Customer Reviews

It's Fun to Steal

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, I'd like to correct amazon.com about something: John Flansburgh is not "formerly" of They Might Be Giants. TMBG just put out a new album in August and is currently touring. Now, on to Mono Puff: I like this album more now than when I first bought it. It does tend to grow on you, so if you don't just go ape over it first, don't be concerned. Like my one-line summary says, this album always puts a smile on my face. It's not the most profound thing Mr. Flansburgh has ever done, but it's a lot of fun and a worthy addition to my CD collection.

Although Mono Puff's latest, "It's Fun To Steal" has its definite high points, it will probably be enjoyed only by die-hard They Might Be Giants fans. The songs that do best on this album are the ones that do not have only good music, but good lyrics--for more often than less, the music fails. Songs that will probably be enjoyed by just about any They Might Be Giants fan, die-hard or not, are those which sound most similar to songs made by They Might Be Giants, whom John Flansburgh is a member. The main failing is that the album does not have the cleverness nor structure that a They Might Be Giants album would have. John Flansburgh's talents are better showcased on those albums, not Mono Puff's.

This extremely cohesive album is something that should be cranked up in the car on a hot summer day. As refreshing as air conditioning, this album seamlessly blends the older music with great new tunes. Flansburgh has outdone himself. It gets better everytime I listen to it.

Really.

At least, that's how I interpret the decidedly provocative cover image. Pale and pudgy, bespectacled and baby-faced, They Might Be Giants' versatile singer-guitarist John Flansburgh doesn't fit anyone's typical "rock star" image; yet that cover seems a cute parody of 1970s rock-idol decadence (what's with those two unlit cigars, anyway?), and the music within is basically a tribute to popular musical styles of the '70s. It's Fun To Steal (1998), the second CD by Flansy's side band Mono Puff (which also consists of bassist Hal Cragin and drummer Steve Calhoon), vastly improves upon their 1996 debut Unsupervised. The numerous guest musicians cohere much better here than on that album, and the results are just as consistent as -- if not more so than -- anything Flansburgh has done with TMBG. (It also feels less like his "solo noodlings," and a lot more like a full-band effort.)

The songs are generally less smart-alecky and more musically ambitious than his usual TMBG work. He happily indulges in his funk/dance/R&B influences, which he doesn't really get to do with fellow 'Giant John Linnell (except on occasional tracks like 1992's "The Guitar" and 1996's "S-E-X-X-Y," as well as "Clap Your Hands" and "John Lee Supertaster" from 2002's NO!). The upbeat funk number "Creepy," based on a couple of true stories (one of which happened to Flans), kicks off the disc with the ear-grabbing opening line, "Town drunk's angry daughter and all her hospital friends are coming downstate to meet us." "It's Fun to Steal" is a wonderful slice of New Orleans soul; despite the amoral title, which actually refers to the stealing and breaking of hearts, it's a moralistic song in which Flansburgh subtly condemns a cheating "ladies' man" ("It's fun to steal, it's fun to fool around, but only once will I warn you this way ... you'll find out there's a price to be paid"). "Mr. Hughes Says" is a funky, upbeat love song/list song inspired by Langston Hughes' poem "Motto" ("Live and learn ... dig and be dug in return"). "Imaginary Friends" is a slow-funk jam about the comfort found in isolation. "I Just Found Out What Everybody Knows," a synth-heavy slow-funk jam sung by Flansy in a deep, ominous rumble, is an unusual break-up song with neat, short-story-like details ("When she tore me in half, my neighbors would smile / 'Cause that's all the fun they'd had in a while"). The disco track "Extra Krispy," with Sister Puff (aka Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser, whom Flansburgh married in 1996) on lead vocals, is a kooky valentine to New York City; and though she's no Donna Summer, she does a fine job. Like her husband, Robin has a sweet voice that makes up for in sheer versatility what it lacks in distinctiveness and power. The hilarious "Dashiki Lover," another disco number and combination love/list song, features both Flansy and Goldie on vocals; evoking the days of Andy Warhol's Factory, it name-drops everyone from Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper to "Rosemary's baby" and "my first-grade teacher." "Taste the Bass," written by Cragin, is a nice Quiet-Storm R&B instrumental. (The tuneless and plain-silly "Dedicated" hits the only bum note.)

Of course, the band delves into other styles besides funk, disco, and soul. "Backstabbing Liar," based on a composite of true stories, is a frothy punk-pop number that would have done the Clash and the Ramones proud. "Poison Flowers," about a mad bomber looking for a mate ("Who's going to build my death ray?"), is a New Wave-y track that sonically recalls David Bowie's classic "Heroes." The country-rock rave-up "Hillbilly Drummer Girl," written by Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows and the Minus 5, deals with the fun and the tedium of life on the road. "Pretty Fly," an a-capella cover of a creepy folk ballad from the 1955 film Night Of The Hunter, features only Goldwasser's layered vocals; okay, so she's no Joan Baez, but she's not bad, either. "Night Security," a lovely pop ballad which Flansburgh wrote (drawing on his early experience as a parking-lot attendant) but doesn't appear on, is made even classier by guest Barry Carl's resonant bass vocal.

Flansburgh not only reveals himself to be a talented multi-instrumentalist here (in addition to guitar, he also plays piano, organ, synthesizers, mellotron, drum samples, and "programming"): He and his band and the various guest performers tackle this material with so much skill, enthusiasm, and affection, that the results sound truly fresh rather than dated or musty; and at its best, It's Fun To Steal recalls the boldly eclectic pop of the Talking Heads and Blondie. Cheers, Flansy.

Anyone who has listened to They Might Be Giants knows John Flansburgh's slightly eccentric and always fun musical style. This album is full of that same spirit. It's not an instant classic but rather an album that will get stuck in your head and that will pop into your stereo everyonce in a while when you come across it in your collection.

This CD is a must have for anybody who who was ever a fan of They Might Be Giants. The album frolicks over a mixture of funk rock, and Flannsburg's own unique style. Overall this bands sophomore album is a much stronger and full bodied experience than it's predecessor. Well, worth a listen.

Having followed the progress of both Mono Puff and They Might Be Giants over the years, I can safely say that this CD is one of the most wonderfully put together both in continuity and style. For the most part, all of the songs on the CD flow together (Unlike the totally dissimilar songs on Mono Puff's last CD). As for style, the combination of of old school drum and instrument synthesis with the new addition of the rap-ish scracthing and human beat box elements (Ghost Krabb and DJ***** rule!!!) the CD is pleasing to listen to all the way through (excepting only "Hillbilly Drummer Girl" which becomes annoying very very soon, but does not detract from the album on the whole). This album is a must have for anyone who listens to any kind of music. It rocks.

I highly recommend this album. The songs on here have some killer bass, and sound wicked awesome with a subwoofer. Also this is some great driving music. The words funky and groovy certainly come to mind in my search for adjectives. Check out the song samples and you'll see what I mean. This CD shouldn't even have to be plugged. Might I add that Mr. Flansburgh has an excellent, and very versatile voice, and of all the great guest musicians in here, Robin Goldwasser in particular is quite impressive. Pretty Fly is lovely.

In my book, the CD's only flaw is that it doesn't have anything by John Linnell, but that's what you get with Mono Puff -- so I say pick this baby up post haste. It deserves a much lower number on Amazon's sales rank.

Although Mono Puff is a take-off band of They Might Be Giants, don't expect the same TMBG here. The sounds go everywhere from 70s lounge music (which may not be a good thing) to country hip-hop. Overall it has a more mellow tone like night music with an odd twist. My only complant is the sound, although light in content, it is a bit too moody and doesn't have the charm of the TMBG duo. The CD is worth owning, but not worth 5 stars.

This was the second(last?) Mono Puff album, which was a side project by They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh. The other members of Mono Puff this time around are Hal Cragin, Steve Calhoon, DJ***** (Spicy), Joe McGinty and Sister Puff. Many of the songs here would not sound out of place on a They Might Be Giants album, if they had slightly different arrangements. In many ways, Mono Puff sounds like a slightly "funkier" version of They Might Be Giants (with no John Linnell songs). This is a fun album that should appeal to most They Might Be Giants fans.