Line #25 Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2019


1	[[Funny/ToddInTheShadows Main]]\
2	Pop Song Reviews ( [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsFromTheVaults Pre-TGWTG]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2010Episodes 2010]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2011Episodes 2011]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2012Episodes 2012]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2013Episodes 2013]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2014Episodes 2014]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2015Episodes 2015]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2016Episodes 2016]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2017Episodes 2017]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2018Episodes 2018]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2019Episodes 2019]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2020Episodes 2020]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2021Episodes 2021]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2022Episodes 2022]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2023Episodes 2023]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadows2024Episodes 2024]] )\
3	One Hit Wonderland ( [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2012 2012]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2013 2013]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2014 2014]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2015 2015]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2016 2016]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2017 2017]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2018 2018]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2019 2019]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2020 2020]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2021 2021]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2022 2022]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2023 2023]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsOneHitWonderland2024 2024]] )\
4	Trainwreckords ( [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2017 2017]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2018 2018]] \| '''2019''' \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2020 2020]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2021 2021]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2022 2022]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2023 2023]] \| [[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2024 2024]] )\
5	[[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsCinemadonna Cinemadonna]]\
6	[[Funny/ToddInTheShadowsSpecials Specials]]
7
8	[[foldercontrol]]
9
10	[[folder:Lauryn Hill - ''MTV Unplugged No. 2.0'' (2002)]]
11	* When bringing up a recent incident where Music/LaurynHill received massive backlash for having shown up two hours late to a performance, Todd admits to being heartbroken and dismayed over the fact that [[BaitAndSwitch people are still buying tickets for her shows]]--he points out that this unprofessionalism is common for her shows and shouldn't be a surprise or disappointment to anybody.
12	** He then reviews footage of her on stage and comes to a startling realization that makes it all make sense to him: Lauryn Hill's [[StillGotIt still an amazing, charismatic, commanding performer when she can actually be bothered to appear]]. He compares buying tickets to one of her shows to buying a lottery ticket: you ''might'' go home empty-handed, but if you hit the jackpot and she deigns to show up...
13	* Todd states up top he's never been a fan of ''MTV Unplugged'', finding an all-acoustic format tedious and also pretentious to consider it more "real" than a fully produced performance. He suspects the public came around to his side when ''Music/{{Korn}}'' (of all bands) tried to do an unplugged concert. He then shows a clip of the performance, which shows that it went about as well as one can expect a NuMetal band attempting an acoustic performance to go.
14	-->'''Todd:''' What the fuck. Not an experiment to be repeated.
15	* Lauryn's opening lines are enough to make the thing unpromising.
16	-->'''Todd:''' She is performing all new, never-before-released material.\
17	'''Lauryn:''' A lot of these songs, too. Some of them, you know...they ain't even really have titles yet.\
18	'''Todd:''' All new... ''unfinished'' material.\
19	'''Lauryn:''' If I stop, if I start, if I, you know, feel like singing, "Baby, baby, baby" for...eighteen bars or whatever, you know, I just...I do that.\
20	'''Todd:''' All new, unfinished... ''ad-libbed'' material.\
21	'''Lauryn:''' Alright, so you guys are cool? Okay, I'm talking, people in my head, too [audience laughs].\
22	'''Todd:''' [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Yeah, it's gonna be real shaky.]]
23	* On the subject of the song "Mr. Intentional":
24	-->'''Todd:''' "Mr. Intentional" is about some unnamed condescending asshole...\
25	'''[[CaptionHumor Caption]]:''' ''(It's definitely'' ''[[Music/TheFugees Wyclef Jean]])''
26	** Captions come back later during a ''12-minute'' monologue, which Todd describes as "Lauryn Hill [[Website/{{TED}} TED Talks]]." Over shots of the audience with blank expressions on:
27	--->"...Where are the exits"\
28	"...please god invent the smartphone soon"
29	* Todd attempts to look up the metaphorically heavy lyrics of "Adam Lives in Theory", which leads to a FastForwardGag, complete with Lauryn being [[HeliumSpeech sped up to chipmunk levels]], as the lyrics scroll down to the bottom and Todd realizes in horror that this is going to be over seven minutes of Lauryn being "deep".
30	* On Lauryn's guitar skills:
31	-->'''Todd:''' I honestly don't know if [[MemeticMutation she]] ''[[MemeticMutation could]]'' [[MemeticMutation play]] [[Music/{{Oasis}} "Wonderwall"]].
32	* On the song "I Find It Hard To Say (Rebel)", which led to the special not being aired until months after [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror 9/11]], because Lauryn was afraid of causing rioting:
33	-->'''Todd:''' Yeah, don't worry Lauryn, this isn't going to make anyone start throwing bricks. It's going to make people get their latte somewhere else.
