personally, i love tmbg, and this just might be my favorite album. 'disappointing show' always makes me laugh, and i like 'oranges' even though i have no idea what the fruit has to do with graphic design. then there's 'they got lost' of course, which makes me giggle too.
Who remembers TMBG Unlimited? It was the whole reason I subscribed to eMusic to begin with. Nearly all of these tracks appeared on either TMBG Unlimited or Long Tall Weekend, which was initially an eMusic-only release. This compilation was created to be sold at TMBG shows as a CD documenting what the band had been up to between "official" album releases. Anyway, if you're a fan already, you probably have most of these songs. If you're not a huge fan, you may not realize just how prolific John and John are. These rarities are truly the tip of the iceberg, but what an iceberg it is!
They Got Lost is a compilation of rarities culled mainly from three sources: Long Tall Weekend (tracks 11,12,13,15,19), the Working Undercover for the Man EP (1,3,8,10), and a companion CD to issue 6 of McSweeney's (2,5,14,16,17,18). As a result, many of the tracks here are available elsewhere on this site. However, what isn't redundant is very enjoyable. The McSweeney's tracks, originally intended as audio companions to written articles, stand on their own very well, remenicent of early TMBG in their brevity and experimentation. Rounding out the collection are "I'm Sick" from This American Life, The "Oranges" jingles advertising a webdesign company, "All Alone" which tells the true story of a germ sent to the moon, and even a live improv song "Disappointing Show". However, it's the track "Words Are Like" that steals the show, becoming an instant TMBG classic with little more than a guitar and some harmony singing.
