Errors-To: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Reply-To: tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Sender: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Precedence: bulk From: owner-tmbg-digest@tmbg.org To: tmbg-digest@tmbg.org Subject: tmbg-list Digest #2-279 tmbg-list Digest, Volume 2, Number 279 Saturday, 12 October 1996 Today's Topics: interps Re: interps Re: FS Wallpaper!!! Howdy Clarify Then: The Early Years Wallpaper BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO Re: interps BOBA MAIL: Seal Re: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO Re: Hootie scum! Chords moxy FS and more.. none BOBA MAIL: Cost of FS Re: tmbg-list Digest #2-278 Sean Mootrey!!! BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO S-E-X-X-Y Interp Addition Re: tmbg-list Digest #2-278 Re: sir hand, or is it ma'am Re: Worlds Address song stlyles (and a reply to something) Re: Howdy new concert tradition? TMBG old song referances Folk family's FS review + top 5 all time favorite songs Music Reviews: They Might Be Giants, October 9, 1996 OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs Mac Instructions / URL Problems (Re: FS Wallpaper) Re: interps Re: Folk family's FS review + top 5 all time favorite songs Factory Showroom Wallpaper Re: OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs Re: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO Top 5 Top five songs Re: none The HIDDEN TRACK on the Factory Showroom Album Re: new concert tradition? Re: The Bells Re: The HIDDEN TRACK on the Factory Showroom Album new FS thoughts Freak flag lyrics by CSN&Y Possible Stump the Band Entry? Re: Columbia show TMBG Electric Factory Show in Philly! My Turn. the transition has reoccurred Re: My Turn. My Thoughts, and other pointless ramblings. Miscellaneous and Unrelated Things Re: new concert tradition? Yay! Flansy's Wife Re: OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs Re: the transition has reoccurred Re: My Turn Re: Misc and Unrelated Things Re: My Turn. Brooms S.E.X.X.Y single Re: Flansy's Wife Cello Re: Cello Re: Miscellaneous and Unrelated Things Administrivia: For all administrative issues, such as change of address, withdrawal from the list, etc., send a message to the following address: tmbg-digest-request@tmbg.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 02:01:40 -0700 From: Pez Man Subject: interps I just am wondering if this album will spawn quite as many interps. Mainly because of the section on tmbg.com in which John and John tell exactly what each song is about. What do y'all think about their interps? It is late and I must sleep pezman random thought: Is it just me or is this Macarena dance thing just a variation on the Three Amigo's salute? hmmmmmm... ok I've got to - what They songs work well with the Macarena? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 03:23:35 -0400 From: Amy/Seta Subject: Re: interps Istanbul!! (; Heeeeeey Constantinople... (can u see it?) :) AmY > hmmmmmm... ok I've got to - what They songs work well with the > Macarena? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 01:46:54 -0500 From: Mechel Organization: United Federation of Planets Subject: Re: FS Wallpaper!!! Evan Chakroff wrote: > > get the FS Wallpaper at http://www.geocities.com/soho/4545/tmbg.html > and visit my main page! > -- > Evan Chakroff > The Internet Mystery Spot > . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 > "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... > and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer Hey Evan, I can't even get your homepage to load up!! *pouts* Aw, well, I'll try another time of day, it might just be lagging REALLY EXTREMELY UNGODLY BAD. Mechel ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 01:31:20 -0700 (MST) From: "Jessica T. Gluckman" <143071@ef.ev.maricopa.edu> Subject: Howdy I'm a bit too tired to jump into any interpretations, overall reviews of FS, but I will say this much: - I like it better than John Henry - I do wish it were longer - I really liked Metal Detector, Exquisite Dead Guy, I Can Hear You, and James K. Polk so far... - I need to listen to it more before making any real conclusions *Also...where can I find "I Am Not Your Broom?" Anyone? Anyone? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Jessica Gluckman..."My name's not Prince, ? ? and I'm not funky." ? ? *Mail me at:143071@ef.ev.maricopa.edu ? ? *Wander through my brain...if you dare : ? ? http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2195 ? ?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~? ? "Sing your life, any fool can think of ? ? words that rhyme." ? ? -Morrissey ? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ------------------------------ From: NitpickR@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 04:06:52 -0400 Subject: Clarify Hello 41- This is semi-long for me, but it is broken down into topic, read what you want, I didn't doubt you wouldn't. << SEXXY is perhaps something interesting, but it is no way new. They borrow generally from either Funk or Disco, which is not too difficult a combination, or a very distinct one for that matter...>> No, maybe I had to spell this one out... It is not a new thing all together, but it is a new thing for TMBG to do. I am not sure if it should have been the single, but I imagine radio DJs are having fun making all their mixes, or will when and if the single goes out. UMHFO video- I know they won't really have money to do videos, or so they say, but I had a cool idea for part of it. I can imagine a scene starting semi blurry and dark. It comes more into focus and it's the puppet heads on some kind of box or coffin or something. Kind of in the background are John and John doing the strings for it. They are wearing black. There are cuts to the band, and I didn't imagine how that would go yet, and cuts to the puppet heads in "real life" in kind of the way the Istanbul video went, but more focused around the dead guy. I could be cool. Call themselves- Well they refer to themselves as a rock band, and that's good enough for me. You can go on raving to them later... .mov- It lets me play that right through AOL. Trimming the fat- I remember TMBG saying that they like to "trim the fat" form their songs, and get a lot on their albums, hence Apollo 18. It doesn't seem to be this way on Factory Showroom. Some songs are okay, long, but some can be cut. Especially Metal Detector. Next cover- For some reason, I can also see TMBG doing an incredible cover of Brickhouse. Don't ask me why... James K. Polk- I like this song better than the Istanbul version, except for the saw part. I think it flows very well, especially the guitar and drum parts. The saw kind of ruins it, the la la's kept it more "grassroots" I guess. Adam ------------------------------ From: Tom Hare Subject: Then: The Early Years Date: Fri, 11 Oct 96 7:57:42 18000 I don't know if anyone has already brought this to the list's attention, but on the restless TMBG page, where we first heard about the 2-CD, 73 song box set, there is now a title and release date. Here's what the page says: They Might Be Giants The 73-song TMBG double-CD entitled Then: The Early Years (out on Restless January 21st, 1997) will include 18 previously unreleased songs! Then follows with tour dates. Well, just thought i'd send it if you haven't seen this info yet! -- *----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hare - It's not my birthday, so why do you lunge out at me? - TMBG tomhare@freenet3.scri.fsu.edu particle_man@tmbg.org hare@tmbg.org *----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: wglodell@baraboo.com (Leda Glodell) Subject: Wallpaper Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 06:55:35 -0500 I cant get to the page with the wallpaper - it says error while netscape was retreving data - kfdngsdnfgksndf; junk like that... o could someone e-mail it to me? Thanks.. _________________________________________________ / -WYATT GLODELL-WGLODELL@BARABOO.COM- \ |"Chinese people were fighting in the park we tried | |to help 'em fight no one appreciated that" -TMBG | \_________________________________________________/ ------------------------------ From: "BOBA" Organization: anubis Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 08:35:10 EST Subject: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO There's been some talk as to why Sensurround is not on this record. I am personally under the opinion that it is not on there because Til My Head Falls Off sounds so much like it. Any thoughts? Boba out. -Matthew Ondrey "Matt, you're a very insightful person, but get your fucking face out of my oatmeal." - My sister, Lisa "I Was Bent Metal" - ThEy MiGhT bE gIaNtS boba@tmbg.org http://192.204.127.105/CPTsm96/MJO5733/dog2.htm or check out my bootlegs: http://members.tripod.com/~Theybootlegs/boots.htm ------------------------------ From: Anakin Skywalker Subject: Re: interps Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 07:43:14 -0500 (CDT) > hmmmmmm... ok I've got to - what They songs work well with the > Macarena? God. No. Please. Make it stop. *tremble* I'm begging you; please, no..... *shiver* *cower in corner* May the force be with you. Justification: / "Within its deep infinity I saw ingathered, and bound by SPAM / love in one volume, the scattered leaves of all the ~"'`'`'~"'`"~"~"^ universe." - Dante *'`'*.,.'