Reviews (page 3 of 14)
Smashing album. Had heard some of the songs before but not the full album in its entirety.
Mastered – Instant favourite, would own on vinyl. Love this album. My style for sure. Love the narrative, the sci-fi sound. This is entertaining.
A classic. My generations dark side of the moon.
Thoughts before listening: I love this album and own it on vinyl. Definitely my favorite from the Flaming Lips. Review: Yeah it's really good. Lots of different sounds going on with this one: Electronic elements, cool slinky basslines, folk, alt-rock, Wayne Coyne's fragile voice that feels like it's about to collapse at any minute, etc. This came out when I was 21, and it has stayed in my rotation ever since. I also saw them live at Bonnaroo around this time and it was one of my favorite concerts ever. This album contains one of my favorite songs of all time in "Do You Realize" along with several other classics: "Fight Test", "One More Robot", "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell", "Are You a Hypnotist", "Yoshimi... Parts 1 & 2", etc. This is a 5-star album.
Can’t say enough about the vision and execution of this album
Fantastic album, flows really well from beginning to end. Still sounds fresh. Probably as good as "The Soft Machine."
One of my all time favorites, it was a pleasure!
One of my all time favorites. Such a fun listen
Classic album. Saw them last year. Fight test is my favorite track
I don't even need to listen to this one as it is one of my favourites of all time. The highlights are of such high quality, especially Do You Realise which is one of the few songs I can really emotionally connect to. Fight Test stands on its own as a great song, even if Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) is making 75% of the royalties due to its similarity to Father and Son. And of course the titular song is always on my mind as i used to perform it often and still teach it in guitar lessons. Everything else carries an immaculate vibe that shows the power of when the musical chemistry and inspiration hit just right. Looking forward to seeing this performed live in full this coming May.
I was thinking about this being a 4 because of how often I just listen to the highlights but honestly if I put this on from Flight Test there is always a good chance I'm finishing the album. It's so good. The production of this whole album is just glorious. I love how many layers add so much to this. It's bright, poppy, fun and made with so much heart. This album really is maximalist. It uses drum machines well, while also having some excellent drumming. There are 1000 samples on every song and nothing ever comes through clean in the mix but it comes together to make something beautiful. No track is ever done as simply as it could have been. Which works amazingly with the themes of the album, it feels so close to nature and the world. I'd argue it presents large themes that are presented in a simple way for concepts that are usually overwhelming. Highlight: In the Morning of the Magicians (but usually it'd be Do You Realize)
I really liked this album. Will need to listen to more of them.
Unfortunately my millennial ass can't give this anything less than 5 stars. God dammit, this was such a moment. "Do you realize" is still a song that reminds you to be alive in the moment. This tour was an event. It feels a little out of time. Still love these songs. Damn.
I think this album is good becuase i love the background music and how it sounds. It sounds really nice and his voice goes well with it. I like how his voice sounds dream-like and its just really cool
Fantastic!
It's like a Radiohead album but better, more accessible, more likeable, less grumpy , more listenable, and with fewer dick head fans.
Amazing sounds... entirely enveloping start to finish. Catchy too!
Honestly should get more credit for their creativity than they already rightfully do.
Fav songs: Fight test, Yoshimi battles the pink robots pt1 5/5
Really liked this.
no notes one of my fave albums of all time
This is a really good album, and it surprised me. I listened to it, and The Soft Bulletin, back when they came out, may even own this on CD, but I have never had it on regular rotation. It’s an incredibly eclectic record - pop, psychedelia, prog, electronics - yet harnesses it all into a distinct soundscape. There are echoes of Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper’s (which they covered in full), and Dark Side of the Moon. I feel I need to dive deeper.
This is perfection. Kick some butt, Yoshimi!
Easily one of my favourite albums ever, and in my top 3 comfort albums. So grateful to see this played in full live.
Hell yeah.
Fav: Do You Realize?? Least Fav: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 2 Making me both feel like I’m floating through space whilst also hitting me with the happy tears, fair play
This is a VERY strange record. It’s a lot of relatively unrelated elements brought together. Things like weird electronic samples, soft pretty vocals, bright synths, funky basslines, and huge drums all combine into one cohesive record that, on paper, shouldn’t work. The incredible thing about it is just how well it all works together. I have absolutely no idea how to sort this album genre-wise, but I really enjoyed listening to it. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever listened to, although I can hear elements that feel influential on a lot of the weirder modern music that I enjoy, like Jack Stauber and Bill Wurtz. This is truly a wonderful piece of art, and I’m glad I was exposed to it from this project. 5*
I dearly, dearly love this album. It's symphonic and beautiful and fun and contemplative and beautiful. No one but the Flaming Lips could've written it (well, except that Cat Stevens kind of wrote "Fight Test", but, y'know). That this was recorded 2000-2002 really puts into perspective how severely lacking in imagination some entries to this list are. Not every album has to be totally novel to be worth listening to of course... but I digress. This is an album that I have enjoyed listening to for at least 15 years. The lyrics offer more for me to mull over as I get older. Favorite tracks are the first four tracks and the last four. Middle three are good too. 10/10
Very good album. I actually enjoyed listening to it quite a lot.
This album is just so good. Don't get me wrong, it's super weird. It's got this robot concept thing going on (at least for the first few songs, the concept falls apart a bit after that), the robots are pink for some reason, there's some unconventional spacey sounds in the background. I can definitely see it being too much for some people. I don't care though, this thing is a masterpiece. First, the sound is just so deeply layered, it's just one of those things that you can like put on headphones and not listen to the vocals at all and it puts a smile on your face. It's really beautiful musically. Fortune called it a "lush and haunting electronic symphony," and you know what, it is. This would be a perfectly good album just on that alone, but somehow through the whole robot ridiculousness this thing is also super freaking gut wrenching lyrically. Like look at this: "Do you realize / That you have the most beautiful face? / Do you realize / We're floating in space? / 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 / You realize the sun doesn't go down / It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round" Like, come on now. That's like a whole philosophy of life boiled down into a verse in a song on a goddamn album about pink robots. Like someone in their studio made an offhand comment about how some Japanese musician named Yoshimi sounded like she was battling monsters, and we got this beauty. Musicians never cease to amaze me, I could never do this. There's a few moments here and there that drag a tiny bit, but honestly who cares. They were cooking, I'd rather have more of this than less. There's also like three songs that all could easily be my favorite on here. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1" was really the only song I was familiar with going into this, but "Fight Song" is a killer opener, and "Do You Realize??" is incredible too (lyrics above). This is just a killer album overall. This period of alt/indie rock might be my favorite genre, and I feel like this album is a bit underappreciated. Not by me though. Favorite song: Do You Realize?? Other: Fight Test, One More Robot / Sympathy 3000-21, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2, In the Morning of the Magicians, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, Are You a Hypnotist?, It's Summertime, All We Have Is Now, Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia) 2/3/25
5 for the memories, 5 for the jams
Flawless
The Lips’ previous album, The Soft Bulletin, is one of the greatest albums ever recorded Can they follow it? You bet they can More electronic, more whimsical but with no less heart or sonic adventure
This surprised me with how much I loved it. Fantastic album, and I plan on listening to the rest of their catalogue.
