Apollo 18 (album)
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| Studio album by They Might Be Giants | |||||
| Released | March 24, 1992 | ||||
| Recorded | March 1991 at The Magic Shop, NYC | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||
| Length | 42:37 | ||||
| Label | Elektra | ||||
| Producer | They Might Be Giants | ||||
| They Might Be Giants chronology | |||||
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| TMBG studio album chronology | |||||
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Apollo 18 is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1992 and named after the Apollo missions, the last of which to be completed was Apollo 17. The album was also associated with International Space Year, for which They Might Be Giants were declared the official "musical ambassadors".[1]
The album marked the first conscious effort by John Linnell and John Flansburgh to branch out of their early sound, opting for more traditional rock rhythms and fuller arrangements. The duo adopted a backing band with live drums during the supporting tour.[2] It was their last album recorded as a duo, and the band expanded to include a regular rhythm guitarist, bass player, and saxophone player for their subsequent releases.[3] The album generated three singles, "The Statue Got Me High", "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" and "I Palindrome I". Apollo 18 also includes the "Fingertips" suite, a series of songs under thirty seconds long. This concept was later recycled for the band's sixteenth album, Nanobots, which contains nine songs running under one minute.[4]
Production
After the major success of Flood, Elektra sought out Elvis Costello to produce Apollo 18; however, John Linnell and John Flansburgh elected to produce the album themselves as they had originally planned.[2] The album was recorded at The Magic Shop in New York City.[5]Apollo 18's production is much less sparse than previous releases. This is reflected in the fact that the album's associated tour, the Don't Tread on the Cut-Up Snake World Tour 1992, was the band's first to utilise a live backing band, rather than a tape deck playing backing tracks.[6] John Linnell commented on the complicated rehearsals this led to in a 1992 interview:[7]
Now for the first time we're taking out a live rhythm section and a keyboardist/saxophonist. So we're now a five-piece. But we've never done this before, so this is kind of a major thing. This is partly why we've having such an elaborate production rehearsal, to make sure all the bugs are working.
"The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" spawned from a jam session of The Tokens song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and was originally intended to simply be called "The Guitar". Due to the legal ramifications of including the "Lion Sleeps Tonight" motif, the record label required the band to add the title of the original song to the track.[8] "Fingertips" is a series of twenty-one short tracks ranging in duration from 0:04 to 1:01 seconds, totaling 4:35. The liner notes, in reference to these tracks, include the message "the indexing of this disc is designed to complement the Shuffle Mode of modern CD players". According to John Flansburgh, listening to the album on shuffle made a collage of songs, with the short fingertips interspersed among tracks of regular length.[5][9] The songs were written to resemble short fragments of pop songs. The format was inspired by advertisements for collections of music, which only included samples of choruses.[10] Due to a mastering error, the European and Australian issues of the CD include "Fingertips" as one continuous track, while on the US edition, it is correctly split into 21 tracks.[11]
Packaging and promotion
The album's cover depicts a giant squid locked in combat with a sperm whale in space, using graphics which the Johns came across while searching the NASA Archive Center for images to use in media art surrounding the album.[12] The Dial-A-Song phone number is misprinted as 718-963-6962 on the back of the album,[5] and the phone number written leads to a warehouse.[6] The album liner notes and artwork for the album's singles include a number of photographs from NASA, and the packaging was designed by John Flansburgh under the pseudonym "Rolf Conant" with Barbara Lipp.[5][13][14]
Between 1992 and 1993, the band's manager at the time, Bo Orloff, sent out various informational updates via email to the band's mailing list. These included a full track listing prior to the album's release,[15] as well as a press release and biography of the band.[16][17] The bulletins also included information on the album's associated tour.[18]
The band appeared as a musical guest on numerous talk shows to promote Apollo 18. "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" and "The Statue Got Me High" were performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and "I Palindrome I" on Late Night with David Letterman.[19][20] Their appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 19 May 1992 was the television debut of They Might Be Giants' new backing band.[18]
International Space Year
The band became associated with the International Space Year, designated as 1992 by the United Nations to promote peaceful and collaborative space exploration, when Linnell and Flansburgh were searching the NASA Archive Center for appropriate photographs and visual materials for the album artwork. Staff members at the NASA facility took notice of John and John and inquired about their research. Linnell responded that they "were in this band, we're making this record, and we're going to start touring next year...They were particularly interested in that, because they said that 1992 was International Space Year. It was the first time we ever heard of that, but they said because we were a band going to be touring around the world in 1992 they wondered if we wanted to be spokesband for the International Space Year. So we said why not?"[12]
In support of the designation, the logo for International Space Year is included on the back of the album.[5] The band was scheduled for concerts to endorse ISY,[12] and mentioned in promotional material from NASA, which headed the celebration in the United States.[21] Commenting on the success of the designation of International Space Year, however, Linnell pointed out that he "[didn't] think most people have heard that this is International Space Year".[22]
Don't Tread on the Cut-Up Snake World Tour
In support of Apollo 18, They Might Be Giants embarked on a tour across the United States, Europe, and Asia.[23] The tour was named the "Don't Tread on the Cut-Up Snake World Tour 1992", a reference to the Gadsden flag and the "Join, or Die" cartoon, with the "world tour" affix appended by Elektra Records.[19] The band's largest tour up to that point, spanning the length of 1992, the Don't Tread on the Cut-Up Snake tour was also associated with International Space Year.[6]
The band's "O Tannenbaum" single was also recorded during a sound check on the tour.[24] The tracks would later reappear on the They Might Be Giants in Holidayland EP, released in 2001.[25]
Promotional video
A short video promoting Apollo 18 was produced by Elektra Records, in the vein of the previous Flood promo.[2] In the video, graphic and video illustrations of certain songs are presented, in addition to samples of some of the songs. The video is arranged to resemble a traditional slide show presentation. The video also introduced the concept of the three "Power Spheres",[26] after which the 2005 compilation, A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants: Melody, Fidelity, Quantity would partially be named.
