|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epicurus.com - The Else
|
List Price: $17.98
Our Price: $17.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Idlewild/Zoe Records
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0601143111723
Label: Idlewild/Zoe Records
Manufacturer: Idlewild/Zoe Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Idlewild/Zoe Records
Release Date: 2007-07-10
Studio: Idlewild/Zoe Records
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
Japanese pressing of this full-length comes with three additional bonus tracks, 'Brain Problem Situation', 'We Live In A Dump', & 'I'm Your Boyfriend Now'. 3D. 2008.
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pass play guitar.
Comment: This is the 12th album by They Might Be Giants (it says on the CD). It features their usual brand of catchy melodies and peculiar lyrics. Some of TMBG's later efforts (including this one) have met with disfavor with some longtime fans. But I find their new albums to be quite enjoyable, including this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Thrilling from start to finish
Comment: "The Else" is probably the best TMBG album in a decade, and that's saying a lot when you're talking about one of the few active bands that makes an effort to be creative without sacrificing the quality of their music. All of the songs on the album are catchy enough that the listener shouldn't feel the need to hit the "skip" button, but a few of them turn out to be a little more daring and ambitious than standard pop songs usually are.
So much pop music these days consists of a couple of bars of music set to a beat that lasts just a few seconds, and then the rest of the song repeats this theme without bothering to develop it any. In other words, so much music these days can be summarized in a few bars, and missing the rest of the song hardly matters. Moderately clever lyrics can cover this up somewhat, but rarely can a few drops of wit justify three to five minutes of generic background music, whether made guitars and drums or by a synch machine.
TMBG try to buck that trend, with their best example of music that develops and actually goes somewhere being the song "With the Dark." Predicting the end of that particular song without having heard it before is simply not possible, yet it still feels like a musical trip rather than several bit sewn together, so it works.
This is not to say that the words to the songs on "The Else" are without merit. To the contrary, they are about as catchy as can be hoped for from modern rock musicians, with first prize for lyricism probably going to the album's final song, "The Mesopotamians." Good stuff, that.
If you want recently created music that will neither bore you nor insult your intelligence, you might want to give "The Else" a try.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What Else? Do You Need?
Comment: Everyone I knew in 1990 had the album Flood with all of the cultish, somewhat hilarious classics that came from this group of nuts and I hadn't even really thought of them for years when I stumbled across their new album. A few listens of the first song "I'm Impressed" had me a little excited, instead of silly pop or strange ethereal words, it was a real song and a good song at that. The boys were actually saying something, so I found the second song "Take Out The Trash" and the next "Upside Down Frown" and by then I was hooked.
I can't even believe how good all of The Else really is. Again, I like every single song on here. Yet again some are better than others so it's not perfect but there aren't a lot of perfect albums out there and when an album can grab me with even 3 songs in a row, I consider it a success. And should long time fans or even remotely loving fans, be worried forget about it - the sense of humor, irony and sarcasm are all still there. I guess, they, like the rest of us, just grew up. Definitely get your hands on The Else, or else. Best Tracks: "I'm Impressed", "Climbing The Walls", "The Shadow Government", "Take Out The Trash".
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Real Scoop
Comment: This is a good, not great, TMBG CD. In my view, the best songs are The Mesopotamians, Bee of a Bird of a Moth, The Cap'm and Upside Down Frown. All of these are absolutely great and, themselves, worth the price of the CD. The Cap'm really grew on me and is fantastic live.
People seem to want something "new" from this band. Not me. If the band can continue to put out great TMBG songs that would fit in equally well on Flood, Factory Showroom, or The Else, that would be just fine with me. And for those who malign The Spine, Memo to Human Resources ranks with the very best TMBG songs of all time. Keep up the good work!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Nostalgia with a new feeling
Comment: I feel as if this album is culmination of all of TMBG's past work. Throughout the album I've felt nostalgic, surprised and desiring more with each new song. Every album before The Else has its great songs and the only song I find 'lacking' on this album is "Feign Amnesia". It's a bit repetitive and ends without and feeling of closure (maybe that was the point but I'm not feeling it).
Everything on The Else feels like it could be placed on another album and not mess up the flow. i.e. "Contrecoup" could've been on Mink Car in place of "My Man" and "Bee of the Bird of the Moth" could very well have been on Apollo 18.
I feel like I've gotten to know TMBG and I might have a different perspective on this album had I only heard a few of their albums or songs. Even if The Else instills a sense of familiarity on me, the songs on it are quite new and fresh without a hint of giving up.
And a comment about the cover art. I was taken quite aback at it. I was so unsure that the CD I ahd picked up at the store was a They Might Be Giants album that I had to re-read the title a few times. The cover art is a little weird, even for TMBG.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
