Book (album)

2021 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Book

Studio album by

They Might Be Giants

Released| November 12, 2021
Recorded| March 2019 – December 2020
Studio| Reservoir Studios, Manhattan
The Governor's Bluff, Sullivan County
Collyer Brothers Studio, Brooklyn
Genre| Alternative rock
Length| 42:03
Label| Idlewild
Producer| Pat Dillett
They Might Be Giants chronology
| The Escape Team
(2018)  | Book
(2021)  |

|
|

Alternative cover

Cover of the book + CD edition

Book is the 23rd studio album by New York City-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released on November 12, 2021.[1] It was released as a digital download, a compact disc, a vinyl record, a cassette tape, an 8-track tape, and a hardcover book plus CD.[2]

The album was announced in July 2020.[3] It was released along with a 144-page book which features lyrics from 14 of the 15 songs from the album, as well as songs from the accompanying "The Pamphlet" EP and other recent They Might Be Giants albums. The lyrics appear in the form of shape poems with accompanying photos.

Book was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package.[4]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [1]
And It Don't Stop| B+[5]

On AllMusic Heather Phares wrote, "Comprising an album and a 144-page collection of photos by Brian Karlsson and lyrics expressively rendered by a 1970s IBM Selectric typewriter, Book is an audiovisual celebration of the band's enduring strengths... Consistently entertaining with a few flashes of brilliance, Book kicks off the band's fifth decade of music-making with substance and style."[1]

On PopMatters Chris Conaton said, "After 40 years and 20-plus albums that span many, many genres but are almost always filled with big hooks and endearing bizarreness, They Might Be Giants are as energetic and interesting as ever. The fact that they've always had an absurdist bent and an experimental side essentially lets them do whatever they want.... [Book is] a thoroughly enjoyable record from start to finish."[6]

In Glide Magazine Shawn Donohue wrote, "The album is accompanied by a 144-page full-color, cloth-bound hardcover which features original work by Brooklyn photographer Brian Karlsson and lyrics selected from several TMBG albums set in typographical illustrations by graphic designer Paul Sahre.... On Book (the record) They Might Be Giants continue to pump out what they always have, smart earworm pop tunes that are slightly odd, tastefully corny and instantly catchy."[7]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by John Flansburgh, John Linnell.

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Synopsis for Latecomers"| 2:25
2.| "Moonbeam Rays"| 2:51
3.| "I Broke My Own Rule"| 3:22
4.| "Brontosaurus"| 3:04
5.| "Lord Snowdon"| 2:25
6.| "If Day for Winnipeg"| 2:13
7.| "I Can't Remember the Dream"| 3:12
8.| "Drown the Clown"| 2:41
9.| "Darling, the Dose"| 2:15
10.| "I Lost Thursday"| 3:14
11.| "Part of You Wants to Believe Me"| 2:58
12.| "Super Cool"| 2:11
13.| "Wait Actually Yeah No"| 3:20
14.| "Quit the Circus"| 2:52
15.| "Less Than One"| 3:00
Total length:| 42:03

## Personnel

[edit]

They Might Be Giants

* John Flansburgh – vocals, guitars, programming, etc.
* John Linnell – vocals, keyboards, woodwinds, etc.

Backing band

* Dan Miller – guitar
* Danny Weinkauf – bass
* Marty Beller – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

* Curt Ramm – trumpet
* Dan Levine – trombone, bass trombone
* Stan Harrison – baritone saxophone, flute

Production

* Produced by Patrick Dillett and They Might Be Giants
* Mixing: Patrick Dillett, Thom Beemer
* Engineering: James Yost, Thom Beemer, Matthew Sullivan
* Mastering: UE Nastasi
* Art direction: Paul Sahre
* Photography: Brian Karlsson

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Book Chart (2021)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard 200[8] | 87
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[9] | 14
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[10] | 7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[11] | 10

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Phares, Heather. "Book – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
2. ^ Thacker, Lee (November 12, 2021). "They Might Be Giants – Book – Album Review". Set the Tape. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
3. ^ "Instant Fan Club: Book Edition". They Might Be Giants Instant Fan Club. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
4. ^ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
5. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 9, 2022). "Consumer Guide: November, 2022". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
6. ^ Conaton, Chris (November 17, 2021). "They Might Be Giants Write the 'Book'". PopMatters. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
7. ^ Donohue, Shawn (November 12, 2021). "They Might Be Giants Continue Its Quirky Earworm Songcraft with 'Book'". Glide Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
8. ^ "They Might Be Giants Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
9. ^ "They Might Be Giants Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
10. ^ "They Might Be Giants Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
11. ^ "They Might Be Giants Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2022.

* v
* t
* e

They Might Be Giants

* John Flansburgh
* John Linnell
* Dan Miller
* Danny Weinkauf
* Marty Beller

* Hal Cragin
* Brian Doherty
* Jonathan Feinberg
* Dan Hickey
* Kurt Hoffman
* Graham Maby
* Tony Maimone
* Eric Schermerhorn

Studio albums|

| Rock albums|

* They Might Be Giants (1986)
* Lincoln (1988)
* Flood (1990)
* Apollo 18 (1992)
* John Henry (1994)
* Factory Showroom (1996)
* Long Tall Weekend (1999)
* Mink Car (2001)
* The Spine (2004)
* The Else (2007)
* Join Us (2011)
* Nanobots (2013)
* Glean (2015)
* Phone Power (2016)
* I Like Fun (2018)
* My Murdered Remains (2018)
* The Escape Team (2018)
* Book (2021)

|

Children's albums|

* No! (2002)
* Here Come the ABCs (2005)
* Here Come the 123s (2008)
* Here Comes Science (2009)
* Why? (2015)

EPs|

* Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) (1993)
* Back to Skull (1994)
* Working Undercover for the Man (2000)
* They Might Be Giants In... Holidayland (2001)
* Bed, Bed, Bed (2003)
* Indestructible Object (2004)
* The Spine Surfs Alone (2004)

Singles|

* "Don't Let's Start"
* "Ana Ng"
* "They'll Need a Crane"
* "Purple Toupee"
* "Birdhouse in Your Soul"
* "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
* "I Palindrome I"
* "O Tannenbaum"
* "Boss of Me"
* "Can't Keep Johnny Down"
* "You're on Fire"
* "Lazy"

Other songs|

* "Particle Man"
* "James K. Polk"

Live albums|

* Live!! New York City 10/14/94 (1994)
* Severe Tire Damage (1998)
* Live (1999)
* The Spine Hits the Road (2004)
* Almanac (2004)
* Venue Songs (2004)
* First Album Live! (2014)
* Flood Live in Australia (2015)
* Live in Brooklyn (2016)
* Beast of Horns (2024)

Compilations|

* Don't Let's Start (1989)
* Miscellaneous T (1991)
* Then: The Earlier Years (1997)
* Best of the Early Years (1999)
* They Got Lost (2002)
* Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants (2002)
* A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants (2005)
* Venue Songs DVD/CD (2005)
* Album Raises New and Troubling Questions (2011)
* Idlewild (2014)

Video releases|

* Direct from Brooklyn (1999)
* Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003)
* Here Come the ABCs (2005)
* Venue Songs DVD/CD (2005)
* Here Come the 123s (2008)
* Here Comes Science (2009)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Mono Puff
* State Songs (1999)
* The Brothers Chaps
* International Space Year
* "Tiny Toon Music Television" (1991)

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