Reviews (page 8 of 9)
Never liked it much, gave it away many years ago.
I didn't get into this album like I did with Yoshimi. The whine aspect of his voice was present enough to distract me.
Some songs this guys voice was good, other times he really grated on me. Nothing that really stood out here, nothing that screams that this was a great album. Overall, extremely mediocre in my opinion. Prefer their one hit wonder song.
It's bright and sunny and I'm walking listening to 'Race for the Prize'. I'm on the kinda high that comes from running forever on some edibles and 'A Spoonful Weighs a Ton' is carrying me into the sky. The singers voice is bright and uplifting. So is the music. It's almost TOO happy. Its like a 19 year old walking down the PCT thinking its all figured out. The world will slap this kid in the face someday but for right now, they dont know that, and life is AWESOME DUDE. And with all that, at the end of the day, its almost too repetitive. It's just sunshine all over. The music is really nice and I do appreciate that these are some incredible musicians (it feels like theatrical rock). But at the end of the day, it might be a masterpiece, but its not my masterpiece. A good way to judge an album is, would I listen again, and in what situation? I dont know that I'd ever come back to this one?
Not as good as Yoshimi
I don't mind Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but The Flaming Lips are a band I've never gotten into. Apart from Race for the Prize (which I've heard before) this is pretty dull.
Not very interesting. Didn't convince me at all.
A bit blah. Uninspiring and slightly insipid. What’s the word I’m looking for? Ah, yes. Boring.
Ikke si opp dagjobben.. Skjer med lyden a? Tatt opp med en DS i en tom kjeller?
Boring. Long. I’ve never been a fan of The Flaming Lips.
It’s like soft rock rave music. Not for me.
Never heard of them. Some parts of the album sound really ahead of its time. Other parts sound kind of pointless.
It was ok. Nothing too memorable or catchy. Nothing that made me want to skip songs
Cinematic, considered, theatrical, it's clear why Flaming Lips filled arenas. This is a good album, but with all their music I don't feel an emotional connection to it or the singers voice. There is something I fundamentally don't 'get' about them as a band, despite liking plenty of their songs. It's his voice, it's too weak for the sound they produce.
Mellow and repetitive. Favourite track: Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
not into it
This was kinda wimpy and pathetic. That feels harsh but like, not untrue
I've never heard the flaming lips before, but I know a few people who love them, especially "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots". I wonder whether they listen while on drugs? I found this hard to enjoy, although I recognise that it's because it's weird, not because it's bad necessarily. Sometimes I love weird, but apparently not today. I hope Yoshimi is better when I get to it
Influencing hipsters for years to come. 2.4.
This is not good. It is so 90s that it does not age well. And the lead singer is terrible; what a whiny voice! This is my second Flaming Lips album in a week and I am not impressed. 2
Flaming Lips used to be my prison name
I can’t warm up to The Flaming Lips
Listening to this album is kind of like eating inexpensive sugar free strawberry jam. It’s too soft to chew, but there are a couple chunks of strawberry that you can actually sink your teeth into. Sadly there’s not a lot of flavor to it, either. This was on for my drive in to work, and it had no impact on my drive - no better or worse than if I had driven in silence. It’s a shame, really, because it seems like there are some pleasant arrangements. But nothing worth listening to this album for.
Just kinda boring.
Lead singer sounds like the singer for Band of Horses mixed with nails on a chalk board. Not a fan
I think I trained myself to have an ear for this type of Indie rock, and over the years I’ve just lost that ear. I just don’t get it. I was listening to this album while I was moving, so obviously I’m not in the best mood, but I just was not feeling it. Gay.
I wanted to give it a 3 because it's ok like most things I've heard so far, but it just grated on me after an hour
These guys are insufferable. Round up to a 2 for originality.
The quavering of his voice is really grating on the ears. I can't stand when people sing like this, but the music is good, so I can't give it a 1.
Eh. Not something I could see myself revisiting
Bij het andere album wat ik van ze kreeg had ik al wat moeite om er in te komen en dat is deze keer niet anders. Al lijkt dit album iets minder ingewikkeld te zijn. Iets. Het blijft wat kunstzinnig, wat eigenlijk ook gewoon een ander woord is voor ingewikkeld, en een tikkeltje vals. Ik hoor ook deze keer dat het wel goed in elkaar zit, maar toch vind ik dit geen feest om aan te hebben staan. De zanger heeft zacht gezegd geen al te fijne zangstem, een valse kraai is er niks bij, en dat doet sowieso ook wat afbreuk aan het genot. Tegelijkertijd vind ik een 2 zoals ik bij dat andere album gaf ook wel aan de strenge kant. Een lastige dus. Ik ga het toch op een 2,5 naar 2 houden.
Some mediocre music with subpar vocals Best Song: Race For the Prize Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2
Wayne Coyne concocts big daft lovely soundscapes with enigmatic lyrics, and it all leaves me cold. Soz Wayner!
jest po prostu okej, daję 2,5
idk man
I didn’t enjoy this album as much as I have other flaming lips stuff I’ve heard. Just wasn’t feeling it.
