The Spine Surfs Alone: Rarities 1998-2005
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Compilation by They Might Be Giants | |||||
| First released | November 19, 2024 Release details / collectors: Show | Hide |
Tracks | 21 | |||
| Label | Idlewild Recordings | Length | 45:01 | |||
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The Spine Surfs Alone: Rarities 1998-2005 is a rarities compilation album by They Might Be Giants.
Purchase[edit]
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Description[edit]
The compilation is mostly made up of B-sides released from 1998 to 2005, and consists entirely of tracks that had not previously been on vinyl.
- Tracks 1-7 are the full The Spine Surfs Alone EP (2004)
- Tracks 8-11 are from Severe Tire Damage (1998)
- Track 12 is from Music From Malcolm In The Middle (2001)
- Track 13 is from the Man, It's So Loud In Here EP (2001)
- Track 14 is from Listen To What The Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute To The Music Of Paul McCartney (2001)
- Track 15 is from Wig In A Box - Songs From And Inspired By Hedwig And The Angry Inch (2003)
- Tracks 16-20 are from the Working Undercover For The Man EP (2000)
- Track 21 is an instrumental of an iTunes-exclusive outtake from Here Come The ABCs (2005)
Full details including the album's tracklist and art were announced as a surprise drop on the TMBG Shop on November 19, 2024, with the album up for immediate purchase on vinyl. Sales of the record include an instant download of the 21 tracks in WAV or MP3.
The album was first mentioned by John Flansburgh on Tumblr in December 2022 in a list of forthcoming vinyl projects as "a compilation including The Spine Surfs Alone and additional semi-lost tracks around that era."[1] In a November 2023 interview for the They Might Be Playing They Might Be Giants radio marathon, he stated that it would be "[around] 20 songs" spanning the late 90s to 2005, featuring tracks that "have fallen out of print, or never were in print."[2]
In the same interview, Flansburgh confirmed the song "T-Shirt" would be included on the compilation, stating that it was "a really interesting song [that] was deemed too adult-sounding for the Disney Channel" when Here Come The ABCs was being finalized. Curiously, the version on this compilation is a previously unreleased karaoke-style instrumental, though this is not noted on the product packaging.
The album artwork was done by the band's longtime artistic collaborator Paul Sahre. In an Instagram post from December 10, 2024, Sahre implied (with a hashtag on the post) that the imagery was based on the Fata Morgana mirage.[3]
Track listing[edit]
| # | Title | Length | Lyrics | Guitar Tab |
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| 1 | The Spine Surfs Alone | 1:18
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| 2 | Now Is Strange | 2:20
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| 3 | I'm All You Can Think About | 2:31
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| 4 | Fun Assassin | 2:03
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| 5 | Skullivan | 1:44
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| 6 | The Other Side Of The World | 0:40
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| 7 | Canada Haunts Me | 1:03
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| 8 | Doctor Worm | 3:01
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| 9 | Severe Tire Damage Theme | 0:39
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| 10 | They Got Lost (Live) | 3:42
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| 11 | Why Does The Sun Shine? (Live) | 2:16
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| 12 | Boss Of Me | 2:56
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| 13 | Man, It's So Loud In Here (Elegant Too Remix) | 3:42
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N/A |
| 14 | Ram On | 2:40
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| 15 | The Long Grift | 2:36
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| 16 | Rest Awhile | 1:40
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| 17 | On The Drag | 2:18
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| 18 | Robot Parade (Adult Version) | 1:05
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| 19 | I Am A Human Head | 2:51
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| 20 | Empty Bottle Collector | 1:38
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| 21 | T-Shirt (Instrumental) | 2:18
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Gallery[edit]
LP[edit]
LP back cover
LP gatefold
LP label A
LP label B
LP hype sticker
Download[edit]
Cover included in TMBGShop MP3s
