Flaming Lips - Pink Robots

"Pink Robots" is a great album. The silly lyrics make me giggle.

You might also want to try "Clouds Taste Metallic" and "Soft Bulletin". Both are typically mentioned when discussing the Lips' best albums. I'm incapable of picking a favorite- maybe "Soft Bulletin".

Alternatively, pick up any of Grandaddy's albums (start w/ "Under The Western Freeway"). They're equally enjoyable IMO.

Yeah, I got "Robots" first. Fun lyrics and some good tunes. Then bought "Soft Bulletin" which I also liked, similar but less developed than "Robots" IMHO (not sure why they did two very similar takes of "Waiting for superman", maybe they ran out of time or ideas?

Curiously, "Robots" wasn't HDCD, but "Soft Bulletin" was. Go figure....

Thanks for the Grandaddy tip I'll check it out.

As for the lyrics they do seem to lend a certain "charm" to affairs. "Her name is Yoshimi she's a black belt in Karate" seems to be particularily hard to get out of the brain when you're stuck in some boring meeting at work!

Spock

Well, Grandaddy will give you:

"He calculated the height and width and density, for insurance purposes", and

"And there's a shitty limousine parked in front of the bar, that never got to drive any movie stars"

(both from "Sumday", their latest)

You'll like it. You'll buy all three.

And if you get the chance to see either of them live, do so as you won't regret it. I saw the Flaming Lips on the Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and Soft Bulletin tour and was absolutely blown away. Grandaddy on the Sumday tour were incredible too.

Between Soft Bulletin or Yoshimi.......even rating for me.

"Under A Western Freeway" also has the mantra "Here I sit and play guitar, drink beer, out in the country" which is a fine and noble sentiment.

Saw them live and on the Sophtware Slump tour and thought they were distinctly average. They played a routine and unispired set and pretty much all I could see was an enormous rack of synths with a John Deere hat moving about behind it which I assumed was on Jason Little's head. Maybe he's realyl shy or something.

Matthew

I'd just like to second ludwigs views. Begin with the soft bulletin and try grandaddy (sophtware slump followed by western freeway and sumday). I'd also add mercury rev who are slightly less playful but belong in the same bracket.

I saw flaming lips at the hammersmith apollo the other night. - some good music against a backdrop of projected images, dry ice, a bunch of people dressed in animal costumes dancing and shining torches while strobes went off and thirty or so balloons the size of space hoppers bobbed around by the audience for the duration of the show. Wayne Coyne ,the singer probably talked a bit too much but otherwise carried the whole thing along well. Altogether a satisfyingly bizarre night. I normally find most embellishments beyond stage lights a turn-off, but this all seemed quite apt and made for a joyous gig.

roman

The Soft Bulletin really really grows on you. Its an incredible record. Buy it today!

Timster,

I think that the remixed versions of "Superman" and "Race For The Prize" were included due to record company 'involvement'. They thought that both songs were potentially singles, but that the Dave Fridmann mixes were too quirky and would limit mass appeal, so they had em remixed and tamed.

Soft Bulletin and Clouds Taste Metallic are brilliant albums. Zaireeka is great if you play it as intended. The album is not mixed into stereo but eight channel sound (it comes as four CD's) You need four hi-fi's or portable CD players, and you need to get some mates involved so you can start them all playing in sync. Hey! maybe next time there's a hifi show Naim could have a Zaireeka hour where they set up four systems and give it a blast!

Saw them on Jonathan Ross's TV show.

Without being rude they where shite. Pretentious and shite. Forty year olds playing sixth formers.

IMO, of course.

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy

Interesting occupation, Mike

The Flaming Lips hadn't done it for me til I saw them live a couple of weeks ago, but that got me hooked.(see all Roman's comments above) I came away smiling and really glad I hadn't stayed in to watch Jonathon Ross...

Just need Clouds etc now, really looking forward to getting a copy.

Anna

So a real make you happy kinda band overall, unless you have an unusual occupation! I think soft bulletin and the the clouds are both confirmed on my shopping list and the Grandaddy stuff won't be far behind I suspect. Anyway, think I will go and dress up as a giant sunflower or something and bung the "Robots" on while I calculate the cost of the next round of CD purchases.

Spock

Bought Yoshimi 'cos of the buzz.

Don't get it. Not even a little bit. Ashtray!!

Colin Lorenson

quote:

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Bought Yoshimi 'cos of the buzz.

Don't get it. Not even a little bit. Ashtray!!

Colin Lorenson

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Me neither, Total and utter tripe, (except the brilliant 'Morning of Magicians').

However I really like Grandaddy, especially Sophtware Slump

Hi Joew,

I'm hoping to be in San Fran next spring, I'll bring Zaireeka with me just in case you're up for it.

Bye for now,

Mickey

Joew/Mickey

If you do manage to pull off the Zaireeka stunt, which sounds like it could be truly awesome, please make sure you report back on how you got on.

Regards

Spock

I quite liked Yoshimi - though I'm not sure whether its very good or pretentious.

But it sounds good on the Naim system!

Martin