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 #9-13 tmbg-list Digest, Volume 9, Number 13 Thursday, 13 August 1998 Today's Topics: Re: TMBG: POTA Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( TMBG: STD general stuff TMBG: Dig My Grave Intro TMBG: NON TMBG - ordering from Reckless Records (and Moxy Fruvous) Re: TMBG: NON TMBG - ordering from Reckless Records (and Moxy TMBG: Thoughts about STD Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( Re: TMBG: Non-tmbg : Soul Coughing TMBG: new TMBG newsletter coolness TMBG: new TMBG newsletter coolness part 2: tattoo clarification TMBG: TMBG on the radio TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... TMBG: Re:TMBG in SanFrancisco Re: TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... TMBG: Rabbi Vole TMBG: STD TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? TMBG: STD Review Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Semi-TMBG: Noise on recordings, Propellerheads, & Turds Re: Semi-TMBG: Noise on recordings, Propellerheads, & Turds Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Re: TMBG: STD; The Guitar; and Random views TMBG: Cookies & Flansburgh TMBG: Flansburgh Votes Re: TMBG: STD general stuff + bragging Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? TMBG: Time Poll TMBG: Time Poll Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? TMBG: New Newsletter / Catalogue TMBG: Re: tmbg- There's UNDERWEAR on STD!!! Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Re: TMBG: Re: tmbg- There's UNDERWEAR on STD!!! Re: TMBG: Time Poll Re: TMBG: VERY impressed... Re: TMBG: Random Questions Answered! Re: TMBG: STD general stuff TMBG: Wall Of Sound review TMBG: Nathan's Review of "Severe Tire Damage" Re: TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------- tmbg-list is digested with Digest 3.5b (John Relph ). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 02:14:51 -0400 (EDT) From: "mike@journalx.com" Subject: Re: TMBG: POTA Message-ID: On Tue, 11 Aug 1998, Jason Fickley wrote: > OK, this is killing me: who won the Battle For The POTA on STD? I'm > assuming the people won...? > I was at this show (Toronto, Lee's Palace, November 1997) and in my opinion, the people won. What you can't apparently hear on the CD is the audience, at Flans' instruction, shouting "singe" (the French word for ape) instead of the word ape. It didn't quite work, though, mainly because unlike what most Americans must think, most Canadians do not speak French. The cool part is, just before we started the Battle for the POTA, Flans mentioned that they had only done the Battle once before, the previous night, in Rochester, and that they had forgotten to tape it, so they were taping that night's Toronto performance for their live album. None of us believed that it could be true, but obviously it was, so all I can say is, sorry, Rochester. I have yet to find out if the performance on STD is from the early show or the late show, however, as they performed twice at Lee's Palace that night. I highly recommend this club as a great place to see your favourite band. Of course, after all of this, none of the record stores in this fine metropolitan city have the slightest idea when they expect to receive copies of STD. This is what happens in Canada when the US label doesn't strike a Canadian distribution deal. MIKe www.journalx.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <064401bdc5c0$a73011e0$0100000a@shadowsedge.ml.org> From: "Jen" Subject: Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 22:50:26 -0700 >I called six stores and got the same answer "Sorry, we don't >have anything by that band. Sure you've got the name right?" I guess I was lucky. I called the closest store to me, which happens to be the Wherehouse in Bellevue, and the guy immediately said "sure, we have it." So I walk in, and there, right in the entrance, is a rack titled "new releases" with eight or ten copies of STD! And being new, it was on sale (as the orange sticker proudly proclaims) for $12.99. So I grabbed a copy and still had enough money for groceries next door. :) :) :) :) :) SpiderEyes ------------------------------ Message-Id: <199808120806.DAA23668@stan.lcc.net> From: "Kris Maxwell" Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 03:08:07 -0500 Subject: TMBG: STD general stuff Ok, so ive been keeping my outh shut since i got my promo a week or 2 ago, and i can finally release all my comments, etc. First of all, i think the thing in the watery hole is a refrigerator door. There is a reference to a fridge door picture, and i didn't see one in the rest of the liner, so that must be it. Kind of an odd thing to see in a hole in the road... Second- general impression of the album. Being an avid bootleg collector, there was not much really new here. The good thing is that all the tracks are really good audio quality, and will make nice tracks to play on my radio show at school. The downside is that the songs are TOO clean.. there is no chatter (except on SAS), little improv (barring the apes tracks), and not enough of the cool live songs. Third- I noticed that at least She's an ANgel is from Live in NYC... which led to 2 observations. 1)They dropped the level on linnell's voice on the coolest part of the song. After "sometime i think im already there," he says "like now." On STD you can barely hear it, if you know to listen for it. I don't know why they did that... it made the song very distinctive... 2)Since there is more of an intro on the STD version, that means that there is some stuff edited out of Live in NYC.... and that kinda sucks. All in all, it is a good album, but it definitely doesn't leave you with the same feeling as an album full of new material.. after listening a few times, it doesn't get much time in my cd player. And, lo the loss of the accordion... Dr Worm was my favorite new TMBG song, because it seemed to be an accordion revival.. the fact that they just let linnell go a capella on the bridge makes me very very sad... it sounds so nice with the accordion there... i dont think that horns and accordions should be mutually exclusive... i want it ALL!!!! The D ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 04:06:07 -0400 (EDT) From: Jish Subject: TMBG: Dig My Grave Intro Message-ID: See...I think that the end of STD is a plot to get us to put it before Apollo 18 in our CD changers and listen to them in order. A plot to do what? I dunno... Jishy ------------------------------ From: rhilton@bitc.org.uk Message-Id: Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 18:14:11 +0000 Subject: TMBG: NON TMBG - ordering from Reckless Records (and Moxy Fruvous) I am thinking of ordering CDs from Reckless Records (and direct from Moxy Fruvous). Anyone had such bad experiences that they think I shouldn't do this? Also Reckless records list:- TMBG They might be giants Cat GI 7260314 and TMBG Miscellaneous T Cat GI 7264614 Sorry to so stupid but which ones are these! Please Email me privately on this boring topic. Thanking you all in advance. Richard ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.2.32.19980812111324.007eb3c0@mail-in.keme.net> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 11:13:24 +0100 From: the famous Uncle Squid Subject: Re: TMBG: NON TMBG - ordering from Reckless Records (and Moxy At 18:14 11/08/98 +0000, you wrote: >I am thinking of ordering CDs from Reckless Records (and direct from >Moxy Fruvous). >Anyone had