They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants
Studio album by They Might Be Giants
Released	November 4, 1986
Recorded	1985–1986
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	38:28
Label	Bar/None, Restless (U.S.) Rough Trade (Australia)
Producer	Bill Krauss, Matthew Hill
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A) link Rolling Stone (Not Rated) link
They Might Be Giants chronology
They Might Be Giants (1986) Don't Let's Start (1987)
TMBG studio album chronology
They Might Be Giants (1986) Lincoln (1988)

They Might Be Giants is the eponymous first album from They Might Be Giants, also known as the "Pink Album". It was released in 1986.

The lyrics on the Pink Album feature the wry, humorous treatments of dark themes that would frequently reappear in They Might Be Giants' later work: death and mortality ("Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes", "I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die", "Youth Culture Killed My Dog"); obsession and delusion ("32 Footsteps", "Absolutely Bill's Mood"); working at a dispiriting, menial job ("Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head"), no job at all ("Alienation's For The Rich") or sometimes the just plain weird ("Chess Piece Face", "Rabid Child"). The music is spare, mostly uptempo synthesizer-and-guitar pop punctuated with odd sound samples and occasionally veering into country- or folk-like arrangements. "Rhythm Section Want Ad" comments on the perceived oddity of the group's style and then two-man roster, and features an excerpt from Raymond Scott's composition, Powerhouse. "Don't Let's Start" was the album's best-known song. "Boat of Car" prominently samples the Johnny Cash song "Daddy Sang Bass."

The song "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head" is a notable use of the Casio MT-100's 'Funny' voice.

Music videos were made for "Don't Let's Start", "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head" and "(She Was A) Hotel Detective". A video was made for "Rabid Child" as well, but has never been released.

The album's cover art was designed by Rodney Greenblat.

This album is included in Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety, except that it includes the single version of "Don't Let's Start" instead of the original album version.

LP track listing

All songs by They Might Be Giants (credited as Linnell/Flansburgh).

Side one

1. "Everything Right Is Wrong Again" – 2:20
2. "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" – 2:12
3. "Number Three" – 1:27
4. "Don't Let's Start" – 2:36
5. "Hide Away Folk Family" – 3:21
6. "32 Footsteps" – 1:36
7. "Toddler Hiway" – :25
8. "Rabid Child" – 1:31
9. "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes" – 1:58

Side two

1. "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" – 2:10
2. "She's an Angel" – 2:37
3. "Youth Culture Killed My Dog" – 2:51
4. "Boat of Car" – 1:15
5. "Absolutely Bill's Mood" – 2:38
6. "Chess Piece Face" – 1:21
7. "I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die" – 1:58
8. "Alienation's for the Rich" – 2:25
9. "The Day" – 1:27
10. "Rhythm Section Want Ad" – 2:21

Personnel

• John Flansburgh
• John Linnell
• Margaret Seiler - Lead vocal on "Boat of Car"
• Eugene Chadbourne - Phoned-in guitar on "Absolutely Bill's Mood"

External links

• They Might Be Giants on This Might Be A Wiki
• They Might Be Giants at MusicBrainz