Rating:  -
Viewed as a transition album, John Henry represents the team of the brothers John at the height of its creativity. I find it surprising that some of the best tracks on the album are overlooked; interestingly, I view "Spy" as the weakest track on the album, followed by "Sleeping in the flowers" as the next weakest - The ones I think stand out are: Subliminal - brilliant. One of the best TMBG songs ever. Listen to it numerous times for full impact, and the reverse portion reversed, if possible. Why Must I Be Sad - Great, great, great. Rows of dandelions. The lyrical steam machine at its best. Dirt Bike - ditto above, with a smoky sound. Thermostat - Pure delicious TMBG; this song would have fit as well on 19 song debut LP as on John Henry. The End of The tour - sadly beautiful, and prophetic. This album, in a way, was 'the end of the tour' ... TMBG has never been the same since, in a negative way, unfortunately. This is the last of TMBG's great albums, if Factory Showroom or severe tire damage are any indication.
Rating:  -
This album is known as the one where They Might Be Giants first became a "full band." Some people apparently dislike it for this reason. Maybe they think that the drum machine was more important to TMBG's sound than clever lyrics and catchy, eclectic music. Or maybe I'm totally wrong here. I don't know. What I do know is that, while there is some definite charm to the early, heavily synthesized sound of the "pink album" and other early TMBG work, this album is still excellent. The full band allows TMBG to take new directions with their music. Granted, some of these directions aren't that good (the choppy improvisational bit at the end of "Spy," for instance), but most of them are. There are excellent horn arrangements on such tracks as the amazing "Sleeping In The Flowers" and the upbeat "No One Knows My Plan" (possibly the first conga song to reference Plato's Allegory of the Cave). There are a wide range of other songs on this album, including the slow and country-ish "Unrelated Thing," the arrogant mariachi-type "Extra Savoir-Faire," the choir-like vocal stylings of "O, Do Not Forsake Me" (performed by a group called Hudson Shad), the somewhat amusingly melancholy (and distinctly New English) "A Self Called Nowhere," the semi-educational "Meet James Ensor," the heavy metal sound of "Stomp Box," and, to finish things up, the rather sad "The End Of The Tour" (often acknowledged to be a TMBG masterpiece). That's not all, either; there are twenty songs on here, making it the band's longest studio album. This is great work by a great band.
Rating:  -
John Henry is a strange album. The first half is excellent and the 2nd half is lukewarm. Subliminal, the opening track, is an excellent song and starts the lunacy right away by talking about getting hit by a car. The horns add excitement to Sleeping In The Flowers between the tempo changes. And the rest of the 10 opening tracks are catchy. Now the last songs just never clicked with me. I usually enjoy every song on every TMBG effort, but the remainder of this album is a bore to me. Maybe over time I will rediscover these tunes, but for now, this album remains the weakest entry. However, as a fan, you should own this album, especially for the opening track.
Rating: -
We all know that TMBG is the greatest thing to ever happen to the universe. But what some people don't know is that this is probably Their best album! Don't ignore it just because it sounds different from the other pile of albums. It'll be the worst decision you ever make. With only one unlistenable song, (Extra Savoir Faire) this album shows just how mature They have become. The songs are no longer upbeat and funny. They are meaningful, sometimes heavy, sometimes depressing, but always good.
Rating: -
My first exposure to They Might Be Giants when I discovered a tape of Apollo 18. After that, there was no turning back. I immeaditly went out and bought whatever I could find, Lincoln, a great piece that I listened to constantly. Then I bought John Henry. I listened to it once and... didn't again for two years. I didn't realize then, the difference in sound or lyrics. I just noticed I didn't like it that much. Now, TMBG "purists" say this is the bad album. It is. If you listen to it once. I was bored from all my other CD's, so I went back to John Henry and listened to it through. Still didn't like it. But I forgot to take it out of the stereo. And I heard it again. And again. At the moment, I'd say John Henry is my most listened to TMBG album, followed by Lincoln, Severe Tire Damage, and Apollo 18. This album grows on you, and, while the first-impression may be one of wasted money, listen to it more, even though you don't want to, and I guarantee you will learn to enjoy it. Remember, first impressions are oft wrong. Don't let this first impression ruin the album. It's like a blind date - you think of them one way, but slowly, the more time you spend involved with them, the better you know them, the more you like them. Date this Album. You won't regret it.
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