u/the_oatrick

This is the ninth album in a series, check out all previous (and future) parts here!

After the split of The Twin Quasars, John Linnell, disillusioned with the music business, would shy away from the public near totally. Though he would seldom appear on friends' records as a musician or producer, he was most interested in perfecting home recording and production, which he spent of the early 1970s trying to do. After years dedicated to that style of production, Linnell released his debut album in early 1974. Many of the songs on the LP were made as experiments testing different ways to record a song using commercial household equipment, which resulted in a lo-fi sound that was very unique for the time. While critically praised and cited as a major inspiration for artists such as Guided By Voices, Car Seat Headrest and Ween, the album sold poorly and much like his former bandmate the previous year, Linnell was dropped from Atlantic Records because of it.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

SIDE ONE

1.   Ana Ng [from Lincoln]
2. I Palindrome I [from Apollo 18]
3.   We Want A Rock [from Flood]
4.   Dead [from Flood]
5.   Pencil Rain [from Lincoln]
6.   Turn Around [from Apollo 18]
7.   I've Got A Match [from Lincoln]

SIDE TWO

1.   Mr. Me [from Lincoln]
2.   Dinner Bell [from Apollo 18]
3.   Hi, We're The Replacements [from Miscellaneous T]
4.   Particle Man [from Flood]
5.   Nightgown Of The Sullen Moon [from Miscellaneous T]
6. When It Rains It Snows [from Miscellaneous T]
7. Letterbox [from Flood]
8. Which Describes How You're Feeling [from Apollo 18]
9. Window [from John Henry]
10. Stormy Pinkness [from Istanbul (Not Constantinople) EP]
11. Stomp Box [from John Henry]
12. Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes [from They Might Be Giants]

Total Runtime: 39m 43s

^(Albums released between) ^(Yesterday & Today) ^(and now:)
^(- Revolver)
^(- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
^(Please assume any albums I have skipped from) ^(Please Please Me) ^(to) ^(Abbey Road) ^(are the same as their real world counterparts.)

It was the summer of 1967. The Beatles, still riding the high off the success of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, felt on top of the world again after a nightmare 1966. That high was very short-lived, however, when their manager and closest confidant Brian Epstein suddenly passed away from a drug overdose. While still deeply affected by the loss, the band made the decision to go forward on two projects Brian had approved of before his death: Apple Corps, an independent media company for The Beatles and their cohorts to release projects under, and Magical Mystery Tour.

Magical Mystery Tour was envisioned as a television movie as well as a soundtrack album. The film was to be a self-produced series of colorful psychedelic vignettes (one for each song on the soundtrack) connected by scenes of a group of zany characters, including the band, on coach trip and their ensuing antics, inspired by trips from Liverpool to see the Blackpool Lights as well as the Merry Pranksters. Though filming had gone to plan, the script was plotless and largely improvised, which led to the film having many awkward moments since The Beatles were not the best actors, especially without someone to lead them. To rub salt in the wound, when first aired on TV, the still monochromatic British television sets made the very bright and colorful movie dull, which led to poor reviews from critics and fans. The soundtrack, however, was and still is praised, many seeing it as even more psychedelic than it's predecessor, if a bit less cohesive.

Tracklist:

Side One:

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. The Fool On The Hill
3. Penny Lane
4. Blue Jay Way
5. I Am The Walrus
6. Strawberry Fields Forever

Side Two:

1. Hello, Goodbye
2. Flying
3. The Inner Light
4. Your Mother Should Know
5. Baby, You're A Rich Man
6. All You Need Is Love

^(I do not use streaming anymore, so for those who would like to make their own playlists:)
^(All tracks besides "The Inner Light" from) ^(Magical Mystery Tour)
^("The Inner Light" from) ^(Past Masters)

^(This is the first album in a series remaking the alternate Beatles discography I originally posted last summer. I hope you all enjoy!)

