HiRez Poll Flaming Lips - SOFT BULLETIN [DVD-A]

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Rate the DVD-A of Flaming Lips - SOFT BULLETIN


  • Total voters
    65
Chris Gerhard said:
Just listened to this for the first time. For me it isn't nearly as much fun as Yoshimi but I am going to wait before voting. I need to figure out if I have the CD with a goof now.

If your CD has 14 tracks, it's a goof. If it has 13, it's correct.
 
analogdemon said:
If your CD has 14 tracks, it's a goof. If it has 13, it's correct.

Yes, I figured that out and checked, mine has 13 so no goof but the CD isn't of interest in any event since I have a ton of CD's I like better than this CD for the car. The Flaming Lips are a surround only group for me and I am tiring of Yoshimi, at least for now, and this one is a lesser effort in my opinion but is on my surround playlist for the time being.

Chris
 
Pretty good music and a great surround mix, an 8. The fidelity doesn't seem on a par with Yoshimi but the surround mix is.

Chris
 
Surround mix an 8, music a 7, with a couple of good songs. I didn't like this near as much as Yoshimi (which i voted 10 on). But if you like the Flaming lips, you would probably rate this higher. Definately worth having.
Overall 8.
 
A mixed bag for me.

Musically I really like iot and it is on par with Yoishimi.

The 5.1-mix is not as tasteful as Yoshimi, but I still like it. I like my 5.1-mixes to be aggressive...

Sonically it is OK for some of the songs and a real disaster for others. The first song, Raze for the Prize, is totally unlistenable IMHO. Very poor sonics with an even poorer 5.1-mix. This song sounds much better on the accompanying CD.

//Uffe
 
The third best DVD-A by the Flaming Lips.

Although "Race For The Prize" sounds generally good in my Acura TL, moving all the vocals to one side is a bit jarring, and the vocals are hard to hear on a typical home theater setup (because the rear speakers are usually smaller and underpowered).

I definitely don't have the emotional attachment to many of these songs as many do. Plus, Wayne's vocals aren't as polished.
 
2. After listening closely, I played Yoshimi and it was immediately apparent, in my opinion, that the sound quality of Yoshimi is much better. I'm assuming Elliot Scheiner is the difference.
While there should be no underestimating of Mr. Scheiner's talent, this title was an absolute chore to mix in surround. It was recorded on a variety of formats over a span of several years, and many of the outboard FX settings had to be recalled by memory or recreated in another fashion.

Some more reflections from Steven Drozd in my interview.
 
While there should be no underestimating of Mr. Scheiner's talent, this title was an absolute chore to mix in surround. It was recorded on a variety of formats over a span of several years, and many of the outboard FX settings had to be recalled by memory or recreated in another fashion.

Some more reflections from Steven Drozd in my interview.

Wow... I'd like to have your job. And I'm already a writer, in the local news that is.
 
I went with an 8 on this one. This album is certainly a trip. There are moments that are positively beautiful and sound great. There are others that are so ruthlessly fucking smashed to all holy hell with compression and distortion that you'll wonder if you're damaging your speakers. Yet, it probably isn't the mastering, as there are crystal clear parts during these moments. It's a tool they use on specific multis. IMO, this album and this mix is kind of a "fuck you" to audiophiles. "You don't own us," type of thing.
I like the songs. They're pensive. I think Yosh and Mystics are a little more "fun." They also don't push the limits of sonics as much. I think a good word for this album is avant garde. I disagree that if you like Yosh you're bound to like this. They're very, very different.
When this disc is at its best it's incredible. At its worst it's a bit annoying. And I don't think TFL give one shit about my opinion. And that's the point.

I think...
 
There are moments... that are so ruthlessly fucking smashed to all holy hell with compression and distortion that you'll wonder if you're damaging your speakers. Yet, it probably isn't the mastering, as there are crystal clear parts during these moments. It's a tool they use on specific multis. IMO, this album and this mix is kind of a "fuck you" to audiophiles. "You don't own us," type of thing.

When this disc is at its best it's incredible. At its worst it's a bit annoying. And I don't think TFL give one shit about my opinion.

I very much agree with the above sentiments.

On May 26 2016 the Flaming Lips will perform this music with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks, our premiere outdoor amphitheatre. For this reason I brought out the disc to see if I belong in the venue. So here is my take:

Short take: the surround mix is adventuresome and recommended. The sonics leave me colder to the music than I might otherwise be.

So I am neither a Flaming Lips fan, nor am I a hater. I like their willingness to take chances with the musical form (ie, the pop song) - there is a real hodgepodge of influences here, and some quite nice melodic progressions amid the leaping and jumping of styles and sounds. It is hard for me to call them a novelty act, as to me this implies a lyrical humor that I do not find here. I am fine with using the term avant garde as an influence, but there are real poppy and hooky elements here that you would never find in true avant garde music as I understand the term. One definition of avant garde states "experimental or unusual ideas," which is certainly true here, but in music I tend to associate the term with being inaccessible to the average listener, and I am not sure that is true of everything on this disc. In the end labels are useless anyway, but I am just trying to convey my impressions to anyone reading this who has not heard the music and is considering a purchase.

As stated in the quote, parts of this music sound distorted and raw. Whether this is intended or not is of little consequence to me. I am taking points off for unpleasantness to my ear. If they wanted that, well, mission accomplished!

As for the surround mix, which is why most of us are here, well heck - fans of aggressive mixing owe it to themselves to buy this disc. The mix is very discrete and open, and many others here have described just how aggressive the mix is. Since I am a fan of aggressive mixing, I am willing to wade through the crunchy sections to experience the beauty of the mix.

This disc is fairly common in shops selling used product, so should not be tough to find. I am seeing it for $25 on Amazon now in used condition, but I would be surprised if you could not find it cheaper in a city with good record stores.

I give it a 7, with the mix being a 10 and the sound being a 5 in places.

Oh, and as for the concert - judged on purely musical terms it is non-essential listening for me, and I will pass.
 
On May 26 2016 the Flaming Lips will perform this music with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks, our premiere outdoor amphitheatre.

Oh shit! I would definitely love to see that. Hopefully they film it and give it a good mix. FWIW, I found TFL music easier to relate to after seeing their live DVD U.F.O.
I think that disc contains some definitive versions of certain songs. They are a solid live act with great energy.
 
I've had Yoshimi and Mystics for a while, but for some reason I never picked this one up - so I was psyched to find a copy for $5 last weekend. It would appear that the previous owner was a huge Lips fan, as I found a concert ticket tucked between two pages of the booklet:

lips_ticket.jpg

I need to listen further, but so far I'm a bit disappointed - I don't like the songs, mix, or overall sound quality nearly as much as Yoshimi or Mystics. This is far and away the absolute loudest surround mix I've ever encountered. Whatever artistic goal they were going for with the distortion just isn't working for me.

"Race For The Prize":
Race For The Prize.jpg
 
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I've had Yoshimi and Mystics for a while, but for some reason I never picked this one up - so I was psyched to find a copy for $5 last weekend. It would appear that the previous owner was a huge Lips fan, as I found a concert ticket tucked between two pages of the booklet:

View attachment 43048

I need to listen further, but so far I'm a bit disappointed - I don't like the songs, mix, or overall sound quality nearly as much as Yoshimi or Mystics. This is far and away the absolute loudest surround mix I've ever encountered. Whatever artistic goal they were going for with the distortion just isn't working for me.

"Race For The Prize":
View attachment 43049

have you tried any channel swaps?
 
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