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'* WOW: Vortex http://www.atw.fullfeed.com/~pez -- Anakin Skywalker -- anakin@vader.snc.edu ------------------------------ From: "BOBA" Organization: anubis Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 08:58:08 EST Subject: BOBA MAIL: Seal In 'Your Own Worst Enemy' there is a reference to the song by that guy with messed up face, Does anyone think that this is a Seal reference? Thoughts? Boba Out. -Matthew Ondrey "The Bells Are Ringing" - ThEy MiGhT bE gIaNtS "What Else Would They Do?" - My Brother, Mark boba@tmbg.org http://192.204.127.105/CPTsm96/MJO5733/dog2.htm or check out my bootlegs: http://members.tripod.com/~Theybootlegs/boots.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 09:09:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 11-Oct-96 BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. .. by "BOBA"@anubis.westmorela > There's been some talk as to why Sensurround is not on this record. > I am personally under the opinion that it is not on there because > Til My Head Falls Off sounds so much like it. Any thoughts? Erm... and Metal Detector doesn't sound like Spiraling Shape? (listen closely, there's a couple of lines that are exactly the same melody) I'm actually kind of annoyed that SenSurround's not on the album - at Fairfax Fair they said it would be. Also, in John Linnell's interview in Music & Computers, he said that "Older" and "They Got Lost" would be on the album. How did we miss out on two great songs? I've listened to the album now once all the way through, and I think it's not nearly as good as John Henry or Lincoln. While Metal Detector, Spiraling Shape, Till My Head Falls Off and James K. Polk are all really good songs, I just can't stand S-E-X-X-Y, XTC vs. Adam Ant, or Exquisite Dead Guy (yeah, I know a lot of people like it, but I find the "ba ba..." part annoying). I like the use of accordion in James K. Polk, though. I was kind of surprised, since he doesn't use it in live performances of the song. Also, as far as I can tell, Metal Detector is all guitar & synth. No accordion in that. ------------------------------ From: Jonathan Mackie Subject: Re: Hootie scum! Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 14:12:39 +0100 (BST) Wow, I found someone who agrees with me on the TMBG-Hootie and the Shitfish tour. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read about TMBG supporting these cretins. Perhaps the best summing up of Hootie that I've found was in NME magazine, which said, "Hootie & the Blowfish epitomise everything that is wrong with music nowadays; bland, corporate, unoriginal and turgid. They should have their heads boiled." Their words, not mine! In fact, that describes everything that TMBG are the complete opposite of. They're probably one of the most original bands going at the moment, but they have to play with the most unoriginal piece of keech around. Sorry abour that, I just had to get that off my chest. ---------------------- Mad Macs ua6jm@abdn.ac.uk "This could be the start of it all We all want the system to fall Get it right down on it's knees Cause we were born in the seventies!" bis - "teen-c power!" single 1995 ------------------------------ From: "BOBA" Organization: anubis Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 09:19:03 EST Subject: Chords As far as chords go I think XTCVAA is: verse E B A C Chorus ? Boba Out. -Matthew Ondrey "The Bells Are Ringing" - ThEy MiGhT bE gIaNtS "What Else Would They Do?" - My Brother, Mark boba@tmbg.org http://192.204.127.105/CPTsm96/MJO5733/dog2.htm or check out my bootlegs: http://members.tripod.com/~Theybootlegs/boots.htm ------------------------------ From: mjames@envy.loyola.edu (Matthew James) Subject: moxy Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 09:40:05 -0400 (EDT) I saw the wondeful Canuck band, Moxy Fruvous last night and boy were they good. No, more than good, they were superlative! They're heading up to Philly this evening so anyone in the vicinty check it out. Then Maine and onto Nova Scotia (which I think is near the North Pole ;) -- *------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt James polk@tmbg.org Matt.James.K.Polk@tmbg.org mjames@envy.loyola.edu Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America "Cracking toast, Gromit!" New, Official Bruce Campbell Gazette page: http://www.bcgazette.com ------------------------------ From: John Murray Subject: FS and more.. Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 09:48:20 -0400 (EDT) Hello, Well I have been listening to Factory Showroom, and people on this members options and have some comments of my own. First this album rocks, with some really great songs. My personal favorites right are Until My Head Falls off, How can I sing like girl, metal detector, and NYC. The first thought I had when I finished listening to the album was how short it seemed, probably due to fact that there are only 14 songs. Also I don't see why S-E-E-X-Y was made the single because there are so much better songs on this cd. The first time I heard Token Back To Brooklyn I thought it was a bunch of gibberish but after a couple of listens I found out the lyrics made sense(sortta, in that giants kind of way). About the difference in FS from other works, first this work have some combination of older works(ie, the scordian) with some of new ideas(the full band). Oh yeah to who ever asked how much I payed for my copy FS it was 13.96, plus the $6 of s+h from www.cdnow.com. I did the advance order thing from cdnow because I didn't spend my tuesday trying to find a copy here in the middle of nowhere. I know that this has been mentioned before but, I Am Not Your Broom is so hysterical. It got a good laugh out of me and my roommate. My roommate I have converted him, after having to listen my tmbg collection he really seems like some of TMBG's stuff. ---Only Semi TMBG stuff below--- If any of you care I have some personal comments about coffee. From stuff I have read seems to indicate that coffee had an influence on them, and in last couple of weeks I have been drinking a good size cup every morning. This seems to made a big change in my life, after the first couple of sips I go from a half asleep state to a mostly awake state. This seems increase the amount of stuff I can do, as I'm not stuck in a half asleep most of the morning. -- John Murray -=- jmurray@vt.edu johns@tmbg.org -=- http://acm.vt.edu/~jmurray New Music by They Might Be Giants! ->http://jmurray.campus.vt.edu/tmbg/ The Unofficial Pritchard Home Page ->http://csugrad.cs.vt.edu/~murray/pritchard ------------------------------ From: jting@MIT.EDU Subject: none Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 10:09:21 EDT 11.88+tax=12.57(i think) newbury comics (they had lots of copies too) i just joined and what's with all the 2cents? ------------------------------ From: "BOBA" Organization: anubis Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 10:39:04 EST Subject: BOBA MAIL: Cost of FS For whoever is counting FS cost me 16.95 with tax (15.99 w/o) Boba Out. -Matthew Ondrey "The Bells Are Ringing" - ThEy MiGhT bE gIaNtS "What Else Would They Do?" - My Brother, Mark boba@tmbg.org http://192.204.127.105/CPTsm96/MJO5733/dog2.htm or check out my bootlegs: http://members.tripod.com/~Theybootlegs/boots.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 11:01:37 -0400 (EDT) From: connie tsang Subject: Re: tmbg-list Digest #2-278 THis is a message for Sean Mootrey: I saw that your address belongs to a Canadian server -- are you from Canada -- and if so, do you have the friggin' factory showroom lp, because I can't find it anywhere here... is it just not distributed in canada, or do I have to request it to be imported????\ Please respond asap!!!!!! Connie T * "i'm your only friend * * M i'm not your only friend T B * but i'm a little glowing friend * M G * but really i'm not actually * B * your friend, but i am..." * G ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 11:04:58 -0400 (EDT) From: connie tsang Subject: Sean Mootrey!!! Sean Mootrey - You're from Canada, aren't you?? ??? If so, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me if you have the factory showroom ep and where the hell you got it, because I can't find it anywhere!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm almost at my wit's end, and if I don't find out, I'm going to go grab a strainer, and I'll pee right through it! As for other Canadian tmbg fans... PLEASE write me! I'd love to get in touch with ya, especially if you live in Ontario or better, the toronto area... Write me soon at ctsang@rtaserver.aarts.ryerson.ca! T * "i'm your only friend * * M i'm not your only friend T B * but i'm a little glowing friend * M G * but really i'm not actually * B * your friend, but i am..." * G ------------------------------ From: mjames@envy.loyola.edu (Matthew James) Subject: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 11:12:10 -0400 (EDT) > There's been some talk as to why Sensurround is not on this record. > I am personally under the opinion that it is not on there because > Til My Head Falls Off sounds so much like it. Any thoughts? I would not care, though. Sensurround is much better than Spiralling Shape, although SS is very good. If you had to pick one of the two soundtrack songs, I would definitely go with Sensurround. Tis rockin! Matt -- *------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt James polk@tmbg.org Matt.James.K.Polk@tmbg.org mjames@envy.loyola.edu Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America "Cracking toast, Gromit!" New, Official Bruce Campbell Gazette page: http://www.bcgazette.