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105 of 113 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
To Infinity and Beyond, August 2, 2004
There used to be two types of reviews for a They Might Be Giants album. One would aim for newcomers, curious about the band. The other would speak to established fans who long-knew they were going to buy the album and were seeking validation, while sitting at their computers in their TMBG caps and shirts, while sipping coffee from their Tony Millionaire mugs, while either nodding or poising their cursors over the "Not Helpful" vote button. Now there's a disturbing third type, those who have lost the faith and want to know if it's worth the cash, giving the Giants a second or third chance.
THE SPINE is They Might Be Giants's tenth album. I've been with the band since a little before JOHN HENRY hit the sales racks. Gotta admit: I'm a fan-addict. With shaky hands I would unwrap each new release, drop it in the player, and start grinning even before the first track began. Halfway through the album I'd be nodding, half-smiling, and wondering what in the world was going on here. By the last track, I'd still be nodding, vaguely pleased. The CD would go back into its protective case, and I'd listen to an old favorite: Apollo 18, Flood, Lincoln. Because THOSE were the Giants I fell in love with.
They Might Be Giants is a progressive band--gods of music, in my opinion. They are always producing, always writing, always playing. They love what they do and it shows. They're always pushing the limits, trying new sounds, bending old sounds, crossing genres, and perfecting their art. Call me "fan-addict-al," but TMBG become the music for me. Of course, with such proliferation, they're bound to generate a different sound than the last album. Every album is a hearty step up for these guys.
THE SPINE is no different. No different, although some of you have reasonable complaints that our heroes have "jumped the shark." I believe that you have to give each new Giants release a real chance--3 to 5 listens. Those first couple of times, you--like me--are bound to think, "Hm. A little weak." But each listen builds on the last. The songs grow on you. You will learn to hear the same subtleties of harmony and cleverness that won you over in the 80s and 90s. But don't expect to hear another FLOOD. And APOLLO 18 is still there for you to adore. Why expect this band to rehash the same-ol'-same-ol'? They won't. They shouldn't.
I've probably listened to the album twenty times this week. I can't get tired of it. While some of you (no offense intended) are busy writing emails about how this album sucks, I'm busy learning the lyrics. I'm singing them poorly, wondering how Linnell does that stuff with his voice, wishing I could muster Flansburgh's energy. I tend to think that it's the fans who have faced the shark and turned away, fearful of taking steps into a brave new future.
Believe me when I say that I understand your trepidation. But THE SPINE is a strong project--a great project when you consider that my original impression had been, "Hm. Weak." My only complaint is its shortness. It's approximately a half-hour experience. I'll take it. A half-hour of the Giants is far preferable to an hour of [INSERT ANNOYING BAND NAME HERE]. And it's not like the Johns are sitting on their butts. They've given us a children's album, a children's storybook CD, a free online radio, and much more in the meantime. Add up all those hours. THE SPINE is worth the two-year wait for a "studio release."
I guess there's a fourth type of They Might Be Giants review, for those fans who hated THE SPINE (as compared to the last album you listened to). You've made up your minds. I can't change your VALUABLE opinion. It just makes me sad that you're not going to be tagging along for the ride.
For you newcomers, I don't know if I'd suggest this album right off the bat. I WANT TO, but I won't. In your shoes, I'd first buy DIAL-A-SONG: 20 YEARS OF THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS. It's a little more crowd-pleasing, which means it's got the theme from MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and "Birdhouse in Your Soul." You'll have to work your way up to understand (in an emotional sense) why THE SPINE is the best album yet.
Did I say the "best album yet"? I did. I always end up liking each album better than the previous. I feel as though I'm taking each musical step WITH the Johns (and the Dans), as sad and fan-addict-al as that sounds. I can't imagine a world without these alternative pop-rockers.
I'm not going to bother giving you a play list; you'll get that elsewhere. Nor will I attempt to describe the songs. Most of They Might Be Giants's stuff is up in the air for interpretation. The images inspired before your very ears are your own to tell. The lyrics and accompanying musical feats are how the Giants speak to you--versus speaking to the masses.
If I may add a quick note (hopefully not to be edited by the discerning AMAZON staff), I welcome anyone's emails regarding this album. I want to know what you think, even if you wildly disagree with me. Interpretations of songs are welcome.