Reception
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [27] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[28] |
| People | (favorable)[29] |
| Q | [30] |
| Robert Christgau | A-[31] |
| Rolling Stone | [32] |
Apollo 18 garnered positive reviews from critics. Allmusic, which gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, stated that the album was more "consistent" than predecessors, making note of its darker tone, but "lacking a standout single". Robert Christgau, who assigned the song an A-, praised the first five tracks especially, asserting that the remaining thirty-three were more experimental in nature. Christgau acclaimed the album melodically, while stating that the lyrics were pleasant but "meaningless". Ira Robbins, reviewing for Rolling Stone magazine, gave Apollo 18 4 out of 5 stars. Similar to Christgau, Robbins called the lyrics throughout the album "whimsy", and said that they were not too complex to weigh down melodies. Robbins also praised the album's eclecticism, observing that "'Turn Around' mimics Forties swing; the funky bass groove of 'The Guitar' interpolates a rewrite of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', fetchingly sung by Laura Cantrell. Another wry science lesson, 'See the Constellation', mixes a psychedelic/New Wave potion for a bouncy space trip." Robbins was critical of the disorganized "Fingertips" selections. Contrarily, a humorous review by Craig Tomashoff, published in People, lauded the variety found in "Fingertips". Tomashoff also made note of the wide vocabulary employed in the lyrics (citing, specifically, "Turn Around" and "I Palindrome I"), concluding that the album was "totally cool".
Consumer response
On April 11, 1992, Apollo 18 peaked at #99 on the Billboard 200. It spent six weeks on that chart.[33] "The Statue Got Me High", the first single from the album, peaked at #24 on the Alternative Songs chart on March 21, 1992, and spent eight weeks on the chart.[34] The album's other singles failed to chart.
Although Apollo 18 received a positive response from consumers and critics, some fans were upset that the duo of Linnell and Flansburgh had been augmented to include a full band for the album's tour. In rebuttal, some fans stopped attending live concerts, even taking the aggressive approach of trying to discourage others from entering venues for shows.[2] Despite these reactions, the live band was generally well received. In a New York Times review of a contemporaneous live show, Jon Pareles observed that the band was "just as tricky as ever", and still delighted its audience.[35] They Might Be Giants continues to record and tour with a full backing band.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by They Might Be Giants, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dig My Grave" | 1:08 | |
| 2. | "I Palindrome I" | 2:25 | |
| 3. | "She's Actual Size" | 2:05 | |
| 4. | "My Evil Twin" | 2:37 | |
| 5. | "Mammal" | 2:14 | |
| 6. | "The Statue Got Me High" | 3:06 | |
| 7. | "Spider" | 0:50 | |
| 8. | "The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" (They Might Be Giants, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, George David Weiss) | 3:49 | |
| 9. | "Dinner Bell" | 2:11 | |
| 10. | "Narrow Your Eyes" | 2:46 | |
| 11. | "Hall of Heads" | 2:53 | |
| 12. | "Which Describes How You're Feeling" | 1:13 | |
| 13. | "See the Constellation" | 3:27 | |
| 14. | "If I Wasn't Shy" | 1:43 | |
| 15. | "Turn Around" | 2:53 | |
| 16. | "Hypnotist of Ladies" | 1:42 | |
| 17. | "Fingertips: Everything's Catching On Fire" | 0:12 | |
| 18. | "Fingertips: Fingertips" | 0:06 | |
| 19. | "Fingertips: I Hear The Wind Blow" | 0:10 | |
| 20. | "Fingertips: Hey Now Everybody Now" | 0:05 | |
| 21. | "Fingertips: Who's That Standing Out My Window?" | 0:06 | |
| 22. | "Fingertips: I Found A New Friend" | 0:07 | |
| 23. | "Fingertips: Come On And Wreck My Car" | 0:12 | |
| 24. | "Fingertips: Aren't You The Guy Who Hit Me In The Eye?" | 0:07 | |
| 25. | "Fingertips: Please Pass the Milk, Please" | 0:08 | |
| 26. | "Fingertips: Leave Me Alone" | 0:05 | |
| 27. | "Fingertips: Who's Knocking On The Wall?" | 0:04 | |
| 28. | "Fingertips: All Alone" | 0:05 | |
| 29. | "Fingertips: What's That Blue Thing Doing Here?" | 0:08 | |
| 30. | "Fingertips: Something Grabbed Ahold Of My Hand" | 0:12 | |
| 31. | "Fingertips: I Cannot Understand You" | 0:27 | |
| 32. | "Fingertips: I Heard A Sound" | 0:04 | |
| 33. | "Fingertips: Mysterious Whisper" | 0:28 | |
| 34. | "Fingertips: The Day That Love Came To Play" | 0:08 | |
| 35. | "Fingertips: I'm Having A Heart Attack" | 0:22 | |
| 36. | "Fingertips: Fingertips (Reprise)" | 0:10 | |
| 37. | "Fingertips: I Walk Along Darkened Corridors" | 1:01 | |
| 38. | "Space Suit" | 1:36 |
Notes
Tracks 17 to 37 are listed as a single entry (track 17), "Fingertips"; however, "Space Suit" is given as track 38 on the CD track listing. The titles for "Fingertips" given above are taken from the first lines provided in the liner notes.
