Reviews (page 2 of 15)
This is tough. Before relistening, I would've said this was a 5. More like a 4
BUT YOU WONT LET THOSE ROBOTS DEFEAT ME
It was alright.
Interesting start but I got lost in the middle and then my interest waned.
Pretty good
I loved this album. Do You Realize was truly great. And the title track (part 1 in particular) was very good. Shocking this was a groups 10th outing and still this strong.
Some quite cool concepts here, but my second 'space rock' album still just feels corny and a bit strange. I feel like I'm waiting in the queue for Space Mountain at DisneyLand, which is sort of my idea of hell on earth unfortunately.
10/10, 100/100, one of the best albums eva
Another good album.
A couple of cool songs.
8.0/10 One of the coolest albums ever :)
LOVE
Standouts One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 Do You Realize?
I listened to this a good amount when it came out and I liked it quite a bit at the time, but now it's kinda annoying me....it's more cloying...
Great album
Very pleasant to have in the background, but nothing super memorable bar the title track, nothing really memorable
Cómo no le voy a poner 5 estrellas so este disco me hizo darme cuenta que stamos flotando en el espacio, que la felicidad te hace llorar, que todos los que conozco algún día morirán y en lugar de decir todas tus despedidas hazles saber que te das cuenta de que la vida pasa rápido. Es difícil hacer que las cosas buenas duren.
Did not enjoy this one.
The Flaming Lips. One of those bands that by all accounts I should enjoy but... I really don't. I remember buying this album, probably from some suspect outlet, in Hong Kong on my way back from travelling in 2002. And I really hated it. It seemed twee, strangely derivative and, in general unbelievably naff. Time moves on and tastes do change, but alas upon revisiting this one I can still say without any real compunction... this is still shit.
yoshimi battles the pink robots pr 2 it’s summertime
This is a good record; not their best nor my favorite but I love it (even if I’ve always hated the actual ‘battle’). I understand its importance both to music history and my own. When Fight Test started, I had to fight back tears because it took me back a specific place in time. The frankness of Do You Realize? has always hit me hard, a lot of my friends died young and it’s a beautiful reminder…that we’re all goners. And somehow that’s uplifting?
imagine how good the drums have to be for me to be able to realize “wow this album has really good drums”
Просто нормально.
I liked it
nah
I dont like
not my type
great synth sounds for 2002. bit too slow and melancholy for my current lifestyle. would be perfect for a long drive listen.
This is kind of a cozy sound. I used to listen to Do You Realize?? so it's kind of fun to hear it again.
This one was good, but I feel like there could have been more.
It's been about two years since I listened to The Soft Bulletin. As I mentioned back then, I first heard of The Flaming Lips through a few songs from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, namely part one of the title track and "Do You Realize??" I figured I would be in for a treat based on those two, and that ended up being an understatement. This is a very trippy neo-psychedelic record with elements of space rock scattered throughout the listening experience. The juxtaposition of organic instrumentation and whirring electronic flourishes creates eclectic soundscapes. Whether it's letting the gurgling synths go all out against the clashing drums for the fight scene of part two of the title track, or the ambient whirs that give way to a gentle acoustic strum paired with Wayne Coyne's hazy delivery on "In the Morning of Magicians", there is inherent beauty in the crossbreeding of these sounds, well-structured and arranged throughout the runtime with spacious production to boot. As for the lyrical content, I found it intriguing that the band wove together a series of loose science fiction narratives. I never got the sense of a concept album, because the actual battle between the young girl Yoshimi and the robots ended rather early on the record. I'm cool with it, because it meant that the band felt free to explore other stories to express and convey a wide array of human emotions and experiences. Contemplating the universe in relation to our own everyday decisions on "In the Morning of the Magicians", the inability to reciprocate one's feelings on "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell", being cheated on and manipulated by someone else on "Are You a Hypnotist?", encouraging someone to come out of their isolation on "It's Summertime", and finally accepting one's death and how precarious our existence is on "Do You Realize??", further explored with the time traveler's realization to live our one life to the fullest on "All We Have is Now". These themes all came across as genuine and earnest through Wayne, making for such a wholesome and engaging listen. It was a lot to reflect on as the album closed with a breathtaking instrumental journey in "Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)". I thoroughly enjoyed my time listening to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. I'm not sure The Flaming Lips ever recaptured the artistic highs they reached with this record, but I can accept that we at least got this gem out of them.
5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background
A bit new age sci fi for my liking - first song is really good - feel like i know it/it is a cover! Guitar is good - drum is not my thing. His voice is a bit too falsetto
idk how i missed this, maybe there's a setting that every weekday it generates an album? might have to fix that since i'm going to be away. anyway it sounds decent so far. def heard of the band, not sure if i know a single song of theirs though. this seems like a concept album? ok i'm on the last song now, it was okay, i wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this again and also didn't save any songs from it.
I knew nothing about the Flaming Lips, so I had no expectations. I was very impressed when the album began. But, it didn't take long until it fell into a sameness that left me flat. Sounds like the same song tweaked a bit over and over.
- fight test being the opening song is a BANGER it’s SO freaking good - i like the glorp opening on yoshimi battles the pink robots pt 2 -
RATING: 8.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Do You Realise?? LOWLIGHT: It’s Summertime
Few good songs but found the rest of the album to drone on a bit.
This is such an amazing album, wouldn’t have appreciated it before this year, but a friend recommended I see them at a festival, and wow, fucking amazing stage show, and I’ve been playing them ever since.
Mangler revidering
272.
Another album that I feel like should be for me but just doesn’t come together with my taste. Searching for why it didn’t work for me all I could come up with is that it’s brand of weird isn’t my type of weird
7/10
surprisingly I liked this album. I had heard a couple of other flaming lips songs a didn't like them. I enjoyed the mix psychedelic, rock, and instrumental stuff. overall a very good album, likely putting this into a regular rotation, not sure about the purchasing but a solid 4 stars
4/5 - Good Job Flaming Lips :) They are REALLY tryna get me to like Rock, aren't they? But I think it's finally worked. This album is one of the most conceptually interesting I've ever listened to - and it felt more like a musical journey then an album because of that. In short: The speaker hypes Yoshimi up to fight a robot, the robot KILLS ITSELF after falling in love with Yoshimi, the speaker has an existential few songs, learns from future him he's gonna die soon, and we're on a hot air balloon to heaven. It is really interesting, and learning that the pink robot may symbolize cancer adds another tragic yet beautiful layer to this album. The fact that this album can be interpreted in so many ways is just amazing for me Favourite Songs: Do they realize?, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt1 / Are you a hypnotists Overall, will I spin this afew more times? Definitely. Does is mean I love rock now? Hell no. Its not my thing but its pretty fuckin good. 4/5 for me.
I would like Do You Realise??? Played at My funeral. So I’m glad I heard this before I died.
Pretty quality quirky album that told a story with some excellent tunes Abit different to what i'd normally listen to, like the theme though
I heard it live in full last year and i don’t think it’ll ever sound better than that. However, I still enjoy it a ton every time I stick it on. Such a fun record! Favourite Track: All We Have Is Now
A pleasant album but didn’t stand out to me. Can appreciate it’s a very well produced album
J’ai bien aimé sauf les deux premiers sons
Surprisingly good album. I've never heard of the flaming lips before and even though i was expecting a very different stuff, i liked it so much. I don't think its 5 stars album, but liked it on the first listen.
This is a 3.5. Surprisingly enjoyable! I’m not a Flaming Lips fan. The singer’s voice is annoyingly whiny. I did laugh. I said Oh, it’s a concept album. And then I looked it up on Wiki. First line is it’s not a concept album.