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 11:33:54 -0400 (EDT) From: Justin Higgins Subject: S-E-X-X-Y Interp Addition I've been thinking about some of the interps posted here. I think that the whole feeling that it has to do with an extra chromosome is probably on target, especially because of the line "s-e-x-x-y, more than enough". I'm also starting to like to Until My Head Falls Off (it was one of the songs that I didn't like much the first time around). I also really like Pet Name now, even though there seems to be a general consensus that most people still don't like it. Also, is it unusual for the Johns to have just posted on their site what each song is about? Perhaps its just that they are posting the literal interp (i.e. Metal Detector is about a metal detector, etc.). But it seems to kind of take away some of the fun of trying to figure out what some of the songs are actually about. Justin Higgins - Terraflopping ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 11:51:27 -0400 From: ntodd@uvm-gen.emba.uvm.edu (John Galt) Subject: Re: tmbg-list Digest #2-278 'Someday mother will die and I'll get the money/ mom leans down and says "my sentiments exactly, / you son of a bitch"' These have got to be some of my fav. tmbg lines of all time. I've always thought of tmbg as a very 'clean' band. Here's the deal: Most people, and bands, use swearing indiscriminitely... for example, just for the sake of swearing, or to be cool. When the johns swear *in their music* they do so for a specific purpose. In the three lines above, *bitch* is the #1 most perfect word to use in this context, and these lines are the most perfect thing to start a song about palindromes and ideas that turn back over on themselves. The significence of someones mother calling her son a 'son of a bitch' is just too perfect:) I hold a lot of respect for this line, and it is a definite excemption from my general perception that They shouldn't swear. Of course, my mother hates all three lines, but we won't get into that :) Nathan Todd, aka tenman. Your guide to the Factory Showroom. *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*>> "I swear -- by my life and my love of it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." -Ayn Rand ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:01:06 -0400 Subject: Re: sir hand, or is it ma'am Wow! Excellent interpretation! That one should go to the unofficial TMBG site. >>I was thinking about this a lot in the shower (no connection whatsoever)<< Hehe, don't worry about that. I do that too. ~sarah :) http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal/site.html ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:01:19 -0400 Subject: Re: Worlds Address >>My friend Molly tells me that on the Misc. T remix of The World's Address, there's some talking at the beginning that she thinks sounds like Dave Foley of Kids in the Hall. Any opinions (especially Sara KidsInThHal@aol.com)?<< LO freakin' L!! (btw, I have a h in my name ;)) I've always thought it sounded like him! :) It's John Linnell though. The part that goes "Someone in the club tonight has stolen my ideas." I've *always* thought it sounded like him! ROTFLMAO! ~sarah :) http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal/site.html ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:01:16 -0400 Subject: song stlyles (and a reply to something) >>It's nice to hear the quirkiness and fun factor back in their music. I wish there were accordions, but hey...<< Um, why can't you hear 'em? You haven't listened to Metal Detector and James K. Polk? Okay, listening to FS again (and again and again...) I realized that nearly each song sounds like it would perfectly fit to one of their cd's. I Can Hear You: Lincoln Metal Detector: Apollo 18 Your Own Worst Enemy: Lincoln/Pink album (or Big Blue Dawg if you prefer;) Exquisite Dead Guy: Misc. T Till My Head Falls Off: Flood (think of someone moving my chair--"Won't_be_till_my_head_falls_off"; "Some_one_keeps_mov_ing_my_ei_ei_chaaair") How Can I Sing Like A Girl: A18/JH I dunno. I could be way off.. ~sarah, who can endlessly discuss Them. :) http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal/site.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:48:44 -0400 From: jchaffer@tmbg.org (Jonathan Chaffer) Subject: Re: Howdy >*Also...where can I find "I Am Not Your Broom?" Anyone? Anyone? ftp://tmbg.reshall.umich.edu/pub/tmbg/broom.mov -- Jonathan Chaffer Student, University of Michigan http://www.tmbg.org/~jchaffer/ Funny quote deferred to "finger" My Macintosh (finger, ftp, gopher, http, whois): tmbg.reshall.umich.edu ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:01:14 -0400 Subject: new concert tradition? Now, sadly, I've never been to a TMBG concert (pathetic, isn't it?). But as I was reading my Barenaked Ladies list-serv thing (any other Manorites on here?), reading about the KD tradition*, I thought..TMBG doesn't really have a tradition, not that I know of. So I thought of something, and it's a bonus at that. It's only for us They Might Be Cyber Heads. Brooms! (I am not your broom!) Okay, maybe it sounds silly and ridiculous, but if you saw someone with a broom at a TMBG show, instantly, you'd approach them, and it would turn out to be one of us, you know? Instead of endless hunting and not finding someone. I dunno. Share your opinions. ~sarah :) http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal/site.html *KD tradition: a tradition (that's currently getting out of control and trying to be stopped) at BNL concerts of throwing Kraft Dinner at the band during a line that mentions KD in a particular song. Not to be confused with kd lang. :) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 20 Jan 1980 10:28:11 -0800 From: kathleen jo faulconer Subject: TMBG old song referances Hi! We are having trouble getting messages from Netscape so I don't know what has gone on for a couple of days. I thought I would make a few posts and read the answers on my sisters computer. As for the "precious and few..." lyrics, I do remember the song and I also think the guy did have a messed up face! The band was on the pre-MTV music shows and I remember that he was so ugly that you couldn't hear the song without thinking about his face. I don't know what exactly was wrong with his face but it was ugly.. They must remember it vaguely, also. Definately a referance to that song. Cage and Aquarium must be a play on Age of Aquarius, I always thought so. The simularity ends there though... Now, do you guys all know where the referance "freak flag fly" is from? I sure do! I loved hearing it since I am an old hippie.... Shhhhh, don't tell anyone! Anyway,in case you don't know, its from "ALMOST CUT MY HAIR" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. I remember the words too if your interested! How old are John and John????? I think they must be in their thirties, do you guys know? Kathleen ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 20 Jan 1980 10:56:26 -0800 From: kathleen jo faulconer Subject: Folk family's FS review + top 5 all time favorite songs Well, mixed reviews from the folk family....... Most of us love it (thanks to those who gave moral support- yes, it does sound like Them!) Sarah(14), Jacob(10)and I(42)are very happy and relieved by the whole cd. It is way better than JH and we already can sing most of the songs without the record. Favorites are the same as most... Bells, Spiral, NYC, and the wonderful Metal detector!! I love "I can hear you" but that may be because we have an Edisophone with the wax cyllinders and I really love that kind of old stuff. We all could live without SEXXY, though. Strangely, Daniel (17) hates the whole record and will only say that it sucks....What is wrong with him? Buck has not heard it yet because he has been working overtime. He will love it though. Now, maybe you guys have done this often but, please do it again for me! Can you name your 5 all time favorite TMBG songs? I asked my family and they are trying to do it. I will give you their top 5 soon... but its really hard! harder than it would be for other bands, I think. I will go first since I am starting this: ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 14:06:32 -0400 From: gonzalez@vitaliy.harvard.edu (David Gonzalez) Subject: Music Reviews: They Might Be Giants, October 9, 1996 Hi people, I found a good review of FS on something call "Mr. Showbiz". I left the URL at the bottom of the article in case you find it too hard to beleive!!! Enjoy... drg ----- Begin Included Message ----- New This Week ------------------ [Image] Music Reviews They Might Be Giants: Factory Showroom Elektra [Image] "Pet Name" (319K WAV) RealAudio: 28.8 or 14.4 | About RealAudio [Image] "XTC vs. Adam Ant" (324K WAV) RealAudio: 28.8 or 14.4 | About RealAudio For the New York City duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, known as They Might Be Giants, eclecticism has become something of an obsession. When it's compelling, their material evokes a kind of worthwhile whimsy. When it's not, the band crosses the line into hyper-calculated self-indulgence. Factory Showroom, the group's sixth album, stays for the most part on the compelling side, with more traditional arrangements and minimal bizarre excursions. "Exquisite Dead Guy," with its unexpected cello and chanted "ba ba-dahs," and the ironic, rosy-eyed paean to love, "New York City," both highlight the duo's dizzying sense of what makes a cool pop song. "Pet Name" even manages a kind of tender, white-soul danceability. Over the course of a few years, the Giants have expanded their own musical boundaries to the point where truly anything goes. If that means power chords abutting classical violins ("XTC vs. Adam Ant"), so be it. There's even a song ("I Can Hear You") recorded without electricity at the Edison