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 #3-26 tmbg-list Digest, Volume 3, Number 26 Monday, 27 January 1997 Today's Topics: Re: TMBG: Hello Re: TMBG: Non TMBG (swing) TMBG: Re: tmbg-list Digest #3-25 Re: TMBG: genres TMBG: Giants Positioning System TMBG: Re: Squirrel Nut Zippers TMBG: TMBG House of Blues Re: TMBG: genres TMBG: Re: tmbg-list Digest #3-25 TMBG: Giants Positioning System TMBG: DAS problems TMBG: Bootlegs TMBG: Live IN NY Re: TMBG: Giants Positioning System TMBG: voices? TMBG: tmbg.com updates TMBG: sorry... TMBG: Genres TMBG: Alan Jenkins Please e-mail me TMBG: Re: TMBG stuff (what else?) TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! Re: TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Re: TMBG: It really works! TMBG: Guitar was the Case TMBG: Youl'll miss me Re: TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! Re: TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Re: TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Re: TMBG: Youl'll miss me TMBG: Maby and Spin City Re: TMBG: Maby TMBG: Misc. stuff Administrivia: If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing send mail to tmbg-digest-request@tmbg.org for instructions on how to be automatically removed. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 02:35:33 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <199701260735.CAA04736@sumter.awod.com> From: frankh@awod.com (Bejezus) Subject: Re: TMBG: Hello >Just a quick question for all you Hello-ers out there. When you >ordered, how long did it take for you to get the stuff? I'm just Well, lets see, I ordered my stuff in (Bej looks at his watch) August, so my advice is give it up and take up illegal narcotics, or bingo, either one is harmful to your health. yo pal, Brother JohnBejezus * ---------------------------------- Brother JohnBejezus - frankh@awod.com http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/9677 "...and then forget" - David Thomas * ----------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 01:39:53 -0600 (CST) From: Bill Tatalovich Subject: Re: TMBG: Non TMBG (swing) Message-ID: > Non TMBG (swing)- I recently read an interview with The Millionaire of > Combustable Edison, a really cool band, about this new swing thing. > According to him, it's about time for people to start getting back into it. > I also belive the term they use is: "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music" which I > thik is *very* cool. > This is really odd. I was always under the impression that Space Age Bachelor Pad Music was a term in reference to the kind of music that Juan Garcia Esuivel put out. It was (and still is, for that matter) a kind of quirky pop big band music, with a lot of keyboard-type things in them. This differing from swing in that swing is a more basic form of music than SABPM. But then again, this bit of information comes from The Millionaire himself, a god in his own lounge music genre. So I guess I will admit defeat and crawl back into my hole. See ya. Bill Tatalovich wt3@cec.wustl.edu "But look at his nose / you can always be sure that he's lying" --Barenaked Ladies, "Just a Toy" ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EB7AAE.718C@trib.infi.net> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 10:39:26 -0500 From: BOBA Organization: InfiNet Subject: TMBG: Re: tmbg-list Digest #3-25 > From: Kevin McGuire > Subject: TMBG: genres > > Is there a genre of music that TMBG hasnt done yet? Rap immediately > springs to mind, but I don't consider that music anyways. Just a silly > question, which deserves a silly answer. > > [INSERT SILLY ANSWER HERE] Well, what about You'll Miss Me, Demo Tape version!??! -- Matthew Ondrey "You said love was just a lie, but I could tell that you were lying." - TMBG Boba@tmbg.org http://boba.home.ml.org http://wendyrulz.home.ml.org ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19970126105806.006b153c@mail.ee.net> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 10:58:08 -0500 From: Evan Chakroff Subject: Re: TMBG: genres At 10:50 PM 1/25/97 -0500, you wrote: >Is there a genre of music that TMBG hasnt done yet? Rap immediately >springs to mind, but I don't consider that music anyways. Just a silly >question, which deserves a silly answer. You'll miss me could almost be considered rap. It depends on your definition. -- Evan Chakroff The Internet Mystery Spot http://spot.home.ml.org ------------------------------ Message-Id: <199701261648.LAA19579@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 11:50:00 -0500 From: gonk@valley.net (The Notorious R.O.B) Subject: TMBG: Giants Positioning System Rob at