This reminds me a lot of Tame Impala and Beach House. I like Tame Impala and Beach House. I like this. Favourite songs: "Fight Test" and "Do You Realize"
Missed this at the time but loved it now
odd! a very random collection of sounds. was kinda fun and silly though
This is it, the first album I couldn't actually listen to all the way through. Wayne Coyne's vocals are just grating. The constant synth farts in the background don't help either. I actively disliked this.
very cool album sonically and conceptually, I really like how all of it melds together
Seems cool, not crazy
This album was a pleasant surprise. Made up for a couple of the awful ones.
Beautiful work
This is a great album and I do really like it. My problem with it is that I massively overplayed it about 15 years ago after seeing them at Primavera, and now sometimes I get a bit sick of them. They occasionally get grate on me. My wife also plays quite a few Flaming Lips songs a lot, so I feel like I've definitely overplayed them, which has dampened things a bit. I think this has to be one of those quintessential indie psych-pop records (I don't know what you call it) that is incredibly influential, really good, and really well thought out. You cannot really knock it. You can clearly hear the influence on a lot of other bands as well, which I always think is a good sign. Really good. At one point, definitely 5, probably more of a 4 for me now. One things for sure though, they created a very unique sound!
I feel like I'm on the peripheries of really liking the flaming lips as they are one of those bands where I really like this album but made no effort to listen or anything else by them. Though I liked soft bulletin on this list, should give that another spin. It's got an off kilter feeling, reminds me of light indie crossed with some sort of spacey electronica such as Air. Title track part 1 is the standout but whole album has that nice dreamy feel. It doesn't excite me enough to give it a 5 I'd say, it's good without being essential, but definitely fills a niche when I'm in the mood for it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm convinced it is a concept album - or at least, strongly themed. Flight Test, In The Morning of the Magicians, Are You A Hypnotist?? and It's Summertime were the standouts. A really cool, complex, chaotic but calm, and relatively sober, album. I strongly hear Father and Son in the first track.
Very good. Do you realise is great. Reminds me of Gintis. Not sure I've heard this album before though. Enjoyed it, but maybe not as much as I thought it would given it's cult status. Still very good though 4
Song 2,3,9 and 10 are the most stand out albums Not what I am used to but an enjoyable experience 6.5 out of 10
The "squelchy" noises in Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt 2 do something to my brain and make me feel uncomfortable. Other than that, this is a great album.
A lovely album with a great story.
I’ve heard this before and I own it. I played this a lot when it first came out and I liked it but thought it was a step down from Soft Bulletin. A lot of people will say this was their peak but my opinion they peaked between Clouds Taste Metallic and Soft Bulletin. Although I haven’t really kept up with them since Embryonic or The Terror, and it looks like they’ve put out a lot of new stuff since then. So I got some additional listening to do after this. I think I’ve listened to this within the last few months but I’ll go through it again listening closely. This has more instrumental tracks than I remember, although they are more of a follow up or sequel to the previous song. They do a lot of cool stuff with electronic instruments on this one but it’s kind of at the expense of the cool analog instruments in previous albums (orchestral instruments as well as things like the mellotron). Altogether it’s still a great album, though it’s missing a little something that the earlier Flaming Lips albums have.
One of my favorite albums of the 2000s. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips is a brilliant, whimsical, and deeply moving electronic-pop album. The music blends bright synthesizers, fuzzy basslines, and gentle acoustic guitars into a colorful sonic dream. It mixes a playful sci-fi story about fighting evil robots with touching, mature thoughts on life, love, and mortality. Tracks like the joyful anthem "Do You Realize??" offer listeners a rare sense of comfort and childlike wonder. Are You a Hypnotist is another favorite. Brilliant all around.
What other band could pull off a story like this and make it so genuine it seems like a folk tale. As in its so ingrained in our memory we no longer point out the oddness, it just is. Yes Yoshimi, drummer for Boredums, go battle those pink robots! I think only The Beatles could have done an album like this, truly art in its highest form. Big ups for Harmonix selecting part 1 of the title track for Rock Band 3. This was a foundational song in my youth because of it, and later into my teenage years the beautiful "Do You Realise??".
I have always really loved this album, the music itself is great. It creates this feeling of futuristic while also being retro at the same time and it works incredibly well. I love the use of synth and all the drum beats are fantastic. I especially like the vocals, his voice like perfects the sound that the group is aiming for. But I also think this album grapples with some bigger themes like trying to figure out the meaning of life. Yoshimi is the girl who is trying to “fight” with herself to figure it out. She goes through a bunch of stuff and then kind of figures out that right now is what matters, nothing else really does. We have to use the time given to us
One of my favorite albums of all time. Do You Realize has been a favorite since I heard it. It hits home. Saw these guys live, they throw a party! 10/10.
I thought this was going to be so weird, but I really enjoyed it!
very close to a 5/5.. more like a 4.7, listened a couple times n couldn't put a finger on what was missing, overall his voice didn't grow on me but there r some songs that have been / will be all timers for me. I do remember thinking something along the lines of "this is what music should sound like" but the flaming lips are very critically acclaimed so maybe im biased bruh who fkn cares anyway great album closer to 5 than 4
Vet album. Heel melodieus en vertellend. Gek genoeg kan ik dit album alleen niet te vaak luisteren voordat het me tegen gaat staan...
Ihan mukavaa musaa, vähän meni maalatessa sellaseks taustahälinäks. En tiiä oliko tää nyt siinä kategoriassa että pakko saada kuulla ennenku lähtee henki
Cool synths, insufferable, pretentious lyrics
hrgh okay i don't.... actually like this album very much. i know that's sacrilege i've just never really been a flaming lips fan. but i'll give it another listen the lyrics are just. a bit too cute. i don't know how to describe it it insists upon itself Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell is decent. i liked this song in the past and i don't mind it now Are You A Hypnotist?? is also okay i used to really love Do You Realize? and i think i listened to it too many times i don't know i have a weird hater energy for this album and the flaming lips generally that i don't understand. i try to pick out reasons i don't like it, and they're things that other artists do that i'm fine with. this band and this album are generally well-liked by people who like other music that i'm very into. i scanned through their discography quickly trying to figure out what other flaming lips i've listened to, and i think i still like a decent chunk of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart better than this album, but i can't really articulate how it's different. which vexes me; i want to be able to identify why i don't like something. but sorry Yoshimi i'm still not feeling it in 2026
beautiful
Full disclosure, I already love this album. And while I know I'm a bit of a weirdo, but this is a perfect album. From the lyrics to the concept to the vocals to the instrumentation, the album follows a grand arc, plucking the heartstrings on the way, and dropping the listener off deep in space, to fight another day. 10/10
surprise banger
Pretty good album, unique sound.
They just don't know how Yoshimi is pronounced lol. It's all kinda twee and cutesy but unfortunately I'm a sucker for that shit. Mixed feelings for sure but overall I enjoyed (?) it
já conhecia uma das músicas do álbum mas nunca tinha parado pra escutar o resto o tema e a sonoridade do álbum são bem atuais, eu facilmente diria que ele foi lançado depois de 2020 as músicas instrumentais cumprem um propósito narrativo e ainda permaneceram interessantes pra mim (o que as vezes não acontece quando um álbum quer servir um momento conceitoh não sei se a voz do cantor me agrada muito mas não sei dizer o que eu mudaria pra achar melhor
Caramba, esse aqui eu reconheço demais a qualidade, realmente durante boa parte do álbum meu pensamento era "puts isso aqui é bem legal, qualidade total" mas infelizmente nao me viciou em nenhuma musica especifica. Tenho vontade de voltar nele e ouvir mais vezes para dar mais chances de alguma me pegar mais, porem no momento ele vai ficar com 4. Instrumental muito pica, destaque pro baixo nesse álbum que foi muito bem aproveitado e tem protagonismo em muitas músicas, junto com a percussão, o que é um ponto muito positivo pra mim. No momento, destaque para: - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, pt 2 - In the Morning of the Magicians - Appaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)
I love a few of the songs on this album, especially "Fight Test," "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1," and "Do You Realize??" There are several other tracks I really like as well, and as a whole, this is a really good album. The only thing holding it back for me is also what makes it so unique. It's a little too experimental to be something I can just throw on in the car with my wife and kids. It's an album that demands a certain mood and attention. Still, when I'm in the right setting, I really enjoy it.
