Hope That I Get Polled Before I Die: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 1982-2002 POLL - Voting, Campaigning, Discussing

At some point in the... late 90s? Early 00s? i was collecting a lot of these dial-a-song TMBG rarities in MP3 form. i wish i'd kept 'em all. i want to say most of them came from an exhaustive fansite, possibly tmbg.org? which, saints be praised, is still online and virtually unaltered, down to the little Win95-era icons for "chords," "lyrics," "interpretations".... a beauty. anyway i had all these mp3s, most of 'em i chucked years ago for some reason. a lot of the songs eventually turned up in reworked and, to my ears, too-polished versions. but i can no longer really hear in my head the non-rockin' "robot parade." that distorted, super lo-fi over-the-phone bootleg of "concrete and clay" was cool though iirc.

Realise it's futile to attempt rehabilitation of TMBG with people who are allergic, but Robert Quine's guitar on John Henry was a real high point of their post-Apollo 18 rock phase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L58duIzaMqc

1991

The quietest year in TMBG history, with only one song released.

Nick Hill with John Linnell - The Edison Museum
- written by Linnell and Brian Dewan for Thomas Edison tribute album Edisongs (1% Inspiration From WFMU). LP re-released on CD in 2003.
- Dial-A-Song version released as free WAV download on tmbg.com in 1997
- original recording reworked for TMBG's Long Tall Weekend in 1999; this edit also used on No! in 2002
- 1996 wax cylinder recording (in the Edison Museum!) w/ Nick Hill singing released on Unlimited January 2001

god this band made (makes) a lot of music. listening to every version seems futile, but listening to every song in *some* version before submitting a ballot seems doable. would love to find some surprises

is this eligible?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf0Amcgxot8

I'm afraid that came out 2,743 days too late to qualify. Please hold your voting for the next poll.

1992: I POLLINDROME I

For the first time, They release a new album on which almost all the songs are making their recorded debut.

The Statue Got Me High
- The Statue Got Me High CD5, then Apollo 18
- Live in 1992 version released on Unlimited August 2001
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94


She's Actual Size
- two DAS versions include one with mostly different lyrics and completely different music; studio version on The Statue Got Me High CD5, then Apollo 18
- reggae version Larger Than Life (a Joshua Fried remix) on I Palindrome I and The Guitar CD5s
- live version on Severe Tire Damage 1998
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show in 2001
- New Live Version (Fillmore 16/7/2002) on 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants best of 2002

I Palindrome I
- two different demos on Dial-A-Song, inc. a half-asleep rambling sketch re-released as a quicktime on dialasong.com circa 1998, both bootlegged on cassette in the 90s: this is a different song by Flans, who abandoned it and handed the title over to Linnell.
- Linnell version on Apollo 18 LP
- live version from 1992 released on Unlimited August 2001
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94
- live version from Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY 2004-07-30 released on The Spine Hits The Road 2004, almost immediately rereleased on Almanac



My Evil Twin
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994; studio version on Apollo 18 LP

See The Constellation
- two early Dial-A-Song versions (inc Flans solo) as "My Lone Constellation," both bootlegged on cassette; studio version on Apollo 18 LP

Hall Of Heads
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995; studio version on Apollo 18 LP

Hypnotist Of Ladies
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995; studio version on Apollo 18 LP
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show in 2001

If I Wasn't Shy
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995; studio version on Apollo 18 LP
- live version in Hamburg 1992 released on both July and September 2001's Unlimited

Turn Around
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994; studio version on Apollo 18 LP
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

Mammal
- demo version released on Podcast 43 in 2011; Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995
- studio version on Apollo 18 LP
- Frank Black & TMBG live version released on Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST

Spider
- early mix on Dial-A-Song, bootlegged on cassette c. 1995; final studio version on Apollo 18 LP
- live version on Severe Tire Damage 1998
- live version as medley with The Guitar (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show in 2001

Dig My Grave
- Apollo 18 LP
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

Dinner Bell
- Apollo 18 LP

Narrow Your Eyes
- Apollo 18 LP

Fingertips
- Apollo 18 LP
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show in 2001
- live version at Pearl St in Northampton Mass, 2001, on Unlimited November
- live version at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA on The Spine Hits The Road 2004
- live version from NYC on Almanac 2004, reused on Podcast 2A and 45

Siftin'
- B-side on I Palindrome I CD5

Moving To The Sun
- Reflex Magazine Flexi #23, then The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5

Welcome To The Jungle
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette 1994, studio version on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5

I Blame You
- originally a Dial-A-Song called Free Bird's Rebirth, two different versions of which were bootlegged on cassette in 1994-95; rewritten with new lyrics on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5


The Guitar
- Apollo 18 LP
- Williamsburgh Extended Mix on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5
- Outer Planet Mix by Coldcut on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5
- Even Further Outer Planet Mix by Coldcut on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) CD5
- UK Single Edit on The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) 7"
- live version as medley with Spider (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show in 2001



Frankenstein [Edgar Winter Group]
- played live since 1992, Live NYC 1994 version released on Unlimited July 2001

Yellow Submarine [Live cover of the Beatles song, but with inaccurately recalled lyrics]
- played once, in Chicago 1992, released on Unlimited July 2001

Rocket Ship
- 1992 demo (abandoned as the chorus was cannibalized to make Spiraling Shape) released on Unlimited August 2001

John Linnell also played baritone sax on the self-titled JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION album this year (with Kurt Hoffman on tenor), but I don't know which tracks. Both players may also appear on A Reverse Willie Horton (1991) or Crypt-Style! (1992), as all of these are made up of mostly the same tracks from the same recording sessions. [Sessions produced separately by Steve Albini and Kramer.]

1993: I SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO POLL

The new live band back Frank Black (and Flans makes his videos), each John works on side-projects, the Hello CD Of The Month Club launches, demos for Their first full-band album leak Elektra's grip, plus the first stand-alone EP AND the one-and-only straight-up A-side/B-side single of Their career are released.

Spy
- while the Dial-A-Song demo version was bootlegged on cassette by 1994, (and released on Unlimited Novmeber and Dial-A-Song Direct in 2015)...
- the first public version of this was performed live by Frank Black with TMBG on his Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST radio album.
- studio version on Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas) EP
- re-recorded for John Henry LP
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) as medley with Mr Tambourine Man released on Ritz Show in 2001

Fu Manchu
- studio version on Frank Black self-titled LP features JL on saxophone
- live version on Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST features TMBG (JL on baritone saxophone, JF on guitar & vocals, Tony Maimone on bass, Kurt Hoffman on tenor sax), plus Eric Drew Feldman on keys and Joey Santiago on guitar

Tossed
- studio version on Frank Black LP features JL on saxophone
- live version on Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST features TMBG (JL on baritone saxophone, JF on guitar & vocals, Tony Maimone on bass, Kurt Hoffman on tenor sax), plus Eric Drew Feldman on keys and Joey Santiago on guitar

Adda Lee
Czar
Every Time I Go Around Here
I Heard Ramona Sing
Los Angeles
Parry The Wind High, Low
Ten Percenter
Theme From One Step Beyond
This Is Where I Belong [The Kinks cover]
- all performed on Live Thursday June 24, 1993 10pm EST by Frank Black with the above TMBG / EDF / Joseph Alberto Santiago lineup.

