They Might Be Giants are probably one of the most consistently creative and unbelievably consistent bands I've stumbled across in the last 15 years. I was one of the throng who jumped on the bandwagon when they released Flood back in 1990. I saw a cheesy yet fun video for Istanbul, and was hooked. I don't really consider myself a super fan (meaning I can't recite chapter and verse of everything they're ever done), although I have more than my fair share of albums.

They are pretty freakin' good though.

Apollo 18 by (©1992 Elektra)

Dig My Grave / I Palindrome I / She's Actual Size / My Evil Twin / Mammal / The Statue Got Me High / Spider / The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) / Dinner Bell / Narrow Your Eyes / Hall Of Heads / Which Describes How You're Feeling / See The Constellation / If I Wasn't Shy / Turn Around / Hypnotist Of Ladies / Catching On Fire / Fingertips (Banjo) / I Hear The Wind Blow / Hey Now Everybody / Who Is That Standing At My Window? / I Found A New Friend / Wreck My Car / Aren't You The Guy? / Please Pass The Milk / Leave Me Alone / Who's Knocking On The Wall? / All Alone By Myself / What's That Blue Thing Doing Here? / Something Grabbed A Hold Of My Hand / I Don't Understand You / I Heard A Sound / Mysterious Whisper / The Day That Love Came To Play / I'm Having A Heart Attack / Fingertips (Reprise) / I Walk Along Darkened Corridors / Space Suit

This is an unusual album. Oh what am I saying, TMBG isn't known for writing and performing songs that would make Marvin Hamlish smile. Although their songs put a big grin on my face. Apollo 18 isn't one of their best efforts, despite some wicked flashes of genius from the two Johns. The way the guys toss off musical ideas is almost criminal, considering that almost 20 "songs" are between 7 - 30 seconds in length - many of the ideas are dreadful teases - I'd love to hear them flesh the ideas out. I know the guys hoped this would be played on random, but that requires effort, and quite frankly most of the time I'm too lazy to find the remote control and find the shuffle button.

Although this one's not at the top of my TMBG list any album by these creative wonder-nerds is worth laying a few bucks down for.

Reviewed January 26, 2003

Mink Car (©2001 Restless Records)

Bangs / Cyclops Rock / Man, It's So Loud In Here / Mr Xcitement / Another First Kiss / I've Got A Fang / Hovering Sombrero / Yeh Yeh / Hopeless Bleak Despair / Drink! / My Man / Older / Mink Car / Wicked Little Critta / Finished With Lies / She Thinks She's Edith Head / Working Undercover For The Man

I’ve got to admit that I was somewhat confused initially by Mink Car. I played it a couple of times and put it away. Then I picked it up again, and let it play and play, and dang if this one didn’t get under my skin - in a big way. This is one of the boys better efforts. Really. The two Johns, and the band of Dans have really clicked.

The songs are typically quirky and fun and full of the frenetic energy you’d expect from the guys. One of the bigger surprises is the techno dance tune Man, It’s So Loud In Here. I’m not a big fan of dance music, but this is infectious. Of course the guys are right at home with the absurd as many of the tunes are typically odd. The version of Older is different than the one they offered a couple of years back. It took a while to grow on me, but the instrumentation is wacked enough to make Adrian Belew smile.

What makes these guys so much fun is that they’re more than just musical goofballs, they have an unmistakable pop sense they position as disposable. The sheer number of ideas they toss off is enough to make you cry foul. They do it with such joyous abandon you can’t help but enjoy yourself.

Reviewed April 2003

No! (©2002 Idlewild / Rounder)

1: Fibber Island 2: Four Of Two 3: Robot Parade (Kid Version) 4: No! 5: Where Do They Make Balloons? 6: In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle 7: Violin 8: John Lee Supertaster 9: The Edison Museum 10: The House At The Top Of The Tree 11: Clap Your Hands 12: I Am Not Your Broom 13: Wake Up Call 14: I Am A Grocery Bag 15: Lazyhead And Sleepybones 16: Bed Bed Bed 17: Sleepwalkers

Well it's finally happened, the two Johns and the band of Dans have released a full throttle children's album. Oh, don't worry this is still TMBG in all it's quirky glory.

This is a great enhanced CD as well with flash animation for most of the track on the CD. This is magical stuff and doesn't talk down to kids - it's complex silliness wrapped in some fun musical ideas. There are 17 songs here, and the whole ball of wax clocks in at under 35 minutes. Some of the songs here are killers. John Lee Supertaster is a tasty rock number that'll out and out rock the house. Where Do They Make Balloons is a great pop song. I Am Not Your Broom is one of my favourite songs. Don't ask why.

I'm not sure if these guys have kids or not, but they know how to wind 'em up, and thankfully they know how to wind 'em down as the last three songs are slow and relaxing. As it states on the cover, they're specifically designed to expedite slumber.

