Flood is the third studio album by American alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, released in January 1990. Flood was the duo's first album on the major label Elektra Records. It generated three singles: "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", and the domestic promotional track "Twisting".
The album is generally considered to be the band's definitive release, as it is their best-selling and most recognizable album, and is regarded by some as one of the best albums of the 1990s. Despite minimal stylistic and instrumental differences from previous releases, Flood is distinguished by contributions from seasoned producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. Band members John Linnell and John Flansburgh also took advantage of new equipment and recording techniques, including unconventional, home-recorded samples, which were programmed through Casio FZ-1 synthesizers. The album was recorded in New York City at Skyline Studios, which was better equipped than studios the band had worked in previously.
Promotion for Flood included television appearances, promotional videos, and an international tour. The album's mainstream promotion and success contributed to its status as the band's most well-known album. Many fans, including young viewers of Tiny Toon Adventures, were first exposed to They Might Be Giants' music through Flood.
The album was initially issued on CD, LP, and cassette. Upon its release, Flood was met with praise from critics and achieved moderate success on sales charts. In 2013, the album was reissued as part of a CD series spanning They Might Be Giants' four Elektra releases. In 2014, it was reissued on LP in Europe by Music On Vinyl and in the United States by Asbestos Records for Record Store Day and Black Friday, and it was reissued again on LP in 2015 and in 2023 on the band's label, Idlewild Recordings.
Album perfection. This was everything when it came out. I was already a fan but this one showed everyone else. I could and can and surely always will be able to sing along knowing every word to every song. This is foundational stuff to me -- I see that I mentioned TMBG in five other reviews, that's what a touchstone this stuff is.
I saw them live in LoDo in Denver, where they starting singing "Everybody conga, I'm not fucking kidding, EVERYBODY conga" until the whole crowd was in one big conga line. Which is to say they are just as fun live as you would hope they would be. I also got them to sign my TMBG shirt after a show in WV and I wore that thing to tatters.
Charles Cornell did an amazing musical breakdown of Birdhouse in Your Soul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2CkEgFgXk
Absolutely should have been on the main list and a great share.
The accordion is a vastly underrated badass instrument.
I hadn't heard "Birdhouse In Your Soul" in a thousand years (yes I travel through time) and had forgotten the existence of this song - I like it infinitely more than I used to.
An album packed with clever melodies that are at the same time both easily-accessible and complex - that's a tough trick to pull off well and they do; I think part of it is keeping the songs tight and short.
I have to think Barenaked Ladies were totally influenced by this, especially on "Snacktime" - shut up it's awesome.
I was definitely interested to hear this today as back when it was released I was *very much* not into this kind of music (but either way how was no TMBG album in the book??), but again I used to be stupid. Excellent work and a worthy addition.
8/10 4 stars
IMO: Belonged in the book? Yes.
The release of this album coincided with my entry into college and the college radio scene so, it was already ubiquitous, and then I had a friend and housemate who played it incessantly for a while, which did not endear it to me at the time. The upshots being I hadn't intentionally listened to any of this in decades, but found I was still pretty much note for note familiar with it. Really, I like these guys - there is a ton of intelligence and intent and talent behind this. We had some of the kids' albums when my lad was a tot and listened to them a ton. I will allow that the almost aggressive quirk can outstay its welcome. But revisiting this classic was fun. On its own terms its a great album.
On the other TMBG album I said that this is the one that should have been submitted. They deserve a spot on the list for their niche they've carved out. Glad someone submitted it.
My personal rating: 5/5
My rating relative to the list: 5/5
Should this have been included on the original list? Yes.
How in the world is this album not on the original list? I have a deep love for this album, my wife and I even played Birdhouse in Your Soul to start the recessional at our wedding. 5 stars.
These guys are usually a tad too folksy/quirky for my taste but this LP hit a great middle-ground. The more idiosyncratic songwriting had its time to shine without being overly annoying, and the instrumentals felt more rock-focused and memorable. The album as a whole did feel somewhat disjoint and lacking in a stronger thematic thread, but it was still a solid listen at the end of the day.
I was nervous going into this one. TMBG is one of the major fathers of quirky nerd music, and I’ve been lukewarm at best on most of the other quirky nerd music that people have been sending in. It's actually a pretty big nostalgia album from my youth, but I hadn't put it on in over 15 years.
I think ultimately it’s held up pretty well, but I can sort of feel the strain of how my taste has changed over the years. There’s a handful of all-time great songs on here, but they’re separated by deserts of throwaway tracks, and it feels like there’s not a ton of intention or craft in the sequencing. Fun trip down memory lane, though.
They Might Be Giants is a band that makes great and smart songs. If it works the lyrics are great and funny and all the complexity in the melodic and rhythm structure adds another layer. If it does not work, the complexity of the songs is annoying and the lyrics are pretentious and boring. It has great tracks in "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Whistling in the Dark". The other tracks work most of the time, but not all, resulting in another TMBG album leaving me with mixed feelings.
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