Drinkin'
- performed a week after composition on WFMU's Music Faucet in 1993 - episode broadcast live from the balcony of host Nick Hill's apartment, this performance made in the bathroom Hill shared with Linnell. Flans on guitar by the sink, JF on bass sax "within the reverberant bathtub." Released on Unlimited November 2001
- studio version on Long Tall Weekend 1999, edited version on TMBG vs McSweeneys

Sodium Mask
- on Hello The Band EP (by Hello The Band: JF & Joshua Fried)

(Since You Joined) The Corporation
- onHello The Band EP

Town To Town
- on Hello The Band EP

Hello Hello [Gary Glitter cover]
- Hello The Band EP
- remixed for Mono Puff's Unsupervised album 1996

Lullaby To Nightmares
- on Hello The Band EP
- re-recorded for John Henry 1994 but not used, edited for Long Tall Weekend 1999, full recording released on Podcast 27A 2007

Whirlpool [Meat Puppets cover]
- B-side on Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas) EP

Jessica [The Allman Brothers Band cover]
- B-side on Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas) EP

O, Do Not Forsake Me
- original songwriting demo from Dial-A-Song, bootlegged on cassette in 1994, released on Unlimited March 2001
- studio version on John Henry LP 1994
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

Maine
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994, released as WAV on www.tmbg.com/dial/ circa 1997
- studio version on John Linnell's "State Songs" Hello EP 1994
- remixed with overdub for State Songs album 1999

Rock Club
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994 as "We Love All The People"; republished on dialasong.com circa 1998 and Podcast 35A in 2008
- re-recorded for Dial-A-Song Direct subscription service 2015

King Of Wingo
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994, republished on dialasong.com circa 1998

A Self Called Nowhere
- leaked 1993 demo eventually released on Podcast 27A in 2007; Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette in 1994
- studio version on John Henry LP

Why Must I Be Sad?
- leaked 1993 demo on Podcast 27A in 2007
- studio version John Henry LP

No One Knows My Plan
- leaked 1993 demo on Podcast 27A in 2007
- studio version on John Henry LP
- instrumental was opening theme for Cartoon Planet 1995

I Should Be Allowed To Think
- 1993 demo first heard on Podcast 27A in 2007 (earlier Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette 1994)
- studio version on John Henry LP

Extra Savoir-Faire
- 1993 demo first heard on Podcast 33A in 2008
- studio version on John Henry LP
- acoustic version performed on Blender 1.1 CD-ROM in 1995

Unrelated Thing
- 1993 demo on Podcast 33B in 2008
- studio version on John Henry LP
- acoustic version performed on Blender 1.1 CD-ROM in 1995

Subliminal
- 1993 demo on Podcast 35A in 2008 (a Dial-A-Song version also bootlegged on cassette in 1994)
- studio version on John Henry LP

Out Of Jail
- 1993 demo on Podcast 27A in 2007
- studio version on John Henry LP

About Me
- recorded circa 1993 with John Henry demos, released on Severe Tire Damage

Wreck It Apart
- Dial-A-Song bootlegged on cassette in 1994, released as WAV on www.tmbg.com/dial/ circa 1997

O Tannenbaum [traditional]
- O Tannenbaum 7", re-released on Unlimited October and Holidayland EP 2001

Christmas Cards
- B-side of O Tannenbaum 7"

1994: JUDAS!

alt.music.tmbg nerds boycott shows when they realise a full band has recorded the John Henry album, which is Their highest-charting record (at #64) until 2011.

Nevada
- John Linnell's "State Songs" Hello EP
- re-recorded for State Songs LP 1999

Pennsylvania
- State Songs Hello EP
- re-recorded for State Songs LP

Oregon
- State Songs Hello EP
- remixed for State Songs LP

South Carolina
- State Songs Hello EP
- remixed for State Songs LP

Snail Shell
- Back To Skull EP (Dial-A-Song version also exists)
- remixed by The Dust Brothers as Snail Dust on Back To Skull
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

Ondine
- on Back To Skull EP (Dial-A-Song and demo versions also exist)

She Was A Hotel Detective
- on Back To Skull EP (NB: this is a completely different song to (She Was A) Hotel Detective.)

Mrs Train
- Back To Skull EP

Subway Token To Brooklyn
- Dial-A-Song version released as WAV on dialasong.com circa 1997
- re-recorded as Token Back To Brooklyn in the Factory Showroom "track 0' pre-gap 1996 (collected on Long Tall Weekend 1999 and They Got Lost 2002)

The Summer Breeze
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995, released as WAV on dialasong.com circa 1997
- re-recorded with full band for Dial-A-Song Direct in 2015

Your Own Worst Enemy
- Dial-A-Song version bootlegged on cassette c. 1995, released as WAV on dialasong.com circa 1997
- re-recorded for Factory Showroom 1996

AKA Driver
- John Henry LP
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

Destination Moon
- John Henry LP (Dial-A-Song version also exists, bootlegged on cassette in 1994)

Dirt Bike
- John Henry LP
- re-recorded with horns 2003, released on tmbg.com 2004, compiled on TMBG's Other Thing Brass Band EP 2011

Sleeping In The Flowers
- John Henry LP (two Dial-A-Song versions also exist, bootlegged on cassette in 1994-95, and the 1993 demo was leaked, but none of these have been legitimately released)
- remixed Radio Edit on Sleeping In The Flowers promo 1995
- Live!! New York City 10/14/94

The End Of The Tour
- John Henry LP
- instrumental was closing theme for Cartoon Planet 1995
- live at Mr. Small's Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA on The Spine Hits The Road 2004
- live in Atlanta, GA; 2004-09-25 on Almanac 2004

Thermostat
- John Henry LP

Window
- John Henry LP

Meet James Ensor
- John Henry LP (two demo versions and a Dial-A-Song also exist)
- acoustic version on Revolution Radio, Minneapolis, MN released on REV 105 Radio Archive, Volume 1 1995, reused on Severe Tire Damage 1998

The Joker [Steve Miller Band]
- Live in NYC 1994 released on Unlimited July 2001

When Tornadoes Take Over The World
- a Dial-A-Song bootlegged on cassette c. 1995, mp3 on tmbg.com in 2003

So Long, Mockingbird
- Dial-A-Song version (Flans solo a capella) released as WAV on www.tmbg.com/dial/ circa 1997
- re-recorded as group a capella on "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" Hello EP 1995
- re-re-recorded as band version on Mono Puff's Unsupervised 1996

Nixon's The One
- Dial-A-Song released as WAV on www.tmbg.com/dial/ circa 1997, bootlegged on cassette 1994
- re-recorded for "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" Hello EP 1995,
- longer mix on Unsupervised 1996

Operators Are Standing By
- Dial-A-Song bootlegged on cassette in 1994, studio version on dialasong.com c 1998, then Long Tall Weekend 1999

You're Watching…
- early version bootlegged on cassette in 1994 as Not Too Clear, Not Too Long, re-recorded on dialasong.com c. 1998

Wreck It Apart
- Dial-A-Song bootlegged on cassette c. 1995, released as WAV on www.tmbg.com/dial/ circa 1997

White Sport Coat [Marty Robbins cover]
- track on the Meat Puppets' Backwater EP features the Johns on BVs

I'm a little confused about what all this detail of various versions is in service of. Are we supposed to specify what version we're voting for?