34	* Todd's takedown of Lauryn's "[[YouKeepUsingThatWord reality]]" running theme surrounding this show:
35	-->'''Lauryn:''' I used to be a performer, and I really don't consider myself a performer so much anymore.\
36	'''Todd:''' ''Then what the hell am I watching, lady?!''
37	** Adding later, "[[Music/SnoopDogg Realer than 'Real Deal' Holyfield]]. Music/JenniferLopez wasn't this real."
38	* This exchange:
39	-->'''Lauryn:''' Y'all never knew ''me!'' I just wanted to introduce you to me -- ''I'm'' just getting to know me!\
40	'''Todd:''' ''(sigh)'' [[MemeticMutation Ma'am, this is an Arby's.]]
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Madonna - ''American Life'' (2003)]]
44	* Todd's summary of the album, Music/{{Madonna}} doing a ConceptAlbum taking on UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror, thus:
45	-->'''Todd:''' "[[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush Bush]], [[WaxingLyrical I'm Madonna!]]"
46	* Todd's critique of the title track's replacement video, which removed the shock of the original (a military-themed fashion show) and has Madonna just standing in front of flags from random countries green-screened behind her.
47	-->'''Todd:''' Take that Estonia, Norway, Pakistan, and Monaco! Micronesia had it coming!
48	* Todd throwing shade during the "American Life Rap".
49	-->'''Todd:''' Eat that, Music/{{Nicki\|Minaj}} and Music/{{Cardi\|B}}, [[SarcasmMode there is a new Queen of Hip-Hop!]]
50	* His reaction to the third single, "I'm So Stupid":
51	-->'''Todd:''' Speaking of [[WhosOnFirst sounding like garbage]]...[[note]]The track is a [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong blatant rip-off]] of "Stupid Girl" by the ''band'' Music/{{Garbage}}. This could also be an IronicEcho to his One-Hit Wonderland episode for "Lovefool" by Music/TheCardigans, where he compared their later song "My Favourite Game" more positively to Garbage.[[/note]]
52	** Also, [[HellIsThatNoise his reaction to the harsh opening note at the beginning]], even leaning back in his chair.
53	* Todd scoffing at Madonna's rejection of Hollywood, saying that given the time the album was made, it comes off more as sour grapes after her film career definitively bombed with ''Film/SweptAway''.
54	-->'''Todd:''' [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E13HomerAndApu Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? Not me!]]
55	* "Hollywood" has an odd ending where Madonna starts chanting "push the button, don't push the button, trip the station, change the channel"-- cut to Creator/BelaLugosi shouting "Pull the string!" from ''Film/GlenOrGlenda''.
56	** The "Hollywood" single serves as a bit of a BrickJoke, because Todd used a remix of it as the theme song for his ''Cinemadonna'' series, which ended with this album's accompanying documentary. He reveals that "Hollywood" was the only Madonna song to not chart ''at all'' in the United States, no matter how hard she tried to promote it.[[note]]Keep in mind that, as shown in the video, it was among the songs she performed during the presentation where she made her infamous GirlOnGirlIsHot kiss with Music/BritneySpears and Music/ChristinaAguilera.[[/note]] Considering it highlights her bitterness over her film career ending, the irony is just delicious.
57	* Todd saying that only Madonna could lose a being-down-to-earth contest to Music/KanyeWest.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Robin Thicke - ''Paula'' (2014)]]
61	* This review is one where Todd actually doesn't have as much in the way of snark or jokes.[[note]][[https://twitter.com/ShadowTodd/status/1168755618661969920 (apparently unintended)]][[/note]] Todd treats the colossal failure of ''Paula'' as a fairly-somber HowTheMightyHaveFallen affair, even having the occasional SympathyForTheDevil (after all, Music/RobinThicke's material pre-"Blurred Lines", and even some of the material of this very album, made Todd realize Thicke wasn't untalented), while never losing sight of how Thicke basically brought it on himself, as the album is basically a very public show of Thicke being NotGoodWithRejection. But then again, moments like the very first line of the review makes you know that you're in for something... special.
62	-->'''Todd:''' He just... ''seemed'' like a douchebag.\
63	''[cue the opening bars of "Blurred Lines"]''
64	** Even the "This is Trainwreckords" introduction seemingly comes out of nowhere, preceded by Todd throwing up his hands, and him sounding confused while saying it rather than his usual confidence.
65	--->'''Todd:''' ''[with genuine bafflement and dismay in his voice]'' "I wrote a whole album about y..." What're you DOIN', man? [[NoJustNoReaction For the luvva God,]] ''[[NoJustNoReaction no]]''. ''[Slight beat]'' ...This is Trainwreckords.
