Mink Car
Studio album by
They Might Be Giants
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2001
Recorded1999–2001
GenreAlternative rock
Length46:24 (US Release) 38:14 (European Release)
LabelRestless
ProducerAdam Schlesinger (tracks: 3, 5, 8), Albert Caiati (tracks: 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16), Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 11), Patrick Dillett (tracks: 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16), They Might Be Giants (tracks: 4, 7, 9, 10, 12-16)
They Might Be Giants chronology
Working Undercover for the Man
(2000)		 Mink Car
(2001)		 They Might Be Giants In... Holidayland
(2001)
Alternative cover
2022 vinyl/digital re-release
2022 vinyl/digital re-release
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(60/100)[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Alternative Press[1]
The A.V. Club(favorable)[3]
Blender[1]
Pitchfork Media(2.8/10)[4]
PopMatters[1][5]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
Slant Magazine[8]

Mink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released on September 11, 2001, on the Restless Records label.

One of the band's most eclectic efforts, its variety reflects its recording process; it was put together in a number of different studios, with a number of different guest artists and producers, around the country as the band toured between 1999 and 2001.

It runs the gamut from pure power-pop songs, such as "Bangs" and "Finished With Lies", to dance music ("Man, It's So Loud In Here"), and soft romantic ballads ("Another First Kiss"). The title track musically references Burt Bacharach (from cocktail piano introduction to horn interludes) whilst lyrically it offers an absurd take on lush lifestyles and dreamy music ("I got hit by a mink car ... driven by a guitar"). "Man, It's So Loud in Here" was the only single released from the album, though its cover of the Georgie Fame oldie "Yeh Yeh" was featured in a Chrysler car commercial. "Bangs," "Cyclops Rock," "Man, It's So Loud In Here," and "Another First Kiss", as well as "Boss of Me" (which was featured on non-U.S. releases), were released on the band's 2002 anthology compilation Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants.

"Bangs" provided the inspiration for author Zadie Smith's short story "The Girl with Bangs".[9]

A complete cover album called Mink Car Cover was constructed in 2011 to raise funds for the FDNY Foundation in the wake of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred on the day of the album's original release. It featured covers by 19 different artists including Marian Call, The Doubleclicks, Hello, The Future!, and Molly Lewis.[10]

Track listings

The track listing for the album varied depending on where it was released. Some releases featured bonus tracks, such as Boss of Me for the Australian release,[11] and Your Mom's Alright in Europe.

All tracks are written by John Flansburgh and John Linnell, except where noted

U.S. release
No.TitleWriter(s)FeaturingLength
1."Bangs"  3:09
2."Cyclops Rock" Cerys Matthews2:38
3."Man, It's So Loud In Here"  3:59
4."Mr. Xcitement"John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Dan Levine, Elegant Too, Mike DoughtyMike Doughty3:36
5."Another First Kiss"  3:06
6."I've Got A Fang"  2:32
7."Hovering Sombrero"  2:13
8."Yeh Yeh"Rodgers Grant, Jon Hendricks, Pat Patrick 2:40
9."Hopeless Bleak Despair"  3:08
10."Drink!"  1:49
11."My Man"  2:57
12."Older"  1:58
13."Mink Car"  2:09
14."Wicked Little Critta"  2:11
15."Finished With Lies"  3:18
16."(She Thinks She's) Edith Head"  2:37
17."Working Undercover for the Man"  2:19
Total length:46:24
European release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Man, It's So Loud In Here" 3:59
2."Boss Of Me" 2:57
3."Cyclops Rock" 2:38
4."Another First Kiss" 3:06
5."Bangs" 3:09
6."My Man" 2:57
7."Drink!" 1:49
8."Your Mom's Alright"John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Elegant Too, Mike Doughty2:59
9."Hovering Sombrero" 2:13
10."Yeh Yeh"Rodgers Grant, Jon Hendricks, Pat Patrick2:40
11."I've Got A Fang" 2:32
12."Mink Car" 2:09
13."Hopeless Bleak Despair" 3:08
14."Older" 1:58
Total length:38:14

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Critic reviews at Metacritic
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ The A.V. Club review
  4. ↑ Matt LeMay (2001-09-17). "They Might Be Giants: Mink Car". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  5. ↑ PopMatters review
  6. ↑ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
  7. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ Slant Magazine review
  9. ↑ New Giants Album Set For August Release at Billboard; published April 13, 2001; retrieved July 13, 2013
  10. ↑ "Mink Car Cover: A project to benefit the FDNY Foundation" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "Australian back cover". Retrieved 2012-01-12.
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