Since 1999's The Soft Bulletin, the Flaming Lips have issued an album once every three or four years -- roughly once per presidential term, making At War with the Mystics the second album they've made during George W. Bush's presidency. While Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' themes of seizing the moment and accepting mortality could easily be read as a reaction to 9/11, At War with the Mystics is a more overtly timely album for the mid-to-late 2000s, dealing with the motivation behind the war in Iraq and Bush's presidency. By grappling with heavy subjects like these, it could seem like the Flaming Lips are taking their role as one of America's most prominent and beloved alternative rock bands too seriously, but Mystics' light touch shows that they can still be important without being self-important. In fact, the album's most pointed tracks are the most playful. As they did on Yoshimi's "Fight Test," the Lips couch their aggression in bouncy melodies and playful production tricks. With its robotic doo wop vocals and strummy acoustic guitars, "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" -- which asks its listeners if they could do any better if they were handed all the power in the world -- sounds oddly like a Paul Simon song updated for the 21st (or maybe even 22nd) century. "Free Radicals," which sounds like Prince via Beck with a dash of Daft Punk, and "Haven't Got a Clue," which boasts the refrain "Every time you state your case, the more I want to punch your face," get their points across emphatically -- almost too emphatically, actually, for as catchy as these songs are, they don't really expand on their thoughts or sounds much. However, the middle section of At War with the Mystics is expansive and intimate at the same time, like many of the Flaming Lips' best moments have been. "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion" and "Vein of Stars" play like updates of The Soft Bulletin's effortless, weightless beauty, and "The Sound of Failure" is a reminder that it's OK to be sad sometimes (while getting in digs at the een pop platitudes of Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani) set to a gorgeous backdrop of soft rock flutes and guitars and twittering electronics. This stretch of songs plays almost like a suite, which ties right in with At War with the Mystics' prog rock leanings. Pink Floyd is a major influence on the entire album: "The Wizard Turns On..." is a spacey, late-night instrumental that could easily be synched to The Wizard of Oz, while "Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung" also taps into Floyd's elaborate, epic power. These trippy moments make At War with the Mystics the most psychedelic and least immediate album the Flaming Lips have done in a long, long time, and the way that Mystics bounces back and forth between its ethereal and zany moments gives it a disjointed, uneven feel that makes the album a shade less satisfying than either Yoshimi or Soft Bulletin. Still, as standout tracks like "Mr. Ambulance Driver" and "Goin' On" show, the band is still fighting the good fight and confronting the bad things in life with hope, optimism, and just the right amount of (magical) realism.
You have stumbled upon a little project that stumbled upon me. With a stroke of kismet, while watching the extraordinary 1992 film 'Baraka', by Ron Fricke, I played the The Flaming Lips new kickass CD 'At War With The Mystics' to peculiar and captivating results that I wanted to share. After some experimentation and council with my cohorts we're happy to invite you to partake in...AT WAR WITH B...
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I jumped on the Flaming Lips bandwagon right around the time of *The Soft Bulletin* and I've been hooked ever since. There is something about the heart knowledge that they encompass within their arrangements and melody lines; Its like, good magic...When *At war with the Mystics* came out, the song that got me was this one right here. Not because I'm waaaay biased but moreover, they managed t...
More >
2007 Grammy's...Ok...I understand all of the negative comments and actually felt a little ill watching the James Blunt performance....for about 10 seconds before changing the channel.... However I was very happy to see the The Flaming Lips win a couple of Grammy's, especially the Best Rock Intrumental Performance Grammy for The Wizard Turns On...Cheers to the Lips!!
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I can always count on the Flaming Lips to help me get into a good mood. This morning when I got up, I decided not to turn on the radio, and instead pulled up the Flaming Lips. Much better than the crappy news of the world! I was feeling a little bleh yesterday (mostly due to not eating well), but today is off to a much better start!Yoshimi always brings a smile to my face - how could you not...
