Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

it's not anything that anyone hasn't heard before, and you can get every song that's on here and more on Severe Tire Damage. I mean I understand the "best of the early years" cd is so that people can get to hear some early stuff without making a major expenditure on the Then: The Early Years 2 disc set, but this makes no sense. Granted, it's only about half as much as you would find the full length STD typically, but it's missing some key tracks (i.e. she's an angel, why does the sun shine?, the hidden Planet Of The Apes tracks etc.). It might seem like a bargain for about 7 bucks, but I reccomend that you shell out the full retail so you can get the whole thing. Even if typical cd retail is too much for you, I reccomend getting a tape of Severe Tire Damage rather than a cd of this... by the way it still gets 3 stars because it's TMBG and because even in abbreviated form, STD is still a good live cd.

This is just some of the live tracks of Severe Tire Damage, if you just want to hear their live stuff, get it. Nothing sparkly new here.

I have just about the same thing to say about this album as I do for The Best of the Early Years (Not "Then:"). BMG is just releasing half-a**ed discs to wring out some more money from the Giants. This album gets its second star simply for the fact that it's a collection of good songs. Severe Tire Damage is the way to go. Listen to the other reviewers.

As an avid TMBG fan, I consider this disk essential. But, much like the Beatles 'Anthology' releases, it's a worthwhile completion of a collection, NOT a great disc to introduce you to TMBG or to add to the 1 or 2 other discs you own. 'Dr. Worm' is priceless, but the live material is, well... live. Everything on here is also on 'Severe Tire Damage' which has additional tracks, so consider grabbing it instead.

I love They Might Be Giants, and while I enjoyed this condensed version of "Severe Tire Damage," it was a little too condensed. I would have loved to have seen "Why Does The Sun Shine?" and "She's an Angel," and it's strange hearing the first live cut off "Severe Tire Damage," "They Got Lost," where they are introduced jokingly as "They Must Be Giants," placed out of context here as track 8. I would like a version that brings "They Got Lost" to the beginning and adds a few tracks.

My version:
1. "They Got Lost" - 3:42
2. "Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)" - 2:17
3. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" - 3:12
4. "She's An Angel" - 3:20
5. "XTC vs. Adam Ant" - 3:39
6. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - 3:07
7. "Particle Man" - 2:09
8. "She's Actual Size" - 2:18
9. "S-E-X-X-Y" - 3:06
10. "Ana Ng" - 3:00
11. "Till My Head Falls Off" - 2:54
12. "Doctor Worm" - 3:01

Thank you for taking the time to read my review and feel free to leave me a helpful/not helpful feedback.

This was my first they might be giants CD I got, even though I had better choices(Lincoln,Factory Showroom, and more),only because this had that awesome song(Dr.worm) that I saw a video for on Kablam.I (being a fan of most of they might be giants alternative songs, not much of thier others, not to say that they're bad, they're just not my kinds of music)enjoyed Birdhouse in your soul, Dr.worm, They got Lost,Ana NG, and Till my head falls off.It me got me to like some of thier first song(ex.Ana NG) and new ones(ex.Till my head falls off) anyways, as other reviews have said severe tire damage is better, but this CD to me gets most of its real highlights.The only songs that this cd is missing in my opinion are:She's an Angel,Meet James Ensor,and Why does the sun shine.I know that I'm gonna listen to this birdhouse in your soul instead of the one on dial a song.

Conclusion:If your a beginers looking for something cheaper and less rare than severe tire damage, buy this.

If you are unaware of They Might Be Giants then this album is a fantastic introduction. The music is unbelievably catchy and songs like "Dr. Worm" will be irremovable from your brain for long periods of time. This, coupled with the subtly hilarious and memorable lyrics, make for a fantastic album.
In terms of quality this is by far the best live album I have heard, being completely without the crackly, dulled or jittery effects heard on many live CD's, thanks to the bands superb live performances.
However, if you are already a fan of the band then you might be better off with a different album as many great songs are missed. And it is also true to say that all of the tracks on this album are also on "Severe Tire Damage" along with some extra ones not on this album. But, for what is likely to be half the price of "Severe Tire Damage" all you are really missing out on is "Why does the sun shine?" and "Meet James Ensor". It's a great album, and if you're not a collector then this is also a great bargain.

This is (as other reviewer's note) a bargain-basement 1-disc compilation drawn from the double live album "Severe Tire Damage." What most fail to note is that "Severe Tire Damage"--like many double live albums--is bloated with filler (do we really need variations on every theme from "Planet of the Apes"?) This one disc preserves all the best performances--including the studio single "Doctor Worm" (unavailable elsewhere). A much better buy.