Our story starts in 1966. The Beatles, quite exhausted from almost three years of Beatlemania, recently decided to give up touring at the end of the year in favor of sticking to the studio. Knowing that the new material they were working on for Revolver would require much more time in the oven than they were able to give, they allowed EMI to sift through the vault for outtakes and out of print material to release an rarities album for the die-hard fans. The Beatles then took a quick trip to the studio to polish and overdub the unreleased tracks, and then demanded two extra songs be included on the album (16 tracks compared to the standard 14) due to some inclusions already having been released on the Long Tall Sally E.P.. Not wanting to upset the band, the label complied and added the B-sides She's A Woman and Yes It Is to side two.

The resulting album Yesterday & Today was released in the early summer of 1966 to mixed-to-positive feedback. Contemporary reviews cited it as a cash-grab and a step back from Rubber Soul, not understanding the context behind the release. Today, it's debated by fans if Yesterday & Today should be thought of as a core Beatles album, though it was standardized into their core catalog when their discography was first issued on CD. Despite those debates, the album is treated more kindly today for it's historical value, since it was a rare glimpse into what The Beatles left on the cutting room floor in their most formative years.

Tracklist:

Side One:

1. Long Tall Sally
2. Bad Boy
3. If You've Got Trouble
4. Leave My Kitten Alone
5. One After 909
6. I'll Be On My Way
7. How Do You Do It?
8. Like Dreamers Do

Side Two:

1. She's A Woman
2. Ain't She Sweet
3. Slow Down
4. Matchbox
5. That Means A Lot
6. You Know What To Do
7. I Call Your Name
8. Yes It Is

^(I do not use streaming anymore, so for those who would like to make their own playlists:)
^(Tracks A1, A2, B1, B3, B4, B7 & B8 are from) ^(Past Masters)
^(Tracks A3, A4, A5, A7, A8, B2, B5 & B6 from) ^(The Anthology Collection)
^(Track A6 from) ^(Live At The BBC (Vol. One))

Don't Change Your Plans is the debut studio album by Piano Rock artist Benjamin Folds, released in 1969 by Atlantic Records.

Benjamin Folds is a 1960s time swap of Ben Folds Five in The Twin Quasars universe.

SIDE ONE

1.   Eddie Walker, This Is Your Life [from N***d Baby Photos]
2.   Don't Change Your Plans [from The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner]
3.   Mess [from The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner]
4.   You're The Magic [from The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner]

SIDE TWO

1.   Smoke [from Whatever and Ever Amen]
2.   Cigarette [from Whatever and Ever Amen]
3.   Alice Childress [from Ben Folds Five]
4.   Missing The War [from Whatever and Ever Amen]
5.   Evaporated [from Whatever and Ever Amen]

Total Runtime: 36m 16s

This is the seventh album in a series, check out all previous (and future) parts here!

Despite being broken up for around 6 months, Atlantic Records called for another record from The Twin Quasars, as their four album contract with the label had not yet been fulfilled. The band refused to record any new material, as both lead creatives were busy working on their own albums as well as producing for other artists. However, they allowed the label to take The Twin Quasars’ backlog of singles and compile them into an album. Released for the holiday season, The Story So Far, features the A-Sides and B-Sides from all 12 singles released by The Twin Quasars throughout their five year long career, ordered chronologically and split into two LPs. It would be their best selling album since Destination Moon, and was the final release from the band.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

DISC ONE, SIDE ONE (1965 - 1966)

1.   Cowtown [from Lincoln]
2.   I’m Getting Sentimental Over You [from Then: The Earlier Years]
3.   Don’t Let’s Start [from They Might Be Giants]
4.   Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [from Flood]
5.   The World’s Address [from Lincoln]
6.   Cabbage Town [from I Palindrome I (E.P.)]

