Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Music for vegans who vape

Another great surprise that expelled any/all preconceived notions I had upon seeing today's entry. Apparently (obviously) I know/knew absolutely nothing about The Flaming Lips, but this was/is immediately right in my wheelhouse. Maybe a concept album....sign me up. Dreamy - melodic - mysterious - gorgeous - electronic loops mixed with organic elements - just great music which is simultaneously accessible yet not predictable. How have I missed this album all these years? I'm looking forward to repeat listens of this in headphones. I wonder if at some point I end up viewing this as a five.....this is awesome. ...screw it. 5 stars for an album I'd never heard of 24 hrs ago 9/10 5 stars.

One of my favourite albums, by one of my favourite artists, of all time. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is brilliant and life affirming on many different levels. Individually, each track is excellent, but collectively they add up to a single piece that is even greater than its individual parts. It's accessible and catchy, yet a bit weird and experimental. It manages to combine being a sci-fi semi-concept album about pink robots and a vitamin-popping girl, with universal truths and philosophies that go straight to the heart of the uncertainty and unknowingness of life and our insignificance in the universe: "I don't know how a man decides what is right for his own life, it's all a mystery" (Fight Test), "The universe will have its way, too powerful to master" (In the Morning of the Magicians). At the end it helpfully provides the the answer of what to do about these overwhelming questions: "Instead of saying all of your goodbyes, let them know you realize that life goes fast, it's hard to make the good things last" (Do You Realize??). I.e. Sadness is inevitable, don't worry about the big things that we can't control. Be grateful for your life, enjoy it, and share it with others. That message, along with the journey to get there, is the main reason I love this very special album. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Do You Realize?? Date listened: 28/06/22

Yesssssss.... This is hands down one of my all-time favorites. A kitschy, fuzzy, psychedelic odyssey in the form of a sci-fi anime rock opera. Every song is cinematic, melodious, and fun. Covering topics like sentient robots and vitamin-eating Japanese schoolgirls.

Too slow and lifeless for me, literally brings my mood down. Better than Radiohead though.

Yoshimi is the sequel to The Soft Bulletin, except it's also a loosely organized allegorical concept album about the struggle of humanity to extricate itself from the technological disaster it's created, but lyricist Wayne Coyne concentrates on the human costs involved. I'm a sucker for these kinds of themes to begin with, but the Lips do something unique with it. Their lyrics are goofy, heartfelt, incisive, and utterly humane, which couldn't be more endearing. Musically, the Lips write fairly simple pop songs with pretty melodies, but they've come up with arrangements that complement and deepen their lyrical content beautifully. They adroitly mix warm analog guitars with digital drums, orchestral flourishes, blatantly artificial and sometimes silly synth patches, augmented with studio trickery and faux-documentary excerpts, all grounded by Wayne Coyne's tremulous, wistful voice. Numerous psychedelic touches reveal The Lips' devotion to Pink Floyd, but they sound nothing like them, really. Are there weak spots? Yes, but they are hard to find. I find Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part II musically uninteresting and just plain silly. There is a preponderance of ballads. Nothing really rocks hard. But these are minor complaints. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is a very strong album and well worth your time. 4 stars out of 5.