Laboratory on a wax cylinder recorder circa 1898. Now that's low-fi. Of course, not every experiment works, but even a casual listener can appreciate T.M.B.G.'s zany and adventurous spirit, and the unexpectedly catchy results it often yields. --Bob Gulla [Image] File Under: Eminently entertaining boundary stretchers http://www.mrshowbiz.com/reviews/musicreviews/music/theymightbegiants.html -- ----- End Included Message ----- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 20 Jan 1980 11:21:40 -0800 From: kathleen jo faulconer Subject: OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs Sorry, I pushed the wrong button!! This is to continue my last post.. Here are my (very hard to come up with!)top 5 all time TMBG songs: Kiss me, son of God- Just the greatest song, so upbeat and so cynical at the same time. No contest on the #1 song, I would take it to a desert Island with me, it would always make me smile. They'll Need a Crane- The best lyrics ever "other nightmare people..." and the music again is so happy while the words actually can make you cry if you are in that mood. Beautiful. Now it gets harder.... I palindrome I-Great musically, great funny lyrics, could have been a breakthrough song, I don't know why it wasn't. Nothings Gonna Change My Clothes-Another wonderful song with amazing lyrics. With "normal" lyrics it would have been very popular. I am glad it was written like it was. I cant do it! Now its between 4..... She's an Angel, Don't lets Start, Santas Beard and something off the new record.....All for different reasons. And Anna Ng for the "I dont want the world........"part. Ok, it is "Where Your Eyes Don't Go"-Creepy, scary, and somehow truthful... and took me forever to learn the words (unusual for me) so I really appreciate the brilliance of this song. I DID IT! That was fun! Now someone else try! Kathleen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 14:42:57 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Mac Instructions / URL Problems (Re: FS Wallpaper) At 11:22 PM 10/10/96 -0500, you wrote: >Hi. Does this go for all computers? I mean, I'm a MacUser, and I don't >know how to transfer .jpgs or .gifs to the background. Is it different >between pc's and macs? Just curious, though, i don't think my moniter >has a high enough resolution to handle it. The graphic is small enough for Macs, i believe. I haven't used Macs much, but I think this is what you need to do: Save the file Open it in a graphics editing program (such as Quicktime Viewer for JPG or Adobe Photoshop) Copy the image to the clipboard Open the desktop patterns control panel Edit menu-Paste (Or open apple-v ?) as for windows, its the same except you have to save it as a .bmp file in the windows directory and then change it from control panel (or Desktop Properties for 95) I'll post it as a .bmp file also, and the url may not work as it was written before, so try http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545/tmbg.html (IT may be case-sensitive, i'm not sure. It's worth a try.) -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 14:49:04 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Re: interps >> hmmmmmm... ok I've got to - what They songs work well with the >> Macarena? well, which are the most simmilar musically? (time signature, note patterns) maybe I thought too much about that. -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:55:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: Folk family's FS review + top 5 all time favorite songs Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 20-Jan-80 Folk family's FS review + t.. by kathleen faulconer@ix.ne > for me! Can you name your 5 all time favorite TMBG songs? Well, I'll try... 5. Spiraling Shape 4. The End of the Tour 3. Ana Ng 2. She's an Angel 1. The Statue Got Me High Let the flames begin... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:19:50 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Factory Showroom Wallpaper Okay, the Factory Showroom Wallpaper graphics are uploaded to ftp.tmbg.org/incoming the filenames are: TMBGwall.bmp TMBGwall.jpg TMBGwall.gif case sensitive, I think there's a file named tmbgwall.bmp there, but I don't know what it is. -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:41:08 -0400 () From: BlueDawg Subject: Re: OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs On Sun, 20 Jan 1980, kathleen jo faulconer wrote: > That was fun! Now someone else try! 5. We Just Go Nuts At Christmastime 4. Everything Right is Wrong Again 3. Absolutely Bill's Mood 2. Stormy Pinkness 1. Snowball in Hell Dial-a-Dawg....finger idoiotnot@visi.net S. M. Bergeron, idiotnot@visi.net, bluedawg@tmbg.org http://users.visi.net/~idiotnot Jeep Driver ObWittySig "Coffee is a Social Disorder"--John Sidney Linnell ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 16:09:51 -0400 From: jchaffer@tmbg.org (Jonathan Chaffer) Subject: Re: BOBA MAIL: Sensurround vs. TMHFO >Also, as far as I can tell, Metal Detector is all guitar & synth. No >accordion in that. No, there's a little of the ol' Hohner in there. You can hear it best in the quiet part at the beginning, but it's chording under the chorus each time if you listen carefully. -- Jonathan Chaffer Student, University of Michigan http://www.tmbg.org/~jchaffer/ Funny quote deferred to "finger" My Macintosh (finger, ftp, gopher, http, whois): tmbg.reshall.umich.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 16:18:17 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Top 5 5. Dinner Bell 4. A Self Called Nowhere 3. Thermostat 2. Rythm Section Want Ad And My #1 Favorite They Might Be Giants Song! (Drumroll, please...): Until My Head Falls Off Honorable mention: The World's Address Birdhouse In Your Soul The World's Address (Joshua Fried Re-mix) Where Your Eyes Don't Go The Famous Polka The Bells Are Ringing Kiss me Son Of God -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ From: Anakin Skywalker Subject: Top five songs Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:46:58 -0500 (CDT) Hrm.... Not going to rate them; too harsh... Absolutely Bill's Mood Ana Ng See the Constellation Spider Lie Still, Little Bottle God, that was hard. I hate deciding like that... May the force be with you. Justification: / "Within its deep infinity I saw ingathered, and bound by COWS / love in one volume, the scattered leaves of all the ~"'`'`'~"'`"~"~"^ universe." - Dante *'`'*.,.'`'*.,.*'`'*.,.*'`'* WOW: Vortex http://www.atw.fullfeed.com/~pez -- Anakin Skywalker -- anakin@vader.snc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:23:53 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Re: none At 10:09 AM 10/11/96 EDT, you wrote: >11.88+tax=12.57(i think) >newbury comics (they had lots of copies too) >i just joined and what's with all the 2cents? > > It's for the Save The World Project. If everyone donates at least 2 cents with each e-mail message then pretty soon we'll have enough money to buy everyone in the world a copy of Flood (Accompanied by a small note saying that They are not a joke band.) $.02 Donated -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:34:16 -0400 From: dodsonsblehproductions@mail.utexas.edu (Scott A. Dodson) Subject: The HIDDEN TRACK on the Factory Showroom Album ................................................................................ Hello. I bought the new album the other day, and have been taking it everywhere I go. I go to my friend's house, the new album does too. I go to work, the new albumdoes too. And so on. Anyway, I've noticed that on some CD players, Factory Showroom's first track, S-E-X-X-Y, begins not at 0:00, but at 1:03. Why deos it begin at 1 minute and 3 seconds into the album? And why does it only happen with some CD players? They Might have included a hidden track. Or else maybe there's something wrong with my copy of the album. Anyone else notice the same thing? If it is a hidden track, how would you propose I find it? I know that you can find hidden tracks sometimes by putting your cd player on repeat, and not turning off your CD player after the album seems to be over, but I've also heard that sometimes you have to play an album in a certain order, or else you won't hear the song. Oh well. Help me if you can. And if I'm wrong, I hope I didn't excite anyone uneccessarily. Scott ................................................................................ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:46:34 -0500 (CDT) From: Court Schuett Subject: Re: new concert tradition? What about Congo Lines? They rock. Done my share of them. :) Although I agree bringing a broom to a concert would rock. -Court /* Court Schuett schuett@waldo.ivcc.