such bad experiences that they think I shouldn't do this? > >Also Reckless records list:- > >TMBG They might be giants Cat GI 7260314 >and >TMBG Miscellaneous T Cat GI 7264614 > >Sorry to so stupid but which ones are these! >Please Email me privately on this boring topic. >Thanking you all in advance. > Richard, I'm mailing the list with this info purle because there are other Brits like outselves who have problems with ordering some items. My advise, go to Virgin megastores on Oxford Street/Tott Crt Rd, I saw Misc T, Apollo 18, and a few others there for like #13 a few weeks ago when I was in the city. You won't find TMBG (the pink album) without a fight. It's super-scarse now matey. Oh, I still owe you thoses tapes don't I, I'll pop them in the post ASAP okay? --USQ Colin Ellesley: The eastern counties authority on Carter USM/TMBG/Bennet/The Levellers Home Page: www.keme.co.uk/~thelimes/trendsetting.html New Photo Site: www.keme.co.uk/~thelimes/cols/ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> -- Quotes about Colin #1 -- "He loves carter usm so much, he probably screams out lyrics when he cums" -- Mira <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.32.19980812203143.0090ceb0@email.uc.edu> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 20:31:44 -0400 From: Heather Garver Subject: TMBG: Thoughts about STD Well, after my first listen, I'd have to say that overall, it is a great album. I was however disappointed with some of the Apes tracks, as I couldn't hear them. Also, is it just me or am I the only one that thinks that the intro to Istanbul sounds so much better when played on the bass guitar? Graham kicked ass on that the last few times I saw Them. I just don't think that the horns do it much justice. One thing I do enjoy about this is that the keyboards are brought out more, in terms of sound and volume, in Their live shows than on the studio albums. ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Message-ID: <55b128df.35d1918e@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 08:58:52 EDT Subject: Re: Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( In a message dated 8/12/98 2:11:53 AM, tmbgirl@juno.com wrote: >whoa... i thought everybody that ordered through CD Now got it a day >early... at least that's what it seemed like (from everyone i talked to). > do you live in another country? I've never ordered anything from there, but i know that it depends on what you choose for your shipping preferences... i think they probably mail it the day before if you choose fed ex (?)... and the day it's released for other orders. sarah ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.16.19980812092235.39bf7756@entropy.muc.muohio.edu> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 09:22:35 From: Chris Combs Subject: Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( >From: tmbgirl@juno.com > >whoa... i thought everybody that ordered through CD Now got it a day >early... at least that's what it seemed like (from everyone i talked to). > do you live in another country? I've preordered from CDNow in the past, and what they generally do is ship out the disc the moment they get it (which is one day before release). They'll generally arrive in 3 or four days. The Residents remastered CDs came to me a few days after release this year, but STD is on backorder (as is the Mole Show - waaaaa!). Anyway, I suppose this is a positive sign that a lot of people or getting the new album... although having ordered on 12 July, you would think they could have at least filled orders that are that old. /---------------------------------------------------------\ | Chris Combs aka "Often things you caught | | Piglet Goat Boy or bought were not the | | ones you sought." | | http://muc.muohio.edu/~goatboy/ -The Residents | \---------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980812100337.00804930@mailin.icdc.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 10:03:37 -0400 From: "J. L. Moquin" Subject: Re: TMBG: STD on CD only :( tmbgirl@juno.com wrote: >>Ya know, I had the same problem from CD NOW with It's Fun To Steal and >>Factory >>Showroom. I give up! No more CD NOW, no more info club. What is >>this? A >>conspiracy? > >whoa... i thought everybody that ordered through CD Now got it a day >early... at least that's what it seemed like (from everyone i talked to). > do you live in another country? I had some problems with CDNow when I ordered IFTS, and I ended up not getting the dumb album for almost 2 weeks after the release date. I buy from Amazon.com now. :P -jennifer, mommy to alice the bean, 8/15/97 NEW WEB URL: http://www.kjsl.com/~beanmom/ mailto:beanmom@icdc.com "...adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them." -- Dr. Seuss ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980812100745.00801700@mailin.icdc.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 10:07:45 -0400 From: "J. L. Moquin" Subject: Re: TMBG: Non-tmbg : Soul Coughing tmbgirl@juno.com wrote: >hEY HEy! > >so uhm... KTCL got soul coughing's new album in and they played a song, i >think it's called "circles" or something (i have to go back and listen). > anyways, i dubbed it... i'll make a .wav of it if anyone wants it :) Ohhh, me! Me!! *jumps up and down frnatically, waving hands* >sounds really good... hit like. and after the propellerheads covered >super bon bon i think their fan base should expand... i dunno. Man, when's the album coming out?? Last I heard not til September some time.... Although September creeps closer every day... *sinister music* Ok, time for breakfast. -jennifer, mommy to alice the bean, 8/15/97 NEW WEB URL: http://www.kjsl.com/~beanmom/ mailto:beanmom@icdc.com "...adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them." -- Dr. Seuss ------------------------------ Message-ID: <35D1AEBD.1AF2@rica.net> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 11:03:25 -0400 From: Joey Groah Subject: TMBG: new TMBG newsletter coolness Hey Guys, Almost left in the mailbox, buried underneath new issues of Comics Buyer's Guide and Skeptical Inquirer, the Fall newsletter catalog! Excited over mail? You betcha! I'm gonna talk about what's in the newsletter, so stop reading if you want to be surprised. So: A cool essay from Linnell about Rome, including: art, gum, wax museums(again? hmmm...); a DVD/video compilation including Dr. Worm; likely STD tour dates; Jamie Kitman's essay about Dr Worm and radio play with radio station numbers; temporary TMBG tatttos(!); and, and, the newsletter is a poster. John and John in a field, a few buildings behind them, holding Linnell's accordion! Now for The Skeptical Inquirer highlites... Joey, happy to be an info club buddy ------------------------------ Message-ID: <35D1B10C.18B7@rica.net> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 11:13:16 -0400 From: Joey Groah Subject: TMBG: new TMBG newsletter coolness part 2: tattoo clarification Quick note: the previous post might read like the tattoos come with the newsletter, but they're info club merchandise, one style, 5 for $2. Here's what they say: "Acquiese to one of the most immutable teen trends on you own terms! These temporary tattoo will shock no one, amuse your dermatologist, and rub off with water and soap. And they're cheap!" Joey, glad Peter David isn't filling his column with bad fiction, at least this week... ------------------------------ From: mjames@khserver.loyola.edu (Matthew James) Message-Id: <9808121648.AA14019@khserver.loyola.edu> Subject: TMBG: TMBG on the radio Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 12:48:37 -0400 (EDT) Hi, I was listening to the Flashback Cafe on 99.1 WHFS and they announced that they were giving away tickets for They Might Be Giants on August 28 at the 9:30 Club. They also said they were going to play Don't Let's Start so the Johns are doing well at promoting the show! Bye, Matt -- Matt James mjames@greed.loyola.edu Loyola College in Baltimore, MD Bruce Campbell Gazette: www.bcgazette.