66	* On said colossal failure of the album:[[note]]First week sales: 24,000 copies in the US, ''550'' in Canada, ''530'' in the UK, '''''158''''' in Australia[[/note]]
67	-->'''Todd:''' We've seen [[Music/DJKhaled big names]] fail to debut at #1 and [[https://youtube.com/shorts/dqjoqjmLusM?si=Dg1qfK9dxqsEuE3a throw public fits about their low numbers,]] but if they had seen sales as low as ''Paula'''s, they'd melt like [[Film/TheWizardOfOz the Wicked Witch]].
68	** "The same man, who was just a year earlier bragging about the size of his dick, now looked flaccid and shrunken and deflated."
69	* There's a subtly funny beat in the story of the night Robin met Paula -- he serenaded her with a Music/StevieWonder song. It sounds so romantic, like being a crooner was his destiny. Except...
70	-->'''Todd:''' You can't go wrong by singing Stevie.\
71	''[shows Wonder singing "Jungle Fever"]''\
72	'''Todd:''' ...[[OnSecondThought Except that one.]] Please tell me he didn't sing that one. ''[shows an article saying exactly that]'' Please tell me that's not true.
73	* Todd likens the BrokenPedestal effect of Robin Thicke's marriage failing to it theoretically coming out that Music/SnoopDogg [[TheStoner has never done drugs]] or that Creator/JohnCena hates [[MakeAWishContribution visiting sick kids]].
74	* Despite being a Trainwreckord through and through, Todd concedes that there are songs on the album that work-- particularly "Living in New York City", a funk-throwback number that Todd sheepishly (and hilariously) admits "kinda slaps".
75	** However, even that song ends up befuddling Todd. It starts with a LyricalColdOpen of a woman saying "I'm moving to New York" (which, as Todd elaborates, was Paula Patton herself, in what was possibly the last thing she collaborated on with Thicke). It's obvious that Todd was expecting it to segue into something somber... only for the cheerful song to follow. Todd's reaction is priceless.
76	* There is one HilariousInHindsight moment where Todd cuts to an old review he found.
77	-->'''Todd:''' Believe it or not, he wasn't always known as a douchebag. ''Rolling Stone'' called him ''"gentlemanly." [cut to the quote in question with "!?!!!" added next to it]''
78	* Todd draws attention to a moment during Thicke's appearance at the Billboard Music Awards, where the album's lead single "Get Her Back" first debuted, where Thicke straight-up says to the audience "Help me get her back" several times, there's a woman in the front row with a DisapprovingLook.
79	--->'''Todd:''' Shout-out to the uncomfortable-looking woman at the front row, she speaks for us ''all.''
80	* On the uptempo, seemingly-out-of-place track "Tippy Toes":
81	-->'''Todd:''' If this album were a musical, this would be the [[Theatre/TheMusicMan "Shipoopi"]].
82	** After managing to sway himself into thinking the album might be secretly decent, the one-two punch of "Tippy Toes" and "Something Bad" (with backup singers shrilly chiding Robin for being a "bad baby") make Todd re-evaluate his position and ponder whether it sucked after all.
83	* Some times, it's the small things. Todd can't help but chuckle at an AccidentalPun.
84	-->'''Todd:''' I'm sure that in the thick of it -- [-Heh heh, ''"Thicke'' of it"-] -- I'm sure that in the thick of it...
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:The Clash - ''Cut the Crap'' (1985)]]
88	* Todd explaining that the album title is very unfortunate as it set itself up for mockery, as the album is essentially Music/TheClash cutting "12 whole tracks of crap."
89	-->'''Todd:''' No record has ever teed itself up for the critics like that since [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Spinal Tap]] released ''Shark Sandwich''. ''[shows the scene of Spinal Tap reading a review mockingly calling their album "Shit Sandwich"]'' "Shit Sandwich" was my original title for this series, by the way.
90	* Todd did really thorough research for this episode, even [[ShownTheirWork buying several books and watching numerous documentaries]] on the Clash-- mostly because the surviving members of The Clash ''and'' their fans have done their damnedest to [[UnPerson avoid talking about it.]] MTV's ''Rockumentary'' episode on the Clash [[OrwellianRetcon doesn't even mention it]], the ''All the Albums, All the Songs'' encyclopedia reduces ''Music/CutTheCrap''[='=]s songs to single paragraphs each, and a ''Magazine/RollingStone'' article about the band's last concert with Mick Jones and Topper Headon does briefly mention it, but explicitly claims it doesn't count.
