Bless Whoever Decided That 'Weird Al' Should Release His Catalogue In An Accordion Box

Never underestimate the importance of design, for it can buoy or ruin even the strongest of core products.

The decision, for example, to switch from releasing The Simpsons DVDs in streamlined, pleasant boxes to ungainly, uneven plastic heads from season six onward was misguided at best, and stings to this day. 

Everything about it was bad. The flimsy material, the jagged edges, the weird plastic protective cover — it really jarred with collectors' neuroses, to the point that Fox eventually went back and released standard box versions of all the seasons they'd done the head thing for, but also kept doing the heads. And some are boxes and heads. It's a mess.

The same cannot be said, however, for the evident genius who came up with the design of "Weird Al" Yankovic's Squeeze Box: The Complete Works Of "Weird Al" Yankovic, a 15-album collection of the veteran parodist's expansive catalogue, including an exclusive LP of rarities and unreleased material, that is one of the most comprehensive and finely presented releases you'll likely see this year, if not ever.

Look at it. Someone, somewhere, had the genius idea to release this thing in a box shaped like an accordion — Yankovic's primary instrument — and turn the little, what, bellows?, into record sleeves and it's just… it's really great. It's clever, it's on-brand, it's functional yet funky and it's not a box shaped like a head. Big ticks all around.

The Squeeze Box release comes in all kinds of different sizes (but one shape) and includes 14 studio albums plus a new album, Medium Rarities, of B-sides, unreleased and other bits and bobs from throughout Yankovic's decorated career.

The box set also includes a 100-page collector's book, featuring previously unreleased photos and other memorabilia.

The various editions run from a basic CD Box Set Bundle and Vinyl Box Set Bundle, which will set you back about $270 and $400 respectively, ranging up to the Platinum Vinyl Box Set Bundle, which includes the whole kit and caboodle plus a bunch of exclusive merch including custom "Weird Al" socks, an animated turntable mat, commemorative T-shirt and more. For the die-hards only, that'll eat about $635 out of your bank account. But there is a crazy amount of stuff in there.

At any level, you at the very least get the accordion box and the complete catalogue, which includes:

"Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)
"Weird Al" Yankovic In 3-D (1984)
Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
Polka Party! (1986)
Even Worse (1988)
UHF — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack & Other Stuff (1989)
Off The Deep End (1992)
Alapalooza (1993)
Bad Hair Day (1996)
Running With Scissors (1999)
Poodle Hat (2003)
Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Alpocalypse (2011)
Mandatory Fun (2014)
Medium Rarities (2017)

However, with Australian postage looking likely to set you back close to a hundred bucks on its own… you're going to really, really want that accordion box.

Weird Al's Squeeze Box is available for pre-order now via Pledge Music. Orders are open until 28 February, with the release shipping on 24 November.