20 years ago, I probably would have written the most hyperbolic review for this record, likely proclaiming it one of the greatest records ever released, a true milestone achievement in human history, etc, etc, ad nauseam. It was an easy 5 for me and if you were in central New Jersey for a week in the back half of 2002, you probably would’ve seen me wearing the tan Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots comic strip t-shirt that I got when I saw them the month after this record was released. Man, I fucking loved this band. Over the years I’ve soured on them for a number of reasons, but mostly it’s just because I’ve changed and this record in particular is one that I associate with a not-so-great time in my life. It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it? Music is very powerful in that it’ll make you think about things you haven’t thought of in decades, temporarily reopening old wounds or re-igniting old flames - occasionally, it does both simultaneously, which is an especially shitty feeling, for sure. So yeah, I don’t really come back to this one because of that. …but enough sentimentalism. The other reason I don’t come back to this record very often is that honestly, I don’t think it’s that great as a whole. Somewhere around or after “Are You a Hypnotist?”, I usually start checking out. …and, Jesus Christ, if I never hear “Do You Realize?” again, I’d be so cool with that. These are words that, in the early aughts, I never thought I’d type out. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the Flaming Lips, but the three albums that precede this one, (Clouds Taste Metallic, Zaireeka and The Soft Bulletin) are the band’s high-water mark for me - I don’t think they topped those records before or since. The Flaming Lips were untouchable for those few years. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, just by virtue of following those classics, is mostly in the same league and shares some similarities with The Soft Bulletin, but it’s where the cracks begin to show, in my opinion. I guess what I’m getting at is, it’s not the Flaming Lips record with an orange cover I’d put on this list…Clouds Taste Metallic is the one you need to hear before you die. God, that album is amazing.

There are definite highlights, but the lack of variation in the synths means the whole album washes together into 40 minutes of monotony.

It started off ok, and it has a few songs in there that stand out a bit, but I don't really like his vocals, and plenty of the album just comes across as a bit soft and wanky.

Mostly fine apart from the plagiarism

Boring hipster music

This album is a masterwork of an end-to-end experience. Every song is meticuously layered and arranged, creating an expansive and enveloping sound. I think "Fight Test", "Are You a Hypnotist??" and "In the Morning of the Magicians" are good examples of this. But breaking up the album and considering it song by song, undermines the value of the ablum, which is at it's highest as a whole. Although the creators have insisted this is not a concept album, there is a unifying feel and an arch to that I continuously enjoy experiencing end-to-end.

Great album, was already in my favourites list. Cohesive, tells a story without being too blatant, and I love the mix of folky warble with some electronics influence.

A modern classic. The Flaming Lips take an unusual storyline (really only apparent in the first few songs) and explore themes of mortality and love. The music is dreamlike and uses both analog and digital instrumentation to create a lush backdrop.

Amazing album, so rich and weird. The melodrama and soaring instrumentals are fantastic.

An incredibly unique and pleasurable listening experience.

It's super vibey, and I love it. The lyrics/voice are engaging and fit extremely well with the backing track. I especially liked the keyboard in the songs it was featured in, but each instrument had it's time in spotlight. In addition, no instrument overpowered another. This is an album that I could put in the background while I'm just thinking as it's pretty relaxing. Favorite track: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1

I loved this album, although I knew about The Flaming Lips I've never listened to them. This album specifically has a lot of experimental electronic and progressive sounds but just enough to be a pleasant experience

A weird experience, definitely. It mixes in stuff that sounds like early-2000s pop with some alternative music things that I can now see that have even affected some other more modern music that I've heard. The whole album works wonderfully together and it has a solid musical theme throughout, but no one specific song jumps out to me as outstanding. A good listen, which I'd recommend to _most_ people, though.

The Flaming Lips play it safe, too safe. It feels like their Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is them outsourcing a record to a group of untalented and unmotivated born-again Christians. The Flaming Lips gave these Christians the assignment to create an uninspired piece of dream pop, without any edge, with the most dumbed-down cartoonish lyrics, and extremely awkwardly awful sounding vocal effects. I am happy to report that these Christians succeeded in creating one of the dumbest pieces of Rock/Dream-Pop that I have ever listened to. Their only mistake was the okayish Do You Realize, which is way too catchy for my taste. Well done, 1/5.

