They Might Be Giants

[Princess Marzipan]

I have Flood, but want to hear more.

What album(s) should I look into?

Thanks in advance.

[une see]

I have nothing to contribute to this thread, but I'd like to take a moment, just sitting right here, to say that Birdhouse in Your Soul is the best song ever.

That is all. *vanishes in a fluttering of capes and...assorted fluttery things*

[Lani]

I don't know albums, but I got to see them my freshman year in college. My school brought them in to do a free show for us. I crowd surfed to "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", and it was awesome (I was also up there for a while!).

But yeah, great band.

[MFHodge]

Lincoln is a good album. I think "Ana Ng" is maybe their best song.

[Clumpy]

No question about it. Buy "Dial-a-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants." We're talking two discs nearly 80 minutes each, with 52 songs for about double the price of a regular album. Every song is awesome. Between that and downloading all of their songs from their online radio station (charming low budget songs - use a wiretap on the computer), you should be set.

I'm serious. Flood is their only album that stands on its own, but buy the anthology and you'll get everything you could possibly want from the band.

And, yes - they rule.

[Kawa]

In somewhat related news, my Chem prof played "Why Does the Sun Shine" in class once. That was an awesome moment.

[Bakemaster]

I have Flood, Lincoln and The Spine. I have also listened to John Henry and enjoyed it, though not as much as the ones I own. A friend of mine has Apollo 18 and I've heard a few songs off it but not most of them (the few were good).

Remember when a Crazy Dough opened in that weird little first-and-a-half-floor area of The Garage in Harvard? Did you ever go there? Cause a few times they were playing non-stop TMBG music videos on the TV on the wall. Which was cool, even though I liked the pizza better from the place that was there before them. I think it's another place now.

[Princess Marzipan]

No question about it. Buy "Dial-a-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants."

FANTASTIC! I will look into this.

Much appreciated, all!

[Djsavestheday]

I once got my science teacher to play 'The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas' in class. That was cool : D

[Maseiken]

I just love the name, it brings a whole gamut of possible situations to mind...

[ryan]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Apollo 18 yet. That is an awesome album.

[Bakemaster]

A friend of mine has Apollo 18 and I've heard a few songs off it but not most of them (the few were good).

[LSK]

I own every one of their albums (except Mink Car, which I can't find.)

My order of preference:

- The Spine
- John Henry (their most 'complete' work)
- The Else
- Apollo 18
- Factory Showroom
- Flood
- Lincoln
- They Might Be Giants
- No!

(I'm not much of a fan of their very early work, and No! was weak.)

[cephalopod9]

I don't know albums, but I got to see them my freshman year in college. My school brought them in to do a free show for us. I crowd surfed to "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", and it was awesome (I was also up there for a while!).

But yeah, great band.

D: no fair!

TMBG is pretty awesome nerd music. I don't know their albums either because of napster.
They've got so many great songs. Bastard Wants to Hit me, Particle Man, Bangs, She's an Angel, We Want A Rock, Museum of Idiots, 'Till My Head Falls Off, etc. etc.

Did anyone hear when they were on NPR, (This American Life and Studio 360, maybe other shows)?

[curious and questioning]

First, I want to express my love for the creator of this thread and for They Might Be Giants. When I saw a music thread, my first thought was to make a thread about Them.

Dial-A-Song was the compilation that made me interested in TMBG, but I've found that now I want to get all the other albums, there are just enough songs that I don't want to get the whole album, but not enough that it costs less to download the remaining songs individually from iTunes. But there isn't a better way I can think of.

Flood is my favorite album, Birdhouse In Your Soul my favorite song.

[Sprocket]

Anyone with a car headed to the Mohegan Sun show this weekend and have room for two? (or one)

Nougat, I'm so proud that you're the one who started this thread.

My favorite album is Apollo 18. Mink Car is their most solid album, which is not to say my favorite at all. No! is fun, I'm not that into Flood, really. I have cd I call the best of dial a song 2004 I should share with all ya'll if you want copies.

