The Flaming Lips

Quite the popular band, I know. But I only just recently got into them. Here's that not-so-interesting story:

Bought Transmissions from the Satellite Heart about three years ago and have always enjoyed that, but their more recent stuff has never done it for until very recently. I bought The Soft Bulletin back in '99 when it first came out but I've always hated it. Thought the music and production was really special, but just couldn't get into Wayne Coyne's whole "thing", whatever you call it. That whole being-silly-while-taking-on-unfathomly-deep-concepts "thing". Just never did it for me.

But about four months ago I got really into Mercury Rev, all their albums. So that - which certainly includes being a fan of Dave Fridmann's production skills - prompted me to reconsider The Flaming Lips. Relistened to The Soft Bulletin and it finally hit me. Went out later and picked up both Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and At War with the Mystics.

I really enjoy this band now.

*snip overzealous comment*

 

I've never been very impressed by them. Just like every fan of indie music, I own Yoshimitsu Vs...But really...they're okay. I just think they're generic sounding (Which a lot of people would disagree with.) I dunno, none of their hooks really stick out except "Did you Realize??"

 

yes..."do you realize" has to be the best

 

it is a great great song.

and just for the silliness of it, I love 'Spongebob and Patrick Confront The Psychic Wall of Energy'. It's a crack up and so jolly.

 

I love love love that song. I read somewhere they were trying to make the kind of song Parliament/Funkadelic would make if they had access to digital technology.

The video was great too. <3

EDIT: Oh yeah, about the Flaming Lips in general...I haven't listened to the new album much--I have to get around to it one of these days--but my favorite album of theirs is probably Transmissions from Satellite Heart. That's probably the best songwriting they've done so far. Really adventurous stuff. Behind that is the Soft Bulletin, which is such a gorgeous album.

 

I like the lips. I find them inspirational musically. I just got done watching their documentary today. I like that they always try and change and never pin themselves down in one genre.

 

ha, yeah, it so was.

but when are pirates and pink foam not fantastic?

 

i heard them live on the radio the other night and they were awful! it was a bit of a let down

 

for some reason i cant get into any of their stuff except for Zaireeka and after. but i am a huge fan of Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi. i havent gotten around to listening to their new one.

 

ooooo... I love the flaming lips. I liek "she dont use jelly", its a great song to me because I realite to it...

 

I love Zaireeka for the sheer ambition of it, if not for the music (i like the music too though!)

and ego tripping at the gates of hell is one of my favorite songs of all time!

 

I think I actually prefer Yoshimi to The Soft Bulletin. There's no doubt that TSB is their masterpiece, for sure, but I prefer the lyrical content and unapologetic psychedelia on Yoshimi.

At War with the Mystics has a lot of really great songs, in my opinion, but it is one hell of an unfocused album. Some songs have flat-out horrendous lyrics ("It Overtakes Me"'s concept seems forced... as though it's mandatory that the Flaming Lips have a song on each of their albums about how affected Wayne Coyne is by the size of the universe. But now it's just getting old.) "Sound of Failure", "The W.A.N.D.", and "Pompeii am Gotterdammerung" are incredible.

 

I love them. One of my favorite bands. I've yet to see them live (since I don't go to shows), but I want to. Desperatly.
I'm going to Oklahoma City over the summer and I'm praying that they'll be there, even though I know they won't be.

 

ya...they arent the greatest live band musically. their all about how they preform, with lots of lights, balloons, wayne getting into a big plastic bubble and walking over the crowd, wayne spilling blood all over himself. going to a flaming lips show would be a blast i think!

 

I love Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2, In the Morning of the Magicians, It's Summertime (Throbbing Orange Pallbearers), Do You Realize?? and well...the rest of this album. I adore it. I also like the story behind this songs. I remember one of them telling about that young Japanese fan that passed away and they sort of dedicated that song to her...

I know that the final track on the album, "Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)" won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.





♥ LOVE ♥

IAO |o|

Ø

 

Zaireeka is their true masterpiece, in my opinion.

 

Thank you!!! for sharing.


♥ Love ♥

IAO |o|

Ø

 

Hey Canopy Catch, any chance you know where I can get a good mix of Zaireeka? I don't have the ability to set it up myself, and would love to hear the final product.

 

I like their studio stuff that I've heard but I saw them on either Leno or Conan and they weren't to great live. It would be a fun show though.

 

I'm sorry, I actually don't.
Luckily, if I pull every last resource in my house together, I can come up with four cd players. Granted, it's a complete pain in the ass to rig, but the music is truly phenomenal.