When I found out I'd be reviewing the new live album, "Severe Tire Damage," from "They Might Be Giants," I started thinking about what I would say to someone who was unfamiliar with their music and asked what to expect from them. If you are familiar with their work, you know that's not the question to ask. They're weird. They're good, but they're weird. Asking what to expect from them is like trying to predict where an acid trip might take you. Some things you just have to experience to believe. Some you don't really want to, either, but "They Might Be Giants" is one that you should. It's your call on the acid trip. "They Might Be Giants" are as likely to give you a science lesson in a song as anything else.

"They Might Be Giants" spent five years as, simply, the duo, accordionist/ keyboardist, John Linnell, and guitarist, John Flansburgh. Yes, I did say accordion. In 1992 they added a touring band to back them. Linnell's newest claim to fame is being voted 1998's ninth most beautiful person in "People," magazine's on-line poll. He and seven others were left in the dust by Hank, the angry dwarf, of Howard Stern fame. The internet is good for a lot of things, but a poll doesn't seem to be one of them.

Since this is an unorthodox sort of band, I thought I'd start with the last seven songs first. They aren't listed anywhere on the album, which shows only seventeen songs. These are the "ape" songs, based on the "Planet of the Apes" movies. The first begins with beautiful sounding keyboards, but you can hear someone from the audience yell "Sounds like Valley of the Dolls." The vocals are intentionally awful, in sharp contrast to the music. Horns lead off the next song, which is jazz influenced. They sing about Cornelius the ape. The next is a heavy rock extravaganza about "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes." It starts off "Conquest/ It's a type of quest/ They call it a conquest/ Of the Planet of the Apes. . ." It's funny and actually a pretty cool song.

"You guys start the disco thing and we'll figure it out from there," is the prophetic utterance that begins the fourth apes song. The vocal is done falsetto, and you have to hear this one to believe it. Electronica influences the next one. The only singing is the audience chanting something I can't catch. "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" is based on an older song, but it's so different I can't place it. A show tune sound, overlaid by heavy rock guitar, marks the last track. It reminds me of the bonus track on "Stone Temple Pilots' " second album, "Purple." They sing, "This apes for you. . ."

The first track on the album is a new one, "Doctor Worm." The song epitomizes what I expect from "They Might Be Giants," some word play and a sense of the absurd. The song begins with a horn section, but changes over quickly to guitar and keyboard. "They Might be Giants' " songs aren't necessarily about anything. "I'm not a real Doctor/ But I am a real worm/ I am an actual worm/ I live like a worm/ I like to play the drums. . ." You get the idea. Whistling begins the "Severe Tire Damage Theme." A horn section takes over with a light, happy melody, and the song lasts about forty seconds.

"Ladies and Gentleman put your hands together for 'They Must Be Giants. . ." yells an announcer introducing the band before "They Got Lost." You guessed it - the song really is about being lost on the road. Funky guitar playing makes this song stand out. Musically it's awesome, creating engaging contrast between the rhythms and lyrics. "Why Does The Sun Shine?" contains one of the aforementioned science lessons. It has a punky feel to it, reminding me most of old Elvis Costello.

Next up is my favorite "They Might Be Giants" song, "Birdhouse in Your Soul." It's one of their few hits, and this version is much more fleshed out, with horns and a full band. The words speak for themselves. "There's a picture opposite me/ Of my primitive ancestry/ Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free/ Though I respect that a lot/ I'd be fired if that were my job/ After killing Jason off with countless screaming argonauts. . ." Well, maybe they don't. There's some sort of meaning in here, I think, because all of the images do ultimately link. "She's an Angel" begins with cheap sounding synthesizer notes, tuba, and accordion. Slide guitar overlays this unusual sound base. The combination seems like it shouldn't work, but it does.

A heavy metal guitar preambles "XTC vs. Adam Ant." This is an interesting song, with an actual story line and philosophy. "XTC vs. Adam Ant/ Content vs. form/ Fighting for their place in rock and roll/ There is no right or wrong. . ." It has its share of quirky synth and guitar licks too. "Istanbul, Not Constantinople" has a neat trumpet solo at the beginning. Finally diving into the polka beat, the song begins in earnest. It addresses the perplexing question of why city names change in history. "Even old NY was once New Amsterdam/ Why they changed it I can't say/ People just liked it better that way. . ."

"Ana Ng," one of their other hits, got a fair amount of airplay when it came out. Drumbeats start off the rousing live version. I could never quite figure out the words to this song. I still can't, but it's a pretty intense song anyway. "First Kiss" is about recapturing the emotion of the first kiss using a time machine, in a Beatlesesque kind of tune. "Spider" is a weird song, opening with an echoed vocal simulating a wrestling announcer. All the lyrics are spoken, not sung.

"Particle Man" could be the theme song for a superhero cartoon about science and geometry. "Particle Man, Particle Man/ Doin' the things a particle can/ What's he like?/ It's not important/ Particle Man/ Is he a dot or is he a speck/ When he's underwater does he get wet?/ Or does the water get him instead/ Nobody knows/ Particle Man. . ." Be warned, this one is heavy on accordion. I don't think it could work any other way. "She's Actual Size" follows, as a show tune style of song with lots of brass. A shouted exclamation and answer lead off the song, "I'm talking about a lady who's actual size." "Yo!" It's a song about a woman who seems larger than life.

A disco influence is apparent on "SEXXY," but it most reminds me of music by "Squeeze." The soft, high vocal combination is nearly a carbon copy of that great band, but musically it's very complex. "Meet James Ensor" is pretty much an art history lesson set to accordion. But, of course, with "They Might be Giants" there's always a twist. "Meet James Ensor/ Belgium's famous painter/ dig him up and shake his hand. . ." During the song there's a guitar solo, but they don't use guitars - they sing the twanging guitar notes.

Appropriately, "Till My Head Falls Off" is a real headbanger. Scathing guitar licks are joined by cheap synthesizer on the intro. This one is pretty much a nonsense song, but they still come up with some intense lyrics. "And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall/ I see stuff through the glass that I don't recognize at all. . ." The last song listed, "About Me," only lasts about half a minute, but the track continues with blank space for another two and a half minutes. It's about all the things you might be doing, but "You'll still be thinking about me."

"Severe Tire Damage," is a perfect introduction for all those who are still "They Might Be Giants" virgins. There are good live versions of old classics, and some new material to enjoy. Try them, you'll like them, but you won't want to admit it. Did I say I liked them? Nah!