Editorial Review:

Album Description:
Led by John Flansburgh and John Linnell, They Might Be Giants rose to fame out of NYC's avant-garde performance scene in the 80's. Best known to the masses for 'Boss of Me,' their high-voltage theme song for the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, TMBG has built a loyal and widespread following with their literate, humor-laced, and irresistibly catchy alt-skewed pop rock. Rhino's new single disc retrospective compilation pulls hits and favorites from throughout their long and prolific career!

Amazon.com:
At first glance, it's hard to figure out for whom 'A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants' was made. Yes, for longtime fans it's a stroll down memory lane that draws in early favorites ('She's An Angel,' 'Don't Let's Start,' 'Ana Ng'), the best from the breakthrough Flood, and songs released closer to the present day. But Giant fanatics already own these songs and more. Moreover, much of their catalog was released less than three years ago on Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants. Yes, the package includes some fun facts about the band (a completeish list of concert dates played, etc.) and features clever UPC code-themed cover art, but it would take a pretty high level of devotion to open one's wallet for that alone. To repeat: who, at this point, needs a users guide to TMBG?

The answer: the kids. It may turn out that the Johns aren't just musical talents, but diabolical marketing geniuses as well. Most bands try to stay in touch with today's youth through wardrobe and behavior, but TMBG has been winning new devotees at an early age via their children's albums, No! and Here Come the ABCs. By now their first wave of child fans should be ready for something a little more grown-up, and A User's Guide stands ready to provide a quick musical sampler of TMBG’s best. Only time will tell if kiddie music is a gateway to ‘90s alterna-pop, but if the gambit is successful we'll surely see Pearl Jam's (Going On) Ten and Liz Phair's Exile In Playdatesville in stores soon. --Leah Weathersby









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Related Items:
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Related Items:

• Here Come the ABCs [CD/DVD Combo]
• Flood
• No!
• The Else
• Apollo 18
• see more

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Disc 1:

1. Minimum Wage
2. Meet James Ensor
3. Particle Man
4. Don't Let's Start
5. She's An Angel
6. Cyclops Rock
7. Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
8. Purple Toupee
9. James K. Polk
10. Birdhouse In Your Soul
11. Ana Ng
12. Guitar
13. Bangs
14. Statue Got Me High
15. New York City
16. Doctor Worm
17. Boss of Me
18. Your Racist Friend
19. Why Does the Sun Shine?
20. They'll Need A Crane
21. I Palindrome I
22. Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head
23. John Lee Superstaster
24. Older
25. We're the Replacements
26. Dr. Evil
27. No!
28. Clap Your Hands
29. Spider

Rating: - * A must-have for TMBG fans ... It's fab, it's quirky and really a must-have for anyone interested in one of the silliest, talented bands of all time! Rating: - * An Excellent Starting Point For Beginning Fans. ... As I myself am just getting into They Might Be Giants, a collection such as "A User's Guide To They Might Be Giants" is greatly appreciated. Here you have 29 songs recorded over 20+ years by a mere two piece consisting of two guys named John. If you're searching for depthful, poetic and meaningful lyrics, pick up a Dylan cd. They Might Be Giants are built around simple pop songs with clever lyrics that often border on novelty as well as odd but inventive musical techniques. Among the best songs on here are their big numbers, "Particle Man" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", as well as other wonderful songs such as "James K. Polk", "She's An Angel", "Your Racist Friend", "Boss Of Me" and the rocking "Dr. Worm", as well as many, manty other great songs. My favorite song on here is "New York City". As a New Yokrer, I find this to be one of the fineest songs written about my wonderful homestate. It's a simple but effective pop song that has wonderful, evocative lyrics about the Greatest City On Earth and falling in love for the first time. The band actually performed this song midnight on the morning of September 11th, 2001. After the tragic events that took place later that day, the song now has found a new bittersweet meaning to it. The liner notes are done in typical They Might Be Giants fashion, and while somewhat confusing and cluttered, make for a great read. The sound quality is great, and overall I recommend this cd to anyone just getting into the wonder of the music of They Might Be Giants. Rating: - * A Come Lately Fan's Intro to They Might Be Giants ... "A User's Guide" is an entertaining and reasonably-priced intro to the fun and sometimes informative music of the Brooklyn-based band They Might Be Giants. Fun for songs like "Dr. Worm" (the story of a would-be rock drummer who's "not a real doctor" but is "an actual worm") and a cover of the classic "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"; and informative for songs like the almost-historically accurate "James K. Polk" and maybe-not-so "Meet James Ensor" (Belgium's famous painter). TMBG offers a science lesson or two along the way as well--"Particle Man" introduces us in a way to particle physics (I did a reasonably well-received Karaoke version of this one); "The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas" explains the nuclear processes that go on in that important stellar body; and "John Lee, Supertaster" is kind of a cross between science, superheroes, and "names in the news", though I'd never heard of him. Their best-known song from the CD is the bouncy "Birdhouse in Your Soul", which some claim to be quite cryptic, but the spirituality of which seems obvious to me. If you like music that gives you a little to think about, but not too seriously, TMBG might be your band, and "A User's Guide" is a great introduction. Rating: - * What is this?! ... I've been a fan of They Might Be Giants since the early 1990's, and I own all of their major releases, plus a couple not so major releases. I picked this CD up last night having not ever sen or heard anything about it before and thought "Oh yay! New versions of some of my favorite songs". Boy was I wrong. These aren't new versions of old songs, these are old versions of old songs. They are the exact same recordings I already own scattered across several CDs, there is absolutely nothing new here. I'd have been fine with this if I knew what I was getting, but there was absolutely no indication on the packaging that these were all old recordings. Rating: - * Jittery, high-energy power pop; 80s irony, edgy absurdity ... Core TMBG is jittery, very-high-energy power pop, with a healthy dose of innocent 60s British Invasion pop and bubblegum, balanced with lots of 80s irony and edgy absurdity. Some great, witty words, too, and often floods of them pouring out. Lots of novelty songs, but not only novelties. Delicious satire. A little can go a long way, though. That said, the more I listen to this one, the more I like the ones new to me.... S: tr 3-Particle man (3-minute description of the universe). tr 5-She's an angel (perfect wordy struggle with being in love). tr 7-Istanbul (THE perfect novelty song). tr 10-Birdhouse in your soul (a personal favorite-who knows what this is about?) tr 13-Bangs (paean to bangs every which way). tr 24-Older (yikes-the very passage of time itself) tr 27-No! (the mathematics of 2-year-old resistance). tr 28-Clap your hands (perfect WASP response to silly dance songs). [70:51]