I stood up and I said "nah"
zzz (trots Race For The Prize som är trevlig)
I think this is fine but not great, like I will probably not listen to this again and I found Coyne's vocals grating in a way I don't remember on the tracks of theirs I like. but it's not bad? I do not feel diminished for having listened to it. the back half of the album is much stronger than the first half. mostly. I bet Feeling Yourself Disintegrate is a nice song without that awful rapapap in your ears. probably not adding to collection
this album was a sloggggg for me to get through. really didn't enjoy it until i got to the last song on the album. it was nice a good listen for me
I’m tempted to rate it a 3 because I liked the beginning so much, but this is a 2 on my normal scale. I liked the production even though it was a lot. I couldn’t distinguish some of the instruments and they were intentionally distorted. Cool, but only mostly as novelty.
Not a big fan of this guys voice. The music is good though. The second half of the album was much more enjoyable than the first. I'm between a 2 and a 3.
1.8 / 5 We've had "Yoshimi battles the pink robot" before and it was awful. And now we just got another Flaming Lips album... I still don't get what you need to consume to put something like this on this list. It's honestly not as bad as the album that followed, but it's still annoying af. For me personally, the sound is just too dreamy plus the singer can't really sing. It's sad since I was actually hoping for a redemption arc to kick in here, but we're pretty far off of that. At least they didn't plagiarize other artists' music this time afaik, so 1.8 stars is fair I'd say.
Nossa que voz zoada em umas músicas... parece amador as vezes. Nada de impressionante nesse álbum, não curti.
Technically impressive performances, strange vocals and lyrics.
Music: 4/5 Production: 3/5 Vocals: 0/5 Writing: 1/5 So you’re telling me Neil Young has a sequel??? I’m out :(
Eh, this fell flat for me. I feel like I would need a little drugs, not much, just a touch, to really vibe with it.
eh
Not sure
The singing and guitar drew me straight in to these songs. I was enjoying it a lot. And then the drums kicked in and I wanted to stop listening straight away. The songs which doesn't have that really distorted heavy drum part are great. This album is doing so many great things but I just can't stand it as a whole. I will keep some songs with me for the future but as a whole I can't give it a higher score.
A lot of indie kids love The Flaming Lips but I never warmed up to them. Their songs sound decidedly average. Purposefully off key singing? With cheap lo fi sounding synths (which I normally like but not here). The beats have no backbone.
Listened to it years ago, not bad. Only really liked the first song.
Not sure why we have two Flaming Lips albums on this list. Seems a little indulgent. I preferred the other album.
i think wayne coyne is a dumbass
With apologies to sunny I really didn't like this. Can't stand the bloke's voice
Абсолютно не мій гурт, я навіть не можу якось описати цю музику, настільки вона для мене абстрактна.
Boring, but never really liked the flaming lips anyways.
Didn’t care for it but atleast it wasn’t painful to listen to
# Album Name: The Soft Bulletin # Artist: Flaming Lips # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Man, this album was so boring. I feel like i could take a singing class and be at the same level as the lead singer. He doesnt have the best voice. Theres only one good song on the album. # Top Tunes: Race for the prize # Would I listen to it again? No
The Soft Bulletin I feel broadly similar about this as I did with Yoshimi, although I think Yoshimi is definitely a better album. I do still like the hazy psychedelia and there are some good songs but overall it doesn’t quite land for me, passing me by in a fug of similar sounds and feels, with only Race for the Prize, Suddenly Something Has Changed and Feeling Yourself Disintegrate really standing out. Yoshimi was a solid 3, and while fine, this is certainly a rung below that, and realistically I can’t see myself listening again, so I’ll go with a perhaps slightly harsh high 2. 🍦🍦 Playlist submission: Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
Besides the singer's voice, which reminds me of Neil Young, and not in a good way, this album just didn't reach me in any way. I listened to it and couldn't remember afterwards if I heard the whole thing. So I listened to it a second time, with the same result. That whole thing just slipped by and I didn't even notice the different tracks. Totally unremarkable.
Nhe
This is a lot like "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" in that, outside of each album's one obvious radio single, there's not a whole lot to grab onto. That said, the overall experience here felt weaker than "Yoshimi", and I really had to force myself to listen to it a second time to see if I had missed something. I hadn't. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, and the meandering filler tracks (including two redundant remixes) felt even less relevant and more forgettable than the fillers on "Yoshimi".
I had to look up the last Flaming Lips album for reference. I stated it dragged, and so did this. There were brief moments I was getting into. I could seeing it grow on me. But those highs didn’t outweigh what goes against this album.
The flaming lips: I can barely tolerate this attempt at singing. Good and varied instrumentals. I should never feel imposter syndrome about my singing skills is the bottom line. 2*
Not a big fan of this at all I’m not going to lie. The voice is whiny, the music is bad and I just didn’t care for the overall tone. Thumbs down Specific rating - 1.6 Fav song-what is the light? Least fav- waitin’ for a superman
Clearly I was too hasty in assuming my inability to sing would preclude me from having a career in music.
I’m sorry you guys his voice is annoying
Somehow both silly for the sake of it and awfully pedestrian. It's like the rock version of someone writing a derivative sonata but adding Rzewskian extended techniques.
3/10… psychedelic pop / alt.rock
I like good singing. This didnt have good singing.
Boring
Not something I'd seek to listen on my own time, would rather have Yoshimi
Definitely an album of it's time. Not a personal fan.
