They Might Be Giants (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"The Pink Album" redirects here. For the album by Sunny Day Real Estate, see Sunny Day Real Estate (album).
They Might Be Giants
Studio album by They Might Be Giants
Released November 4, 1986
Recorded 1985–1986 at Studio Pass, NYC and Dubway Studio, NYC
Genre Alternative rock
Length 38:28
Label Restless / Bar/None
Producer Bill Krauss
Professional reviews

The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space.
They Might Be Giants chronology
Wiggle Diskette
(1985)		 They Might Be Giants
(1986)		 Don't Let's Start
(1987)
TMBG studio album chronology
They Might Be Giants
(1986)		 Lincoln
(1988)

They Might Be Giants is the eponymous debut album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants, also known as The Pink Album. It was released by Bar/None in 1986.

Despite obtaining minimal commercial success, the album produced one of the band's most well-known songs of all time, "Don't Let's Start".[4][dead link]

Contents

[edit] Music and lyrics

The lyrics on They Might Be Giants feature the wry, humorous treatments of dark themes that would frequently reappear in They Might Be Giants' later work. Death and mortality is prominently featured in several songs on the album, as are the equally morbid topics of obsession and delusion. A few of the songs, particularly those written by John Flansburgh, display dissatisfaction with working at a dispiriting, menial job, or are about having no job at all.

The music is spare, mostly uptempo synthesizer-and-guitar pop punctuated with odd sound samples and occasionally veering into country music|country- or folk-like arrangements. "Rhythm Section Want Ad" comments on the perceived oddity of the group's style and then two-man roster, and features an excerpt from Raymond Scott's composition, Powerhouse. "Boat of Car" prominently samples the Johnny Cash song "Daddy Sang Bass".[5] The song "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head" is a notable use of the Casio MT-100's 'Funny' sound.[citation needed]

[edit] Promotion and packaging

Music videos were made for the album's two singles: "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective," both directed by Adam Bernstein.[6] Before the release of the album, a video was also made for "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head." This was the first commercial video ever shot by the band, despite the song not having been released as a single. A video was also produced for the song "Rabid Child," but has never been released.

The album's cover art was designed by Rodney Alan Greenblat.[7] Once expanded, it depicts the two band members riding down the "Toddler Hiway" (also a song on the album) on a seemingly oversized dog.[4][dead link] Because of this, Tower Records put this album in the Childrens' section. Greenblat wouldlater go on to create the PaRappa the Rapper characters, set in a similar environment.

This album is included in Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety, except that it includes the single version of "Don't Let's Start" instead of the original album version.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by John Flansburgh and John Linnell.

  1. "Everything Right Is Wrong Again" – 2:20
  2. "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" – 2:12
  3. "Number Three" – 1:27
  4. "Don't Let's Start" – 2:36
  5. "Hide Away Folk Family" – 3:21
  6. "32 Footsteps" – 1:36
  7. "Toddler Hiway" – 0:25
  8. "Rabid Child" – 1:31
  9. "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes" – 1:58
  10. "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" – 2:10
  11. "She's An Angel" – 2:37
  12. "Youth Culture Killed My Dog" – 2:51
  13. "Boat of Car" – 1:15
  14. "Absolutely Bill's Mood" – 2:38
  15. "Chess Piece Face" – 1:21
  16. "I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die" – 1:58
  17. "Alienation's For the Rich" – 2:25
  18. "The Day" – 1:27
  19. "Rhythm Section Want Ad" – 2:21

[edit] Personnel

They Might Be Giants
  • John Flansburgh
  • John Linnell
Additional musicians
  • Eugene Chadbourne – Phoned-in guitar on "Absolutely Bill's Mood"
  • Margaret Seiler – Lead vocal on "Boat of Car"
Production
  • Bill Krauss – producer, engineer
  • Mark Boyer – executive producer
  • Matthew Hill – executive producer
  • Al Houghton – engineer
  • Alex Noyes – engineer
  • Rodney Alan Greenblat – cover art

[edit] References

  1. ^ They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants allmusic. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
  2. ^ Album: They Might Be Giants: They Might Be Giants Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  3. ^ Farber, Jim (April 9, 1987). "They Might Be Giants". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/theymightbegiants/albums/album/230881/review/5946220/they_might_be_giants. Retrieved 2007-08-07. 
  4. ^ a b http://exclaim.ca/articles/timeline.aspx?csid1=62 They Might Be Giants: Tall Tales Exclaim". Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  5. ^ What is the sample at the beginning of "Boat of Car"? tmbg.org. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  6. ^ Adam Bernstein IMDb.com. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  7. ^ They Might Be Giants liner notes.

[edit] External links

They Might Be Giants
Albums
They Might Be Giants (1986) · Lincoln (1988) · Flood (1990) · Apollo 18 (1992) · John Henry (1994) · Factory Showroom (1996) · Long Tall Weekend (1999) · Mink Car (2001) · No! (2002) · The Spine (2004) · Here Come the ABCs (2005) · The Else (2007) · Here Come the 123s (2008) · Here Comes Science (2009) · Join Us (2011)
EPs
Singles
Live albums
Compilations
Video releases
Related articles
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=They_Might_Be_Giants_(album)&oldid=470112086"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages