The Flaming Lips Songs of Prophecy and Doom!

I've been a fan of the Flaming Lips for awhile now.  I caught up with them a couple years after the release of The Soft Bulletin (which is a grand pop/rock/psychedelic/symphonic masterpiece), and own all their records since that one.


These guys are seriously twisted.  Wayne Coyne writes simple lyrics that are always asking the big questions.  I recently picked up the Lips last release "Embryonic."  It's a goofy, spiky porcupine of a record.


Lots of bleeps and blurbs of sound.  Sort of electronic and noisy.  It seems like a "concept" album, but not sure what the concept is supposed to be.


Still I love the band, and Steven Drozd is one of the great rock & roll drummers of all time.  And I think it's still the case that Steven plays just about all the instruments when the Lips record in the studio.


There's some nice melodies and the production of the record always surprises.  The Flaming Lips don't play by anyone else's rules.  Which for me adds to their "genius."


Then there's Wayne's voice, not the greatest voice in rock, but an effective and charismatic voice that somehow always connects.  He seems to have his finger on the pulse of some shiny beast and sings songs of prophecy and doom that somehow always make me smile!


See the leaves
they're dying again
see the moth
it's flying again
see the grass
it's dying again
see the sun
it's trying again...


And


People are evil, it's true
But on the other side
They can be gentle too
If they decide...