his Performa Wonders where they might be giants are, So he goes to tmbg.com to find the location of their car The flashing dot signals that they are just south of Maine, But the image can't zoom and to him that's really a pain I heard they might be somewhere near his town! They might be giants are near but not to be found. That dot is in new england! They are near me! Where are TMBG? Rob Grabill X X gonk@valley.net ^ http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1941/ |||||||||| Every 59 Minutes On The Hour. ------------------------------ Message-Id: <9701261716.AA24736@uvm-gen.emba.uvm.edu> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:12:27 -0500 From: ntodd@uvm-gen.emba.uvm.edu (Nathan Todd) Subject: TMBG: Re: Squirrel Nut Zippers Aren't the Squirrel Nut Zippers going to be on Modern Rock Live for at least a while this week? I think they are one of 2 or 3 bands that will be featured, but we will at least get a chance to hear a few songs, I suppose. I'm quite partial to them, I got both of their albums for Xmas this year, but for some reason I've really only listened to The Inevitable, and I do like it a lot. Took me a little while to grow accustomed to the 'swing' thing, but it grows on ya! :) Walk down your path, Sleep a happy sleep. Nathan Todd a.k.a. Tenman *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> You know your duty to mankind, VOTE INSECTS '96: "Insects, Jesus, & God For President, Vice President, & Sub-Committee" Visit the official HomePage at: ----> http://www.emba.uvm.edu/~ntodd/index.html -[unfortunately inappropriate until future notice]- ------------------------------ From: TMBGGuy@aol.com Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:17:19 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <970126121719_817235942@emout07.mail.aol.com> Subject: TMBG: TMBG House of Blues There's only one thing I know how to do well, and its not letter writting. I always thought that Flans had the deeper voice of the two giants, but I was watching this tape I have of them at the House of Blues and there's a short interview with them and Linnell seems to have the deeper voice. Also does anyone know when TMBG will be in North Caroina and what does WDTSS stand for? "We've had this periodic problem where we try to do something thats interesting and new, and it comes off as werid, but we're really not about being weird. Once you've familar with what we're doing it not werid at all, its just something interesting and new."-John Linnell ------------------------------ Message-Id: Date: Sun, 26 Jan 97 12:48 EST From: kbrodbec@remcen.ehhs.cmich.edu (Kirsten Brodbeck) Subject: Re: TMBG: genres > >Is there a genre of music that TMBG hasnt done yet? Rap immediately >springs to mind, but I don't consider that music anyways. Just a silly >question, which deserves a silly answer. Hrm... Couldn't "You'll Miss Me" be somewhat considered rap? Kirsten -- "This message had been rated Y-7 because it is a superhero action drama." Kirsten Brodbeck AKA Brodie AKA Crow kbrodbec@remcen.ehhs.cmich.edu *TMBG*Sex Pistols*The Mommyheads*Simon & Garfunkel*Op Ivy*Pulp*The Muffs* ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 13:25:03 -0500 Message-ID: <970126132501_303416652@emout12.mail.aol.com> Subject: TMBG: Re: tmbg-list Digest #3-25 >>At the rochester 12/29 show, it struck me that Linnell looked *very old*... Like tired & worn out too...i don't know. He was having fun, but his face just looked like he's older than he's ever been.<< I thought that too! He looked... dead. Maybe it's just seeing him in person. But he did look tired. (And reeeeeallly cute!!!) sarah :) TMBGer#45127 linnellgirl@tmbg.org http://members.aol.com/kdsinthhal ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EBA6E7.628@mixcom.com> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:48:07 -0600 From: Matt Mantsch Subject: TMBG: Giants Positioning System You know I never realized just how close South America and Africa were to each other, or for that matter that there was a virtual land bridge to Australia :) -- VooDoo Ben--MattM@Mixcom.com 25 Hours a day--6 Days a week --- " And the cow says: MOOOooooo! " (Fisher-Price See & Say) --- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:13:33 -0700 (MST) From: David Simpson Subject: TMBG: DAS problems Message-ID: I've been trying to call the DAS for the past two weeks now. At first it was busy all the time (hmm.. wonder why) but then, a little over a week ago, I got through. Or so I thought. It kept ringing and ringing, and after 10 or so rings I got tired of it and hung up. The other 4 times I've tried also have rung but not picked