Not too bad
Wayne Coyne + constantly hearing that this band was great are almost enough to downgrade to 1 star. it doesn't deserve 1 star. it might be ok without Wayne Coyne singing. this band sucks. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
I did not like this at all
2,5
An ordinary rock band for me. An OK album.
It was fine. Wouldn't really listen to it again, though. Nothing really stood out to me other than the spiderbite song, and even that I would rate only a 4/10, imo. 2 cuz it wasnt bad, just not my thing.
I had high hopes after Yoshimi was so good, but this record was so unbelievably boring and repetitive
I think I was supposed to like this. On paper I should have, but I spent most of this asking what the dickens this absolute guff was.
Nice sound but nothing special
couldn't finish this... whoops
Found this to be suuuuper annoying to listen to. Not sure why, but I really disliked this
One good song in my opinion. Not enough to make the album a must listen. Listen to the single and leave the albm.
Mixed feelings about this. Some songs were enjoyable, others dragged on a bit. The singer was also not great, and some of the lyrics where childish and predictable. Overall- not bad, but didnt really enjoy it. 2.5/5, not a 3
Weird album. Has a kind of circus/Sgt. Peppers-wannabe feel to it. Kinda corny and wonky throughout, with vocals that aren't always appealing. Not sure I like this one very much, even though I know how popular this group is.
Inoffensive and boring
This album is dragging the life out of me.
I just don’t think they’re my thing. Parts of songs were enjoyable. But often they were ruined by bizarre instrumentation that didn’t fit together for me. 2/5
Bread/Air Supply/ELO for cool kids
I feel like I'm supposed to like this album because everyone and their brother says it's a masterpiece. I guess I'm not hearing the masterpiece part of it. *shrugs* It's OK, but I don't need to hear much more from it. 2.3/5 stars after 2 full complete listens. I can't stand a lot of the songs, they're either just random sounds and what not or just annoying.
This has some interesting elements but the vocals mostly made it an unpleasant listen.
dont really remember it
Yuck.
I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it I guess. 2.5
Felt a lil nostalgic sometimes, but mostly generic...? Idk, I don't think I'd return to it. I kept thinking about the Queen album the whole time. It had some cool drum and guitar parts though! Standouts: Race for the Prize • The Spark That Bled
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Es kommt Langeweile auf.
I really like the flaming lips but only one song stuck out to me on this album.
Oh my gawwwd. Your music is so quirky and weird. That must mean you're like…really smart… and deep, right? Right??? I used to really dig this era of off-beat indie. But looking back, I'm coming to the opinion that it lacks staying power. Especially this brand of it. It's just a bunch of banal vocals churning out nonsensical lyrics over catchy beats with spacey soundscapes and some sci-fi sound effects layered in. I cared at the time because that's what was popular, but I find it really hard to give a shit about it now. It's too self-important. Too convinced that I, the listener, should care about what they're putting out simply because it's what they're putting out. I know this is a hot take, but there's nothing here that Bowie didn't already do - and do better - decades prior… or that other acts (like Animal Collective or Tame Impala) wouldn't go on to do - and do better - over the next two decades. You're the middle children of psych/art rock musical history, and I'm left wondering why I should care? Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but the more I listen to this trying to decide what rating to give it, the more I kind of hate it. I think I'm going to have to give out my 3rd ever 2-star rating. 2/5 Highlights: Race for the Prize - Remix
Very eclectic and talented band and lead singer, just not for me 2.5
Not my favorite album by them. Bonus point for being prolific.
I've heard of the Flaming Lips but never really knew anything by them, so I was interested to see what this was like. The best way to describe this is one of two ways: 1. A crappy carnival with a few good rides, but it all started to melt. 2. A jack-in-the-box which was low on batteries. Anyway, a couple of things stood out: - They have a very interesting style, one that takes a lot of risks, which is very cool. Occassionally this is to their determent, though I generally liked this, except . . . - The singer is terrible. I'm betting he is revered by a few for some strange reason, but his voice is very inadequate. Strained but in a bad way, with limited vocal range that stays in a very annoying spot. - The lyrics might be worse. Singing fly in the air, comb your hair over and over again? Completely uninspired. I take that back, the vocals are worse. Definitely. If you want to get the gist, listen to The Spark That Bled. Some weird chords at the beginning, terrible singing, then some cool instrumentals in between more terrible singing. Unfortunately, the redeemable qualities are well outweighed by the lack of good vocals or excellent song construction. Very confident that some people love these guys, mainly because they are looking for something different. Sadly, in this case, different = very bad. Still, giving them a 2 because of the risks they take (respect). Edit: Essentially all of the 5 star reviews I have seen are from people who already love the band and/or have seen them a series of times. None from someone discovering them for the first time, which I find very interesting. This is definitely a band that you either love or hate, there really is no in between. For me, I can't get past how bad the singer and lyrics are. This album would have been much better for me as an instrumental.
2,5
Below Average
I did not like the album. I see so many people loving it and I just don’t really understand. I think it all would have sounded better without any lyrics or singing. The lyrics are so bad, I feel like they just put whatever rhymed together. The singer was not even really singing and he was not even singing the right key half the time. I also agree with some people who says he sounded a little like Kermit the frog.
Dull...
Meh. It's interesting I guess? Too showy, voice too soft, too cute.
It all sounds rather uninspired and unexciting. Plus I don't really like to vocals on this album. It's not clear to me why this is considered highly enough to be included in the list - it's not even average.
