They Might be Giants

[_V_]

Can someone recommend me an album by They Might be Giants?

I've heard The Spine (which is wonderfully addictive) and I'm thinking about getting Flood, but what do you think?
And if you've never heard of TMBG, then definitely google/projectplaylist/youtube/etc... them.

[1337geek]

I'll second this request. I've never listened to their "real" music, but I've enjoyed the stuff they did for HomestarRunner.com, so who knows? I might like 'em.

[SecondTalon]

Personally, I think Flood is an excellent starter album for them.

[Sandry]

Totally second that - Flood rocks the house. I love that and Apollo 18, and had a tape of one on each side that was awesome for car trips.

[Goatboy]

Flood was my first, I was about six years old. I think it actually explains my taste in music now pretty well. It's a good started, Apollo 18 is incredibly solid, too. I'd have to throw John Henry into the suggestions, as it is varied and lustrous.

[felixalias]

I personally am a big fan of The Spine. Tracks like Memo To Human Resources just make the album great.

[_V_]

[quote="felixalias"]I personally am a big fan of The Spine. Tracks like [i]Memo To Human Resources[/i] just make the album great.[/quote]

OOOhhh yeah, I looooooove memo to human resources. Just the little chord before "...down." after "Came to talk me...".
Beautiful.

And I'll check out all the albums recommended by others.

[thatguy]

If you've ever heard the Dust Brothers and liked them, the album they produced for TMBG is like peanut butter and chocolate...

[_V_]

If you've ever heard the Dust Brothers and liked them, the album they produced for TMBG is like peanut butter and chocolate...

You got your Dust Brothers in my TMBG!

Yeah, I'll check it out.

[Goatboy]

I'm afraid I'll have to ask which album that was. Rather than looking it up myself.

[thatguy]

Oops sorry I thought I put that in there. It was The Else.

[aion7]

My first two were Flood and Apollo 18. Since then I've gotten The Spine.

Although The Spine is my favorite, I recommend all of them.

Songs like Wearing a Raincoat (The Spine) are awesome.

[PatrickRsGhost]

Just get The User's Guide To They Might Be Giants. It has a lot of the most popular songs by them including Particle Man, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), Boss of Me (theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle"), Birdhouse In Your Soul, I Palindrome I, and a few others.

The album's infinite like the Longines Symphonette, it doesn't rest. Not to put too fine a point on it, you really should get it.

[Goatboy]

Oh, on that note, I'd like to recommend Severe Tire Damage. It's a (mostly) live album and contains a hidden homage to The Planet of the Apes series. I'm a big fan of live albums is all.
Also, if you want the first two albums, I suggest picking up Then: The Earlier Years, a two-disc set that contains the entirety of both They Might Be Giants and Lincoln, as well as b-sides and bizarrities from that era, 72 tracks in total, though I can't say honestly that they're all gold. It does contain a really cool recording of schoolchildren singing "Particle Man."

[Sir_Elderberry]

I listened to them like this:

The Else -> The Spine -> John Henry -> Mink Car -> Flood -> Lincoln

[aion7]

Boss of Me (theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle")

That was TMbG? No wonder I liked it much more than the rest of the show.

[Gojoe]

YES THE FLOOD! Or, is it called actual size? Or is that just a song? I don't know. BUt I love the song BIrdhouse in your soul. And Churchbells.

[PatrickRsGhost]

Boss of Me (theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle")

That was TMbG? No wonder I liked it much more than the rest of the show.

A lot of their music had been used in the show. One of the running gags in the show was Hal's bad taste in music. I don't think the band was ever mentioned by name, but snippets of a lot of their songs were played in various episodes.

[Gojoe]

Boss of Me (theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle")

That was TMbG? No wonder I liked it much more than the rest of the show.

A lot of their music had been used in the show. One of the running gags in the show was Hal's bad taste in music. I don't think the band was ever mentioned by name, but snippets of a lot of their songs were played in various episodes.

Wow, I can not believe that I have not noticed this.

[curious and questioning]

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8150

Factory Showroom's good too and hasn't been mentioned yet... it, John Henry, and Apollo 18 are my favorites right now.

Also, if you're going to start with a compilation, Dial A Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants has the same stuff as User's Guide only there's another disc too, for twice the fun.

