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Lincoln (album)

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Lincoln
CD and streaming cover. The vinyl cover features the band's name above the shrine.
Studio album by
They Might Be Giants
ReleasedSeptember 25, 1988
RecordedMarch–June 1988
StudioDubway, New York City
Genre
Length39:32
Label
ProducerBill Krauss
They Might Be Giants chronology
They Might Be Giants
(1986) 		Lincoln
(1988) 		Don't Let's Start
(1989)
Singles from Lincoln
  1. "Ana Ng"
    Released: 1988
  2. "They'll Need a Crane"
    Released: February 10, 1989
  3. "Purple Toupee"
    Released: July 1989

Lincoln is the second studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released by Bar/None in 1988. The album is named after John Linnell and John Flansburgh's boyhood home of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The album produced three singles—"Ana Ng", "They'll Need a Crane", and "Purple Toupee". It is included on Then: The Earlier Years, a compilation of the band's early material, in its entirety.

Style

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Lincoln maintains the range of musical styles present on the previous album, They Might Be Giants, and lyrically attempts to merge word play into narrative songs. Lyrical themes are broadened with the inclusion of songs detailing troubled romantic relationships ("Ana Ng", "They'll Need a Crane", "I've Got a Match"),[1][2] and songs that verge on social or political satire ("Purple Toupee", "Kiss Me, Son of God"),[3][4] whereas musically, the album explores a number of genres. For example, songs such as "Cowtown" and "Mr. Me" incorporate elements of sea shanties, while "Lie Still, Little Bottle" suggests a jazz influence.[5]

Like previous releases, Lincoln does not utilize a full band arrangement. Instead, bass and drum tracks are entirely synthetic or sampled, with the exception of live drums on "Lie Still, Little Bottle". The drum tracks on the album were produced with an Alesis HR-16 drum machine.[6] The album featured The Ordinaires, a nonet which was also signed to the Bar/None label, providing the arrangement for "Kiss Me, Son of God".[7]

Release

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As of 1999, the album had sold more than 200,000 copies, double the amount of the previous album.[8]

Packaging

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The cover art depicts a shrine built by Brian Dewan and photographed by Carol Kitman.[7] Two slightly different versions of the cover photograph exist: one that was used for domestic releases, and another that was used for all releases outside the United States with the exception of the Australian releases and Italian CD. The two men pictured behind the lecterns in the shrine are John Linnell's great-grandfather, Lewis T. Linnell (left), and Flansburgh's maternal grandfather, Brigadier General Ralph Hospital (right).[9][10]

The artwork for the album was designed by John Flansburgh.[11] The CD and LP labels feature diagrams of an accordion and accordion case, which were drawn by John Linnell.[12]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
MusicHound4.5/5[14]
NME8/10[15]
Q[16]
Record Mirror4/5[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[19]
Select4/5[20]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[21]
The Village VoiceB+[22]

Lincoln received generally positive reviews. David Kissinger of Rolling Stone called the album "every bit as eccentric as its predecessor, and even more eclectic", though this was supplemented with the disclaimer that "[a]t times this penchant for the bizarre leads them into pointlessly sophomoric zaniness". Robert Christgau of The Village Voice described the band as "actively annoying even if intelligence is all you ask of your art-pop" and called the album's hooks "cleverness for cleverness's sake", nonetheless conceding that "damned clever they are."[22] The album placed at number 78 on Pitchfork's 100 Best Albums of the 1980s.[23]

The album peaked at number 89 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in 1989, spending 19 weeks on that chart. Its success led to They Might Be Giants' signing to the major label Elektra Records in 1990. Lincoln also generated the band's first charting single, "Ana Ng", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[24] The single, which was only released promotionally in the United States, also received positive attention. Christgau praised it as "a beyond-perfect tour de force about a Vietnamese woman they never got to meet". The other singles from the album, "They'll Need a Crane" and "Purple Toupee", failed to chart, though both songs and the track "Kiss Me, Son of God" received praise from Stewart Mason of Allmusic.