Really enjoyed this, weird floaty indy music, melancholic and hopeful, will listen again
I tried this album several times but I can’t bake bread from it.
great!
Heard a little before; 3; I got a couple of 2000-2010 albums in a bunch here, and I think it's actually a pretty helpful way to listen and think about them. I would say all of them are albums that I was well aware of, knew that they were supposed to be albums that were critically respected and in the indie vein, but had never given them a full listen. In part, I think that's because I never really felt that drawn in to them boring or difficult to appreciate. I enjoyed this album - I liked the psychedelic vibe; the catchy riffs, and the weird instrumentation. At the same time, it feels a little to "airy" and spacey to really draw me in and, at least to me, makes it blend together in a way that isn't the most interesting. I would like to give this album a few more tries. Favorite Track: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1
interesting stuff but didn’t really grab me
eh 6/10 best song - yoshimi battles the pink robots part 2
It does what it sets out to do, but it's really boring and uninteresting.
Cool unique sounds with scifiy lyrics
I saw Flaming Lips play this album live in its entirety at Brixton Academy last year. Always wonderful live. My favourite album of theirs is the later ‘American Head’.
I think teenage me might have liked this
I actually don’t hate this, the beats were solid despite being very synth-y.
Owned this album when it came out and I remember it the same as I hear it now - some amazing songs and a lot of slow, unmemorable dirges. Fight Test, Yoshimi, and Do You Realize are classics, but overall not as great as The Soft Bulletin.
I've always thought this was a fun album. It's kind of cartoonish, but I don't mind that at all. It's just as much "good entertainment" as it is "good music." I got to see them perform this live all the way through once and that was tons of fun. Wayne Coyne is a weirdo and it's delightful.
I bought this on CD a few years after it came out, listened to it once, and I'm not sure if I ever listened to it again. Even if I did, very little of it sounded familiar this time around. Like a lot of critically heralded albums, I appreciate this more than I like it. While "Do You Realize??" quickly became a classic, I appreciate the loping "Fight Test" just as much. The rest kind of comes and goes for me—the same goes for live, where the spectacle draws more attention than the actual songs.
I really enjoyed this and definitely want to relisten to unpack it more. It's an unusual blend of sounds. I liked the absurdity of the lyrics and content. Musically, the blend of electronic and rock/pop ballads was super fun. Epic stuff. Electrical synth layered pop for the first track, it's alllll a mysterrryyy I love how he sings that. It's groovy and poppy.
That was great, The songwriting is ok, but the way the music is layered is what makes this album. Electronica, psychedelic, and 90s alt rock all put together. It shouldn't work, but it does.
Ikke for mig, for underligt og støjet
Pretty good overall but at the same time nothing super memorable. I kept thinking this was the Violent Femmes for some reason, but these are the "She Don't Use Jelly Guys." Either way, a cool atmospheric, mid to low tempo album that I wouldn't mind listening to again, but not one I would add to the rotation.
yoshimi battles pt ii is an exemplary specimen of "song portraying a battle" and a not-so-exemplary specimen of "listenable music" so there's that i guess. imo an inevitable drawback of the space rock opera genre. at least this one is oodles better than hawkwind space ritual. that was a respectable album for one oh so brief moment i was excited for something japanese. i know there are a few albums on the list from india--ravi shankar and similar... are there any from east asia? this is i think the first album where i had to relisten to give a valid rating. i enjoyed it the first time around, but i couldn't qualify how much. so here goes, a week later. i think this is a perfect album. i can't not give it a 5/5. finished second listen and immediately hit play again.
Nothing special.
4.5 Have a feeling these guys enjoy anime :/
I ain’t built for this, the synths sound so weird and lyrics are so esoteric
Awful vocals and pretty mediocre music, with someone constantly croaking (or farting, it's hard to tell)
Fiiiiiiinally. My first Flaming Lips album. I was wondering when these guys would present themselves on my list. It only took them 613 albums to get here, after all. Truth be told, I was hoping to pull The Soft Bulletin first since I'd be able to recount my experience of getting into this band, though the story works in reverse as well. The Soft Bulletin was one of the first albums I listened to when I was getting into music. I used to peruse /mu/ among other oddball music sites in search of quirky offbeat 90s music, of which The Soft Bulletin usually ranked highly. I have a certain fascination with albums I listened to during the early stages of my music-listening career. I do think teens hear and experience music in a way which is different from adults, and as a result I've always been interested in returning to how these albums sounded when absorbed through juvenile ears. Fortunately for me, I remember exactly how The Soft Bulletin sounded when I first hit play. It was some weird-ass dork shit. That is, except for "Race for the Prize", which I thought was fantastic. That song had a sense of scale which was completely unheard of for me at the time. I abandoned /mu/ not long after and quickly found my own methods of discovering music, though I'd be pulled back into the Flaming Lips' discography years later when I pulled the title track of this album on YouTube autoplay. I remember scrambling over to my phone to see what the mystery tune was, only to be surprised by the discovery that it was The Flaming Lips. I'd eventually get around to hearing the album it hails from in full, which I was admittedly quite middle of the road on. From there, I'd dust off The Soft Bulletin, which I had a similar level of enthusiasm for at the time. I'd occasionally return to this rotation of two Flaming Lips albums for about a year until it all just suddenly clicked for me. First Yoshimi, then The Soft Bulletin. I'd eventually voyage through most of their remaining discography (barring their 80s releases and most of their 2010s albums), and I can now confidently call myself a lifelong fan of this band. What's great about The Flaming Lips is how truly inventive they are and how much that creative process is reflected through their music. While the Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi are more or less completely distinct from one another, there's a lingering thread that binds many of their other albums together. As a result, The Flaming Lips have had a much longer shelf life than other acts whose work I hold in higher esteem. Their boundless experimentation has always resulted in music that is interesting and good, whereas other artists usually only have a handful of years where they're putting out good material. For every decade that The Flaming Lips have been active there is one album of theirs that I really like. For the 90s, it's The Soft Bulletin. For the 2000s, it's Yoshimi. For the 2010s, it's The Terror and for the 2020s, it's American Head. Anyways, time for some Yoshimmying. Allow me to saunter over to my CD player so I can put on an album that I legally own for a change. Here goes. Yeah. It's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. All of Them Together. It's a classic. A classterpiece, if you will. Truth be told, I feel more mildly about this album when compared to the other albums that I consider favourites, but it's a favourite album nonetheless. I'm very fond of records which have a gradual arc in their sound, and this album manages to go places at a surprisingly steady, yet wildly varied pace. You have the fun, character-centered intro tracks, the lingering, autumnal free-flowing mid-points and the profound, lofty closers. Like all of the other times I've listened to this album, I am left scratching my head over what it could all mean. It would probably pay to take these songs at face value because of how varied they are, but I love me a good mystery. Speaking beyond vague conjecture and miscellaneous aesthetic musings, the music of this album is good! Real good. While I do favour the Soft Bulletin over Yoshimi for how unique, challenging and frenetic the music of that album is, I can appreciate the more streamlined, accessible approach of this album. I enjoy the repetitious, yet steady percussion, the warm acoustic/electric guitars which guide many of the melodies and the distinctive, blown-out trumpets which fill the gaps in between. Like The Soft Bulletin, much of the appeal of this album rests in the unique electronic sounds that linger in the background. The synths are much less bombastic and varied on Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, though they do carry a more cohesive, soft and sentimental sound that has its own appeal. Overall, I enjoyed returning to this album. I always have room in my heart for Yoshimi. "Fight Test" is a great opener, even if The Flaming Lips were rightfully sued out the ass for ripping off Cat Stevens' "Father and Son". Or perhaps not. Fuck copyright laws. Anyways, good song! Those lethargic, blown-out synths are very endearing, the songwriting is fluid, the acoustic guitars guide the song along in an adept manner and the horn instruments underscoring the piece bring it all together. All in all, the song is a very adept opener