I really fell in live with this album when it was first released in 2002. I had previously considered the Flaming Lips a bit of a novelty act, especially based on "She Don't Use Jelly", which got a lot of radio play but I found super annoying. I never glommed on to any of their albums before or since, but somehow this album just clicked. There are some really great tunes and a "budget lush" aesthetic that appeals to me. I really like the lofi production and big orchestrations (using cheap detuned keyboards), and generally hippy vibe, lyrical material that veers between the humorous and the profound, an embrace of life while acknowledging the reality of sadness and despair. There are lots of reasons that I shouldn't like this album; concept album, sci-fi themes, self-conscious psychedelia, over-produced. But I really do. I think I was really primed for this. I had just become a father, which I found a wonderful and frightening experience, and had me thinking about what it means to be a man and mortality. I felt like this was one of the few albums that approached those themes with complexity and humanity and a lack of judgement. It was warm and reassuring, while simultaneously acknowledging that life can be confusing and scary. 'Fight Test' and 'Do you realize?' were the standout tracks for me, then and now, but I can happily listen to the whole record all the way through. I never liked any of their other records. They tended to be unfocussed and trying too hard to be... quirky or twee or cute or wacky something. Maybe when it came down to it, they only really had one great album in them. I really like this record, and it was a pleasure to revisit it like an old friend. 4.5 stars, rounding up.

I've listened to this album, and didn't quite understand it. So I did it again. And again. And again. And somewhere along the way, I've realized that I don't quite understand it still, but I've grown to like it. It's the right amount of experimental. Easy to listen to, a bit hazy, a bit sweet, a bit bitter. Maybe one day I'll understand this album better.

This is not a record, it's a state of mind. Perfect soundtrack for sunny Sunday mornings, it's the pinnacle where all what is the Lips -experimentation, melodies, sonic creativity- reaches its maximum height. Even better than 'The Soft Bulletin', they had never been that good, never were again

Blergh. Reading this list you conclude that the early 2000s were garbage for music. This overhyped undercooked recording won’t disabuse that. Boring and dull. 1 star.

I feel like this is what people listen to at Coachella

This album is one that holds an incredibly special place to me. It’s been one of my absolute favorites of all time for a while now, I’ve seen it performed in full live, and it was my introduction to the Flaming Lips, who are now one of my all time favorite bands and whose discography I could give you my full detailed thoughts on for hours on end. I very rarely consider any album to be perfect, but this is one of the few that I would say are practically on that level. Right now more than ever, a relisten to this album was what I needed. With how my mind and life has been lately, the message of this album, enjoying the present instead of fearing the future, is one that hit harder than ever. I will always love this album with all my heart.

killer album art. i loved this, it was fun in concept & catchy (even the instrumentals) & just the right amount of upbeat + melancholy

Fun!

This is the first album that I've been suggested that I'm intimately familiar with. There a several titanic songs on this album, including Fight Test, Yoshimi part 1, and Do You Realize. In between these songs is a psychedelic soundscape that guides you dreamily through the album. The instrumentals on this album are incredible. No two songs sound alike, and yet the album has a cohesive feel. 5/5

I loved Transmissions from the Satellite Heart when it came out, but it didn’t necessarily give me a full portrait of who Wayne Coyne was as a songwriter. When this album dropped it sort of blew my mind. I listened to this CD until I couldn’t play it anymore. And it was hard to reconcile it with who I thought The Flaming Lips were. This album showed that the group had great flexibility while remaining true to a vision of themselves. A really good album by a really important band.

Groovy.. liked the album

Strange and wonderful alternative music that is everything you would expect from the band. A lovely complementary piece to the Soft Bulletin.

Musical theatre like sometimes.

Do You Realize that this is a great album? I feel like I'm floating through space. It's a nice album to chill out and maybe bob your head here and there to the beat.

Funny, beautiful, and moving, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots finds the Flaming Lips continuing to grow and challenge themselves in not-so-obvious ways after delivering their obvious masterpiece.