Ok
Music was OK. Vocals were horrible. How this is in the 1001 is beyond me.
I own this album and have always found it disappointing, I do like some of Yoshimi but this is both pretentious and seems overly simple both lyrically and musically.
The Flaming Lips are a very specific acquired taste that I never acquired. I tried but just wasn't for me.
2 estrelas
Another possibly fun album torpedoed by an unlistenable lead vocalist. There were some fun songs in the back half, but at the beginning I thought this was a parody album made in some amateur capacity.
Yoshimi (reviewed a while back) hits me in the right spot (as long as I'm in the mood for it. This album didn't do it for me. 2 stars.
Not very interesting and at time far too maudlin.
Couldn’t get past the whiny, grating vocals.
I expected a band called The Flaming Lips to be a lot more fun
There was alright stuff on here but just overall bleh stuff. 2 stars
Rich & effervescent in some places and weak and kind of schizophrenic in others. Wayne’s voice is a bit rough as always, but it works quite well in some contexts. I like the instrumental track “The Observer” and “Race for the Prize”.
Just didn’t hit for me. Found the music fairly forgettable and boring. Vocals sounded thin and slightly grating. No standouts.
Great music, terrible vocalists. What a shame.
Unremarkable. The lead singer's voice is a bit screechy sometimes. No standout tracks for me
Not sure why, but I've always felt kinda meh about The Flaming Lips. Some tracks really can hook me, and I have enjoyed seeing them live, but somehow I am not generally attracted to their music. This album is no exception.
2. dislike vocalist
Didn't enjoy this one, there are nice elements and the recognisable vocals add character, but it all feels a bit cobbled together. None of the songs fascinate me, they merely exist.
This is a weird one for me. There's definitely some commonalities in sound with things I like (My Morning Jacket, specifically), but I just don't love it.
Eh, okay
Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood, but I just couldn’t sit through Kermit the frog singing much longer. Had to turn it off halfway through. 2 stars because there are some good moments sprinkled in (mostly when there’s no vocals!)
Nothing spectacular from them. There are some good songs on other albums, but nothing too impressive here.
I made the mistake of staying for The Flaming Lips after a Dinosaur Jr. show. Until then, I really didn't mind FL and viewed Wayne Coyne as a curiosity of sorts and was familiar with Pink Robots. Over the next 120 minutes, he brought out all kinds of balloons, mugged for the camera and fell all over himself to prove just how wild and interesting he is. But the truth is neither he or the FL were more than elaborate carnival barkers. I'd never heard this album before but needless to say I went in with a low bar and lot of bias. Surprisingly, it wasn't as irritating as I expected and I found myself really digging the Waiting for a Superman track. Other than that, the Flaming Lips cann kiss off in the air.
Hate his voice. Hate it even more after hearing him live and him telling me every 30 seconds to clap louder. Why don't you sing better and THEN I will clap louder.
1. Very unpleasant distortion effect on the drums. Hard to listen to. Also, going in with some bias; I don't like this band 2. This guy's sings like he's mocking another singer that he hates. 3. This song actually sounds pretty cool, but the vocals ruin it for me. This guy just doesn't have the chops to pull off his imitation of Neil Young 4. I cannot wait to not be listening to this anymore 5-8. Unremarkable 9. "Putting all the vegetables away...". Yeah, fucking rock-'n'-roll, man!!!! Ugh 10. Intro sounds like the score for an epic western movie reminiscent of Ennio Marconi, which is cool. I'm digging the choir too. Of course, the main vocalist ruined it 2½ minutes in Yeah, I think I'd like all of this if the dude just didn't sing ⭐ ⭐
This was an okay album. Not what I expected from the Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne's "singing" is better taken is small doses. I liked "Race for the Prize". The rest of the album was unremarkable.
Just as I'd remembered it. Front-heavy and still not that great. Has moments that are pretty cool, but it's not worth sifting through the entire album to find them.
Not terrible, but also not amazing. Kinda boring-lead singer sounds like a shitty version of the Eels lead singer mixed with a muppet, which was distracting. Would not revisit. Some interesting instrumental stuff?
Did not care for this one as much as Yoshimi. This one was just a little boring.
I went into this not being a very big fan of The Flaming Lips and I'm still not. The production's pretty good, but I'm just not nuts about the vocals. I hear they're much better live.
I wouldn’t have know it was them with a thousand guesses. That’s not a good thing
Decent, but not anything special really. "Race for the prize" and "Waitin' for a superman" were pretty good.
I like some aspects of this band, but this record was just too much for me. There are some beautiful orchestral parts and creative sounds, but it lacks meaningful melodic content to me.
Not sure what it is but I did not gel with this album. Musically I can see it is really good, maybe it's the vocals that I didn't enjoy as much. There were some ok tracks. Stand out tracks: - The spark that bled - Waitin' for superman - Feeling yourself disintegrate
# 367 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. I thought it was very ordinary and Quiet forgettable.
Do you like rock music? If you do then this album for you. This album suck. The guys voice is horrible I don´t like it. Also the lyrics sucks too. This album just suck I would not recommend this album.
