I love this band’s album “Flood”. Less impressed by their others. Now, let’s drop some knowledge if ya got any. Was discussing with friends last night and we came up with a few questions no one knew the exact answer to.
On “Flood” there is a song called “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”:
Now, I pointed out that this was done to the tune of that cheesy (but cool) 80’s song “Puttin’ on the Ritz”. Some Debate ensued and after everyone hummed each tune without the words it was agreed, they are very similar.
But one girl seemed to think that TMBG’s “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” was a remake of a song called “Constantinople” or some such thing. Then someone else pointed out that the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” song was itself a remake of an old jazzy number from the 40’s or so. A few questions:
Which song did TMBG’s remake?
Who did the 1980’s version of “Puttin on the Ritz”?
Who did the original “Puttin’ on the Ritz”?
Who did the original “Constantinople”, if such a song even exists?
The 1980s version may have been performed by Taco, but I don’t know for sure since I’ve never heard it (that was from an AllMusic search).
I think it’s a lot more likely that TMBG covered an existing hit song with the same lyrics than came up with an entirely new – but amazingly similar – version based on ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’.
In my opinion ‘Flood’ is their most friendly albulm. John Henry or Lincoln are far superior albulms in terms of song quality and re-plqay value. I listened to Flood all through High School (every kid in Drama had to own it), and now every song annoys me except Sapphire Bullets and Road Movie to Berlin.
Fingertips and Spy are two of my favorite songs of all time.
Interestingly, we find here (about a quarter way down - search for “Ritz”) that The Four Lads were inspired by a song made by Paul Whiteman/Bing Crosby played to the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” notes. Hmmmmm. . .
So: TMBG’s did a remake of a Four Lads song which was inspired by a Bing Crosby song which was sung to the tune of “Puttin on the Ritz”? Learnin’!!!
FWIW, the new TMBG album, “Mink Car,” is pretty interesting. I got it a couple of months ago by downloading an advanced copy from eMusic.com. It’s got a wide variety of styles on it, maybe a little wider than some of their past albums.
One of the songs, however, is already on a commercial. I think it’s for Chrysler, or some car company in any event. It’s the commercial where the guy is driving one of those trams through a parking lot and keeps coming to a quick halt in order to look at the cars. The song is called, “Yeah Yeah.”
I would definitely agree that Flood is the best of the albums I’ve heard, but I haven’t followed their recent work… Nothing after Apollo 18. And I do find that it has replay value… Oddly enough, “Sapphire Bullets” is one of the ones I like less, but most of them I don’t find tiresome at all.
Strangely enough, my favorite TMBG album, by a longshot, is the live collection they released a few years ago, Severe Tire Damage. The live tracks seem to have more energy than the studio cuts.
I had a discussion about this with Czarcasm at our recent Portland Dopefest. It went like this:
Atreyu: “I keep hearing about (TMBG), but all I’ve ever heard is the Malcolm in the Middle theme song. What’s their best album for me to check out?”
Ferrous: “Lincoln.”
Czarcasm: “Flood.”
Ferrous: “Lincoln!”
Czarcasm: “Flood!”
Ferrous: “Lincoln!”
Czarcasm: “Flood!”
Ferrous: “LINCOLN!!”
Czarcasm: “FLOOD!!.”
…it kinda went downhill from there.
But yeah, they’re all good.
I love this, from “John Henry”:
TMBG played in my town, only a 15 minute walk from where I work (and a 30 minute walk from where I live.) I’m ticked off that I couldn’t go. But they tend to come through town in spring, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for their next swing through in April or May.
Unfortunately, they have this knack for showing up when I have exams. Feh.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Green Fool *
I listened to Flood all through High School (every kid in Drama had to own it), and now every song annoys me except Sapphire Bullets and Road Movie to Berlin.
I’ll vote for Lincoln as the best - one of my favorite songs, “Lie Still, Little Bottle”, is on there; also like “Shoehorn With Teeth” - but I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like this song.
I own all their CD’s, but my favorites are definitely their first four (not counting Misc. T).
Does anyone remember the episode of Animaniacs where they used Particle Man and Istabul?
TMBG was the very first concert I attended way back when I was in 9th grade. It was at Avalon in Boston and I was smooshed up against the stage. People were moshing. I still don’t know if moshing to TMBG is a good thing.
Favorite album: tempted to say Flood, but then there’s Lincoln, but Flood has so many good songs, but so did Lincoln, but Flood had minimum wage, but Lincoln had AnaNg…I will say both
Now I must dig out my video to watch the giant heads bounce.
A girl I was trying to “get next to” gave me a tape with Flood on one side and Apollo 18 on t’other. Till then I’d only heard “Birdhouse in my Soul”, which of course remains a fine song, but is nothing without its brothers. “Dinner Bell”. “Minimum Wage”. And that one made out of lots of little clips: “I found a new friend underneath my pillow”; “What’s that blue thing doing here?” etc.
During my tortured adolescence, and I flatter myself that my adolescence was on the slightly more tortured side, I wandered around our neighbourhood after dark - literally “endless nights I walked alone/narrow streets of cobblestone”, with both albums repeating on my personal stereo, like two fingers gently massaging my temples.
I. Love. Them. And they seem to go strangely well alongside The Smiths. Just a bit more cheerful is all.
Interesting point: British television magician and all-round small bloke Paul Daniels sounds not unlike wotsisface off TMBG when he sings.