[frogman]

I second curious and questioning's recommendation of Dial A Song, that's what got me started on TMBG. I've only listened one whole album, The Flood, but I have a TMBG Pandora station and I hear a lot of their stuff on that (well, duh). My favorites are the Severe Tire Damage version of "She's an Angel", Museum of Idiots, Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head, and Birdhouse in Your Soul of course.

[_V_]

Just get The User's Guide To They Might Be Giants. It has a lot of the most popular songs by them including Particle Man, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), Boss of Me (theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle"), Birdhouse In Your Soul, I Palindrome I, and a few others.

The album's infinite like the Longines Symphonette, it doesn't rest. Not to put too fine a point on it, you really should get it.

Dear Christ!
I love all of those songs you just mentioned.
MUST GET.

[Cleverdan22]

Yeah, I would also recommend User's Guide, and Flood is great, too. Their newest album, The Else, is also pretty fantastic.

[_V_]

Yes, I went and *cough*bought*cough* The Else.

Pretty good. I enjoy The Cap'm the most.

[Sprocket]

Yeah the Else and Spine are both really loud fast albums. I recommend Apollo 18 in general. Also Lincoln.

[mowdownjoe]

I like TMBG, and I am not ashamed to admit that I like one of their kid's albums. I mean, as for personal listening. I don't have kids. Seriously, anyone else listen to Here Comes Science and just find it incredibly enjoyable?

[PatrickRsGhost]

I like TMBG, and I am not ashamed to admit that I like one of their kid's albums. I mean, as for personal listening. I don't have kids. Seriously, anyone else listen to Here Comes Science and just find it incredibly enjoyable?

On "The User's Guide" one of the songs is "The Sun Is A Mass of Incandescent Gas". You can't help but feel happy when you listen to that song.

[DSenette]

um, all of them? you seriously can't go wrong (unless you scoot over into their christmas or kids albums and it's not christmas and you're not a kid...though they're still good)

[Sprocket]

So excited about their new tour!!!!!

[Sir_Elderberry]

JoCo + TMBG + In My State = Yes.

[Trygv]

I like TMBG, and I am not ashamed to admit that I like one of their kid's albums. I mean, as for personal listening. I don't have kids. Seriously, anyone else listen to Here Comes Science and just find it incredibly enjoyable?

On "The User's Guide" one of the songs is "The Sun Is A Mass of Incandescent Gas". You can't help but feel happy when you listen to that song.

I buy it for all my nephews for their second birthday's and my kids have a few copies in case one copy breaks.

[Robot_Raptor]

heh, the only physical CDs i've ever bought are TMBG ones.

Anyway, my favorite album is The Else though I love all of their music.

[Pressed Bunson]

My favorite albums are the original, Lincoln, Flood, and Join Us.

[BRNMan]

Not to be mean or anything, but why do you guys like them so much? When my friend showed me some of their songs on youtube, it seemed sort of kiddish and pointless to me. What is so good about, for example, House at the top of a tree. The lyrics don't mean anything and it sounds like it belongs in Sesame Street.

[Sprocket]

Can someone recommend me an album by They Might be Giants?

I've heard The Spine (which is wonderfully addictive) and I'm thinking about getting Flood, but what do you think?
And if you've never heard of TMBG, then definitely google/projectplaylist/youtube/etc... them.

If you like The Spine, you'll LOVE The Else. IMHO.

I'm binging on them today, because they are the most upbeat, least associated to anyone, besides my elementary school crush who randomly I found out also now lives in Davis Square and is practically married to this adorable little dula chick, that's neither here nor there, that kid at 9 was disturbingly influential on me, D&D, LORT, TMBG, anyway, aside from him, TMBG is pretty much pure unadulterated with complication, up beat music to get me out of my current love-funk.

I've got a 63 song Best Of list going right now. Want it?

[Walt D in LV]

I've loved They Might Be Giants since Istanbul (Not Constantinople), off the Flood album.
Years ago, they started making children's music for Disney and others, and the music is STILL just as good. Their album "No!" is non-stop great music, just the lyrics are more for kids, but I think they're for kids the way Bugs Bunny is/was. Their lyrics are fun, but as an adult, you hear stuff that's so funny, and that kids don't "get".
Also, off the "Here Comes the 123s" album, the song "Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work)" is one of my all time favorite songs. I could listen to that again and again.


Walt D in LV