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's never been a head like this before Someone's got to be the one At the head of the line to first see the missing head But I'm not in any rush to head the line And so the line has a missing head -They Might Be Giants *******************************************************************************/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 16:51:18 -0400 (EDT) From: Christian A Wedge Subject: Re: The Bells Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 10-Oct-96 The Bells by Evan Chakroff@ix.netcom. > To Quote Myself: (9/25ish/96) > > About 'True Fans': A true fan is not going to love all of an artists > > albums. Someone who loves all the albums and all the songs on the albums > > and all the parts of the songs... is probably caught up in the popularity > > (or un-) of the group. > > To Quote Peter Michael Yaeger: (10/9/96) > > I just love this song, don't you guys? I mean, the seductive appeal of > > this song and Giants tunes in general actually created a bizarre social > > order of mindless followers on the internet. > > The real kicker is that many of these followers feel they are asserting > > their individual freedom (i.e. breaking free from social order) by > > assimilating into a society of people who like the same stuff they do, a > > society where they can act like everyone else. They are actually breaking > > free from one social order by joining another. > > Geez, what a great song. > > To Quote WWW.TMBG.COM: > >13. The Bells Are Ringing > > > > A song about the seductive appeal of social order (as opposed to > >individual freedom), and an expression of the terrifying and exciting > >power of propaganda. The part of the bells is sung by Amanda Homi. > > Wow. Everything sortof fits together. > (To Quote C. Monty Burns: (Of 'The Simpsons') > "Excellent. Everything is falling into place.") > > Oh well. Just though it was neat. Oh! Oh! I want to quote too! ;) Well, a couple of relevant quotes on the topic of social orders of "different" people: To Quote King Missile: "I want to be different, just like everyone else I want to be like. I want to be just like all the different people." To Quote Monty Python's _The_Life_Of_Brian_: "'We're all different!' (crowd's response):'Yes, we're all different!" 'We're all individuals!' 'Yes, we're all individuals!' (one guy):'I'm not.'" Ahh, becoming an outcast of society and joining the society of outcasts. You know, for some strange reason, "The Bells Are Ringing" reminds me of the book _Childhood's_End_ - you might remember it as the source of Apollo 18's cover art. Oh well. (propganda is everywhere!) -- :) Christian Wedge (Zathyr+@cmu.edu) http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~zathyr "Did I make me up, or make the face till it stuck? I do the best imitation of myself." -Ben Folds Five ------------------------------ From: "Ariel Shiloh" Subject: Re: The HIDDEN TRACK on the Factory Showroom Album Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 17:50:23 -0400 ---------- > From: Scott A. Dodson > To: tmbg-list@tmbg.org > Subject: The HIDDEN TRACK on the Factory Showroom Album > Date: Friday, October 11, 1996 3:34 PM > > > > > ............................................................................ ... > > > > Hello. > > I bought the new album the other day, and have been taking it > everywhere I go. I go to my friend's house, the new album does too. I go > to work, the new albumdoes too. And so on. Anyway, I've noticed that on > some CD players, Factory Showroom's first track, S-E-X-X-Y, begins not at > 0:00, but at 1:03. Why deos it begin at 1 minute and 3 seconds into the > album? And why does it only happen with some CD players? They Might have > included a hidden track. Or else maybe there's something wrong with my > copy of the album. Anyone else notice the same thing? If it is a hidden > track, how would you propose I find it? I know that you can find hidden > tracks sometimes by putting your cd player on repeat, and not turning off > your CD player after the album seems to be over, but I've also heard that > sometimes you have to play an album in a certain order, or else you won't > hear the song. Oh well. Help me if you can. And if I'm wrong, I hope I > didn't excite anyone uneccessarily. > > Scott > > > ............................................................................ ... > > On my main stereo I cannot pick up the extra track, but on my discman i can. I rewind past the beginning of SEXXY until it stops at -1:03. When It starts palying the hidden track it counts up to zero and then starts the rest of the cd. Pookie http:\\www.datalife.com\users\yitz\pookie\pookie.htm> > > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:30:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Josh Subject: new FS thoughts Since nobody reads my posts anyway :) nobody will probably care, but I am starting to like FS a lot more...I dunno...we shall see. I like it a lot more than yesterday... Josh josh@fyi.net http://www.fyi.net/~josh/irc.html The EFnet #TMBG Home Page ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 17:00:46 -0700 From: rocket88@ix.netcom.com (Kathleen Jo Faulconer) Subject: Freak flag lyrics by CSN&Y Ok, So I am the oldest one here!!!! The lyrics that I remember from "Almost Cut My Hair" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on the album "Deja Vu" go like this: Almost cut my hair it happened just the other day it was getting kinda long I coulda said it was in my way but I didn't and I wonder why I feel like letting my freak flag fly I feel like I owe it to someone............. Now I will dig up the record and see if there is anything else of interest in the rest of the song. It was a great song and the obvious fact was that his HAIR was his freak flag. An allegance to the counter-culture that made him NOT cut his hair. See what you can do with that when you interpret HCISLAGirl! I bet most of your parents have this CSN&Y record somewhere in your houses!!! It was one of the most popular records of the 60's. How old are J&J any way? Kathleen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:55:52 -0400 () From: BlueDawg Subject: Possible Stump the Band Entry? This is a fun one... I'd love to see them cover it.. -Dawg ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 14:37:27 -0400 From: Chris Weigant Reply-To: amc-list@scan.si.edu To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: His horn went beep beep beep Here's the lyrics. They start painfully slow, dragging each word, and speed up with each verse. By the end, it's a very fast tempo. I assume from the chart info that was already posted that it's a tribute to the 1957 Rebel, but I'm just guessing... Beep beep Beep beep His horn went beep beep beep While riding in my Cadillac What to my surprise A little Nash Rambler was Following me About one-third my size The guy must have wanted to Pass me out As he kept on tooting his horn I'll show him that a Cadillac Is not a car to scorn I pushed my foot down to the floor To give the guy the shake But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind He still had on his brake He must have thought his car had more guts As he kept on tooting his horn I'll show him that a Cadillac Is not a car to scorn My car went in to passing gear And we took off with gust And soon we were doing ninety Must have left him in the dust When I peeked in the mirror of my car I couldn't believe my eyes The little Nash Rambler was right behind You'd think that guy could fly Now we're doing a hundred and ten It certainly was a race For a Rambler to pass a Caddy Would be a big disgrace The guy must have wanted to pass me out As he kept on tooting his horn I'll show him that a Cadillac Is not a car to scorn Now we're doing a hundred and twenty As fast as I could go The Rambler pulled alongside of me As if we were going slow The fellow rolled his window down And yelled for me to hear "Hey buddy how can I get this car out... of... second gear!" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:05:36 -0500 (CDT) From: Lara Schmidt Subject: Re: Columbia show On Thu, 10 Oct 1996, james puellmann wrote: > Is there anybody out there going to the Oct 27 show in Columbia, MO??? > didn't think so. > [sigh]... > guess i'll just freakout to happy tunes alone. > again... > [[sigh]] > > James @ MU > Uh, yeah. Me. I'll be on the floor-- hopefully, pressed up against the stage. :> Lara Schmidt _________________ poet, writer, musician, webslave! _________________ www.cclabs.missouri.edu/~maneater www.missouri.edu/~moreview www.cclabs.missouri.edu/~c619888 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 20:58:23 -0400 (EDT) From: CORT Subject: TMBG Electric Factory Show in Philly! Hi friends! This is cortney, I just finished packing to go home for the TMBG show in Philly Sunday night!!!! I just wanted to check one more time who's going! Matt James, Nola Weaver, and myself will be there early, so look for us in the front (hopefully!) of the line! We will try to somehow identify ourselves, so keep your eyes and ears open! It would be a shame to pass up this oppotunity to meet our TMBG friends face to face! Hope to see ya there! (48 and 1/2 more hours!!!!!) sun and smiles cortney http://ocelot.uofs.edu/student/ck8 ------------------------------ Subject: My Turn. From: superuprecht@juno.com (Ike L. Ruprecht) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:58:10 EDT I must say this much, then you may persecute me, I went out and bought the CD Wednesday, I'm not overly thrilled. I wasted my last 14 dollars on this album and now I'm broke. There are many general problems with Factory Showroom, let's go in order... 