They Might Be Giants (album)

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"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 1985-86 at Studio Pass and Dubway Studio, NYC
Genre Alternative rock
Length 38:28
Label Restless/Bar/None
Producer Bill Krauss
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, sometimes called The Pink Album, is the eponymous debut album from Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants. It was released by Bar/None in 1986. The album generated two singles, "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective". It is included on Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety, with the exception of "Don't Let's Start", which is replaced with the single mix for the compilation.

"Don't Let's Start", one of the album's two singles, is often cited as a key track in the band's catalogue, and its success contributed positively to the sale of the album.[1] As a result of this prominence, when the band made the move to the major label Elektra Records, "Don't Let's Start" was reissued in Europe with alternative B-sides.

Contents

Recording [edit]

They Might Be Giants was the second album to be released on the fledgling Bar/None label, with They Might Be Giants as the second group signed to the independent label. Many of the songs on the album existed in a demo form on the band's 1985 demo tape, which was also technically self-titled, though many were re-recorded or brought into new mixes for the commercial album.[2] The material from the tape was recorded at Studio PASS in New York City with the assistance of Alex Noyes, who permitted the band to use the studio after it closed each day. Additional recording and mixing was done at Dubway Studio.

Some unconventional recording techniques were used in the production of the album. The music is spare, mostly uptempo synthesizer-and-guitar pop punctuated with odd sound samples and occasionally veering into sparse country- or folk-like arrangements. Drum and bass tracks are almost entirely synthesized, though the album prominently features the accordion. In order to record the guitar solo in "Absolutely Bill's Mood", the band telephoned Eugene Chadbourne in Greensboro, NC from Dubway Studio. Chadbourne played the acoustic solo and it was recorded onto the studio's answering machine, then mixed into the song.

Flansburgh and Linnell occasionally borrow from other recordings throughout the album. "Rhythm Section Want Ad" features an excerpt from Raymond Scott's composition, "Powerhouse", played on the accordion. "Boat of Car" prominently samples the Johnny Cash song "Daddy Sang Bass".[3]

Promotion and packaging [edit]

Music videos were produced for the album's two singles, "Don't Let's Start" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective", both directed by Adam Bernstein.[4] Significantly, prior to the album's release, a music video was also created for the song "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head." This was the first commercial video ever shot by the band, and was also directed by Bernstein.

The album's cover art was illustrated by Rodney Alan Greenblat, who had no prior association with the band.[5] It extends to the back cover of the album, and shows John Linnell and John Flansburgh riding a large blue dog. John Linnell commented that the illustration caused the record to be mistaken for a children's album.[6] The art was pasted up by John Flansburgh.[7]

Reception [edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[8]
People (favorable)[9]
Robert Christgau A[10]
Rolling Stone (favorable)[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 3.5/5 stars[12]

The album was received with positive critical attention. Robert Christgau, who gave the album an A, praised the album for its wide range of variety and cleverness, saying "the hits just keep on coming in an exuberantly annoying show of creative superabundance". He also made note of the unusuality of the subject matter contained in the lyrics. Jim Farber of Rolling Stone stressed the album's "weirdness", and also noted the diversity in style among songs that "incorporate genres from art pop to country to polka".

Neither the album nor its singles saw success on the Billboard charts, but the three music videos associated with the album generated positive attention for the band.

Track listing [edit]

All songs written and composed by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. 

No. Title Length
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

Personnel [edit]

They Might Be Giants[5]
Additional musicians[5]
  • Eugene Chadbourne - phoned-in guitar on "Absolutely Bill's Mood"
  • Margaret Seiler - lead vocals on "Boat of Car"
Production[5]
  • Bill Krauss - producer, engineer
  • Mark Boyer - executive producer
  • Matthew Hill - executive producer
  • Al Houghton - engineer
  • Alex Noyes - engineer
  • Rodney Alan Greenblat - cover art

References [edit]

  1. ^ Edwards, Michael (Sept 2004). "They Might Be Giants: Tall Tales". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2010-02-27. 
  2. ^ Myke Weiskopf interview with Tom Pendergast, Bar/None president. Conducted in 1995. Archived on This Might Be A Wiki here. Retrieved 2012-05-25
  3. ^ What is the sample at the beginning of "Boat of Car"? tmbg.org. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  4. ^ Adam Bernstein IMDb.com. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  5. ^ a b c d They Might Be Giants liner notes.
  6. ^ Babble interview with John Linnell, published 8 Feb. 2008. Retrieved 2012-05-25
  7. ^ Flansburgh's response to a question submitted to a Tumblr blog administered by the band
  8. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants". Allmusic. Retrieved 2005-06-18.
  9. ^ Novak, Ralph; Hiltbrand, David; Small, Michael (June 30, 1986). "Pick and Pans Review: They Might Be Giants". People. Retrieved 2013-03-30. 
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert. "They Might Be Giants". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
  11. ^ Farber, Jim (April 9, 1987). "They Might Be Giants: They Might Be Giants : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2013-03-29. 
  12. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 808. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. 

External links [edit]

They Might Be Giants
Albums
EPs
Singles
Other notable songs
Live albums
Compilations
Video releases
Related articles
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