We Worked The Hardest To Be The Smartest

Then: The Early Years

   Then: The Early Years is a double disc composed of the albums They Might Be Giants, Lincoln, Miscellaneous T, and of never before released material.  It was realeased by Restless Records in 1997.  There are 19 unreleased songs, which make the CD and happen to be TMBG at their finest.  The song Weep Day is a very tropical song full bongos and congas.  Greek #3 is the song Number Three sung in Greek by Linnell. Then there is Hope That I Get Old Before I Die (Demo Version) which sounds like its from a drunken German bar.  Fake Out In Buenos Aires has a cool latin flavor.  The there is a demo version of Which Describes How Your Feeling that has fake backwards talking, and I happen to like it better.  One of the most insane TMBG songs is the extremely fast beating Become A Robot.  Beats and odd folk reign once again on this double disc.  It is possibly the best collection of TMBG material yet.  My personal favorite is Become A Robot.

My Rating For this Album is: A+

The Track Listing for Then:

Disc One

1. Everything Right Is Wrong Again
2. Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head
3. Number Three
4. Don't Let's Start
5. Hide Away Folk Family
6. 32 Footsteps
7. Toddler Highway
8. Rabid Child
9. Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes
10. (She Was A) Hotel Detective
11. She's An Angel
12. Youth Culture Killed My Dog
13. Boat of Car
14. Absolutely Bill's Mood
15. Chess Peice Face
16. I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die
17. Alienation's For The Rich
18. The Day
19. Rythm Section Want Ad
20. We're The Replacements
21. When It Rains It Snows
22. The Famous Polka
23.
24. For Science
25. The Biggest One
26. Kiss Me Son Of God (alternate)
27. Mr. Klaw
28. Critic Intro
29. Now That I Have Everything
30. Mainstream USA
31. Fake Out In Buenos Aires
32. Greek #3
33. Hope That I Get Old Before I Die (Demo Version)
34. I'm Def
35. Don't Lets Start (Demo Version)
36. '85 Radio Special Thank You

Disc Two

1. Ana Ng
2. Cowtown
3. Lie Still Little Bottle
4. Purple Toupee
5. Cage & Aquarium
6. Where Your Eyes Don't Go
7. Piece Of Dirt
8. Mr. Me
9. Pencil Rain
10. The World's Address
11. I've Got A Match
12. Santa's Beard
13. You'll Miss Me
14. They'll Need A Crane
15. Shoehorn With Teeth
16. Stand On Your Own Head
17. Snowball In Hell
18. Kiss Me Son Of God 19. Hello Radio
20. It's Not My Birthday
21. I'll Sink Manhattan
22. Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon
23. The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix)
24. Hey, Mr. Dj, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal
25. Lady Is A Tramp
26. Birds Fly
27. Kitten Intro
28. Weep Day
29. The Big Big Whoredom
30. I'm Gettin Sentimental Over You (Adaptation)
31. Become A Robot
32. Which Describes How Your Feeling
33. Swing Is A Word
34. Doris Cunningham
35. Counterfeit Fake
36. Schoolchildren Singing Particle Man