Weird Al — Straight Outta Lynwood

They don't call "Weird Al" the prince of pop parody for nothing. OK, they don't call him that at all. But they should: it's a great alliteration and it's true as shit. On his 12th album, Al recasts "Trapped In The Closet" as another food-themed classic that's almost as funny as R. Kelly's original. He also adds a few more offences to Usher's "Confessions" ("Remember when I told you I knew Pauly Shore/That was a lie, I don't know what I said that for"). These gags are particularly funny since Al's band of musical mimics recreates the originals so masterfully. On Al original "Pancreas," they employ every minute melody, harmony and instrumental texture to pay homage to Brian Wilson. Hell, even the lyrics sound like Wilson. The guy sang songs about vegetables, why not organs? Yankovic occasionally covers tired territory, particularly the "aboot" jokes on the Green Day parody "Canadian Idiot," and the geeky-white-guy gags in the Chamillionaire take-off, "White & Nerdy." But he pulls it off. In fact, the latter might be the year's best single.