Went to a friend's house yesterday... This guy has what might be the most impressive collection of TMBG memorabilia assembled by any one person who is not in the band. In addition to insanely rare discs, hundreds of actual setlists, flyers, every conceivable fan-club-only item you can think of, he has not only constructed an exact replica of Flansburgh's "Chessmaster" guitar (which Flans signed for him), but managed to obtain Flansy's actual unique "TMBG" amp (as seen in the video for 'The Guitar', and several TV appearances and promotional photos from the early 90's) from John directly! Damn good times!!
For the four or so TMBG fans out there, I recently uploaded a 1992 show I that recorded (on DAT no less) to SoundCloud. Here it is: They Might Be Giants - Live At The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY 9-13-92
REALLY, They Might Be Giants?!?!?!? THREE NEW ALBUMS?!?!??!?! These guys just CAN'T BE STOPPED!!!!! Idlewild Recordings Exclusives I salute them!
...”contrived cuteness” ??! Did you actually listen? A lot of their lyrics are pretty grim/dark. Nothing “cute” about TMBG. Unless, maybe you heard the kids album they did about ABC’s.
BTW, KMSU is currently in the middle of a 12-hour TMBG marathon! Listen live here - http://icecast.mnsu.edu:8000/kmsu
“He wants a shoehorn, the kind with teeth People should get beat up for stating their beliefs” Most quoted song lyric in my household.
But who else can take a lyric like: "We die alone We die afraid We live in terror We're naked and alone And the grave is the loneliest place" ...and make it one of the catchiest damn hooks I've heard all year?
The level of enthusiasm, prolificness (is that a word??) and talent they have as they approach 60 is unbelievable. I Like Fun (their first album this year, released in January) is one of their best records yet. And then they put out a string of new songs every week on their Dial-A-Song service, with some of them being better than most of what made the album (Tractor, Jackie The Clipper, The Communists Have The Music, Dog and The Neck Rolls Aren't Working being my favorites). Seen 'em twice this year and still have two more shows to go before 2019 (12/30 + 12/31). Fantastic live performers, and their stage banter is almost as entertaining as the music.
I can't wait to see them in March next year - it's been too long and last time they only played the one show. Also glad Curt Ramm is coming along for the ride
I have often said They Might Be Giants must wonder why they only became a "cult band" while the similarly quirky Bare Naked Ladies became major hit makers! "Birdhouse In Your Soul" is every bit as great of a single as "One Week".
I doubt it. I think TMBG have achieved more success both artistically and commercially, as well as a few Grammys.
Love them. Intelligent and they are a pair of the greatest songwriters of all time. Melody and harmony deluxe. Their lyrical schtick can get old sometimes, but their hooks are both immortal and gigantic. I love John Linnell's voice, too.
I like creating my own "Best Of" compilations, and TMBG are one of the few artists that I like where their "Best Of" would encompass six discs and I'd STILL have some favorites which couldn't fit due to space! I have it divided where the first 3 discs are 'Early' (1985-2000) and the next 3 discs are 'Later' (2001-2018). BTW, disregard my post on Mage 1 from March, as now I find myself drawn to their later work a lot more than the earlier stuff. If anything, they've become better songwriters. And Lance, I agree with you about Linnell's voice being fantastic. Pretty amazing that both he and Flansbugh's voices are pretty much exactly the same as they were 30 years ago. Anyway, here's my comp (for the five people here who may be interested): Disc 1 Everything Right Is Wrong Again Subliminal Boss Of Me The Guitar Sleeping In The Flowers Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Till My Head Falls Off The Statue Got Me High Particle Man Hide Away Folk Family Letterbox Dead See The Constellations Narrow Your Eyes Piece Of Dirt Lucky Ball And Chain Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon Meet James Ensor They'll Need A Crane I Palindrome I Why Must I Be Sad Spiraling