After the symphonic majesty of The Soft Bulletin, the Flaming Lips return with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, a sublime fusion of Bulletin's newfound emotional directness, the old-school playfulness of Transmissions From the Satellite Heart, and, more importantly, exciting new expressions of the group's sentimental, experimental sound. While the album isn't as immediately impressive as the equally brilliant and unfocused Soft Bulletin, it's more consistent, using a palette of rounded, surprisingly emotive basslines; squelchy analog synths; and manicured acoustic guitars to craft songs like "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21," a sleekly melancholy tale of robots developing emotions, and "In the Morning of the Magicians," an aptly named electronic art rock epic that sounds like a collaboration between the Moody Blues and Wendy Carlos. Paradoxically, the Lips use simpler arrangements to create more diverse sounds on Yoshimi, spanning the lush, psychedelic reveries of "It's Summertime"; the instrumental "Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon"; the dubby "Are You a Hypnotist?"; and the barely organized chaos of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2," which defeats the evil metal ones with ferocious drums, buzzing synths, and the razor sharp howl of the Boredoms' Yoshimi. Few bands can craft life-affirming songs about potentially depressing subjects (the passage of time, fighting for what you care about, good vs. evil) as the Flaming Lips, and on Yoshimi, they're at the top of their game. "Do You Realize??" is the standout, so immediately gorgeous that it's obvious that it's the single. It's also the most obviously influenced by The Soft Bulletin, but it's even catchier and sadder, sweetening such unavoidable truths like "Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?" with chimes, clouds of strings, and angelic backing vocals. Yoshimi features some of the sharpest emotional peaks and valleys of any Lips album -- the superficially playful "Fight Test" is surprisingly bittersweet, while sad songs like "All We Have Is Now" and "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" are leavened by witty lyrics and production tricks. Funny, beautiful, and moving, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots finds the Flaming Lips continuing to grow and challenge themselves in not-so-obvious ways after delivering their obvious masterpiece.
I sing along with this song to my son. That may be a bit morbid, singing a song with the line "Do You Realize that everyone you know, one day, will die..." but the song, to me, is so heartfelt, and makes me appreciate being in the moment, or the moments I've had w/ others who are no longer here. He's so small, and I know he doesn't understand it, but I also kow that there will only be a short...
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How many inane, useless, but kooky, funny song lyrics are bouncing thru your synaptic consciousness. This Levi's commercial I commited to memory 'bout 30 years ago, and i can't find it on YouTube, cause it works so much better with the audio/visual, but as i remember it went like this..... Well I bought a pair of Levi's and they really been around,I've taken 'em camping, and I've laid them on t...
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Aaack. I feel like I'm fighting the very beginnings of some sort of cold. I'm unusually tired this afternoon, and even took a nap. That is almost unheard of.I need Yoshimi to battle my germs! Where are you Yoshimi?
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hello friends.yesterday on the way to the movies, my friend and i were discussing our favorite cd's, and it was difficult. we judged on the most inspiring albums we've heard, and how its influenced our writing styles as musicians. it really got me to thinking.surprisingly (tying into yesterdays entry), we both agreed Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Tally Hall) was number two on our favori...
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The Flaming Lips are starting voting season off early. The Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots track "Do You Realize?" has been nominated for Official State of Oklahoma Rock Song. It's up again nine other tracks mostly inspired or written by Oklahomans. Other nominees include Leon Russell's "Home Sweet Oklahoma," All-American Rejects' "Move Along," JJ Cale's "After Midnight," The Call's "Ok...
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base 10 by jamesspada on WeGIF I haven't been posting much these days. Some of you may have even noticed. It's been a month of musical technology, or rather, listening technology. First, I lost my hard drive with over 5000 songs on it, and I found out today that it's probably not recoverable.Then we rearranged the stereo speakers trying to get better sound, and in the process my friendly Hi Fi ...
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It looks to me like Laurie and Curley are living in the now.Oklahoma has officially made Do You Realize? by The Flaming Lips its official state rock song. Firstly, how cool is it of Oklahoma to even want an official state rock song? Secondly - don't get me wrong, I adore the band and the song, but do Oklahomans need a musical existential reminder that everyone they know someday will die? if my...
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Aaack. I feel like I'm fighting the very beginnings of some sort of cold. I'm unusually tired this afternoon, and even took a nap. That is almost unheard of.I need Yoshimi to battle my germs! Where are you Yoshimi?
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How many inane, useless, but kooky, funny song lyrics are bouncing thru your synaptic consciousness. This Levi's commercial I commited to memory 'bout 30 years ago, and i can't find it on YouTube, cause it works so much better with the audio/visual, but as i remember it went like this..... Well I bought a pair of Levi's and they really been around,I've taken 'em camping, and I've laid them on t...
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So I am pissed off that I wasn't able to make it to the ACL last Friday. I missed seeing LCD Soundsytem, Rev. Horton Heat, The Killer & Bjork to name a few. I ended up having to give my tix away to my cousin due to work. AGHH!!!! Anyway, I will defenitly be seeing The Flaming Lips on Monday. Here is a sample of whats to come.
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So it's quite early in the morn over here, for a Saturday at least, but I had a nice warm fuzzy thought this morning.Walkman on random, lying in bed watching the sky get bleaker and bleaker and "It's Summertime" by the Flaming Lips comes on. I don't usually like this song as much as others but bah! no energy for pressing that little button to skip it.Listening to the lyrics I got annoyed.I kn...
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I've been listening to this album like mad lately and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't come across it yet. At first I found it hard to listen to Flaming Lips but this is the one did it for me, now I'm a bit of a fan. Enjoy.
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I sing along with this song to my son. That may be a bit morbid, singing a song with the line "Do You Realize that everyone you know, one day, will die..." but the song, to me, is so heartfelt, and makes me appreciate being in the moment, or the moments I've had w/ others who are no longer here. He's so small, and I know he doesn't understand it, but I also kow that there will only be a short...
More >
The idea of a "concept album":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_album is one that has been around for quite a long time, apparently since the 30s. The idea of a unifying theme or story in an album of songs is a great idea, one might think. What could be cooler than telling a story with a group of songs ? For the songwriter, it's an easy way to constrain yourself in the writing. For the l...
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hello friends.yesterday on the way to the movies, my friend and i were discussing our favorite cd's, and it was difficult. we judged on the most inspiring albums we've heard, and how its influenced our writing styles as musicians. it really got me to thinking.surprisingly (tying into yesterdays entry), we both agreed Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Tally Hall) was number two on our favori...
More >
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 "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots")