The first song we listened to on this album(the spiderbite) kinda sounds like they were rushing while making it but maybe that is their style. it was kinda boring but (waiting for superman) sounds way more smoother. There are no big gaps between the lyrics or the instruments so it sounds way nicer. Overall they have some good songs but i would recommend this album.
the album waiting for Superman is a boring song why I think that is because nothing really sound interesting to me like the lyrics they just sound plain and boring and the singer isnt really the best fit for the singing I think the instruments are fine but the rest I don't think is really good I think this album isn't that good and I would not recommend listening to this album
Do you like weird lyrics in songs? If so, this album is for you! There are one or two songs with lyrics like that. I do like this album, but not the songs with weird lyrics. But other than that, it's okay. The singers' voice is really good, and the background music is really good.
I just didn't like it that much! Aside from the one song that I always loved, the rest didn't land the way I thought they would. I found his voice almost unbearable, which is nuts considering how much I have loved other albums by Flaming Lips
i listened yesterday but i dont really remember what it sounded like so perhaps it wasnt that influential on me
Couldn't get into it - feels far too radio friendly
Not as good as the Robots one
Fine, not my style, very 90s
I just can’t get into these guys.
I am not sure if I like it or not. It has a lot of ideas combined into one record. That is maybe too much. But maybe I just didn’t understand it completely.
Pretty average. Creatively intriguing but not for me.
Unlikely to listen to this again.
Meh
Race for the Prize is great. Everything else is shockingly mediocre.
eh
#358. If ,like me, "She Don't Use Jelly" is the only Flaming Lips song you've heard, and you were wondering if maybe the rest of their songs were better... well, the short answer is: no. Sorry. 2/5: umm...
Not my thing
I quickly ran out of patience and turned it off early. There's just no weight to any of it. "MEDIOCRE!" -Immortan Joe
Kind of an odd experience. I wasn't really able to connect with the music, though that's not to say it was unpleasant. The production and mixing is solid, the use of strings is decent (if a little too standard and non-boundary-pushing), and the layering does give the impression that this should be really good music. However, there are too many flaws to justify any medium-to-high rating. As many reviewers have noticed, the vocalist is quite bad, having a promising timbre but with half the notes being very off-pitch. (This gets really distracting as early as the opening track, Race for the Prize (Remix) – which is also the strongest on the album.) The instrument-playing is not impressive/virtuosic in any capacity. Additionally, a lack of solid hooks really holds the music back. There's not too much to say here. The Soft Bulletin is fine, but nothing special. 2/5 Key tracks: Race for the Prize, Waitin' for a Superman
Wow a band named after thrush that sounds like LCD Soundsystem for even bigger losers. Instrumentals are good, but once that crybaby wankers voice kicks in I really just can't do it. This record what Radiohead sounds like to people who hate Radiohead You're lucky to get a 2 lads
Probably the album I tried to give the best chance in recent memory. I was keen to give this a good listen when being introduced to the dreamy/trippy and often melancholic instrumentals. Being released right near the turn of the century feels interesting too, given the change in direction of the indie revival/'landfill' era that would come to follow. When the elements of this album work for me, they work really well. drums and other percussion don't usually come to the forefront for me when listening to music but there was something really attention grabbing about them here. 'The Soft Bulletin' feels like an appropriate title for the guitar in a lot of this, never too overbearing and feeling almost cloudy in the atmosphere they bring. Most of my gripes with this are with the singer. Who takes aspects of other irritating vocal performances I have had issues with previously and blends them together. His performance feels very sincere and is at times tolerable, but will then go into some sequence where he is choosing to either over-accentuate things in an overly American way, or going into this hoarseness in his throat that leaves him sounding scracthier than the Squeaky voiced Teen from The Simpsons. I think it actively made me like the album less on repeat listens the more I tried giving it a chance Highlights: Race for the Prize, The Spark That Bled
"The album was also noted for its fusion of ordinary rock instruments, electronic beats, and synthesizers. Its large, layered, symphonic sound has also earned it a reputation as the Pet Sounds of the 1990s from a few critics." Perhaps these same music critics were too busy doing whippets and sucking each other off to remember one of the pillars of the Beach Boys' sound was the vocal harmonies between the band members. Straight up, this album was a fucking slog to listen to. The Spiderbite Song genuinely made me physically uncomfortable the first time the singer first said the word 'spiderbite'.' The instrumentals here are phenomenal, the arrangement is great EXCEPT FOR THE DRUM TRACK. Good fucking god, you're telling me this is their ninth album and they let the drums come out this shit? I guess the critics are right, Pet Sounds was known for innovating by using unorthodox methods of making music like using hairpins to pluck piano wire. I suppose drums that sounds like shit is basically the same thing right? In all seriousness, the instrumentation here is amazing if you can get past the drums here. I am not going to talk about the vocals. This album doesn't have the luxury of being released at a time where it would have been considered innovative. The fact that this has a 100 on AllMusic is fucking crazy to me. The Observer is a song that demonstrates how great this album is without vocals. The more I listen to albums from this book (especially 90s-onwards) the more I realise that Joe's Garage is not on here because it shit talks music journalists. 5/10
Pish
Terrible apart from the 1st two songs which I liked it massively dipped and the songs became a skippable mess, vocals poor as well
grunge
It was aight, I just dont particularly like this genre of music (i thought i filtered it out)
Lo he escuchado sin prestarle mucha atención. El Race for the prize está bien, pero no lo veo un disco fundamental.
