THE DEATH OF THE MIX TAPE
​
Picture
  • Blog
    • Wordpress Feed
  • REACHING OUT:
  • SHOW PICS
  • MY TOP 100 SONGS OF ALL TIME

FLAMING LIPS: YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS (AN ALBUM OF MY LIFE)

2/2/2022

0 Comments

 
As an young man, I gravitated more to heavier music, in the vein of Slayer, Pantera, Cannibal Corpse, and the like. As I got older though, I discover all different types of sounds, and unless you want to remain stagnant and stuck in one spot, you have to give everything a chance. One of those early albums was the Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.” Before this record they had been known more for “ She don’t use Jelly,” but by this point they had changed their sound in favor of a more experimental, dreamy, lush landscape. Before Pink Robots, they had proven themselves to be a band unique to themselves with albums like “ Clouds Taste Metallic,” “Zaireeka,” and the “ the Soft Bulletin,” among others. This is a band that is constantly producing results. Check out “ Race for the Prize” off of Bulletin, it’s one of the best alternative songs of the last thirty years.

The album opens with a type of reverb, almost like giant robots being called into action. I imagine a giant factory of Pink Robots being assembled, and finally, the day for war has come. Some of the lyrics suggest my theory, but when you’re dealing with this band, I find it better just to enjoy the overall chemistry of the song and just let it flow. Much in the same way Muse did back in the day, the band, composed of just three dudes from Oklahoma manage to craft a sound that sounds like it’s at least 2 more members. Wayne Coyne, the leader and head weirdo in this outfit, brilliantly weaves in and out of this first song. The overall album, while not a concept album, has the general feel of a proper concept album. 

The whole album has this otherworldly feel to it. Especially on the second track “ One More Robot, Sympathy 3000 – 21.” I picture this happening on some very clean space ship floating through the galaxies, most likely after the destruction of our precious planet, either by Pink Robots or politicians ( Seriously, can’t you imagine the government sending out Pink Robots to control the masses?)

Anyway, the first song that’s pure sing along comes when the third song “ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part I” arrives, but it quickly enters part two amid explosions in the musical sense. It’s very upbeat, immediate, and quite terrifying. This album is fucking visual from start to finish, at least for me. The album is one of the best and most beautiful albums I’ve ever heard, and it’s genius still continues to build. This just isn’t the type of album you come across very often, and that should be celebrated. It’s even more of a feat that while this was going on, band member Steven Drozd was apparently in the slums of a matter Heroin addiction. This of course no one outside of the band's inner circle  was even aware of.

One of the best songs of the entire album is without a doubt “ Are you a Hypnotist??” The drum beat, the texture of the background, and the amount of vocals all roll into one to create another mind blowing song. It’s not often that the second half of the album is better than the first, but this is an exception to that rule. If you listen to the track, it’s downtrodden sure, but  the struggling vocals by Coyne and the epicness of the last minute of the song really drive the emotion home.


 As a rule, you should always play the song “ It’s Summertime” during, you guessed it, the summer. It’s amazing to lay down in a field, and close your eyes. For a moment, all can be right. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to forget your problems and to think of all the beautiful wonders this world offers, even if it’s for a short time. This plays into the next song also. That song is “ Do You Realize?” Now, this song is equal parts hopeful and melancholy. It’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard in my life. I found myself playing this song a lot around the time my Grandmother left this world. It’s important to replace those sad,lonely feelings with one more joy filled. I highly doubt people who have died would want their loved ones to only think about how they were in the end. They’d rather you think about them how they were in their prime, not how everyone is near the end.

The album continues in this way of thought with “All We Have is Now.” It’s true. For a fruitful life you have to take everything in stride. Closing out the album is more of a free jam type song, and honestly it works wonders. This can be a heavy album to take in, topic wise, but if you open up your mind and are willing to go for the ride, it has bountiful rewards.

0 Comments

    Author

    Landon Murray is a music connooisseur who craves sounds of all shapes and textures. He's seen over 2000 bands and looks forward to welcoming you into his world of sound, 