1. SEXXY - This is one of the very best songs on this CD, it has beautiful instrumentation, it's not overly done with distortion, it's just beautiful, at least, by comparison it is. This _is_ the _only_ song on this CD that should be over three minutes, where as all other that go over three just break into an annoying repeat of the verse before that with loud crappy guitar music. Rating: Tolerable 2. Until My Head Falls Off - I don't see why anyone likes this. It's just an annoying rock song with too loud guitars and too much distortion. There's absolutely nothing that's new about the instrumentation, it's just a rock song. Because of the "dirty" guitar sounds you can't hear the guys, this is why we need lyrics in the album, it's that damn rock music. This song belongs on JH, but I forget, you people hold JH high in your opinion. Rating: Total Crap 3. How Can I Sing Like a Girl - This a good song if not overly poppy. It does have really good lyrics (I want to raise my freak flag...), but there's very little headway into originality as far as music goes. The music actually sounds far too much like Free As a Bird (not so much a bad thing, as it is a rip off) which sounds far too much like Blue Moon. Rating: Reasonably Tolerable 4. Exquisite Dead Guy - This song is so far above everything before it on FS it's not even funny. There lyrics are interesting, the music is great and actually something you wouldn't ever hear on the radio. There's inherent "Hi, we're TMBG, we're a rock band" problem throughout this CD, but it doesn't show up in this songs. Rating: Good 5. Metal Detector - This song is real nice, and could have made an ok single as many have said, but as a TMBG, it's rather subpar. The real problem with this is the fatal attempt at trying to mix the full band with synth. The loud guitars and synth have a battle and John's voice gets lost in a pile of crap. Rating: Reasonably Tolerable 6. New York City - Perhaps this would have made an alright Mono Puff (I like Mono Puff, keeping in mind I had _no_ expectations as it wasn't trying to be another TMBG ablum) song as that is what appears it was going to be, but it is not a good TMBG song. This song is really pretty meaningless and isn't a really neat, sort of "epic" sounding thing to cover like Instanbul or In The Jungle, it's just some sort of song about New York, again. I realize that all you New Yorkers think it's really great to have another song about New York, but let's face it, NYC has been done to death. When I first heard about them covering NYC I thought it was that one oldies sort of song "Tell us about the boy from New York City" or something like that, what a disappointment. Just another rock song. Rating: Total Crap 7. Your Own Worst Enemy - This has been called by many the weakest song on the mini-tour, but they are wrong. This song has brilliant instrumentation, something severely lakcing on the rest of this CD. I've yet to pay attention to the lyrics, but then, I don't really care. Rating: Nicely Tolerable 8. XTC vs. Adam Ant - Exactly a good example of what Madness would sound like if Alice Cooper was in their band, this is not a good thing. Rock on Flansburgh. Rating: Total Crap 9. Spiraling Shape - This song would be perfect if it were only about a minute shorter and in fact would be my very favourite TMBG song if it were only 30 seconds long. The vibraphone/Linnell beginning is just plain beautiful, and the rest of the song is really great too until the point around 2:20 where they decide it's a good time to rock out. Never at any point in a TMBG song is it a good time to rock out. Rating: Good 10. James K. Polk - This a great song, and the reason for that is that it was written for Flood, which is a perfect CD by comparison. Of course there is the singing saw, but is growing on me. Rating: Good 11. Pet Name - Is this Ben Folds Five or something? I don't know, this is a good song, but it's just sort of a Pop song that any piano band from the Seventies already made. At least they didn't make this into a rock song, but I can't get over the Ben Folds Five similarity... Either that or late Beatles. Rating: Tolerable 12. I Can Hear You - If I had my way, every song on this CD would sound like this, except without the static, but anyway, this song couldn't be any better, love the tuba. Rating: Keen 13. The Bells Are Ringing - A good song, got to love the rounds, got to love the interps, but you don't have to love the rock and roll ending. The sad part is this is where you expect the CD to get better and go off into really neat stuff, just think about everything 14 and beyond on previous CDs. Rating: Nicely Tolerable I don't know who to blame, but this CD is definitely subpar. The best song on this CD is Older, and it's not. I'm not sure thatI even consider this better than JH, and if you've been here long, you know how I feel about JH. Maybe the next CD will have a one word title... =========================a spooky man named Ike========================= The Web: http://www.inca.de/user/ruprecht/ The E-mail: Ruprecht@tmbg.org The Annoying Quote: "Madness is all in the mind" =================I wish that I could jump out of my .sig================ ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:08:02 -0400 Subject: the transition has reoccurred well, my little sister has well gone through the "I know which John sings this one!" transition. :) I've been listening to FS over and over. "Linnell's singing this." "John Flansy is singin' this." And she's only 6 years old. :) ~sarah :) http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal/site.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:00:55 -0400 From: jchaffer@tmbg.org (Jonathan Chaffer) Subject: Re: My Turn. >I must say this much, then you may persecute me, Persecute! Persecute! Destroy! Boy, I feel warm. Must be the approaching flames. :-) -- Jonathan Chaffer Student, University of Michigan http://www.tmbg.org/~jchaffer/ Funny quote deferred to "finger" My Macintosh (finger, ftp, gopher, http, whois): tmbg.reshall.umich.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:23:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Cuper Vargas Subject: My Thoughts, and other pointless ramblings. Factory Showroom: Good. Not great, but good. A few tracks really stand out, but on the whole, I'm a sort of disappointed. 11 new TMBG songs and a hidden track certainly was less than expected. On the plus side, I got my copy for free. (I work in a record store) And, since we got a promo copy for in-store play, and since it's about a thousand times better than any of our other promos, it will be getting a fair amount of play time in the coming weeks. Too bad nobody's come in and bought one... (If another person asks me for "My Boo", one of us will die.) -Cuper. P.S., I've fallen behind on my list reading. Does anyone know what songs will be on the S.E.X.X.Y, single? After their show in Norwalk, I really wanted to hear "They Got Lost" and that Older Than You've Ever Been Song. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:09:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Joshua Hall-Bachner Subject: Miscellaneous and Unrelated Things >The whole idea of ICHY is the novelty of the Edison 1898 cylindar >effect. if they had polished this up it wouldn't have even sounded like >it was recorded on the dang thing. It would have lost its charm. And it loses it's charm pretty quickly anyway, because it sounds so awful. >And what do you mean by clean it up so it gives the impression of >sounding crappy without actually being so? I mean, right now the sound is completely un-EQ'ed so that John's voice goes all freaky occasionally. I mean, leave on the huge layer of static but EQ the sound so that it's listenable to. Do you understand what I mean? The static isn't the problem. Anyway, this *really* should have been a B-side; it's just not a very good song and I seriously doubt that, after the novelty fades, it'll stand up well as a song in it's own right. I, personally, kinda liked the idea of having one EP contain one entire Edison Museum performance. >I like the singing saw, but I have not heard the old version of the song. You poor, poor man. :P It sounds just like the new version, except that the guitar arrangement is different and the singing saw is replaced with John going "la." >Might it be that Spike Jones is a better artist, or is it that FS just >isn't all that great? FS kicks ass. This album is proof positive that, even with Elektra majorly fucking with Them, they still haven't sold out. It's not the catchiest album in the world (NYC, TMHFA, TBAR, and SS being the only songs I'd call "catchy") but it's still "totally rockin'". >Bells- Whoever mentioned Christmas for this one had it right on, or at least >I think so. I think it sounds like the Christmas music from The Grinch That >Stole Christmas, I can belive that *you* think so too. It doesn't sound like Christmas music at all to me. The reason you're comparing it to the Whoville song is because the bell riffs in both of them are the same (although I believe they're in different keys...) However, that's an *incredibly* common series of notes to play on bells, so much that it's almost cliche, so there's certainly other places you've heard it too. >You know, while listening to Pet Name, I was struck by the sheer amount >of songs that express how one of Them has been dragged through the mud by >a woman, or that tell of love gone horribly, horribly wrong. Don't forget The End of the Tour (not her fault, but still...) > Well, as far as I know, that sort of thing is still spelled with >multiple consonants here in the states (billing, killing, thrilling, >milling) Note that all the words you use above (bill, kill, thrill, mill) all have two l's to begin, whereas "spiral" does not. >> they've made references to women "being" men (Such as Out of JAil..."I >> could say ....she's the man in this cautionary tale.) Metaphor? Literal? >> >Being "the man" is an idiomatic expression, not a gender reference. Reminds me of earlier this week, when I filled out one of those stupid surveys that 9th grade math classes for some reason are compelled to do (this one was about sneakers) and answered every question by talking about "the control of our ignorant youthful populace by the evil capitalistic machine of THE MAN". I would have loved to see the face of that class when they read it...:) /---------------------------Joshua Hall-Bachner---------------------------\ | particle@servtech.com