BadComrade wrote:Overall, not crap for the first 3 albums.

I'd say not crap for their first 3 1/2 albums. After that, mostly crap.

Lyrically, They Might Be Giants are similar to Sparks (but focused on science rather than sex).

Rabid Child
Anna Ng
Minimum Wage

Pretty much everything from their early days is gold.


Not crap, I say!

BadComrade wrote:Not crap in the time that I followed / cared about them. Don't they have a full band now? That's kinda crap.

You can't say this without seeing them. The full band allows them to do a lot more live than they were able to before, the other guitarist in particular. Having a band has only improved them.

Overall, not crap for the first 3 albums.

Only 3?

* They Might Be Giants (1986)
* Lincoln (1988)
* Flood (1990)
* Apollo 18 (1992)
* John Henry (1994)
* Factory Showroom (1996)
* Long Tall Weekend (1999, Internet-only)
* Mink Car (2001)
* No! (2002)
* The Spine (2004)
* Here Come the ABCs (2005)
* The Else (2007)
* Here Come the 123s (2008)

I give at least five of those 4 stars if not more, and two or three would get a solid three and a half. The live album Severe Tire Damage would probably get 5 stars.

Then again I've been into them for nearly 20 years now, and am a giant nerd to boot.

Definitely not crap.

The compilation "Then: The Earlier Years" is a fantastic collection of b-sides, the first two albums, and various things from dial-a-song and demo tapes. It's probably one of my favorite pieces of music I've ever owned.

That said, I lost interest after Factory Showroom. But I still listen to the albums I have (Then, Apollo 18, Flood, Factory Showroom).

Flood is awesome. "Someone Keeps Moving My Chair",
"Birdhouse In Your Soul", etc... great stuff.

not exactly a fan, but they have their moments. many of them are all jammed into one medley of a song: fingertips. that song rules.

Just because you nerd-identify doesn't mean you have to like everything nerds do.

Crap.

Not Crap.

whenever I think of some rockstar planting one foot on the stage and playing a blistering guitar solo while planting the other foot firmly on the riot wall in front of rabid screaming fans, I think of John from tmbg, whom I've never seen live.

it's funnier to me that way.

also the phrase "There's No Money above the fifth fret," which I've used judiciously for years was lifted from John from tmbg.

I think I like their song titles better than their music at this point. "Back to Skull" is a fantastic song title.