My Top 2000 Songs #1089: Don't Let's Start

They Might Be Giants seem like one of those bands who have an incredibly devoted following but don't draw much attention outside of the diehards (a few early singles aside). And I'm certainly not one of the devoted few (evidence by this being the first TMBG appearance in the 6+ years of this enterprise). I've got a lot of their records, and enjoy a number of songs, but I find the quirkiness, not to mention John Linnell's vocals, are best enjoyed in small doses. (That said, I think they have some remarkable songs from the past few decades, long after their brief MTV heyday, which seem to have gotten zero attention in a case of grave oversight.)

But I'll always have warm feelings for "Don't Let's Start," off their 1986 eponymous debut. It was one of those songs that kinda showed up out of nowhere, was immediately embraced by the college radio DJ crowd, and then surprised us all by getting a bit of mainstream attention. The herky-jerky rhythms, cheap drum machine, and Linnell's oddball charisma, made for some relentless fun. I probably prefer later work (and the next album's "Ana Ng" is arguably a better song, heard objectively), but this one has an added layer of nostalgia attached.

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