loved Children." "Fidelity" and "Parallel Lines" sump pump working? Can you build an ark out join earlier Rundgren songs like "Mated" and of Popsicle sticks? Still, the Giants realize that "Compassion" in along line of tunes that deal the political is personal and vice versa. Thus intelligently with relationships, tunes that would these words to live by from "Whistling in the have been number-one singles if Iruled the Dark": "There's only one thing/that Iknow pop charts. how to do well/And that's be you/Be what Todd Rundgren has always been asuperior you're like/Be like yourself" Or perhaps: "Drink melodist and abrilliant singer, so why is his fol- and cook the prodigal son/Fondue forks for lowing limited to afanatically faithful few? (Or, everyone." (If you figure that one out, print If he's so smart, why ain't he rich?) Ihave some your answer neatly in crayon on apage from theories. Ithink the wizard has no desire to be the Weekly Weld News and mail it immediately atrue star. As acult hero he gets to make the in aself-addressed stamped envelope.) records he wants without too much concern In support of their personal apocalypse, John about sales. If he needs money he can go pro- and John enlist literary references of only the duce Mt-atloaf or someone like him. This is the most impeccable pedigree: Mr. Kimball from only way Ican explain to my own satisfaction Green Acres: "I'm your only friend/I'm not how it is that aman hired to produce other peo- your only friend/but really I'm not actually ple's albums can make records of his own that your friend at all"; The Klingons: "I'd buy a often sound so awful (soundwise, not content- prosthetic forehead/and wear it on my real wise). Or, for that matter, why his own work head"; and the theme from Spider Man: "Par- sports some of the ugliest cover art in the his- ticle Man/Particle Man/Doing the things apar- tory of the medium. ticle can." Heavy stuff. Although Nearly Human continues his tra- But philosophy is as philosophy does. Could dition of appalling album art, it is happily his Jean-Paul Sartre play two trumpets at once? first self-production in years to match the qual- Could Camus even lift abass saxophone? TMBG ity of his work for others. Digitally recorded give you more music (and more angst) for your live in the studio, it is one of those rare albums money. In aday and age when even Family that successfully combines live performance Feud has its own 900 number, Flood offers a energy with studio purity of sound. The CD far level of value that's sure to earn the band acom- outstrips the LP on all sonic levels (some syn- mendation from "Fight Back with David Horo- thesizer sounds are barely audible on the LP). witz." First off, they cram 19 songs onto one The CD also includes abonus track —Todd's disc. (Granted, "Minimum Wage" is only two reading of Elvis Costello's "Two Little Hiders." words long. No, your first guess doesn't count.) At the close of Nearly Human Tœld sings, And in the tradition of K-TELs Nana Mouskouri "I Love My Life." He sings it with the convic- collection, they offer an almost free home trial. tion that only aperson totally in control of it Don't believe me when Isay this album is more can possess. 'Eike control over your own life— fun than aBatman rerun. Hear it for yourself. buy this record. — Michael Ross Pencil and paper ready? The number for They Might Be Giants' Dial-a-Song Service is (718) THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: Flood 387-6962. Additional consumer tip: It's free Elektra 60907 -I (LP), -2 (CD). Roger Mountenot, eng.; when you call from work. John Flarohtngh, John Linnet], Clive Langer, Alan Win- The sound? Another large potential savings stanley, prods. DAA/DAD. TT, 43:22 here. Sell your Krell (or, better yet, give it to So you want to be arock and roll star? Just get me). It uses too much electricity, and you can't an accordian, agiant fez, and the lyrics to "Is- polka from your listening chair anyway. Dig- tanbul (Not Constantinople)." Welcome to the ital or analog, let's just say that now you know 1990s, henceforth to be known as the They why those kind folks at Technics put tone con- Might Be Giants Decade. trols on that receiver buried in the hall closet. For those of you who missed "Birdhouse in (A warning to would-be tweakers: Given the Your Soul" during its MTV rotation, this two- CD's green sillcscreening, Ifind that CD Stop- man band—known to their mothers as John light adds asubtle chlorophyll coloration.) Flansburgh and John Linnell—occupies the With Flood, the two Johns once again prove philosophical turf between TS. Eliot and Weird that it's far, far better to be stupid on purpose. Al Yankovic. Musically? In their own words: In fact, after listening to this record for weeks "They might be Mr. Spock's backup band." on end, I've come up with the theory that Lin- On their prophetically titled major-label nell and Flansburgh are actually James Joyce debut, TMBG tackles the big questions head- and Elvis reincarnated, except that Dublin is on. Is this global warming thing the beginning Hoboken and Colonel Parker actually killed of asoggy Armageddon? Can man and beast Laura Palmer and .. coexist peacefully on this fragile planet? Is the Naaaah. — Allen St.John Stereophile, September 1990 209 .