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This CD serves up a mix of parodies and a batch of Yankovic originals. Weird Al's setting of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" in Amish country is inspired. What better way to send up the swaggering ways of hip-hop and contemporary R&B than to transpose them to this humble, traditionalist world? Yankovic turns U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" into a song about an unpleasant visit to the dentist's office. Here drills, not deep feelings, cause screams. "The Alternative Polka," a medley of eleven mid-'90s alternative hits, drains the songs of any cool factor in five minutes flat. Listening to send-ups is like hearing two songs at once; the gap in tone cracks you up. It's fun to hear Weird Al deflate the cool attitudes, grandeur, and emotionalism of pop hits. Yankovic's generic originals, despite some funny ideas and lines, have limited appeal. --Fred Cisterna