    Archives

    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    30 Seconds To Mars
    90's Rock Bands
    ALIVE 2007
    Al Jourgensen
    ALL THESE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE
    Animal Collective
    Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion
    Anti-Christ Superstar
    Antics
    Arcade Fire Suburbs
    Arcade Fire Top 10
    Armenian Rock Music
    ART OF COMPOSING
    As The Palaces Burn
    Avalanches Since I Left You
    Badmotorfinger
    Beach House
    Beastie Boys Ill Communication
    Beck Odelay
    Best Albums Of 2015
    BEST ALBUMS OF 2020
    Best Albums Of The 1990's
    Best Albums Of The 2000's
    BEST ALBUMS OF THE 80'S
    Best Albums Of The 90's
    Best Bjork Songs
    Best Black Sabbath Songs
    Best Concerts Of 2015
    Best Converge Songs
    Best Driving Music
    BEST KILLERS SONGS
    Best Lamb Of God Songs
    Best Metal Albums
    Best Metal Albums Of The 2000's
    Best Slayer Songs
    BEST SONGS OF 2020
    Best System Of A Down Songs
    Bjork Homogenic
    Black Sabbath
    Bon Iver
    Bounce Music
    Canadian Music Duo
    Children Of The Grave
    Chris Cornell
    CHVRCHES
    Comeback Albums
    COURTNEY BARNETT
    Cradle Of Filth
    Daft Punk Great Album
    DAFT PUNK LIVE
    Dan Deacon Best Songs
    Dan Deacon Interview
    David Bowie
    David Bowie Guests
    Death From Above 1979
    Deftones
    Dimmu Borgir
    DISINTEGRATION ALBUM REVIEW
    EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
    FLAMING LIPS
    FOLKLORE ALBUM REVIEW
    Foo Fighters
    FOO FIGHTERS COLOUR AND THE SHAPE
    Great Albums Of The 90's
    Great Driving Records
    Great Interpol Tracks
    Great Southern Trendkill
    Halloween Weekend
    HANS ZIMMER
    Heartbroken Love Songs
    History Of Black Sabbath
    History Of Pantera
    Homogenic Songs
    Iceland Singer
    IDLES
    Interpol Best Songs
    Iron Maiden
    Jane Doe
    Jeff Buckley
    Joshua Homme Queens
    Judas Priest
    Kevin Parker Genuis
    KILLER MIKE EL-P
    Killswitch Engage
    LATERALUS ALBUM
    Liam Finn
    Loveless Great Album My Bloody Valentine
    M83
    MASSIVE ATTACK 100TH WINDOW
    Massive Attack Best Album
    Mastodon Leviathan
    MC HAMMER 2 LEGIT TO QUIT BAD VIDEO
    Mechanical Animals
    MEGAN THEE STALLION
    Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
    Meshuggah Nothing
    Michael Jackson Dangerous
    Ministry
    MUMFORD AND SONS BEST SONGS
    Muse Top 10 Songs
    Neutral Milk Hotel
    New Orleans Music Festival
    New Orleans Republic
    New Wave Of American Heavy Metal
    Nineinch Nails
    Nine Inch Nails Sad
    Nirvana In Utero
    Nothingface
    Nothingface Violence Review
    Outkast
    Ozzfest
    Ozzy Osbourne Vocals
    Panda Bear
    Pantera History
    Paranoid
    POLITICAL RAP
    Portishead
    PORTISHEAD DUMMY
    Post Rock New York
    Queens Of The Stone Age Great Albums
    Queens Of The Stone Age Top Ten
    Queen Triumphant Songs
    RADIOHEAD Best Songs
    Radiohead Ok Computer
    RADIOHEADS BEST ALBUM
    Radiohead Top Ten
    Rage Against The Machine Debut
    RAMING DJAWADI
    Randy Blythe
    Reign In Blood
    ROBERT SMITH
    RUN THE JEWELS
    RYAN ADAMS
    Salem Metal Converge
    Shaky Knees Festival
    Shaky Knees Music Festival
    Shameless Love Of Taylor Swift
    Slayer
    Smashing Pumpkins Best Songs
    Songs For The Deaf
    Songs For The Deaf Queens Of The Stone Age
    Soulfly
    Soundgarden
    STORY OF NINE INCH NAILS
    Superunknown Album
    Tame Impala
    TAME IMPALA LONERISM
    TAYLOR SWIFT
    The Beatles Driving
    THE CURE
    THE CURE BEST SONGS
    The Downward Spiral Great Album
    THE KILLERS TOP TEN
    The Physical World
    The Strokes
    THE WEEKND
    Thrash Metal
    Tony Iommi Guitar
    TOOL
    TOOL GREAT ALBUMS
    TOOL TOP TEN
    Top 10
    TOP 40 ALBUMS OF THE 2010's
    TOP SONGS OF 2015
    Top Ten Bjork Songs
    Top Ten Black Sabbath Songs
    Top Ten Interpol Songs
    Top Ten Lamb Of God Songs
    Top Ten Ministry Songs
    Top Ten Slayer Songs
    Top Ten System Of A Down Songs
    Toxicity
    TRENT REZNOR
    Triumphant Songs
    Turn On The Bright Lights
    Tv On The Radio
    Type O Negative
    Valentines Day Songs
    Vinnie Paul Drumming
    Voodoo Music Experience
    Warpaint
    Watch The Throne
    Weezer Blue Album
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs Best Songs
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs Top Ten Songs
    YOSHIMI

    RSS Feed


    Are you looking for the old Wordpress blog posts?
    Wordpress Feed

Background Image
Site by Shake&Blur
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.