I have so many MP3s by these guys, like well over 1000, and even still I've never heard of like a third of these

This is gonna be incredible, thanks for all this work, sic!!

I'm a little confused about what all this detail of various versions is in service of.

1) fun!
2) ppl might be reminded of a particular way they encountered a given song
3) to track the songs/band chronologically, not by release: it's fascinating to see how long they mess around with songs before putting the "final" version together, and curious to see how some things get reworked and rebuilt even after that. Also to remove the hegemony of the album, and possibly to lead folks to songs they might not have known or 'remembered' by just wikipedia-ing the last TMBG album they bought.
4) it's a way of keeping the thread active for a while so ppl can notice it tbh

Are we supposed to specify what version we're voting for?

No, but:

If you want to campaign or vote for a specific arrangement or recording or remix or live version of any song, please do: I'll roll all versions together but note any write-in distinctions.

oops: Snail Shell is also on John Henry.

had no idea so much of Linnell's solo album was written in '94

gonna be interesting to see the McSweeney stuff, I always wondered where some of that came from

spoilers: it looks like only a handful of the McSweeneys songs existed before that, though several of the pieces written for or prompted by it have had a longer life.

I figured Maine as being the earliest State Song, and pegged it as 1993 because of this Dial-A-Song bootleg:

http://tmbw.net/wiki/images/c/c6/PODAS.jpg

1995

The second-quietest year in TMBG history to date.

Dr. Kildare [cover of The Skatalites arrangement, lyrics by Flans]
- "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" Hello EP
- re-recorded for Mono Puff's Unsupervised album 1996

Tryptophan
- "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" Hello EP; also on Devil Went Down To Newport single as Tryptophane

Unsupervised, I Hit My Head
- "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" Hello EP
- re-written (with more verses) & re-recorded on Unsupervised 1996

What Bothers The Spaceman?
- originally Dial-A-Song, re-recorded for "John Flansburgh's Mono Puff" EP
- re-re-recorded for Unsupervised 1996

Sensurround
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - The Movie OST, later on dialasong.com
- re-recorded on S-E-X-X-Y CD5

25 O'Clock [Dukes Of Stratosphear cover]
- A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs Of XTC

Careless Santa
- by Mono Puff on "Hello Family Santa Special" Hello EP; also on Mono Puff's Unsupervised 1996 and collected on TMBG's Holidayland 2001

1996

A jumbo year including their final major-label album, the third-place-getter for most versions of a song, Linnell's second solo EP and almost two full albumsworth of Mono Puff in two lineups and four CDs.

S-E-X-X-Y

- Factory Showroom LP
- Radio Edit (a remix) on S-E-X-X-Y CD5
- Tee's Freeze Mix by Todd Terry on S-E-X-X-Y remix 12"
- Tee's In House Dub by Todd Terry on S-E-X-X-Y remix 12"
- Tee's Radio on S-E-X-X-Y CD5
- Tee's Cappella on S-E-X-X-Y remix 12"
- The Warren Rigg Microwave Mix on S-E-X-X-Y CD5
- The Warren Rigg Instrumental on S-E-X-X-Y remix 12"
- live version on Severe Tire Damage 1998
- Total Remix by Kendal Mintcake released on tmbg.com in 2003

Till My Head Falls Off
- Factory Showroom LP
- live version on Severe Tire Damage 1998

How Can I Sing Like A Girl?
- demo released on Podcast 46 in 2011
- Factory Showroom LP
- 2011 live version on At Large 2012

Exquisite Dead Guy
- Factory Showroom LP
- Live version with brass section released as freebie on eMusic 2000

Metal Detector
- Factory Showroom LP
- live version with TMBG's Mini-Brass performed on NPR's Studio 360 in 2003, released on Cast Your Pod To The Wind in 2007
- brass studio version with TMBG's Other Thing recorded c. 2003, released on Podcast 5B 2006, compiled on TMBG's Other Thing Brass Band EP 2011

New York City [Cub cover]
- Factory Showroom LP

XTC vs. Adam Ant
- Factory Showroom LP
- live version on Severe Tire Damage 1998

Spiraling Shape
- adapted from Rocket Ship as a Dial-A-Song c. 1995, bootlegged on cassette; re-recorded for Factory Showroom
- 1999 live version released as freebie on eMusic 2000

Pet Name
- Factory Showroom LP

I Can Hear You
- wax cylinder recording on Factory Showroom LP
- re-recorded, again on wax cylinder, for The Daily Show's Greatest Millennium special in December 1999

The Bells Are Ringing
- Factory Showroom LP (Dial-A-Song version also exists)

Rat Patrol
- Dial-A-Song c.1994, bootlegged on cassette c. 1995; band version from a leaked Factory Showroom Sessions internal promo released on Long Tall Weekend 1999, collected on They Got Lost 2002

Certain People I Could Name
- on leaked Factory Showroom Sessions promo cassette as Certain People, released on Long Tall Weekend 1999, collected on They Got Lost CD 2002 and Idlewild 2014

Counterfeit Faker
- Factory Showroom Sessions version released on Long Tall Weekend 1999

They Got Lost
- titled TMBG Got Lost on leaked Factory Showroom Sessions, released as They Got Lost on Long Tall Weekend 1999
- re-recorded for Severe Tire Damage as live recording with studio vocals

Older
- titled You're Older on leaked Factory Showroom Sessions, released as Older on Long Tall Weekend 1999
- recorded for ABC's Brave New World in 2000, video released on Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns
- re-recorded on Mink Car 2001
- live version from Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001 on Ritz Show 2001

On The Drag
- original demo was on Dial-A-Song in 1998, first studio version on Factory Showroom Sessions, re-recorded for Working Undercover For The Man EP 2001;

Reprehensible
- Factory Showroom Sessions version on Long Tall Weekend 1999

Unforgotten
- B-side on S-E-X-X-Y CD5

We've Got A World That Swings [lyrics by Lil Mattis, music by Louis Yule Brown, performed by Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor]
- B-side on S-E-X-X-Y CD5

Darlin' Allison
- written by Gordon Gano & performed by They for the soundtrack of indie film Hitting the Ground, released on Gano's Hitting The Ground album in 2002

