The Flaming Lips...

This thread makes me sad. My boyhood hero Wayne Coyne is actually in real-life a total dickhead.

I've always thought he was a dick. I don't know why so many people thought othrwise.

Embryonic was a nice kick in the ass and The Terror continues down that path...

So glad to read this. Embryonic was my album of the year that year and, in my mind, possibly the best thing they've ever done. Definitely the best thing they've done since Priest Driven Ambulance. Anyway, waiting for a physical copy of the new one, but I'm pleased to hear that commercial song is NOT a indicator of this album.

It's sort of like the songs aren't even there-nothing catchy other than bum-bum-spssssh-bum-bum-bum-spsssssh-ahhhhhh-but i love the sound of this. Has that 2am-smoking-too-many-cigarettes feel. Lots of cool droning humming buzzing electronics, sounding at times like an Operating Room. The same feel Priest had, but with far more complex songs. After the Priest Driven Ambulance arrives, the Priest is joined by scientists (having finished racing for the prize). Sounds amazing! The future and the past all at once.

"You Lust" is almost Industrial Lite. Hospital Wave. Drums like breathing apparatus. Synth lines like an EKG.

Like "mbv" it sounds like something that has a lot of depth that will reward successive listens.

"Always There" has an awesome bass synth line.

Like this a lot and I couldn't get with Embryonic at all.

On first listen through. gggreeeaaatttt so far.

The Terror is so great, it's just getting better and better each time I play it. This is probably their fifth masterpiece now.

Wayne is heavily featured in the (pretty fucking hilarious) Virgin Mobile ad:

http://m.pitchfork.com/news/49880-watch-wayne-coyne-stars-in-extremely-weird-virgin-mobile-commercial/

Wishing I loved this, but so far only the first track really does it for me. The rest is a little too. . . placid? 'Embryonic' had the same darkness, but had a lot of sonic variety--and especially those evil beats, such that it's double-LP length really flies by. 'The Terror' really drags--which is a shame, considering they made 6-hour and 24-hour songs that were remarkably listenable, for what they were. Maybe my expectations are too high, whereas I had only negative expectations prior to 'Embryonic'. Take out a couple of the more barely-there tracks for a couple of the 2011 tracks (like "Is David Bowie Dying?" or "Drug Chart" (which is fairly minimal in its own right)) and I think it would be much improved. I also much prefer the original version of "Butterly (How Long It Takes to Die)"--I don't think the out-of-rhythm Gang of Four guitar adds anything, probably detracts from the excellently creepy atmosphere.

Actually, pulling it all out now, I think you could make a very similarly dark, but more sonically varied, LP out of the non-collaboration 2010-2011 tracks. That stuff got overshadowed by the (inferior) 'Heady Fwends' stuff--nothing on that outside of the Erykah Badu collab stands up. Kinda seems like they screwed themselves out of what would've been a great LP, via all the wacky-release shenanigans.

Feel like compiling one? I found it hard to keep track of everything that came out. Though i think 'Heady Fwends' and all the 'gimmicky' stuff is vastly underrated, I can't really see a full-length from what I've heard.

If "I found a star on the ground" isn't full-length, I don't know what is..

Apropos of being on an early Lips kick and nothing else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWUJQksNKcA

Remembering when Michael had the best rock 'fro in the 80s and early 90's

Hah yes. I was walking around yesterday and "Jesus Shooting Heroin" got stuck in my head for some weird reason.

Still think "She is Death" and "Godzilla Flick" off the first record could both pretty much fit on any of their albums.

"Jesus Shooting Heroin" has been stuck in my head also, like ever since I first came across that album. Genuis song title/idea imho.

Just got "Embryonic" on vinyl. I've been saddled with just the mp3's for a long time. The vinyl is a real eye-opener and makes a great record even better.

Alright, 'The Terror' is growing on me. Just have to let go of the breadth of 'Embryonic,' and think of 'The Terror' as sort of burrowing deeper into one part of the sonic territory of 'Embryonic'. It's definitely a follow up, just not a sequel.

As a longtime fan, it seems to silly whenever i have to click 'skip ad' during Wayne's phone ad that is playing before youtube videos these days.

I’ve been blown away by my initial listens to ‘The Terror’. I’d read Wayne’s comments that it was their darkest album but I admit I still went in with reservations. I really can’t believe how much I’ve loved what the band have done since ‘Embryonic’. I’d totally written them off after ‘Mystics’. If ‘Embryonic’ aped Can’s groove in many places then the new album is all ‘Future Days’ style stretched out ambient space rock. I love how the songs (if you can call them that) seem in no rush to go anywhere and are given plenty of space to breathe.

Sadly, as with ‘Embryonic’, no doubt none of the new stuff will make it into their live sets and they’ll keep trolling out their saccharine overly sentimental balloon carnival pish.

Apropos of nothing else, I can't find "Godzilla Flick" on youtube. Maybe it's a takedown by Japan. I don't want to fire up the turntable.

I will now sing it to myself.

this is HEY, private moment here not available

Hang on, the new one sounds like CAN circa Future Days? Suddenly I'm interested in this band again.

Did you hear the last one?

Embryonic? Yes, and I quite liked the psyche direction, but the production have me the usual headache.

Yeah, I sought out a vinyl copy of 'Embryonic' in the end which sounds way better. I'm starting to think Fridmann might be the problem rather than the Lips themselves. Everything he produces is mastered too loudly.

