HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: stevie@soda.berkeley.edu (Steven Collins)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: King Missile
Date: 19 Nov 1992 06:22:27 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

Speaking of other cool groups tmbg fans might like, I recommend King
Missile.  They can be a little harder-rockin, but I muchly enjoy their
strange and wonderful lyrics.

Steven.
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: phlegm@cs1.bradley.edu (Kevin Bourrillion)
Subject: Hmmm..
Organization: Bradley University
Date: 20 Nov 92 06:13:36 GMT

Hmmm... I wonder if They Might Be Giants was originally supposed to
have ten members, but none of them showed up for practice except John
and John.  The name "They Might Be Giants" is an anagram of "Mighty
Eight Absent."

:)

Yes, I have much to fun with anagram programs...

--
           Whether you spit or swallow, Phlegm is outta here!!!
 phlegm@bucs1.bradley.edu   phlegm@camelot.bradley.edu   WWIVnet: 17@4951
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You put it in a spoon and that won't do ya / Some king whose mental
house is just a shack / Where do you draw the line / When all your
friends are dyin' / Got to get that monkey off your back"       -- Aerosmith
From: mcirvin@husc8.harvard.edu (Mcirvin)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Re: What was the requested song at other concerts?
Date: 20 Nov 92 01:53:04 GMT

kbeal@amber (Ken Beal) writes:

>Aaron Humphrey (aaron@space.ualberta.ca) wrote:
>: ObTMBG: I think that "We Want A Rock" is about headbangers and their music, and
>: "Pencil Rain" is about vicious bureaucracy.  Anybody else?

>	Pencil Rain seems to be about Vietnam (or some other war) in which
>the bullets were falling like rain.  (They're made of ... lead! :-)  )

Hmm... then why were they "looking out for No. 2"?  This would seem to
indicate No. 2 pencils.  I dunno.  I think it's just about an army getting
creamed by falling pencils.  (Does anybody know if the Morse code in the
background spells anything in particular?) 

Though I have my own, dubious theories.  As others have pointed out before,
the lines about prosthetic foreheads in "We Want A Rock" are OBVIOUSLY a
reference to the obsessions of the Star Trek makeup crew.  And Triangle
Man is either the gradient operator, or the chiral anomaly that plagues
gauge theories with fermions.  These men clearly have degrees in physics,
and aren't telling us!  It's true!!  (foams at mouth)  They built the
Easter Island heads!  And what about those lines in the desert in South
America?  What about them?!?! (gets carried off by campus security)
-- 
Matt McIrvin
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: jsm1@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (Jason S. MacDonald)
Subject: Re: The original "Able was I" palindrome
Keywords: Napoleon's Lament
Organization: Cornell Information Technologies
Date: 16 Nov 92 00:40:41 GMT

peb2g@fulton.seas.Virginia.EDU (Penny E. Breyer) writes:
>The original palidrome that J&J adapted for I Palindrome I
>was:
>	Napoleon's Lament:
>		Able was I ere I saw Elba.

>At least, that's where I think they got it from!

What?!?!  "Adapted"?!  That phrase is seven words long!  The verse in
I Palindrome I as incredibly longer than that.  I can see a *resemblance*,
with the "able was I", but the I P. I verse is just too long to be
attributed to this one.

Jason
--
Jason Scott MacDonald                              jsm1@cornell.edu
"Technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic."
                                            - Arthur Charles Clarke
END OF LINE
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: hartung@seahorse.cis.ohio-state.edu (brian richard hartung)
Subject: I promise not to kill you.
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept. of Computer and Info. Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 14:58:12 GMT

I saw TMBG at the Newport Concert Hall in Columbus Ohio at OSU.
It was an incredible, high energy, social-norms-out-the-window,
rock-n-polka good time.  The stump the band song was "I wanna
be sedated" by the Ramones.  You would not freekin' believe how
good it sounded.

In the way of comments to the palindrome thread, I would be very
impressed if they could work "Go hang a salami, I'm a lasanga hog"
into the song.