Remarkable album. Always one of my favorites.
One of my favorite albums.
Classic
The best of the Flaming Lips.
One of my favorites, extremely well-produced, lot's of textures, introspective lyrics
A mixture of the excellent and the intriguingly weird. Mind-expanding when I first heard it.
There was a version of me before I listened to this album, and now there is only the version of me after I listened to it. This album covers love, hate, the meaningless of life. But it gives meaning to all of those things as well, it makes you love life. I consistently cry to this album every time. If I could give it a 6/5, I would.
I love this so much!
So I listened to this album for the first time after listening to the mercury rev album and I really liked this album. Coyne said it's not a concept album but I think it would be better if it was. Also, learning that the pink robots are a metaphor for cancer, I was kind of disappointed. I guess I wanted it to be more abstract and I kind of made up my own. In mine the robots win and Yoshimi loses and the rest of the album is the robots journey of becoming humans, cultivating with the hit, do you realize. Where the robots gain humanity and continue the human project of enlightenment. I'm not sure how much of that can really be interpreted, but that's what I wanted the album to be after one listen. All that being said. I love this album. I love the artwork, I love the wacky electronic components, I love the melodies. I think that this is a great alternative dream pop album.
When this album came out, I remember it being everywhere, but I never heard a song off of it. I'm glad I had the chance to now. This space opera indie rock concept album is weird and beautiful and was a pleasure to go through. Maybe I should listen to some more Flaming Lips.
Do You Realize??
Самый крутой альтернативный альбом который я слушал!
Best: Fight Test Worst: Yoshimi part 2 Liked songs: 10/11, 91% Low 5, 93/100 Every once in a while, there's an album that reminds you why you listen to music in albums, and why you're doing the 1001 album challenge at all. This is one of them. Goofy at times, philosophical at others, and occasionally both simultaneously, its just the definition of a fun listen. Incredibly hard to not smile the entire time, and overall incredibly enjoyable. A pretty easy 5.
I really enjoyed this record.
Beautiful, transporting to another world. A classic
Always amazing, then and now.
One of the greatest albums of all time, very consistently good, tells somewhat of a comprehensive story, i recommend everyone should listen to it if they care about music
Another all time classic I have already listened to.
My favourite Flaming Lips album - how good is 'Do You Realize??'???
I was about 12 when I gave my cousin this as a birthday present. Fell in love with the cover immediately and the music soon after. It’s as excellent today as it was back then.
I absolutely love this album. Top to bottom.
Love this one
I love the weird, and being from Oklahoma they have a special place in my heart. Do You Realize was one of my favorite songs during a lunchtime yoga class.
Always been a big fan of this one. It’s weird and eclectic, also very personal and touching, and very very groovy. Kind thing you can listen to on repeat and find special nuances each time.
I loved this. I listened twice and by the end had added almost every track to my faves playlist. Instant adds were the title track (part 1) and Do You Realize.
This is a solid 4 for me for the music in general, but I’m bumping it up to a 5 because of the surround sound mixes of it. There are two different surround sound mixes, one new one in 7.1 Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, and another from a CD/DVD set I’ve had for 15 years that has a 5.1 surround mix. They are very different mixes on some of the tracks and in both cases they are amongst the best surround sound mixes I’ve ever come across, with lots of wild and interesting things going on and I find it fascinating — particularly with the lovely music it is being applied to.
Love this. The title track is a great one for singing kids to sleep.
Is it weird? Hell yes. But if you just give into it, it's a lovely ride.
Love this album. I don't consider myself to be some major Flaming Lips fan but damn if I don't find myself coming back to this album probably about once a year a loving it every time. 9/10
First of all, I love the cover; would definitely read a book with that cover. The squarish synth sounds would be corny in some other context, but they fit the robot theme. The robots could symbolize artificial emotions and inner coldness, maybe a conflicting inner emotional world - "The calculations error". Also a struggle with choosing love or hate. My interpretation of the B-side is that wallowing in self-pity in a self-centered way is not worth it when you can look around and notice the beauty all around you.
I absolutely love this album
Randomly saw the Flaming Lips at Milwaukee’s Summerfest several years ago, and they played Yoshimi. Although this is the only song from this album I knew, I’ve been listening to a smattering of their songs ever since. This was a great album to hear complete! Simplistic structure in some ways but quite deep lyrically and complex upon careful listening.
One of the greats - with loads of weirdness and beauty
Ugh. Swoon. This one sweeps me away every time. Love every inch of all of it.
É um álbum perfeito para momentos relaxantes, como uma para uma viagem ou para momentos introspectivos, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots é uma experiência única. As letras são poéticas e, muitas vezes, abstratas, dando espaço para interpretações pessoais. produção e os instrumentais são impressionantes, as melodias emocionais e os arranjos sonoros têm um papel vital junto com a combinação de sons sintéticos e orgânicos para proporciona uma sensação de vastidão.
A laid back pop concept album. Another odd one but I really liked it. Interesting if nothing else.
I didn’t know this album had one of my favorite songs on it. Such a fun listen, so unique, almost reminds of sufjan stevens
My favorite Flaming Lips album. It's like a warm hug. Big fan of how Wayne Coyne's vocals sound like this emoji -> 🥹 The first part of the title track is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Pretty sure this is going to be my final 5/5 of the list, unless something really surprises me (but from what I know is left, I really doubt it).
Easiest 5 I ever gave. Grew up on this album in college. Listened to this album repeatedly, saw them in concert. Great album, great band.
This is one of the albums that changed my life. I've loved "Yoshimi" since I was too young to drive. At first exposure, I liked it because it was weird and fun and different. As I've gotten older the existential and emotional themes masked by time travel and giant pink robots and karate sounds have become more and more potent. The compositions also stand without the gimmicks - but there is something so healing about this group singing these often tragic songs with joy and humor and some of the most outrageous stage props you'll ever see. The first time I saw The Flaming Lips perform live, there was an enormous disco ball on the ceiling and everyone was given a laser pointer, at certain points the crowd would be directed to laser point at the disco ball or other props to create a DIY light show across the auditorium. At the end of the main set, we were told to point our lasers at the front man, Wayne Coyne. His suit had a sort of coating on it that made him radiate light from all of the laser pointers. He gave a speech about love and loss and life while bathed in this celestial glow, and then the band started playing "Do You Realize??" There was a girl next to me who was wearing a giant fuzzy bacon costume, she was rolling on ecstasy and we briefly hugged while she cried. Life is sad and funny and surprising and weird and mysterious and full and brief and everything all at the same time. Everything matters, but we don't have to be serious about it.
