BCB 100 - The Flaming Lips

[geoffcowgill]

Probably an entry that might draw some consternation, but surely there are enough fans here to justify this. Yoshimi is my favorite, but it would be hard to argue with the Soft Bulletin argument. "The Sound of Failure", "The Spiderbite Song", "When Your 22", there are a lot of songs that delight me, often move me, but "Do You Realize??" is there "Waterloos Sunset", "Gimme Shelter", "Into The Mystic", isn't it?


Favorite Album - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Favorite Song - "Do You Realize??"

[king feeb]

I like the earlier stuff better. It's a little more raw and loud. Also it's a bit more confused and experimental, which makes their albums a bit patchy, but the peaks are so much higher.

Album: Hit To Death In The Future Head

Song: "God Walks Among Us Now"

[The Write Profile]

I like the earlier stuff better. It's a little more raw and loud. Also it's a bit more confused and experimental, which makes their albums a bit patchy, but the peaks are so much higher.

I think Feeb is onto something here, that mid90s period, where their eccentricities were just about to give way to the fullblown the Soft Bulletin has much to cherish in it. Of those LPs, Clouds Taste Metallic and Transmissions From the Satellite Heart are the most succesful, often in their most 'poppy' moments--"Bad Days," "She Don't Use Jelly," "Brainville"--paving the way for what happened next. That said, it was inevitable that it would build to the Soft Bulletin, which easily has the greatest reach of their LPs, to say nothing of the widescreen dynamics that permeate even its more introspective moments ("Waiting for a Superman," "A Spoonful Weighs A Ton"). What it lacks in anarchy it makes up for in melody and composure, but in this case, it was a worthwhile trade.

Unfortunately, I think they kinda painted themselves into a baroque corner as a result, my misgivings with Yoshimi have been well documented, but I think, as much as I like bits of that LP, the songwriting just isn't there on the whole. At War with the Mystics show that they were going some way to rectify it, but I wonder whether it's too late.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

it was inevitable that it would build to the Soft Bulletin

I respectfully beg to differ!
One of the most amazing things about the Soft Bulletin, and a huge part of its impact was how unexpected it was. They had been experimenting with the parking lot stuff and Zaireeka and some other stuff, but the Soft Bulletin was shocking. At least to me.

The Flaming Lips are very, very unlikely pop figures. I was a huge fan from about 1990 on and had you told me ten years ago that their nineties records would be anything more than a curiosity on the level of, say Chapterhouse, or Curve or something, I would've laughed. And, maybe for the majority of their fans the nineties records are nothing more than curiosities, but we're still talking about them. No one's said anything about Curve on this board in ages.

[The Write Profile]

it was inevitable that it would build to the Soft Bulletin

I respectfully beg to differ!
One of the most amazing things about the Soft Bulletin, and a huge part of its impact was how unexpected it was. They had been experimenting with the parking lot stuff and Zaireeka and some other stuff, but the Soft Bulletin was shocking. At least to me.

The Flaming Lips are very, very unlikely pop figures. I was a huge fan from about 1990 on and had you told me ten years ago that their nineties records would be anything more than a curiosity on the level of, say Chapterhouse, or Curve or something, I would've laughed. And, maybe for the majority of their fans the nineties records are nothing more than curiosities, but we're still talking about them. No one's said anything about Curve on this board in ages.

Oh absolutely- were it not for the Soft Bulletin, they certainly wouldn't be talked about that much today, but I would say that even those 90s records- for me, anyway- have a lot more wit and verve than Curve..

And the great thing about the Soft Bulletin is that it assembles together a lot of the most appealing aspects of all their work up to that point and renders them massive. It's a very, very big album. I remember the much missed moot saying that it's influenced as much by MBV as Spector. Now, I don't know enough about either artists to fully comment- but I would've certainly liked to hear him elaborate on that.

Whatever, it's their defining record, for better or worse. Better, on balance- though they might have lost something along the way.

[Corporate whore]

Favorite Album - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Favorite Song - "Do You Realize??"

Ditto for me - although I must confess that I have not heard anything prior to Soft Bulletin.

[Piggly Wiggly]

it was inevitable that it would build to the Soft Bulletin

I respectfully beg to differ!
One of the most amazing things about the Soft Bulletin, and a huge part of its impact was how unexpected it was. They had been experimenting with the parking lot stuff and Zaireeka and some other stuff, but the Soft Bulletin was shocking. At least to me.

The Flaming Lips are very, very unlikely pop figures. I was a huge fan from about 1990 on and had you told me ten years ago that their nineties records would be anything more than a curiosity on the level of, say Chapterhouse, or Curve or something, I would've laughed. And, maybe for the majority of their fans the nineties records are nothing more than curiosities, but we're still talking about them. No one's said anything about Curve on this board in ages.

The Soft Bulletin is their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Curve come by their anonymity quite honourably.

[The Red Heifer]

For me, it's the way they've managed to seize upon emotion in their aging years, and spin it into heart wrenching records, the sound is other-worldly, but the sheer punch of the emotional themes running through The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi seems right next door.