and I do enjoy it as a prelude to Yoshimi's shortlived conflict with those evil-natured robots. I like to think of this song as Yoshimi preparing for a cage match against her robotic adversaries, even if the song is sung from the perspective of a man. "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21" is another good song. It's kind of a black sheep as far as The Flaming Lips' discography is concerned. Very methodical and stripped-back thanks to the interplay between those subtle, blinking bassy tones and the persistent percussion which guides the piece. Admittedly, the song does kind of dismantle my cage match theory from earlier given that this robot is something more than a machine and would presumably resist fighting Yoshimi. Perhaps Unit 3000-21 was confused by the sudden reality which was thrust upon him and instinctively engaged Yoshimi in self-defence. However, upon observing Yoshimi's passion and drive as a gladiator, 3000-21's empathy would lead to him accepting his demise, but not without having permanently injured Yoshimi over the course of their battle so that the recurring theme of finding new meaning makes sense. There's the title track. It's very cute, innocent and quaint, throwing my already shaky running narrative into complete fucking disarray. Rather than extreme life-or-death gladitorial combat in a cyberpunk dystopia, the vibes I'm picking up from this song resemble that of a children's play at a mall. I don't know. I like thinking about the theatrics and aesthetics of this music over a complex, interwoven plot. Anyhoo, good tune. Big fan of the preppy sound that comes through in the plucky, warm guitars and punchy percussion. The synths are also very good, particularly the twinkling embellishments that linger in the background as well as the soft, sensitive synths that appear during the "it'd be tragic" stretch of the song. Perhaps Yoshimi has aspired since childhood to place herself in perilous situations for profit. You never know with people these days. There's Yoshimi Pt. 2. I'm not a song skipper by any means, but I gotta be real: I always skip this thing. The first minute and a half is good, but the screeching Damo Suzuki vocals during the second half bug me. "In the Morning of the Magicians" does a good job at setting up the radically different remainder of this album, though it never goes beyond being quaint to me, particularly because of how long it is. Still, it's a decent listen. "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" is my favourite song of the album. To me, it's a synthesis of all that I liked about their previous tracks. It has the rolling vocal melody of Fight Test, the funky bass of One More Robot, the cute, earnest lyrics and punchy percussion of Yoshimi Pt. 1 and the atmosphere/theming of In the Morning of Magicians. Yet, rather than being a simple homage or a halfhearted extension of these ideas, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell goes all in on blending these disparate ideas together, creating a truly complete whole. The instrumental is remarkably fluid despite how busy it is, and the gradual build-up in the instrumentation culminates in both a satisfying crescendo with the horn instruments and a strong outro with the beautiful pianos and strings. I'm a big fan of those oddly-timed bass guitar stings as well. They mesh with the established sound and inject their own rhythm into the piece. Whenever I listen to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots I can't help but think of the calm following a storm. That's obviously by design considering the narrative arc and themes of this album, but still. I can feel the rainy mist and see the golden evening glow whenever I listen to this song, and I think that's special. "Are You a Hypnotist??" is good, though I don't have much to say about it. The dense atmosphere, wavy synths and delirious vocal melodies that feature most prominently on this song appear to have been one of Wayne Coyne's key takeaways from Yoshimi. It persisted all across their 2000s and early-2010s discography. You can hear it most prominently in the case of "If They Move, Shoot 'Em" from their Peace Sword EP, though I'd argue that it's written all over Embryonic and parts of At War With the Mystics as well. "It's Summertime" is pleasant. It has a very good mid-point and outro, though I admittedly think the beginning is a little shaky. "Do You Realize??" is fantastic and it occupies a pretty perfect place in the track list. Of course, It's Summertime doesn't do much to build up to Do You Realize??, though in its defence both songs are about recognising and I like how the understated nature of the former tune leads into the sudden epiphany of the latter. The succeeding tracks also do a good job at winding down the album, as I don't think this song would work nearly as well as a closer. Shamefully, Do You Realize?? took a while to click with me, though it ultimately felt really good to finally see the merit in this song. It's just so nice, particularly that beginning. The poignant strings. The strained, burgeoning guitars. The scope of the song. Perhaps the lyrics and songwriting are a little lacking and the final quarter becomes a bit directionless, but still. A very nice song that channels the intimate quality of Yoshimi Pt. 1 while also being sentimental and passionate in its own way. "All We Have Is Now" was an early favourite of mine from this album. The dreamy, surreal lyrics end the album on an interesting, ambiguous note along with seguing from Do You Realize?? in an effective way. Those soft, muted guitar riffs during the chorus are pretty glorious, too. "Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon" is also very nice and further segues from All We Have Is Now. Big fan of the lofty guitar riffs and the discordant trumpets which send off the album. They're both very pleasing. Once again, I see no need to rummage through the book for reasons as to why this album is in here. I think two list albums is about right for The Flaming Lips when considering how varied and wildly experimental their discography is, and The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots are their most noteworthy and acclaimed releases by a landslide. That being said, I've also submitted Clouds Taste Metallic and The Terror to the list as replacement albums along with heavily considering the addition of Zaireeka and Embryonic, so I'm kind of a nepotistic, hypocritical lil fuck if you wanna know the truth about it. Anyways, Yoshimi's great and I am going to proudly slam my fist on the big red album approval button which sits on my desk. I cosign this inclusion.
Part folk singalong, grief counselling session and rollercoaster this album pushes all the buttons. The lyrics and instrumentation make this a classic.
Claramente experimental. Esta bueno ero hasta ahi no me genero algo de que es esto!!! Le daria 2.5, pero bueno
This was the band's second album that I listened to as part of this project. As I noted with the first album, I wouldn't have missed a thing if I'd never heard of the band or this album. The music was quite easy on the ears, but it was so boring that it bordered on being annoying. 3/5
A dreamlike album.
cool ig
Ok I caught up now
Sonically all over the place but I had fun?? Also, I’m a huge fan of punctuation in track titles, so bonus point for that! I think Do You Realize?? was my fave, it really grabbed me
Don't know about this one! Thought it would be better than it was. I remember a day when I was home sick in year 8 and for some reason listening to songs from this album (my dad had it on CD) and especially getting really into the trio of Fight Test, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1 and Do You Realize??, each of which still stands as amazing songs in my eyes. I remember reading discussion about Do You Realize?? as one of the most uplifting songs of all time, probably around when they toured here for Splendour and were using those giant inflatable bubbles at their shows. Anyway, three great songs but all sonic outliers from the rest of the album, which I gotta say sometimes got so tedious and annoying. Also shocked to hear this was already their 11th album???? I think I have to give it a 4 for those songs which I do love but feel like it's really a 3.
I'm a meat eating non vaper and still loved this album
New waveish
Low key new wave
A great record. Glad to see The Soft Bulletin is on the list because that one's better.
Un buen álbum, es bastante adictivo y me recuerda mucho a A flock of seagulls
I'd like to give it a 3.5 really, or maybe a 3.75. Am giving it a 4 since it still occupies a special place in my heart and the intro to Morning of the Magicians is still the best. Not as brilliant as the Soft Bulletin and I'd say the second half lags but this was an important record for the early 00s and introduced some weirdness to the mainstream, which was important. Unfortunately, it was also the last really good FL record after their late 90s heyday
An interesting listen until we got to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 2, where it lost me. It did get back in the swing, but most of the songs sound like variations on a soundscape. "Do you Realize" is really good, head and shoulders above the other songs on the album.
Сначала показалось чем-то приторным. Но на лайв-треке про роботов (часть 2) от синтов меня разъебало. Надо будет вернуться к этому альбому когда-то ещё
That was quite good, but a bit uneven, and sometimes even messy in its execution. I think one key aspect that keeps this record from achieving true greatness is how the creativity of the music is at odds with the very tame, pop songwriting and vocals.