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 13:05:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Lawrence P Solomon Subject: TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... well, after a couple of years spent collecting somewhere between 80 and 90 bootleg tapes of TMBG, I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed at Severe Tire Damage. And I'm probably one of very few people who is. Dr. Worm is great. The "theme" is fun. They Got Lost is good, but they rerecorded the vocals. They're too clean sounding - too not live. Not to mention they aren't even the same as they were at the show where it was recorded. Why Does the Sun Shine is fun, finally an official release of the fast version. I wish Flans could remember the lyrics, though... Birdhouse... well, I enjoy this arrangement, but one of the things that makes live stuff cool is the "preparation." On studio recordings, you don't hear the drummer counting off before a song. In a live setting, he has to do that, and should be left there doing so. (a lot of people recognize the distinctive ticks before Birdhouse and cheer loudly when they hear them at a show) She's an Angel. This is by far the best live version of this song I've ever heard. True, it's on Live in New York, but at least they included the intro this time. And lowered Flans "backup" vocals in the second verse, which I always thought were unnecessary anyway. Plus the accordion is much more audible. A good track. XTC. I've never liked the song. I've never liked Eric Schermerhorn. This should be Don't Let's Start instead. (they even commented at the 12/18/97 show that they were recording right before Don't Let's Start and talked about how it turned out and whether they needed to play it again...) I'll be skipping this track from now on. Istanbul. I suppose it's "necessary." At least they put horns in it. Ana Ng. "I don't want the world, I just want your half" was *not* in the Live in New York version. And I think a much better version is the late-1997 tour version - 4 endings, and fast. Then again, this probably comes from seeing a lot of shows in that time, and collecting many bootlegs of those shows. First Kiss. I really like this song. I think it's much better with the bass levels up like that, rather than on bootlegs where that seems to often be missing... Spider. It's a good live song because of the antics. But on a CD, you can't see Flans holding his mic stand 6 feet in the air upside down. And on this CD, they played it "straight." no yelling. no extra long "awwwwwwwwww." And I don't recall a time ever where Tony Maimone played bass for a live version of Spider. (an error perhaps?) Particle Man. I think this is the most unaltered track on the album. The audience can be heard (I'm on there somewhere), and it's not perfect sounding. You can hear Linnell shift his accordion to a different sound during the last solo, even... and Dan Levine did not play Trombone on it. :) She's Actual Size. I would love to see them play this live with horns some time. Surgically remove it from Apollo 18 and rerecord this version. I think this is one of their best live songs. S-E-X-X-Y. See XTC vs. Adam Ant. Meet James Ensor. cute. I like it better with the guitar solo and the cool drums, but I suppose they wanted the "hotel atmosphere" on the album somewhere... Till My Head Falls Off. The third spelling of the title of this song. :) This is the only one of Eric's appearances I don't mind so much. He's not overpowering, and I like the song. I just wish the audience could be heard. About Me. yeah, kind of cute. Apes tracks. I envisioned these as being much lower quality than they are from previous reviews I'd seen. (not to mention that I'd heard most of them on bootlegs :) I wish they had the Cleveland version of Escape, though... I also wish they'd put a little of the planning from the first Ape track on there, so we could hear Dan "unintentionally" play the intro to Pencil Rain. overall... Live albums should have audience noise in them. And not just dubbed in at the end of a track. They should have live show staples on them. Don't Let's Start? New York City? Shoehorn with Teeth? Shoehorn is often great because of audience vocals.... it's an odd thing to "tide us over," but I suppose it'll do. I can listen to Dr. Worm and She's an Angel on repeat. Lawrence Solomon http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~lps/ lps@andrew.cmu.edu "Everything sticks until it goes away, * This space inadvertently And the truth is we don't know anything." -TMBG * left blank. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <35D1CE21.297F@chapman.edu> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 10:17:21 -0700 From: Kat Hayes Organization: Chapman Subject: TMBG: Re:TMBG in SanFrancisco Ok could I be more depressed? I go back to school this Saturday...yet I look in the paper and who is playing at the World Famous Fillmore theater? They Might Be Giants on Spetember 10...to make this matter worth I had bouth Ms. Siagon tickets and a plane tiocket home for Septmeber 15....ack if I had known I could have made it a very big big big weekend,,,but noooooooooooo I had to be all jumpy...oh well I suppose they'll play LA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 13:56:12 -0400 From: Destin Berthelot Subject: Re: TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... Message-id: <35D1D73C.295D@rollins.edu> Organization: Rollins College You're not totally alone... I'm not that big on bootlegs, but I've heard a few, I have Live in NY, I've been to a few shows, etc... and while I wouldn't say I'm disappointed, I'm not as impressed as I hoped to be. In regards to your comments, I agree with most of them... the worst part of the album for me is the transition between ana ng->first kiss->spider. Or the lack of one. I mean, you're telling me they did all three of those in that rapid of a succession? No, of course not... There's not even time to enjoy the end of ana ng (and the audience reaction) before first kiss abruptly kicks in. It just seems completely chopped up. Having said that, I gotta say that istanbul is maybe my favorite track on here... after they got lost, at least. I've heard it to death, but this version just completely breathes new life into it. Other random stuff... yes, they could have picked a much better ana ng. I remember in the brief internet concert of '96, they played an amazing version with the same ending as the Kit Kat acoustic CD ("Aaaa-ha-ha-haaaaan!"). Surely one of those was recorded somewhere. Oh, and the Flansburgh "I don't want the world" isn't on the full Live in NY CD, but it is on the "alternate version" on the Live in NY 6-song john henry dealie. And hey, if they're gonna include that version, why not have the "sound of the drums" intro? Dammit? Overall, a great CD to hook people on TMBG... I think they were going for more of a greatest hits remixed album than anything else, and it's a good CD as those go. I complained when I first heard the tracklist about the inclusion of XTC Vs. Adam Ant and the lack of Shoehorn and The Guitar. All I wanted when I heard about this whole project was a live version of The Guitar, since it so completely surpasses the album version on every level. And I'm still bitter. But it's still pretty good, I've had it for about two weeks and I still listen to it constantly. That's gotta mean something. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Destin Berthelot | "All persons, http://fox.rollins.edu/~dberthelot/ | living or dead, | are purely They Might Be Giants Visual Discography: | coincidental." http://members.xoom.com/theymightbe/ | -Kurt Vonnegut ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------ From: Leo Bicknell Message-Id: <199808121804.OAA24314@ussenterprise.ufp.org> Subject: TMBG: Rabbi Vole Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:04:12 -0400 (EDT) Official word is in, I still have to update the site. It is: Rabbi Vole -- Leo Bicknell - bicknell@ufp.org Systems Engineer - Internetworking Engineer - CCIE 3440 Read TMBG List - tmbg-list-request@tmbg.org, www.tmbg.org ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 13:07:21 -0600 (MDT) From: Scot Westwood Subject: TMBG: STD Message-ID: Ok I've had STD for about a 3 weeks now, but have withheld my comments, I really do like it however. I have only one observation that I don't think has already been addressed and that is: Does anyone else think that XTC vs Adam Ant is the most improved track on the cd. Notice I'm not saying its the best track on the cd, just the most improved. I didn't like the song before much and was disappointed when I found that it was on STD, but after I listened to the Live version I really liked it. just wondering what everyone else thought Scot ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Message-ID: <5fd58003.35d1f015@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:42:12 EDT Subject: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? well, i got ~severe tire damage~ saturday but decided to save any lengthy (yeah right) posts until later. i've been alternating between that and the tragically hip's new cd "phantom power" (excellent). i'm listening to the latter now. anyways.. *Doctor Worm - yeh heh..:) *STD theme - i like. it's cute, it's fun. good mix tape opener. *They Got Lost - eenh. cute amusing story/lyrics... but i got tired of it after the first 30 times (glad they sped it up though). *WDTSS - fast version. aw yeah. *Birdhouse - ::shrug:: *Angel - *yes*.. something not-so-standard. and a classic favourite. :) *XTC v AA - never thrilled me to pieces, still doesn't. the only part i realy like is towards the end as they're bringing out the puppet heads... gets almost stereolab-ish. *Istanbul - album version i always skip; live version, still really like it. it surprisingly doesn't bore me. *Ana - ::shrug:: i've heard better. c'mon, i miss "iiiiii don't want the worrrrrrrld, iiiiiii just want your haaaaaaaalf" in that common live version way. *Kiss - dunno. s'ok. *Spider - eenh. not the same without the Guitar... *Particle Man - the thrill is gone. *Actual Size - yeaaaaah. :) *SEXXY - eenh. *Ensor - very cute. *TMHFO - uhh.. "yay" i guess.. :) *About Me - very cute. :) *POTA - "rolling on the floor laughing my ass off" funny. i really dig #18... (waiting for our thumbs, eh?), #19, escape, this ape's for you.. and... wooo! i'm goin to get down in new york city and see mono puff on tuesday in central park! :D (first time to NYC even:)) ...and then TMBG on the 30th in buffalo. ::happysigh:: okay, one question.. leo.. anyone.. what is this about? : > >Official word is in, I still have to update the site. >It is: > > Rabbi Vole ? sarah http://lava.home.ml.org ------------------------------ Message-Id: <199808121954.PAA00969@ussenterprise.ufp.org> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:54:52 -0500 From: Mitchell Harding Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? >wooo! i'm goin to get down in new york city and see mono puff on tuesday in >central park! :D Me too. And the Acme show the next night. I've got a friend in NYC who informs me that such concerts have about a 50% chance of being free -- do you know if it will be a free show, or if not, where one might buy tickets? >(first time to NYC even:)) Me too, once again. >okay, one question.. leo.. anyone.. what is this about? : >> >>Official word is in, I still have to update the site. >>It is: >> >> Rabbi Vole My guess: The mysterious name of the friend in Dr. Worm. The Only Yeti You'll Ever Need, Mitch "The dumber people think you are, the more surprised they're going to be when you kill them." Support the Harf Project: All your questions answered, all your problems solved: ------------------------------ Message-Id: <199808121956.PAA01142@ussenterprise.ufp.org> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 14:57:21 -0500 From: Mitchell Harding Subject: TMBG: STD Review Since everyone else is, I thought I'd throw in my review of the album: It's great. I love it. It's all good. You guys are nuts! Alas, I must now go rest, lest I fail the test, which wouldn't be best -- this is no jest, I must get it off my chest, I say this at my own behest: Use Crest...toothpaste. But really, the only important toothpaste is Chinese, elegant and solitary -- three qualities in which Crest toothpaste is completely lacking, don't you think? The Other White Meat, Mitch "The dumber people think you are, the more surprised they're going to be when you kill them." Support the Harf Project: All your questions answered, all your problems solved: ------------------------------ Message-ID: <06db01bdc62b$bd5b90f0$0100000a@shadowsedge.ml.org> From: "Jen" Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 12:59:25 -0700 >okay, one question.. leo.. anyone.. what is this about? : >> >>Official word is in, I still have to update the site. >>It is: >> >> Rabbi Vole It's Dr. Worm's friend. You know, in the line "when I give the signal my friend Rabbi Vole will play the solo." - SpiderEyes ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19980812155748.006a64b8@130.127.28.14> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:57:48 -0400 From: Adam Tyner Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? At 03:42 PM 8/12/98 EDT, KdsInThHal@aol.com wrote: > >*Spider - eenh. not the same without the Guitar... Hmmmmm...I take it that I'm the only person that's glad "The Guitar" isn't on here? That's easily one of my least favorite TMBG songs... -Adam -- /=---------------- http://www.he-man.org/ctyner/ ----------------=\ http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/ The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more! Demented music list admin O- MiSTie #67,326 ------------------------------ From: Happyfroot@aol.com Message-ID: Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 16:37:55 EDT Subject: Semi-TMBG: Noise on recordings, Propellerheads, & Turds Ok, first of all, whoever made the comment on "there should be more audience noise on those tracks.." or something to that effect is wrong (not wrong in opinion, but wrong in thinking that live tracks naturally have a lot of audience), in fact, most sound board recordings I have have very, very little noise & mant artists feel the need to add audience