Some would say that the genius of comedy is knowing when to milk a joke for all it’s worth, and knowing when to get off the stage while the crowd’s still laughing. And though I hesitate to stereotype They Might Be Giants as strictly a comedy act, they do have one part of the mastery of comedy down pat: they know when to stretch a song out or make it short.
I don’t know whether to weep or cheer about the fact that I’d heard about his band long before they were “the band that does the theme song from Malcolm In The Middle,” before they were even those guys who did “Birdhouse In Your Soul”. In some respects, this stuff is superior to their later works, and it all goes back to that theory about the genius of comedy. Some of the songs, like “Cowtown”, “Mr. Me” and the uproarious “Kiss Me, Son Of God” say what they’re there to say and then get off the stage – or at least out of your ears. Others, like “Lie Still, Little Bottle” and “They’ll Need A Crane” (the funniest breakup song ever), stick around for a little while. And that’s not a bad thing in and of itself – as funny or irreverent as their lyrics may be, Linnell and Flansburgh are impeccable musicians.
That said, don’t underestimate their lyrics either. Where else will you hear something like “every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn’t thinking isn’t thinking of”? (Incidentally, that line’s from my favorite song off the album, “Where Your Eyes Don’t Go”.)
It’s hard to define exactly what They Might Be Giants is, but I’ll tell you what it isn’t: hard to enjoy. Very highly recommended.
- Ana Ng (3:23)
- Cowtown (2:21)
- Lie Still, Little Bottle (2:06)
- Purple Toupee (2:40)
- Cage & Aquarium (1:10)
- Where Your Eyes Don’t Go (3:06)
- Piece Of Dirt (2:01)
- Mr. Me (1:52)
- Pencil Rain (2:42)
- The World’s Address (2:24)
- I’ve Got A Match (2:37)
- Santa’s Beard (1:56)
- You’ll Miss Me (1:53)
- They’ll Need A Crane (2:34)
- Shoehorn With Teeth (1:13)
- Stand On Your Own Head (1:16)
- Snowball In Hell (2:32)
- Kiss Me, Son Of God (1:53)
Released by: Restless / Bar None
Release date: 1988
Total running time: 39:39