Tiene un estilo medio experimental y eso me gustó la verdad pero habían sonido que para un oído medio sensible dolían jsjsdj, pero me gustó, me hacía sentir en un videojuego
Its not as bad as i remember but i feel like I hear whatever it is that people who do not like dark side of the moon are hearing when they listen to that album. This is Too quirky for me. I like that they’re weird but it’s not my flavor of weird.
Me gustó demasiado la portada, guarde canciones por la portada jajaj. Ahora, lo sentí monótono, tipo radiohead, pero me gustó, ósea no creo ponerlo seguido, o casi ponerlo, pero está chill, se lo voy a recomendar a vale
Reminds me of Radiohead but with more explicit theming. The instrumentals are really good but no specific attention grabbing tracks for me
This sounds like it Coldplay tried to make a cool sounding ghibli sound track. This would be a two if not for pt2 and all we have is now
Had high hopes for this due to their banger SpongeBob song I have heard previously, but none of this matches the godliness of that song.
This and that
Standout: "Fight Test" (despite the Cat Stevens similarity). Given its popularity, "Do You Realize??" was a real let-down for me.
Moody, introspective, and deeply existential; contains many gorgeous melodies with lyrics addressing the pitfalls of pacifism, inertia, and the fact we are all probably doomed. Would have been much more of a downer were it not for Buffalo native David Frischmann’s teeming soundscapes providing limitless vibrancy- replete w bleats, burbles, and even tweeting bird sounds, suggesting life is still all around us despite the dark forebodings of the lyrics.
Really enjoyed this
Remember listening to this a ton in college and love the atmosphere of it. Title track is my favorite but Do You Realize? became a monster in its own right and deservedly so. Love the layers, the production, Wayne's sort of offbeat-but-not-too-offbeat vocal style. Certainly the Flaming Lips album I know the best and like the most.
Another album that I am shocked I have never heard before. This would be a great album to throw on if you are inebriated and looking for a chill, psychedlic, mysterious vibe. I enjoyed the experience of the albm of a whole, but there were only a few tracks I feel like I would actually reach for outside of the context of the album. Given that, I would rate this a 3.5, veering towards a 4. Favorite Tracks: Flight Test Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 It's Summertime
You Won't Let Those Robots Defeat Me 1001 Albums Generator 323 (8/9/2026) The Flaming Lips are so interesting to me. What I know about them is that they released a 6-hour song on a psychedelic toy (which is actually really good - you can find it on YouTube, and listening to the whole thing is quite a rewarding experience), they released a 24 hour song in flash drives sold in real human skulls, they released an album that consisted of 4 CD's that needed to be played simultaneously to hear the album, and they made Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1, which is an adorable indie pop song. I'd never listened to the whole album, and I was surprised at how rockin' some parts were. It's also all washed over in this psychedelic haze that feels like it must have inspired Tame Impala. Listen to the bassline in One More Robot for the most obvious example of this. The production is fantastic; the sound of the drums especially stands out to me. Do You Realize?? has this melancholy about it that is just beautiful, in both the music and the lyrics. 4.5/5, rounded down to 4. Favs: Fight Test Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 Do You Realize? Least Fav: All We Have Is Now
I had randomly stumbled upon Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1 a long time ago, and liked it. And I am pleasantly surprised the whole album is so good as well. This is definitely another one of those "reason why I am doing this journey" albums.
A great alternative album. It feels fresh and interesting even 20+ years later.
Absolute banger album. Such amazing electronic instrumentation and melodies, and great world-building.
This album is not flawless, but it is such a wonderful sonic experience. The duality between organic sounds and the melodic, almost whispered vocals, and electronic sounds as well as the hip-hop inspired drums is amazing. It could not work at all, but there is some great taste, and it feels very dreamy as well as futuristic. Also, this psychedelic sound is really enchanting. It drives you through the songs very softly. It almost feels cinematic, which, in some way, is the intention of the album as a conceptual piece, to become a whole. Although some elements are a bit uninteresting or reiterating, or even feel bland at times, making this album feel less grandiose than what it actually tries to be. However, it flows very well, being an album that, even though is quite experimental, very psychedelic and a bit strange at some parts (which is something I have really liked), is still very easy to listen and such a pleasant one too.
Well, this is easy. There's hardly a week that goes past without me listening to this album. Yes, it's a little contrived, and some tracks are a little underwhelming, but the sheer joyful exuberance of the album wins through every time. Five Stars, no question (And Soft Bulletin is even better.)
I was ready to just file this one away under more generic rock hokum but that first track really grabbed me. There is a great variety of instruments and sound here, its never boring and it has a really bright energy to it. I know zilch about The Flaming Lips, and I'm really glad this album made it on the list. Its a stellar listen, top to bottom. With 11 tracks they go from soft acoustic sections to hard electronica in places, but instead of a jarring mess its all done pretty well. Some of its not my cup of tea but I'll be damned if it didnt catch my attention. Great entry.
I love this album! Some beautiful songs and some fun songs and some weird songs. It’s just great top to bottom. Plus that orchestration still sounds phenomenal
Eh, not my vibe generally. But not bad.
Genuinely happy for all the white dudes who were going through their Japan phase when this came out
Curti, mas acho que não é muito meu estilo.
New album A solid album held back by inconsistent vocal performances. I had already listened to The Soft Bulletin and I loved it a lot, but it lost some of its appeal over the years because I found the singing subpar. Listening to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, I feel relatively similar. The instrumentals are great, especially the downtempo/trip hop inspired drums, but the vocals could definitely be a lot better. I can forgive the vocal performance for the most part and still appreciate the songs for what they are on the catchier and more immediate tracks, such as Fight Test and the first part of the title track (the second part is also banging!), but the slower tracks that place more emphasis on his singing just don't do it for me, which is pretty much the rest of the album. I actually found this album to be rather front-loaded, with Do You Realize?? being one of the only tracks from the second half I can see myself coming back to. Also, I noticed most of the song transitions were unfortunately pretty janky, which might have just been Spotify's fault. Even if it didn't fully click with me, there's still plenty here to appreciate, and I can definitely see why so many people love this album!
A very forgettable album. I.e. I thought I knew it really well, but turns out I'd completely forgotten about half the tracks. Absolutely nothing forgettable about 'Yoshimi' and 'Fight Test', but despite a great sound much of the rest blends into oblivion. Plus, 'Do You Realize' gives me the ick.
low 5 whens the next phyche golden age going to be. weve had 2, one in the 60s and one in the 2000s. 2040s? i cant wait. first half is gold top level stuff. the tracks on side b are weaker but it also has do you realise, a truely truely great song.
I went into Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots with fairly low expectations, but it completely won me over. What I expected to be a quirky, perhaps overly eccentric indie rock album turned out to be one of the most emotionally rich and imaginative records I've heard. The Flaming Lips strike a rare balance between playful experimentation and genuine emotional depth. The album's concept—centered around Yoshimi fighting pink robots—might sound whimsical, but beneath the surreal imagery lies a moving exploration of mortality, love, resilience, and the fragility of life. The songs flow effortlessly, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that's both comforting and unsettling. Musically, it's gorgeous. The lush electronic textures, psychedelic production, and memorable melodies never feel overwhelming. Instead, they enhance the emotional impact of the lyrics. Tracks like "Fight Test," "Do You Realize??," and the two-part title track stand out as some of the band's finest work, blending catchy songwriting with profound themes. What surprised me most was how sincere the album feels. Despite its oddball concept and playful aesthetic, there's a warmth and humanity running through every song. It's an album that rewards repeated listens, revealing new details and emotional layers each time. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is a beautiful reminder that even the strangest ideas can communicate universal emotions. It's imaginative, heartfelt, and remarkably cohesive—an album that exceeded my expectations in every way and left a lasting impression.
