A challenge for everyone here: come up with one favorite inverted version of a TMBG song or album.

Mine: Short Short Business Week

I stumbled upon this the other day and was a bit surprised that someone else on this planet both knows what The Prisoner is and is a fan of TMBG.

I just love the vibes so much.

I don't know how I could have survived an age without the 1999 studio leaks.

Have any of you guys heard of the Blasting Company/Petrojvic Blasting Company before? I find them TMBG-like in the sense that they have often dark, bizarre lyrics and play with accordions and horns, albeit in more of a folk/swing revival-esque way.

For those who haven't heard the band, a good song to demonstrate what I'm talking about is "Princess Andy".

John Henry has its 30th birthday tomorrow!

What are your favorites off this album? Thoughts in general?

Personally, I think it’s a crime Mrs. Train and Welcome to the Jungle were excluded from the final album. Still waiting for Superfueld Freaksicle. 😉

Also, the TMBG merch shop’s having a sale, including a free download of the mastered demos and 20% off anything with the code TMBGWORLD, if anyone’s interested.

Jury's still out about being a real worm, though.

I have several songs where I think they could have done better on the album version.

This includes a lot of Mink Car:

• Bangs - Snapping Turtles had the more John-y lyrics in my opinion.
• Man, It's So Loud in Here - The first demo just had more soul, in my opinion. I get they were going for Pet Shop Boys pastiche/parody, but I really liked the general 80s vibes of the original demo.
• My Man - There's a demo that has some better compositional choices in my opinion.
• Another First Kiss - I prefer the one from Severe Tire Damage by leaps and bounds.

Another addition is I like the Severe Tire Damage version of They Got Lost more than the Long Tall Weekend version.

I like both "Maine" and "Louisiana". "Maine" has John's classic unreliable, evil narrator, while "Louisiana" just feels like a fun take on a hostage situation.

"The Songs of the 50 States" is also dear in my heart as it gets gradually crazier.

Do you have TMBG songs that you like but don’t necessarily want on your everything playlist?

I’d say “Love is Eternity” off Venue Songs is one for me. I enjoy it but simultaneously find it a bit sappy. It also brings up difficult emotions since my grandmother died this May.

Surprisingly good quality for something from 80's cable TV.

In 2024 the first thing that struck me was that I can barely remember the last time I cared about what was in the mailbox.

Are there any songs that didn't get a music video that you guys think deserved one?

Personally, I think of "We Want a Rock" from Flood, "Thunderbird" from The Spine, and "Brontosaurus" from BOOK.

Do any of you guys listen to the band Cheekface? I like them a decent amount (not as much as TMBG, though).

I've always found lyrically, they have some of the same vibes as They Might Be Giants (if a bit more consistently dark), the vocals somewhat remind me of the Johns (in that it wouldn't necessarily have mainstream appeal, yet makes the song better), but the music itself is a bit different. (Funny enough, they did a cover of Ana Ng, though I'd say it is only okay.)

I had a bizarre experience once where I was telling a friend I like the band, and of all the songs he could have known from the band, he only knew (and really liked) "Let's Get This Over With". I love that song, but I find it funny it's not one of their kids albums or Birdhouse in Your Soul.

Have you guys had any similar tales?

A very early performance from TMBG, back when Letterman was still on NBC. February 1989 performing They'll Need a Crane

I love their old TV performances. Especially the Conan appearances. If there's an audience for it I'll post the best (video/audio) quality ones I can find, from time to time.

Some of my favorites:

• Snapping Turtles (Bangs Demo) - I like the lyrics better than album.
• Man It's So Loud in Here (Demo 1) - I prefer this arrangement over album.
• Half a Boy - I'm a little mad this one was never on an album. It deserved a spot in Misc T or Then at least.
• We Just Go Nuts at Christmastime - Pleasantly depressing.

I feel like it is often called one of the band's worst albums despite it having a lot of good songs: Certain People I Could Name, Reprehensible, and Counterfeit Faker.