More >
i'd have to say i laughed quite a bit when i saw the new heading for mog.mog: because the web mostly sucks.hehe.what would your mogalistic catchphrase be?i need to buy some new cds. so far I have:the flaming lips: at war with the mystics...i have heard good and bad about this cd. however, i will go with the good because i love the lippies. the yeah yeah yeah song is awesome. and that is all the...
More >
Best. New Year's. EVER.This was a weekend that will go down in the books as one of the most joyous, carefree, and positive times spent with friends and a band that celebrates and embodies all of these things and more. I'm actually saddened to see it come and go, but it is a memory I hope I can keep with me for the rest of my life. When I first saw that The Flaming Lips were playing a New Year's...
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At War With The Mystics has been on my list of albums-I-want for a while; I finally got it at the record store last night and it's been nice and fulfilling as far as records go. Some of my thoughts (and I'd love to hear some of yours) --"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" reminds me of George Harrison's "Wah-Wah". Very groovy."The Sound of Failure" paints a vivid portrait of a girl; Yoshimi was super viv...
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so there is a pretty good chance that ill be going to voodoo fest this year to see : FLAMING LIPS!, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE!, WU TANG CLAN!, chili peppers, etc...awesome line-up! i saw the lips earlier this year down at langerado in florida, they rocked me so hard i ended up in a hospital...out of control. anyways, im trying to brainstorm for a costume to wear at the lips performance since its so c...
More >
If you missed the Ween & Flaming Lips show this past Saturday in Berkeley, you might as well go hike into the woods and wait for some animals to adopt you and teach you the ways of the wild. Seriously... it was that good.
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I cannot freaking wait for the Ween & Falming Lips show at the Berkeley Greek Theater!!!!
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Ed: This is the second in a two-part review series investigating the art of the spontaneous-sounding album.Last time, I talked about jazz, a genre where spontaneity is integral to the music itself. And now for something completely different.When I first heard of the Flaming Lips, I was living in Glasgow, blissfully ignorant of Soft Bulletins and bleeding sparks. I was on a mission to listen to ...
More >
Back from the OC...what a wealthy and depressing place. Santa Cruz is just the opposite.A few months ago, I wrote a couple short CD reviews as an audition for my school paper. Here's one of them, about an album I'm continuing to enjoy. Dig my laidback prose and alliteration!Who says you need to compromise your sound to find success? The Flaming Lips are one of the strangest acts to ever bre...
More >
The Flaming Lips will release their first-ever live DVD U.F.O's at the Zoo: the legendary concert in Oklahoma City, on July 10th, 2007. Filmed at the Zoo Amphitheater in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City on September 15th, 2006, the DVD captures “the complete over-the-top Technicolor thrill of the Lips' first local show in several years to an absolutely manic capacity crowd of furry fanatic
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Ever hear a tune on the TV, maybe in a commercial, and think "ZOMGZ, I need that song!" Happened to me a little while ago.I'm sitting there watching The Office, when this commercial comes on"Zoinks!" I say to myself. "That's a catchy tune." And so, armed with little knowledge, I set out to find it.It's a vaguely familiar song, which I suppose is what ad campaigns set out to do, but I just can...
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You have stumbled upon a little project that stumbled upon me. With a stroke of kismet, while watching the extraordinary 1992 film 'Baraka', by Ron Fricke, I played the The Flaming Lips new kickass CD 'At War With The Mystics' to peculiar and captivating results that I wanted to share. After some experimentation and council with my cohorts we're happy to invite you to partake in...AT WAR WITH B...
More >
Friday is a very special day. And every special day deserves a special mixtape. I’m actually nervous to ask you guys to get this mix up. I'm not so sured who wanna give me a help. I called it, MyMOGs' MixTape. 10 tracks should be Okay, i guess. In honor of this very happy day, please give me your MOST favorite artist + song's name. I hope i'll be able to work it out in a week. Here is mine: The.
