Coney Island High ...finally Record Release Show 3/4/96

This was the record release show/party for ...finally. It was a great show and everyone was in very high spirits. If I remember correctly it was in the smaller room on the first floor. There was talk of some supposed local TV News being there (I think it was supposed to have been WWOR-TV Channel 9). But there were no such people there. The band played songs from the album ("Skyline", "How To Be Happy", etc) that were to be performed less and less over the coming months. The band had recently been interviewed on WDRE-FM and were enjoying a brief spell of some well-deserved publicity. They played NY about six more times that year.

This was the only time I ever saw the band billed under the "Discovery Records Presents/Recording Artists" banner.

Joybuzzer Subscription Order Form!

This was the subscription order-form for the official TMJ fanclub, Joybuzzer. It was seriously very well-produced, well-written and was actually a good read.
Note: the appropriate section was filled-out and sent to the appropriate party a long time ago.

Map Like Mine

This was sent out in issue # nine of Joybuzzer. So the idea behind this was that there was overlap of multiple maps so that various members would get the same map (i.e. a "map like mine"). Which was a clever and very cool, if cute, idea. Since it's one of my very favorite TMJ songs - and the namesake of this site - I figured I'd include the actual map that I received. This appears to be a map of Tunisia.

Irving Plaza 4/21/95 opening for The Rake's Progress

This was during the band's unsigned period. It was a pretty groovy performance opening for a significantly lesser band. Aside from some dude who hopped on the stage and quickly dry-humped Tim (really), the band didn't get much of reaction. The crowd was largely there to see headliners The Rake's Progress. Who, by the way were very-nearly a forth-rate smirky version of TMJ, but not quite. Better times were just around the corner for TMJ though.

The Mercury Lounge 2/22/95

Probably the only (other) time I ever got a physical ticket for a TMJ show. This was fantastic show, if recall rightly. It was during the band's lean years and they were looking for a contract. I'm fairly certain that this was Tim's birthday.

Son Of Sam I Am Giant Records Promo Photo

Here's the band in New Jersey on the set of their music video for "That's A Lie".

Son Of Sam I Am Alias Records Promo Photo

Reflex Magazine Double-Issue September/October 1991

A wonderfully informed seven-page band interview with TMJ fan Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller. Possibly (probably) the largest article/interview/piece on the band ever published. Again, this was photocopied as I came into TMJ full-on after Cereal Killers had come and gone, promotionally speaking. And copies of the late, great Reflex Magazine were always on the scarce-side.

Enjoy!

Mutiny Review RS 647

P.S. The last word in the review is "loud" and this was written by John Milward.

Aquarian Weekly (?) article by Harold DeMuir

This article was photocopied by a friend and unfortunately they were unsure of the source. It could be from The Aquarian Weekly, or not. If anyone knows where it came from, please let me know.

Randix AM/FM Clock Radio with Cereal Killers CD!

Being a general record geek I always used to stop and look at such things. For whatever reason (oh yeah...TMJ fanboy) I kept this from a catalog because they used the out-of-print Cereal Killers in their ad for a crappy clock radio.

Enjoy.

Cereal Killers Billboard Magazine Review

TMJ CD Section Placecard Holder (or something)

In the mid 1990's I knew a girl who worked at Tower Records. I also knew that all they had to do was print up another label and stick it on a plastic card, like so. So I asked her for TMJ's section placecard holder. After all, their Giant albums were out of print at the time. "Sure", was her reply without even so much as looking. And into a folder it went, and remained. And this my friends is fanboy-dom at it's least logical.

Mutiny People Magazine Review

...finally CD Purchase Receipt

A Receipt! Hooray!

On the day of ...finally's release I went to the same record store where I purchased Mutiny (in longbox to boot), Tower Records. They didn't have it. Being vaguely familiar with Tower's QC policies (or lack thereof) I asked if they wouldn't mind checking the back to see if they failed to actively put it out. Turns out Discovery were late in sending it to one of the then-largest record stores in the United States. Way to go Discovery! Soundscan purchase be damned! So I bought it at only place who did get it in that day, the now-defunct Slipped Disc Records in Valley Stream, NY.

Cereal Killers New York Times Review

The blurb in the ...finally liner notes for Jay's credits are taken from this review (i.e. "disingenuous harmonies, brash guitar").

Mutiny Billboard Magazine Review

Gods & Sods CD Purchase Reciept

Wow, I saved everything! Fanboy, fanboy, fanboy! Well, obviously I purchased this at the Virgin Megastore at Union Square on the date the album was released (apparently along with the first T.Rex album 'My People Were Fair With Sky In Their Hair...'). I loved the album and thought - given the tracks that were relegated as outtakes - that a third-party should have picked the band's album tracks. How could songs like "Hello Love Tractor (Too True To Be Beautiful)", "Gods Make Love" or "A Texas Sunday" (which could've easily replaced a variety of songs on ...finally) evade their obvious place on TMJ albums while "Just Like A Man" and "Underneath A Jersey Sky" questionably appeared on albums for sake of diversity? Such is the silly voting-process that bands subject themselves - and ultimately, their fans - to. So many initially questionable outtakes however did make for an albeit disparate but fine collection of songs. If memory serves correctly I was really looking forward to a tour in support of this fine album. Or...one show in Ohio. Well, unfortunately neither one ever materialized. But, being an XTC fan I knew perfectly well how to make do with an album, alone. Without tour.

Son Of Sam I Am People Magazine Review 1990

Note the misspelling of Tim's name (Guirk...tee-hee).

Son Of Sam I Am Billboard Magazine Review

Smash A Glass And Cry Bumper Sticker!

I'm pretty sure this was a gift for subscribing to Clive Young's fantastic Joybuzzer zine. In addition to this there was also a mustard yellow firecracker sticker, a membership card and a white firecracker button/badge.

Somehow (luck?, I asked Clive?) I managed to get two of these sweet stickers. The other one resides on the hard shell guitar case for my 1978 Fender Telecaster.