Un autre album indie rock insipide, avec un chanteur au talent vocal douteux. Ô grand générateur, combien d'albums indie me reste-t-il à affronter pour atteindre l'illumination?
1001 tone deaf vocal tracks continues.
I’ve heard great things about this band that I’ve never listened to. This was a disappointment. Maybe I should have started with a different album.
Exasperating, as there were some decent songs spoiled by the drum mix. It sounds like they're back in the garage but not in a good way.
Thought I might enjoy more. But no.
Listen to the Eels Novocaine for the Soul...could have been the same band/record. The whiny vocals are nails on chalkboard for me.
The lead singer's voice is annoying to the point of distraction. It's like a joke I'm not in on. He sounds like Daniel Johnston or the lead singer of Dr. Dog. One he was probably influenced by the other he probably influenced. I want to write this off but there's a whimsical quality to it that is kind of endearing. It's growing on me, there's a sadness behind the happy vibe that is appealing. There's a similarity to The Shins. I listened to it 30 minutes ago and I cannot tell the difference between Race for the Prize and Race for the Prize (Remix).
I have a strong aversion to The Lips in general, but of all their highly acclaimed 'classic' albums, I've always thought this one was the worst and never understood the hype.
Not for me 2/5
Don't like singer's voice
Wow this vocalist is annoying. Musically it's decent which is why I guess it's 2 stars.
I had a friend who's taste in music had me completely stumped. He was big on classics like The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Queen. He even recognized talent in Badfinger! Reversely, he praised garbage like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and The Flaming Lips. The whiplash is unreal. "The Soft Bulletin" has no real arrangement, the vocals trip over themselves, the pacing is a train-wreck, and the band seem to be tone-deaf. I'm not sure I want The Flaming Lips to be lumped with other alternative rock acts like Neutral Milk Hotel and Radiohead.
Experimental Rock? Some songs are quite weird and stressful. Others are okay, but nothing that hooked me.
the intro track was okay, everything else was very very boring NNN
Didn't like it...can't really put my finger on the reason.
There are some interesting aspects to this album, but its hard to look past the singing and mediocre lyrics...
I honestly didn't know what I would be hearing. To my ears it's enjoyable but didn't knock my socks off. Good vibes and blends of indie rock, psychedelia, trance etc
2.5 it’s alright. I feel like their goal was to just make cool sounds rather than make good songs
Ok
..
While The Flaming Lips are an accomplished and celebrated band, I find them boring and uninspired.
I like their music, but the main singers voice can be grating.
Wanted to like it more than I actually did.
2.36
tough listen
Op zich wel relaxte muziek. De zang vind ik wat minder prettig.
Interesting. Started off very intriguing, but just kept progressing to be weirder and less pleasant. A shame.
4.8/10 1. Race for the Prize 2. The Spark that Bled 3. The Gash
I’m not a fan, not bad playing or singing, some nice scores, but nothing to get your teeth into. It’s more of a poetry album, which is not what I’m looking for.
Seichter Dreams Pop.
Meh...
Crap music, paired with uninspired lyrics and a vocalist whose voice is like nails on a chalk board.
Just not my thing. It was painful to listen to the whole album. I feel like my high school band had better tone and talent than this attempt.
Not my taste.
I have heard of these guys before. Interesting listen.
There’s no excuse for Wayne Coyne’s voice
Singer’s voice sounded like a 13 going through puberty and was very shaky at best. When they started singing about spider bites and flying insects, they lost me.
This album is fortunate it caught me on a good day otherwise it would be getting a 1. Happily for all parties involved I was in a good mood so this gets a 2 but my goodness I did not enjoy sitting through this album. So far all the indie albums this site has forced me to endure have been absolute buns. I don't know if that's just because this site is choosing stupid indie bands or if this just means I do not like indie as a genre (which could very well be the case and I'm perfectly fine with that). Wayne Coyne's voice is awful. He cannot sing. Somebody had to have told him that early on because I don't understand how someone could enjoy listening to that man try to sing. It is unpleasant on the ears. The instruments were great.
don't understand why this is on the list. way too much use of distortion, discordant sounds. and not a fan of vocals, or lyrics
Ugh. No.
Weird album. Never understood the popularity of the Flaming Lips
I don’t believe this is required listening. Played it through though.
Probably a 3 for the music, 1 for the lyrics and so we'll average it out to a 2.
let’s stop using the label “indie” as an excuse to sing really badly
I don't really like this album. I remember liking the lips but not this album I guess
Ugh
I was not minding this but then it went downhill after the spider bite song.
Holy pretentious nonsense, Superman!
My second Flaming Lips album in a few days. I like when bands get experimental, but jeez this falls short for me. When it works it's really good, but a lot of the time it sounds like at least one of the instruments is fighting the others just for the sake of being different. The lyrics are atrocious. I certainly won't be listening to this again.
Omg turn down the drums We're these lyrics written by children?
Nah, I would rather have Yoshimi than this album.
Strange album. A mix of pop/soft rock music with electronic effects. The lyrics seemed borderline childish at times, like someone carefully guiding you through a psychedelic trip. Never really gets interesting somehow. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again.
Man, I guess I just don't like The Flaming Lips?
58 minutes and 14 tracks that blended together into a nondescript melange of forgettable sound. Here's a soft bulletin for you...if you really want to listen to something good from the 90's, find something else.
Honestly not a bad album, it's just a little ruined by the Lead Singer's terrible voice. It's got some cool alt sound though
Not for me. Every song felt similar. Boringly long.
Kinda boring
Very different.
With the exception of Mokran mix tracks, most are dominated by a jazzy feel. They lack a consistent melody, but are driven lyrically in a speech-like, highly rhythmic declamatory style delivered with pained vocals.
I didn’t care for these lyrics. I think I’m not much of a Flaming Lips fan. This listen didn’t really grab me and I found the music repetitive and bland.
Interesting music, cool instrumentation. Not really my thing though and not a big fan of the singer’s voice.
Very meh. Very boring. The lead singer doesn’t have a very good voice, and the writing seems basic. Wouldn’t listen to again.
Meh
Don’t like leads voice. Grating.
Enjoyed the music, but not the vocals so much
Great opening. Musically so good, but couldn’t get past the guys voice. Hard to listen to over the course of the full album.
Немам неки посебан утисак, и ово је ок 4/10
Kannte ich nicht. Das erste Stück klingt älter, als es ist. Die Synth-Sound sind schlecht gealtert. Verzerrte Drums? Hm. Gesang ok. Insgesamt not my pair of shoes...
I wish the singer had a different sound. Instruments are a bit all over but not in a bad way. Can't really get into it with his voice and how it works with the rest of it all. I didn't get a lot out of this one sadly. I liked the energy from the drums on Race for the Prize.
I've liked a Flaming Lips track here and there through the years, but I'm not sure about a whole album. The sound blends the songs sound a little repetitive. Might revisit tho
Not much more than "meh" can be said about this album.
True to the album title, "The Soft Bulletin" is, in fact, annoyingly soft. Like cream of wheat. Or cottage cheese. It's just painfully wimpy. There are no teeth behind those flaming lips, apparently. The instrumentation is alright which is why this doesn't flat fail. But it was a close thing, let me tell you. A super-soft 2 for a super-soft album.
First time with this album. Not a great first impression.
nowhere near as good as Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. this really wasn’t that good at all.
2.5/5 - I was once lucky enough to leave a Flaming Lips concert early
I needed more time. In 1999 I can see this being a big album, but it’s pre strokes indie revolution and I feel that. I didn’t vibe with the vibe. Feeling yourself disintegrate and what is the light started to grow on me but other than that everything blended together.
How this album was recognized as being one of the best albums of the decade baffles me. More psychedelic rock and more drug-induced experimentation. While fairly easy to play in the background, this album is very forgettable.
Spotify het nur en remaster, aber de mix isch biz weird, und sehr stereo. Cover weissnöd, graphic design isch öpperem sini liedeschaft. Ich het würkli gern biz snare ufem linke Ohr. Sie singet halt au nöd bsunders schön. Het mich nöd würkli begeisteret, han ide zweite hälfti au nüme so richtig zueglost. Nur es paar intressanti parts hend mich zrugg gholt, aber meistens isch mir de Gsang denn glich zu "indie" gsi.
ichvha bis etz nur de name vo dere band ghört, nonie bewusst es lied. Race for the proze no cool mit de verzerrte drums und sochli melancholische melodie. a spoonful weighs a ton. sini stimm bricht mega? oder autotune? uuuuh syth time hoppla recht geil immerno crnchy drums. the spark that bled. ok funny trap hi hat. blöser mega schhön mit de sus (amogus) chords. er singt nöd soo guet, frogmi ob da nervig wird. boooo aber wenn de e bass und drums und klavier dropped und alles gohts los huere geil. und bgvs au am duregeh. die troche country gitarre links isch cool. und d blöser werded plötzlich chromatisch. de song macht en Sangwich, er hört so uf wiener agfange het. instrumental und textlich. schön. the spiderbite song. er singt würklich nöd so guet. instrumental sehr alles ufs mol? mega luute trömmeli. buggin. er macht autotune. funi. isch de song e allegorie für öpis? de hässig bass geil. checki aber nöd de song. what is the light? viel geiler sobald orgle debi gohts los. ischs kontrabass? huere geile bass. er macht gern de song sangweech. the observer. kickdrum konstanti kick immer umen. waitin for a superman. stimm gfallt mer besser wenn sie wenig macht. zimliche standard indie song. drums cool. Suddenly everything has changed. melodie no nice. lofi strings au. slapback gitarre melodie sehr cool. d changes döt au sehr nice. plötzlich swing mit drum machine. The Gash, direkte Übergang. Booooh tüüfe gsang sehr nice. drums wieder sehr sick. sehr zeppelin und lehned zrugg. sehr schöni chords mit piano und alles, er singt immerno chli schräg und tönt mengmol quält. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate mega links rechts scat dingsbums chli unagnehm. ok s hört uf und denn wird de song zimli repetitiv, immer de titel wird gsunge. inere bitz nervige melodie? Sleeping on the roof, insektegrpsch hinedra no schön. nocher sehr repetitiv und halt instrumental. ok fertig album. het paar seehr cooli sache drunder und s isch krass kreativ instrumentiert und gschriebe. ich cha leider mit sinere stimm wenig afange und d songs sind mer amel chli imne zu ähnliche mood. find au dases zum teil chli pretentious würkt.
Eh, it's okay. I think this might get a 3 or even a 4 if I were in the mood to listen to this, but I also think I'd very rarely be in the mood to listen to this.
