My major complaint with this album isn't the songs but their order. The first two songs speak to a "you" about power and radicalism vs fanaticism. But continuity is lost after that. The songs themselves are good, but they flow from one to the next too schizophrenically. The most notable exception to this comes near the end with two of the albums best tracks, The WAND followed by Pompeii am gotterdammerung. The WAND would have made a great opening track, as it most clearly states the war with the mystics case that the album as a whole only sporadically makes. Pompeii is beautiful and bittersweet, counterpointing the WAND's populist (and frankly mystical) optimism with a song of friendship and love frozen in the face of more powerful natural phenomena. All the talk that the Flaming Lips moved in new musical directions for this album is par for the discussion concerning any new Lips album. They've always enjoyed getting into the studio and experimenting with sound, and the results are usually rewarding. I think they peaked with the Soft Bulletin, and their songwriting has lost a lot of universality since then. But that is a result of Wayne and Co. becoming strange spacy crusaders for heart, creative elaborate explosions of fun, and hardwork on a regular touring circuit of small venues and big festivals. It's a mantle they didn't assume until after the Soft Bulletin exponentially grew their live audience base, so they're still growing in the role. Best tracks on the album: the WAND, Pompeii, Sound of Failure, Free Radicals, and the chorus on It Overtakes Me. Listen before you buy it: You can hear all the tracks in their entirety on the Flaming Lips website at double you double you double you dot flaming lips dot com.Read full review
Good, solid release from psychedelic-prog-punk-etc. band. Not their best record, not their worst. However, the Flaming Lips version of "phoning it in" is SOOOOOO much better than more than a few bands "top-dollar best".
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
It came quicker than expected and is everything I wanted!! Perfect cd!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I have heard of these guys for a long time, but had only heard one of their songs, "Vaseline". Heard an interview on NPR and was intrigued. Had to have it. I'm not sorry I purchased it, the lyrics are funny and poignant, not to mention pointed! They are of the ilk of They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies. I am glad to have added them to my collection.
My second favorite Lips album (right after Yoshimi) The only week track on here is Mr. Ambulance Driver. The Wizard Turns on, Pompeii AM Gotterdammerung, The Sound of Failure, The W.A.N.D., Free Radicals, Vein of Stars, and It Overtakes Me are some of the best most artistic and original songs ever written in the history of Rock Music! Buy this album. You will love it.
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