91	* When the opening track "Dictator" starts, the production and mixing are so bad (most strongly exemplified by the driving drum track being out of sync with the rest of the song) that Todd tries to listen to it through multiple speakers and headphones to check if it wasn't just a hardware glitch on his end. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer He's not even joking.]]
92	* Saying that the song "We Are The Clash" sounds like the theme to a Clash-themed TV show.
93	-->'''Todd:''' ''[imitating an announcer]'' The Clash! Weekdays at 4:30, on Fox 10!
94	* Todd does end up liking the one single "This Is England" (which is the only song from the album that appears on any Clash compilations), but refrains from showing a video because there isn't one. Why? [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere None of the band members showed up the day it was to be filmed]].
95	* When Todd reads Bernie Rhodes's nom-de-plume in the credits, he's [[ThisIsGonnaSuck already bracing himself for the bad news]].
96	* When Todd mentions Bernie Rhodes's meddling with the album causing in-band tensions, he notes that Joe Strummer came to Bernie's side, meaning that he could be called "a [[UsefulNotes/BernieSanders 'Bernie Bro']], if you will."
97	* Todd comparing Bernie Rhodes' conspiracy-theory complaints about the album's negative critical and commercial reception to [[TakeThat a DC fan railing against Rotten Tomatoes]].
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Hootie and the Blowfish - ''Fairweather Johnson'' (1996)]]
101	* The video starts with Todd asking himself if he can make an entire 20-minute video about Music/HootieAndTheBlowfish interesting.[[note]]Funnily enough, he ended up at just over 19 minutes minus credits.[[/note]] By the end:
102	-->'''Todd:''' I think ultimately we can write this album off as a boring failure. [[SelfDeprecation Just like this video!]] I swear to god I'll cover Wrestling/HulkHogan's album next time or something, just anything more interesting than this.
103	* "If there is any band on earth who shouldn't be on a show about spectacular failures, it is Hootie and the Blowfish. [[BaitAndSwitch 'Cause they weren't a spectacular]] ''[[BaitAndSwitch anything]]''."
104	** To put it in context, all of the other albums on the series flopped because of a disastrous, ill-conceived or badly executed creative direction, internal strife between band members or the record label, terrible promotion, public backlash against the band itself, or some combination thereof. Hootie's problem? Their sophomore album sounded exactly like the old one, and their current market saturation made ''Fairweather Johnson'', the weaker record of the two, commercially redundant. Even when they stumbled at the height of their fame, [[SoOkayItsAverage it was kind of unremarkable]].
105	* Todd stating that the band was so middle-of-the-road that they must have "scientifically pinpointed the exact center of the road with quantum precision."
106	* Todd admits up top that there's nothing notably disastrous about the album, it's just a dull album that didn't sell well. And that's just having explained that lots of bands have albums like that, and it usually doesn't meet his definition of a "trainwreckord"... except in this case, simply due to how ''jaw-droppingly'' successful Hootie's debut album ''Cracked Rear View'' was.
107	* Todd illustrates the band's incredible success by playing a clip of Hootie being award a Grammy, with a giant red arrow helpfully labeling the presenter as "[[Music/TupacShakur TUPAC F'ING SHAKUR]]," who excitedly describes them as personal favorites before reading out their name.
108	** And standing next to Tupac while he presents the Grammy? ''Music/{{KISS}}''.
109	* Todd's frequent mocking of Darius Rucker's {{Yarling}} throughout the video. This includes not only yarling an interview quote from Rucker, but also yarling a quote from a record executive denying that the album was a flop:
110	-->'''Todd:''' Yeah, everyone connected with them talks like that, I decided.
111	** "I swear to God he's trying to sing without using ''consonants''!"
112	* Right up there with the "bisexual" line from Lauryn Hill, Hootie and the Blowfish give us...
113	-->'''Darius Rucker:''' And I'd love to hurt the population!\
114	'''Todd:''' [[BigWhat Wait, what, WHY?!]]
115	* One of the reasons Todd lists for rushing out this album is that they'd been playing the same setlist for five years at that point, and "even when you ARE Hootie and the Blowfish", you can get sick of Hootie and the Blowfish.
116	* Todd judges the best song on the album to be the eponymous middle track, "Fairweather Johnson": A 45-second joke song that suddenly cuts out in the middle. Todd has to stop himself from literally spending longer analyzing and talking about it and its themes than its duration.
117	-->'''Todd:''' [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer I'm not kidding.]] It was the catchiest song and I knew what it was about.
118	* Todd reads an excerpt from a British review that states "Duller than Dull Dave [=McDull=]'s Duller Brother Dennis"
119	-->'''Todd:''' I imagine the ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' guy writing that.

Context Funny / ToddInTheShadowsTrainwreckords2019