Anyone listen to The Flaming Lips?

[St. Jarvitude]

My friend played one of their albums while I was at his house (don't know which, but it sounded like some of their early work), and I'm hooked. I'm considering buying one of their albums, probably Yorimichi Battles the Pink Robots, as I've heard it's a good "intro" to them.

On the other hand, I've heard very mixed reviews of this CD. Kind of like OK Computer (Radiohead) it seems to be either loved or hated by everyone I've asked. The friend who played me the album hasn't heard anything from YBTPR.

So, I've decided to give it up to any/all DU Flaming Lips fans to see if they reccomend I buy this album, and if not, which one you think I should buy instead.

P.S: I don't have any access to P2P software at the moment, thus I can't sample the album as I've done in years past.

[bbernardini]

1. "Zaireeka" is a pretty cool concept.

4 CDs, to be played all at the same time on four separate players. I've got a mixdown of all 4 discs, and it still makes a fine album once you get past the gimmick.

[rucky]

7. did it make you sick & disoriented?

there's a warning message to that effect.

I haven't been able to get 4 stereos in one place for the Zaireeka experiment.

[bbernardini]

8. Not yet, no.

Maybe that's only when it's done the right way, instead of mixed down to a stereo pair.

[St. Jarvitude]

13. Interesting concept

Unfortunately, I don't have 4 stereos to spare in this house, but if I ever become a millionaire, I'll have to buy the album and give it a shot :)

Do the CDs stand well enough on their own to warrant buying the entire album?

[UnAmericanJoe]

2. Yoshimi is good

But don't miss out on their best work...
The Soft Bulletin

Awesome, Awesome,Awesome record!

[Tina H]

5. Soft Bulletin is supposed to be better than Yoshimi

Soft Bulletin is great -- I haven't gotten around to getting Yoshimi yet.

There is a pretty noticeable discontinuity between Soft Bulletin (1999) and the Flaming Lips earlier work.

[vi5]

3. Can I make a recomendation?

I would start with The Soft Bulletin. It's less psychedelic and experimental than their earlier work but less dense and "concept-y" than Yoshimi. The Soft Bulletin has a lot of fully realized, excellent songs on it. Yoshimi, like O.K. Computer as you mentioned, is much more dense and a full listen rather than a collection of songs.

Just my 2 cents.

[St. Jarvitude]

10. Well, I tend to listen to albums as one piece

Just as I hate listening to - and playing - one movement of an excellent suite or other classical composition, I hate listening to individual songs off a well-composed album. Ever since I listened to Dark Side of the Moon straight through, I have been hooked on the whole "album as one" concept. Not that I am comparing OK Computer to this magnificent work of art, but Pink Floyd and Radiohead were both trying to do similar things with their respective works.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

4. I liked "Clouds Taste Metallic"................eom

[rucky]

6. Transmissions From the Satellite Heart

and IMO their best. If we're making Radiohead comparisons, it's equivelant to "The Bends" as far as being a solid & utterly listenable album.

yeah, it's got that vaseline song... which is the weakest track. "Moth In The Incubator" & "Slow Nerve Action" are their best songs period - both on this album.


Soft Bulletin, Clouds Taste Metallic & Yoshimi are also solid, but Transmissions... is the quintessential Lips.

[St. Jarvitude]

12. I bought "The Bends" without any reccomendations

At first, I was pretty disappointed. My first listen through, I wasn't paying attention (was finishing up some paperwork before my upcoming Europe trip) and it just seemed to be lacking something - it sounded like some stupid, phony "goth" writing poetry to me for smoe reason. I promptly labelled it as "Worst Album Ever"

For one reason or another, I brought it with me to Europe. The first time I listened to The Bends after that bad first time was on a bus going from Vienna to Kitzbühel. Somehow, for whatever reason, it clicked. Seeing as how I was on the only bus with none of my friends on it - this was a school trip - I didn't have much to distract me except the Austrian countryside. Somehow, together, they mixed, and the album clicked. It all flowed together, beautifully. Not to mention, the songs seemed to actually empathize with what I was actually feeling at the time (I was going through a bit of emotional turbulence during the trip).

When I listen to The Bends now, there's this weird kind of rush that goes along with it that reminds me of Europe and the people on the trip. I've also - with a few straight through listens - learned to appreciate how the album works together. The album isn't quite as effective as OK Computer (which I consider a masterpiece) but it's still very powerful to me.

[rucky]

16. Even though it's not the best Radiohead album

it's still one of the best pop albums ever made.

going from Bends to OK Computer was Radiohead saying..."ok we mastered the pop thing. time to move on."

but i gotta tell ya, in the 10 years I've been enjoying this band, The Bends is the one I seem to keep coming back to.

[mitchum]

9. I saw them last year in a 400 capacity venue...

and it was probably the best concert I have ever seen (and I have seen thousands)

I would still recommend "The Soft Bulletin" over "Yorimichi" (just buy it next)

[Lisa0825]

11. They were on TV last night... Kimmel, I think?

I liked the song I heard. They were kinda kooky too.... the band members were wearing furry costumes, and there were other costumed people on stage, along with a great big sun, bubbles blowing, etc. The singer was smiling like he could see things I couldn't see. I was rather taken with the whole scene! I was thinking I should check them out.

[St. Jarvitude]

14. Oops. Mega typo

I wrote "Yorimichi" instead of "Yoshimi" for the album title. Whoops.

[DoctorBombay]

15. Highly recommended here.

One of my favorites from 2002. I think the folks suggesting that you start with "The Soft Bulletin" are right, however. Then go to Yoshimi. I like Sattelite Heart much, too.

[bhunt70]

17. I had a tape of theirs from the late 80's

they smashed a piano at the end of it, then I picked up Yoshimi within the last year...totally different concept, but still really good.

[Enraged_Ape]

18. Just got into the Lips myself

Heard "Fight Test" on the Smallville soundtrack and knew I better get Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.

It's really a great album. For two weeks, that's all I ever listened to. Really phenomenal. Goddammit, it's a masterpiece.

Then I bought the Soft Bulletin at the behest of some DUers. I did not like it as much. It definitely does NOT sound like Yoshimi. At times it sounds more like a Yes album, and it goes on for about as long. But after about three weeks, it's growing on me.