up. Does anyone know if the DAS is down, or if I'm just not waiting long enough? Dave Simpson Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this.. um.. ------------------------------ From: SuperD149@aol.com Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:46:21 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <970126144620_-2046149101@emout05.mail.aol.com> Subject: TMBG: Bootlegs Here is a list a boots that I have. If interested in trading for any E-mail me. I'm looking TMBG boots but will probably trade for something else. Fishbone: St. Louis (Video)- 11/5/86 with SNL 1991 Foo Fighters: Free Tibet Benefit (Video)- 6/15/96 Radiohead: The Astoria (Video)- 5/27/94 They Might Be Giants: Live in NY(Mising 5 songs) (Audio)- 10/14/94 Let It Be Records Instore (Audio)- 11/29/96 Interview on Rev 105 with live version of S-E-X-X-Y (Audio) Stum Box (Audio) Weezer: CD of B-sides Various (Audio) Buffalo (Audio)- 7/30/95 Rock Candy (Audio) New Britain "Geezer" (Audio)- 1/4/94 The Factory (VIdeo)- 2/18/95 Bizarre fest (Video)- 8/17/96 ------------------------------ From: SuperD149@aol.com Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:46:36 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <970126144634_847133588@emout16.mail.aol.com> Subject: TMBG: Live IN NY Could someone please tell me how I could get a CD version of Live in NY?? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:11:34 -0600 (CST) From: Juliet Subject: Re: TMBG: Giants Positioning System Message-id: > --- " And the cow says: MOOOooooo! " (Fisher-Price See & Say) --- Does that mean that the Moo says: coooooooooow!! Girlfriend of an Animal and Dairy Science Major, Supreme High Empress Helen =) * ---------------------------------------------------- Miss Helen Joan Chipman "I love him, but when the night is over uhjchipman@latte.memphis.edu he is gone, the river's just a river. Without him, the world around me changes- Sigma Kappa Sorority the trees are bare and everywhere Women's Panhellenic Council the streets are full of strangers." Student Government Association Alan Rutter's Girlfriend -Eponine, "On My Own" from Les Miserables * ------------------------------------- http://www.people.memphis.edu/~uhjchipman ------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970126203923.00688228@peseta.ucdavis.edu> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:39:23 -0800 From: Nicole the Wonder Nerd Subject: TMBG: voices? I just downloaded "Edison Museum", which rocks! It's great! Anyone know if it'll show up on SF or somewhere else? Who sings it? It doesn't sound like either of our boys. Speaking of which, whose voice says the spoken intro for I Can Hear You? Once again, it doesn't sound like either John. --nicole the wonder nerd left the bathtub running over *** "We're the vice-principals of rock!" --John Flansburgh, of They Might Be Giants Visit Nicolopolis! http://wwwcsif.cs.ucdavis.edu/~carlsonn nmcarlson@ucdavis.edu carlsonn@ucdavis.edu ana.ng@tmbg.org nnicole@tmbg.org ------------------------------ From: Leo Bicknell Message-Id: <199701262035.PAA07052@ussenterprise.ufp.org> Subject: TMBG: tmbg.com updates Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 15:35:48 -0500 (EST) A suggestion to those having problems with the tmbg.com updates. Find the "clear disk/memory cache" option and use it on your web browser. I've noticed that browsers don't always do the right thing when updates are made to pages with the same name. I have forwarded a couple of the problems I could reproduce to the TMBG web people, hopefully they will be fixed soon. -- Leo Bicknell - TMBG List Admin - tmbg-list-request@tmbg.org System Administrator / Network Technician bicknell@ufp.org - bicknell@vt.edu - bicknell@tmbg.org ------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970126212312.006947c0@peseta.ucdavis.edu> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 13:23:12 -0800 From: Nicole the Wonder Nerd Subject: TMBG: sorry... Hi 'vrybody Sorry about the redundancy of my last post; I hadn't read the digest when I wrote it. Does anyone have the URL for I Am Not Your Broom? My hard drive crashed over Christmas and I lost my copy. --n the wn *** "We're the vice-principals of rock!" --John Flansburgh, of They Might Be Giants Visit Nicolopolis! http://wwwcsif.cs.ucdavis.edu/~carlsonn nmcarlson@ucdavis.edu carlsonn@ucdavis.edu ana.ng@tmbg.org nnicole@tmbg.org ------------------------------ Message-Id: Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:08:51 -0800 From: J Chen Subject: TMBG: Genres >Is there a genre of music that TMBG hasnt done yet? Rap immediately >springs to mind, but I don't consider that music anyways. I always consider You'll Miss Me as a rap. At least kind of like '80's rap... Does anyone else agree? ========================___________________________________________... . . . | from LVJeff | Personal mondegreen: "20-20-24 hours ago, | Protected by Guan Yu | I'm going east of Eden." | alecson@ucla.edu | I Wanna Be Sedated, by The Ramones ======================== "I wanna be sedated." ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EBDE40.14B9@trib.infi.net> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 17:44:16 -0500 From: BOBA Organization: InfiNet Subject: TMBG: Alan Jenkins Please e-mail me Alan, Ive tried reaching your e-mail address, but the delivery had fatal results, if you still are online please e-mail me. Thank you ______________________________________________________ Matthew Ondrey Boba@tmbg.org http://members.tripod.com/~Theybootlegs/boba.htm ------------------------------ Subject: TMBG: Re: TMBG stuff (what else?) Message-ID: <19970126.191211.18494.0.bobthecow1@juno.com> From: bobthecow1@juno.com (Jordan A Arnot) Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 21:13:19 EST i dunno how to post so i'm hoping this will work: genres- anyways, on "why does the sun shine" that song jessica is pretty blue-grassy if you ask me. Although They didn't actually write the song. As far as the John's looking old i went to their show in denver (1/2/97) and Linnell was looking pretty old. He just stood there and the only time that he moved was when he went to go get his accordian or when they left the stage. Even when they returned for their encores (yes, all four of them) all of them were running back out on stage and he just calmly walked on. What springs to mind is 'Don't Let's Start' and the line 'I've go ta weak heart' and after all.... that is Linnell singing. jordan "Darkness sucks like the people that pretend they dwell in it" -- ME!!!!!! The Big Steamy Thing--- WooHoo! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 21:26:44 -0500 (EST) From: Benjamin Hauck Subject: TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! Message-ID: Ben or Been here. As I said a few days ago, I was going to get ahold of a ***NEW*** interview with TMBG. And sure enough, I did! It's with a new interview show sponsored by KitKat, hosted by a Paul DiNizio (sp?). The interview doesn't reveal a whole bunch that die-hard fans didn't already know. The interview's on a CD--TMBG's on the debut. However, you won't be able to get the CD traditionally. It's one of those promotional ones that's probably only sent to radio stations, because this interview is designed for radio play. ANYWAY, besides getting interviewed, John & John play an assortment of songs acoustically. The sound is really good! Here's a playlist from my memory, not necessarily complete or in chronological order: James K. Polk How Can I Sing Like A Girl? Your Own Worst Enemy Older Than You've Ever Been New York City (Flans switches it to "You held my hand/I held yours"--yuck) Ana Ng Be looking for _Factory Showroom II: Back To Hell_ soon. (It's a joke they say in the interview.) Someone might want to get John Ralph (whoever maintains the Discography) to get in contact with me so I can give him the necessary info about this new piece of TMBG. Have a lovely They-Day, (Suggestion: Listen to all of your TMBG chronologically!), Ben or Been ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EBE3F3.61D8@iclub.org> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:09:42 +0000 From: Jeffrey Scott Holland Organization: Apocalypse Ranch Subject: Re: TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! Benjamin Hauck wrote: > It's with a new interview show sponsored by KitKat, hosted by a Paul > DiNizio (sp?). *** I believe that's PAT DiNizio, the former Smithereens guy... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jeffrey Scott Holland Lexington, Kentucky =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 21:37:20 -0500 (EST) From: Benjamin Hauck Subject: TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Message-ID: Ben or Been here, in another post. Here I'll collect some random TMBG thoughts. Load up and comment on what you wish . . . ****** Soul Coughing, in their most recent album, cites/thanks They Might Be Giants. Take a look at the booklet for _Irresistible Bliss_. ****** Reading the Mono Puff FAQ, I learned that there is no such thing as "Rolf Conant." In fact, it is another persona of John Conant Flansburgh. I was let down!!! :-( I was really excited about this Rolf Conant guy, especially seeing him in the Hello the Band credits. The Hello Club writes in the description of that disc that Conant is a rave producer--yeah right, you fooled me! Well, okay, I'm just let down. Now it's time to see all that "Conant" has done, and perhaps investigate WHY Flansburgh puts the Conant name on some of his projects. ****** Do you agree that Linnell writes, on a whole, the lyrics for the more verbose songs, and Flansburgh writes the lyrics for the less wordy songs? Listen to the songs and note who sings them. Is it Flans? If so, how long is a particular lyric? Compare the tracks on _Factory Showroom_. SEXXY--F--short lines Until My--L--more wordy How Can--F--average length I'd say ...I forget the 4th song... Metal--L--more wordy ...la la la... XTCvs.