DISC ONE, SIDE TWO (1967 - 1968)

1.   West Virginia [from John Linnell’s State Songs]
2.   Thermostat [from John Henry]
3.   25 O’Clock [from A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC]
4.   Unrelated Thing [from John Henry]
5.   The Mesopotamians [from The Else]
6.   That Thing You Do! [Unreleased]

^(Disc One Runtime:) ^(33m 24s)

DISC TWO, SIDE ONE (1968 - 1969)

1.   Mammal [from Apollo 18]
2.   Why Does The Sun Shine? [from Why Does The Sun Shine? (E.P.)]
3.   James K. Polk [from Factory Showroom]
4.   Where Do They Make Balloons? [from No!]
5.   Moonbeam Rays [from BOOK]
6.   Lost My Mind [from Nanobots]

DISC TWO, SIDE TWO (1969 - 1970)

1.   Thunderbird [from The Spine]
2.   Broke In Two [from The Spine]
3.   Imaginary Friend [from Mono Puff’s It’s Fun To Steal]
4.   Metal Detector [from Factory Showroom]
5.   Take Out The Trash [from The Else]
6.   The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) [from Apollo 18]

^(Disc Two Runtime:) ^(36m 3s)

Total Runtime: 1h 9m 27s

This is the sixth album in a series, check out parts One, Two, Three, Four, and Five here!

Back in the studio once again, the Quasars’ two head songwriters were at an impasse. Linnell wanted their next record to expand upon the sound of Spines, while Flansburgh wanted to go in a completely new direction inspired by Funk, R&B, Jazz and Latin music. The five piece band held a vote to decide the record’s direction and Flansburgh’s vision won 3-2. This action unsurprisingly led to tension within The Twin Quasars during the following sessions and caused a major strain on Linnell and Flansburgh’s creative partnership, with Linnell continuing to push back on the new sound. In the end, to minimize any more hurt feelings, the Quasars decided to finish the album as tensionless as possible then enter an indefinite hiatus to focus on solo projects. The Twin Quasars’ final* album, Mink Car, released in December 1970 to mixed reactions and poor sales, but has since become a fan favorite oddity.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

SIDE ONE

1.   S-E-X-X-Y [from Factory Showroom]
2.   Mr. Hughes Says [from Mono Puff’s It’s Fun To Steal]
3.   Climbing The Walls [from The Else]
4.   Imaginary Friend [from Mono Puff’s It’s Fun To Steal]
5.   Metal Detector [from Factory Showroom]
6.   No One Knows My Plan [from John Henry]
7.   Dirt Bike [from John Henry]

SIDE TWO

1.   Iowa (She’s A Witch) [from John Linnell’s State Songs]
2.   Mink Car [from Mink Car]
3.   She Was A Hotel Detective [from Back To Skull (E.P.)]
4.   They Got Lost [from Long Tall Weekend]
5.   Pet Name [from Factory Showroom]
6.   Lullaby To Nightmares [from Long Tall Weekend]
7.   The Bells Are Ringing [from Factory Showroom]

Total Runtime: 45m 11s

Singles Released during this album cycle:

- Imaginary Friend b/w Metal Detector
- Take Out The Trash [from The Else] b/w The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) [from Apollo 18]

*The Twin Quasars' story is not done yet! Stay tuned for more!

This is the fifth album in a series, check out parts One, Two, Three, and Four here!

Because of the success of their previous record In The Shade Under a Little Tree, the music press began calling The Twin Quasars a novelty act only kids can enjoy. To combat these sentiments, Flansburgh, Linnell, and the band went into writing their next record wanting darker, more adult sounds and themes in line with The Velvet Underground and The MC5. The resulting record, Spines is a quasi-concept album about mental illness and losing one’s mind while still having to function in society and is often seen as a forefather of Alternative Rock.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

Side One

1.   Moonbeam Rays [from BOOK]
2.   Spine [from The Spine]
3.   Memo To Human Resources [from The Spine]
4.   Brain Problem Situation [from Cast Your Pod to the Wind]
5.   Careful What You Pack [from The Else]
6.   My Man [from Mink Car]
7. This Microphone [from I Like Fun]
8. Stone Cold Coup d'Etat [from Nanobots]

