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Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid 1983-1988

Flaming Lips - Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid 1983-1988 Audio CD

A fair review of the Flaming Lips "Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid 1983-1988" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Flaming Lips reviews here, or go back to the Flaming Lips tabs.

Band: Flaming Lips
Title: Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid 1983-1988
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-09-17
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Bag Full Of Thoughts 2: Out For A Walk 3: Garden Of Eyes/Forever Is A Long Time 4: Scratchin’ the Door 5: My Own Planet 6: With You 7: Unplugged 8: Trains, Brains & Rain 9: Jesus Shootin’ Heroin 10: Just Like Before 11: She Is Death 12: Charlie Manson Blues 13: Man From Pakistan 14: Godzilla Flick 15: Staring At The Sound/With You 16: Killer One The Radio 17: Batman Theme 18: Anywhere, Anyhow, Anyway 19: Handsome Johnny 20: Everything’s Explodin’ 21: Maximum Dream For Evil Knievel 22: Can’t Exist 23: Ode To C.C. (Part I) 24: The Ceiling Is Bendin’ 25: Prescription: Love 26: Thanks To You 27: Can’t Stop The Spring 28: Ode To C.C. (Part II) 29: Lover Yer Brain 30: Groove Room 31: Jesus Shootin’ Heroin 32: Trains, Brains & Rain 33: Communication Breakdown 34: On Million Billionth Of A Millisecond 35: Drug Machine In Heaven 36: Right Now 37: Michael, Time To Wake Up 38: Chrome Plated Suicide 39: Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon 40: Miracle On 42nd St. 41: Fryin’ Up 42: Hell’s Angel’s Cracker Factory 43: UFO Story 44: Redneck School Of Technology 45: Shaved Gorilla 46: The Spontaneous Combustion Of John 47: Last Drop Of Morning Dew 48: Begs and Achin’ 49: Death Valley ’69 50: Thank You 51: Can’t Stop The Spring 52: Jesus Shootin’ Heroin 53: My Own Planet 54: After The Gold Rush 55: Death Trip At Sunrise

Smart Collection, Good Music.

This is a good collection, compiling The Flaming Lips first three albums and their debut EP, spanning their first four years as recording artists. I've already written reviews on all three of these albums individually, so I'm going to address this release as a whole. This set also includes some bonus tracks, including demos and live versions of songs. . . The problem is, some of these are not worth the space, and this waste keeps the tracks "Summertime Blues" and the full version of "Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory" from making it on. I also do not like how the album covers have been reduced to 1x1 inch thumbnails inside of the jacket, although there are some nice liner notes. Aside from these two minor-ish drawbacks, this is an excellent collection that provides much insight on the Flaming Lips early career.

The title explains what you'll find here pretty well..
This collection includes early material from a time when the Lips' biggest influences (as mentioned by Wayne Coyne in the liners) were a combination of psychedelic music of the 60s, arty English new wave (Psychedlic Furs,Bauhaus,Echo and the Bunnymen), and some of the early alternative acts (Redd Kross, R. If you like albums like THE SOFT BULLETIN and YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS, be forewarned that that sound is light years away from what you'll find here. E. M. ,Black Flag,Meat Puppets, B*tthole Surfers). Expect a lot rawer sound that owes quite a bit to punk and garage rock and not much to the lush orchestrated pop the Lips make these days.

The set features material from "The Flaming Lips EP", "Hear it Is","Oh My Gawd! The Flaming Lips","Telepathic Surgery" and various unreleased tracks and live rarities from 1983-1989. Additionally, it is not Wayne Coyne who sings on tracks #1-5,#16-19 (disc 1) and #12-16 (disc 2), but his brother Mark (who later left the band).

Best tracks here are: the punk loner fantasy of "My Own Planet" (heard in a live rendition on Disc 3 that begins acoustic then accelerates into punk mayhem), "Can't Exist"'s collision of distorted garage rock guitar and singer-songwriter acoustic strumming, the nonsensical imagery ('All your teflon pancakes always make me too high') in the catchy "Can't Stop the Spring", the musings on love in "Chrome Plated Suicide", and a passable amped up cover of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush".