I'd definetly encourage you to check out the new one. It's unlike anything they've done before. Nice review here

There was said to be a documentary coming out about the making of the album, and last week they uploaded a series of videos, one for each song, to the official youtube. It looks like it's all taken from one interview session with Wayne & Steven, and each video has the same 40-second long intro, which is kinda dumb because some of the videos are under 2 minutes long, but whatevs. Wish they would have included some in-studio footage but it's always kinda cool to hear the explanations and it does go deeper than the sort of all-encompassing stoner talk that promoted "Yoshimi".

"The Terror" is a very apt name, and it seems like these songs have alot to do with deconstructing various psychological states that they've always sort of touched upon but never really explored. I like the story Wayne tells about someone's interpretation of the album cover. He thought it was someone sitting down and looking ahead, and witnessing an explosion happen in the distance. The cover photo was taken a fraction of a split second before the man realizes what is happening.

OK "Zaireeka" on vinyl..... hmmmm ... may actually be more tempted to get "The Terror" cos I'm guessing it'll be like over $40.

Still, "Riding to Work in the Year 2025" is still probably the best thing they've ever done.

i haven't cared about this band in a while but "the terror" sounds really good

At the moment I think I prefer Embryonic, but I'm still finding plenty to love on this album... 'You Lust' is still doing it for me.

well jim derogatis is calling it their worst album ever so you know it has to be good

I was walking around yesterday and "Jesus Shooting Heroin" got stuck in my head for some weird reason.

Still think "She is Death" and "Godzilla Flick" off the first record could both pretty much fit on any of their albums.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, March 17, 2013 9:13 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Jesus Shooting Heroin" has been stuck in my head also, like ever since I first came across that album. Genuis song title/idea imho.

― rattled, Sunday, March 17, 2013 9:58 AM (1 month ago)

everybody a month ago otm. first album is just ridiculous. song after song after song.

haven't spent any time with the new one, but heard the bulk of it in a record shoppe the other day and was much intrigued. dark, minimal, and (apparently?) w lots of instrumental bits. (???) i love the band, but as they've gone on, wayne's wounded wonder has come to harshly grate. didn't hear much of that, which is a plus. maybe i'll make a night of it...

also, agree about the insistent loudness of fridman's production style being a problem. distortion is cool, but "in the red" as an affect gets annoying quickly. see also: boris.

yeah I was just thinking about how part of why I'm into this one is that there's a lot less Wayne. even when he's singing its mixed lower and usually just one or two voices instead of the big mass harmonies they've been doing lately.

Definitely a serious grower, this one. I was in love with 'Embryonic' from first listen--but I had also had zero, or even negative, expectations with that one. Because it blew me away so much (and really stuck with me) I think I wanted more of the same, and so didn't take to 'The Terror' straight away. But as I listen, it becomes clear, it's entirely a natural successor--boring deep into a particular part of the 'Embryonic' landscape, but finding a lot of depth there once you adjust to inhabiting a narrower area. In a year of impressive releases by favored old fogeys (MBV, OMD, The Knife, Nick Cave, Thom Yorke) this one is probably the best.

was browsing during my lunch hour yesterday and heard this rather wonderful elongated electronic track.
after a few more tracks of intriguing stuff, i asked what it was.
turned out it was 'the terror'.
colour me impressed.

Hurrr's my review:
http://crackmagazine.net/music/the-flaming-lips/

Glad people are getting into this. I'm enjoying it almost as Embryonic now, probably my fourth favourite album behind that, Soft Bulletin and Clouds Taste Metalic.

Yes, in this case, less of Wayne's "wounded wonder" (brilliant term, btw) is welcome here. I find myself really enjoying the long moody instrumental passages and then his voice pops up and the mood is sort of shattered. But, I really like this record (as well as the last two) and am so happy that they've moved on from their shiny happy Yoshimi, Soft Bulletin phase. Which was about as cloying as the band had ever been.

I think the band's high water mark was the Ronald Jones era (Clouds, especially) it was the one and only time I thought they had a proper guitarist. (Seeing Jones live was always a thrill). Anyway, so glad the band is weird again.

also, agree about the insistent loudness of fridman's production style being a problem. distortion is cool, but "in the red" as an affect gets annoying quickly. see also: boris.

― I have many lovely lacy nightgowns (contenderizer), Thursday, 18 April 2013 01:39 (10 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Did he do "The Soft Bulletin"? Because in my short list of "albums mastered too loudly" that comes top! (the other is "Raw Power" the iggy one, but hey it's supposed to be too loud it's Iggy and the stooges!!!)

If so, is the LP version any better?

In a year of impressive releases by favored old fogeys (MBV, OMD, The Knife, Nick Cave, Thom Yorke)

You missed out Wire, but yeah.

Did he do "The Soft Bulletin"?

How's the loudness on this? Is it as loud as Embyonic?

and?

(xpost)

I don't feel like this is as loud as Embryonic. Less drums. I think the Lips big problem is that one they figured out how to get a Levee Breaks-style drum sound, they had to have it on everything, which effing ruled but once you have a blown-out drum sound you kind of need to bring everything else up in the mix or it would completely dominate. Hence the slippery slope into harse mastering.

"Levee Breaks" is exactly right. I used that to kick of the 'Embryonic'-tribute mix I made, 'Zygotic'.

Also--Wire have a new album? Shoot man, gotta find that!

i don't know how loud it is from a mastering perspective but the music is way mellower so i'd be surprised if it was mastered as loud as their last few albums