Side Two

1.   Museum of Idiots [from The Spine]
2.   Lost My Mind [from Nanobots]
3.   Contrecoup [from The Else]
4.   Feign Amnesia [from The Else]
5.   Too Tall Girl [from Nanobots]
6.   Snowball In Hell [from Lincoln]
7. I Can't Hide From My Mind [from The Spine]

Total Runtime: 38m 51s

Singles Released during this album cycle:

- Moonbeam Rays b/w Lost My Mind
- Thunderbird [from The Spine] b/w Broke In Two [from The Spine]

This is the fourth album in a series, check out parts One, Two, and Three here!

Though the album was a commercial failure, the lead single of The Rise and Fall of the Fabulous Mesopotamians, “The Mesopotamians,” was a hit with children and was even starting to be played in some school’s History lessons. When The Quasars found this fact out, they were motivated to go back into the studio and record an LP aimed at younger listeners. In the late summer of 1968, they teamed up with J. Flansburgh’s soon-to-be wife, Robin “Goldie” Goldwasser, an artist and educator, to write and record children’s songs that could be played in both educational settings, but were fun enough to also be enjoyed at home. This collaboration resulted in The Twin Quasar’s fourth album In The Shade Under A Little Tree released for the Holiday 1968 season.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

Side One

1.   Fibber Island [from No!]
2.   Lazy [from Lazy (Single)]
3.   In My Car [A.K.A. Electric Car from Here Comes Science]
4.   Pictures Of Pandas Painting [from Here Comes The ABCs]
5.   The House At The Top Of The Tree [from No!]
6.   C Is For Conifers [from Here Comes The ABCs]

Side Two

1.   Roy G. Biv [from Here Comes Science]
2.   Omnicorn [from Why?]
3.   One Everything [from Here Come The 123s]
4.   Can You Find It? [from Here Come The ABCs]
5.   Long White Beard (featuring Goldie) [from Why?]
6.   Lazyhead and Sleepybones [from No!]

Total Runtime: 32m 28s

Singles Released during this album cycle:

- Mammal [from Apollo 18] b/w Why Does The Sun Shine? [from Why Does The Sun Shine? (E.P.)]
- James K. Polk [from Factory Showroom] b/w Where Do They Make Balloons? [from No!]

This is the third album in a series, check out Part One and Part Two here!

Inspired by albums like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Who’s The Who Sell Out, The Quasars set out to make a concept album. The resulting album, The Rise and Fall of the Fabulous Mesopotamians, is about a fictional rock band named The Mesopotamians. Structured like a three act musical, Act I covers their formation, troubles breaking through, their big hit and rise to fame. Their high is short lived, though, as Acts II and III cover disillusionment from being popular, drug use and drug busts, getting back on your feet, finding your roots, and re-learning to enjoy playing music. Released in the Spring of 1968, The Rise and Fall of the Fabulous Mesopotamians was met with similar critical acclaim as their first two records but sold less than expected, prompting Capitol Records to drop The Twin Quasars in the Summer.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

Side One [Act I: The Rise]

1.   Rhythm Section Want Ad [from They Might Be Giants]
2.   Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) [from The World Is To Dig]
3.   Ampersand [from My Murdered Remains]
4.   Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought We Had A Deal! [from Miscellaneous T]
5.   That Thing You Do! [Previously Unreleased, In Circulation on YouTube]
6.   Applause, Applause, Applause [from My Murdered Remains]
7. The Mesopotamians [from The Else]

Side Two [Acts II & III: The Fall]

1.   The Glamour Of Rock [from Eyeball (E.P.)]
2.   They Call Me The Greatest [from I Like Fun]
3.   Lie Still, Little Bottle [from Lincoln]
4.   Music Jail, Parts I & II [from Glean]
5.   Push Back The Hands of Time [from I Like Fun]
6.   The Bright Side [from I Like Fun]
7. The End Of The Tour [from John Henry]

Total Runtime: 37m 17s

Singles Released during this album cycle:

- That Thing You Do! b/w The Mesopotamians

This is the second album in a series, check out Part One here!