Hell yeah. My kids hate this album.
Just beautiful
One of the best
Moody tunes that are perfect for Autumn Sunday afternoon
Amazing!! Never heard it before but its so fresh and fun and conceptual.
Love this album, it has some stand out songs such as Do you realise?? and Yoshimi, but also works well as a complete album. He has a very hypnotic voice which has great accompaniment. 5/5
Glorious, the peak of musical genius.
J’aime tant cet album. J’aime ses récits et son imagerie, j’aime son audace, j’aime que le ludique côtoie le pathétique
I love this record!
this was probably the first album i listened to contemporaneously? i was 5 in 2002 and remember my dad playing it for me. unsurprisingly i am fond of it
I remember when this album was all the rage. It's interesting that it still sounds fresh after 22 years. Even though I'm not a fan who's followed their career, this is wonderful. 4.5 stars for being a solid album and .5 stars for nostalgia.
muy bueno molto buono
This album gets better every time I listen to it.
Great and super trippy. I love it
A perfect mix of psych, pop and everything that makes music fun and wistful.
Fav Songs so far: Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell Do You Realize?? Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1 It's Summertime Super interesting and forward thinking production for the time period. Fun from start to finish. Way ahead of its time!
Memories of high school. So many great songs on this album. Feels like kismet to get this as my first suggestion as I just saw them with Weezer last month! 5 stars
loved this album. can't believe i hadn't listened to it before.
I loved this! Really chill WFH music, reminiscent of video games of the 2010s. Fave songs on ‘Fight Test’ and ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1’.
One of my favorite albums of all time!
5 stars
(THE REVIEW BEGINS... NOW.) Alongside its older sibling THE SOFT BULLETIN, YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS sets my benchmark for dream pop. And believe you me—that's a pretty high bar. A collection of eleven beautiful songs about life and love, all leading up to "Do You Realize??", perhaps the most poignant song I've ever heard about accepting the fact that you will die and making the most out of life while you have it instead. It's another one of those albums where I wanna have more to say about it, but it's wedged itself so deeply in my person that I struggle to really come up with the words. I mean, I guess the album kind of dips a little between the second part of the title track and "Do You Realize??", though ultimately it's a dip from a perfect 10 to a 9.5, and either way it rounds up. Now, if you'll excuse me, I hafta go beg the randomizer to give my group THE SOFT BULLETIN as soon as possible. (THE REVIEW IS OVER... NOW.)
The Lips at their creative peak with just some absolutely stellar psychedelic tunes. Solid 5 for me.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. For a band formed in 1983, to be able to survive and adapt with the times and survive until 2002 is rather impressive. To make something that sounds this good, and arguably still modern and still totally befitting for 2024, both 19 years after your forming, and 22 years after it came out is downright miraculous – this is an unbelievably well produced album, and its soundscape somehow feels timeless. It blends so many genres and styles; I feel like 70s rock is somehow the foundation of the album, but it’s blended with some R.E.M.-esque vocal work, 90s rave & electronica, and early 2000s hip-hop tropes. In some strange way, it feels totally ahead of its time, oddly nostalgic, and a perfect encapsulation of 2002 rock all at once. I can’t really describe it – this thing defies any conventional logic to me. The only thing I can say is that it sounds fucking awesome. I do wish it had stuck harder to the sci-fi vibe and the more lyrically driven stuff, and that’s really my only knock on the album – I know it’s not meant to be a concept album, but the first 4 tracks are so cohesive and so strong that the album loses its luster the farther it goes away from the initial tracks. Don’t get me wrong, there’s not a bad track on here, but it does feel like it loses cohesion and focuses more heavily on soundscape and vibes. Some people will like that more than others, but for my tastes, I really started to feel like it dragged just a bit too long by the very last track (again, rad as hell, but just doesn’t feel like it should’ve ended the album over All We Have Is Now). That’s why I’m not at a flat 5, but make no mistake – this is too damn good to be anything other than a 5. It’s got a great energy, its production sounds timeless, and it is overwhelmingly cool. It has withstood the test of time in a very tangible way, and that’s apparent to me on my very first listen. I fuck with sci-fi stuff super hard, so this was right down my alley – it impressed me and went above and beyond. It’s a great, great album.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Sonically it was full of twists and turns and kept my ear engaged. I can see myself revisiting this one again :)
It reminds me of Earthbound in the best ways possible! Listening to it makes me smile and now I can't stop listening to all the songs. One of the best of this list.
Unexpected moments between melodic harmony. Lots of unconventional madness here, unique, daring lyrics, and a depth of sound that never really lets up. It's quirky, flawed in some ways, but all of it averages to a lively, soulful endeavor that I very much enjoyed listening to.
Yoshimi Pt 1 is still about a minute and and half too long and it would have been an even greater album with Sunship Balloons on it, but I still love it. Wayne's little voice and naïve wisdom that's not naive at all are made solid sunbeams by the music.
Uno de mis discos favoritos en los primeros años del nuevo milenio por su altamente emotivo y exuberante rock psicodélico. El arranque, "Fight Test", en el que se plantea el concepto del álbum en torno a robots que se humanizan es estupendo. Me encantan las guitarras y los sonidos analógicos de esa emocionante continuación de la historia, en la que los robots empiezan a experimentar sentimientos (quizás una analogía con un ser humano que ama por primera vez), que es "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21". También me gusta bastante la caótica "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 2", la culminación de una lucha en la que Yoshimi derrota a los malvados robots rosas, los metaleros, a base de zumbidos, tambores y gritos descomunales. La transición a la siguiente canción, la épica y maravillosa "In the Morning of the Magicians", un tema sobre la rendición del protagonista a las fuerzas de la vida y el universo, es impresionante. Pero el tema que más me gusta del disco es el sencillo "Do You Realize?", hermosa en fondo y forma, con un aire melancólico y existencialista que me cala hasta los huesos. Y sí, todos a los que se ama y conoce morirán algún día, y es triste, pero su existencia siempre será un acto de belleza milagroso como la vida misma. En definitiva un disco absolutamente conmovedor.
Torn between a 4&5. I loved this album for years and saw them live too many times to count. Coming back to it, it's still really good. It meanders a bit towards the end though. It sounds great. I think I talked myself into the 5.
I used to listen to this album and it made me happy imagining Yoshimi fighting pink robots with karate. Ever since I learned that it's about Yoshimi battling cancer, this album makes me cry. I love it
Absolutely sublime.
Amazing
goat album
Perfect!
¡Qué bonito!
What a fun album. The whole thing is good, start to finish. 5/5
Great album. I discovered it couple years ago and have been a great fan of it ever since.
No explanation needed
I loved this album years ago, but hadn’t listened to it in quite a while. I still love it.
Stupendous album full of surprises and a mystical ending. Loved it and will go into the rotation (can’t believe it wasn’t already there).
