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 (4 Customer Reviews)
For their fifth full album of new material, the duo of John Linnel and John Flansburgh (who are They Might Be Giants) expand their lineup into a full-fledged band. They'd been touring as such for a year or two prior to the making of this album and the first peek came with a couple of tracks on the previous year's WHY DOES THE SUN SHINE? EP.
The songs still have their trademark absurdist wordplay. But where two minutes used to suffice, they now comfortably stretch out some numbers to twice that length. The crack rhythm section of drummer Brian Doherty and bassist Tony Maimone can anchor, groove and swing. Horns punch out of the arrangements, adding a luster of celebration to the proceedings. With the opening measures of "No One Knows My Plan," one would be hard-pressed to name the ensemble. But once the singing enters and the song's narrative takes shape, it could be none other than these masters of cerebral fun. Their obvious delight throughout is truly infectious.
Recorded at Bearsville Sound Studios, Bearsville, New York and Skyline Studios, New York, New York.
Hudson Shad: Wilbur Pauley, Peter Becker, Hugo Munday, Mark Bleeke, William Douglas Vannice (vocals).
Personnel: John Flansburgh (vocals, guitar); John Linnell (vocals, horns, keyboards); Peter Becker (bass baritone); Jay Sherman-Godfrey, Robert Quine (guitar); Mark Bleeke (tenor saxophone); Steven Bernstein , Frank London (trumpet); Kevin Osborne (trombone); Kurt Hoffman (horns); Brian Doherty (drums).
Audio Mixer: Ed Thacker.
Recording information: Bearsville Sound Studios; Skyline Studios NYC.
Photographer: Michael Halsband.
Arrangers: Wilbur Pauley; Frank London.
They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh (vocals, guitar); John Linnell (vocals, horns, keyboards).
Additional personnel: Jay Sherman Godfrey, Robert Quine (guitar); Steven Bernstein, Frank London (trumpet); Kevin Osborne (trombone); Kurt Hoffman (horns); Tony Maimone, Graham Maby (bass); Brian Doherty (drums).
Spin (10/94, pp.112-113) - Recommended - "...the good news is that the Johns can still churn out skewed pop niblets just fine..."
Entertainment Weekly (9/16/94, p.120) - "...Recording with a full band helps--the rhythms are looser, the arrangements more muscular--but the lyrics still tend toward undergraduate smarminess..." - Rating: B
Alternative Press (11/94, p.101) - "...Lurching between faux-vaudeville to clear-cut pop, loopy Latino to bona-fide `60s soul, JOHN HENRY reamins as eclectic as anything the Giants have built in the past..."
Musician (11/94, p.92) - "...shows the the Linnell/Flansburgh knack for effortless lyrical slyness continues..."
NME (Magazine) (9/17/94, p.50) - 7 - Very Good - "...they've always had a quite disgusting amount of pop songwriting talent, ideas, humour and daft ambition, and on JOHN HENRY it actually comes out..." John Henry Music | List Price | $6.97 (You save $0.88) | | Category | Rock Albums, Alternative CDs, Rock/Pop | | Label | Elektra | | Orig Year | 1994 | | All Time Sales Rank |  34421  | | CD Universe Part number | 1095788 | | Catalog number | 61654 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Sep 13, 1994 | | Studio/Live | Mixed | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | They Might Be Giants; Paul Fox | | Engineer | Hiro Ishihara; Ed Thacker; Danny Alonso; Chris Laidlaw; Rich Lamb | | Recording Time | 57 minutes | | Personnel | John Linnell - vocals, horns, keyboards
John Flansburgh - vocals, guitar
Jay Sherman-Godfrey
Mark Bleeke - tenor saxophone
Mark Bleeke - tenor saxophone
Peter Becker - bass baritone
Also: Steven Bernstein, Graham Maby, Robert Quine, Frank London, Tony Maimone, Brian Doherty, Kurt Hoffman, Kevin Osborne |
They Might Be Giants John Henry Songs John Henry Music Review Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)  Sub-par but still good
In the beginning TMBG was just two members (John& John) and it was good. Then on this album they added a backup band and it was not so good. This album lacks the feel its predecessors have. I believe that the change comes from the studio inexperience of an full ensemble. If you are looking for your first TMBG album your money will be better spent on Flood, Apollo 18, or Mink Car in my opinion. If you are already a fan looking to fill out your collection this is a good choice because it fleshes out their work and gives it more depth. All in all it is a They Might Be Giants album and that at least makes it better then 50% of the other choices out there.
Submitted by a7822147402 (Fort Wayne, IN, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.  The Fave of a Big Fan
This is the most misunderstood of all TMBG's releases. I remember the fans' reactions at the time - "but they're not using a drum machine!" However, once you get used to the "actual band" sound, it turns out this one holds up with Flood as their two finest. The songs are very catchy, and for the first time they are full of actual rock energy as well. Great guitar solos (My Plan)! Great big fat bass sounds (Out of Jail)! A guest band (Forsake Me)!?! And the peculiar and dangerous ideas still abound (AKA Driver, Self Called Nowhere). This was also the bands best tour, with a full horn section and only John on guitar. I remember them coming onstage and saying in that famous rock and roll cliche way "We're playing our whole new album, top to bottom!" I was delighted, and you will be too. Just buy it already!
Submitted by info (Los Angeles, CA, USA)
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 Totally Off the Mark
I first heard "John Henry" when it was released in 1994. My first reaction after hearing it through was "My God, they've lost the magic." Years later, I still consider this their worst album.
Nearly every song is a lackluster production -- a former shadow of the wit and wordplay that was so prevalent in their eponymous debut album up to "Apollo 18".
Highlights are "Unrelated Thing", "AKA Driver", "Extra Savoir-Faire", "Meet James Ensor" and "The End of the Tour". The rest (including the shapeless, boring, and overhyped "Spy") is filler at best and sub-sub-sub-par TMBG at worst.
I really wanted to like this album, but this one proves that they can't ALL be gems.
Submitted by a reviewer (New Bedford, MA)
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They Did It Again!!!!
The Johns finally figured out how to keep their unique zany brain-rock style of music alive and well while bringing in some more "sane" musicians to play. The result is a full, sometimes hard hitting, sometimes sweet sounding, always distinctive album with a super over-all impression. Buy it immeditally!
Submitted by miketmbg (Montoursville, PA)
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