Shortly after the moderate success of their debut album, Capitol Records pushed Linnell and Flansburgh to recruit a backup band to tour and record with. The duo relented, adding on guitarist D. Miller, bassist D. Weinkauf and percussionist M. Beller in late 1966. This shift in dynamic would alter the sound of The Quasars for their sophomore album, Destination Moon, ditching the intricate wall-of-sound pop perfection of the debut for a more stripped down and psychedelic style. This change also let the band work more freely and jam, with each track nearly double the length of any song on their previous record. Destination Moon was released to wider popularity and higher critical acclaim and is now considered a highlight of the Summer of Love era.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

Side One

1.   Subliminal [from John Henry]
2.   See The Constellation [from Apollo 18]
3.   How Can I Sing Like a Girl? [from Factory Showroom]
4.   Destination Moon [from John Henry]
5.   The Statue Got Me High [from Apollo 18]
6.   Narrow Your Eyes [from Apollo 18]

Side Two

1.   A Self Called Nowhere [from John Henry]
2.   Poison Flowers [from John Flansburgh's Mono Puff's It's Fun To Steal]
3.   Sleeping In The Flowers [from John Henry]
4.   Finished With Lies [from Mink Car]
5.   (Don't Have To Be) Unforgotten [from S-E-X-X-Y (E.P.)]
6.   Spiraling Shape [from Factory Showroom]

Total Runtime: 39m 43s

Singles Released during this album cycle:

- West Virginia [from John Linnell's State Songs] b/w Thermostat [from John Henry]
- 25 O'Clock [from A Testimonial Dinner] b/w Unrelated Thing [from John Henry]

[Note about "25 O'Clock" - Despite the real world TMBG song being a cover of a Dukes of Stratosphear (a.k.a. XTC song, in this timeline it is a Twin Quasars original and the Dukes / XTC version is the cover.])

The Twin Quasars were a Brooklyn-based pop band formed in 1964 by J. Linnell and J. Flansburgh. While their early performances and home demos were strictly acoustic, rough and very lo-fi, the band flourished in the studio, employing as many session musicians as they could and pushing the four-track recording technology they had to its limits. This produced a very unique sound that attracted a cult following of fans as well as contemporaries such as The Turtles and The Monkees. Later, this album would be cited as the first proper Geek Rock album, and is said to have influenced acts such as Elvis Costello, XTC, and Weird Al.

The Twin Quasars are a 1960s time swap of They Might Be Giants.

Tracklist:

Side One

1.   Now That I Have Everything [from Then: The Earlier Years]
2.   It’s Not My Birthday [from Miscellaneous T]
3.   Mr. Horrible, Mr. Horrible [a.k.a. "Someone Keeps Moving My Chair," from Flood]
4.   Maybe I Know [Originally by Leslie Gore, from Long Tall Weekend]
5.   Birds Fly [from Miscellaneous T]
6.   Stand On Your Own Head [from Lincoln]
7.   Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [Originally by The Four Lads, from Flood]

Side Two

1.   She’s An Angel [from They Might Be Giants]
2.   Santa’s Beard [from Lincoln]
3.   Yeh Yeh [Originally by Georgie Fame, from Mink Car]
4.   Don’t Let’s Start [from They Might Be Giants]
5.   Concrete and Clay [Originally by Unit 4+2, from Four Covers from TMBG]
6.   They’ll Need A Crane [from Lincoln]
7.   Birdhouse In Your Soul [from Flood]

Total Runtime: 32m 10s

It's More Than a Drug... is a 25 track compilation of songs They Might Be Giants released exclusively on vinyl EPs given to their fan club and sold at shows throughout 2011 to 2013. Meant to compliment the officially released rarities compilation from the era "Album Raises New And Troubling Questions."