http://www.servtech.com/public/particle/ | | "The few surviving samurai survey the battlefield. They count the arms, | \--the legs, the heads, and then divide by five." - They Might Be Giants--/ ------------------------------ From: Christi587@aol.com Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:35:45 -0400 Subject: Re: new concert tradition? xOkay, maybe it sounds silly and ridiculous, but if you saw someone xwith a broom at a TMBG show, instantly, you'd approach them, and it would xturn out to be one of us, you know? Instead of endless hunting and not xfinding someone. I dunno. Share your opinions. Ack! That's really weird karma. I'm going to Taste of DC this Monday and I was planning all along to bring a broom with me! It'll be great to get on Metro wearing a TMBG shirt and holding... a broom. hee hee! If anyone else out there is going, be sure to come over and say Hi to the yellow-broom girl and her TMBG-lovin' posse. :) (Wow, wouldn't the *best* piece of TMBG memorabilia be an autographed broom? I have to give this a try) --Christy ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 19:36:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Alex Subject: Yay! They are going to be playing in Portland on the 16th of November! That's two days after my birthday, and that spells Happy Birthday to me, for sure. :) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:03:32 -0400 From: jchaffer@tmbg.org (Jonathan Chaffer) Subject: Flansy's Wife Just read this on a.m.tmbg. Can anyone confirm? If so, it is a very interesting tidbit... >>Perhaps Flans is not only married to the singer from Cub, but is also >>the love interest referenced in the song- he does live in New York, after >>all. > >What the heck? Flans' wife is the singer from cub? Well, that *does* >tie up a lot of loose ends... -- Jonathan Chaffer Student, University of Michigan http://www.tmbg.org/~jchaffer/ Funny quote deferred to "finger" My Macintosh (finger, ftp, gopher, http, whois): tmbg.reshall.umich.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:13:38 +0000 From: Jonah Subject: Re: OOPS! My top 5 TMBG songs kathleen jo faulconer wrote: > That was fun! Now someone else try! I really just can't pass something like this up. I know I'll think about it for half an hour, and then after I send this, I'll change my mind, but I still can't stop myself. OK, here goes. I'm not even trying to number them. Alright, I'm making this a top ten, because I can't decide on five. She's An Angel They'll Need A Crane Purple Toupee I Palindrome I Don't Lets Start Put Your Hand inside the puppet head Birdhouse In Your Soul Narrow Your Eyes Thermostat Until My Head Falls Off That was hard. Really hard. No album went unrepresented, except misc. T. Everyone else: don't try this unless you're looking for a challenge. It's really hard. I mean really, really hard. -- "Get out of the car. Put down the phone. Take off that stupid looking hat you wear." -They Might Be Giants "They say I'm mental but I'm just confused"-The Eels Jonah ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:13:35 -0500 (CDT) From: Jim Doolittle Subject: Re: the transition has reoccurred On Fri, 11 Oct 1996 KdsInThHal@aol.com wrote: > well, my little sister has well gone through the "I know which John sings > this one!" transition. :) > I've been listening to FS over and over. "Linnell's singing this." "John > Flansy is singin' this." And she's only 6 years old. :) Damn. Wish I could do that. :) -Jim (supremely annoyed at ruprecht _again_ less than 48 hours after resubscribing...) Jim Doolittle doolittl@uiuc.edu or gimli@avara.com If it weren't for dissapointment To err is human, I wouldn't have any appointments To moo, bovine. -They Might Be Giants RSC Peer Consultant ''''''"""''"'~'""~~~http://www.avara.com/~gimli~~'"~''""~~'' ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:20:26 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Re: My Turn Re: Misc and Unrelated Things >FS kicks ass. This album is proof positive that, even with Elektra majorly >fucking with Them, they still haven't sold out. It's not the catchiest album >in the world (NYC, TMHFA, TBAR, and SS being the only songs I'd call >"catchy") but it's still "totally rockin'". And that's exactly what some people have a problem with. I liked JH as much as all their previous albums, and they really needed a full band. I mean, come on.. are there any other 2-member bands out there? And a guitar, accordian, drum machine? Sure it's unique (maybe even 'Quirky'), but that's what would get them classified as a joke band. And there are things you can do with a full band that you just couldn't do otherwise. >on this CD that should be over three minutes, where as all other that go >over three just break into an annoying repeat of the verse before that >with loud crappy guitar music. Rating: Tolerable I agree that a lot of the songs could have been shorter. This would have allowed for more songs on the album (even though they could've put more on anyway, seeing as how it's only 40 some minutes) >2. Until My Head Falls Off - I don't see why anyone likes this. It's >just an annoying rock song with too loud guitars and too much distortion. > There's absolutely nothing that's new about the instrumentation, it's >just a rock song. Because of the "dirty" guitar sounds you can't hear >the guys, this is why we need lyrics in the album, it's that damn rock >music. This song belongs on JH, but I forget, you people hold JH high in >your opinion. Rating: Total Crap This is not 'just a rock song'. In my opinion, this song is the most similar to the Flood or earlier (yes, even though JKPolk was a Flood b-side). I don't know about anyone else, but I have no trouble hearing them. And the general feel of the song would not fit in with the general feel of JH. This song is what TMBG have become, and rightly so. As for 'dirty guitar sound' and 'that damn rock music' I have a quote: "That sounds suspiciously like rock and/or roll music." - Rev. Lovejoy, _The Simpsons_ 'And another thing...' If this song (UMHFO) was a minute shorter, and done with a guitar, accordian and drum machine (perhaps a trumpet player and some handclaps thrown in...) would you not like it? my 2.5699999 cents -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:25:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: My Turn. Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 11-Oct-96 My Turn. by Ike L. Ruprecht@juno.com > 1. SEXXY - This is one of the very best songs on this CD, it has > beautiful instrumentation, it's not overly done with distortion, it's > just beautiful, at least, by comparison it is. This _is_ the _only_ song > on this CD that should be over three minutes, where as all other that go > over three just break into an annoying repeat of the verse before that > with loud crappy guitar music. Rating: Tolerable I have to disagree with this. It's really out of character for TMBG to do such a song. The style isn't that bad, but I think TMBG's greatest strength are their lyrics. And this song is not a demonstration of this. > 2. Until My Head Falls Off - I don't see why anyone likes this. It's > just an annoying rock song with too loud guitars and too much distortion. > There's absolutely nothing that's new about the instrumentation, it's > just a rock song. Because of the "dirty" guitar sounds you can't hear > the guys, this is why we need lyrics in the album, it's that damn rock > music. This song belongs on JH, but I forget, you people hold JH high in > your opinion. Rating: Total Crap Total crap? I think this is one of the most fun songs on the album. It's true TMBG - heads and stuff. That randomness factor. Kind of a lyrical mix of Turn Around and Thermostat. And we can't forget Lie Still, Little Bottle - I guess it was Advil. > 3. How Can I Sing Like a Girl - This a good song if not overly poppy. It > does have really good lyrics (I want to raise my freak flag...), but > there's very little headway into originality as far as music goes. The > music actually sounds far too much like Free As a Bird (not so much a bad > thing, as it is a rip off) which sounds far too much like Blue Moon. > Rating: Reasonably Tolerable I like the concert version of this song much better than the recorded one. The one that ended up on the CD is very strange. The concert one is almost normal. It's a good song - and it's actually meant to make a point to some extent. Musically, it isn't much, though. > 4. Exquisite Dead Guy - This song is so far above everything before it on > FS it's not even funny. There lyrics are interesting, the music is great > and actually something you wouldn't ever hear on the radio. There's > inherent "Hi, we're TMBG, we're a rock band" problem throughout this CD, > but it doesn't show up in this songs. Rating: Good I still haven't gotten used to this yet. The lyrics are funny and disturbing (oh, god are they disturbing), but the music isn't that great, and there are too many "ba ba" things... > 5. Metal Detector - This song is real nice, and could have made an ok > single as many have said, but as a TMBG, it's rather subpar. The real > problem with this is the fatal attempt at trying to mix the full band > with synth. The loud guitars and synth have a battle and John's voice > gets lost in a pile of crap. Rating: Reasonably Tolerable I think this is one of the best songs on the album. It's musically complex and it has good lyrics. It sounds like the most pseudo-autobiographical song Linnell's written - that whole solitude thing. > 6. New York City - Perhaps this would have made an alright Mono Puff (I > like Mono Puff, keeping in mind I had _no_ expectations