Shape Shoehorn With Teeth Dr. Worm Weep Day It's Not My Birthday Cage And Aquarium Snowball In Hell Kiss Me, Son Of God Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May The Bells Are Ringing Disc 2 South Carolina Birdhouse In Your Soul Dig My Grave Ana Ng (She Was A) Hotel Detective Why Does The Sun Shine? Now That I Have Everything Hey Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal Destination Moon Boat Of Car Purple Toupee New York City Maine Sensurround We're The Replacements Twisting The World's Address Welcome To The Jungle Which Describes How You're Feeling Someone Keeps Moving My Chair James K. Polk Don't Let's Start No One Knows My Plan Lullabye To Nightmare Snail Shell Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head I Can Hear You She Was An Angel I've Got A Match Rhythm Section Want Ad House Of Mayors The End Of The Tour Disc 3 Theme From Flood They Might Be Giants Cowtown Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes She's Actual Size Lie Still, Little Bottle Spy Mammal Where Your Eyes Don't Go Mrs. Train Ant Your Racist Friend We Want A Rock Your Own Worst Enemy Stormy Pinkness Out Of Jail For Science My Evil Twin Women And Men Metal Detector A Self Called Nowhere Dinner Bell When It Rains It Snows The Biggest One Sapphire Bullets Of Love Maybe I Know If I Wasn't Shy Turn Around Window Ondine Thermostat Number Three Become A Robot Hope That I Get Old Before I Die Mr. Me Alienation's For The Rich Fingertips Disc 4 They Got Lost Damn Good Times Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2 Authenticity Trip Hopeless Bleak Despair I Left My Body The Mesopotamians Answer You Don't Like Me Let Me Tell You About My Operation Au Contraire Man, It's So Loud In Here Call You Mom I'm A Coward Wearing A Raincoat Good To Be Alive Older Fibber Island Spoiler Alert Words Are Like With The Dark Bangs Shape Shifter We Live In A Dump Marty Beller Mask Bills, Bills, Bills Hello Mrs. Wheelyke Sleep The Darlings Of Lumberland Another First Kiss Disc 5 Rest Awhile Let's Get This Over With Four Of Two Working Undercover For The Man All Time What Old Pine Box By The Time You Get This All The Lazy Boyfriends Jackie The Clipper Judy Is Your Viet Nam The Cap'm Sold My Mind to the Kremlin (She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth Spine Can You Find It? Let Your Hair Hang Down The Bright Side Madam, I Challenge You To A Duel Brooklyn Climbing The Walls Hate The Villanelle Albany In Fact The Lady And The Tiger Los Angeles Asbury Park Celebration McCafferty's Bib Never Knew Love Dog The Winner I Never Go To Work Lake Monsters 2082 Tractor Disc 6 When Will You Die I Love You for Psychological Reasons Thunderbird Can't Keep Johnny Down Erase Am I Awake? Aaa Mrs. Bluebeard End Of The Rope I'm All You Can Think About Withered Hope I Like Fun Cloisonné Meet The Elements Brain Problem Situation Careful What You Pack Trouble Awful Devil Evil Hovering Sombrero Canajoharie Museum Of Idiots One Everything Underwater Woman You're On Fire Unpronounceable You Probably Get That A Lot Experimental Film Push Back The Hands Anaheim Stalk Of Wheat Last Wave
Brilliant band very clever song writers. A good friend got me into them a few years ago. I think i have everything on CD.
Is She Was An Angel a mashup of She Was A Hotel Detectives and She's An Angel? Also, I don't think I've heard of Will You Love Me In September As You Do In May. Was it a DAS track?
Nah, it's She's An Angel. My mistake! Will You Love Me In December is from the John Linnell Hello CD House Of Mayors. From 1993-96, JF ran an interesting 'Hello CD of the Month' club, where for around $45- you'd get 10 exclusive CDEPs from various artists that JF liked/worked with. Some of them were TMBG side projects, like House of Mayors and the State Songs EP (which had different versions of what's on the State Songs LP) for Linnell, or Mono Puff and Hello The Band for Flansburgh. There was a lot of really interesting and enjoyable music on those discs, and I still listen to many of them on a regular basis.
They tore the house down at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on the No tour. Playing childrens songs for drunken adults. It was great Flood is a modern masterpiece.