Wonderful.
weirdly cool
Liked this a lot!
Back when I was a dopey midwestern kid, completely devoid of culture, who thought the only music out there was what was on the radio, I went to a coffee shop in Cleveland. They were spinning Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. My mind was blown in myriad ways. First off, you’re going to sing about how she’s taking vitamins to defeat evil-natured robots? I’d never heard anything so goofy set to music. What an observation! But then other lyrics, all we have is now, do you realize, they all opened my little world just a bit. Secondly, it’s never occurred to me that anyone would sit and listen through a whole record in its entirety until that point. It was this record, and perhaps its cohesion, which sent me on my journey to listening through albums, not just the singles, and it was the coolness of that moment in the Cafè that prompted me to buy a record player and start my own collection. Needless to say, this album was pivotal to me. Returning to it now, it’s hard to be objective. The sound is still big, yoshimi’s shrieks still curdle my blood, and I still hold this album on a pedestal over the other Lips albums. Eventually, I went on to see them in Grant Park at Lollapalooza and was literally rolled over by Wayne Coyne in a bubble. I’ve never seen a show so crazy since. Thank you Yoshimi. Not to mention, as well, how fitting the theme is in today’s climate of rapid AI production. What is human, what is love, and do we fight when the moment arises? Fifth album reviewed from this site.
It’s hard not to go full points here, I just have too much respect for this album despite its flaws. And by far the best thing to come out of Oklahoma, ever.
I'm probably going a big strong on this album but I enjoy it quite a bit. A cohesive non-concept album concept album (I don't care what they say about it not being a concept album). Couple tasty "hits" and overall enjoyable listen that I have revisited many times in the past. 4.5/5
One of my favorite albums. Stellar.
I just listened to this album again, organically, last week. I love Wayne Coyne. His personality, stage presence, ability, and overall aura is awesome. I've seen the Lips twice and they put on an unbelievable show. Of all their albums, I know this one the most, which I'm sure is the case for most, but this album truly rocks front-to-back.
Man, I hadn't listened to this album in years. I've lived in Oklahoma my entire life. As a young music lover in OK, seeing The Flaming Lips live was like a rite of passage. My moment came in the summer of 2007 when I was 16. Tulsa used to hold a little music festival called Dfest (RIP, I wish they'd bring Dfest back). My parents drove me and two of my friends out to Tulsa, and man we just had the time of our lives. This was my first like "holy shit" live music experience. When Wayne Coyne rolled out in that bubble and was rolling around in the crowd?? The UFO, the lights? I also think it's the first time I ever smelled weed. Gosh, it was such an incredibly fun concert. About a week or two later, I was driving with my friend over to his house to play some Guitar Hero, when all of a sudden I notice Wayne Coyne standing outside a building near my friend's neighborhood, which is very weird since we live in a suburb outside of OKC, so this felt very random, but there was no mistaking it, that was Wayne Coyne. My friend convinced me to stop to say hello. So I stop and excitedly tell Wayne that I just saw him at Dfest, I even still had my bracelet on from the festival. He was so kind, and invited us inside the building to sign some posters for us, turns out the building was just full of Flaming Lips promo stuff. Listening to this album just brought all those memories rushing to the surface. While I could probably go without hearing Do You Realize?? anymore (this song has kinda worn out its welcome with me), this album is just wonderful. Fight Test is such a great opening track, and I think In the Morning of the Magicians is the unsung hero of this album, such a beautiful song.
Absolutely classic start to finish.
I love this band and the songs r so good
Oh god I can feel an essay about the Flaming Lips coming on. Suffice to say, this album is, like Don Draper's Kodiak Carousel, a time machine. It's futuristic, it's nostalgic, it's sending me directly to Glastonbury 2003. I love it, I love the, for want of a better word, vibe of it. I think the lyrics are extraordinary and I think most of the music is brilliant. It is a low five, because there is probably a little bit of filler in and around the greatness, but you forgive it all for the 'What is this?' vocal coming in on Are You A Hypnotist?.
Saw the live tour where they played this in full, awesome.
This album is a classic that I've listened to for years. It's well sequenced, has good balance in song type, and has great hits. The album art is phenomenal. Some of the songs are a little forgettable, but this album mostly does a perfect job. 4.5/5 -> 5/5
LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!! Very much a comfort listen for me, so many cool songs and Do You Realize is a fucken masterpiece of a song. I've been tryna find it on vinyl but it's not where to be found 😭😭😭 Fav songs: All
Knew some of these - awesome album :)
Good
A sort of concept album by The Flaming Lips. The album as a whole has a very orchestral and bombastic production that suit the strange (space)rock and neo-psychedelia of the band nicely. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" is my favorite song, but also the rest of the songs is of high quality.
I'm selective buying music these days, but I actually own a physical copy of this. So.
Måske ikke til 5 stjerner efter en dag, men stort potentiale ved flere gennemlytninger når der bliver tid - om 4 år 😀
A really great album. I like all the songs and have listened to this many times. "In the Morning of the Magicians" is one of my favorite songs. It's super chill and has a really nice groove to it. I'm sure that I will listen to this many more times.
THIS ALBUM FUCKING SLAPS. First album I’ve listened to multiple times. Did not know what to expect going in but damn is this a beautiful album. Great productions, instrumentals, and lyrics. This is what Radiohead wishes they were. Yes I just said that. Fuck Radiohead
There needed to be one Flaming Lips album on this list. And I think this is the best one. The Lips are very unique and interesting. I have to be in the right mood to listen to them but I think they are very good.
It's an album will often get the urge to listen to. It's uplifting, wonky, shimmering and lot's of other really nice adjectives that are right in my groove. It's a great album.
Man, I love this album.
Simply beautiful - one of the best storytelling albums of all time, up there with war of the worlds, PSBs race to space and Screamadelica. 5*
I first heard the title track last week and enjoyed it. Off the bat I'm digging the sound of Flight test. I have not a huge sense of the Flaming Lips coming into this. This album is a vibe, loved it. 5* Highlights: yoshimi battles the pink robots pt1, flight test, do you realize
great album
So excellent but honestly don’t think I’ll ever listen to any of their other music
Excellent!
Outstanding album.
