Today's song is...
Spin the Dial
I had a pretty good debate with myself over whether this counted as a song. It isn't really one song but many. I'd classify it more as a show feature. And historically, I have not been including any unreleased covers that were performed in Spin the Dial and Stump the Band segments (I don't consider the Stumpboxes to count as releases.) But I decided to include the feature as a whole, just so I can say how thoroughly enjoyable it is and how sad I am that they stopped doing it before I started going to shows. Because the Spin the Dial segments in some of the live show recordings I have are some of the funniest parts of the whole show. I never ceases to amaze me how fast the band can pick-up on a song and start running with it. I have at least two recordings where Flans shuts them down after they start to play a song because he is unwilling to do it himself. In a rather odd way, this segment really highlights the enormously talented backing band the Johns have surrounded themselves with. As well as Flansburgh's talent for instant lyric creation. I think my favorite StD I've heard is a toss up between a performance of Tainted Love that ends up being reprised later in the middle of another song, and a rendition of You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling that features Linnell on enthusiastic backing vocals.
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I only have two Spin The Dial tracks -- the "best of" ones -- and I love them both. Flans does a parody of a Pearl Jam song in one of them and yells "THIS IS AN HONEST REFLECTION OF MY PERSONAL EXPRESSION" at the end and I have started incorporating that phrase in my daily lexicon because it makes me laugh so much. He also does this spoken word piece about how "I know baby deep down inside you want me to change but sadly I can't change 'cause I'm a creepy creepy man. Upsetting and unpleasant at the core of my being. Unloveable." and it's perfect.
ReplyDeleteSpin the Dial is pretty much the best representation of TMBG's great sense of humor. I have a few on my iTunes. And I love them dearly.
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