Apollo 18

Performer: They Might Be Giants
Engineer: Paul Angelli
Producer: They Might Be Giants
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: They Might Be Giants: John Linnell, John Flansburgh. Additional personnel: Nicholas Hill, Elma Mayer, Brian Dewan, Amy Allison, Judy Cohen, Laura Cantrell (vocals); Mark Feldman (violin); Garo Yellin (cello); Frank London (trumpet); Jim Thomas (drums). Recorded at The Magic Shop, New York. APOLLO 18 is They Might Be Giants' second major label outing. It offers their now-familiar mix of catchy but oblique pop ditties ("I Palindrome I," "My Evil Twin," "The Statue Got Me High"), humorously punny numbers ("She's Actual Size," "Dinner Bell"), an endlessly unspooling narrative ("Turn Around"), and a quasi-educational song ("Mammal"). This time out they've also created a bold experiment with "Fingertips," a series of 21 separately-indexed song fragments that can be programmed by the listener (or randomly sequenced by the CD player) into a finished form. As always, John Linnel and John Flansburgh's seemingly nonsensical lyrics possess deceptively layered and highly crafted ideas and phrases that often add up to more than the sum of their parts. Coupled with hook-laden melodies and settings, the songs' friendly bearings quickly make them unforgettable.

Rolling Stone (4/30/92, p.57) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...Superb pop craftsmen with a hyperactive sense of caprice...the album switches styles with the dial-a-style eclecticism of a jukebox..." Entertainment Weekly (3/27/92, p.76) - "...dorky charm...good old-fashioned tunefulness..." - Rating: B+ Q (4/92, p.83) - 3 Stars - Good - "...the usual slice of fun...never less than entertaining..." Village Voice (3/9/93, p.80) - "...The packed pop-pomo pastiches make the redolent meaninglessness of near-literal lyrics signify and sing....stunning..." - Rating: A-

John Flansburgh and John Linnell, the two singer/songwriters behind Brooklyn avant-pop cult band They Might Be Giants, were childhood friends who have been working under the TMBG banner since the '80s. The words "nerdy," "geek-rock," and "quirky" have been applied to their melodic, humor-filled songs so often there should be a cross-reference in the dictionary. Over their numerous albums with and without backing musicians (in the early days they used a drum machine) they've offered songs about the most unlikely subjects imaginable, from Belgian painter James Ensor to famed cinematic costume designer Edith Head. Their masterful songcraft is such that they've long maintained a healthy audience for their idiosyncratic sound.

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