4/5 Where's "My Bologna" and "Another One Rides The Bus"?
  by M. Heidenreich (WI)
Growing up hearing the tunes "Amish Paradise" and others from Bad Hair Day, I figured it would be worthwhile to look into `Weird Al' Yankovic's earlier work. And no CD title gives the impression of worthwhile better than Greatest Hits. So with that in mind, I picked up this album hoping to catch up on the 13-something years I'd missed out on. And although every single song here is a classic, I was heartbroken (choice word) not to find "My Bologna" or "Another One Rides The Bus" in the track listing. Was "My Bologna" not the song that got Dr. Demento interested in this guy? And with just ten songs I couldn't believe they excluded them. Whatever the case may be, this is still an advisable purchase if you're looking for Al in the `80s in a (small) nutshell. An overview...

1. Fat - 5/5 - classic parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad". Since every song here contains numerous great lines--that being the reason you'd buy this--from here on out I'll just list a highlight part of each song. Highlight quote: `when I walk out to get the mail / it measures on the Richter scale' (in the background).

2. Eat - 5/5 - more Michael Jackson ("Beat It"). Highlight quote: `...if it's getting cold, reheat it!'.

3. Like A Surgeon - 5/5 - I actually heard Madonna gave Al the idea for this song. That, in itself, is hilarious. Highlight quote: there's few, but listen closely at the end to hear the fadeout of that heartbeat thingy. Priceless.

4. Ricky - 3/5 - almost as annoying as the original (sadly). I can't really think of a highlight quote; the endless shouts of `oh Ricky / you're so fine' outweigh everything else.

5. Addicted To Spuds - 3.5/5 - decent parody of "Addicted To Love". Highlight quote: `...I can't deny they've got a-peel'.

6. Living With A Hernia - 3/5 - this is not one of my favorites, though it is continuously funny (and sick). The highlight here is how the chorus is sung.

7 - Dare To Be Stupid - 4/5 - absolutely crazy. It moves kind of quick to remember a specific quote, but the parts about Mr. Goodbar and spitting on fish always make me laugh.

8. Lasagna - 4.5/5 - one of the funniest songs of all-time, when you compare it to the original. The gurgling and Luigi parts are definitely memorable.

9. I Lost On Jeopardy - 5/5 - probably my personal favorite Al original. Every single line here is hilarious, but it's the `...and let me tell you what you DIDN'T win...' passage that sticks out. Also, `well I sure hope I do better / next weekend on The Price Is Right' is quite jovial.

10. One More Minute - 3/5 - highlight quote: `I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper-cuts on my face / then spend one more minute with you'. Other than that line, there's not much to love.

I cannot emphasize enough how greatly lacking this compilation is without "My Bologna" and "Another One Rides The Bus". It could've been more (to say the least). Also, there is no polka song here. It's trademark Al to have one song blending polka and current pop hits. On yet another down note, there is no booklet but only the cover and backside art. It doesn't appear that they (Imaginary Entertainment) put much effort into this recording. Oh well, it's still `Weird Al' Yankovic, right? So if you're looking to get a quick glimpse of Al's early days, this is a great place to start. On the other hand, if you want it all at once, Permanent Record--the box set--is the way to go. But with songs like "Fat", "Eat It" and "I Lost On Jeopardy", you can't afford to pass this up. It's an essential for your collection.

5/5 The best of "Weird Al" the early years (a.k.a. the 1980s)
  by Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)
The problem with these "Weird Al" Yankovic hit collections is that they are almost always better than his original albums ("Running With Scissors" would be the exception that proves the rule), and there are enough of them (especially if you count the "theme" collections) to make you forget about picking up those original albums and just wait for the next hits collection to come out. "Greatest Hits, Volume 1," as the title subtly points out, would be the first of these collections, bringing together ten of his better efforts from the early years (what historians would call the 1980s), stretching all the way back to the basic accordion days of "Ricky" to the big band sound of "Fat." These were the simple times, when obviously the idea was to make enough money to put food on the table, because that was Yankovic's main topic (e.g., "Eat It," "Addicted to Spuds," "Lasagna"). The Michael Jackson and Madonna parodies might have gotten the most press but I like "I Lost on Jeopardy" and the way "Weird Al" worked in all of the different types of hernias into "Living With a Hernia."

Yes, it is easy to quibble with the selections. You get the point of "Lasagna" one line into the song and I would have gone with either "By Bologna" or "I Love Rocky Road" or "The Theme From Rocky VIII," and why are we missing one of those great polka medleys? (Did I mention it would be easy to quibble with the selections?). Fortunately this album only offers up two of Yankovic's original compositions, the tolerable "Dare To Be Stupid" and his only real winner from that decade, "One More Minute." The best news is that the next hits collection from "Weird Al" is even better than this one.

5/5 Parody Paradise
  by kjenfan (United States)
Weird Al's "Greatest Hits, Volume 1" lives up to its name. A collection of admittedly can't-listen-to-them-too-often hits, what you have here are some of the best examples of parody songs you'll find anywhere. A send-up of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" ("Addicted to Spuds") and the original song "One More Minute" are gloom-busters of the best kind. Also included are hilarious takes on Madonna's "Like A Virgin," and Michael Jackson's "Bad" and "Beat It."

"One More Minute" is as dead-on a spoof of 50's angst/love songs as you'll ever find, right down to the sob in Al's voice. True, you can't listen to albums like this too often or they wear on you, but try taking it off the shelf every once in a while for a listen. It's almost guaranteed to brighten your day.

5/5 Weird Al really makes me laugh.
  by
"One More Minute" is one of my all time favorites. So is "I Lost In Jeopardy." Gosh, these songs just make me laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh. It is so fun listening to this music.

5/5 The Best Of The Early Best
  by Adam Shuler (Arizona)
This album is mainly a showcase for Al's talent. Eat It is the best song he has sung and Dare To Be Stupid is his best original. Except for Addicted to Spuds, all of these songs are perfect choices for this album.