My favorite song is probably Ana Ng. Don't Let's Start, Certain People I could name, She's and Angel, hmm it's all so good!

In fact, Noug, I will make you a mix.

[Sprocket]

Hey, let's compile a best of right here.

Give me a maximum of 20 TMBG songs, in a VAGUE order if you can, top one being best of the best, 20th one being really amazing but not as good as one. I will fiddle with it and use it to help me make Nougat's mix. I'll reveal to you the list after the CD is in his possesion.

link to my 727th post

[curious and questioning]

Is this songs he doesn't have, or songs in general?

Assuming that it's songs in general:
(also assuming things like Venue Songs and ringtones don't count)

1.Birdhouse In Your Soul
2.She's An Angel
3.Experimental Film
4.Ana Ng
5.I Should Be Allowed To Think
6.The End Of The Tour
7.The Mesopotamians
8.Doctor Worm
9.Withered Hope
10.Letterbox
11.Bee of the Bird of the Moth
12.Where Do They Make Balloons?
13.Dead
14.The Guitar
15.We Live In A Dump
16.They'll Need A Crane
17.Another First Kiss
18.Don't Let's Start
19.Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
20.I Am Not Your Broom

Note that these songs are fairly random; near the end of the list I was just picking songs that I kind of liked. Other than the first 9 (taken from most played), the songs could be anywhere in my favorites.

[Sprocket]

I have Flood, Lincoln and The Spine. I have also listened to John Henry and enjoyed it, though not as much as the ones I own. A friend of mine has Apollo 18 and I've heard a few songs off it but not most of them (the few were good).

Remember when a Crazy Dough opened in that weird little first-and-a-half-floor area of The Garage in Harvard? Did you ever go there? Cause a few times they were playing non-stop TMBG music videos on the TV on the wall. Which was cool, even though I liked the pizza better from the place that was there before them. I think it's another place now.

Woah! bad ass! Too bad I'm sure Pinochio's pizza right outside is better.


So from curious and questioning's list, the ones I haven't already thought about for the best of are -

5.I Should Be Allowed To Think
7.The Mesopotamians
8.Doctor Worm (complicated)
9.Withered Hope
10.Letterbox
11.Bee of the Bird of the Moth
12.Where Do They Make Balloons?
13.Dead
14.The Guitar (good)
15.We Live In A Dump
19.Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
20.I Am Not Your Broom

Who's next?

[Yellow no. 5]

I don't know about a list of 20 songs, I like most of their stuff. One of my favorites is off a podcast they did, the song is called "Summer's the Worst" and another song from a different podcast about what words are like.

I love the words to their songs, it's like they just write about what they see in the most clever way.

[Bakemaster]

Too bad I'm sure Pinochio's pizza right outside is better.

Eh, I've been there, it was okay. None of these places are my idea of superawesome pizza, but the other two are better than crazy dough except for absense of TMBG.

[Sprocket]

Well, Nougat, I guess you're just going to get my concept of a best of. A very skewed best of.

I went to Moghegan Sun Last night. 7/28/2007 (728th post)
Randomly, around 5:30 or so, John Flansburg showed up and started passing out stickers saying "just don't put them on anything in the casnio" He handed me a sticker and s then he handed me some more and said "here, for your friends" and I handed them around my circle, but someone went without, for there were 5 stickers and 6 of us

Then we were of the first 50 people (undeservedly too, sorry folks who we pushed back...my friend Jason had two friends who got in line before we got there) and got the free CD, which was also signed by both. (seriously I contemplated giving my free CD away to someone else who was further back in line, because I wasn't waiting in line from 3:30...but I thought that wold be awkward) Each is signed a bit differently. Mine has John F. on the outside of the liner notes and J. Linell on the back cover of the liner notes. I like that because Flansburg is more out going and Linell you don't see much. (I actually got Flansburg's signature at my first show in this teeny venue in Buffalo)

