Artist: Adam Sandler
Listenability Scale: 115%
Released by: Warner Bros. Records
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right
It was around Thanksgiving, and the radio stations were playing “The Thanksgiving Song” from Adam Sandler’s “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You.” Alright, so the holiday is over, so I guess the timeliness of this review is over, but actually, the song I really liked hearing was “Lunchlady Land.” We’ll get to that soon enough.
As I’m listening I am really beginning to realize that Adam Sandler is one sick individual. Cool. Just looking at the 22 tracks on the CD and I think you can come up with that opinion for yourself. Let’s see, there’s tracks like “The Longest Pee,” “The Beating of a High School Janitor/Bus Driver/Science Teacher/Spanish Teacher,” “I’m So Wasted,” and “Teenage Love On The Phone.” All little comedy bits, sometimes pushing the limits on decency, Adam and all-star comical cast (the list ranges from Rob Schneider to David Spade to Tim Meadows to Conan O’Brien) recreate scenes hopefully not straight out of anyone’s home or school. But as sick as some of the skits get, they can sometimes be testimonials to the challenges and translations of one form of language to another, especially in listening to any of the Buffoon skits. Then of course, I hope your head is screwed on straight or you might be doing tailspins by the end of “Buddy” (I haven’t heard that much stereo separation since Queen or Pink Floyd).
But as much as Adam Sandler is about skits, he is as much about music and it can be funny, sick, happy, or sad, and Adam has a way of putting it all together. Let’s first take a look at “Food Innuendo Guy.” Here’s a nice rocker to the images drawn by melons, cucumbers, celery sticks, and different places they can end up. If you can’t figure this out, well, you either fit in the “parental advisory-explicit lyrics” category or have been sheltered all of your natural born life and since now that you have found the internet you are discovering an entirely new world. Listening on we get to “The Thanksgiving Song,” a tribute to the holiday in all of its forms. Adam keeps with rhyming through the entire song by eating turkey in a brown show, with Betty Grable, and Jimmy Walker saying “Dynomite.” It’s a simple little ditty with catchy little lines and is starting to become a holiday favorite.
And then there is “At A Medium Pace.” Here’s a gentle love song to woo any lady. Oh yea, put this one on as you’re making your moves on the couch and she is sure to be yours. Let’s just say that I think the use of the shampoo bottle may be just a tad much for your lady, but hey, you never know, she might just get into that. Let’s just say this keeps along with that “parental advisory” label.
Cruising to track 18 and I get to one of my favorite Adam Sandler songs, “Lunchlady Land.” Stirring images of every scary lady most of us have had the unfortunate chance to meet while standing in line for food at the cafeteria. Now, I know there are some nice Lunchladies out there, but I do think many of us have hit one of these ladies, perfectly described, by Adam Sandler, much less the food menu as so described. The song/story describes the rebellion by the lunch-time food against the lady, but how Sloppy Joe saves the day. The song is cute, and will have you singing “Sloppy Joe, slop, sloppy joe” all day long.
Finally, in the music category, there’s “My Little Chicken.” Let’s just say that I think there are pictures showing the love described here floating around the newsgroups somewhere.
All in all, Adam Sandler probably didn’t make too many fans of parents or lunchladies on this CD. But so what, some things need to be said and Mr. Sandler tries to find a way, any way, to say it.
Hmmmm? How to rate this CD. Song wise I hit the 80% mark on the listenability scale, and comic wise I hit a 53% for the skits (on a CD I think songs work a little better than skits – save those for the live shows). All in all, averaging it out, it’s a 60% on the listenability scale.
That’s it for this one, I’m The Dude on the Right! L8R!!!