Permanent Record: Al in the Box

Release and music While Yankovic was writing the original songs for a new album—which would later be released in 1996 as Bad Hair Day—his label, Scotti Brothers Records, insisted that he release a new record in order to meet monetary projections for the fourth fiscal quarter of the year. Yankovic, however, explained that he would be unable to finish a new record in time, so his label decided to release a box set that eventually was named Permanent Record: Al in the Box. The label then stipulated that Yankovic would need to at least record a new single to promote the box set. Yankovic complied, producing the parody "Headline News", a spoof of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies, which would also appear on his second greatest hits album. While most of the songs that appear on this record can be found on Yankovic's first eight studio albums, there are several unique inclusions. The version of "My Bologna" is the Capitol Records single version, which only featured the accordion and Yankovic's voice. Early pressings of the album included the incorrect version of "My Bologna", but this was later rectified in subsequent pressings. The version of "Happy Birthday" included was previously released on the 1981 independent Another One Rides the Bus EP. Finally, the third disc contains the single edit of "UHF" as opposed to the lengthier version available on UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff; this was done because Yankovic figured that "fans would appreciate having both versions available." Title and artwork Both "Permanent Record" and "Al in the Box" were titles proposed by Yankovic; however, he favored the former, whereas his label preferred the latter. Both parties, being unwilling to yield, eventually decided to compromise and name the release Permanent Record: Al in the Box. The album also included a detailed booklet, written by Yankovic's long-time associate, Dr. Demento. ==Reception==

Critical response Barry Weber of AllMusic awarded the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, and argued that "no [other greatest hits album of Yankovic's] matches Permanent Record, a four-CD set of Yankovic's best songs". Chuck Eddy of Spin magazine named the album the fourth most "essential" comedy record, writing that album is proof "for fifth-grade smart alecks, no rock star is greater" than Yankovic. Commercial performance The box set was released on September 27, 1994. As of January 1997, the set was Yankovic's worst-selling album, trailing all of his studio releases, as well as his various compilation and greatest hits albums. On March 1, 2006, the record went out of print, due to the aforementioned loss of the artwork. The collection's only single, "Headline News", charted and peaked at number four on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which corresponds to a position of 104 on the Billboard Hot 100. ==Track listing==

Disc one • "My Bologna" (orig. Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic) – 2:20 (2:01 on misprint edition) • Parody of "My Sharona" by The Knack; This version is the 1979 Capitol Records version of the song. From the 1983 album "Weird Al" Yankovic. From the 1983 album "Weird Al" Yankovic. From the 1984 album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. about the inventor Samuel Popeil, his myriad inventions of varying usefulness, and his son Ron's infomercials. the singer brags about his lavish lifestyle. From the 1985 album Dare to Be Stupid. the song recounts a list of "stupid" things a person can do. From the 1986 album Polka Party!. the song discusses various types of hernias. From the 1988 album Even Worse. the song describes a person's desire to engage in strange behavior compelled by another person. From the 1989 album and soundtrack UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff. this is a ballad that is addressed to an ex-girlfriend who did numerous exaggerated and deadly things to the oblivious singer. about a man who has an exaggerated obsession with firearms. From the 1992 album Off the Deep End. From the 1993 album Alapalooza. • "Jurassic Park" (orig. Jimmy Webb, arr. Yankovic) – 3:55 • Parody of "MacArthur Park" by Richard Harris; a spoof that recounts the plot to the movie Jurassic Park. From the 1993 album Alapalooza. • "Headline News" (orig. Brad Roberts, arr. Yankovic) - 3:46 • Parody of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies; the song details three major tabloid stories of 1993. This single was recorded for this compilation. ==Credits and personnel==

;Band members and production • "Weird Al" Yankovic – synthesizer, piano, accordion, vocals, production • Jim West – guitar • Steve Jay – banjo, bass, talking drums • Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz – percussion, drums • Richard Bennett – banjo, ukulele, guitar • Rubén Valtierra – keyboards • Rick Derringer – guitar, mandolin, production • Tony Papa – engineer ;Featured artists • Cheech Marin – vocals on "Taco Grande" • Mark Knopfler – guitar on "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" • Guy Fletcher – synthesizer on "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" • Alan Reed – voice of Fred Flintstone on "Bedrock Anthem" • Mel Blanc – voice of Barney Rubble and Dino on "Bedrock Anthem" ;Other personnel • Warren Luening – trumpet • Joel Miller – bongos • Don Pardo – announcer • Joel Peskin – clarinet • Lisa Popeil, Petsye Powell, Andrea Robinson, and Pattie Brooks – background vocals • Pat Regan – synthesizer, piano • Jim Self – tuba • Robert Tebow – double bass • Jimmy "Z" Zavala – saxophone, harmonica • William K. Anderson – saxophone, harmonica • Mike Kieffer – percussion • Dorothy Remsen – harp • Tress MacNeille – voice of Lucy Ricardo • Dawn Smithey, Zaidee Cole, and Joan Manners – background vocals • Gary Herbig – clarinet, saxophone • Bill Scott – yodeling • Al Viola – banjo • The Glove - scratching • The Waters Sisters – background vocals • Sonny Burke – piano • James Cox – guitar synthesizer • Tommy Johnson – tuba • John Roarke – voices • Kim Bullard - synthesizer • Joe Sublett - saxophone • Ronny Jay - record scratching • Nichole Larson - background vocals • Donny Sierer – saxophone • The Step Sisters – vocals • Jim Haas – background vocals • Jon Joyce – background vocals • Gene Morford – background vocals • Carmen Twillie – background vocals • Jerry Whitman – background vocals • Sandy Berman – dinosaur sound effects ==Chart positions==