I’m a sucker for a space adventure and this one was a pleasant one at that. Within seconds of hitting play we’re grabbed into the space aesthetic. I thought this was an early 2010’s album and I was shocked to find out this album is from 02. I’m not sure I really like any songs on their own. The whole album flows very well and does an exceptional job of painting the space atmosphere. It’s Summertime is very beatlesque but definitely not the highlight of the album. The best is not a single track found in the middle or the end of the album. Most of the fun is found in the first five songs and scattered in small parts in the back half of the album. I was looking forward to Yoshimi’s battle with cancer over the course of the album. The greatness of the album both lyrically and musically is mostly only present in the front half. The saying "it’s not about the destination it's about the journey" applies to all 47 minutes of this album. You will definitely find me playing this song on repeat from time to time.

What the fuck were we all on in the early noughties?! This was lauded as a masterpiece on its arrival into the public ear, when in reality it really isn’t. It’s acceptable to listen to and that’s all, not much more than that. A reason why it was discarded from my collection during the last purge!

Another band I had never heard of, but I thought they were ok. I could’ve done without the Star Wars noises in some of the songs, though. I won’t want to hear this one again, and give it a ho-hum 3 stars.

This is interesting enough but I would not say I like it all that much. 3 stars or C.

It was ok.

Funky. Fresh. Futuristic. But also nostalgic. I’d play this album for the aliens.

Enjoyed this...though did not attempt to complete the 100-song, 7+ hour "deluxe" version.

I’ve always loved Do You Realize, the rest is fine. Perfectly enjoyable in the background but I wouldn’t put it on deliberately.

A couple of WEIRD songs on this one. But I enjoyed it more than I expected - the tunes and singer were actually kind of soothing, wistful, and dreamy. And then there were space lasers (?) I wonder how the musical was. 3.4 stars.

This one is a hard one to rate. It feels ambitious, and lots of interesting stuff going on. I'm a fan of some of the later songs like "Do you realize", and overall I enjoyed the album. But I would also say it feels rough around the edges, and I think that comes from its age. I listened on youtube and maybe it would have been better listened to without the inherent compression. But anyways, I like it and I think I'll check out some of The Flaming Lips' other stuff.

Fine, average, doesn’t stand out over any other early-00s indie kind of stuff to me and I have no real knowledge of the band so don’t really know why it was included. The opening track is pretty cool, the rest sort of blended for me. (1.5 stars)

Ok

Decent background music but probably not one I'd seek out again.

The flaming shits.

I liked the first song — almost felt like cat stevens. The rest felt like someone did drugs and said “you know what would be cool….”

I have never understood the TFL hype, sloppy and ill recorded in an uncharming way.

I listened to this album before from a recommendation. Wasnt a fan then and still not really a fan. Sort of boring, I get what they were going for though.

Very meh

This one's a classic. To me it sounded futuristic years ago, and I think it still does. Great drumming at times - especially on Are You A Hypnotist?? - for a band with no permanent drummer at the time. Do You Realize is such a beautiful song. Liked Songs Added: Flight Test Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1 Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Are You A Hypnotist?? Do You Realize??

Liked it more than I thought i would!

Nearly 20 years since band formation, the Flaming Lips peaked with this, their tenth album. Still sounding great.

Just too good texturally, too well put together, too emotional, relatable, and just surprisingly down to earth as an album despite its out-of-this-world themes, to give it anything less than a five.

I walked in the mountains in the summer and listened to this album. And he was so perfect for it. A great combination of dead electronics and amazing feelings and tools. Very unique

אני לא יודע למה, אבל האלבום הזה מדהים. פשוט מדהים. זה לא הז'אנר שלי בכלל אבל זה מצוין. שיר מועדף - Yoshimi battles the pink robots pt. 2

I hate it when I find an album that's like "this is a 10/10, this is peak [insert band here] and nothing will ever beat this in the genre" and then the band makes a significantly better album that blows me further out of the water than the first one did. This is that album, and this album is perfect. this is one of those rare 11/10 if it were possible kind of records. Incredible storytelling, incredible instrumentals, incredible everything. Astounding beyond words.