noise (or amplify the audience) between songs & at proper points in songs (sometimes in rare instances the audience can be loud, but it's really, really hard), I applaud TMBG for not putting a louder audience between songs & during songs (which also often makes the song harder to hear)...my only complaint is there's not enough old stuff done in the new ways (I'm a freak I love the new full band versions of all the old songs...), although, I must say, I love it, I am greatly appreciative of TMBG & their music... On the Soul Coughing note: The Propellerheads did not cover Soul Coughing, they remixed them...completely different...although, it's completely cool.... Oh yeah & on a personal note: I am currently working on a demented song where I need people to record their favorite "turd" synonym (i.e.: poop, poopoo, fecal matter, etc.) into a wave foramt on the computer & send it to me for me to sample, also send your name so I can credit you in the album properly...anyone's help is GREATLY appreciated....REALLY APPRECIATED...come on, you know you want to.... jason "send me your samples, PLEASE!!!!!" glastetter http://www.poingly.com <~~~if you want, you can see the odd music these samples might be helping ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Message-ID: <79ce8934.35d20118@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 16:54:47 EDT Subject: Re: Semi-TMBG: Noise on recordings, Propellerheads, & Turds happyfroot said: >Ok, first of all, whoever made the comment on "there should be more audience >noise on those tracks.." or something to that effect is wrong (not wrong in >opinion, but wrong in thinking that live tracks naturally have a lot of >audience), >I applaud >TMBG for not putting a louder audience between songs & during songs (which >also often makes the song harder to hear) i completely agree... i'd gotten BNL's "Rock Spectacle" and kinda decided live albums weren't *all that* but gave in to Ani DiFranco's live album and luckily changed my mind. Moxy Fruvous's is great too.. i don't listen to the tragically hip's one all that often but it's more along the lines of BNL's.. if i wanna hear lo-fi & screaming, i'll pop in any one of my dozens of bootlegs, thanks. :) sarah ------------------------------ From: gray42@juno.com Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 16:44:06 -0400 Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Message-ID: <19980812.170046.9926.0.gray42@juno.com> >It's Dr. Worm's friend. You know, in the line "when I give the signal >my >friend Rabbi Vole will play the solo." Alright, since this quote was posted, I'm going to post a quick oppinion. For some reason I absolutely love the way Linnell (he's the one who sings it right?) sings "solo" in that extra nasal way. It just makes me crazy with glee. Maybe it has to do with my obsession of television, and the distorted voices I hear everyday :P Call me a psychotic freak on every drug ever invented Mysterio Gal (who's currently visiting 1991 with the Meat Puppets) "I'm Dave Kendal." "I'm John Kendall..." "And I'm MC Search!" --Dave, John &John on 120 min. ICQ# 9585405 MST3K#88182 gray42@juno.com http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/4871 The Official Project Omicrom website: www.geocities.com/SoHo/Square/9007 > - SpiderEyes > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ From: gray42@juno.com Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 16:59:32 -0400 Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; The Guitar; and Random views Message-ID: <19980812.170047.9926.1.gray42@juno.com> On Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:57:48 -0400 Adam Tyner writes: >At 03:42 PM 8/12/98 EDT, KdsInThHal@aol.com wrote: >> >>*Spider - eenh. not the same without the Guitar... > >Hmmmmm...I take it that I'm the only person that's glad "The Guitar" >isn't >on here? That's easily one of my least favorite TMBG songs... Um... Hi, your not quite alone *crawls out of her corner* I'm also glad they did not include it, that doesn't mean I hate it tho'. I've just heard it WAY too many times. When I was 12 I was obsessed with it, simply because "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was one of my very favorite childhood songs, that I also listened to WAY too much. I go along with whoever voted for "Shoehorn With Teeth", and like I said before "Petname". About the other stuff, I personally have never listened to a Concert Bootleg, and have only been to TMBG concerts twice. Neither have I ever heard the special "John Henry" CD or "Live In NYC". I guess that makes me easily pleased with STD. That and the fact that the CD is utterly fantastic. I'm sure John & John had perfectly good reasons to clean up the audience a bit. The most important thing is to hear the music. Owning (2) other live CD's, the amount of audience noise in STD seems perfectly normal (or I must admit, downright absent in some tracks). But of course, like I said, I've never listened to a bootleg, and probably would not want to. If I did, live albums would just not feel so special. Sorry to subject you to my rambling, but I just had to *hehe* >:) Mysterio Gal (fellow Overman) "I'm Dave Kendal." "I'm John Kendall..." "And I'm MC Search!" --Dave, John &John on 120 min. ICQ# 9585405 MST3K#88182 gray42@juno.com http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/4871 The Official Project Omicrom website: www.geocities.com/SoHo/Square/9007 >-Adam >-- >/=---------------- http://www.he-man.org/ctyner/ ----------------=\ > http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/ >The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more! > Demented music list admin O- MiSTie #67,326 > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ From: Happyfroot@aol.com Message-ID: <4c6a739f.35d20d92@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 17:48:01 EDT Subject: TMBG: Cookies & Flansburgh I think there's more to this poll than a simple cookie...I deleted it & it didnt come back...any help???? jason "wants Flans back at number 3" glastetter ------------------------------ From: RabidChidl@aol.com Message-ID: Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 18:21:56 EDT Subject: TMBG: Flansburgh Votes Here's what to do to get Flansburgh up to a higher rank: GO to www.tmbg.org and click the "vote for Flansburgh" text. Submit your vote and then type in www.tmbg.org again. Keep doing this, because each time you do it counts between 2 and 5 votes each time!!! He must beat Eric Cartman!!!!!! ------------------------------ From: mr.train@juno.com Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 12:08:05 -0400 Subject: Re: TMBG: STD general stuff + bragging Message-ID: <19980812.183046.4302.0.Mr.Train@juno.com> The store I bought the CD at was The Wall (which is obscenely over priced, but I had a gift certificate) and they had it right up front with the new releases, they also had two copies left at 1:00pm when I went... Also.. I GOT MY NEWSLETTER/POSTER TODAY!!!!! I am so happy I get to say this before most people! It is great! I got it right after I got back from buying STD... isn't that cool? Also, for any that care, I saw Barenaked Ladies live last night and I have to say.. they might put on a better show than the Johns.. better between song banter, better freestyling, coregraphed "New-Kids" dance... they even sang a little MMMBop! It was hilarious! (Then Blues Traveler one-upped them and brought Hanson on stage... I'm