Same comment as for previous album. I do have a preference for this one Might get a bit of The War on drugs vibe every now and again Aproaching
Listened to it quite a lot. Enjoyed it more and more
Добрячок чи шось типу того, хіпарське троха. Солідні 3.5 з 5. Можна і переслухати
Not my jam at all. The vocals blended into the music and not in a good way.
Fine enough but with this albums acclaim I was expecting more. Top ranked review on this site is harsh but fair. RYM: Y (#637) Saved a song: N
Squelchy robot noises make me happy, the rest of the album makes me sad. Don't think Do You Realise?? is all that. Did you know there's a lullaby rendition of this by the band, released April 2026 and 100-song version that runs over 7 hours? Mad.
Eh
Uuu, ta album sm že poslušala, ampak je že minilo kako leto, dve. Spomnim se, da je mal weird, kj več pa ne. Ful je chill, primeren za poletno poslušanje. Naslovnica albuma ful dobro ujame vajb same muske. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2" je ful fajn (vse do zdej je blo fajn). Aaa, "In the Morning of the Magicians" sm mogla met na neki playlisti, ful mi je znan, miljonkrat sm ga že slišala. Cel album je a banger.
Very beep boop wee woo but somber. The computer robot imagery feels a bit dated to me, very of it's time
Pretty chill rock music with some beep boops. I liked this more than I thought I would.
very weird very funky i like
Yeah interesting
4/10
Back in the late eighties, it’s doubtful that anyone predicted that the shambling Flaming Lips would outlast most of their contemporaries to become venerable art rockers. What sets them apart from fellow indie-statesmen Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth, is how remarkably bad the band was initially when it first started in 1983. As much-beloved live performers, the Lips’ shows consisted of nearly incoherently psychedelic originals and sloppy, intensely noisy covers of bands like Led Zeppelin. Their evolution was so gradual and smooth, no one blinked an eye when 1999’s The Soft Bulletin not only incorporated homages to late sixties Beach Boys, but also Yes’ Close to The Edge. More sonic architects than rock band now, The Lips have nevertheless rounded out their revolutionary arc by eschewing an impenetrable, convoluted version of Tales Of Topographic Oceans and have instead produced a more modest, emotional album. https://fastnbulbous.com/flaming-lips-yoshimi-battles-the-pink-robots/
There’s nothing I dislike about this album. It just doesn’t have the secret sauce that would bring it to a 5.
Very strong first half, second half is pretty good too but man that first half is insane.
Interesting and fun in a very circus way. Not like other Lips tracks I've heard.
Dreamy, often summery soundscapes create a trance-like feel both reflecting and disguising the themes of love and mortality central to the album. Such is seen in it's reflections on the beauty of life e.g. in "Do You Realize??" sung sweetly. Apart from the weird chronicle of the story of "Yoshimi" in the first four tracks, the album also includes the wave-like beauty of "Are You a Hypnotist", which demonstrate the band's supreme use of tone and mood to create a certain feel.
Very "out of this world" production with very "down to earth" vocals.
Somehow, this album brings back memories from childhood while being a constant reminder of our most valuable treasure, which is now. Maybe we all are Yoshimi throughout the whole record trying to tackle the real life.
It's a great album, it's just not my style
I like the beats, but I got sick after the first half of the album.
Honourable 4 star. In truth, its a 3/3.5 for me today but I just know its an album which if you really sit down and get to know it will become a firm favourite. I love the stories and the textures throughout the album. It feels like its own little world.
Добрый дедушка инопланетянин. Простое, на первый взгляд, времяпровождения на кухне где-то в глубинках, но там явно знают что такое искусственный интеллект и общение с инопланетными цивилизациями исключительная обыденность. Приятный альбом. Не сказал бы что я поражен звучанием, но антураж и настроение которое даёт группа впечатляет и оставляет точно не противный осадок. Оценка 5/10
Gear: INAWAKEN Twilight-DS Artwork: ️👧🦶🤖 Production (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition): 🔪🚮💩 Music: 🎨💉😖 Rating: 🤖(🤖)/5
The only Flaming Lips album i don't mind. Saw them live at T in the Park in 2003 and it was a good show.
This was a big album for my friends and I in High School - so I have some real nostalgia for this record of simpler times, just getting high and vibing to the record. The album had an absolutely massive impact on indie music in the decade (or two) following its release, so it’s definitely culutrally important.
It was weird but I loved it
There’s so much to uncover in this album - it’s got a lot to say and a weird way of saying it (which I like.) The simpering Neil Young esque vocal gave me the ick slightly but in a way (like with Neil Young himself) it sort of worked. The melancholic absurdism is right up my street - perfect for strolling round the backrooms to whilst silently crying. There are some songs on this I really don’t like (In The Morning Of The Magicians, It’s Summertime) but it’s possible even they will grow on me. I’ve wanted to rate this a five but I’ve also wanted to rate it a two at various times for various reasons - right now for me it’s a four.
- fight test: oh I love this, I like the lyrics and the instrumentals. - one more robot / sympathy 3000-21: oh I love this too, the lyrics, the instrumentals. I’m kind of getting Radiohead vibes? - yoshimi battles the pink robots, Pt1: good lyrics, but nothing special. - yoshimi battles the pink robots, Pt2: no. - in the morning of the magicians: it’s fine - ego tripping at the gates of hell: I like this, mostly the lyrics - are you a hypnotist??: I loooveee the lyrics in this. - it’s summertime: genuinely how summer feels. - do you realize??: I loved this one already - all we have is now:
it's different and I needed a change of sound because everything has been sounding the same for a while now but because of how different it sounds as compared to what I usually interact with. it is a breath of fresh air
I wasn't sure if I'd like The Flaming Lips, but I ended up pleasantly surprised.
I always confused the Flaming Lips for the Violent Femmes.
Інший альбом мені сподобався більше. Тут дуже гарна Do You Realize?? й однойменна пісня теж хороша. Проте сам альбом якийсь ефемерно-зефірний і мені було місцями складно наводити на нього фокус.
Альбом який часто виринав то тут, то там, але я ніколи не слухав його повністю. Історія - забавна, музика - не моє. Нудновато і занадто психоделічно для мене. Але мені сподобалась пісня do you realize??
8/10 on relisten
Nice one, like it. chill and smooth
This album is so good. Musically it's phenomenal. Lyrically, at first you think it's silly, but in reality it's quite deep.
Not for me
The flaming WHAT
A really interesting mixture of SciFi synth and Hippie Folk Rock. Which I'll admit, I didn't think that those two styles of music went together. But this album proves that is can be done both technically, melodically and without losing any geeky sciency content. There is a melancholic feel to this album with a kind of hopeful thread running through it. Wayne Coyne's beautiful harmonic vocals are really powerful and help to mix the futuristic sounds of the synth with the hippie feel of the music. Overall this is a really fun album similar in feel to Air. (3.900)
So, so. Pleasant but a bit too whimsical for my taste.
This is another very early music memory for me. Listening to this on the way to school in the car with my dad, and him wondering why anyone would sing about a person called Yoshimi with a black belt in karate
My old man played this for me a lot as a kid. Those memories alone are worth 5 stars.
Psychedelic sci-fi concept adventure where apparently they use the robot fighting metaphor to portray fighting cancer instead. Pretty creative idea and the music itself is very good too. Fun, psychedelic tunes with very catchy choruses and addictive textures. The album is such a good display of great production, the entirety of the band is locked in and craft in my opinion their strongest batch of songs.
Goated. Prior listen
Awesome album. Really cool sounds, cool band and cool visual identity. But the album lacked strong music in the middle. But super fun experience all around
*Space rock 2002 Do you realize Ego tripping at the gates of helll
Didn't really stand out for me much, some good songs (I had listene to the band before). I liked the incorporation of the electronic elements, felt natural and not overwhelming, complemented the band well. I'd listen again.
Album is pretty mellow and has a relaxing vibe. It flows well from start to finish.