After the show we were walking towards the exit of the casino where the people who held our place in line for 2.5 hours before we showed up had parked, and who should come-a-walking past us but John, John and Marty Beller (the current drummer). You never see Linell off stage. So I had to do something, but I didn't want to annoy them. So I just kept walking, held up my hand and said "hey..can I get a high five?" and Flansburg was first, so he just did it, of course... but Linell was a little more skidish...and held up his hand rather weakly and tapped it with little furvor, and a toothy grin. I suppose I may have been a little pushy, I was a little under the influence (I ordered a mudslide after a blue moon ale, I'd never had such a girly drink but I wanted whipped cream, and Sandry knocked it over after I drank half) but it was Linell!...and I apologize if it was too much. But...you never see Linell of stage...and someday he'll be dead. My dad touched John Paul the Second, and I touched John Linell.

[parkaboy]

hahah lucky. and thats an awesome story - i'd love to meet those guys.

i also agree that Anna Ng is one of their best songs ever.

[LSK]

1.Birdhouse In Your Soul
2.She's An Angel
3.Experimental Film
4.Ana Ng
5.I Should Be Allowed To Think
6.The End Of The Tour
7.The Mesopotamians
8.Doctor Worm
9.Withered Hope
10.Letterbox
11.Bee of the Bird of the Moth
12.Where Do They Make Balloons?
13.Dead
14.The Guitar
15.We Live In A Dump
16.They'll Need A Crane
17.Another First Kiss
18.Don't Let's Start
19.Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
20.I Am Not Your Broom

Ones on that list that I am not particularly fond of:
(the first few are 'good but not so good', the later ones are ones I just don't like.)

They'll Need A Crane
The Guitar
Bee of the Bird of the Moth

Letterbox
Where Do They Make Balloons?
Dead
Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
I Am Not Your Broom

And here's a list for songs that aren't typically thought of as their best but are still pretty good when it comes down to it. In no particularly good order (chronologically, AFAIK):

1) Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes
2) It's Not My Birthday
3) We Want A Rock
4) Whistling In The Dark
5) Dinner Bell (I love this one)
6) Hall of Heads
7) See the Constellation
8) Why Must I Be Sad?
9) Dirt Bike
10) Destination Moon
11) A Self Called Nowhere
12) Metal Detector
13) Spiraling Shape
14) Wicked Little Critta
15) Working Undercover For The Man
16) Memo to Human Resources
17) Wearing a Raincoat
18) Damn Good Times
19) Vestibule
20) I'm Impressed

I think that not even one of these was included on their greatest-hits album.

And, yet another list, of "obvious" songs the original list omitted:

- Purple Toupee
- Twisting
- I Palindrome I
- The Statue Got Me High
- Fingertips
- The Cap'm (although this is basically Dr. Worm 2.0)

[Bakemaster]

I don't understand why Minimum Wage isn't on any of these lists.

I don't understand.

[Sandry]

I'd never had such a girly drink but I wanted whipped cream, and Sandry knocked it over after I drank half)

You immortalised my clumsiness! (And yes, I'm now drawing attention to it.) Clearly I can only hope that my timely act of alcohol deprivation left you at exactly the right state of inebriation to ask for that high five without being either too timid or too off-puttingly drunk. It was my plan the whole time!

I'm not making a list of twenty, as most of the ones I like are in more than one list already. However, I am apparently the only person on the face of the planet who likes "Man, It's So Loud In Here," so I throw that in. *sigh*

Oh, and of course the concert was awesome and I'm so glad I went, four hours in a car notwithstanding.

[Princess Marzipan]

I don't understand why Minimum Wage isn't on any of these lists.

I don't understand.

It is indeed a pretty fantastic song.

...HEEYAH!

[LSK]

I'm not making a list of twenty, as most of the ones I like are in more than one list already. However, I am apparently the only person on the face of the planet who likes "Man, It's So Loud In Here," so I throw that in. *sigh*

I love the song - but it was on a Greatest Hits, so I decided to not put it on my list.

