They Might Be Giants - Factory Showroom

This was the first TMBG album that I was really into and my friend Todd (who introduced me to the two Johns' music) wasn't. If you're the sort of person who got upset when They Might Be Giants added a backing band, I can understand if Factory Showroom is a bridge too far. The presence of the band is immediately apparent, and the production is a little heavy handed for many fans. Nevertheless, I absolutely adore the songs on this album.

The cover of Cub's "New York  City" is so great and so aptly chosen that I was unaware that the song wasn't an original until I discovered Cub in college. "James K. Polk" is the greatest presidential song ever recorded (and yes, I'm including Johnny Horton's "Young Abe Lincoln" and Country Joe and the Fish's "Superbird" in that statement). "Till My Head Falls Off" "How Can I Sing Like a Girl?" and "Spiralling Shape" are some of the best up-tempo TMBG tracks in their catalogue. Oh, and let's not forget that for this album John and John went to Edison Laboratories and recorded ""I Can Hear You" on a wax cylinder using some of the oldest recording equipment on the planet. So yeah, Factory Showroom is second only to Flood as far as I'm concerned. This is an excellent album, provided you're not predisposed to dislike it.