The set is bogged down by many cuts which are mainly excuses to noodle around with guitar noise ("U. F. O. Story" is a particularly egregious example). Other lowspots include covers of the "Batman" television show theme song and Led Zep's "Communication Breakdown" and a 4 1/2 minute drum and heartbeat sound effect track intended as accompaniment while you read "As Diarrhea Smears the Space Bible" in the liners (AKA "Death Tripping Yer B*** off at Sunrise"). Can you say "artsy-fartsy"?

Bottom Line:
Occasional glimmers of latter day Lips can be heard here, but this is probably more for fans of punk/psych music and completist Lips fans than those who love their orchestrated but skewed pop on albums like "Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots".

Additional Note: Some of the discs appear to have been pressed with the tracks out of sequence. On CD1, track 3 is clearly "Garden of Eyes/Forever is a Long Time" but the CD insert labels it as "Scratchin' the Door" which is actually track 4.

Fascinating
". Acid" is a triple CD set featuring the Flaming Lips' self-titled EP and their first three LP's ("Hear It Is", "Oh My Gawd!!!", and "Telepathic Surgery"), plus some bonus tracks (demos/covers/etc).

The songs are hit or miss. If you're only familiar with "The Soft Bulletin" or "Yoshimi" era Lips, this will be a shock. If you know "She Don't Use Jelly", picture that song. . only noisier and without the infectious hook. That's a good description of The Flaming Lips' early material. Like the title suggests, rooted in punk rock, and glossed over in a druggy, psychedelic haze.

The EP features Wayne Coyne's brother on lead vocals (he left shortly afterwards). Songs like "Scratchin' at the Door" meander left and write without any real melody. It sure is an interesting listen though.

That applies to 1986's "Hear It Is" as well. Highlights include "With You" (power ballad + screeching guitar noise), "Jesus Shootin' Heroin" (scariest song ever), "Trains, Brains & Rain" (which has a genuine pop hook), and "Godzilla Flick" (a mournful accoustic ballad).

1987's "Oh My Gawd!!!" is probably the best album on here. Some of the more memorable moments include: "Everythings Explodin" (a noisy assault), "Maximum Dream for Evil Knievel" (a trippy, Pink Floyd like dirge), "The Ceiling is Bendin" (a delicious slice of warped psychedelia), "Thanks To You" (which borrows from Led Zeppelin's "Thank You", which is actually covered later in the set), and "Love Yer Brain" (a mid-tempo ballad which culminates in a destroyed piano and a loop from "Tomorrow Never Knows").

1989's "Telepathic Surgery" is the most sprawling and difficult of the three. But there's some good stuff to be found; "Chrome-Plated Suicide" (a pop song that borrows heavily from "Sweet Child O' Mine"), "Right Now" (raucous fun), "Miracle on 42nd Street", "Begs & Achin" (more racuous fun), "Shaved Gorilla" (which sounds like The Cure in a twisted sort of way), and the totally bizarre "UFO Story".

Like I said, this is largely hit or miss. There is some genuinely good stuff in here. . but this set is more for curious fans who want to hear The Lips' beginnings. Before they really knew the fine art of songwriting.

3 Stars for the songs, 5 Stars for the 'interesting' factor. . so call it 4 altogether.

Oh come on!
The FLips are punk rock guitar pioneers and if you don't know that (and you can't tell it from Pink Flamingo Robot Sushi or whatever it is), then you might like Super Tramp too. THIS is the Flaming Lips, more than the latest two albums. Please, bring the guitars next time, Wayne.

ACID : SIMPLE, CLEVER
I have to say that there are many other lips cds that are better, but if your into acid rock this is a perfect buy for you. This collection of Lips songs shows the different styles of music the lips can record. The songs express the feelings and opinions of the group. One of my favorite songs on this collection is the Charlie Manson Blues and A Bag Full Of Thoughts, simple, yet clever. I definently recomend thier new albumn however, Yoshimi battles the pink robots, it shows their talent with a smooth rythmic beat, and good lyrics.

You can see a complete list of all Flaming Lips discography, or go back to the Flaming Lips tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.