In his review of Lincoln, Robert Christgau cited "Purple Toupee" as a potential highlight from the album's A-side, though not as strong as the lead single "Ana Ng". He describes the song as "antiboomer".[25] The track was also designated as an Allmusic "pick". Writing for Allmusic, Stewart Mason lauds the song's "infectious tune" and adds that the chorus is "among the duo's most endearing and memorable". Like Christgau, Mason speculates that it carries a baby-boomer theme from the perspective of a confused child of the 1960s.[26] In an Allmusic review of the full album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine also names "Purple Toupee" one of the album's strong "pop hooks".[27]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by They Might Be Giants.

Side one
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Ana Ng"John Linnell3:23
2."Cowtown"John Flansburgh / Linnell2:21
3."Lie Still, Little Bottle"Flansburgh2:06
4."Purple Toupee"Linnell2:40
5."Cage & Aquarium"Flansburgh1:10
6."Where Your Eyes Don't Go"Linnell3:06
7."Piece of Dirt"Flansburgh2:00
8."Mr. Me"Linnell1:52
9."Pencil Rain"Linnell2:42
Side two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
10."The World's Address"Flansburgh2:24
11."I've Got a Match"Linnell2:36
12."Santa's Beard"Flansburgh1:55
13."You'll Miss Me"Flansburgh1:53
14."They'll Need a Crane"Linnell2:33
15."Shoehorn with Teeth"Flansburgh / Linnell1:13
16."Stand on Your Own Head"Linnell1:16
17."Snowball in Hell"Flansburgh2:31
18."Kiss Me, Son of God"Linnell1:54
Total length:39:32

2013 Australian bonus tracks

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No.TitleLength
19."Hello Radio"0:55
20."It's Not My Birthday"1:52
21."I'll Sink Manhattan"2:32
22."Nightgown of the Sullen Moon"1:59
23."World's Address" (Joshua Fried remix)5:42
24."Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal"3:48
25."The Lady Is a Tramp" (Rodgers and Hart)1:20
26."Birds Fly"1:25
27."Kitten Intro"1:43
28."Weep Day"1:50
29."The Big Big Whoredom"1:39
30."I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (Bassman and Washington)1:59
31."Become a Robot"1:18
32."Which Describes How You're Feeling"1:24
33."Swing Is a Word"0:53
34."Doris Cunningham"0:12
35."Counterfeit Fake"0:39
36."Schoolchildren Singing 'Particle Man'"2:05

Singles

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Purple Toupee

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"Purple Toupee"
"Purple Toupee" cover art
Promotional single artwork
Single by They Might Be Giants
from the album Lincoln
Released1989
Recorded1988
GenreAlternative rock, art pop
Length2:40
LabelBar/None, Restless
Songwriter(s)John Flansburgh, John Linnell
Producer(s)Bill Krauss
They Might Be Giants singles chronology
"They'll Need a Crane"
(1989) 		"Purple Toupee"
(1989) 		"Birdhouse in Your Soul"
(1989)
Music video
Purple Toupee on YouTube

"Purple Toupee" is a 1988 song from the album.[28] It was released as a promotional single in 1989. In 1994, a live performance of the song was recorded for the promotional live album, Live!! New York City 10/14/94, which was released by Elektra Records. According to John Linnell, the song's disjointed lyrics recount a warped memory of the 1960s. The song comments on a contemporary "sixties revival", which Linnell perceived as a "one-dimensional caricature" of the decade.[29] In a nod to this inauthenticity, the lyrics are intentionally misleading, and do not accurately represent the events that they reference.[30] Two Prince songs—"Purple Rain" and "Raspberry Beret"—also served as sources of inspiration for "Purple Toupee".[29]

Bar/None Records advertised "Purple Toupee" by pasting fake labels on 8-track tapes by other artists. The cartridges, disguised as a release from TMBG, were mailed to radio stations, in addition to CDs that actually contained the song.[31] The song had a music video directed by Helene Silverman, who had previously done graphic design work with the band.[32] The video was filmed at Coney Island and features John Linnell and John Flansburgh playing accordion and guitar, respectively, at Astroland Park.[33]

"Purple Toupee" was intended for release as an EP with three B-sides. It was listed as a release for 12" vinyl, CD, and cassette. The following tracks were presented on the band's B-side compilation, Miscellaneous T:

  1. "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"
  2. "Lady Is a Tramp"
  3. "Birds Fly"

The songs were also included on a 2013 reissue of Lincoln in Australian markets by Breakaway Records.[34]

Notes


Personnel

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Track numbers refer to CD track list.