The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking) [The Clamdiggers cover]
- Mono Puff's Unsupervised CD and The Devil Went Down To Newport CD5
- re-recorded as The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Remade) for B-side of single

Oddball [Frank Black cover]
- B-side on The Devil Went Down To Newport CD5

Guitar Was The Case
- Mono Puff's Unsupervised

Don't Break The Heart [Amy Rigby cover]
- Mono Puff's Unsupervised

Distant Antenna
- Mono Puff's Unsupervised

To Serve Mankind
- Mono Puff's Unsupervised


Preamble: Fernando Wood (1855-58, 1860-62)
Processional [1]
DeWitt Clinton (1803-07, 1808-10, 1811-15)
Processional [2]
John Purroy Mitchel (1914-17)
Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May? [lyrics by James J. Walker, music by Ernest Ball]
Processional [3]
Fiorello LaGuardia (1934-45)
David Dinkins (1990-93)
House Of Mayors
- John Linnell's "House Of Mayors" Hello EP

Mr. Hughes Says
- Mono Puff's "The Hal Cragin Years" Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal 1998

Imaginary Friend
- Mono Puff's "The Hal Cragin Years" Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal

Dedicated
- Mono Puff's "The Hal Cragin Years" Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal

What Everybody Knows
- Mono Puff's "The Hal Cragin Years" Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal as I Just Found Out What Everybody Knows

Backstabbing Liar
- Mono Puff's "The Steve Calhoon Years " Hello EP; re-recorded for It's Fun To Steal & appeared on 1997 advance cassette; final 1998 album used the EP version but slightly sped up

Poison Flowers
- Mono Puff's "The Steve Calhoon Years " Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal

Night Security
- Mono Puff's "The Steve Calhoon Years " Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal

Hillbilly Drummer Girl [Young Fresh Fellows cover]
- Mono Puff's "The Steve Calhoon Years " Hello EP, also on It's Fun To Steal

Random synaptic firings:

Did Raymond Scott ever get a co-writing credit for "Rhythm Section Want Ad"?

There is some kind of toy called a hideaway folk family--it's maybe little carved figurines and a house, or maybe it's nesting dolls or something. I can't remember! and Google is not helping!

"Cage & Aquarium" - It kinda blew my mind when I figured out that "This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium" was a fucked up "This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius"

"Lie Still Little Bottle" - STICK!!

"Fingertips" live just does not work for me. I'd love it if they scattered pieces of it through a set, but played altogether it's just flat

Having heard the early accordian-and-guitar arrangement of "Why Does the Sun Shine?" at early live shows, the twinkly kiddie version they finally released sucked

"South Carolina" from State Songs will definitely be in my top 10

Did Cynthia Nixon ever use Flansburgh's "Nixon's the One" during her governor's campaign?

All of the Back to Skull EP non-LP tracks are great: "Ondine," "She Was A Hotel Detective," "Mrs. Train"

Don't sleep on John Henry - "Destination Moon," "A Self Called Nowhere," "No One Knows My Plan," "Meet James Ensor," "Subliminal"

On the other hand, sleep on Factory Showroom - This was a big disappointment. The "S-E-X-X-Y" b-side "Sensurround" is better than anything on the album.

Having heard the early accordian-and-guitar arrangement of "Why Does the Sun Shine?" at early live shows, the twinkly kiddie version they finally released sucked

Don't worry! I'm sure many more people heard the rock version on Severe Tire Damage, and it's likely that's been superseded by the fast non-twinkly version they released for real kiddies.

Did Cynthia Nixon ever use Flansburgh's "Nixon's the One" during her governor's campaign?

Love this.

On the other hand, sleep on Factory Showroom - This was a big disappointment. The "S-E-X-X-Y" b-side "Sensurround" is better than anything on the album.

Check out the original version up there, which I didn't know about until preparing this poll!

Hadn't heard the borrowed Raymond Scott thingy before. I learned something.

I'm thinking I could happily construct a ballot out of miniatures and non-songs: "Minimum Wage", "Counterfeit Fake", "Boat of Car", "Space Suit", "Big Big Whoredom", etc

1997: I AM NOT YOUR POLL

A quiet year saw Their first steps into releasing over the internet, including debuting songs via tiny Quicktime videos. A mere 18 years later, this had become the norm both for the band and the music industry as a whole.

Critic Intro
- Then: The Earlier Years

Four Of Two
- Dial-A-Song version released on dialasong.com in 1998
- child-friendly re-writing released on eMusic as a freebie in 2000
- remixed for No!

Doctor Worm
- TMBG.com Quickcam video, also used on Dial-A-Song
- demo circa late 1997 released on Podcast 34A in 2008
- studio version on Severe Tire Damage
- live on KPNT (The Point) 105.7 in St. Louis) released on The Point Platinum: Version 1.0
- live in New York, NY; 2004-10-01 released on tmbg.com 2004 as b2b with Famous Polka, then alone on Almanac 2004, also on No! digital deluxe reissue 2012

I Am Not Your Broom
- TMBG.com Quickcam video
- studio recording on No! 2002
- performed by Puppet John and Broom on They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast May 30 2008

Lines Upon A Tranquil Brow [Songs Of The Pogo]
- TMBG.com Quickcam video

Rest Awhile
- first played in 1997, then Dial-A-Song, then re-recorded for Working Undercover For The Man EP 2000

[Coca-Cola advertisement]
- minute-long Coke ad by JF, released on Unlimited November 2001 as "Mystery Track"
- demo released on Podcast 51 in 2012 with the title Always Be Giants

Olive, The Other Reindeer
- flexidisc with J. Otto Seibold's book "Olive, The Other Reindeer," co-written and performed by Johnny Hart (JL)

LIFE IN A BLENDER - Grand Union
- song on Two Legs Bad album features JL on accordion

1998: REVERSE DATE IMAGE

I'm Sick (Of This American Life)
- from a radio episode, released on This American Life: Lies Sissies & Fiascoes 1999, collected on They Got Lost 2002

[pre-gap Hidden Track]
Creepy *
It's Fun To Steal *
Taste The Bass
Extra Krispy
Pretty Fly [from The Night Of The Hunter] *
Dashiki Lover *
- tracks from Mono Puff's It's Fun To Steal album not previously released on Hello EPs. Asterisks appeared on advance promos of the album a full year earlier.

Severe Tire Damage Theme
- studio recording on Severe Tire Damage

First Kiss
- live version on Severe Tire Damage
- rewritten as Another First Kiss, studio version released on Unlimited May and Mink Car

Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

Return To The Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

Escape From The Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

Battle For The Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage
- another live version titled Battle For The Planet Of They Might Be Giants "from a bootleg recording of the New Year's Eve Show in 1998 at Tramps in New York City" released on Unlimited May 2001
- a 2011 live version on At Large 2012, edited and retitled Apes Vs People for the CD edition

Beneath The Planet Of The Apes
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

This Ape's For You
- live version on Severe Tire Damage

Somebody Took My Eyeball
- live version "from a bootleg recording of the New Year's Eve Show in 1998 at Tramps in New York City" released on Unlimited May 2001

Dark And Metric
- Dial-A-Song with studio version released on dialasong.com 1998, then Long Tall Weekend 1999

Finished With Lies
- demo on dialasong.com, rereleased on Podcast 56 2012
- re-recorded for Unlimited April 2001
- reworked on Mink Car

Theme For TheSmokingGun.com
- JF piece, also released [mp3 link] on dialasong.com

John Linnell also played accordion on ex-Mundane JONATHAN GREGG & THE LONESOME DEBONAIRES' album Blue On Blonde this year, but I don't know which tracks.