Oddly enough, my list was not meant to be twenty - it just happens that that's how many went on it.

[SecondTalon]

I have Flood, but want to hear more.

What album(s) should I look into?

Thanks in advance.

Then: The Early Years Which means it's their first two albums: They Might Be Giants, and Lincoln.

As part of the bonus tracks, has a class of ?5?th graders singing Particle Man.

The only thing I'd argue with VTHodge's assessment is that Don't Let's Start might possibly be better than Ana Ng. But those are probably their best songs. #3 being Birdhouse. #4 is Purple Toupee.

Sadly, I could only find one of their actual videos.. the one for Purple Toupee.

[curious and questioning]

Sadly, I could only find one of their actual videos.. the one for Purple Toupee.

Check here.

[Sprocket]

Sandry, I'm so glad you had a good time glad I could be part of it.

So, I decided what I wanted to do was make a CD that represented all the albums I had (on MP3 or actual cd) I may have just barely not succeeded. Also, Nougat only owns Flood, so I intentionally excluded all of Flood. I fit 29 songs on a 70 minute cd. This is what I had - (personal favorites *)

Don't Let's Start*
Spiraling Shape (but I wanted to put rocket ship, but my version has a big gap at the start)
Your Mom's Alright
Take out the trash (which I essentially danced to alone on Saturday)
S-E-X-X-Y*
Certain People I Could Name*
My Man*
I Palindrome I* (an all time favorite of mine)
Mr. Excitement
Damn Good Times
Man It's so Loud in Here
Bastard Wants to Hit Me
Violin
Save Your Life
She's and Angel*
Experimental Film
I'm Impressed
Meet James Ensor
Which Describes How You're Feeling All the Time
Where Your Eyes Don't Go*
Cyclops Rock
'Til My Head Falls Off*
No!
Why Did You Grow a Beard?
John Lee Super Taster
They'll Need A Crane*
Turn Around* (again, one of the original songs that got me into the band)
Ana Ng*
Museum of Idiots*

[Princess Marzipan]

I'm giving the mix a go at work.

I can't seem to find a loud enough volume for Man It's So Loud In Here...

[Sprocket]

I want a play by play!

[Princess Marzipan]

Don't Let's Start is also fantastic. I'm not retaining an impression of tracks 2-10 at this time, but I've heard them once while working.

I LOVE Violin. Lin. Lin.

Currently on Which Describes How You're Feeling when calls permit.

[Sprocket]

I LOVE Violin. Lin. Lin.

Awesome! I almost didn't include that because I wasn't sure how you would respond to it. In the end I decided it was fun.

[Princess Marzipan]

I got up to "mop" and had to stop writing emails to appreciate the sheer genius of it.

[Sprocket]

Hate anything? (or anything just fall flat?)

[Princess Marzipan]

I've only heard some of 'em once, so I wanna get a few shuffles done before making any negative judgments.

[Sprocket]

Sadly, I could only find one of their actual videos.. the one for Purple Toupee.

Check here.

Oh Man! I hate seeing young Linell...it just hurts so bad. They were so little an innocent lookin' once.... It's kind of like watching The Kids in the Hall. Oh Dave Foley! You were once so very young and cute! I need an old TMBG poster...

Also - I lost my train of thought.... they need more girly t-shirts on their website? OH! I remember! I wonder if Randall hates TMBG strictly on the basis that Spiraling Shape is claimed to be about the faking of the moon landing.

[Sprocket]

I posted this on the TMBG Myspace Page....

Aug 2 2007 12:47A

Sorry if asking for a high-five at Mohegan Sun was over-stepping my boundaries. A blue moon ale and half a mudslide on an empty stomach is surprisingly effective... dang girl drinks! I really appreciated it Thanks SO much! much love!


THE REPLY.........


----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: <a href=' http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... 79844b9b0' >They Might Be Giants</a>
Date: Aug 2, 2007 9:26 PM


we love high fives!
rock on!
JF