This really is a sublime record that I hadn't listened to in ages. Although they'd been around for years, and my real introduction to them was 1995's Clouds Taste Metallic, it wasn't until The Soft Bulletin that they really grabbed my attention - Yoshimi and the Soft Bulletin are their best by some distance in my opinion. Kind of amazing that they released so many albums before really hitting their stride. It was great to be reminded of this gem.
It's difficult not to think of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev together given their shared history and band members and I would usually have Mercury Rev out on top, but Yoshimi rails against that. Always a pretty out-there psychedelic experience Flaming Lips seemed to combine that with a cartoon-ish pop oddity that is both bizarre and engaging. This album also includes the fragile and achingly wonderful Do You Realize? Which on some days is up there in my top 20 songs. Would have scored 3 but this gem gets the album a bonus point.
This is one of those albums where I'm baffled by the fact that there are apparently passionate fans of it. Not even trying to hate, this is a case where I genuinely don't understand. I don't hate it, I would probably love it live, I would choose this for background music, I would also not care if I never heard any of these tracks again.
This was a fun album. I didn’t really listen to a lot of the lyrics but it felt like a fun story going on.
Definitely one of the better albums of the last 25 years.
Nie wiem, jest tu jakiś potencjał, ale chyba nie dla mnie do odkrycia. Od pierwszego kontaktu z tym zespołem mam dużo wątpliwości wobec wszystkiego. Wysłuchane, bez większych fanfarów.
This was enjoyable enough to listen to and certainly commendable as a concept album. Most of the melodic motifs were strong, and the blend of electronic sounds with more acoustic instrumentation was also well done. I certainly see why this is on the list, but despite all my praise, I'm rating this more on personal taste, and ultimately, I didn’t care for it all that much. I think it was just the lyrics and themes that didn’t work for me. Overall, a relatively strong album, but I don’t see myself coming back to it.
Despite having what I think is a good name for a band, this fell flat. Slow paced, I did not care for the vocals, and it was boring. One or two songs had some hope in me kindled for enjoyment, but alas, this never came to fruition.
It was good ig only one song went to my playlist and tbh its not too bad or too good just is
I knew this was a 5 before starting. I love the Flaming Lips and this is absolutely one of their best albums. Favorite Songs: One More Robot / Sympathy 3000-21, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1, In the Morning of the Magicians
I am not sure that I have any feelings about this album at all - in general it sounds nice, but does not touch anything dunno
I think of this as crazy overproduced experimental psychadelia but it's so austere - definitely fewer tracks per song than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Just fun light acoustic guitar pop songs with some fun effects on the drums. He's got a great voice. I appreciate the effort of making it a concept album even though I don't follow the story at all.
Lyrically and sonically great, and a great concept. Definitely a highlight of 2000’s indie music. Some of the many highlights for me include “In the Morning of the Magicians”, “Are You a Hypnotist?”, “Fight Test”, and “All We Have Is Now”.
3.5
9.2 ★★★★½
A masterclass in psychedlic pop music. 4.5 stars
I always thought this was a step down from *The Soft Bulletin*. "Fight Test" and "Do You Realize?" are great, but the rest is sort of a mixed bag that feels shoehorned into this weird concept about a Japanese girl fighting robots. 3.5 stars.
A bit of an underwhelming record. Doesn’t fully live up to its promise of pink robot battles as the tracks tend to float by without being too memorable or exciting. If it was Yoshi from Super Mario and had more battles then that would have upped the ante by a lot. There are only about two very good songs and one of them is 75% accredited to Cat Stevens. A very shaky 3.5.
Channeling the best of 90s/00s rock with a splash of electronic, this album was an excellent listen. It manages to briefly touch on a few heavy topics of love, life, and existentialism while keeping it light and not forcing conclusions upon the listeners. I'm choosing to approach the album as a complete concept: a doomed love story between an emotionally stunted narrator and a bleeding heart woman. Narrative aside, what will also keep me coming back for more is the Pink Floyd level of musicianship, with each band member fully understanding their piece of the whole. Very happy this list finally made me sit down and give this one a spin.
Like the song she dont use jelly
Pretty good, i enjoyed it
weird and enjoyable
This album isn't quite my taste, but it is done very well. Cute and quirky, and done with a lot of heart. 3.6/5.
Exceeded all my expectations - trippy and dreamy concept album that stayed captivating. Really different, really fun
A pleasant album but didn’t stand out to me. Can appreciate it’s a very well produced album
I love the mini concept songs in the beginning. Sounds even more modern and polished than "The Soft Bulletin". Some songs I could see being hip hop beats/instrumentals.
I thought surely this album wouldn’t be about robots and turns out I was wrong-seems like the had fun making this album. Psychedelic and electronic.
альбомы-концепции всё ещё не понимаю, но ду ю риалайз норм боп и остальные не подвели
Muy lindo disco conceptual , una historia divertida.
It’s alright. Cool production not a lot of replay value for me off first listen. Nothing stood out and made me want to come back
Superb electro-pop with the band’s trademark top-notch production. Maybe just a hair behind “The Soft Bulletin” for best FL album?
I really liked it had a somewhat easy vibe
Great album. 4.2
loving this.
Bonus points for the album cover reminding me of Earthbound
Very instrumentally fun, interesting sounds!
Enjoyable. Inoffensive. Never listened to the full album.
Fun vibes
This album marked the end of a remarkable run for this band who somehow found a way to mix its psychedelic cosmic philosophical heart with whimsy and a sense of humor. Never afraid to chase success or low-hanging fruit, they found their most accessible and poppiest songs on this record, while also making room for spacey instrumental suites. All of which catapulted them into the stadium circuit for the first time. Two years after this album came out I saw them co-headline MSG on New Years Eve, which at the time felt impossible to behold considering their origins. It felt like they could and would do anything and go anywhere. The first album I heard from them was Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, which I bought on CD in high school. Loved it, especially the drums, which is why I read the liner notes and learned who Steven Drozd was. In college, I was introduced to their earlier work and, crucially, Zaireeka, their album that involved setting up multiple boomboxes to be played simultaneously. The orgiastic sonic experimentation was perfectly atuned to my social circle's headspace. I saw the Lips at the Metro in Chicago around this time, and they actually handed out little headsets for everyone to listen to while the band played. I don't think it worked that well, but what a fun idea. Their lack of fear of failure was their greatest asset. Then came the high watermark- The Soft Bulletin. Assisted in no small part by the great David Fridmann, they turned out a masterpiece (which I guess I'll write about later since it's also on the list). Which brings us back to Yoshimi. In hindsight, the candy-coated art pop concept at the center of the record feels a slight, and lyrically so does the rest of the album. In the attempt to do something more conceptually elevated, the band lost of some their soul. Only on 'Do You Realize' do Coyne's so-simple-they're-profound musings (always lethargically sung in half time) and the sugar sweet psychedelic instrumentals (shout out Drozd) truly sync (which they do in magnificent fashion).
One of my first album reviews, so take it with a grain of salt. It may be that I was having a great day at the gym, but the album was amazing to listen to. The vocals and instrumentals were strong and unique, and I just had a great time listening to them. There were a few weird moments for my taste, but I just thought it was a great album overall.
I was skeptical, initially. This shit is gas tho!
This album is peacefully amazing! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this has been pleasant. I'm not sure it's revolutionary, but it's a really nice album.
Uplifting
this IS the flaming lips I would reach for and I forgot this was good.
I know people love it. I cant.
It’s hard to overestimate the splash this record made in indie circles when it dropped. People thought it was brilliant. I bought it at the time and while I appreciated it, I didn’t love it. I feel the same way relistening nearly 25 years later. It’s impressive no doubt, a creative big concept album marrying electronic production and indie songwriting. It sounds cool. But it doesn’t ultimately do it for me enough.