						-Brian	

_________________________________________________________________

I don't know whether I'd rather be having bottle of vinegar.
I don't know whether I'd rather be having an egg.
I don't know whether I'd rather be having an order of bacon
Or whether I'd rather be having a basket of garlic bread.
I don't know whether I'd rather be having some pie
Or saving my appetite.		       -TMBG
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: Istanbul remixes
Organization: Elitist Usenet Administrators, Stuff & Nonsense Division
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 19:56:02 GMT

In article <1992Nov22.170113.692@pellns.alleg.edu> stuarts@carr102.alleg.edu (Scott Stuart) writes:

>The standard album version is the "Park Slope Remix."  This record also  
>includes the remix found on the Istanbul CD single, the "Williamsburgh  
>Mix."

<sigh>  I miss Brooklyn ...

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / 
\  / twpierce@unix.amherst.edu /               Rocks say goodbye.
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /
From: mcbride@owlnet.rice.edu (Doug McBride)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Re: What was the requested song at other concerts?
Date: 19 Nov 92 05:56:46 GMT
Organization: Rice University

In article <1ef2vbINNfd@bigboote.WPI.EDU>, kay@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (k) writes:
> 
> (seriously.  it's a tad off subject, but what did Sting have to do with
> Dire Straits?)
> 

Sting did in fact sing on "Money for Nothing".

-- 
Doug McBride                                   mcbride@owlnet.rice.edu
  "Everybody has their moment of great opportunity in life.  If you
 happen to miss the one you care about, then everything else in life
		becomes eerily easy." -- Douglas Adams
From: kbeal@amber (Ken Beal)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Re: ********
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:45:19 GMT
Organization: Harris CSD, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
NNTP-Posting-Host: amber.ssd.csd.harris.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Doug McBride (mcbride@owlnet.rice.edu) wrote:
: In article <5751@sumax.seattleu.edu>, sstover@sumax.seattleu.edu (Kate) writes:
: > I know that you do NOT want to put Apollo 18 on your CD player on 'random.'
: > Well, okay, maybe you do. :P
: The liner notes actually mention that the indexing was done like that
: "to complement the suffle mode of modern CD players" or something like
: that; I don't have the album with me.  Just thought that was cool.

	I've tried that, and it is kinda neat.  It's good if you can get
all the "long" songs out of the way - then Fingertips becomes rather confusing.
(Some players can do random play from a programmed selection, so I suppose
you could just program all of Fingertips and then random it...)
--
Kenneth L. Beal, Jr.  kbeal@amber.ssd.csd.harris.com | Use OS/2 2.0! :-) often.
"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!" - MST3k  | Learn.  Keep moving.
"Street person my responsibility." - Indigo Girls    | Better yourself.
The opinions expressed above are shared.  The preceding sentence is false.
From: kay@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (k)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Re: Mammal
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:41:25 GMT
Organization: Project Quantum Gweep
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigwpi.wpi.edu

In article <1=F=2TA@engin.umich.edu> turtle@engin.umich.edu (Matthew M Edwards ) writes:
>
>
>In the song Mammal....
>
>Thier names are called, they raise a paw
>the bat, the cat, dolphin and dog, koala bear and hog
>
>I thought koala bears were Marsupials?  (Referenced later in song)

They are.  Marsupials are mammals, the converse to placentals (as the song
indicates).  I don't recall right off the bat what monotremes are (hooved
creatures with one toe, e.g. horses, comes to mind, but I'm not sure that's
right), nor allotheria, though by the song I'd guess they're all extinct.
Basically, placentals are capable of survival when born, and marsupials 
must be brought to term after birth in a pouch or some similar device.

(Any bio majors out there want to touch up/correct this?  It's been a long
time since I read my National Geographic Book of Mammals...:-)

>
>Am I missing something?  Am I just being stupid?

Not stupid...perhaps a bit dufous, but not stupid.  :-)

later
k
-- 
mosh!  nosh!  mosh!  don't stop moving!  or: the problem of dining punks
just one of the many pressing metamechanical problems being addressed at
the institute for applied wedge physics and petrarcosmology worcester ma
kay@wpi.wpi.edu  chief observer and research head  project quantum gweep
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg,rec.music.dementia
From: mike_p@cheshire.oxy.edu (Michael John Petterson)
Subject: They Might Be Giants in concert
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA.  USA
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 22:00:43 GMT

I saw They Might Be Giants in concert this past Friday at Fairfax auditorium,
with the Young Fresh Fellows opening in L.A.