Really like this! Already knew Do You Realize??, And loved everything else as well. Could go for a four, but think I’m going to be generous! Simpsons: Yes (possibly the most niche reference yet)

Truly life-changing for me. Part of my origin story. I am sure I have told everyone reading this about it. Probably several times.

cool

Incredibly charming opening song. That synth lead/bassline walks down in a way that reminds me not of the Cat Stevens song it often gets compared to, but of “Our House” by CSN&Y. Knew I was in for something special when this songs was done. Parts 1 & 2 of the title track are a great bit of storytelling. Part 1 in particular was pretty striking. I think I wasn’t expecting a fictional story like that to be accompanied by the arrangement/sounds that The Flaming Lips go for. It’s a bit melancholy and grounded in pretty, acoustic instrumentation. Then part 2 is just a masterclass in NOT using words to let the story play out. The next bit that struck me was in the following song, “In The Morning Of The Magicians”. There’s this fantastic programmed kick drum that just sounds really really good for something that came from 2002. The production on songs like this or “One More Robot / Sympthy 3000 is selective, shimmery, and holds up REALLY well. Parts of “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell” and “Are You A Hypnotist” halfway through the record were the only time this project almost fell of its 5/5 star pace - a bit of meandering without really achieving nearly as much as the first third of the record did. “Do You Realize??” deserves all the flowers it gets. Surely the band knew what they had with this song - I’m always impressed when a key change doesn’t completely ruin a song for me. Very few times to I get to listen to an album for the first time and just kick back, knowing it’s gonna be a 5/5. Loved this from start to finish. No snoozers, fantastic concept that exists in its own world, and some production work that holds up wildly well to this day. Some pop influence sprinkled into the arrangement choices. Sticks the landing

Endnu en kæmpe positiv overraskelse. Jeg kendte et par af numrene, og de passede vildt godt ind på albummet som helhed

16 årige Rasmus synes Do You Realize?? var den bedste sang der nogensinde var skrevet og jeg er ikke helt sikker på han tog fejl. Glemmer nogen gange hvor god resten af pladen er, super fedt at høre igen, den er SÅ god

Great album

Muy chulo y original

Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I feel like I missed the window on really getting into bands like this but this was still really good and I think I’m gonna go with a trepidatious light 5/5

Radiohead but With more robots, finally Some good '02 food.

Awesome. Their second best album.

A great listening. Really like the vision, story and the emotions of this albums Fav song - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 and Are You a Hypnotist?? 5/5

This one wasn't on my radar at all, but I loved it, right up my alley. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly makes it so good. But I think it's a sense of vulnerability, coupled with a sense of intentionality. It tugs at your capacities to feel and to dream, and it just works. My heart goes out to Yoshimi. If she is still fighting out there, I wish her success.

This will be the album I choose as my favorite when I complete this challenge. It's a perfect 10/10 album and then Do you Realize hits, and just goes off the fucking charts.

Random thoughts: * "The test begins now" * This is already one of my favorite albums so I will just continue to gush here. * I love myself a concept album and to boot, one about robots going crazy and a karate-trained girl name Yoshimi battling them! How fucking cool?!? * I don't totally get the story but there is a wizard/magicians and time travel as well! * I love the proggy/psychedelia of the music as well. * I want "Do You Realize?" played at my funeral. * I distinctly remember being introduced to this album (shout out to Gubiotti) and listening to it on repeat while commuting endless hours on the LIRR. * Always happy to throw this one on! Must listen for everyone!

Wow album released on my birthday in 2002! A 14 year old me getting ready for sophomore year. Little did I know that 23 years later I’d listen to it for the first time and love every single second of it. 👨🏻‍🍳💋

I remember loving this when it came out, but haven't listened to it for years, so wondered if it would hold up. It totally does. It's proof that an album can sound experimental and poppy at the same time;; and that being a concept album doesn't can actually be additive, not just a limiting factor.

It may be an overplayed hipster classic, but it's an overplayed hipster classic for a reason.

This probably my favorite rediscovery on this journey so far. I haven’t listened to this album in like 20 years and kinda remember feeling “meh” about it, but this time around I thought it was great

Music made by the band for the band. Very few bands do this (Radiohead) and it is when you get the most creative and greatest moments in music.