1999: LONG POLL WEEKEND

Despite an international hit single the year before (and probably because Linnell had a kid), They shift at this point to a mode of production akin to a studio-based churning pipeline of constant music, releasing via television and the internet more than via records or even answering machine. The first 17 years of this poll saw about 280 songs released; the next four see another 130 or so, not counting dozens of cues and miniatures for Malcolm In The Middle.

Dog On Fire [Bob Mould's Daily Show theme]
- TV: The Daily Show; re-recorded a couple of times, Timbaland remix used from January 2016; closing credits version released on Podcast 47 in 2011

Daily Show Open
- released on Dial-A-Song Direct in 2015

SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - Madden's Theme
SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - The Happy Gangster
SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - Harry's New Home
SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY - End Theme
- JL plays accordion on at least some of Theodore Shapiro's score cues from this film OST

THE GRAVEL PIT - Get Tangled
- JL plays baritone sax on this track from the album Silver Gorilla

Dr. Evil
- More Music From Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
- live version as Live Evil With Robin from 9/8/2000 released on Unlimited December 2001

(She Thinks She's) Edith Head
- demo released on Podcast 50 in 2012
- studio version on Long Tall Weekend
- reworked with new vocals as She Thinks She's Edith Head and released on Unlimited June 2001 and Mink Car and Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace With They Might Be Giants Unlimited April 2001

Brave New World Theme
Dan vs. Cog
King Weed
All Alone
Cut The Strings
- these were all written for, recorded and appeared as video on ABC's Brave New World TV show (Older also appeared); the videos were included on the Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns DVD. All Alone later appeared on Unlimited in 2001 and They Got Lost in 2002, and Cut The Strings is listed again in the Battle Of The Bands series on Unlimited.

Feast Of Lights
- Festival Of Light 2, compiled on Holidayland EP 2001

Butcher's Tale [slightly rewritten from The Zombies]
- live recording at Fez Under Time Cafe on Simply Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad About The Loser's Lounge CD

On Earth My Nina
- from Long Tall Weekend, collected on They Got Lost CD: an a capella performance by JL of his impression of what Thunderbird sounded like played backwards

Thunderbird
- performed live since 1999, DAS version c. 1999, unreleased studio version c. 1999 on "Non-LP Tracks" Restless promo
- re-recorded on The Spine 2003
- live version from New York, NY; 2004-10-01 on Almanac 2004


Illinois
The Songs Of The 50 States
West Virginia
Montana
Arkansas
Utah
Idaho
Iowa
Mississippi
Michigan
New Hampshire
- these songs were new to John Linnell's State Songs album; West Virginia also appeared on the McSweeneys CD in 2001

Louisiana
- B-side to John Linnell's Montana 7"

North To Alaska [Johnny Horton cover]
- bootleg recording of John Linnell And The Statesmen live, released on Unlimited June 2001 (here's a solo instore version)

All Things Considered [Don Voegeli]
- Mono Puff's in-studio cover of the radio show's theme, released on TMBG Unlimited October 2001

We have polled the individual segments of Fingertip THREE TIMES already,

four, actually

2000: POLLING UNDERCOVER FOR THE MAN

Their collaboration with eMusic sees another exclusive album-like-thing, plus various freebies, while another international hit single takes off without a studio album attached.

Boss Of Me
- the Malcolm In The Middle theme exists in 0:35, 2:56, 3:10 and an instrumental version used for the closing credits

Robot Parade
- originally Robot Design as a 1999 website jingle [mp3 link] for The Chopping Block, compiled on Songs For Chop 2016
- released as a free "single" on eMusic in 2000
- this "adult" version" remixed for Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected on 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants best-of
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show 2001
- re-recorded in child-friendly form for No! 2002
- Banjo version sung by Deeply Felt Puppet Theater released as free mp3 on tmbg.com 2003
- live version on The Spine Hits The Road 2004
- live version at Asheville, NC; 2004-09-28 released on Almanac in 2004, later on a digital "deluxe reissue" of No! in 2012
- yet another studio version in another new arrangement on Here Come The ABCs 2005

Wake Up Call
- originally the B-side to Robot Parade on eMusic, later on Unlimited April 2001 and No! 2002

Empty Bottle Collector
- Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected as Empty Bottle Blues on They Got Lost

I Am A Human Head
- Working Undercover For The Man EP, collected on They Got Lost

Working Undercover For The Man
- originally a Dial-A-Song, then a Quickcam video c. 2000
- studio version on Working Undercover For The Man EP then Mink Car 2001
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show 2001

Hey Everybody
- played live since 1994, studio version released as a free download on eMusic 2000

Santa Claus [The Sonics cover]
- released as a free download on eMusic 2000, compiled on They Might Be Giants In Holidayland EP 2001

Unreliable Narrator (I'm The Substitute)
- a 1999 Dial-A-Song; re-recorded and released as a free download on eMusic in 2000; the same recording was used on Malcolm In The Middle as Substitute Teacher; later co-opted as Kids Are Different Now by Spool 409 for Battle Of The Bands on Unlimited

What Is A Shooting Star? [Space Songs cover]
- originally a Dial-A-Song in July 2000, studio version released free on eMusic in 2000, then Unlimited April 2001 as A Shooting Star Is Not A Shooting Star, then on Greasy Kid Stuff 2: More Songs From Inside The Radio, then on Here Comes Science 2009

Wicked Little Critta
- originally a Dial-A-Song, studio version on Unlimited April, then Mink Car
- live version (New Haven, CT; 2004-09-22) on Almanac 2004

John Lee Supertaster
- free on eMusic 2000, then Unlimited February 2001, then No!
- live at the Blue Note, Columbia MO on 13/07/2004 on tmbg.com 2004
- live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA 14/8/2004 on The Spine Hits The Road 2004 and Almanac 2004 AND Amazon-exclusive CD edition of Here Come The 123s in 2008 AAAAND deluxe digital reissue of No! in 2012

Man It's So Loud In Here
- a studio version was recorded in the Working Undercover for the Man sessions, used on Dial-A-Song in 1999 & included on a Malcolm promo
- a live version (as "It's So Loud In Here") was free on eMusic in 2000
- re-recorded studio version on Unlimited June 2001, Mink Car, and 20 Years Of TMBG best-of
- radio edit on Man It's So Loud In Here CD5
- Hot 2002 Remix by The Elegant Too on Man It's So Loud In Here CD5

