JONATHAN COULTON: Thing a Week Box Set

Jonathan Coulton

Thing a Week Box Set

© 2006 Jonathan Coulton (634479450181)

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Well-crafted geek pop from the incredible Thing a Week series. Unspoiled, piping hot goodness, fresh from the muse.

notes

Jonathan Coulton is the Contributing Troubadour for Popular Science magazine and the musical director for John Hodgman’s Little Gray Book Lectures. His songs about vengeful nerds, ennui-afflicted clowns, self-loathing giant squids, and devotees of a certain Swedish prefab furniture store are insanely clever without ever being too clever for their own good. They repeatedly lure you into laughing before suddenly breaking your heart. And the sick part is, you keep coming back. Coulton's is the voice of every spooky elementary school kid who could never quite keep his shirt tucked in or shoes tied; every lovelorn mason and mad scientist; every one of us who has ever sat despairingly on the floor, surrounded by parts of an Ikea endtable, weeping over our allen wrenches.

For the past year he has been recording and publishing a new song every week as a free podcast called Thing a Week. This rate of output wouldn't be so astonishing if the songs weren't so constently well-written and produced. A few of these songs have become full-fledged internet smashes: his folky cover of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," a visual ode to Creative Commons called "Flickr," and of course "Code Monkey," the anthem of software designers everywhere. But it's the less obvious ones that sneak up on you and punch you right in the chest - the song about George Plimpton that makes you want to get out there and do something that really matters, or the song about an office crush that you're certain was written about you and that girl you keep meaning to ask out on a date.

All the songs from the Thing a Week project are now available on the CDs "Thing a Week One," "Thing a Week Two," "Thing a Week Three," and "Thing a Week Four." And then there is this awesome Box Set with all four CDs and a make your own cover situation. An entire year's worth of songs from a bold experiment in independent musicianship and internet superstardom, finally yours.

reviews

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  • awesome
    author: PrinceVen

    My box set came signed, which was awesome. I still had him sign all the CDs at PAX '08 :P

  • Best $50 I ever spent
    author: Don Gerard

    This is an indispensable set of music for anyone anywhere. There is little point to continue living if you are not amused, inspired, enthralled or otherwise just plain thoroughly entertained by this collection. Buy it. Now.

  • Fantastic!
    author: Sarah Ulloa

    I'm absolutly loving theses cds!

  • Better than toast!
    author: Carl Hagman

    Opening this box is like smashing a Piñata open: candy all over the place. Some sweet, some sour, and at times a bit salty. If you combine them all, you're in for an awesome treat!

  • GREAT!!!
    author: Emily

    i got it for my boyfriend and he couldn't wait till he got home to listen to it, its a great deal and i'd tell any one buy it hours on hours of fun!

  • Wonderful
    author: Joey Coleman

    Bought as a gift and thoroughly appreciated.

  • Love em all!!
    author: John Wells

    I've been a J.C. junkie for weeks now

  • Catchy, Funny, High in Fiber!
    author: Steve Guzman

    Listen to this in your car. Other drivers will definitely think you've got issues... all that smiling and laughing. On second thought, don't. Cops are libel to pull you over and search your car for drugs.

  • Worth it
    author: Robert Vaughn

    Only JoCo could get me to dl his music and then buy the box set to have another copy of it to fill up my cd changer after my ipod busted. always great to listen to time and time again.

  • Awesome
    author: Jim

    I'm glad that JoCo provided me with an option to finally "get legal" with the songs that he had made available for free download!

  • Creatively Uncommon
    author: Andrew Critchley

    Too many fun and catchy songs to give less than five stars - I bought three copies, one for both of my brothers and another for me - we're all delighted. ALL POWER TO THE COULTON.

  • Nobody's Perfect...
    author: James Bradley

    But it looks like JoCo's getting dangerously close. As a slightly materialistic person (I just like having something physical to show for it when I buy music) I find the presentation case and sleeves rather pleasant. As for the contents... well, they merit a different paragraph at least. Obviously, the first thing that stands out, and indeed the first thing that will have drawn many of us to Jonathan Coulton, is the serious yet humourous vibe of songs like 'Code Monkey', 'Furry Old Lobster' and 'Re: Your Brains'. The appeal is that the humour isn't in some joke that gets tired, but is in the 'different' content of the lyrics, and the songs by themselves and in that context stand strong as heartfelt and sincere songs. Something my brother was surprised to find was that there are also quite an amount of 'serious' songs, even non-tongue-in-cheek covers. Actually one of my favourite songs from this collection is a Leonard Cohen cover - surely a man most famous for the silliness and light-heartedness of his songs (...) The point being, the 'humour' songs tend to be so sincere that the line is sometimes fine or unnoticable between the two. All round, this album is completely worth the £25 (as we use around here) and is great for (time for a cliche-induced shudder) the whole family. Of the four CDs I'm sure that I'll be lucky to be able to keep hold of more than one at a time. Jonathan Coulton is pretty much a genius. And probably an evil one at that. Thanks to CDBaby and Jonathan Coulton and the Royal Mail guy and everyone else involved for being responsible for letting me enjoy such fantastic music. This isn't the last you'll see of me, CDBaby! *waves fist fittingly*

  • WOW!
    author: CALI

    Countless hours of entertainment... Support the new frontier of musicianship and buy this perfect gift now.

