Is anyone here into anything pre Soft Bulletin.

Where would be a good place to start... Is anything worth getting anything at all?

I've heard that most their old stuff isn't great but I was thinking of getting Transmissions, seeing if I like it and going from there... any recommendations

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Morro,

I think they've got some mad thing with 4 CDs that you're supposed to play simultaneously on 4 different players. I've heard people say it's very interesting, but haven't actually checked it out myself...
Anyway, there you go. Not a great answer, but a response nonetheless

Clouds Taste Metallic is very good. It really bridges the gap between their old, more rocking sound and their Soft Bulletin-era sound. I don't think it's as good as The Soft Bulletin, but while it lacks the inventive production, the songwriting is top notch. "The Abandoned Hospital Ship" still kicks the hell out of anything they've done since.

I just got "Clouds" yesterday in the mail via Amazon for only $9. It's definitely a lot of fun and I'd recommend it above "Transmissions" overall. I don't know about Zaireeka. I certainly wouldn't make that my first choice given the cost and extreme impracticality of the 4-disc concept. I don't think I have 4 players I could even hook up in the same room, so it's out of the question for me. It's an interesting concept nonetheless.

Cheers guys, am going to see them in a few weeks and just wanted to hear a bit more of their back catalogue before the gig. I'm gonna pick up clouds soon, thanks for the advice.

Has anyone here actually heard Zaireeka. It is an interesting idea but seems a bit of a waste of material to me, and what a let down it must be if you make the effort to listen to it and dont like it.

Zaireeka is pretty good-- it's very close stylistically to The Soft Bulletin. It's sort of a useless purchase unless you have four cd players, but if you're a savvy downloader, you ought to be able to find a 4-CD mixdown of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Morro:


Has anyone here actually heard Zaireeka. It is an interesting idea but seems a bit of a waste of material to me, and what a let down it must be if you make the effort to listen to it and dont like it.

I actually own Zaireeka, and I must say the effects work. At the time, I really didn't know much about the Lips, but the concept made me want to check it out. A friend of mine and I compiled four boom boxes - our own and our sisters' - and gave it a try. I must say that even though you can listen to them sepatately, it really does sound the best with all four sync'd up. Eric's right, if you listen to Zaireeka and then Soft, you can hear the natural evolution.

Clouds Taste Metallic is one of my favorite albums i tihnk. i think its a great lost pop album. It has great production and the instrumentation has a very original noisey wobbly sound to it. Wayne sounds like a kid on the album, and sings about things like animals and spaceships. It feels like its off in its own little young naive world.

I'll also put in a vote for Clouds Taste Metallic. Soft Bulletin is still my favorite, but Clouds has a lot in common with it. A lot more than you hear the first few listens. In some moods its a better listen than Soft Bulletin. I agree its a lost/forgotten great album and easily the second best Lips release, in my opinion.

What about their psychedelic/punk work as an indie band?

I suggest grabbing both Transmissions and Clouds. Both are awesome. You can't lose.

A post Shadrach (is a a bag of Marshmallows) made over in the "What are you listening to right now?" thread, made me think of Zaireeka. I've only ever heard it in mixed form, but I've always wanted to try it.

Now that I got that off my chest, I'd just like to say that the Flaming Lips are a band that I have been with since their early psyche-punk days. A buddy of mine put "Jesus Shootin' Heroin" on a mix tape and I've been a fan ever since. They've never been my favorite band, but always interesting. My favorite pre-Soft Bulletin (and really it is probably my favorite FL album or at least it's a toss up with SB) is Clouds Taste Metallic. Oh My Gawd!! is also a personal fave, with "Everything's Exploding" near the top of my all-time Flaming Lips tunes.

Transmissions is probably my favorite Lips album, and Zaireeka is an incredible listen. its dfun to kind of hear their "experimantal" roots before they started to go political. i love the lips, but i dig earlier stuff especially.

Transmissions is worth it for Be My Head and Slow Nerve Action alone. Two of their best songs ever. I love the pre-Soft Bulletin era of Flaming Lips. You can only fully appreciate Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi if you listen to the earlier albums. The experimentation of these albums leads to what came later. Like when you listen to Slow Nerve Action, it actually becomes clear how they came up with the drumming sound on Soft Bulletin.

No one has mentioned Hit to Death in the Future Head. That is my favourite pre-Soft Bulletin album.

Clouds Taste Metallic is essential for their pre stuff, followed closely by Transmission and Zaireeka (if you've got the patience). For the rest of their earlier stuff, you might as well get the compilations Finally Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid and that Jesus Shot A Hole In The Egg or whatever. Most of their early albums have also been rereleased on vinyl, if you're into that sort of thing. Priest Driven Ambulance rules.

Clouds taste metallic is genius