The early stuff is very exciting yes, it invigorates me to a great degree. But the magic of it is to come from the mid 90's output, hit a bat-turn into Soft Bulletin then take it into perfection with Yoshimi

[Tom Violence]

Can't understand the fuss at all. I had that 'Yogi against the Purple Androids' album...did not enjoy a second of it. What about that track about how everyone is going to die? Why would anyone listen to that? And all the inflatable dinosaurs and stuff on stage...gimmick.

[Sea Of Tunes]

I adore them. From The Soft Bulletin on, that is. Great band.

[morganspacehorse]

One of my favourite bands ever, I think just about every album from In A Priest Driven Ambulance onwards has been my favourite at some time. I think In A Priest, Hit To Death, Clouds Taste Metallic, Zaireeka & The Soft Bullitin are all total classics and the other 3 have some amazing songs.
i loved Yoshimi at first but after a while i sound myself skippin a few of the tracks, Ego Trippin, Fight Test and Yoshimi Part 2, likewise ive been skippin a few of the long instrumental outros on At War With The Mystics.
I suppose Zaireeka would actually be my fave to listen to, when its goin with all 4 CDs and that, totally stunnin! Riding To Work in the Year 2025 and 30000 Feet Of Despair are 2 of the Flips best songs, try and find a mixdown of these tracks if you haven't heard, there's a few floatin around on slsk, great stuff. But I suppose overall, the quality of songs doesnt compete with my (predictable) fave, The Soft Bullitin. So;

Album - The Soft Bullitin

Song - Evil Will Prevail

[BARON CORNY DOG]

it was inevitable that it would build to the Soft Bulletin

I respectfully beg to differ!
One of the most amazing things about the Soft Bulletin, and a huge part of its impact was how unexpected it was. They had been experimenting with the parking lot stuff and Zaireeka and some other stuff, but the Soft Bulletin was shocking. At least to me.

The Flaming Lips are very, very unlikely pop figures. I was a huge fan from about 1990 on and had you told me ten years ago that their nineties records would be anything more than a curiosity on the level of, say Chapterhouse, or Curve or something, I would've laughed. And, maybe for the majority of their fans the nineties records are nothing more than curiosities, but we're still talking about them. No one's said anything about Curve on this board in ages.

The Soft Bulletin is their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Curve come by their anonymity quite honourably.

Ouch!

[beheaded]

Album - The Soft Bulletin, it has to be.

Song - Unconsciously Screamin'.

[Littleben]

Album: Hit to death...
Song: Talking bout the deathporn immortality blues

It was the first song on the first Flaming Lips album I ever heard and was absolutely stunning...the whole "Doo Wop Wop" intro just knocked me over...and I fell in love with them there and then...I'm not that keen on the new album but maybe I just haven't heard it enough yet?
Live, they were absolutely wonderful...
And both Drugstore and Aereogramme did wonderful versions of Flaming Lips songs (She Don't Use Jelly and Lightning Strikes The Postman)

[It came from japan]

Album - Clouds taste Metallic. Yoshimi probably comes next.

Track - Evil Will Prevail.

It's tough to pick a favourite track. The Gash is brilliant.

[bobzilla77]

We scored an advance copy of "Transmissions" as we were finishing up our spring tour in 1993, really dug it. The night we got home I went out to see the Lazy Cowgirls & Flop at Raji's (classic Hollywood dive bar), and to my surprise, the Lips were there, playing a secret show. It took them forever to set up & they finally went on a few minutes before 2, luckily the club risked it & let them play for about 40 minutes. They didn't even bother with any lights, smoke or anything, just played their set.

It was one of the most mindblowing things ever & I have been a fan since.

"Yoshimi" is probably my least favorite of their recent works, with a couple exceptions (Do You Realize, Ego Trippin'). Soft Bulletin, Clouds Taste Metallic and Priest Driven Ambulance are the most enjoyable front to back.

I did get a bit burnt out on them in the Yoshimi period, saw too many identical shows, but will be looking forward to their LA return.

[Balboa]

Album: Hit to death...
Song: Talking bout the deathporn immortality blues

It was the first song on the first Flaming Lips album I ever heard and was absolutely stunning...the whole "Doo Wop Wop" intro just knocked me over...and I fell in love with them there and then...I'm not that keen on the new album but maybe I just haven't heard it enough yet?

My favourite album and song too - for similar reasons as above. Also agree with the Baron that no-one saw "The Soft Bulletin" coming. With hindsight, the signs are there but it was a huge leap.

[Sea Of Tunes]

Album: Soft Bulletin & its accompanying maxi-maxi single.
Song: 'Race For The Prize' and 'Do You Realize' finish first together.

[Leg of lamb]

One of the greats. The Soft Bulletin is one of those, y'know, special records. Probably my favourite album by a still-functioning artist.

Album: The Soft Bulletin
Song: 'The Spark that Bled'

[Sea Of Tunes]

One of the greats. The Soft Bulletin is one of those, y'know, special records. Probably my favourite album by a still-functioning artist.

Album: The Soft Bulletin
Song: 'The Spark that Bled'

should become common parlance. Man asks in record shop: 'Sir, do you have records by still-functioning artists?'