The first surprise of the evening was when I walked in the entrance, and lo,
there before my unbelieving eyes was "Weird Al" Yankovic!!!  He was there
obviously hear another great american accordian band.  I thought he might
be sitting right in front of me, but it turns out he was on the exact 
opposite side of the auditorium.  (end of weird al news, rec.music.dementia
can now hit "j")

As for the bands, the Young Fresh Fellows were pleasantly surprising, much
more complementary to TMBG's sound than Freedy Johnston was when I saw them
in August.  They played a most rousing version of "Taco Wagon", which is
sort of a cross between "Frankenstein" and "Tequila".

TMBG finally came out and opened with "The Guitar".  It was a pretty "hit"
filled concert, with the occasional rare gem such as "Hide Away Folk Family"
"Toddler Hiway", and from fingertips "I'm having a heart attack" (a personal
experience, according to John L.)  The only thing I'm hyper-bummed at, is 
that I've only heard them perform "Put your hand inside the puppet head"
once, and that was a few years ago.  It sounds fabulous live.

For the "spin the dial" section of the program (the "nader" as John F. put 
it), they sang a splendid version of "I wanna know what love is" by 
Foreigner.  Something about, "I stopped to ask a guy for directions, when
I was driving my car, and now it is his car".  

Again, they played the funky Istanbul, for one of their encores.  We had
a party of 9 people go, ranging from the hard-core fans to some casual
listeners.  As much as I enjoyed the show, I think the casual listeners
had a better time, due to the fact that they were blown away by how good
the band sounded.

All in all, a good show, that I would recommend to anyone.


Michael J. Petterson     | "Listen! A sower went out to sow..."
mike_p@cheshire.oxy.edu  |            -Jesus

Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: blowfish@carina.unm.edu (rON.)
Subject: Re: Misc. T
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 08:01:16 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Nov16.211315.25894@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> christian@Turing.ORG (Christian Claiborn) writes:
>If you look REAL closely at the album, you'll notice that the letters
>R, E, and X are slightly enlarged.
>I rest my case.  They are dinophiles.

Sigh.
*shakes head quietly*
r.
From: v133kdq8@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (DR. JAZZ)
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Re: What was the requested song at other concerts?
Date: 18 Nov 92 20:38:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Good day good people!

In article <GREENDOG.92Nov18100640@insti.physics.sunysb.edu>, greendog@insti.physics.sunysb.edu (Michael D. Fischer) writes...
>In article <1992Nov18.032708.19061@u.washington.edu> mjlipner@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mia Lipner) writes:
> 
>> When I saw TMBG in NYC in July (?) at the Beacon Theater, they ended
>> up doing the French national anthem, to which (of course) they didn't
>> know the words.
> 
>I was at that show!
> 
>When I saw them in October in NYC, they did "Spin the dial" instead of
>"Stump the band"...
> 

I saw 'em doing a free one hour show at tower records in the village (NYC) and
they did "The Sounds of Silence."  By the way, whoever stared this group,
THANK YOU!
Later!
Amy 
*******************************************************************************
*"Guess what folks, that's the news and * "They have pre-wrapped sausages, but*
* I am outta here!"                     *  they don't have pre-wrapped bacon!"*
*          -Dennis Miller               *                -Barenaked Ladies    *
*******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: impatzsc@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de (Martin Patzsch)
Subject: TMBG even in Germany! 
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 09:14:27 GMT
Organization: Universitaet Bielefeld, Technische Fakultaet.

Hi, TMBG-fans out there!
This is marvellous. I'm very happy to meet people sharing my love to TMBG.
There are not too many people here in Germany knowing them, but I like
them - even if I'm lonely!
And now, LET'S get start!
Greetinx
Olly
P.S.: Wenn es noch irgendeinen TMBG-Fan hier in Deutschland geben sollte:
      melde Dich doch mal!

Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: mbrockma@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (Matt Brockman)
Subject: Re: Fingertips
Keywords: tmbg, might, giants, titles, favorites
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 17:23:40 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.232045.19695@beaver.cs.washington.edu>,
dhubbell@cs.washington.edu (David Hubbell) writes...

>The Guitar (the song that first got me turned on to TMBG)

Me too. If I hadn't heard this song on the radio I would
never have known about Them. I'm glad I did!


