Mink Car

They Might Be Giants | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Restless Records
• ASIN: B00005NNKK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,062 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bangs

2. Cyclops Rock

3. Man, It's So Loud In Here

4. Mr. Xcitement

5. Another First Kiss

6. I've Got A Fang

7. Hovering Sombrero

8. Yeh Yeh

9. Hopeless Bleak Despair

10. Drink!

11. My Man

12. Older

13. Mink Car

14. Wicked Little Critta

15. Finished With Lies

16. She Thinks She's Edith Head

17. Working Undercover For The Man

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a great experiment with great results October 11, 2001

By Jon J. Marx

Format:Audio CD

There's some people who have torn into this album with a fury I haven't seen in some time, and it's not surprising that these are age-old fans of the band doing this... this happened when the band's first full-band album, "John Henry," came out. There were huge complaints: "What happened to the accordion?" "What happened to the drum machine?" "They sound different! They're CHANGING! No FAIR!" It's no secret that some of the most "loyal" fans can be the most pointlessly selfish... TMBG are experimenting again, trying to branch out, and some of their old their fans aren't appreciating it.

Mink Car has clearly found the Johns and the Dans striving for different things... experimenting with Doughty and mock-dance (that ain't "techno" on "Man It's So Loud In Here," folks... buy a CD from Moby or Orbital), toning down their usual pantented sound ("Another First Kiss," when I heard it in concert, was such a typical TMBG-sounding song... as did "I've Got a Fang," which is still offbeat, but MY GOD, it sounds like John and John dumped the song in some mad scientist vat of chemicals for a few months before letting it onto this album). At times the album feels like a compilation of parallel universe TMBGs that might have been; each song has such a completely different feel, but each one of them is pretty damn solid, and makes sense coming from the band.

This album is SUPPOSED to sound very, very different from their previous stuff, that is not a mistake. I think TMBG don't want to be stuck in a rut, any more than they were when it was just John, John, and the drum machine. I've been listening to them and loving them since Flood came out, and I loved this album on the first listen... I think the fans who hated it might find it growing on them in time. Even if they don't, I'd encourage the band to continue going where they headed with this album, because it rocks.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It's growing on me September 19, 2001

By Dennis Laycock

Format:Audio CD

When I first listened to 'Mink Car,' I couldn't get past the third song. That one, 'Man, It's So Loud in Here,' got played on REPEAT on my car CD player. The last time I did that with TMBG was 'Meet James Ensor.' Anyway, it's got an awesome pounding beat and incredible harmony. I can see this song topping dance charts; it's better than most of the [stuff] put out by artists who specialize in house music, like Moby or Fatboy Slim.

Other highlights are the 'lite' version of 'Another First Kiss,' also with great harmony and a cool acoustic guitar; 'Hovering Sombrero' and 'Bangs,' both in old 'Lincoln' style; "Yeh Yeh," just as fun as "No One Knows My Plan"; and the title track, with one of the greatest lyrics ever: "The silver chauffer says it's all in your head, when you're 24-karat dead." Also, "Hopeless Bleak Dispair" is quite good. However, "Mr. Excitement" has immediately become only the second TMBG song to exist that I won't listen to (the other being 'You'll Miss Me' from 'Lincoln.'). 'Cyclops Rock' also [isn't good].

TMBG fans will have heard many of these songs before, such as "Drink!", "Older," "Working Undercover for the Man," "Cyclops Rock" and "I've Got a Fang," all of which I heard in concert this summer.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mink Car September 11, 2001

By Christopher Sweeters

Format:Audio CD

"Mink Car," the first studio album by They Might Be Giants this century, is what one would have come to expect out of the group, yet at the same time, it has a fresh sound to it. Unlike the previous studio album, "Factory Showroom," these songs don't feel nearly as accessible to the mainstream, which I think is a good thing. Producing another album with the same sound as "Factory Showroom" might have earned the Giants accusations that they were trying to change their audience.

While "Mink Car" doesn't strike me as genius on their part, it didn't leave me feeling disappointed either. Still, I wouldn't say that John & John reached the big brass ring with this one, so I'm not going to give it five stars.

If you are a fan of They Might Be Giants, you will heartily enjoy this album. If you are not a fan, then you won't. Expect revisiting of old styles blended with new, that come together to make a listening experience that is altogether unique. It's good to see that the Johns are always interested in experimenting while at the same time, remembering what works and what doesn't.