as it wasn't > trying to be another TMBG ablum) song as that is what appears it was > going to be, but it is not a good TMBG song. This song is really pretty > meaningless and isn't a really neat, sort of "epic" sounding thing to > cover like Instanbul or In The Jungle, it's just some sort of song about > New York, again. I realize that all you New Yorkers think it's really > great to have another song about New York, but let's face it, NYC has > been done to death. When I first heard about them covering NYC I thought > it was that one oldies sort of song "Tell us about the boy from New York > City" or something like that, what a disappointment. Just another rock > song. Rating: Total Crap I like this song. To dismiss it as total crap isn't doing justice to it at all. It's a really neat and depressing song, like The End of the Tour and She's an Angel - and yet, it wasn't even written by Them. And I think they did a really good job with it. > 7. Your Own Worst Enemy - This has been called by many the weakest song > on the mini-tour, but they are wrong. This song has brilliant > instrumentation, something severely lakcing on the rest of this CD. I've > yet to pay attention to the lyrics, but then, I don't really care. > Rating: Nicely Tolerable This is a good song. There isn't really any more I can say about it. > 8. XTC vs. Adam Ant - Exactly a good example of what Madness would sound > like if Alice Cooper was in their band, this is not a good thing. Rock > on Flansburgh. Rating: Total Crap This one I agree on. I'm not at all interested in any kind of "battle of the bands" stuff, and it's not great instrumentally. It's an annoying song. > 9. Spiraling Shape - This song would be perfect if it were only about a > minute shorter and in fact would be my very favourite TMBG song if it > were only 30 seconds long. The vibraphone/Linnell beginning is just > plain beautiful, and the rest of the song is really great too until the > point around 2:20 where they decide it's a good time to rock out. Never > at any point in a TMBG song is it a good time to rock out. Rating: Good This is my favorite song on the album. I don't see what your problem is with what you've dubbed "rocking out." You seem to think that They aren't allowed to deviate from the folky, quiet style of Meet James Ensor or They'll Need a Crane. You've attached a style to TMBG and refuse to listen to anything they do that is not in that style. > 10. James K. Polk - This a great song, and the reason for that is that it > was written for Flood, which is a perfect CD by comparison. Of course > there is the singing saw, but is growing on me. Rating: Good This is a great song, and I'm glad they used accordion in it. That was kind of a surprise, especially since they don't play it in concert that way - perhaps they were trying to surprise us with it... who knows. The saw had me fooled for a while until people started to discuss it - I expected a saw wave, which would be more logical than the kind of saw that cuts wood. Either way, it's pretty neat. > 11. Pet Name - Is this Ben Folds Five or something? I don't know, this > is a good song, but it's just sort of a Pop song that any piano band from > the Seventies already made. At least they didn't make this into a rock > song, but I can't get over the Ben Folds Five similarity... Either that > or late Beatles. Rating: Tolerable There you go on your anti-rock thing again. I don't really like this song. It reminds me of a lot of the Mono Puff songs that I don't like, along with some of Flans' TMBG songs - Sapphire Bullets comes to mind. > 12. I Can Hear You - If I had my way, every song on this CD would sound > like this, except without the static, but anyway, this song couldn't be > any better, love the tuba. Rating: Keen It's just neat. The song itself is good. The track is interesting with the static and everything. I think in a way that it's a waste of space simply because of the sound quality - this is a CD, and its purpose has been defeated. > 13. The Bells Are Ringing - A good song, got to love the rounds, got to > love the interps, but you don't have to love the rock and roll ending. > The sad part is this is where you expect the CD to get better and go off > into really neat stuff, just think about everything 14 and beyond on > previous CDs. Rating: Nicely Tolerable Your rant against rock and roll is getting on my nerves. What is it with you, anyway? Like I said before, are TMBG not allowed to rock? You don't have to love the "rock & roll" ending, if that's what you really think it is. I think it's a great song both lyrically and musically. A great way to round out a CD that, based on the last 5 albums, is mediocre. Hopefully, popular music will change enough within the next couple of years so we'll get another album like Lincoln, if this isn't TMBG's last album - in the Fall of '98 they'll be pushing 40 years old, which, by popular music standards is old... we'll have to wait and see. >I must say this much, then you may persecute me, See above. :) Not trying to persecute. Just offering my differing opinion... even if at times it seems harsh. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 23:26:01 -0400 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Brooms Someone was saying 'hey, why don't we start bringing brooms?' now it seems to be happening. If They ever come near my town, I would definately bring a broom. (In fact I had thought about this before the post was made. (and yes, I had made the connection to BNL's kraft dinner also.) I Think it would be cool. Also, we should try to find out the background of I am Not Your Broom, and when/if they'll upload a better copy. -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot . <-- http://www.GeoCities.com/SoHo/4545 "It's as much fun as a barrel of monkees... and a shotgun." -Another Satisfied Customer ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:42:23 -0500 From: "Linda Schultz" Subject: S.E.X.X.Y single What's with the s.e.x.x.y single, they've changed the release date of it to October 29. What's the point? Please explain Elektra to me because I really don't understand, how can people buy it if it's not released yet? Elektra must be really stupid or else I am, and I know I'm not. Keep up the great posts on this digest, I don't post much because by the time I get around to it everything I want to say has already been said. I love FS, but have to hear it a few more times to say much about it. Thanks. Linda, the woman most likely not to be a TMBG fan but I am, and it's too late now because the drug is already working! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 00:41:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Fransburgh Subject: Re: Flansy's Wife > >>Perhaps Flans is not only married to the singer from Cub, but is also > >>the love interest referenced in the song- he does live in New York, after > >>all. hummm. not so sure i would believe this, but vancouver IS about 3 days from NYC...wouldnt it be, way over there in the west? i would be even less inclined to believe this, considering the story we have heard about how flans heard cub on the radio, didnt really seem to know anything about them, etc... whatever! --fffransburgh (yep, it's getting colder!) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 01:15:12 -0500 (EST) From: "StatuE (Wayde)" Subject: Cello On exquisite dead guy, there is a cello part played out... anyone figure out the notes yet? ----->Later! "I've got to let you know ... You're one of my mind!" A little They can do soooo much!!! 5:) -Statue et al ------------------------------ From: Matthew Coon Subject: Re: Cello Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 00:22:50 -0500 (EST) > > On exquisite dead guy, there is a cello part played out... > anyone figure out the notes yet? > It's just the same as the first couple of measures of the chorus: it starts out in unison on the tonic; one part stays on the tonic, while the other part goes down a half-step to the seventh, then goes up a whole step (from the tonic) the next time. m@t ------------------------------ From: Matthew Coon Subject: Re: Miscellaneous and Unrelated Things Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 00:47:03 -0500 (EST) What's up with everybody bitching about the sound on ICHY? It doesn't sound *that* bad. Are you all young people who have grown up knowing nothing other than CDs? Joshua Hall-Bachner writes: > >And what do you mean by clean it up so it gives the impression of > >sounding crappy without actually being so? > > I mean, right now the sound is completely un-EQ'ed so that John's voice goes > all freaky occasionally. I mean, leave on the huge layer of static but EQ > the sound so that it's listenable to. Do you understand what I mean? > Yes, I understand what you mean, but you are wrong. With regards to static, what you are hearing is mostly surface noise (some people get all misty-eyed and start raving about how great it is when it's on a vinyl LP...). Equalization would not help much because the recording is severely bandlimited (there are frequencies that are simply not there) due to the frequency response of the recording equipment. FM radio is also bandlimited (although nobody seems to notice), as are telephone transmissions (much more so). I'd guess that ICHY falls in the middle somewhere (well, alright, it's probably a lot closer to Ma Bell than FM). At any rate, I like the song. It's much more interesting in its rough two minutes than several of the others are in much longer time periods. m@t ------------------------------ End of tmbg-list Digest #2-279 ******************************