Weird Al has decided that the time is ripe for a White Stripes parody in the form of "CNR," his ode to Charles Nelson Reilly that plays like a less-than-funny attempt to make Chuck Norris jokes about Charles Nelson Reilly. That said, Al replicates the White Stripes' sound pretty well. Not that it's all that difficult. The video is embed-disabled, so to watch it, go here.
"CNR" is a part of Al's "Internet Leaks" program where he releases songs directly to iTunes, and is available there now. [Videogum]
As far as mass appeal goes, this one won't cut it. I personally found it absolutely hilarious, though, in no small part because of how starkly CNR's antics in the song clash with what Charles Nelson Reilly was actually like. I'm figuring the reviewer completely missed this (perhaps he doesn't know who CNR is?), hence the lukewarm review.
Actually, his reference of these as "Chuck Norris" jokes may tip off the reviewer's age pretty well. The time honored tradition of telling tall tales of invincibility about random celebrities in print media and music has been around far longer than the relatively recent Chuck Norris internet meme.
In any event, pretty big fan of the song...not one of Al's top-notch originals, but sits solidly in the tier below.
By the by, the uncharacteristically downbeat recent Al original "Skipper Dan" IS the real deal: It's one of the best comedy originals I've ever heard, period, as it straddles the line between your basic "sad sack story" and an eerie subtle dark humor. Outstanding.