All I can say is these guys have bridged the generation gap by going backwards, and growing fans from a new generation. These fellers ain't dumb.

Reviewed July 5, 2003

The Spine (©2004 Idlewild / Zoe Records)

1: Experimental Film 2: Spine 3: Memo To Human Resources 4: Wearing A Raincoat 5: Prevenge 6: Thunderbird 7: Bastard Wants To Hit Me 8: The World Before Later On 9: Museum Of Idiots 10: It's Kickin' In 11: Spines 12: Au Contraire 13: Damn Good Times 14: Broke In Two 15: Stalk Of Wheat 16: I Can't Hide From My Mind

Rejoice for TMBG are back and kicking it on all cylinders. The two Johns and the band of Dans less a Dan are back, and the results are really really good (I could have said excellent, but I figured saying really twice was just as good, not as in “good” but as in excellent – clear?). Now, I must clarify right from the beginning, that my initial reaction to hearing this as it played in the background was “Gee, more of the same from the guys.” Which really isn’t a knock at all, the guys have been pulling musical rabbits out of their hats now for so long that musical genius actually sounds ordinary – but I wasn’t giving the album the attention it deserved. Musically these guys have an unbelievable array of riffs and sounds to draw upon. They effortless toss out musical ideas, and there is a distinctiveness to their sound, they really only sound like themselves.

Spine is not a long album but it is full of ideas, and frankly if the guys had gone off and tried to fill the CD my head would probably explode. The songs here are among the best and most cohesive they’ve ever put down – yes I’m talking John Henry, or Flood! In fact, the song Experimental Film ranks up there with their best ever!

So to Andre Salles who’s insightful article on the album made me listen closely I say, “Thanks.”

And to you reading this, if you’re wondering - yes I am easily influenced.

Reviewed January 17, 2005

Venue Songs (©2005 Idlewild)

CD STUDIO 1. Dallas 2. Albany 3. Los Angeles 4. Anaheim 5. Vancouver 6. Pittsburgh 7. Asheville 8. Glasgow 9. Charlottesville 10. Asbury Park 11. Brooklyn

CD Bonus Tracks 12. Love Is Eternity 13. Renew My Subscription 14. Taste the Fame 15. Tippecanoe and Tyler Too 16. Bloodmobile

CD LIVE 17. Omaha 18. Houston 19. Leeds 20. New Orleans 21. Colombia 22. Santa Cruz 23. Minneapolis 24. Tucson 25. San Francisco 26. Memphis 27. Charleston 28. Atlanta 29. Farmingdale 30. New Haven 31. London 32. Raleigh 33. Towson 34. St. Louis 35. Philadelphia 36. Austin 37. Dallas 38. Albany 39. Los Angeles 40. Anaheim 41. Vancouver 42. Pittsburgh 43. Glasgow 44. Charlottesville 45. Asbury Park 46. Brooklyn

DVD "Deranged Millionaire" 1. Greeting from the Deranged Millionaire 2. "The experiment begins" 3. Dallas 4. "A concrete shrine" 5. Albany 6. "Paradoxically" 7. Los Angeles 8. "An oasis of hooch" 9. Anaheim 10. "The great walled city" 11. Vancouver 12. "Monongahela" 13. Pittsburgh 14. "You can’t go home again" 15. Asheville 16, "and so" 17. Glasgow 18. "Returning to the U.S." 19. Charlottesville 20. "Skee-ball and saltwater taffy" 21. Asbury Park 22. "The tour nearly over" 23. Brooklyn 24. Goodbye from the Deranged Millionaire

Bonus Videos 25. Damn Good Times 26. Experimental Film 27. Bastard Wants to Hit Me 28. I'm All You Can Think About

Just when you think the guys have blown their musical wad and there ain't no more to be had, they come up with a collection of venue songs (not to be confused with the live CD of the same name from 2004) - which as the name implies are songs about / for the venues they were to play. What makes this so much fun is that this isn't just another album - oh, don't get me wrong, the CD stands alone, and is quirky fun. The two Johns riff on just about every musical style you can imagine. There are elements of Yes, Rolling Stones, The Cars, but that's not all! There's more - they even go metal.

The live songs showcase a band much more adept than you'd expect from a couple of musical nerds who are considered a "novelty" but the great unwashed. These guys pull off some pretty complicated stuff, and it comes across as effortless.

What sets this apart is the DVD. The "Deranged Millionaire" segments with John Hodgman, the PC guy from the Mac commercials, are very funny. The guys could have stopped there, and I would have been happy, but they go on to include a number of bonus videos as well.

This is something I ordered directly from the band's website: http://tmbg-catalog.stores.yahoo.net/vensondualdi.html a while back, and I believe it's still available. I've seen this on ebay and other sites going for a lot more than the $20.00 the band is asking. If you're a fan you should get this. You really should.

Reviewed November 23, 2007