2021 Charity Shop Purchases 1 - The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
Saturday 1st May 2021 saw my first visit to a charity shop this year and gave me my first opportunity of the year to tick the CCM raison d'etre box. Fortunately it was a good haul but I suspect that I may struggle to match the 2020 total of 74.
I've had The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips for a while and have never really felt the urge to explore further. However, I was not about to turn down the opportunity to pick up their next one 2006's At War with the Mystics on Warner Brothers for a pound.
My first impressions are mixed. One or two like those below stood out but I suspect it may take a few listens before confirming whether it is bombastic pop brilliance as the blurb on the sticker from Filter Magazine would have it. Defo a keeper though.
Being the Flaming Lips the song titles are fairly ridiculous. The official titles for the two featured below are:
Free Radicals ( A Hallucination of the Christmas Skeleton Pleading with a Suicide Bomber) and
It Overtakes Me /The Stars are so Big...I am so Small ...Do I Stand a Chance? I'll settle for the abridged versions.
The Flaming Lips - Free Radicals
The Flaming Lips - It Overtakes Me
This was the point where the Flaming Lips began to disappear up their own behinds. While it doesn't come close to the brilliance of their previous two records (or a couple earlier ones), it does have its moments. Free Radicals was one of its better songs.
ReplyDeleteAfter this, they decided to limit themselves to unlistenable publicity stunts, such as songs on a USB stick inside a skull made of jelly. Or a song lasting 24-hours in length. Or collaborating with Miley Cyrus...
I won't be going for any newer than this one Robster!
DeleteI echo the Robster’s comments. I think this is the last of their albums worth having but not on par with the previous two. The Yoshimi/Sea Change tour with Beck where they opened and then backed him is easily among my top 10 shows.
ReplyDeleteThink I jumped ship after this one. I love The WAND in addition to the songs you've posted.
ReplyDeleteI see I don't need to comment as everyone has already said what I was going to say...
ReplyDelete