  • Enough is never enough.
    author: Theis Thomsen

    Unpretentious musicians are a rarity in the mtv-massacre we call modern music. Wrapping a boatload of excellent, diverse and exceedingly clever songs in a signed tin case and selling it for 50 Fascist Moneys is incredible. The Thing-a-Week box slid through my door today together with Smoking Monkey. Much rejoicing. I had stolen the songs previously, but I gladly sacrificed the cash to the alter of brilliance. Coulton is not geek pop. He is not a quirky songwriter. He is not a humourist. The music is too diverse and subtle for comparison. One of the most complete musicians I've ever listened to. Also. The mails from CDBABY are made of excellent humour and brilliant wording. Good work, all round. Many thanks from Denmark.

  • Incredible
    author: Scott Markwart

    The simple fact that all of these songs were written and produced in a week's time is amazing. Not to mention how incredible the music itself is! I met Mr. Coulton at the Penny Arcade Expo 07 in Seattle; he's really nice guy, too.

  • More important than food
    author: Charlie

    Amazing music by a brilliant man. It's not just geeky, it's good too! And that's a tragically rare combination. Give him your money so he can sustain himself and make us more.

  • Now in fresh plastic!
    author: Paul TS Lee

    I've been a JoCo fan since just after "Baby Got Back" (Thing a Week #5), and I'm happy to support the cause by buying actual CDs. Now I just need to make it to a concert to get him to sign them (hard thing to do with podcasts or mp3s).

  • You *NEED* This Album!
    author: Lola

    Jonathan Coulton is a musical genius. His songs are brilliantly composed and executed, while the lyrics range from thoughtful to heartfelt to hilarious! I honestly can't get enough of his music, and have gotten many friends hooked on his tunes as well - my lil' brother was very pleased to unwrap his own boxed set of "Thing A Week" this Christmas. Do be warned - these tunes are infectious - don't be surprised if the discs should start to comprise a soundtrack to your life! I'd love to catch a live show, so should Mr.Coulton happen to read this, be a dear and come up and play Toronto sometime... We'd all love to see you!

  • So much fun
    author: Tien Yin Yau

    The songs tend to vary in quality, but even the worst one is good. And the best ones are pure gold! Code monkey and Curl are some of my favorite songs ever.

  • Portal song composer makes me laugh
    author: Yoga Man

    I had heard "Code Monkey" and liked it before hearing the amazing song at the end of the game "Portal" that he wrote. This encouraged me to delve into his music further and it has been a worthwhile and mirth inducing experience. One that I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who likes well crafted songs that make you laugh.

  • Worth It
    author: chris

    The man is a damn genius

  • If I had an extra thumbs it owuld be three thumbs up.
    author: fred leo

    This is collection is now in my top five all-time fave cds list. Aside from the wit, delicious pop hooks, and inventive subjects, Coulton obviously puts a lot of work into his craft from composition to produciton, and it really pays off. He can mingle the oddest of moods with lyrics that one wouldn't expect with the lyrics, and it always seems to work. Many people are quirky, witty, bright and observant, but few I've come across put as much work into it as Jonathan Coulton.

  • thing a week box set
    author: kristi

    good music for a road trip. whether in a vehicle or in your head. Weirdly theraputic in its self- deprecating, geeky humor and sensitivity. And I'm not even a code monkey.

  • Thing a Week box set
    author: Tim Pavlick

    I saw JoCo by accident last year in Chicago (opening for Paul and Storm). Why he isn't reaping more of the rewards of what should be certain fame is beyond me, but you cannot go wrong with this set. Eventually, he'll be more than "our" little secret. ...and the autographed box is a nice little personal touch. If JoCo's coming anywhere near you to perform, be sure to check him out. Amazing.

  • Great CDs. Great service.
    author: Brianonymous

    Jonathan Coulton is fast becoming my favorite musician. He's a good writer. He can churn out snappy tunes and touching lyrics. And even if you never pay attention to the lyrics, you can still enjoy them just for sheer fun. Oh, and I ordered this CD on a Saturday. I literally got it the following Monday. That is stupid fast shipping.

  • Simply Awesome
    author: Dan G

    Genius, Brilliance, Awesomeness. Johnathan Coulton is amazing... I have never found an artist who can so expertly entertain both the geek and musician in me. This set is collection of Coulton's best work and I would highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

  • Awesome service. Awesome CDs. What more could I ask for?
    author: Kim

    The Thing A Week box set is definitely one of a kind. From songs about monkeys to my favorite song about zombies (Re Your Brains), I thoroughly enjoy this set and recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor and even the slightest appreciation for well written music.

  • Funny and heartfelt well produced pop.
    author: Anthony Schwickerath

    As has already been pointed out, while you can download all of these tracks from his website for free, do the right thing and throw some money his way. On top of which, it seems like, with the higher audio quality of CD over the original MP3s, I am hearing subtleties that I had missed on the podcast. There are quite a few great songs ("Creepy Doll," "Seahorse," "Curl," "Sibling Rivalry," and of course "Code Monkey" just to name a hand full). Funny, heartfelt, well produced pop.