Personnel
- They Might Be Giants[5]
- Additional musicians[5]
- Mark Feldman - violin on tracks 1 and 16
- Garo Yellin - cello on track 1
- Jim Thomas - drums on track 3
- Laura Cantrell - vocal on track 8
- Julie Cohen - vocal on track 16
- Peter Stampfel - banjo and vocal on tracks 18 and 36
- Nicholas Hill - vocal on track 19
- Elma Mayer - vocal on track 20
- Brian Dewan - vocal on track 22
- Amy Allison - vocal on track 30
- Production[5]
- They Might Be Giants - producer
- Edward Douglas IV - engineer
- Bruce Calder - engineer
- Brian Pollack - engineer
- UE Nastasi - engineer on Fingertips
- Patrick Dillett - mixing on "Fingertips"
- Paul Angelli - recording; mixing on "Fingertips"
- Artwork[5]
- John Flansburgh - design
- Marjorie Galen - art assistance
- Ralph Morse - photography
- Don Uhrbrock - photography
- J. Otto Seibold - photography
- Fred Tomaselli - sculpture
References
- ^ Bresnick, Adam. "They Might Be Giants". Creem, May 1992.
- ^ a b c d Gigantic (A Tale Of Two Johns). Dir. AJ Schnack. 2002. Plexifilm, 2003.
- ^ Santo, Jim. "Beat the Machine". The Music Paper. November 1994.
- ^ "They Might Be Giants Bio". Girlie Action. February 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Apollo 18 liner notes. Elektra Records. 1992.
- ^ a b c "They Might Be Giants Summer 1992 information bulletin". 1992. Archived here. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ Linnell, John. Interview by Arthur Durkee. Night Sites & Sounds. August 1992.
- ^ Direct from Brooklyn 1999 video compilation
- ^ Flansburgh, John and John Linnell. Interview by Jay Leno. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. 1992
- ^ Flansburgh, John, and John Linnell. "John and John Answer Your Questions". TMBG Info Club. Fall 1994. Archived here. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Flansburgh, John, and John Linnell. "John and John Answer Your Questions". TMBG Info Club. Spring 1994. Archived here. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ a b c Jackson, Joab. "How They Might Be Giants Became the House Band for NASA." New Route magazine, May 1992.
- ^ "The Statue Got Me High" liner notes. 1992.
- ^ Flansburgh, John. Response to a fan-submitted question. Tumblr. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ Orloff, Bo (7 February 1992). "TMBG Online Information Bulletin 1.0". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ Orloff, Bo (7 February 1992). "TMBG Online Information Bulletin 1.1". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ Orloff, Bo (7 February 1992). "TMBG Online Information Bulletin 1.2". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ a b Orloff, Bo (19 May 1992). "TMBG Online Information Bulletin 2.1". Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ a b "They Might Be Giants Leno Interview". YouTube. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ "They Might Be Giants - I Palindrome I - live May 1992". YouTube. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ "PRESIDENT BUSH LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL SPACE YEAR". NASA. 24 January 1992. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Rumpus magazine, October 1992.
- ^ They Might Be Giants Summer Fall information bulletin". 1992. Archived here. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- ^ Feinberg, Jonathan. "JDF Discography". Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- ^ Flansburgh, John (19 December 2001). They Might Be Elves. Interview with Kurt B. Reighley. Seattle Weekly. http://www.seattleweekly.com/content/printVersion/157947/. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "Apollo 18 Promo". YouTube. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Apollo 18 at Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Arnold, Gina (1992-03-27). "Apollo 18 Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
- ^ Tomashoff, Craig (April 1992). "Apollo 18". People. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ "They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18 CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: They Might Be Giants". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Robbins, Ira. "They Might Be Giants: Apollo 18 : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. 30 April 1992. Archived on archive.org. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ Apollo 18 chart history. Billboard. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
- ^ "The Statue Got Me High" chart history. Billboard. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
- ^ Pareles, Jon. "Wily Rock With Polka Just Below The Surface". The New York Times. 11 August 1992. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
External links
- Apollo 18 at This Might Be a Wiki
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