|
|
|||||||||||||
A fair review of the They Might Be Giants "Severe Tire Damage" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all They Might Be Giants reviews here, or go back to the They Might Be Giants tabs.
| ||||||||||||||
|
Band: They Might Be Giants Title: Severe Tire Damage Rating:  Release Date: 1998-08-11 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Doctor Worm 2: Severe Tire Damage 3: They Got Lost 4: Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) 5: Birdhouse in Your Soul 6: She's an Angel 7: XTC Vs. Adam Ant 8: Istanbul (Not Constantinople) 9: Ana Ng 10: First Kiss 11: Ana Ng. - (live) 12: Particle Man 13: She's Actual Size 14: S-E-X-X-Y 15: Meet James Ensor 16: Till My Head Falls Off 17: About Me 18: Planet of the Apes 19: Return to the Planet of the Apes 20: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes 21: Escape from the Planet of the Apes 22: Battle for the Planet of the Apes 23: Beneath the Planet of the Apes 24: This Ape's for You |
In addition to the live recordings, there are three new studio recordings. This is a mostly live album by They Might Be Giants. "Doctor Worm" is a great song that has become a favorite of TMBG fans. "Severe Tire Damage Theme" is a brief instrumental. "About Me" isn't so much a song as a song fragment. The live songs were recorded at various venues, as opposed to a live album that features songs from one specific concert. What's interesting to me is that the live versions of the songs have very different arrangements than their studio counterparts. Most of these live recordings are very good. There are six unlisted bonus tracks, which are all improvised live songs about Planet of the Apes, of all things. These ad libbed songs are not very good, to be frank. Overall, though, the album is quite enjoyable.
Strange album
It's works for me, but I would have loved to hear their versions of other classic songs by them and instead there are new songs and strange improvisations on watching "Planet of the Apes. The concept is supposed to a mix of live album stuff with studio songs thrown in as well. " I mainly give this album a good rating because the new live versions of songs make them sound more refreshing and louder as well and the studio tracks aren't bad either, the ". . . Apes" tracks are hit and miss, though.
Very good
I first herd it when my friends step Dad was playing it when I was over at is house. I'am a big fan of TMBG. It sounded pretty cool,but I had no idea what the band was called. O well. About one year later when I was at camp my councler brought a TMBG cd. He was playing a song I heard(NEW YORK CITY)and it sounded familer. Well he started geting me to listen to TMBG,well I got this cd for christmas recently and I loved it. I'am glad it had Partical Man,but my fav is They Got Lost. And one of the hidden track(Nmb 21)Escape from planet of they apes is cool. But whats up with the song spyder. So I say you should but this one.
This album fails on so many levels
It's 'live in studio' and soundcheck recordings, with overdubs galore. As a representation of their live act, it's not even close: nevermind the lack of crowd noise and stage banter, most of it isn't even from actual shows.
As a career retrospective, it doesn't work either. They seem to have attempted a 'best of' line-up here, but left off important singles like "Don't Let's Start" and "The Statue Got Me High". Who cares? Hits that are included, like "Birdhouse In Your Soul" and "Ana Ng", are slowed down and given strained vocal deliveries.
But most importantly, it's just not a very enjoyable CD. Theres no flow, and it pales in comparison to their work in the studio. People who want a good overview of their career should get the 2-disc DIAL-A-SONG anthology. People who want to hear them live should get tickets to a show - they're lots of fun. You wouldn't know that from SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE.
I'd say it's worth it for "Dr. Worm" and the rocking "Why Does The Sun Shine?", but those made it to DIAL-A-SONG. The only thing I really pull this out for is the power-pop version of "First Kiss", later transformed into a ballad for their Mink Car album.
A Deffent MUST HAVE
Worm, which are all new) on other albums and want to hear them a little defferently, then you should soo buy this alblum. I think if you heard all of these songs before (except the hidden tracks and Dr. The bonus tracks are kind of weird on the first listen but once you get used to them they are really cool.
"Why Does The Sun Shine" is a great song and the two best verisons of it are on this ablum and on TMBG's Direct From Brooklyn DVD (which has a live 2002 concert video of it).
"XTC VS. ADAM ANT" has a great beginning with the electric guitar.
"They Got Lost" sounds way cooler here than on the They Got Lost cd (you can check it out at tmbg. com).
"First Kiss" I think the Mink Car version of it is longer, but both are equally cool.
"Meet James Ensor" The trumpets make more sense on the John Henry cd, but this version makes me laugh when the Johns make the trum