They Might Be Giants[35]

  • John Flansburgh – lead vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17), electric guitar (1, 2, 4–6, 8–12, 14, 16), trumpet (3, 13), backing vocals (4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18), acoustic guitar (6, 7, 9, 14, 17), melodica (17)
  • John Linnell – lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14–16, 18), backing vocals (1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17), accordion (1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 15–17), autoharp (1, 9), clarinet (2), keyboard (2, 6, 9–14, 16–18), baritone saxophone (3, 15), bass saxophone (5, 10, 13), bass harmonica (7), tenor saxophone (15), banjo (16)

Additional musicians

  • Lisa Klapp – bridge monologue (1)
  • Kenneth Nolan – drums (3)
  • Unknown – glockenspiel (15)
  • The Ordinaires – arrangement (18)

Production

  • Brian Dewan – cover art
  • Al Houghton – engineer
  • Carol Kitman – cover photography
  • Bill Krauss – producer

Charts

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Chart performance for Lincoln
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 116

References

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  1. ^ Huey, Steve. "Ana Ng – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  2. ^ Mason, Stewart. "They'll Need a Crane – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  3. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Purple Toupee – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  4. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Kiss Me, Son of God – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  5. ^ Tyre, Peg (February 6, 1989). "Giant Steps". New York. Vol. 22, no. 6. pp. 52–55. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Stated by John Linnell in a 1999 online chat (archived here)
  7. ^ a b Lincoln liner notes.
  8. ^ Muro, Matt (October 3, 1999). "Where Rockers Have A Mind, and a Label, Of their Own". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  9. ^ According to this unofficial FAQ, this was stated in the Fall, 1991 issue of "They", the fan club magazine; it was also noted in the "TMBG Info Club" newsletter, Fall 1994 (archived here).
  10. ^ Generals of World War II - Ralph Hospital was an Artillery Commander for the American forces.
  11. ^ Flansburgh's response to a question submitted to a Tumblr blog administered by the band
  12. ^ Pitchfork magazine, 1996
  13. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lincoln – They Might Be Giants". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  14. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "They Might Be Giants". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 1138–1139. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  15. ^ Brown, Len (February 25, 1989). "They Might Be Giants: Lincoln". NME. p. 32.
  16. ^ Black, Johnny (March 1989). "They Might Be Giants: Lincoln". Q. No. 30.
  17. ^ Dee, Johnny (February 25, 1989). "They Might Be Giants: Lincoln". Record Mirror. p. 28.
  18. ^ Kissinger, David (January 26, 1989). "They Might Be Giants: Lincoln". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  19. ^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "They Might Be Giants". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 808–809. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  20. ^ Perry, Andrew (July 1991). "They Might Be Giants: Lincoln". Select. No. 13. p. 84.
  21. ^ Arnold, Gina (1995). "They Might Be Giants". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 401–402. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  22. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (March 14, 1989). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  23. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. November 21, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  24. ^ Billboard.com "Lincoln - They Might Be Giants". Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  25. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG". Consumer Guide. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  26. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Purple Toupee - They Might Be Giants". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  27. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lincoln - They Might Be Giants". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  28. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". pitchfork.com. November 20, 2002.
  29. ^ a b DeMain, Bill (2004-01-01). In Their Own Words: Songwriters Talk About The Creative Process. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-98402-1. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  30. ^ Linnell, John (2008-02-18). "Interview with John Linnell of They Might Be Giants" (Interview). Interviewed by Kent Brown. Stay Thirsty Media. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  31. ^ Popson, Tom (1989-07-21). "Pete Townshend Recalls School 'Nightmare'". Chicago Tribune.
  32. ^ Silverman, Helene. "About :: News". Helenesilverman.net. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  33. ^ Direct from Brooklyn (DVD). Restless Records. 2003.
  34. ^ "First Two They Might Be Giants Albums to Be Reissued in Australia". Noise11. 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  35. ^ "Lincoln". This Might Be a Wiki: The TMBG Knowledge Base. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  36. ^ "They Might Be Giants ARIA Chart history (albums) 1988 to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
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