===============================================================================
Matt Brockman                                           mbrockma@ecn.purdue.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "While a llama may produce some of the world's finest of wools, prized
        around the world, their breath, on the other hand, could only 
            be prized somewhere in the far reaches of llama hell."
===============================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: stuarts@carr102.alleg.edu (Scott Stuart)
Subject: Re: Other groups with TMBG flavor
Organization: Allegheny College
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 17:11:24 GMT

In article <By1A7L.Bo5@unix.amherst.edu> jmfuchs@unix.amherst.edu (JESSE  
MICHAEL FUCHS) writes:
> 	One cannot, of course, forget XTC, whom TMBG are fairly influenced  
by. In fact, of the 4 or 5 reviews I read of 'Lincoln,' I believe all but  
one 
> mentioned XTC as a comparison.
> 	Other TMBG influences:
> 	The Residents (Very weird...came up with many of the spooky  
keyboard 
> 			stylings that are found on the first TMBG album)
> 	Sparks (Brother duo from the 70's that were big in England.  
Basically
> 		a primeval TMBG. Funny and tuneful, but a little meaner  
than 
> 		TMBG.)
> 
> 	Any others?
> 
> 					-jesse fuchs

	Well, about XTC.  XTC and TMBG are my two favorite bands but they  
are different.  The main reason they are compared is because they are both  
critically acclaimed bands that often get, as Colin Moulding put it,"filed  
under quirky."  Both have been pigeonholed sometimes, the Giants' as a  
"prop band" or as performance art, XTC as "quirky."  Both bands are  
literate and highly intelligent.  I asked Flansburgh at the last concert I  
went to about the XTC influence.  I said,"You guys often get compared to  
XTC, what do you think of them."  John said, "I like XTC, I like some of  
the things they've done, but they're not one of my favorite bands."  So,  
there you go.  By the way, Jon Feinberg, the Giants' tour drummer, said  
that XTC was one of his favorite bands when I asked him.  He said he would  
love to play with them, and that he did not think Dave Mattacks did a good  
job on _Nonsuch_.  Any opinions?
					Scott
  
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: emp1@crux1.cit.cornell.edu (Ernest M. Paik)
Subject: Re: Mammal - educational songs!
Organization: Cornell Information Technologies
Date: 21 Nov 92 17:40:05 GMT

garym@cs.umb.edu (Gary MacDougall) writes:

>I was just pondering the other night about the song "Mammal" and
>how wonderfully educational this song is. I couldn't help but think 
>that it would be really cool if "John and John" could do a sorta 
>educational album, maybe even a childrens album.

I've thought about this idea...My sister, who interviewed John F., thought
that a Sesame Street appearance would be great...>THAT< would be absolutely
fantastic.  Other musicians, like Yo Yo Ma and Stevie Wonder, have made
appearances on Sesame Street...

>"Mammal" is such a great example of a song that while your listening 
>to it (as a TMBG's fan) your also saying "Wow, I didn't know that!".
>Now we all know that these guys are smart, but after reading this 
>newsgroup for a while, Im coming to the realization that TMBG 
>are a little smarter than we thought. Hell, I read a few previous posts
>that the authors talked about finding references from a TMBG show 
>in the encyclopedia!!! My god, they've got us learning?

They're songs are just a'burstin' with knowledge..."James K. Polk" comes
to mind...they like to perform "The Sun Is A Mass of Incandescent Gas",
chock full of information (they didn't write it, but anyway)...
A friend of mine played "Istanbul (Not Const.)" for his history class...
and "Mammal", of course.

If there's an emergency, and I NEED to know some fact about James K. Polk,
I can thank They Might Be Giants!

"From Nashville came a dark horse riding on...
 Mr. James K. Polk, Napoleon of his time"

Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: quendor@stein.u.washington.edu (Don Sowell)
Subject: Re: Misc. T
Keywords: Miscellaneous, cornpone, pez, bar none
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 09:35:54 GMT

hrow@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Heath Row) writes:

>Okay... when I was but a tot, my dad would always kid around telling
>stories and stuff... but instead of saying something like the old Batman tv
>show's Robin using the cliched "Holy breaded scallops, Batman!" when
>something diabolical was going to happen involving breaded scallops, he (my
>dad, not robin) would say "Breaded scallops t. cornpone!" Cornpone being
>some southern bread delicacy i imagine. Anyway... this is what *I* thought
>the T in Misc. T to mean... "Miscellaneous T. Cornpone, Batman!" 

