So...who has the new album by the Flaming Lips, and what do you think?

I picked one up today and gave it a spin and a half. I thought their live drums were way to smoothe to be replaced by drum machine tracks. The songs don't have the extremely layerd textures and experimental choral/orchestral feeling that made "Soft Bulletin" so enjoyable, and it is not nearly as affective as my first spin of "Clouds Taste Metallic" was.

Ponder this CD, we will, and I will form more of an opinion.

So, what are your thoughts?

I heard it once and wasn't blown away, but it wasn't offensive or anything. Then again, I don't drool over Soft Bulletin either like so many others. I listen to it occasionally though.

did you read the article in spin about the flaming lips movie? they are writing, producing and directing it, and steve from blues clues is the lead role. its going to rule.

(Edited by stalker on skates at 3:51 pm on Jul. 20, 2002)

I think this a good direction for his career.

you can stream the entire album at their website (ala wilco). i listened to the whole thing and am a little dissapointed. it just isn't as mindblowing as soft bulletin.

I totally agree. I don't think this album stacks up to the Soft Bulletin. Of course, it's hard to follow up such a brilliant, imaginative album. Nonetheless, the first track may be one of my favorite Lips songs to date. Also excellent are the title track (part 1) and the single "Do you realize?". While I've already found that the album is growing on me the more I listen to it, I think it will always sound flat compared to their previous masterpiece.

(Edited by carligula at 2:19 pm on Jul. 20, 2002)

I just listened to it on the way home tonight, and I am beginning to see its charm. I agree with Carligula about the tracks. And hey, how can they top the last album without a more definite change of direction? The band's statements on this album for a while have all said it is in the vein of "Soft Bulletin". Good for it and good for them, but in lots of ways, that set them up to put out an album that isn't quite as good. The Flaming Lips have capitalized since the beginning on taking Wayne's messed up world view and way with lyrics and filtering them through different musical styles and sounds through all these years. This is their first album to sound a lot like its predecessor in about 4 albums or so.