Then: The Earlier Years

Performer: They Might Be Giants
Artist: Eugene Chadbourne
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: THEN: THE EARLY YEARS features They Might Be Giants' three albums for Bar/None Records--THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (1986), LINCOLN (1988) and the compilation MISCELLANEOUS T (1991)--in their entirety. It adds 19 rare or previously-unreleased tracks. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh, John Linnell. Additional personnel: Margaret Seiler (vocals); Eugene Chadbourne (guitar). Engineers: Alex Noyes, Al Houghton, Bill Krauss. Recorded at Studio Pass & Dubway Studio, New York, New York. LINCOLN: They Might Be Giants: John Linnell, John Flansburgh. Additional personnel: Dr. Kenneth Nolan (drums). The Ordinaires include: Benjamin Bossi, Robin Casey, Fritz Van Order, Barbara Schloss, Garo Yellin. MISCELLANOUS T: They Might Be Giants: John Linnell, John Flansburgh. Additional personnel includes: Lt. Anne Moore (vocals); Peter Permain Thomson (background vocals). Producers include: They Might Be Giants, Bill Krauss. Includes liner notes by John Flansburgh & John Linnell. They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh, John Linnell (vocals, various instruments). This two-disc set pulls together all of They Might Be Giants work prior to FLOOD, the album that marked their signing to a major label. With a staggering 72 songs one can assume that some of them are bound to be short, but brevity was always the band's specialty. Bear in mind that this is also the duo that pioneered their Dial-A-Song service before they even had any releases out. They Might Be Giants self-titled debut and its successor, LINCOLN, are here, as are all the assorted B-sides and 19 bonus tracks. With the exception of two single remixes, this set also absorbed MISCELLANEOUS T in its entirety. A dizzying array of hook-filled songs brimming with catchy absurdities make it clear that the duo of John Linnel and John Flansburgh kept themselves busy during every moment of the late '80s.

Entertainment Weekly (4/11/97, p.85) - "...Their eclectic yet accessible material still sounds fresh, embodying the blend of braininess and whimsicality that's the key to the pair's appeal." - Rating: B+

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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