>Really... does it have to mean anything?

    The only bell it rings for me is the song on the old Lil' Abner
album, Jubalation T. Cornpone. I wish I knew enough of the words to post them.
Maybe someone else does. The ones I know are

   Stonewall Jackson got his name by standing firm in his place.
But who would dare to lead the charge and end it all in disgrace!

  Why that is Jubilation T. Cornpone. All tattered and torn porn.
  Jubilation T. Cornpone he left us high and dry.


        I probably mixed verses quite a bit, oh well.

                                       Don Sowell
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: simmons@cs.washington.edu (David Simmons)
Subject: Re: Other groups with TMBG flavor
Summary: Jon Astley &etc.
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 10:34:28 GMT

Still more recommendations for after your TMBG collection is complete:
(British humour for the Monty P and Red Dwarf crowd :-) )

* Jon Astley
dry, deadpan British humor -- he had a minor hit with the song "Jane's
Getting Serious" (from _Everybody Loves the Pilot (except the crew)_),
but the rest of the album is much less normal alternative rock.

His follow-up album _The Complete Angler_ may appeal more to J&J fans
though, since it features inspired wordplay in songs like "But is it
Commercial?" and "The Menu".

* Thomas Dolby
_Golden Age of Wireless_ and _The Flat Earth_ were only occaisionally
goofy, but with _Aliens ate my Buick_ he crafted a twisted masterpiece
of demented white boy Disco Rap Lite -- find it in the cut-out bins so
that you too can listen to "Pulp Culture" and "Airhead".

* Richard Thompson
Haunting, powerful songs both on his own (_Rumor and Sigh_, _Amnesia_, 
_Daring Adventures_) and with his ex-wife Linda (_Shoot out the Lights_,
_Pour Down Like Silver_).  
(no, wait! he goes in the alt.music.concrete.blonde list . . . .)

---Dave
-- 

Dave Simmons            | "Quod erat demonstrandum, baby.
CS grad student         |                           (ooh you speak French)"
U of Washington Dept CS |  --Thomas Dolby "Airhead"
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
From: ijr@canard.uwaterloo.ca (Ilana Jayne Shewchun)
Subject: Re: What was the requested song at other concerts?
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 22:19:24 GMT

In article <GREENDOG.92Nov18100640@insti.physics.sunysb.edu> greendog@insti.physics.sunysb.edu (Michael D. Fischer) writes:
>In article <1992Nov18.032708.19061@u.washington.edu> mjlipner@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mia Lipner) writes:
>
>> When I saw TMBG in NYC in July (?) at the Beacon Theater, they ended
>> up doing the French national anthem, to which (of course) they didn't
>> know the words.
>
>I was at that show!
>

When I saw them in Toronto, they did Let's Get Physical.
Those were the only three words they knew in it *smile*

SMiles!

Ilana
From: wlee@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg
Subject: Pencil Rain Interpretations
Date: 20 Nov 92 20:54:13 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services

In article <LIGHTNIN.92Nov20122444@buckaroo.WPI.EDU>, lightnin@buckaroo.WPI.EDU (Reality's Comic Relief) writes:
>>>>>> On 20 Nov 92 01:53:04 GMT, mcirvin@husc8.harvard.edu (Mcirvin) said:
> 
> M> kbeal@amber (Ken Beal) writes:
> M> Hmm... then why were they "looking out for No. 2"?  This would seem to
> M> indicate No. 2 pencils.  I dunno.  I think it's just about an army getting
> M> creamed by falling pencils.  (Does anybody know if the Morse code in the
> M> background spells anything in particular?) 
> 
> Well, I thought that pencil rain was about war in general, not just 
> Vietnam.  But anyway, No. 2, could be a reference to bowel movements.  
> Remember when you were a kid, and you had to go to the bathroom, you
> always specified what you had to do by saying 'Number One' or 'Number
> Two'.  
> 
> Then again, it could be a prisoner reference.

Then again, it could just be a play on the words "Looking out for No. 1",
i.e. one's own self-interest.  It would obviously be in one's self-
interest to look out for No. 2 if these particular No. 2's were raining
from the sky, eh?

-wml
Newsgroups: alt.music.tmbg