One of my favourite albums about your place in the universe
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" is the tenth studio album by American rock band the Flaming Lips. The music takes the band in a more electronic direction from their previous album "The Soft Bulletin," incorporating acoustic guitar and rhythms influenced by hip hop and top 40 music. The album's title is based on Japanese musician Yoshimi P-We and her style of singing.. Although lead singer Wayne Coyne said this is not a concept album, he did say that there's is an overriding theme of a girl (Yoshimi) battling breast cancer (the pink robots). The album has done relatively well commercially, hitting #50 in the US and #13 in the UK. It was very well received critically. An ominous synth, people cheering and a guy echoing "now" open the album and the song "Fight Test." A synth melody with an acoustic guitar. A great vocal and catchy chorus: "Its all a mystery." The protagonist didn't fight for his girl and now it's too late. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" gets to the heart of the album story . Acoustic guitar with synths again. A hip hop beat of sorts. The music and lyrics are both happy and sad. Weird synth noises as Yoshimi battles those evil robots (cancer). "Yoshimi don't let those evil robots eat me." The song is deep once you know the meaning. "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" has a bass beat and is dreamy. You have to like (or not) the Lips' creativity in song names. A message of not focusing on one thing; life is full of both big and small things and appreciate them both. Bells, an acoustic guitar and what sounds like electronic congas begin "Do You Realize?" It's actually bass driven for most of the song. An angel-like chorus. An optimistic song about simply enjoying your life and the world. Brilliant lyrics. I don't know if the Flaming Lips have a better song. The album ends with the instrumental "Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia)." A hip hop beat with both acoustic and electric guitars. Synth horns are added to the best instrumental song on the album. This is a beautiful album, both musically sounding and lyrically. The melodies and choruses are catchy and strong. The beats, synths and acoustic guitar work incredibly well together. Coyne takes a difficult subject (cancer) and creates an incredibly dreamy, uplifting and hopeful album. The instrumental songs are just as good as those with lyrics. This album sounded incredible, much better than I remember it. An album everyone needs to hear.
I remember hearing She Don’t Use Jelly back in 1993 on the radio a lot. It was one of those songs that was fun when it came on but never prompted me to buy the album. They were like Ween to me at that time, funny to hear on the radio but I wasn’t interested enough to explore what all they had to offer beyond a single. Then I forgot all about Flaming Lips. I’d see new album covers show up as I browsed record stores and I kept thinking “wow those guys making funny songs are still at it, good for them!”. Fast forward to 2002 when I first hear Do You Realize?? either on radio or MTV. This time the song piqued my interest enough to check out their latest release Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. From the very start of the album I was floored, I recognized Wayne Coyne’s signature vocal style but the music surrounding him was nothing like what I remember from She Don’t Use Jelly. This album was an immediate perspective shift for me as far as what albums could sound like, the boundaries that could be pushed and the rules that could be broken. I’ve loved this band ever since. Going back to previous releases I discovered The Soft Bulletin, Yet another perfect album from a band I had naively written off. I have for the most part enjoyed all their albums since but these two are the stand outs in their catalogue. Revisiting this album was still transformative even after all these years of being familiar with it. I always feel like I’m in the middle of some kind of grand epiphany as the music pulls me in all directions, it just really effects me in a powerful and positive way. Musically, lyrically and concept wise there’s so many big swings being taken here and they all stick.
Alien feel to this album. Wiki says it's not meant to be a concept album but it certainly feels like one. Gives me the same vibes as one of my favorite artists, Tame Impala. Listening to this mentally transports me to an unknown universe like I'm in Meow Wolf or something. Very psychedelic.
The deep voice is very charming, furthermore really enjoy the decent production.
Great album
Ok finally back in the game! This band has always confused me because they seem rad but some shit I just couldn’t listen to. This record though, this was FUN. Fight Test sets the vibe for the record, but as a concept it really makes it. It’s chill but also kinda makes you think about stuff. Trippy, dancey stuff for the next few tracks but it really is solid. The title track has what I like to call a Glorp factor with glorpy fuckin sounds here and there. And it tells a story, as weird as it is. Was the band trippin balls for this whole thing? Maybe. Robot sounds are all over the place haha. But this is a great record for both a sunny morning and a drizzly night.
For fans of Neo-Psychedelia, this album is a must-listen. Its laid-back and soothing tones make it perfect for starting or winding down your day. A great addition to any music collection.
Really, really like this album. Have owned it on CD since it was released. Some cracking songs - 'Do you realise?' is one of my all time favourites.
4/5, good vibes, bon rythme, pop rock j'aime beaucoup ! acheter?
Love this album. It's pretty much incredible from start to finish. I gained a deeper appreciation for Yoshimi Battles pt2; song fucks. The whole album has a perfect amount of psychedelia to it and I love the sound design to include things like bird calls in the background. I will always remember winning tickets to see these guys at The Anthem and all of their balloons, inflatables, and robot bird toys.
This album is an all timer for me. Last time I saw them they played it front to back it was pure bliss. Tbh my favorite songs off it aren’t even the singles or popular ones. Magicians, hypnotist, and ego is one of the best 3 song runs of all time. Iconic opening song. Yoshimi. Yelling. 5:05 of magicians is one of my favorite random fills in a song. One of the main dudes always switches from guitar/keys to the drums just for Are You a Hypnotist and it seems like so much fun to play. My go to for drum songs.
- great album. im in a good mood so ill give it five stars The words came out of her mouth like wind blowing through the branches of an oak tree, as she slowly walked towards the balcony. The cold air christened her skin as she slid the glass door open. Let the cold in. Out of her coat pocket a cigarrette, light it with a despondent look over the forest.
This album really threw me off at first. The first two tracks were definitely a bit weird and not great, but once you get to the title track it gets so good. In the Morning of the Magicians is the stuff to cry to. Its not even that lyrically its amazing which it is but the use of so many different sounds and the musicianship is incredible. Ive never heard anything like it and Im glad to have .
let them know you realize
💖
Fun and endearing, in addition to being good music. 5 stars for not letting the evil robots win.
An absolutely wonderfuk record from start to finish , and one of the very few from this lst i go back to once in a while.
Been thinking long and hard about whether to give this a 5 and decided if I’m thinking about it this much it’s a 5. I discovered this album right around the beginning of covid when things were really really shitty. The morale of the world was low and the anxiety was high from all of the unknowns. Yoshimi is forever linked in my mind to this time, especially as it explores a lot of the same themes that the world was confronting at the time like mortality, courage, and fight or flight. Musically, it also mirrors the time with the dream-like tracks (magicians, hypnotist, pavonis mons) intertwined with reflective musings (fight test, do you realize). So to me, this album doesn’t evoke a great mood or anything, but it does make me appreciate how far things have come since 2020. It’s a good listen
Ez 5. I discovered this album years ago when someone posted “Do you Realize??” on their insta story and i was like wow that song is a banger. After listening to that song 40 times i decided it was time for the full album. Opening with fight test you have no idea the ride you are in for, but you learn quick that this will be a fun, unique album. Yoshimi part 1 is a 10/10 song that i love, then part 2 is a just a noise machine but it works perfectly. Ego tripping, are you a hypno, it’s summertime, do you realize is one of the most solid 4 song rips you can get. IMHO all we have is now should have closed the album, but i guess it’s fitting we end on an instrumental. I can’t really describe why i love this album, but all the songs just sound so good to me and idk why
I like
Definitely a unique album but incredibly well composed and cohesive. A happy find for me.