--F--short lines I Can--F--short lines Bells--L--wordy Also, take a look at the solo projects. For Linnell, "South Carolina" is a blast of words, quickly, at different levels. And "House of Mayors" has a lot of lyrics too. And other TMBG tunes he sings? "Birdhouse In Your Soul," "The End Of The Tour," "Dead," "We Want A Rock," "The Statue Got Me High," etc. Flans in solo has shorter lyric lines: "Tryptophan(e)," "Dr. Kildare," "So Long Mockingbird," "Unsupervised, I Hit My Head," "Nixon's The One," "Careless Santa," etc. And with TMBG, he sings the shorter lyric lines: "Your Racist Friend," "Hearing Aid," "AKA Driver," etc. I think the distinction is more clear as they get older. Their younger, more experimental stuff (in quick thought) doesn't seem as distinct--Flans sings "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppethead" while ... Um, no, scratch that, maybe it does apply. ANYWAY, the best example that distinguishes Flanny's and Linnell's writing styles is this one: "I Palindrome I" In the DAS tape, the version is sung by Flansburgh. It has totally different lyrics and a totally different feel. It's nothing like the _Apollo 18_ version. And more importantly, its lyrics are really short. But the _Apollo 18_ version, sung by Linnell, has a *blast* of lyrics. Linnell spits them out, including a well constructed palindrome, to keep his mouth moving during the song. **So, in conclusion, Linnell uses in general more words for his songs than does Flansburgh. Flansburgh's songs often use short lyric lines, while Linnell's songs often use long *blasts* of words. ****** I hope you enjoyed my 67 cents! Ben or Been (I hope this starts discussion. Who's against it, and why?) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 20:26:04 -0700 (MST) From: David Simpson Subject: Re: TMBG: It really works! Message-ID: > Today as driving in my car listening to Lincoln I decided to try to > distinguish between the 2 John's singing, something I have been > disgustingly poor at in the past... the Orange Juice Metaphor really > works! I must ahve missed something. What is this Orange Juice Metaphor? Dave Simpson Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this.. um.. ------------------------------ From: mjames@greed.loyola.edu (Matthew James) Message-Id: <9701270350.AA27911@greed.loyola.edu> Subject: TMBG: Guitar was the Case Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 22:50:14 -0500 (EST) I was listening to the radio on the way to my college and I heard a commercial for a liquor store in Northeast DC. I was thinking, "I know that music in the backgruond from somewhere." Well a couple seconds later I realized it was Guitar WAs the Case! That was pretty bizarre... Matt -- Member of the ARM since '96 (let's give 'em hell) * ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EC2AA1.C93@toothfairy.com> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:10:09 -0500 From: Kevin McGuire Organization: The Explorers That *DO* Know Exactly Where They're Going! Subject: TMBG: Youl'll miss me > Hrm... Couldn't "You'll Miss Me" be somewhat considered rap? Quite a few of you think this. I guess I consider rap to be strictly black guys talking about their "bitches" and their "piece." I guess I am just narrow minded about that. I Officialy stop this thread. -- Kevin "100% Curd" McGuire-----------------------------------------+ ^ ^ | | | | | | "The Johns created They Might | | | Be Giants to train the faithful. | | | One cannot go against the word of John." --->ME<- | | | | | | | | | | +----+-----That's not butter! ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:15:42 -0500 (EST) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Interview! Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 26-Jan-97 TMBG: KitKat Acoustic Inter.. by Benjamin Hauck@freenet.c > Your Own Worst Enemy Acoustic? As in he played the organ part on the accordion? I must get my hands on this.... ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:21:41 -0500 (EST) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: Re: TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Excerpts from internet.music.tmbg: 26-Jan-97 TMBG: Assorted Observations.. by Benjamin Hauck@freenet.c > Also, take a look at the solo projects. For Linnell, "South Carolina" is > a blast of words, quickly, at different levels. And "House of Mayors" has > a lot of lyrics too. And other TMBG tunes he sings? "Birdhouse In Your > Soul," "The End Of The Tour," "Dead," "We Want A Rock," "The Statue Got Me > High," etc. Don't forget Ana Ng and Turn Around. Yes. Linnell's lyrics tend to be more complex and involved than Flansburgh's. I wouldn't hold it against either one of them, though - Flans' songs tend to be simpler in most respects (he doesn't write much for a huge band arrangement with horns and stuff), and the lyrics are generally simpler. Flansburgh's songs sound like he picked an idea and went with it - i.e. he said "I'm going to write a song called S-E-X-X-Y. What should the refrain be? Ok, got that. Now the verses." From what I've heard in interviews, it's much harder for him to write songs than Linnell, who just seems to pour forth lyrical ability. Remember, TMBG are unusual - most groups don't split the work at all - i.e. they tend to have one songwriter, one lead singer, etc. The fact that both Johns sing lead vocals and that they both write songs is very unique indeed. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:33:52 -0500 (EST) From: Queen Sneepy Subject: Re: TMBG: Assorted Observations for the TMBG Die-Hard Message-ID: On Sun, 26 Jan 1997, Benjamin Hauck wrote: > **So, in conclusion, Linnell uses in general more words for his songs than > does Flansburgh. Flansburgh's songs often use short lyric lines, while > Linnell's songs often use long *blasts* of words. > I've noticed this myself, but hesitated saying anything about it...But beyond just simple wordiness (though I agree with you on this), I believe Linnell's songs have stayed, if not grown, a little more abstract or stranger as time has gone one. I mean, Flansy goes from something like "Puppethead," where, though I know that putting ones hand inside a puppethead means something, the imagery he uses I think is very abstract to relate his point. And linnell, at the same time, is putting out stuff like "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes," and even "Don't Let's Start," both a kind of abstract look at not changing and difficulties in relationships. It's as if in Truth and Sandwiches (tee hee!), Flansy and Linnell are working in tandem, producing songs that keep to a theme (well, sort of) and its not too easy to tell that the songs were written by different people. But then, by the time we hit Factory Showroom, the difference between Flansy and Linnell is apparent, especially for those of us who know Truth or Sandwiches well (meaning people who have all the albums and know them well, as opposed to new listeners). For instance, "Exqusite Dead Guy," "Till My Head Falls Off," and, "The Bells are Ringing"- all abstract discussions of old age, feelings evoked by a dead body, and mind control. Linnell keeps on keepin' on, his music changing more musically than lyrically. Flans, however, brings us songs like "S~E~X~X~Y," and "New York City," "Pet Name." Though all songs are dearly beloved (by me at least!), they are not nearly as abstract, or wordy as Linnell's songs are. Now, as to why this is, I cannot know, except perhaps relating it to age. Maybe Flans has grown comfortable with himself and Linnell and the band thing, and feels that maybe he doesn't have to keep in sync with Linnell so much, and so can go his own way-perhaps they are less lyrically chanllenging, but at least satisfying songs...Anyone else agree/disagree/think I'm completely insane? (I am, you know!) Sorry for the long treatise, though- I've been chewing on this a while and Ben or Been's question has brought it all out... *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Stefanie Elliott "Far worse to be Love's lover than the lover that Love has scorned" smelliot@indiana.edu -Nick Cave, "I Let Love In" **StarWars*DNRC*Medievalist*X-Phile*TMBG*MiSTie #14672*MacUser*Comics*Reader** ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EBFA1F.5EF@iclub.org> Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 00:43:29 +0000 From: Jeffrey Scott Holland Organization: Apocalypse Ranch Subject: Re: TMBG: Youl'll miss me Kevin McGuire wrote: > > > Hrm... Couldn't "You'll Miss Me" be somewhat considered rap? > > Quite a few of you think this. I guess I consider rap to be strictly > black guys talking about their "bitches" and their "piece." I guess I > am just narrow minded about that. *** .......uh, yes, you certainly are. I Officialy stop this thread. *** I just reopened it. Even though rap was officially coined as a genre in the late seventies, it already existed in spirit for years before in certain reggae-dub circles ("ragamuffin stylee") and in white music going at least as far back as Frank Zappa's 1965 "Trouble Every Day" on the FREAK OUT! album..... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Jeffrey Scott Holland Lexington, Kentucky =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 23:51:17 -0500 (EST) From: Ellen Kao Subject: TMBG: Maby and Spin City Message-ID: Whoever said that Squirrel Nuts are on Modern Rock live tonight, thanks! I'm listening to that show right now...I guess SNZ is now mainstream. Hmmm.. I was talking to this girl and she swears she saw Graham Maby on Oprah on an episode featuring tv or movie effect. He wasn't actually there in the studio, but was on one those screens live. Then today my friend from work this summer told me she heard a Puppethead reference in some TV show, Spin City. I can't remember what exactly was said, but I think this show might be on NBC. whelp thats it- Ellen ~~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~ "A man is but a monkey with a crown." -Steve Forbert ~~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <32EC0869.32E4@iclub.org> Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 01:44:41 +0000 From: Jeffrey Scott Holland Organization: Apocalypse Ranch Subject: Re: TMBG: Maby Ellen Kao wrote: > I was talking to this girl and she swears she saw Graham Maby on Oprah > on an episode featuring tv or movie effect. He wasn't actually there in > the studio, but was on one those screens live. *** I saw him very recently not on Oprah, but on another show, one not so tabloidy as Oprah....can't remember what. I feel like it may have been CNN's Showbiz Today. I first listened to Graham on those classic Joe Jackson records....he's a talented fellow. He was the only member of Jackson's original band that remained, that managed to keep up with all of Jackson's stylistic turns over the years, from Elvis Costello-punk-pop to Reggae to Louis Jordan-ish jump jazz to the samba-lounge of "Night And Day"....he's a natural for a band as eclectic as TMBG. =-= =-= =-= =-= Jeffrey Scott Holland Lexington, Kentucky =-= =-= =-= =-= ------------------------------ From: Christi587@aol.com Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 01:46:37 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <970127014636_1826216201@emout16.mail.aol.com> Subject: TMBG: Misc. stuff I advise you all to pick up the current Guitar World issue, if only for that great picture of Flans doing his his Cool Guitar Guy Face! xOn the Cross-Eyed Bear: I asked about the song "Gladly the Cross I'd Bear" xa while back, but nobody seemed to know what it was. Thanks, Kirsten, for xmentioning that it was a hymm (you think). Has anyone ever heard how this xsong goes? My dad attended Catholic school for some unbearable amount of time when he was a youth, and he feels compelled to share all of his nuns-with-rulers stories with me, so I figured he might remember enough of the experience to know about this. He says that this is indeed the name of some hymn he had to sing 6 billion times, but to which he now (of course) cannot remember the words. More helpfully, he says that his dad, who had a somewhat suspect sense of humor, once told him a joke that went like this: A guy meets up with a friend who has, for some reason (probably this is not all that strange an occurence in Bad Joke Setup Land), a cross-eyed bear, so he asks him what the bear's name is. The friend says his name is Gladly. When the guy asks for an explanation, he gets the obvious punch line answer. Hilarity ensues. So anyway, this joke seems to go back several generations and is roughly as old as dirt. xIs there a genre of music that TMBG hasnt done yet? Rap immediately xsprings to mind, but I don't consider that music anyways. I dunno... I'm Def is sort of a rap parody, sort of, maybe. "What, no OMLT content???" I hear you cry. Well, I plan to call the company tomorrow. Prices, sizes, etc, will follow. You'll have to wait with baited breath until then. If anybody can tell me what baited breath is, you win... uh, whatever I find underneath the bed the next time I clean my room. No really, there could be some vintage stuff down there! --Christy ------------------------------ End of tmbg-list Digest #3-26 *****************************