Someone get him a voice coach. Sometimes better than decent beyond that
Ugh. I really don't like the Flaming Lips, mostly because of Wayne Coyne's vocals. You're artsy and so quirky--I get it! Now give us a break and sing normally. The times you do (a few songs towards the end of this album I think), it's not terrible. I gather the Lips' sound has evolved over the years but between this and the Pink Robots album I have zero interest in finding out.
Wel geinige eigenwijze muziek, maar de stem van de zanger verpest het deze keer voor mij. Zingt hij nou expres vals?
Een rustig rock-album waar duizenden andere van gemaakt zijn. En laten we eerlijk zijn. Vergeleken met die duizenden andere is dit niet de beste stem. Af en toe komt er muzikaal een aardig stukje voorbij. Net voldoende om het album van de allerlaagste score te redden.
Decent. Listenable. Yoshimi and the Pink Robots is way better though.
I don't really care for the flaming lips
Surprisingly just fine. Thought I'd enjoy Flaming Lips more, but this album just falls a little flat for me. Not bad at all, not skipable.
Hmmm. Hviezdičky 2. Ale nie je to inak príšerné ako Eminem 😂 Možno aj 2,5 by som dala A k tomu Neilovi Youngovi nižšie - piesne veľmi príjemné na počúvanie, harmonika, trochu to pripomína slovenský gospel 90. rokov. Ale ten Neilov plochý hlas sa mi nedá dlho počúvať.
Instrumentals are the only reason this isn't a 1/5. The vocals are grating. Sleeping on the Roof was my favorite (straight instrumental).
Awful. Don’t get it.
pretty much all songs sounded the same
Je m'attendais à plus aimer ça. Je pense que je comprends pourquoi le band a une bonne influence sur la scène indie/alt, mais ce n'était pas tellement mon genre. Je dirais ça a surtout avoir avec les chants qui ne me plaisaient pas vraiment. J'ai aussi tout simplement trouvé ça long. 4/10
Similar theme thoughout the album, easy on the ears.
Psychedelic weird stuff 2/5
Some standout songs but listening to it for too long grates my nerves
first song was really good tho. was expecting better
So I know I should like this album. But I just didn't. It could be that it would be amazing to hear live, but it was like there was something missing that I couldn't put my finger on.
2/5 Nice instrumentals, but way too disoriented and chaotic for my liking.
This is perfectly fine.
Honestly this is just not for me. I didn't hate it but something about Wayne Coyne's singing just does not do it for me. And the instrumentals were interesting at times but nothing really struck me, don't think I'll ever come back to this one.
Ok, not really my cup of tea. A bit like radiohead
Unremarkable but not bad
I never really got in to "The Falming Lips", always felt like a band i just didn't get. I found myself enjoying some instrumental songs like "The Gash" or the instrumental parts in "Race for the Prize" but i can't really get over the vocal style which i found a bit whiny.
I honestly can't stand Wayne's voice, and makes it incredibly hard for me to listen. Sounds like a pitcher version of the lead singer of Death Cab. I did really like the instrumentals in some, like Race for the Prize, but overall, it was not an enjoyable listen for me. Honestly, interlude-type situations can be so hit or miss and The Observer was a definite miss for me
I wanted to like it, there are some good melodies and some of the arrangements are really interesting, but the vocal performance and airy-ness of the record were too much for me to enjoy
I was excited to listen to this one but it turned out to be boring and kind of excruciating.
-omg these were the pink robot guys!!!! -excited to be listening to another album from them -never really noticed before hilarious that the band is named the flaming lips -this album sounds very similar to the other album i heard from them -i also am not as big of a fan of these songs -i remember liking the other album better than this one tho -these songs aren’t bad but just a bit boring -the gash is so far the most interesting song on the album -overall this album was not that exciting for me
Had some cool moments. Daily boring. I zoned out a lot.
ok didn't listen to all
Enjoyable moments. Bit of a mess at times. Original
Interesting. I liked one it more in beginning. Too far out there for me. Little too slow too. Weird music man. Bugs and shit. lol. Could barely listen to it tbh. But not awful.
Interesting not not for me
I listened to it on repeat today for over 2 hours and I can’t remember one song. Something about a scientist? Not one for me.
Bruh it sucked
not really my jam
Not my thing.
2, almost 1
Cliche 90s angst and oddity. Didn’t keep my attention.
Meh
The instrumentation in this album is great but I’m not a fan of the lyrics and the singer’s voice.
Couldn't get into it. Kind of disappointing.
Not a fan. Guy sounds whiny
Ooooh this wasn't my cup of tea. Flaming lips have never done it for me, Coynes vocals grate me so good. This was all a bit bubblegummy for my personal taste. Fav track: Race for the prize 2/5
Sometimes I start one of these albums and I know immediately that it's gonna annoy me, and I stop paying a lot of attention. And it's normally psych or classic rock and it goes for an hour. These are the dark times of the 1001 albums project. Probably good for those in the know, but the vocals and twee instrumentation just frustrated me. One and a half. Fave track: Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
Race for the Prize is a great opening track, the rest felt inconsequential
Very dreamy and melancholic music. Wayne Coyne's vocals are not the strongest by any stretch of the imagination and at times he lacks confidence in it.
The singer's wavery weak voice made every song sound similar and none of the music made an impression