I resonate so profoundly with the double question marks
Classic in new grunge psychedelic rock. She is strong enough to fight them.
Seemingly normal album, soft rock with electronic influence and a gentle vocal. A recipe for mediocrity. But somehow this record has something special that makes it absolutely amazing. Yoshimi's story and her fight against evil robots is not short of being epic. It goes on my usual listening list, but with a small caveat - I will have to listen to the album in normal sequence.
Notable tracks: all
I liked this but I think I need to listen to it again to decide if it gets a 4. Edit: I had to go back and change this to a 5. It's been bothering me for months that I low balled this score.
A great album to re-listen. Maybe it’s not a concept album but I sure can come up with a story in my mind, and it’s awesome & emotional. “Do you realize” the song everyone knows is spectacular musically & lyrically. “Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?” What a simple lyric but how impactful if you really think about it, as well as the rest of lyrics of that song. Well most of the lyrics on the whole album! Album cover is great! flaming lips dark side of the moon album is worth a listen too!
one of my faves, love it, have listened to a million times
This album continues to get better the more I listen to it.
A trip down memory lane. And one that I honestly thought would garner a solid 4/5 from me. But then I remembered how plainly gorgeous It's Summertime is, and the now anthemic Do You Realise? really did become a staple for turn of the century indie kids. It's still a beautiful song. It's a monolith on the mostly featureless landscape of music. More than worthy of a perfect score.
Never heard this album so I am glad it came up. I always enjoy an album that has a story throughout and is a full experience, plus I really enjoyed the music. Do you Realize is a hit so it was really interesting to see how it fit into this story and I appreciate it way more!
Her name is Yoshimi. She's got a black belt in karate. HEY! HEY! Fight Test, Yoshimi Pt 1, and Do You Realize are the standout hits. But I also like: In the Morning of the Magicians, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, Are You a Hypnotist?? It's Summertime is good but I mostly like the birds in that song. Approaching Pavonis Mons & Yoshimi Pt2 are fun instrumentals. I dig a band that's not afraid to throw an instrumental or two in the mix. Love this album. Fun to hear it again.
This and 1999’s The Soft Bulletin are The Flaming Lips high water marks for me. Interestingly, they were a more guitar bass drums band up through 1995’s near equally excellent Clouds Taste Metallic until they did sound experiments in parking lots where they had many multiple people synchronize different cassettes to be played in tandem with each other to create all encompassing soundscapes. In fact, their 1997 album Zaireeka is actually four discs meant to be played at the same time. Only The Flaming Lips could pull that type of crazy awesomeness off. Yoshimi is the logical extension of all that but in a very digestible form with songs that touch deeply on death and mortality. Definitely a best album of the 00’s.
Was excited to wake up to this today! Damn I love this album. It’s such a journey. Fight Test and Do You Realize are such freaking masterpieces they make me cry, and the whole thing is so creative. Lyrics are incredible, musical compositions are unique and beautiful. An exploration of the complex simplicity of universal questions and truths. It’s truly a work of art. Do you realize how lucky we are to be able to experience this music and this life? Sunbeams and starlight, it’s all a mystery. All we have is now.
i had a pretty good time with this one. i had never listened to the flaming lips in full, but know a handful of their songs, two of them being on this one (yoshimi pt 1 and do you realize) and i adore 'do you realize' so i figured, i would probably enjoy the full album and... yeah, i did. as a fan of a lot of early 00s indie music and as a fan of psychedelic music in general, this combined two of my favorites into one and i had a great time! a great sonic bath of fun music.
This is probably my favorite Lips album and routinely get HEAVY rotation on my end. So many good songs and just a peak Lips for me. An absolute god damn masterpiece. Do You Realize is the existential question that I try to not reflect upon too often but it somehow poses it in a way that affirms the good things in life we need to do while we still have the time. Standout Tracks: Fight Test, Yosimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, Do You Realize??
Back in 2002 I was listening to WXPN as they interviewed some band I didn’t really know. I wasn’t paying much attention but then this squeaky scratchy voice sang a beautiful love song about a girl saving us from evil natured robots accompanied by an acoustic guitar and I was transfixed. I went out and bought the album that day.
It’s always a treat when I get an excuse to listen to one of my favorite albums. From a fun era where weird experimental indie rock became more mainstream. My favorite song is the albums namesake which I don’t feel like typing out. Shout out to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 for making Do You Realize become somewhat popular again.
It’s a journey through fantasy using song. Great stuff.
Very cool very unique & well done album
Great Album, with awesome bass sounds... Needs multiple listenings but definitely between 4 and 5...
My favorite <3
The Flaming Lips' second masterpiece, after 'The Soft Bulletin'. A very ambitious album combining themes of science fiction, love, humanities struggles. 'Yoshimi' introduces electronic elements into their sound, mixed with acoustic instruments and hip hop influences. At times, it recalls parts of early electronic music experiments, like Pierre Henry's musique concrete. It's very modern, very strange, and very human. A very unlikely album to hold the official rock song of Oklahoma.
Very cool sound.
No, I didn't quite realize that Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots was as good as it was when it came out. I was still in the thrall of the Soft Bulletin at the time — please forgive me. But now with some distance between those two records and me I can hear just how great it is all on its own. And yes, Do You Realize? still brings a tear to my eye.
I loved this record. Easily the most cohesive work of theirs. And beautiful production.
I love this album. It has been on a regular rotation for me for years and it's what really first drew me to Flaming Lips. Since there I've listened to all their other albums. They have some really great stuff, but this is the one that I keep coming back to.
Hypnotic, moody, dreamy, psychedelic, comforting... and all the adjectives you can imagine fits in this album. A timeless masterpiece
maior do mundo
Really a fun album! I like the interesting simple audio effects (panning acoustic guitar from stereo left to right) the fun natural drum sounds with digital emphasis (snare echo, abrupt silencing cymbal resonance). And its just a quirky little Japanese robot themed narrative adventure! Album as art, rather than simply a collection of songs. Some good hits in the mix as well.
The best
Nothing else like this on here.
what do some of these songs mean but very good
Fight Test Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 In the Morning of the Magicians Do You Realize??
Wow. This is amazing. The Flaming Lips did not disappoint when I listened to their album, "The Soft Bulletin" about 2 weeks ago. I really liked that album. And yet, there were able to outdo themselves just a few years later. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" is truly something special. The sound is quite a bit different than it was in their previous album, but I like it. You'd think that the more electronic and top-40-esque production would result in something that lacks what made prior work so great (I call this pulling a Raditude). However, Yoshimi manages to make something that seems more accessible at first, but retains the complex writing and musical compositions of The Soft Bulletin. This album also improves on problems I had with that album. The singing is better. The album now has a perfect length in comparison to The Soft Bulletin, which was a bit long in my opinion. The writing is still great here. The overarching themes make this a sort of concept album, with the first four songs telling a specific story that comes from the album's title. All of the songs on this album are great. I really like this album. I truly had no idea that I would like the Flaming Lips this much. 5/5.
