parodied as. It was honestly a blast. Check it out:
Electrified Brain: “Perfect Refried Bean” is about one foodie’s quest to find the ideal refried bean.
Demoralizer: “The Floral Miser” is the tale of an Ebenezer Scrooge-like character who hoards pretty flowers.
Last Crawl: “Vast Haul” is a song detailing all the neat stuff a hoarder got at the flea market which included a ton of accordions.
Grave Dive: “Shave Drive” is about what it’s like being late for work and shaving on your commute.
The Bite: “The Wrights” is of course an educational song about pioneers of aviation.
High-Speed Steel: “I Breed Seals” is the saga of a strange man who runs an exotic animal farm.
Thermonuclear Protection: This one’s just the obligatory “Thermonuclear Protection Polka”
Blood Vessel / Boat Jail: “Mud Wrestle Coat Fail” is about a mud wrestler who forgets to take off their extremely expensive Gucci jacket beforehand.
Crank the Heat: “Hank Retreat” tells the story of a fantasy camp where men can live like Hank Hill for a week.
Restless and Wicked: “Zest-Lessened Sick Kid” is a somber tune about a sad child in a plastic bubble.
Ten Cent Beer Night: “Trenchant Ear Mite” is about a person in a Cyrano-type situation who gets witty lines fed to him by a bug in his ear.
Barreled Rage: “Chair Fold Rage,” you know how frustrating it is to deal with lawn chairs at the beach? That’s what Weird Al sings about here.
Putting on Errors: “Footing Drawn Terrors” is the terrible tale of a horror illustrator who secretly can’t draw feet.
Paranormal Janitor: “Where’s the Formal Dance, Centaur?” a fanciful song about a limo full of teens asking a half man/ half horse how to get to prom.
And there you have it. Pretty impressive, right? I mean, the guy’s been in the music business for forty years and he’s still coming up with interesting ways to make songs about things you can eat for lunch. I can’t imagine how honored the Municipal Waste guys must feel.
Score: 8/10 bars (as in either a parody of “stars,” or a reference to how MW likes to drink. Take your pick.)