Tracks

1. Dig My Gravee

2. I Palindrome I

3. She's Actual Size

4. My Evil Twin

5. Mammal

6. The Statue Got Me High

7. Spider

8. The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)

9. Dinner Bell

10. Narrow Your Eyes

11. Hall Of Heads

12. Which Describes How You're Feeling

13. See The Constellation

14. If I Wasn't Shy

15. Turn Around

16. Hypnotist Of Ladies

17. Fingertips

18. Space Suit

Performer Notes

They Might Be Giants: John Linnell, John Flansburgh.
Additional personnel: Nicholas Hill, Elma Mayer, Brian Dewan, Amy Allison, Judy Cohen, Laura Cantrell (vocals); Mark Feldman (violin); Garo Yellin (cello); Frank London (trumpet); Jim Thomas (drums).
Recorded at The Magic Shop, New York.
APOLLO 18 is They Might Be Giants' second major label outing. It offers their now-familiar mix of catchy but oblique pop ditties ("I Palindrome I," "My Evil Twin," "The Statue Got Me High"), humorously punny numbers ("She's Actual Size," "Dinner Bell"), an endlessly unspooling narrative ("Turn Around"), and a quasi-educational song ("Mammal"). This time out they've also created a bold experiment with "Fingertips," a series of 21 separately-indexed song fragments that can be programmed by the listener (or randomly sequenced by the CD player) into a finished form.
As always, John Linnel and John Flansburgh's seemingly nonsensical lyrics possess deceptively layered and highly crafted ideas and phrases that often add up to more than the sum of their parts. Coupled with hook-laden melodies and settings, the songs' friendly bearings quickly make them unforgettable.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (4/30/92, p.57) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...Superb pop craftsmen with a hyperactive sense of caprice...the album switches styles with the dial-a-style eclecticism of a jukebox..."

Entertainment Weekly (3/27/92, p.76) - "...dorky charm...good old-fashioned tunefulness..." - Rating: B+

Q (4/92, p.83) - 3 Stars - Good - "...the usual slice of fun...never less than entertaining..."

Village Voice (3/9/93, p.80) - "...The packed pop-pomo pastiches make the redolent meaninglessness of near-literal lyrics signify and sing....stunning..." - Rating: A-