я шла поздней ночью, солнце еще не собиралось подниматься, завернув в какую-то темную улочку, я видела открытую дверь и светомузыку. тихо играло электро, компания садилась в такси. ночь продолжалась. и мне все еще было хорошо.
This is a refreshing one. Unique, amazing, entertaining. I loved it by track 2.
Магический альбом. Если вслушиваться в текст песни, то еще и трогательный. И пронзительный. In the Morning of the Magicians потрясающа.
Beautiful, fun, catchy, memorable, truly a classic.
звук разъеб алкоальбом: японский виски с водкой
Группа - ахуенная. Лайвы - отличные просто! Клипы - пушка! Звук... ну, тут пока остаются вопросы у меня. Мне очень понравилось всё композиционно, но местами я перестал понимать сведение. Однако всё равно я как-то очень проникся.
The flooooowwwww. So smooth so clean
Loved this. Trippy, experimental, often weird and yet still organic, cohesive and frankly beautiful. Do you realize was always a favorite but had never listened to this one in it's entirety. So glad to have discovered what I've been missing all these years.
Beautiful fucking album
It's pretty great.
Realização impactante, faixas diferentes que criam conjunto formidável.
This was my first listen to this album and it is just fantastic. I love the sound, I love the cover art, I love the imagery and the tunes and just everything about it. I can't believe I'm hearing this for the first time. I loved it so much. Albums like this are why I am doing the list.
Felt like we could hear a lot of different bands in this album even though the Flaming Lips have been around longer
Each new song that I listen to through Are You a Hypnotist?? on this album because my favorite song on the album. The only exception to that is Pt 2 of the title track, and even that wasn't a bad track, I just didn't like as much as what I had already listened to. This is an awesome album. It kind of hits some of my favorite things about music. Melancholic. Is experimental in sounds/noises, but doesn't allow that to be the driving music. And it also has a good story. This isn't mind blowing, but it is really really good.
Very cool album. A definite "listen again".
Fun!
An album from 20 years ago that still sounds like it’s from 10 years in the future! Magnificent!
It makes you nostalgic for the future, if that makes sense somehow. Made me imagine being in a place that doesn't exist
Hip hop beats. Dirty drums. Layered strange instrumentation. Affected vocals. So much nostalgia it hurts. This album is fucking awesome
The Lips' magnum opus. Even if you find Wayne Coyne annoying, you will be pulling for Yoshimi as you glide thru the lush soundscapes of "It's Summertime" and ""Do You Realize??"
Really good album, such a vibe and was a fun ride. I love the combination of acoustic and electronic. The singers voice sounds so friendly and inviting. Something about this album just creates such a unique little world to exist in for 50 min. I think they nailed what they were going for. While this is not the best musicianship I've heard, I think there's something to be said about the product as a whole compared to getting hung up on the ability of the guitar or vocals or what have you. I love Yoshimi pt 1. That song had been stuck in my head for days.
veoma chill
One of the best albums from the 2000s I’ve listened to so far. It’s just so playful, fun, and enjoyable. It’s banger after banger, so many highlights! I loved the vibes and production (the fuzzed out drums are lit). I will definitely return to this. Very cool!
- 0 skips - i cleaned while listening to it and it was good vibes
I love the sound of psychedelic rock.
I actually really liked this. It got a bit less compelling through the middle, but started and finished strong. I'll listen again!
This whole album is an incredible world to immerse yourself. There is so many great things going on, with an incredible emotional payoff. I can’t tell how many times I listened this album, but it’s one of my favourites! 9 out of 10
Pretty psychedelic with a strong cohesion throughout. I loved the ballad nature of the title track and the broader metaphors it introduced.
Greetings from the Beatles and the Wings.
Loved it! Reminds me of a more modern Collective Soul.
Such a fun record. The Flaming Lips changed their sound a bit for this one by adding in electronic elements. There’s also a bit of hip-hop influence here too. Very psychedelic. I love the way the acoustic guitar kinda juxtaposes the electronic sounds.
Cool album, I like very much
My favorite album 🫶
Perfection
This was a good one! I’ll have to put this one on more often
Easy 5 for me, love the music and artwork
¡Qué bonito!
Not so long ago, I thought *The Soft Bulletin* was the "magnum opus" of the Flaming Lips. Something in that idea rubbed me the wrong way, though. I found the record a little too patchy sometimes. Plus, Wayne Coyne's vocals are *distinctively* off-key on that album. And this ways that didn't sit well with me (I sometimes have no problem with that "flaw" if it adds to the artistry--but in that case, it was an unnecessary... distraction) Then, I discovered *Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots*, which I had not listened to when it was released (evidence enough that I was not a real fan of the band). And I fell in love with this record in ways I could not have expected myself. Not only are the vocals *great* on this other album, but the songs are also instantly endearing and memorable. And by "songs", I mean *every one of them*--minus a couple of interludes that are never obnoxious and serve a "narrative" purpose. About the latter, I've read somewhere that the real "story" behind the surrealistic and naive "scenes" within the album is the one of a woman battling cancer. I haven't overanalyzed the lyrics yet, so I'm not 100% sure this was indeed the main intent of The Flaming Lips to tell that story, but I do know that "Do You Realize" is probably one of the most touching and tender songs ever written about death (almost up to the league of Big Thief's "Change"). So I'm glad this record is on this list. And I readily and spontaneously give it a perfect grade here. Anything to help Yoshimi win against those damn robots! Number of albums left to review: less than 400 (I've temporarily lost count here) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately. Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me).
Funk/Pop Instruments: 4/5 Modern translation: 4/5 Dance Potential: 4/5 Listening location: commute to/from work Made me feel: album sounded familiar straight away and I liked trying to work where I knew them from. My body wanted to “bop”. Best song: Do You Realise?? (Guardians of the Galaxy).
Weird but great
Another classic
Quirky, but excellent. If I could, I would give this 4.5 stars.
Awesome
Good opening... good hook. Delightfully surprising and makes me wish I knew this album in college
¡Qué bonito!
I enjoyed this, the background music and all the nature sounds were really nice. His voice wasn’t the best and there were some really weird noises, where I couldn’t help but make a face to. Overall, pretty solid. 8/10
Perfect Imperfection. This is an album that probably will be a love it or hate it among the group so I have absolutely 0 issues with somebody giving this a 1 or 2. It's so weird, strange, ugly, a mess, gross, and sometimes downright disgusting....but... It's beautiful, emotional, soft, creative, addictive at the same time. The first 4 songs sound pretty different from the rest of the album but I love both parts equally. The first part is loud and strong with an electronic sound to it almost as to play to the robots portion of the album. After that it's almost a dreamy sequence of instruments that envelope your mind in a cloud. The best songs and books take you to another place and I listened to this album 3 times just to go back to that place it puts me in. I have never heard these songs before but I absolutely love them now. Probably the most surprising album we've had on this project so far. (Why did they strangle a cat on that one song tho?) 10/10
Was given a CD of this album from an ex’s dad when I was 15 and I’ve never forgotten it.
