Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Is it a must-have?
I'm a long-time fan, having gotten hooked by Lincoln in 1989. I am not the type of fan that thinks everything TMBG produces is gold, and I find that every other album has two songs that I'm not particularly fond of, and two songs that I outright skip to avoid listening to. (Be honest, how often do you find yourself "singing along" to #13 off of Misc. T?)
This album has hit an all time low for me by having an equal number of songs I love, songs I hate, and ones I think are just bland. Here's how the disc stacked up for me:Fibber Island: Reminiscent of the country-inspired novelty songs on They Might Be Giants. This has backing vocals that could easily be found on a Weird Al Yankovic album. It definitely has a home amongst the stranger songs. :| Four of Two: A revamped Dial-A-Song tune that has been changed to make it appropriate for younger listeners, and sped up. I prefer the "original," without the tempo changes and keeping the morbid subject nature. :( Robot Parade: Another Dial-A-Song entry, with good instrumentation and goofy vocal effects on one of the voices. :| No!: Good TMBG rock, with Linnel's typical vocals, and some of the standard strangeness make this the most listenable so far. :) Where Do They Make Balloons?: Sort of inspired by Chicago or the Beach Boys in style, with a different lead singer (Danny Weinkauf). This is one of the stronger songs out of all of the tracks. :) In The Middle, In The Middle, In The Middle: Reminds me of the 45's I listened to in the early 70's (when I was in pre-school). Part of the refrain is straight out of the Muppet Show Theme. :| Violin: A nonsensical novelty tune, which relies on repeating things over an over. Another that would probably tickle the kids, but is easily skippable. :( John Lee Supertaster: Funk and Groove similar to S-E-X-X-Y, with sort of a superhero take. Seems to me like a combination of S-E-X-X-Y and Spider, both of which I always skip. :( The Edison Museum: This is exactly the same as the cut from Long Tall Weekend (available online only), with slightly better fidelity. :| The House at the Top of the Tree: Carnival music similar to what you find on State Songs. The style of song that repeats the same refrain, each time adding something to the list (sort of like the 12 Days of Christmas). If you like State Songs, you'll like this. (I did.) :) Clap Your Hands: More 70's Funk, which I'm not partial to. :( I am Not Your Broom: Short novelty song sung with minimal instrumentation, about a rebellious broom and its owner. :( Wake Up Call: An instrumental piece with some sampled voice being used as instruments. Not bad at all. :| I Am A Grocery Bag: Monotone vocals, very short (mercifully short), with an odd instrumentation. :( Lazyhead and Sleepybones: Mellow rock, reminiscent of Red Elvises. Great instrumentation, the typical vocals for TMBG, and the whole thing works very well. :) Bed Bed Bed: Reminds me of Whistling in the Dark, crossed with the wild brass interludes from They Might Be Giants (both songs from Flood). This is the kind of tune that can really grow on you, and I find myself liking it more and more each time. :) Sleepwalkers: Possibly some copyright protection on this track? Every computer I try it in will not rip the song to the hard drive. Xylophones with Bass Clarinet, and Linnel's vocals. Reminds me of the great stuff from Lincoln. Midway through the instrumentation turns to more rock-oriented. A nice way to close the album. :) Chopping Block Testimonial: Heard this one when I was subscribed to the TMBG Unlimited club. Not bad. :| The Enhanced CD features are fun, and should be especially popluar with kids. Overall, I am pretty disappointed in the album, It will stay in my collection, but I am looking forward to their next release to bring them back to what I've grown to love about them: Lots of fun with the occasional dead spot.
Rating:  - all sorts of TMBG goodness
For those TMBG fans that were disappointed with Mink Car, I'd definitely not give up on they might be giants, but rather, pick up a copy of No! Sure, that'll mean getting over your pride and buying a childrens' album, but I think you can manage. Yes, No! is made for kids to enjoy, too, but that definitely does not mean that it's bad. Quite the opposite, actually. Almost all of these songs could easily go on a regular TMBG album, and everyone would be more than satisfied. I absolutely adore "Bed, Bed, Bed", "John Lee Supertaster", and "Four of Two", but they're really all great. The animations and games are wonderful, too. "The House at the Top of the Tree" is bunches of fun, and "I am Not Your Broom" is hilarious. Another interesting track is "Where Do They Make Balloons?" sung by Danny Weinkauf, the band's bassist. It's surprisingly very good; a nice variation.
In summation, a very cohesive TMBG album, extremely fun and educational for kids, great songs live, and TMBG goodness all around. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND BUYING THIS ALBUM. if you're a tmbg fan, you should already have it!
Rating: - YES!! NO!
... One word. Superb. If you've left TMBG since "John Henry", then come back - QUICK!!I know that "No!" is aimed at little kids and ..., but they are extremely wrong! I'm 13 and I loved it! It taught me stuff that even I didn't know before! I'm from West Yorkshire in the UK and I didn't know that Marmalade came from Scotland, so as well as being cool, cute, kid-friendly and brilliant, it's also educational! But even adult TMBG fans (and non-fans) can enjoy this CD. Most of the songs would be right at home on a regular Giants album and it just proves that the Johns are back on form after a disappointing last album ("Mink Car") and shows what they are capable of, armed with their Band of Dans. Every song on here is different and unique and as perfect as a song could be. The only song that gets a little tedious is "Wake-Up Call" which consists of the words "Bo" and "Do". Oh yeah, and "Daw". The only complaint I have about the entire album is that it is less than 34 minutes long, but that's another well thought-out idea: the songs are simple, short but VERY, VERY sweet which makes it so appealling to children! The Flash games rock and are really fun and cute (thanks to the Chopping Block. They work the day shift, they work the night shift and they work the graveyard shift. Be grateful!!). Every kid (and I mean every kid) that I know would love it. I know a lot of children in the 5-10 age group who would absolutely love it and who I have advised them to order it from Amazon so join them now. You'll be glad that you did :)
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