DISCLAIMER: The only EP included on this compilation that is currently in official circulation is TMBG's Other Thing Brass Band EP. The remaining four are exclusive to their respective vinyl releases, and rips of the 2011 and 2012 Fan Club EPs are forbidden to be circulated online as per TMBG's request.

Tracklist:

1. Cave Fish (1-4 from the 2011 Instant Fan Club EP)
2. Repo Day
3. Tesla [Acoustic]
4. Listless
5. Ant (5-11 from TMBG's Other Thing Brass Band EP)
6. Stalk of Wheat
7. Dirt Bike
8. Particle Man
9. Caroline, No
10. Mr. Me
11. Metal Detector
12. It Was a Very Good Year (12-15 from the Four Covers from TMBG EP)
13. Concrete and Clay
14. Up The Junction
15. I Love To Sing
16. Reptiles Eat With the Bones We Hear With (16-21 from the 2012 Instant Fan Club EP)
17. Secret Leaf
18. Pandor
19. Head in a Suitcase
20. Fingertips [Live]
21. Wendell Willkie
22. He's Loco (22-25 from The Avatars of They EP)
23. Ratcatcher Day
24. Goatee
25. Three Chords, Two Teeth, One Eye

Total Length: 48m 53s

A 25 song compilation of outtakes, EP tracks, alternate versions, non-album singles and remixes released by They Might Be Giants from 2014 to 2026. Excluded solo material and fan club exclusive tracks.

Track origins can be found on the insert. All songs can be found on the band's digital store or on Youtube uploaded by TMBG themselves or a fan archive for "Social Media" [Officially released and then taken down] and "Once A Year" [E-Mailed to people by the band when their holiday orders got delayed due to Covid complications]. ^_^

Tracklist:

1. Eyeball
2. The Glamour of Rock
3. Peggy Guggenheim
4. Lazy
5. Feel Good Sublet
6. stelluB
7. Hearing Aid [Alternate Version]
8. They Might Be Giants [Alternate Version]
9. Helicopters of Elves
10. Buckle Down, Winsocki
11. There Will Be Sad
12. Fortnight
13. I Can't Remember The Dream [Alternate Version]
14. Moonbeam Rays [Alternate Version]
15. Gab On
16. Who Are The Electors?
17. Social Media
18. Once A Year
19. I Am A Ring
20. College Town
21. Happier, Crazier
22. Studio Cat
23. Eyeball [Remix]
24. Get Down [Remix]
25. Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love (Hidden Track)

Total Length: 49m 32s

hi all, i've been collecting physical music since 2019 but i have only been seriously after 7" records for a year. the beatles have been my favorite band since i was little so i have been buying up every 45 by them i could find in the wild and i think i've found some cool things, what do y'all think?

thank you ^_^

the title says it all. what are your favorite bands, groups, artists etc. that only put out a couple (around 1-to-4) albums before calling it quits? did it take you a long time to hunt down their discographies or were you able to pick everything up at once? i'd love to hear your stories ^_^

hey all, have you ever bought a CD(s) without being recommended it or knowing anything about just because you found the art interesting? what was your favorite find?

whenever i go to a record store and don't find something i'm looking for, i like to take a chance and find CDs that i've never heard of and look weird and indie. my favorite i've found so far has been Notes Towards a 24-Hour City by The Green Chair (the one with the cartoon elephant heads in the sky) which is a really cool lo-fi indie rock album from 2006 ^_^

Hello! Here's part 3 of 4 showcasing my updated and expanded cassette layouts for TMBG's albums! This part covers the 2018 Dial-a-Song albums, BOOK, and The World is to Dig! I hope you all enjoy ^_^

The next and last part will be focused on the family albums and compilations! In the mean time, here are links to the first two parts:

- Part One (Factory Showroom - The Else)

- Part Two (Join Us - Phone Power)

Thank you for reading and/or viewing!