Thanks for reading. Every TMBG album begins as a "weak" 2- or 3- star project. I give this one 5 stars. Is it because I've listened to it all week? Am I brainwashed? Maybe. But I've listened to [INSERT THE BAND I'M THINKING OF] almost as much, hoping for a shadow of the Giants, and coming up 3 stars or less. THE SPINE will grow on you. You may as well hit the REPEAT ALL button on your CD player and enjoy the spiraling boost to the stars.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fun but especially mature pop-rock gem from John & John, September 9, 2004
They Might Be Giants' last rock album, 2001's Mink Car, was a decent but rather disjointed collection of tunes. The Spine, billed as the Brooklyn-based alternative-pop duo's 10th studio album, is their most cohesive to date, and among their best (though not quite as endearing as their self-titled 1986 debut, nor as consistently strong as their 1988 follow-up Lincoln, still my 2 favorite TMBG albums). With 16 songs crammed into 36 minutes, there's scarcely a wasted word or note -- though it kinda makes you *wish* there were more! The disc's overall sound is a fresh, invigorating mix of retro New Wave, power-pop, and psychedelic rock with traces of funk, electronica, jazz, cabaret, and vaudeville. For the most part, the usual playful absurdism and dark humor of TMBG's lyrics are reconciled with a newfound middle-aged gravity; after all, sweet-voiced singer-guitarist John Flansburgh turned 44 and twangy-voiced singer-keyboardist John Linnell turned 45 earlier this year.
A few of these tracks can actually stand among the Johns' very best: Linnell's rollicking ode to alcoholism, "Thunderbird" (a staple in the band's live shows since the late 1990's, finally making its way to CD); his unusually emotional ballad "Museum of Idiots"; Flansy's vulnerable, melancholy closing track, "I Can't Hide From My Mind" (the first verse and chorus of which he originally performed in the 2003 rockumentary Gigantic); and "Memo to Human Resources," Flans' affecting ode to white-collar depression and alienation, originally featured on this spring's Indestructible Object EP. But the remaining tracks are generally worthy additions to the TMBG songbook. Among Flansburgh's other contributions: "The World Before Later On," a mournful little ballad about how the future ain't what it used to be (think a Randy Newman tune with lyrics by Jonathan Richman); "Prevenge," an insanely catchy mid-tempo power-pop number; the punkish "It's Kickin' In," which sounds strikingly like Elvis Costello's late-'70s work with the Attractions; and the Prince-y 30-second interlude "Spines," on which Flans gets to show off his funky side *and* sing like a girl. (Linnell's own 30-second interlude, "Spine," is short and sweet, his goofy vocals recalling Morrissey and XTC.)
Linnell begins the album with "Experimental Film," a witty, power-poppish opener on the order of 1986's "Everything Right Is Wrong Again," 1988's "Ana Ng," and 2001's "Bangs." On the '80s-style New Wave love-gone-wrong song "Broke In Two," he ditches the detached observation of 1988's similarly-themed "They'll Need a Crane," and instead goes the 1st-person, unreliable-narrator route, with amusing results. He also contributes a pair of bouncy, humorous ditties -- "Au Contraire" (featuring virtually the same arrangement as on Indestructible Object, except that squealing guitars now replace the mid-song flute solo) and "Stalk of Wheat" (featuring himself on accordion and Flans on backing vocals). Linnell's lyrics on the swirling psychedelic-pop number "Wearing a Raincoat," a wallow in futility and depression, could be related to Flansburgh's "Memo": Linny's song gets inside the narrator's head ("When you think of that, you hurt your mind, and you'll need a friend to talk you down"), while Flansy's addresses the external situation ("Then the people came to talk me down, and I got some advice...").
Okay, some of these tunes smack of desperation to get away from TMBG's kid-oriented work of the past 2 years, especially "Thunderbird," "Memo", Linnell's "Bastard Wants to Hit Me" (a hilarious, demented little techno ditty in which he may well be poking fun at his fear of dealing with his own fans), and Flansburgh's "Damn Good Times" (a silly, fun '60s-style garage-rock number). But even so, who can blame the Johns for wanting more grown-up fare to counterbalance the NO! songs they've still been playing in concert?
Bottom line: Some songs on this disc are stronger than others, but there's not a skippable track here. Excellent work, boys!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another great accomplishment, July 21, 2004
A number of TMBG fans have been feeling alienated and confused by a number of the Johns' releases, but this one leaves no one out. With classic-sounding absurdist pieces like "Stalk of Wheat" and "Wearing a Raincoat" for the oldie fans and rockin hits like "Experimental Film" and "Au Contraire" everyone gets something to love. The album is well put together, and seems to run seamlessly and purposefully.
My only complaint is that, while it is true that too long an album tends to drag, I found the album just *too* short. At less than forty minutes, I was shocked at my first listen to find that the album had already ended! Still, though, you have to gauge it by quality rather than quantity, and They Might Be Giants has come through with yet another fantastic album. Buy this album!
Let's go down the tracks on the good ole 5 outta 5 rating system, okay?
1- Experimental Film - 5/5 (#1 song of the album)
2- Spine - 3/5
3- Memo To Human Resources - 5/5
4- Wearing a Raincoat - 4/5
5- Prevenge - 3/5
6- Thunderbird - 4/5
7- Bastard Wants to Hit Me - 3/5
8- The World Before Later On - 2/5
9- Museum of Idiots - 5/5
10- It's Kickin In - 2/5
11- Spines - 3/5
12- Au Contraire - 4/5
13- Damn Good Times - 4/5
14- Broke In Two - 3/5
15- Stalk of Wheat - 5/5
16- I Can't Hide From My Mind - 5/5
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