Amazing, one of the better albums of all time
The best
Never heard of this album before listening, what an album! Extremely detailed without feeling overcomplicated. Definitely an album I’ll be coming back to
What an album! Weird sounds, topics of beauty and death, and just absolutely beautiful music. Every track is great. Love this album.
This was a transformational album for me when it came out. From it I learned that music could be so much more than I had ever expected. The sounds that I head that day convinced me that anything was possible.
strange and beautiful, unique and sad, really promotes introspective thought if you let it. do you realize is one of the greatest psychedelic songs ever
I really enjoyed the album and style of music. I liked Fight test and In The Morning of the Magicians the best of the album. I'll definitely check out more songs by The Flaming Lips.
Great psych album
I really like this album. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart was my favorite
First time listening to the Flaming Lips and I love it.
Personally this album was like a gateway drug into a whole new world of sound, back in 2002 I randomly heard "Do You Realize??" on the car radio and it just instantly clicked with me, I knew I had to seek out the origin of it. What I found was a sonic soundscape that felt like a straight up rebirth, gone was my beloved 90s indie/alternative straight jangly guitar music and what replaced it was music with depth and crunch and searing screams of electronic madness. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time, that post millennium haze, where life seemed simpler and find this album for the first time all over again.
just as i remembered them
I was captivated by the title and the band name. I'd heard of them thrown around in various conversations but I never sat down and listened. Don't regret this listening experience at all. I was expecting variation between tracks, particularly for "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell" to go hard but also pleased that this album is sonically cohesive. I live for the punch in the gut on "Do You Realize??" I will definitely be returning to this time and time again; it's so gorgeous.
This is an insanely fun psychedelic pop album. A joy to listen to and very calming.
Huge fan of the psychedelic vibe. Love having an existential crisis while listening.
Beautiful Album
I‘d like to quote a German music magazine: „and then the gum bubble explodes“. 4,6
Timeless
I am deeply upset that I just heard this album for the first time. I knew of the Flaming Lips but I never got involved for some reason. This album captures something about the early 00's that I rarely rediscover these days. They carved out a sound that is truly imaginative, dreamy, and rare.
Probably the best from the flaming lips
Dreamy, somehow futuristic and endlessly replayable, this piece of largely low-fi electronica is right up my street. I first became aware of this album by hearing the Kleptones take it and fuse with classic hiphop tracks, which is (almost) better than the original, especially if it's the thing you heard first! : https://kleptones.bandcamp.com/album/yoshimi-battles-the-hip-hop-robots
Only ever really knew their hit song "Tangerine" Always ment to check them out more in depth. Today is the day.
One of my fav albums already. Great tracks and really cool sounding album sonically and production-wise.
Absolutely listen again, feels in the same realm as Radiohead. Beautiful composition of sound.
This album is a ton of fun. The Flaming Lips are at their best when their uplifting sound is juxtaposed by lyrics of regret and fear of the future. This album blew my mind when I heard it in high school and it continues to be a favorite. Will return to this album again soon, just as I have been doing for the last decade and a half. Favorite tracks: Flight Test, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, All We Have Is Now
5/5. A unique and weird collection of psychedelic songs that have an air of sadness and curiosity in each one. The album is the perfect length and there is not a bad song on this one, ethereal or pop. I feel like I cannot relate to any of the songs but they sound so familiar, like a friend is telling me about their life.
Loved this album since it was new It still holds up, in my estimation. Best Flaming Lips album. 4.5/5
Interesting psychedelic pop album. I’ve always known about this band, but never had a good listen to them. Reminded me a bit of tame impala which I love.
I don't know how you can hate this album. Just beautiful
Went back to this one a few times. Really liked it, just a sucker for Indie stuff sometimes. I'll be nice and give it a 5. Just super easy to listen to and better than some of the 4's I've given.
A perfect rock opera. Great production.
Love this album. It has so many influences pulled in- beeps and bloops and is so all over the place but pulls together into one big beautiful whole. It just really works.
Easy 5 all day!
Probably the best album by The Flaming Lips as a whole album, and certainly the one most open to influences outside of their normal well.
Classic - instrumental in my weird dad music development
I have this on vinyl and it is one of the great headphone records. So much going on in each of these beautiful songs. A remarkable record that rewards you with each listen.
Amazing album.
Absolutely love this album and have done since it was released. Just as fresh now as it was back then. Favourite tracks: Fight Test, Are You a Hypnotist??, Do You Realize??
easily one of the best albums i’ve listened to from this website. makes you feel like the main character in 2000s coming of age movie. bits of Sufjan Stevens, Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, and The Aquabats all coming together wonderfully
Wayne Coyne and his band The Flaming Lips have always been innovators. On Yoshimi they perfected their musical style and created a cross-over hit. One of the finest concept albums from the alternative side of music.
HAIKU REVIEW Do you realize this is the Flaming Liips’ best? You must listen NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Loving this.
An eclectic, atmospheric mix of indie/folk, electronic beats and weirdness - in terms of offbeat background vocals and sounds that constantly pop up. The song-writing is strong and Wayne Coyne is a rarity in that, he may not have the greatest voice but he’s easy to listen to song after song. The title track(s) and "Do you Realize" are great and there are no duds among the supporting tracks.
When I first heard this album over 20 years ago it knocked my socks off and it continues to be one of my favourites to this day. Their previous album Soft Bulletin was also excellent, but this is just a notch above. Wayne Coyne, the brilliant crazy genius behind this band claims that this isn't a concept album but it sure sounds and looks like one. Individually the tracks are very good indie/pysch/rock songs, but taken together as a whole, they transcend the genre and this album becomes something truly special. I don't think I will ever get tired listening to this album.
This is a classic, and Do You Realize is one of the best songs ever written.
Great melody writing, interesting blend of acoustic folk themes with electronic and big production ideas. Didn’t pay too much attention to the overarching concept but the musical ideas carried enough of a related strand to feel cohesive.
I think one of the better albums of the 2000s, especially out of the indie genre. Such a unique sounding album.
Catchy tunes, and thought provoking lyrics. It’s quirky but deep at the same time. Would listen to this entire album again.
Spacey funky ass shit. Some soft flowing songs. Nothing to abstract in lyrics. Some interesting instrumental only songs. Lots of boing-y synth sounds. Raspy odd voice. Certainly interesting. “Do You Realize??” is a slapper, brings it up to a ?
I really enjoyed this. I think the crazy concept mixed with earnest singing, and the acoustic plus electronic gave something 1969-1971 experimental about it, in a good way.