  • am v. v. pleased with this. :D
    author: Ash

    quick shipping, good product. if you like Johnny C this is totally friggin' awesome, why don't you have it already?

  • You must own this! Unique, original, wonderful!
    author: Melanie

    JoCo is what real music is about - unique, original, innovative. Not what the music industry crams down our throats on a daily basis. If you want songs that make you laugh, cry, think, and sometimes just say 'huh?' try out this compilation - there is something for everyone here!

  • Brilliantly funny - and good music, too!
    author: Tyler Zerr

    Very original humour and great songs. T write one song a week and have so many of them be so genuinely good is unbelievable to me. This is not just some amusing jokes written to music that you can listen to once for a laugh. Of course not every song is as good as the next but there are far more great tracks than average tracks. Buy this set if you claim to be at all cool!

  • Mostly very good.
    author: Sean Riley

    One year. 52 tracks. Actually, it's only 51, with one track split in two, but that's because another track couldn't be in here due to legal reasons. Alas. The result? Mostly very good. Jonathan Coulton's ecclectic mix of rock, electronica and mostly folksy pop is very charming, and at his best he can be unexpectedly hilarious (Such as the outburst inducing "Furry Old Lobster") and surprisingly touching. ("You Ruined Everything" and his brilliant cover of "Don't Talk to Strangers"). However, over the course of a full year, it's clear he strains a little bit. Songs like "Skymall" and to a lesser degree "Shop Vac" play like little better than half-rate Weird Al impersonations, suffering a major lack of inspiration and energy. Disc 3 in particular suffers from this, with few excellent songs. But even disc 3 includes one of his best tracks: The bizarrely anthemic "Code Monkey". In total, this is a great collection from one of the internet's most interesting ultra-indie popstars. Just make sure you download "25 to 64" from his website as well -- It's arguably the most infectiously fun track of his project, and it's a shame that legal reasons kept it off the discs.

  • Four Reasons to Hate Jonathan Coulton
    author: i feel so insignificant

    Jonathan Coulton created all four of these CDs in a single year, and every single song is better written, better performed, and better produced than anything you (yeah, I'm lookin' at YOU!) will ever do in your entire sorry life. Buy this album and feel the envy poison your soul.

  • Brilliant!
    author: Carrie

    My family cannot stop listening to this collection! My favorites: When You Go and Code Monkey. My 9 year old daughter's favorites: Seahorse, Mr. Fancy Pants and Creepy Doll. Funny, true and touching, this is brilliant songwriting, singing and production. Other reviewers are right, this artist deserves his music to be purchased. I bought 2 more for gifts - you have to share this with others!

  • SO much awesomeness
    author: M_pony

    This collection is proof that if you're talented enough, you can still sell CDs even after giving away MP3s on the internet for free. These discs teem with awesomeness.

  • I can't stop listening. I'm losing my mind! (In the nicest way.)
    author: Gerry Siebel

    This is great work. Some pop musicians can't produce this many quality songs in their entire career. Yes, much of it is amusing, actually LOL funny, but it's so much more. Even songs like "Shopvac" are infused with pathos. One of my favorites is "When You Go" which is a real tearjerker. And what a cool selection of cover tunes! This is better than finding money. Better than guilt free sex. Damn!

  • YOU MUST OWN THIS NOW
    author: Lee

    Scoff if you like, doubt if you must, but the simple truth is that your life will never be complete without this four-CD box set of sublime musical goodness. Order now, thank me later.

  • Fun and Fantastic
    author: John G, Madison, Wisconsin

    This collection, although entirely different in style, reminds me of one of my favorites, the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs, both in terms of wit and scope, and that's not a compliment I toss around lightly. Just as Stephin Merritt seemed to find unlimited possibility in the love song, so does Mr. Coulton range far and wide through musical styles, popular culture, and the quirks of the human heart to give 52 fascinating, and often hilarious, takes on the pop song. The fact that he produced every track on deadline makes the accomplishment all the more impressive--while not all songs are equally brilliant, about a quarter of the tunes reach the level of utter masterpieces in this reviewer's opinion, and there isn't a dud amongst all four disks. Go to the man's website and listen to three or four random songs off these disks, and I'll bet you will covet them all.

  • This is some good stuff
    author: Vinny

    There is alot of talent going on here. The harmonies the melodies and the groove. Some of the stuff is funny. Great production.

  • Funniest music I've heard in years
    author: Deirdre

    Jonathan Coulter is a genius and a lovely musician and a brilliant comic. Don't try and go running while listening to any of his CDs on your IPOD...And BUY his CDs, don't download the music -- this is someone who shouldn't be wasting his time on a day job.

  • Just the goods, plus some stickers, in a handy case
    author: Jerry in Cambridge

    JoCo fans know ALL the material on this, since it's all been podcast on Thing A Week. But the CD cover photos are a hoot, as are John's liner notes, and the aluminum case is, ah, "handsome." Yeah, that's the right word. It's also nice to have these in better audio quality than the podcasts. So go ahead and pull the trigger!

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