Oranges
- recorded as a jingle for designers The Chopping Block's website c. 2000, released on Unlimited April 2001, collected on They Got Lost 2002 and as "Oranges And Graphic Design" on Songs For Chop 2016 (sung by Flans)
- Oranges Instrumental on Songs For Chop
- another recording and arrangement released as Chopping Block Testimonial on Unlimited April 2001, collected as "Oranges Testimonial" on They Got Lost 2002 and as "Testimonial" on Songs For Chop 2016 (sung by Linnell with v/o by Flans)
- the arrangement of the above, but in song form, was used as CD-ROM backing music on No!, collected as "Oranges And Graphic Design (alternative)" on Songs For Chop
- Oranges Instrumental (alternative) on Songs For Chop

Ram On [Paul & Linda McCartney cover]
- released free on eMusic 2000, included on Unlimited April 2001, recorded for Listen To What The Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute To The Music Of Paul McCartney 2001

Mas Fun
- released free on tmbg.com 2003, originally in Malcolm In The Middle episode Traffic Jam Nov 2000

Rotary Club
- a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 5B in 2006; also appeared on DialASong.com as "Medieval Pirate Noir"

Too Real
- a Dial-A-Song later released on Podcast 5B in 2006

Tres Quatro
- a Malcolm piece later released on Podcast 6C in 2006

John Linnell also played accordion on SHANNON WORRELL's album The Moviegoer this year, alongside other TMBG auxiliary players, but I don't know which tracks. JL's wife produced the album.

"Sensurround" and the highs on Factory Showroom are top-drawer TMBG imho. It was such a drag that they got dropped; they simultaneously got really prolific and yet hard to track down. It was a big deal when those couple of albums were internet-only but I basically never heard most of those tracks. There's a few I know and like - "Man It's So Loud In Here" and "I'm A Human Head" pop into my head a lot and could make it on my ballot.

I think if they'd had to pull a single cohesive album together for release they probably could have focused more and made a killer, killer record. Or if they'd become a GBV "here's still more for the cult!" kind of act they could have maybe gotten away with an LP a year full of god knows what. But those stats of how many songs they produced in the late 90s/early 00s, with almost all of them having an implied ".mp3" after the title, somehow fills me with dread...

as I noted above, by the 'teens they're releasing mainly on youtube, but making a video clip every week makes it seem less throwaway.

nb for you: the very very first version of Robot Parade is up there! and at nine released versions, that's the fourth-most common song in their discography...

man, of all the songs....!

best of the Factory Showroom era imo:

"Sensurround"
"Token Back To Brooklyn" (though you really want the creepy Dial-A-Song version. the long tall weekend version is awful)
"Till My Head Falls Off" (the "clearing my throat and gripping the lectern" section is just amazing)
"Exquisite Dead Guy"
"Metal Detector"
"New York City"
"Your Own Worst Enemy"
"Spiraling Shape"
"The Bells Are Ringing" (admittedly its climax is a bit you-have-to-be-16)
"Doctor Worm"

^ this is a good argument for that era ruling, Your Own Worst Enemy is the only one I can't remember

having an implied ".mp3" after the title

I think a shift also comes once their day work for Hollywood necessitates / funds having a full studio year-round: where their throwaway material earlier was only to be heard over a phone line, and recorded shittily at home, the new higher fidelity that becomes their standard means that they think less of "throwaways," instead putting out everything at the same standard and seeing what their own whim, and audience response, leads to songs sticking around.

Where does a newcomer start ?

This best-of is a pretty great overview of the two decades we're covering here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial-A-Song:_20_Years_of_They_Might_Be_Giants

Or, if you're an album kind of person, check out Lincoln or Flood, which I think (?) are still their consensus "best albums" and certainly indicative of what they do. If you dig those, you'll find lots to like in the s/t, Apollo 18, and beyond. If you don't dig those, they're probably not your kind of band.

every year or two I make it a point to listen to all this stuff again and Factory Showroom is one of those albums that always strikes me as being underrated, IMO its a case of "weird band gets criticized for making somewhat normal record". Flans is not very good on it - "XTC vs. Adam Ant" has got to be one of their all-time worst songs - but Linnell more than makes up for it. I think a lot of his most expansive and developed songwriting wound up on that album. By the way I cannot believe "Sensurround" did not make the album. In an interview I think they claimed it was because it was too close to another song on the album ("Spiraling Shape"?) but that hardly sounds like an excuse to me

I think if they'd had to pull a single cohesive album together for release they probably could have focused more and made a killer, killer record.

kinda feel like Mink Car was supposed to be that record - like two-thirds of the songs had been released already. but they missed a lot of the best material and a lot of the new recordings didn't have the spark of the earlier ones.

otm about mink car - i gave it one or two listens iirc and it just did not land at all with me.

sensurround was surely also tied up in weird movie soundtrack rights deals, no? it was super common in the 90s for artists to have soundtrack songs that never made it to their own albums, and sometimes even fell in between the cracks of odds-and-sods collections. who knows, maybe it got them on the radar of tv soundtrack people and was worth it in the long run. or maybe the power rangers check was just worth it in itself. if it sounds like anything on the album it's the intro and verse of "till my head falls off," and even then, i mean, just space them out.

googling around to remind myself who sings what, i was just floored to discover that their bassist from john henry on is *graham maby!* of joe jackson fame! how the hell did i never know that?

damn you're dead on about flans on that album now that i've refreshed myself, i basically hate all his songs except "new york city," which is a cover. i feel like between "sleeping in the flowers," "extra savoir-faire," "pet name," "first kiss" and even "spy" and "out of jail," he was trying to test himself as a writer of more conventional, songwriterly indie-pop songs with nice, clear, singable choruses. it was very much not my thing. though iirc the 9th grade classmate who sold me her copy of John Henry for five bucks declared that SITF was the "only good song" on it, so maybe there was a niche in which this stuff connected.

yea Flans has always been the dude expanding into every genre under the sun, and I think in most cases you can clearly track his reference points. for example "Pet Name" (which I like) is pretty much Squeeze by the numbers, isn't it? I get the sense that Flans could talk about 70s and 80s New Wave and punk for hours on end. Linnell on the other hand only sounds like himself, the only real similar stuff sounds like it was clearly inspired by him. for example take this Todd Rundgren song from '95 - I can easily imagine this on Factory Showroom with Linnell drawling out the vocals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqQ6pg0Fy9Y

Among the later songs I'd like to put in a good word/extremely mildly campaign for "Certain People I Could Name" and "Four of Two"

Also "Thunderbird", though the version on "The Spine" ended up being fairly tame.

Flans lost it after John Henry and never got it back. He's got a few good songs here and there, but nearly all the band's worst songs post-JH are his. The two Mono Puff albums don't measure up to State Songs at all.

