The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

Fun fact about the song Fight Test. Cat Stevens noticed that it closely resembled the tune to his song "Father and Son" and Wayne Coyne agreed, so he now has a writing credit on the song, and apparently receives 75% of the royalties.
You know the the song that I always thought sounded like it should be earning Cat Stevens royalties based off of it’s similarities to “Father & Son”?

Rilo Kiley’s “Does He Love You”.

If “Fight Test” got him 75% Royalties then he should get at least 80% for “Does He Love You.
 
This is the album that made me fall in love with The Flaming Lips. I had a copy of Transmissions from college but didn’t love it enough to follow them. I may have heard a song or two off of soft bulletin but Yoshimi was the moment and I’ve been a fan since.
 
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Great opener, have heard this one before many times.

I love the bass sounds and the synths and just wow, everything is really flowing so nicely into each other!

Everything seems to have a very underwater / in space / floaty kind of feel to it and I briefly thought they may have been space robots but can neither confirm nor deny.

Do You Realize??

I was disappointed to discover it's not actually a concept album, and so I have no idea whether Yoshimi actually defeats the pink robots by the end. I'd like to think that she does...

Great musicianship, nice vocals, the songs are interesting and varied. It does kind of peter out at the end, though, doesn't it?

3 / 5 stars.
 
I'm a sucker for a concept album and have loved this one since the first time I heard it. Seeing them perform this album live is something I wish everyone could experience. They don't always crush it on studio albums, but they do with their live performances. One of the times I saw them at Red Rocks, Explosions in the Sky opened for them and Wayne was dancing so damn hard on stage during their set that we were shocked he still had energy to come perform. I'd love to get to be young and in that crowd again, even if just for one night. I'll still go see them, but now I'd just sit in the back and relax while watching the orgiastic shroom-fest of lasers and hamster balls.

5/5.
 
Stupify is missing a few of the tracks so I won't link it (also I couldn't figure out how to add what was there to RIYL list anyway), but this is the only other Lips release besides Yoshimi that I know very well and I love it:

View attachment 165518

Personal hot take: I prefer this to the original version. Maybe because I've listened to it more and it hit me at the right time in my life.
 
#7 - The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

So for whatever reason, we keep getting albums I know really, really well. There's some absolute classic tunes on here, such as Fight Test, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and Do You Realize??. There's no real weak points as everything blends together nicely even if not everything stands out above the general atmosphere of the album. I just think it's a half-step behind the Soft Bulletin and many of the other great albums of this year. If you ever look at a list of 2002 albums, that year is stacked and this album has never broken through into my top 5 of the year. But that ain't half bad for sure.

Rating 4.5/5.0
 
#7 - The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

So for whatever reason, we keep getting albums I know really, really well. There's some absolute classic tunes on here, such as Fight Test, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and Do You Realize??. There's no real weak points as everything blends together nicely even if not everything stands out above the general atmosphere of the album. I just think it's a half-step behind the Soft Bulletin and many of the other great albums of this year. If you ever look at a list of 2002 albums, that year is stacked and this album has never broken through into my top 5 of the year. But that ain't half bad for sure.

Rating 4.5/5.0

I knew we did this once. This was my 2002

That was fun! So now! A top 10!

1. The Coral
2. The Polyphonic Spree - The Begining Stages Of...
3. Doves - Last Broadcast
4. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
5. Idlewild - The Remote Part
6. The Music
7. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
8. The Libertines - Up The Bracket
9. The Electric Soft Parade - Holes In The Wall
10. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

Honourable Mentions

Oasis - Heathen Chemisty
Primal Scream - Evil Heat
Black Rebel Motorcyle Club - BRMC (How is this not on my list!!!)
The Hives - Your New Favourite Band
The Vines - Highly Evolved

Hahaha!
 
Flaming Lips ~ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

2nd day in a row where I get to say Love, Love, Love this album. It showcases a sense of maturity and hope in the face of despair that very few bands could pull off, let alone try to capture. Wayne may be the frontman, but Steven Drozd is definitely the key on this album with his growth in songwriting and composition. 4.5 out 5 as there are a few weak tracks, and Soft Bulletin is arguably a better album.

Looking forward to my Yoshimi Deluxe box set arriving. They amount of b-sides/collaborations released during this era was amazing. One of my absolute favorites is their collab with Sparklehorse covering Daniel Johnston's "Go".



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Did you guys know there was a fucking musical?
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I saw it! The staging was pretty incredible from what I remember, especially the robots. Musically it focused on Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi, and At War With the Mystics. I am surprised it never moved past this stage and got another run.

And there was no fornication, although there was full nudity in parts.
 
Got The Mamas & the Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears.
I've never sat and listened to this whole album front to back but I've heard the majority of it before. Great album! Some real classics in here.

Coldplay - Parachutes
I know it's cool to hate on Coldplay nowadays but I used to listen to this album. I actually liked their albums up to a certain point before I stopped listening. This is not exactly the most memorable album tbh. I do love a few songs from this album a lot though
 
I knew we did this once. This was my 2002



Hahaha!
So mine is…

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
3. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
4. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
5, The Libertines - Up The Bracket
6. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
7. Sigur Ros - ( )
8. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
9. Beck - Sea Change
10. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
 
I knew we did this once. This was my 2002



Hahaha!
So mine is…

1. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
3. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
4. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
5, The Libertines - Up The Bracket
6. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
7. Sigur Ros - ( )
8. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
9. Beck - Sea Change
10. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
My 2002 Top 10
01. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
02. Interpol - Turn On Your Bright Light
03. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
04. Sonic Youth - Murray Street
05. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
06. Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
07. The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious
08. The Flaming Lips -Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
09. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up The Breakdown
08. The Books - Thought For Food

Broken Social Scene and The Libertines would be on this list had I actually listened to them back in 2002. Both didn’t land on my radar until early 2003. If I did include them You Forgot It In People would easily be #2 and Up The Bracket would be just ahead of The Hives.
 
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