Though 1989's
Greatest Hits only covers the first half of
"Weird Al" Yankovic's career, it nevertheless features nearly all of his best work, with classics such as "Eat It," "Fat," and "I Lost on Jeopardy" chief among its highlights. The collection takes a fairly even amount from each of
Yankovic's early albums --
Weird Al Yankovic,
In 3-D,
Dare to Be Stupid,
Polka Party!, and
Even Worse -- thus gathering "Like a Surgeon," "Living With a Hernia," and "Ricky" in one place. The small, parody-heavy track-listing may disappoint die-hard
Yankovic fans; indeed, some of his original work from
In 3-D is better than a few of the parodies that wound up on the collection, and it seems that by 1989
Yankovic deserved to have at least a dozen songs on his greatest hits album. Regardless,
Greatest Hits is still the most consistent and concise album in his catalog, and a great introduction to his very special brand of musical humor. ~ Heather Phares