Though "XTC vs Adam Ant" is how I learned about XTC, so I can't hate it too much

I should say the worst songs are Flans-led - they credit everything to both of them, right? I wonder how much collaboration happens

"man they totally Flansled that song"

Or, if you're an album kind of person, check out Lincoln or Flood, which I think (?) are still their consensus "best albums" and certainly indicative of what they do

I deleted the words "Flood is their most beloved album for a reason" bcz based on what I've seen of Ross' taste, he'd get a better feel for aspects of the band he could like from that compilation.

sensurround was surely also tied up in weird movie soundtrack rights deals, no?

since the version They released themselves was a re-recording, this probably wasn't a factor

maybe they had a contract that said they could release it themselves, but only as a b-side and it would have to be not as good

checks out

for example "Pet Name" (which I like) is pretty much Squeeze by the numbers, isn't it?

Sort of, but I think it's more like "a song that sounds exactly like Squeeze and proves that they can write a Squeeze song that's as good as the median actual Squeeze song, but which on closer listening have aspects that are purely and unmistakeably TMBG." I love it. (And there are a lot of the genre exercises I don't love.)

their bassist from john henry on is *graham maby!* of joe jackson fame! how the hell did i never know that?

Only for three years - from 1999 through the end of this poll, the lineup is the two Johns and the Band Of Dans

kinda feel like Mink Car was supposed to be that record - like two-thirds of the songs had been released already

two thirds? more like 94.117648%

...

it looks like They released too many songs in 2001, I keep getting poxy fuled

2001: HEYYYY, YOUR POLL'S ALRIGHT

Their first physical album in five years was overshadowed by coming out on 9/11, and was also just one part of a massive subscription program, with new & old unreleased songs (plus two live albums) issued in monthly chunks through eMusic.

The cascade of music this year included 75 new songs. Lennon/McCartney wrote 121 in a decade.


I've Got A Fang
- early version on Unlimited January 2001
- remixed by The Elegant Too for Mink Car
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show in December 2001

Cyclops Rock
- first recording on Unlimited January
- re-recorded (with Cerys Matthews) for Mink Car
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show in December

Drink!
- originally a Dial-A Song, then recorded as Drink, Drink for Unlimited January
- re-recorded as Drink! on Mink Car
- live version (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) on Ritz Show, with "spin the dial" Red Red Wine intro
- live version labelled Drink - glacially slow on Almanac 2004

Bangs
- first version on Unlimited February 2001
- a different mix and vocals on Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace With They Might Be Giants
- re-recorded on Mink Car

Hovering Sombrero
- early versions appeared on Malcolm In The Middle and later TMBG's Clock Radio app; re-recorded for Unlimited February 2001, then on Mink Car
- re-recorded as Hovering Sombrero '05 on the Amazon-exclusive version of Here Come The ABCs CD, then DVD/CD reissue

In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle [NYC PSA cover]
- released on Unlimited February 2001, later on No! 2002

Your Mom's Alright
- released on Unlimited February 2001, also on Man, It's So Loud In Here CD5

Clap Your Hands
- released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002, previously an instrumental Malcolm cue
- live version (Atlanta, GA; 2004-09-25) Almanac 2004, then Free Tunes 2005, also on 2012 digital No! reissue with a swear edited out

Clowntown
- written for No! but deemed too creepy for kids, released on Unlimited March 2001
- instrumental version C-Town on McSweeney's

Monsters Of Mud
- released on Unlimited March 2001

Lazyhead And Sleepybones
- released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002

Violin
- released on Unlimited March 2001, then No! 2002
- live version (Stubbs, Austin, TX July 2004) on The Spine Hits The Road 2004
- another live version (New York, NY; 2004-10-01) on Almanac 2004, also on No! digital deluxe reissue 2012
- new studio performance on DVD of Here Come The ABCs 2005

The Oblongs Theme
- TV: The Oblongs, released on Podcast 8A in 2006

What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round? [Monkees cover]
- played live occasionally since 1989, recorded & released as a TMBG.com Quickcam video in 2001

I Am a Grocery Bag
- released on Unlimited April 2001, then No! 2002

Fibber Island
- full version on Unlimited April 2001
- edited down for No!
- acoustic version 'performed' by the Puppet Johns on They Might Be Giants Friday Night Family Podcast video in 2008

Sleepwalkers
- released on Unlimited April 2001, later on No! 2002 (the music was previously What Is Everyone Staring At on Dial-A-Song, bootlegged on cassette in 90s)
- re-recorded for Here Come The ABCs 2005

No!
- released on Unlimited April 2001, then No! 2002

Tigerella
- released on Unlimited May 2001

Mink Car
- demo version on Unlimited May 2001
- studio version on Unlimited June 2001, then Mink Car in August
- live version (at Pearl St in Northampton Mass. 2001) Unlimited November 2001

All MacGyver On It
- Dial-A-Song, then released on Unlimited May 2001

Mr. Tambourine Man [cover of the Byrds' cover of Bob Dylan]
- live version as medley with Spy (Ritz Theatre, Raleigh NC, 28/3/2001) released on Ritz Show 2001

Tender Is The Mind
- TMBG.com Quickcam video, then on Unlimited June 2001

Yeh Yeh [Georgie Fame cover; music written by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick in 1963 and first recorded by Mongo Santamaría on his 1963 album Watermelon Man / Lyrics written shortly thereafter by Jon Hendricks, recorded by Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival]
- Unlimited June 2001, then Mink Car August 2001

Museum Of Idiots
- live bootleg released on Unlimited June 2001
- studio version recorded for The Spine 2004

My Man
- Unlimited June 2001, Mink Car a month later

I'm Your Boyfriend Now
- originally a Dial-A Song, released on Unlimited June
- re-recorded for Cast Your Pod To The Wind in 2007

Save Your Life - by Bog Standard
- Battle Of The Bands September 2001

Too + 3 R One - by Too + 3
- Battle Of The Bands September 2001

Words Are Like - by The Crummer Family
- Battle Of The Bands September 2001, later collected on They Got Lost 2002 and Idlewild 2014

Chaos By Design - by Colorwheel
- Battle Of The Bands September 2001

Headless - by Naykid Eyez
- Battle Of The Bands September 2001

Something You'd Like To See - by Little Lisa Whitman
- Battle Of The Bands October 2001

Blind - by Demchuk
-Battle Of The Bands October 2001

Cut The Strings - by Demchuk
- Battle Of The Bands October 2001

Kids Are Different Now by Spool 409
- Battle Of The Bands October 2001

Disappointing Show (TMBG live 2001-09-01) - by The Disappointers
- Battle Of The Bands October 2001, collected on They Got Lost 2002, music video inexplicably made in 2013

Mr. Xcitement
- b-side on Boss Of Me CD5
- re-recorded for Mink Car August 2001

Hopeless Bleak Despair
- the only song on Mink Car not to appear in any form before the album release!

