Apollo 18 - They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants' fourth album, 'Apollo 18' is another excellent collection of songs, and was produced to coincide with the International Year of Space, 1992. The lyrics remain as surreal as ever, and the band have produced some superb songs, many of which are easily as catchy as those of 'Flood', their third album. The highlights of the album are, for me; 'I Palindrome I' which includes an excellent palindromic chorus; 'Spider', an all-too-brief burst of supremely odd lyrics; and 'Hypnotist of Ladies'. In their attempt to introduce occasional tunes featuring educational information, they've included ...

This album came out two years after Flood and Birdhouse in your soul gave TMBG their biggest hits in the UK (and by the sounds of their patter on the live gigs in the US as well - they claim they could play Birdhouse even if their brainstems were cut). Sadly, it seems as if they were rushed into producing albums after that success, and Apollo 18 is not as consistently good as their normal output. Having said that, there are some high points, in particular The Guitar (The Lion sleeps tonight), one of only two cover versions I am aware of, and one that bares only a very slight resemblance to the original. Buy it, but buy all the rest first. ...