Customer Reviews

Hit to Death in the Future Head

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Flaming Lips' fifth album, Hit to Death in the Future Head, is, to start, a surprisingly coherent and brilliant album from a
time in the Lips' musical career when they were still transitioning from something like alternative grunge to electronic pop. It gives a tantalizing taste of the care-free subjects of their next album, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, while mixing some of the left-over grunge from In a Priest Driven Ambulance with an overall mellower sound similar to that of more recent albums. However, by no means should this be mistaken for one of their latest works. It bears little or no resemblance to the oft-loved and emotional Soft Bulletin, nor to the experimental Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It is unique in its own right, as a little-known hybrid of changing styles in the middle of the Flaming Lips career.

This fact becomes readily apparent in songs like "Gingerale Afternoon," an amazingly laid-back tune (despite its apparent speed) that sparks memories of nostalgic summers, and the most impressive work on the album "Halloween on the Barbary Coast," a deceptively smooth song that hides brash and noisy chords reminiscent of Lips' previous albums. Though many of the songs here have apparent differences in subject matter, they seem to have an overlying blanket of similar song character, and they compliment each other well. For instance, the unhurried and majestic "The Sun" makes for a very good lead into the almost overly-calm and slow f***-it-all "Felt Good to Burn." One song just gets you in the mood for another.

Interestingly, throughout much of Hit to Death in the Future Head, Coyne's trademark slightly off-key and quirky singing style from earlier albums is gone, replaced by a much calmer and dignified voice. In all truth, his vocals sound oddly similar to Bob Dylan's. Whether or not this is a good thing, however, depends upon your taste in music. By taking such a large departure vocally from the last album, you may find yourself dismayed by this change, or, possibly, pleasantly surprised. That's not to say that his voice is always like this ("The Magician vs. the Headache" is a notable exception), but it certainly feels this way in some of the slower songs in the album, like the previously-stated "The Sun" and "Felt Good to Burn," which in a strange way end up feeling like songs by Bob Dylan being covered by the Flaming Lips.

As a side note, this was one of the final albums in which the Flaming Lips was a four member band. Their fourth member, guitarist Jonathan Donahue, whose very noisy and bizarre guitar work made Hit to Death in the Future Head and the more critically successful In a Priest Driven Ambulance arguably some of the Lips' most memorable work, left almost immediately after the release of this album to pursue his own musical career. He was replaced by Ronald Jones for the next two albums, who then himself left the band, reportedly having suffered from paranoia and severe agoraphobia.

However, the album is not without its problems. The vocals are almost all un-listenably distant; whether this is purposeful or just a product of a poor recording studio at the time is uncertain. Also, anyone who started at either spectrum of the Flaming Lips career, either with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and Soft Bulletin, or Hear it Is might be put off by just how different is from either of them. The Flaming Lips have been an amazingly adaptable band throughout their lifetime; their beginning works and more recent are near polar opposites. If you have started at one extreme end of their career, it would probably be advisable to just work you way in one direction, one album at time so as to make the transition between musical styles less abrupt.

With this album the Flaming Lips have once again displayed their seemingly endless ability to completely revamp themselves from release to release. This over-looked classic is must-own for any Lips fan, and may just be the right place to start for those looking to discover all that their music has to offer.

This album has the best Lips sound. The classic sound. Squelchy guitars, backwords strings, and just general all around weirdness that forms a melody. In my opinion, their best album, by far. This album and Mercury Rev's "Yerself is Steem" are 2 early 90s must haves. Very similiar sounding.

This album is to me the most creative and expansive album the band has released to date. The album summoned up a sence of creativity that opened the door for a new and original view. From the Dream Pop to the psychedelic majority of the album, it creates a panorama effect. The album is like a kalleidescope as layers upon layers of sound make for a new listen each time. New parts throughout the mix seem to appear from the already discovered sounds. The wonderful songs, creativity and feel make this an outstanding piece.

P.S.-they should drop the PA sticker... it's almost senseless to be there.

Ben.
the 15 year old.

Though not as catchy or fully-realized as later albums like "The Soft Bulletin" or "Clouds Taste Metallic," "Hit to Death in the Future Head" is a must-own. Bridging the gap between the ragged guitar madness of their previous albums and the pop mastery they'd later exhibit, the Lips (which at this point included Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev) write beautiful melodies, and then bury them beneath layers of gnashing guitars, used to best effect on "Frogs" and "Hit Me Like You Did the First Time." It's good, noisy, psychedelic fun. -Chris Willie Williams

ladies and gentlemen, this is a great album. no questions asked. but if you're new to the flaming lips, exposed first to the soft bulletin and yoshimi like me, this might not be a good place to start. compared to the lush, layered sonic palettes of bulletin and yoshimi, this is indeed organized but not as much. the guitars range from squelchy to piercing, with all kinds of effects and noises thrown in at spots, but not in a bad way, in more of an adding to the song type way. Standout tracks include Hit Me Like You Did the First Time, Halloween on the Barbary Coast, Frogs, and The Magician vs. the Headache. but if you really want to get into the lips after you've experienced bulletin and yoshimi, start off with the clouds taste metallic album and work you're way back. either way you go, if you like the lips, you'll be happy.

the flaming lips have done it again. they have created the most artistic album lyrically and musically. this is by far the best album of the nineties. the album starts off with the tour-de-force sound of " Talkin' Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants To Live Forever)" and never slows down. "Hit to Death In the Future Head" is a cacophony of acid-psychedelia style pop with the strong points of the album being songs like "Hold your Head", "Frogs", and "Gingerale Afternoon (Astrology of a Saturday). This album is a must have in any flaming lips's fan collection and is a great album to buy for people who are willing to explore the dimension that is the flaming lips.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best Flaming Lips records, if not the best. This album represents the pinnicle of the early Lips sound, with the added benifit of major label production value. Anyone intrested in the Lips should definatly check it out.

I'm a big fan of the Flaming Lips -- and this is by far their best album (including the recent "Soft Bulletin"). Pure guitar noise meets pop genius on songs like "Frogs", "Hit Me Like You Did the First Time", and "Gingerale Afternoon". If you like the Lips, you owe it to yourself to get this one.

The Flaming Lips, hands down the best band I personally think the world has to offer, had really done an amazing job with this album. Hit to Death in the Future Head is a beauty, with all kinds of creative sounds never heard before. Funny, because Wayne Coyne said this album is still "a bit of a mess really", but overall, "very fun to make". The result, in my [humble?] opinion, was a masterpiece. Talkin' About the Smilin' Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyones Wants to Live Forever), is an amazingly creative and fast-paced rock song, and as if the title didn't say it all. Gingerale Afternoon (The Astrology of a Saturday) and The Magician VS. the Headache are very well done fast paced paced songs as well, with some amazing guitar work. The Flaming Lips have amazing sound. This album demonstrates what they do best.

This was my first Flaming Lips CD, bought after seeing them live in 1994. I was hooked. Hit To Death is like Middle Period Flaming Lips; in between the Pink Floyd-resembling songs of their first records, and the bigger-budget, philosophical fiestas more recently produced. In this CD, the band uses little more than their guitars and drums to produce the head-filling sounds for which they're known. The songs are undeniably catchy though, driving home the point that the Flaming Lips are talented song-crafters, no matter what they use in the studio. You'll have to forgive and forget the "untitled hidden track" though.