not lying.. Blues Traveler performed MMMBop with Hanson- the real Hanson...) I think I gotta buy aa BNL album now... Tim, said MMMBop twice in one post... why? Miscellaneous Tim AKA TMB(do)G AKA Tambo (IRC) AKA Mr.Train (OML) Favorite TMBG song update: Dr. Worm Last CD purchase: Severe Tire Damage - TMBG Favorite mainstream song: One Week - BNL _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ From: Drayco@uo.com Message-ID: <51ec4c6f.35d21c93@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 18:52:01 EDT Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? In a message dated 98-08-12 15:54:45 EDT, you write: > >wooo! i'm goin to get down in new york city and see mono puff on tuesday in > >central park! :D > > Me too. And the Acme show the next night. I've got a friend in NYC who > informs me that such concerts have about a 50% chance of being free -- do > you know if it will be a free show, or if not, where one might buy tickets? > Me three. I would be going to Acme as well, but it is 21+. :( Maybe all of us listies could meet before the show. And, yes, the show is free. --Jamal ------------------------------ Message-Id: <199808122256.SAA12995@ussenterprise.ufp.org> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 17:57:17 -0500 From: Mitchell Harding Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? At 06:52 PM 8/12/98 -0400, you wrote: >In a message dated 98-08-12 15:54:45 EDT, you write: > >> >wooo! i'm goin to get down in new york city and see mono puff on tuesday in >> >central park! :D >> >> Me too. And the Acme show the next night. I've got a friend in NYC who >> informs me that such concerts have about a 50% chance of being free -- do >> you know if it will be a free show, or if not, where one might buy tickets? >> > >Me three. I would be going to Acme as well, but it is 21+. :( Maybe all of us >listies could meet before the show. And, yes, the show is free. Are you sure the Acme is 21+ for this show? Harf, Mitch ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980812225604.5784.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Jason Fickley" Subject: TMBG: Time Poll Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:56:04 PDT This thing has really degenerated into a laughable mockery of what was once a half-respectable poll. (not that there's anything wrong with that) It's really just turned into a forum to see which cult icon has the most loyal fans (we must fight for John and triumph over those South Park people!) I haven't even heard of most of these people...take a look-see: (note: don't get me wrong, I never did take this "influential people" list seriously, but come on...) 1 Jesus Christ 2 Eric Cartman 3 John Flansburgh 4 Michael Flatley 5 Ric Flair 6 Jamie Orenstein (?) 7 Joshua Schachter (?) 8 Chris Caudle (?) Other oddities include Trent Reznor, Jamie Farr and Marilyn Manson... --Jason-- "Hot Cha, where are you? Everybody's eyes are closed." -They Might Be Giants "As a lizard stalks a helpless creature on TV music underscores the tragedy" -They Might Be Giants ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980812225811.572.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Jason Fickley" Subject: TMBG: Time Poll Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 15:58:11 PDT This thing has really degenerated into a laughable mockery of what was once a half-respectable poll. (not that there's anything wrong with that) It's really just turned into a forum to see which cult icon has the most loyal fans (we must fight for John and triumph over those South Park people!) I haven't even heard of most of these people...take a look-see: (note: don't get me wrong, I never did take this "influential people" list seriously, but come on...) 1 Jesus Christ 2 Eric Cartman 3 John Flansburgh 4 Michael Flatley 5 Ric Flair 6 Jamie Orenstein (?) 7 Joshua Schachter (?) 8 Chris Caudle (?) Other oddities include Trent Reznor, Jamie Farr and Marilyn Manson... I take it other lists or newsgroups are attempting to take us down? Fat chance! (I mean, how loyal can those Lord of the Dance people be?) Join the battle for internet fan-base supremacy! --Jason-- "Hot Cha, where are you? Everybody's eyes are closed." -They Might Be Giants "As a lizard stalks a helpless creature on TV music underscores the tragedy" -They Might Be Giants ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: tmbgirl@juno.com Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 17:01:44 -0600 Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? Message-ID: <19980812.170150.14222.1.TMBgirl@juno.com> >Alright, since this quote was posted, I'm going to post a quick >oppinion. For some reason I absolutely love the way Linnell (he's the >one who sings it right?) sings "solo" in that extra nasal way. It >just makes me crazy with glee. Maybe it has to do with my obsession >of television, and the distorted voices I hear everyday :P odd... back when i reeeally tried to get my friends to dig TMBG i made a tape with Snail Shell on it for one of my friends and she became semi-obsessed with that song because she said she couldn't get over the way linny said 'you' in it... "i wanna thank yooou" :P what a dork (kenj, ya know i love ya!) :) take it easy, JOrdaN http://www2.netcom.com/~arnot/joda/bootlegs.html http://members.tripod.com/~tmbgirl/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 19:18:43 +0000 From: Chris Combs Subject: TMBG: New Newsletter / Catalogue Message-id: <3.0.5.16.19980812191843.3a67ea82@entropy.muc.muohio.edu> I just got the new catalogue, and boy is that a huge picture of the Johns in the foldout! It's so nice that I went and scanned it for the enjoyment of anyone who cares to see the thing. You'll have to excuse the lower-quality scan, though, but it did come from four different full-size scans and shrunk into one suitable for browsing. http://www.muc.muohio.edu/~goatboy/tmbg/tmbg.gif Enjoy. /---------------------------------------------------------\ | Chris Combs aka "Often things you caught | | Piglet Goat Boy or bought were not the | | ones you sought." | | http://muc.muohio.edu/~goatboy/ -The Residents | \---------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 20:00:52 -0400 Subject: TMBG: Re: tmbg- There's UNDERWEAR on STD!!! Message-ID: <19980812.200054.4830.0.djMagma@juno.com> From: djmagma@juno.com (Davin Q. Hutchingstone) Hey! Underneath the CD, the picture of the puddle/pothole with a picture frame in it, there are some U N D E R W E A R lying in the street! Also, there is a Kit-Kat wrapper in the water. I wasn't really as close to tears for Dr. Worm as I was for the Fisher King today! Damn! That was a damn good moovy! The last time I actually cried for an entertainment medium was for Dragon Warrior 3 (this was YEARS ago, really!) at the part where you finally find your father. He battles a Hydra, and loses. *sob* Hey, that reminds me... I sold a Magic: TG card, a Rock Hydra to someone. He still owes me $5. Oh, for all of you that care (I think that is 0 people), I finally purchased Dragon Warrior 2 and 4! And they only cost me $90.00! Bargainsville! Now my collection is complete... -Dave "Paid too much for an NES game" Hutch __________________________________________ "Feel the strength of my two-ply!" - Mortimer Kahn, as a roll of toilet paper. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ From: Kaylum@aol.com Message-ID: <1edb827.35d239df@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 20:57:02 EDT Subject: Re: TMBG: STD; yay; & ...eh? << For some reason I absolutely love the way Linnell (he's the one who sings it right?) sings "solo" in that extra nasal way. It just makes me crazy with glee. Maybe it has to do with my obsession of television, and the distorted voices I hear everyday :P >> Hehe, you're not alone--I have to smile everytime I hear it. I don't know how many of you young 'uns have heard of Al Stewart, but he had some pretty big hits in the 70's like "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages." ANYway, Linnell sounds _exactly_ like him, but only for that one magical word. Kay ------------------------------ Message-ID: <077a01bdc656$564ff650$0100000a@shadowsedge.ml.org> From: "Jen" Subject: Re: TMBG: Re: tmbg- There's UNDERWEAR on STD!!! Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 18:04:30 -0700 >Hey! Underneath the CD, the picture of the puddle/pothole with a picture >frame in it, there are some > U N D E R W E A R >lying in the street! Actually, my 'mates and I were debating that yesterday. Our final consensus bet that it isn't underwear, but it sure does look like it initially. Maybe we should ask Linnell that- after all, he took the picture. - SpiderEyes ------------------------------ From: KdsInThHal@aol.com Message-ID: <9a2755b2.35d23e64@aol.com> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 21:16:19 EDT Subject: Re: TMBG: Time Poll >I haven't even heard of most of these people...take a look-see: >(note: don't get me wrong, I never did take this "influential people" >list seriously, but come on...) ...how many other voters know who flans is...? ;) i think it has something to do with really devoted internetty fans of somewhat obscure.. people.. ;) sarah ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980813021410.25208.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "VoVat Quetzalcoatlus" Subject: Re: TMBG: VERY impressed... Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 19:14:08 PDT >Reply-To: tmbgirl@juno.com >#3 does anyone else out there like Dr. Worm better *without* horns? I don't know about this. I generally like horns, and "Dr. Worm" certainly sounds good with the horns, but they do seem to fit a bit awkwardly. I wish John had used the accordion, though. (Why not both horns AND accordion?) >#4 why not save First Kiss for the next album and make it a single? I don't know if it would make that great a single. It's a bit short, for one thing. Besides, it could still be made into a single. >#1 what do you think of the art in the liner notes? I think it's interesting (like most TMBG album art). I'll have to study it more closely later on. >#2 who's zak alford? A studio drummer, maybe? >#3 what do you guys think of diana harold and her vibraphone playing? i >didn't like it all when i first heard this on the bootleg of that show >(what was it 12/18/97?) anyways... i kinda dig it now :) I like it. It does tend to dominate, though. I mean, Hal is announced, and then you can't hear his playing very well. -- Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "The puffin sipped at his herbal tea and sighed, 'You can't get the buttons these days.'" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980813021809.15339.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "VoVat Quetzalcoatlus" Subject: Re: TMBG: Random Questions Answered! Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 19:18:07 PDT >Reply-To: gray42@juno.com >The only way I've ever gotten pics of >the Johns were through Then (The Earlier Years), magazines (1 smaller >than my thumb nail), promotional postcards, posters (1 factrory >showroom), and the internet. Wow, that sounds like a SEVERE lack of sources. I mean, you only have FIVE possible sources there! Seriously, though, the Johns' faces do appear much less frequently than those of most musicians. -- Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "The puffin sipped at his herbal tea and sighed, 'You can't get the buttons these days.'" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980813022257.8644.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "VoVat Quetzalcoatlus" Subject: Re: TMBG: STD general stuff Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 19:22:56 PDT >Reply-To: "Kris Maxwell" > First of all, i think the thing in the watery hole is a refrigerator >door. There is a reference to a fridge door picture, and i didn't see >one in the rest of the liner, so that must be it. Kind of an odd thing >to see in a hole in the road... Well, groceries do feature prominently in one of Their songs ("Dead," of course). Also, one of the crushed items in the picture is a Kit Kat wrapper. Didn't They appear on something called the Kit Kat Acoustic Break? Maybe the fridge is a reference to the one that appears in _The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul_. -- Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "The puffin sipped at his herbal tea and sighed, 'You can't get the buttons these days.'" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19980812231712.0069df54@130.127.28.14> Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 23:17:12 -0400 From: Adam Tyner Subject: TMBG: Wall Of Sound review Here's a review of STD from Wall of Sound - overall rating: 71/100 Back in 1986, the year They Might Be Giants' first album was released, there was a serious lack of comedy in rock. Sure, a lot of the New Wave-y singles of the early '80s were bouncy and frothy, but they weren't funny, and most radio fare of the decade strove for meaning and spirituality, not fun and games. Armed with an electric guitar and an accordion, John Flansburgh and John Linnell made quite a dent in pop music's armor of seriousness with their loopy debut. By the time TMBG's third album, Flood, came along in 1990, they were able to score a minor hit with the smart and irrepressible "Birdhouse in Your Soul." Since then, everyone from Primus to King Missile to Phish to Squirrel Nut Zippers has carried the spirit of humor in rock ever onward, and they all owe the two Johns a debt of gratitude. Here, on the group's first (mostly) live album, Flansburgh and Linnell offer a mishmash of time-tested favorites, new tunes, and utter junk, made palatable by TMBG's infectious energy. Of the chestnuts, "Birdhouse" and "Ana Ng" remain as catchy as ever, but the band-fueled version of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" is a real eye-opener, featuring an oddly jazzy trumpet intro by Jim O'Connor. Of the group's post-Flood material, the one standout is "XTC vs. Adam Ant," which pits Beatleish pop against New Romantic fluff and calls it a draw. The old science-film tune, "Why Does the Sun Shine?" also comes off well, as does "Till My Head Falls Off," which shows just how much a couple of wacky New York singer-songwriters can rock, when given the chance. Ultimately, TMBG diehards will be the most interested in this CD, but neophytes won't go wrong either. Bob Remstein -- /=---------------- http://www.he-man.org/ctyner/ ----------------=\ http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/ The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more! Demented music list admin O- MiSTie #67,326 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980813044856.5608.