They Might Be Giants - Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants

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Free Music Notes for Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants

Free Music Review: The good folks at Rhino have done it again...
Hit: 5 Stars

Anchored by the energetic playing and nasal, deadpan vocals of John Linnell and John Flansburgh (the subtle differences in their voices make for terrific harmonies -- think XTC or Barenaked Ladies), the exquisite pop tunes in this collection take off in all directions, musically and lyrically. My (new) favorites include "We're the Replacements" (in which the Johns portray the raging 1980's punkers as a fun-loving party band), the New Wave-y "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head," the techno satire/homage "Man, it's so Loud in Here," the sweet love songs "Bangs" and "Another First Kiss," the upbeat odes to painter James Ensor ("Dig him up and shake his hand, appreciate the man") and president James K. Polk ("Austere, severe, he held few people dear"), the dark odes to love unrequited ("Ana Ng") and love gone sour ("They'll Need a Crane"), the exuberant "Doctor Worm," and the inspired covers of "New York City" and "Why Does the Sun Shine (the Sun is a Mass of Incandescant Gas"), as well as the wry social commentary of "Your Racist Friend," "I Can Hear You" (recorded without electricity!), the "Howl"-quoting "I Should Be Allowed to Think," the payola ode "Hey Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We had a Deal," "Snowball in Hell" (best line: "If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments"), and the overlong-but-gorgeous "How Can I Sing Like a Girl" ("...and not be objectified as if I were a girl?"). With their musical adventurousness, quirky turns of phrase, unusual subject matter, and unique takes on familiar subject matter, Flansburgh and Linnell are sort of like Elvis Costello-meets-Jonathan Richman. (No wonder I like these guys already!)

Midway through disc two, however, Dial-A-Song threatens to become an embarrassment of riches -- well, for TMBG newcomers like myself, anyway -- as John and John dispense with the bright pop hooks and engage in plain weirdness ("Spider," "Exquisite Dead Guy," the metallish "Robot Parade" [no pun intended], "Boat of Car," "S-E-X-X-Y," "Stormy Pinkness," the 7-minute live version of "She's Actual Size"). The real love-it-or-hate-it moment would have to be the remarkable, audacious "Fingertips," in which the two Johns string together 21 song fragments of varying styles and moods. Such experimental moments don't always make for easy listening, but they are generally admirable.

In recent years, the good people at Rhino have done right by Marshall Crenshaw (2000's This Is Easy: The Best Of...), Randy Newman (2001's The Best Of...), and Warren Zevon (2002's Genius: The Best Of...). Once again, they've called attention to a lesser-known but worthy act by pulling together some of their best work into a single package (although the Johns had a hand in compiling this one) -- a perfect starting point for intrigued and inquisitive music lovers. (I must also mention the essay by NPR's Sarah Vowell -- a funny and affectionate assessment of the band's charms -- as well as TMBG's own fascinating explanation of the "dial-a-song" service.)

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