This album is almost everything I crave in a good record. Blissful and funky synths, some immaculate bass, acoustic guitars to strum along to; I was at the edge of my seat soon as the first track ended, eager to hear the rest. Towing the line between melancholic and bombastic masterfully, this album has easily worked its way into my regular rotation

Love this album. It still gives me the chills the same way it did when I first listened to it.

So deliciously weird while still showcasing solid pop sensibilities. Very listenable for being so strange. I particularly enjoy the philosophical POV. In my personal top 50 for sure.

It’s crazy that this band has been around since the 80s and their best album is from 2002. Like this album has everything, it’s got silly lore, amazing cover art, a couple huge hits, super psychedelic feeling jammy parts, etc. This album is a no skip album which I think says a lot coming from a short attention spanned adhd individual. Seriously this album is somehow super fun and silly but also incredibly chill and relaxing. Definitely go listen to this one.

OH HELL YEAH!!!! my dad used to play this all the time when I was a kid, especially the title track "yoshimi battles the pink robots, part 1" - nowadays the nostalgia from that song is palpable. anyway this is a 5, and also my first 5, I am 100% planning on listening to this many more times. the album is basically a cross between sgt pepper's and the steven universe score, having a lot of cool psychedelic elements that just make you feel like you're floating in a sea of clouds. the melodies in this album are absolutely beautiful, and wayne has a really nice voice that works well with this type of music. the lyrics are also a lot more cohesive than I expected - I thought they would be a lot more abstract and stream-of-conciousness, but there's a lot of meaning behind them to me, especially "fight test" and "are you a magician?" favorite song: still "yoshimi battles the pink robots, part 1". although I must also give a shout-out to part 2, an instrumental that I can only imagine soundtracks the actual battle against the robots. overall: 10/10 P.S. someone from my high school's senior quote was "do you realize that you have the most beautiful face". guess they had good taste in music.

Never listened to this band before. God damn that is a near perfect album, absolutely beautiful

Jammed this a lot back in the day. Still great.

I like this one a lot, normally I prefer songs that focus on the lyrics more but I'm so blown away by the soundscape the album creates that it overrides that preference. Favorites are Fight Test and Do You Realize??

That's a trippy album.

Just a really fun and textured album that gets better with every listen. Not every song sticks, but the whole just works.

I think I’ve listened to some albums by the Flaming Lips before, but I don’t remember any of them gripping me quite as much as this one did. I listened to this on a long drive down to Swindon, and it made the drive far more enjoyable. The singer’s voice is like a scented candle, in that the mere presence makes me feel comfortable. The music wrapping around these vocals was beautiful and interesting throughout. There is nothing to fault here. This is a lovely album.

An amazing album, one of the easiest 5s. The Soft Bulletin, this and At War with the Mystics are an incredible run of albums to have released back-to-back. Rest In Peace to Matt T. who introduced me to this album and a lot of other music.

Fave track: Yoshimi battles the pink robots pt. 1

En av mina riktiga favoriter med Flaming Lips, den var länge i skymundan av föregångaren Soft bulletin som var min ingång och är säkert på min topp 10 av fantastiska skivor. Men den här är minst lika bra, minst lika starka låtar, galnare, psykedeliskt och tusen infall. Ja, idag är detta nog den flaming lips som är mitt förstaval.

Amazing album. I heard one song from this band in the 90s and I thought it was dumb. I am so glad I gave this album a chance. One of the best albums I have heard in years. Amazing. I listened to it on repeat all day.

Can I give it six stars?

Great concept album, amazing execution.

One of my favorite albums of all time.

WOW I always assumed Flaming Lips was like the strokes or black keys or something, this is much much cooler and better. So far this is the first album I can see coming back to and diving into the rest of the discog

i don't think i have ever interacted with the flaming lips in any capacity until listening to this and it was so good! interested to check out more