Too Cool Girls [with Velcro Horns]
- released on Unlimited November 2001, originally in a 2000 Malcolm In The Middle episode

To The Bubblecraft!
- released on Unlimited October 2001

Ultimate Battle For The Planet Of The Apes
- live recording released on Unlimited October 2001

WMOB ID
- Unlimited October 2001

Somnabulist Spy Improvisation
- live recording released on Unlimited December 2001

Dan Hickey's Actual Drums
- live recording (from Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI) on Unlimited December 2001

the remaining tracks from 2001 were all written for and appeared on Timothy McSweeney's Very Intense Heated Passionate Battle/Embrace With They Might Be Giants
The Ballad Of Timothy McSweeney
MOR
Lincoln, Washington, And That Jefferson Guy
Mr. And Mrs. Nuclear
Koenigstein
Slow
Softly
Oprah
People Died Today
Art Mover
Be Patient
Candy Stripers
Even My T-Shirt
Faster Better Now
Garden Of Eden
Gazing Out Toward
Girls In Their Turning
God's Sister Jessica
Grassroots Internet Revolution
The Life Of Doug
R U Together
Mona Lisa

Theme From McSweeney's Issue 6
- first on Unlimited in May, re-released as Theme To McSweeney's on They Got Lost

I Am 40: Memories of West Street and Lepke
- was first released as Robert Lowell, and slightly longer, on January Unlimited. The lyrics are all lines from different Robert Lowell poems.

Bathymetry For Two
- was first Down To The Bottom Of The Sea on Unlimited February; also released as Down… on They Got Lost CD 2002, tmbg.com 2004, & al.

Be Kind And Gentle
- was first Budnitz #1 on Unlimited February

It's Getting Late
- was first released on Unlimited February

Mosh Momken Abadan [The song is credited to composer Riad al-Sunbat and lyricist Ma'mun al-Shinawi. The TMBG version is instrumental]
- first appeared on Unlimited May 2001, collected as Mosh Momken Abadon on They Got Lost

Dollar For Dollar
- first released on May Unlimited, later collected on They Got Lost CD

The Army's Tired Now
- collected on They Got Lost CD

The Truth In Your Words
- collected on They Got Lost CD as Truth In Your Words

MIKE DOUGHTY - Frog and Banjo
- this TMBG vs McSweeneys track was recorded by John Flansburgh in his Dial-A-Song studio

the european version of Mink Car re-orders some of the tracks, removes some others (also adds Boss of Me and Your Mom's Alright) and is a better listening experience than the US version imo

euro tracklisting:

1. "Man, It's So Loud In Here" – 3:59
2. "Boss Of Me" – 2:57
3. "Cyclops Rock" – 2:38
4. "Another First Kiss" – 3:06
5. "Bangs" – 3:09
6. "My Man" – 2:57
7. "Drink!" – 1:49
8. "Your Mom's Alright" – 2:59 (with Mike Doughty) (written by John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Elegant Too, Mike Doughty)
9. "Hovering Sombrero" – 2:13
10. "Yeh Yeh" – 2:40 (written by Rodgers Grant, Jon Hendricks, Pat Patrick)
11. "I've Got A Fang" – 2:32
12. "Mink Car" – 2:09
13. "Hopeless Bleak Despair" – 3:08
14. "Older" – 1:58

I think the title track and Hopeless Bleak Despair are the two best songs on the album and having it finish with them and then Older as a coda works well. It's a better album for having Boss Of Me present, though Your Mom's Alright isn't really adding much

Well, I'm convinced, DC

Now I think we should have had one poll for real Linnell TMBG and a separate one for robot Linnell TMBG.

Clearly, the natives are getting restless awaiting the poll results.

which Linnell recorded which version of Robot Parade?

huh, I thought that was Flans!

does the robot Linnell not play keyboards?

btw eephus I emailed you 12 days ago to clarify your ballot, if you don't check that address often

holy shit those are some solid DC posts

is my ballot OK now sic

Yep, thanks!

I shouldn't have looked at my ballot, I'm already second-guessing my rankings (but no I am not changing anything!)

yeah mine's insane. but a good selection of songs. made it into a playlist and it's already given me some weird/provocative juxtapositions. also has sharpened my sense of what happened/changed when the robot came in they went to the full band.

frogbs you also have a ballot-clarifying question languishing in your inbox

i'm seeing these dudes tomorrow night in Madison. probably the fifth or sixth time overall, but first time in at least 20 years. stoked!

you should be! I'd seen Them in 2001 (a show and an instore) and 2013 (a regular show and a Reverse Flood Show in a much smaller, very crammed venue), but last week was the best by far. Including the intermission - they're playing without an opener, and with a trumpet (+ other horns) player in the band - the show ran for two hours fifty. I'm sure that less than half of it was stage banter, but they were loquacious and loopy, having just flown back from a European tour, and then across North America.

It was the start of their first ever Canadian tour, as opposed to playing Vancouver or Toronto when nearby: they repeatedly pleaded to let "anyone you know in... Canada" about it, as they were spending two days driving to Edmonton and evidently expected v few people to show up. (The Vancouver venue was nowhere near capacity.) Also asked for volunteers, as they were expecting the road crew to resign at midnight, when weed became legal nationally.

Dunno if this is representative of the tour, but they played half of Flood, and only three songs released between 1998 and 2018 (but two released in the last month).

Set 1:

The Communists Have The Music [released 11 September 2018]
Damn Good Times [The Spine 2004]
Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal [1980s B-side]
Particle Man [Flood 1990]
[incorporating Chandelier by Sia]
The Famous Polka [1980s B-side]
Birdhouse In Your Soul [Flood]
Doctor Worm [single 1998]
The Guitar [Apollo 18 1992]
Why Does The Sun Shine? [cover played since 1980s]
Don't Let's Start [The Pink Album 1986]
All Time What [released January 2018]
Mrs. Bluebeard [I Like Fun 2018]
Which Describes How You're Feeling [Apollo 18]
Spy [John Henry 1994]

Set 2:

"Quiet Storm" section - acoustic with electronic drums:
- How Can I Sing Like A Girl? [Factory Showroom 1996]
- I Like Fun [I Like Fun]
- Applause Applause Applause [released 20 September 2018]
- Letterbox [Flood]
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [Flood]
The Mesopotamians [The Else 2007]
Twisting [Flood]
Let's Get This Over With [I Like Fun]
Your Racist Friend [Flood]
Whistling In The Dark [Flood]
Let Me Tell You About My Operation [Dial-A-Song Direct 2015]
Ana Ng [Lincoln 1988]
She's An Angel [The Pink Album]
Fingertips [Apollo 18]

Encore 1:

The End Of The Tour [JH]
They Might Be Giants [Flood]

Encore 2:

New York City [FS]
Dead [Flood]

anyway, results rolling out over here: YOUTH CULTURE POLLED MY DOG: They Might Be Giants (first 21 years) POLL RESULTS

holy shit that setlist! i was wrong, the Madison show is tonight, not last night. still stoked.

a fun song about being intimidated by the sheer songwriting power of john & john: https://theparanoidstyle.bandcamp.com/track/the-peculiar-case-of-the-human-song-generator

aw