So why is Chef Aid: The South Park Album on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I get that if you’re not a South Park superfan or familiar with this particular slice of music and comedy magic from 1998, you might be a wee bit skeptical that Chef Aid: The South Park Album landed at #247 of the best 1,000 albums ever.
But that’s why I’m here, people. To set the record straight.
Or something.
It boils down to this: Chef Aid: The South Park Album is not only a wildly eclectic and fun compilation of late 1990s rock and pop and hip hop artists, it deftly mixes in the hyper-talented voice actors from the legendary animated show on some tracks, which allows other cast members – and I’m especially shouting out funk and soul legend Isaac Hayes here – to shine bright as well.
Some of the individual tracks are quasi-experimental wonders in their own right. For example, behold the splendor of “Nowhere To Run (Vapor Trail),” which features a bizarre lineup – The Crystal Method, Ozzy Osbourne, DMX, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Fuzzbubble – that somehow works out splendidly.
Also, it rocks really hard. And honestly, this might be my single favorite song that features The Crystal Method (and that goes the same for some of those others as well).
Another absolute smasher along those lines is “Hot Lava,” featuring Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros fame, DJ Nu-Mark, and D.V.D.A. (a band comprising the South Park creators*).
* I invite you to check out what D.V.D.A. stands for on your own if you like… but keep in mind the meaning is on the NC-17 level if you can dig.
As great as Farrell’s work is with his other bands, I simply have enormous affection for this one – it’s his vision and voice best played out in many ways: strange and passionate and rocking with a nice level of groovy in the mix.
And speaking of iconic artists, Elton John’s “Wake Up Wendy” – a song that he crafted specifically for South Park and this album as far as I can tell – is my single favorite Elton John song of all time.
Even in writing those words, I’m smiling a little bit in disbelief, but it’s the absolute truth. “Wake Up Wendy” is a drop dead gorgeous, catchy, and end-to-end glorious singer-songwriter number from Sir Elton.
Segue then to another song that’s written for the show/album that’s also by far my favorite song that the artist has ever produced: “Kenny’s Dead” is both a hilarious play on the classic South Park bit where Kenny gets killed during every episode (and then of course is reincarnated again and again with no explanation), and also a weirdly great homage to “Freddie’s Dead,” by Curtis Mayfield.*
* Also see: the incredible “Freddie’s Dead” cover by Fishbone, from the Truth & Soul album, #734 of best 1,000 albums ever.
Then there are several songs that incorporate the South Park team in some kind of way. In 99.9% of all non-South Park contexts this would never ever (ever) work, but here it does because… South Park. Examples include “Bubblegoose,” by Wyclef Jean (one of his very best!), the cheesy yet still somehow amazing “Horny,” credited to Mousse T. vs. Hot ‘n’ Juicy, and the possibly problematical yet still kind of amazing, “The Rainbow,” by Ween.
And if all of that isn’t enough, there’s a final class of songs that are original compositions by the core South Park team. As you may know if you’ve been following the crazy ride that is the best 1,000 albums ever project, I love me a song that works as both music and comedy, and there are a good number of these on the Chef Aid album.
Of these, I must call full attention to the comedic masterpiece-meets-funk rock blast of “Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You),” credited to Chef (Isaac Hayes). “Simultaneous,” by Chef/Hayes, is also super fun and catchy.
And of all the 22 tracks and 77 minutes that make up Chef Aid: The South Park Album, the song running through my head most as I wrote this piece is Rancid going full Rancid with “Brad Logan.”
Some stats & info about Chef Aid: The South Park Album
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Compilations, TV Soundtracks, Rock Music, Hip Hop, Rap, Metal, Comedy Music
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 2.5 out of 5 stars (?!)
- When was Chef Aid: The South Park Album released? 1998
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #247 out of 1,000
Chef Aid: The South Park Album on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Chef Aid: The South Park Album that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Ooh baby, every time we kiss, hot lava.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.