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "VoVat Quetzalcoatlus" Subject: TMBG: Nathan's Review of "Severe Tire Damage" Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 21:48:49 PDT Okay. Here's my review of "Severe Tire Damage." I'm posting the exact same message to the newsgroup and the mailing list, BTW. Doctor Worm: Hey, it's a great song. I'd already heard it several times before I purchased the album, so it wasn't anything new, but it was certainly enjoyable. I don't know about some people's predictions that it will become a big hit, and somewhat of a second "Birdhouse." As good as it is, I hardly think it measures up to "Birdhouse" (and that's not even my favorite TMBG song). I really have no idea what the queer, strange public will think of it, but it doesn't really sound like hit material. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, though. Severe Tire Damage Theme: There's not that much there, but it has an interesting sound. It actually sounds like it could be the theme to a television programme. They Got Lost: I don't have too much to say about this one. I'm glad it's finally been officially released. Why Does The Sun Shine?: I've always liked the fast version of this one. It's not necessarily better than the slow version, but it's a neat rearrangement. They did it in a fairly "straight" manner, though. I would have preferred some more jokes during the spoken parts. (Incidentally, does anyone know why the "The" in "Why Does The Sun Shine?" and the "An" in "She's An Angel" both start with capital letters when printed on the album case, but the "a" in "The Sun Is a Mass Of Incadescent Gas" is not capitalized?) Birdhouse In Your Soul: I don't think there's anything particuarly special about this recording. I do like the full band sound, though, especially during the solo. (That scratchy trumpet sample was always a low point of the album version, at least for me.) She's An Angel: Once again, They did a good job with the full band sound. The vocals can be a bit difficult to hear in some parts, though. I actually think that the WAV I had (from Live in NYC) might have sounded a bit better, aside from the intro. XTC Vs. Adam Ant: I didn't like this song all that much when it was on Factory Showroom, and the live version sounds quite similar to the one on FS. I do think that Eric's guitar playing is smoother on this version than on FS. This is one of the tracks I tend to skip. Istanbul: This is a really good recording of this song. I like the horn parts. Ana Ng: This one doesn't sound all that different from the album version. Indeed, it sounds worse in some parts. The bridge is interesting, although I would rather have had John sing it. I'm also a bit irritated by the fact that They left out the "I hear the drums!" intro, which was the highlight of the Live in NYC version. First Kiss: It's a pretty good song. Not my favorite of the recently written material, but definitely worth releasing. Spider: I like the way They did this one. Particle Man: I've grown a bit tired of hearing this song, but this is a good recording of it. (I prefer the version where Linnell breaks into "The Sign," but I can see why They didn't put that one on an album.) She's Actual Size: Considerably better than the album version, I think. This was one of the best choices for a live album (especially when you consider that the Johns Themselves were not entirely satisfied with the way that this song turned out on Apollo 18). S-E-X-X-Y: This is another one that I tend to skip. I'm not in the mood for this one as much as many of TMBG's songs. When I am in the mood, I'll probably listen to the version on FS, or the one on the EP. Not a bad performance, but nothing particularly special about it. Meet James Ensor: I love this version, especially the singing of the guitar part. What other band would actually have released something like this on an album? Till My Head Falls Off: It sounds too much like the album version. I LIKE the album version, but I don't need another recording of it on what is supposed to be a new album. Besides, why are there three Factory Showroom songs, but only one song each from the pink album, Lincoln, and John Henry? I would have preferred stuff like "Shoehorn With Teeth" and "Spy" to these almost-straight-from-the-album FS song performances. About Me: There's not much there. Actually, that's probably a good thing. As it is, "About Me" is a cute bonus. If it were expanded, it could have become somewhat obnoxious. Planet Of The Apes: The vibraphone sounds really neat, although it does tend to dominate. The "waiting for our thumbs" stuff is pretty funny. Return To The Planet Of The Apes: The lyrics are too difficult to understand. Fortunately, the liner notes allow us to comprehend the Johns' witty words (although there are a few quite minor errors). Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes: I actually like the goofy rhymes, which I've seen someone complain about. It's pretty well done, overall. Escape From The Planet Of The Apes: John's falsetto is quite amusing. Battle For The Planet Of The Apes: You can't even hear the audience chanting! Oh, well. I guess I can chant for myself, if I really need chanting. The instrumentals are very good. Beneath The Planet Of The Apes: The apes tend to get a bit tiring by this point, and this might well be the worst of the ape songs, anyway. The "all my friends" stuff had already been done in "Escape." This Ape's For You: Short and amusing. I wish They had actually included "Dig My Grave," though. It would have made a climactic ending, as opposed to what we received. Overall, I liked it, and it surpassed my expectations in some respects. I'm still looking forward to another studio album, though. -- Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "The puffin sipped at his herbal tea and sighed, 'You can't get the buttons these days.'" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <19980813050119.13457.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "VoVat Quetzalcoatlus" Subject: Re: TMBG: a bootleg collector's opinion... Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 22:01:17 PDT >Reply-To: Lawrence P Solomon >Why Does the Sun Shine is fun, finally an official release of the fast >version. I wish Flans could remember the lyrics, though... Well, the lyrics to this one are a bit hard to remember, especially since there are so many remarkably similar sections. Even I tend to get the words mixed up when I try to remember them, and I'm usually better at remembering TMBG lyrics than John or John. =) >XTC. I've never liked the song. I've never liked Eric Schermerhorn. >This should be Don't Let's Start instead. (they even commented at the >12/18/97 show that they were recording right before Don't Let's Start >and talked about how it turned out and whether they needed to play it >again...) I'll be skipping this track from now on. It's much the same way with me, although I'm not sure "Don't Let's Start" would have been a good replacement choice. I've heard a few live versions of DLS, and they tend to be fairly similar to the album version, and not especially remarkable. >Shoehorn >is often great because of audience vocals.... Or it could have been complemented by the "CD fast forward" version of the song. -- Nathan DinnerBell@tmbg.org http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5447/ "The puffin sipped at his herbal tea and sighed, 'You can't get the buttons these days.'" ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of tmbg-list Digest #9-13 *****************************