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I can always count on the Flaming Lips to help me get into a good mood. This morning when I got up, I decided not to turn on the radio, and instead pulled up the Flaming Lips. Much better than the crappy news of the world! I was feeling a little bleh yesterday (mostly due to not eating well), but today is off to a much better start!Yoshimi always brings a smile to my face - how could you not...
More >
I jumped on the Flaming Lips bandwagon right around the time of *The Soft Bulletin* and I've been hooked ever since. There is something about the heart knowledge that they encompass within their arrangements and melody lines; Its like, good magic...When *At war with the Mystics* came out, the song that got me was this one right here. Not because I'm waaaay biased but moreover, they managed t...
More >
so there is a pretty good chance that ill be going to voodoo fest this year to see : FLAMING LIPS!, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE!, WU TANG CLAN!, chili peppers, etc...awesome line-up! i saw the lips earlier this year down at langerado in florida, they rocked me so hard i ended up in a hospital...out of control. anyways, im trying to brainstorm for a costume to wear at the lips performance since its so c...
More >
The day has finally come. The two-fold Friday, possibly the best one of the year. Not only is this work week from hell over and done with after today, I'm also flying back home for the first time in a fuckin year. (dancing in my cubicle)That calls for one thing - The Flaming Lips. Well, it calls for two things. The Flaming Lips and substances. Is that two things? Anyway, everyone at this office...
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YESSS I GOT MY FLAMING LIPS TICKETS! THEY WERE ALLLLL SOLD OUT AND I FOUND 2 TICKETS FOR 40 DOLLARS AND I AM SO SO SO SO HAPPY! THESE TICKERS WERE GOING FOR WAAAAY MORE THAN THAT. I'M SOOOO HAPPY! MY DAD AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME!
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i'd have to say i laughed quite a bit when i saw the new heading for mog.mog: because the web mostly sucks.hehe.what would your mogalistic catchphrase be?i need to buy some new cds. so far I have:the flaming lips: at war with the mystics...i have heard good and bad about this cd. however, i will go with the good because i love the lippies. the yeah yeah yeah song is awesome. and that is all the...
More >
Back from the OC...what a wealthy and depressing place. Santa Cruz is just the opposite.A few months ago, I wrote a couple short CD reviews as an audition for my school paper. Here's one of them, about an album I'm continuing to enjoy. Dig my laidback prose and alliteration!Who says you need to compromise your sound to find success? The Flaming Lips are one of the strangest acts to ever bre...
More >
2007 Grammy's...Ok...I understand all of the negative comments and actually felt a little ill watching the James Blunt performance....for about 10 seconds before changing the channel.... However I was very happy to see the The Flaming Lips win a couple of Grammy's, especially the Best Rock Intrumental Performance Grammy for The Wizard Turns On...Cheers to the Lips!!
More >
I cannot freaking wait for the Ween & Falming Lips show at the Berkeley Greek Theater!!!!
More >
If you missed the Ween & Flaming Lips show this past Saturday in Berkeley, you might as well go hike into the woods and wait for some animals to adopt you and teach you the ways of the wild. Seriously... it was that good.
More >
Ed: This is the second in a two-part review series investigating the art of the spontaneous-sounding album.Last time, I talked about jazz, a genre where spontaneity is integral to the music itself. And now for something completely different.When I first heard of the Flaming Lips, I was living in Glasgow, blissfully ignorant of Soft Bulletins and bleeding sparks. I was on a mission to listen to ...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song |
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| 2 Free Radicals |
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| 3 The Sound of Failure |
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| 4 My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion |
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| 5 Vein of Stars |
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| 6 The Wizard Turns On... |
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| 7 It Overtakes Me |
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| 8 Mr. Ambulance Driver |
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| 9 Haven't Got a Clue |
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| 10 The W.A.N.D. |
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| 11 Pompeii Am Götterdämmerung |
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| 12 Goin' On |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "At War with the Mystics")