Had to skip a day bc of Spectrum I'm 40 seconds into song one.... my brain thinks this sounds just like Space Oddity Bowie lol. I like it! Quirky. I'm not quite in concept album mood and this is clearly a concept album, but it'll be ok. Whoa ok what the fuck is track 2. What is this, indie Deltron? Track 4 sure is a lot. I believe this is where the concept part ends(?). Upon a few relistens I am not a fan of this song. The screaming/meowing noises, the silly scale the bass follows, the BELL. Noooot a fan; I think it's just part of the loose concept though - it sounds like she's battling the robots :P Track 5 is dope! I really enjoy the spacey melody, and the bass is awesome! Ego Tripping is also dope! A little too whimsical for me, but the bass sounds great. Are You a Hypnotist is also cool; a lot of this album has blended together for me so far, but I like the vocals. Love the plucky reverberated guitar (?) sounds. I had forgiven you for tricking me again... but I have been tricked again into forgiving you It's Summertime is great! This album is really slow. But I love this song! Big fan of all of the electronic and hip hop elements scattered throughout. All We Have Is Now - simply too somber and sad. I can only be reverberated low pass sad synthy for SO long man. Oh man this song is actually really fucking good. I still miss Jen. Going back, I really like One More Robot. I also enjoy track 4 way more this time around, it's silly but the basssssss!!! Yoshimi having a black belt in karate makes me think of Dayman being a master of karate LOL Do you realize That happiness makes you cry? Do you realize That everyone you know someday will die? And 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 Great I'm crying thanks guys. Wait a minute dude I may need to go back again and sit with the lyrics... "Oh to fight is to defend, if it's not now then tell me when would be the time, that you would stand up and be a man For to lose I could accept, but to surrender I just wept and regretted this moment. Oh that I was the fool. I don't know where the sunbeams end and the starlights begin.. it's all a mystery." Fuck. I think I've teared up like 3 times now. This album is very sad in a very particular way; more often than not I really don't enjoy explicitly *sad* music, I don't like to wallow (except for this past winter, that was pretty fun...). But the topics the music touches on and the way that it's touched on... along with how YOU interpret what you're hearing and how it applies to your own life is what makes it so sad. Not just the topics. Not just the writing. But the takeaway. It's full of existentialism, the human experience, learning to let go, accepting the inevitable tough moments that we will all go through, love, loss.... and maybe how it's all just gonna be okay regardless. It just so happens that this exact strand of emotion is one that really, really gets to me all the fucking time. Good timing Generator. 4 stars. One for each time I teared up at work. :D Favorite: Do You Realize?? Least: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2 Shoutout: One More Robot, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, Are You a Hypnotist??, In the Morning of the Magicians
I've somehow never listened to the flaming lips. They occupied that mystical space like the talking heads or the smiths or the doors or the cure where I know their fans are die-hard fans but I have no idea what sort of music they make. Turns out the answer is fantastic weird dreamy indie pop/rock/stuff. It's wacky without feeling forced (looking at you, they might be giants..) and it's a lot of fun. Really enjoying it.
this was so ahead of its time, kinda scott pilgrimy indie rock
Bueno.
I recognize a few of these tracks by title, but have never listened to this album start-to-finish. This album made a big splash, and everyone raved about it, but the things I'd heard from it just didn't grab me. I still feel the same way. I am glad I listened to this if only to confirm that this is certainly not a bad album, but maybe just not something I was missing out on.
this album came to me at the exact time it needed to.
vibes un po' strane ma ci sta, a tratti rumoroso a tratti malinconico e triste, lo riascolterei? qualche canzone sì
After the first run-thorugh I thought "why is this album on this list"? After the second run-through I thought "I should listen to it once more". After the third run-through it really grew on me. Fab album!
Classic flaming lips, it's nice going back to an album you know backwards and forwards
Radiohead but glorpy Funky basslines, gorgeous layers of sound, great lyrics, and an overall sense of spacey psychedelia that never feels forced or over the top.
Flaming Lips will always remind me of my early 20s hanging out with friends. Their music always invokes happy memories, and this album was no different.
Pretty creative, an interesting listen. Had a few bops.
I really like it Soft rock Favorite song. Yoshimi battles the pink robots pt1 10/10
I really don't get why this band is so popular. Do You Realize is pleasant enough but honestly most of this album is just downright irritating.
It's better with the inflatable robots and the light show, but it's not bad.
ÁLBUM MARAVILHOSO E CHEIO DE ASSUNTOS CONTEMPORÂNEOS. É LINDO MESMO CARA, O MELHOR EM SEMANAS.
I've liked this one for a long time now but I can't recall if I've listened to the whole thing. I've heard the hits many times and some of the other ones a few times but it isn't a really long album that you're likely to miss some. Wayne Coyne is very annoying and this band shouldn't be still active but this is their masterpiece and sounds brilliant.
How can something be so interesting and so boring at the same time
A pleasant surprise
(strong 8/10) super summery vibes with super nice instrumentals and wayne coyne sounds so nice on this record, I like it a lot
Advice: listen to this outside at night in the summer. Wayne Coyne sounds a lot better here than he does on Soft Bulletin.
Good, but not near as good as people make it out to be.
9- / 10
It's giving HIMYM music. Saffie was puzzled by the synth sounds haha bless her. I honestly don't mind it. Three songs in, I'd listen again. I'd probably shazam the odd song if I heard it playing. I can see some of this being on Evie's or Rowan's playlists. Bit of an 80s vibe to some of it, bit of a modern indie-pop vibe too. Kinda random and sometimes nonsensical but it works on the whole. Did end up clock-watching a bit though, especially towards the end.
Not really sure why this made this list
Well yeah, obviously.
I love the mix of electronic instruments with the other ones, very chill and relaxing music.
This album is very soft and experimental in a way that works really well together. I enjoyed listening to ir very much
9.5/10
I usted to love all of this with a passion. I still love, I just dont listen to it as much.
love love love
found the singer incredibly annoying and that the music gave me anxiety
Enjoyed! Not as much as I thought I would I think if I’d given flaming lips a go earlier in life I’d hold this with much more grandeur but alas I didn’t so I don’t
Banger album
Rock, Pop, 2002 -> 3
I wasnt expecting to but I loved a lot of songs on this
Some of the songs were bordering on unbearable but there were a few good ones. Not a fan of some of the lyrics and the electronics could be a bit much at times.
Wow! First time I'm really listening to The Flaming Lips. Really a gem - nice experimental vibes. Mix between electronical and psychedelic indie-pop. Instant fav
Good, Midwest emo vibes, grooved withit, reminds me of west VA kinda but not as country
This was ridiculous but honestly I had fun listening to it.
Always found his voice a little twee, that plus songs about robots give a childish impression of The Flaming Lips. But in reality this is a fine album, really well constructed with no hint of filler. Do You realize is one of my favourite tracks from this era
Nautin robottiviboista. Loistavaa hillasuomusaa.
Not as good as I remember
Tykkäsin superpaljon! Ihan uusi tuttavuus. Migelin mew-vertaus oli ihan osuva. Musta tää on niinku jos mew ois tehny katamarin soundtrackin. Hyviä glorba-ääniä ja ihanaa outoa maalailua. Jotenki tälleen haluan nähä maailman. Ja kuulla. Tosi tiukka onko 4 vai 5 mutta ehkä oon nyt kuitenki tarkka ja sanon 4. Mutta tuun kuuntelemaan uusiksi. Kaikenkaikkiaan maukas ja raikas. Superhyvää maalausmusiikkia.
To much for yesterday's energy
I like the concept and the guitar and sounds but I don't really enjoy his voice, gave it a try a few months ago as well. I guess it's just not for me
Ok. Comfortable
2/4
Confession: I confused Flaming Lips with The Mars Volta when I started to listening to this record. I thought "this is less heavy and less progy than people let on" and then realized my mix up. Once I had gotten past that I actually did enjoy this record a lot. Its not a style I would normally listen to and it didn't make me want to listen to more Flaming Lips, but it was a nice surprise to get on a Monday. 3.5 rounded up to a 4
3.5 stars - better than I expected!