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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trip those egos!, September 20, 2004
Trust the Flaming Lips to make a remix EP worth your while. Taking a track from their latest album, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," the Lips remix two songs and add three brand-new ones. The result? "Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell" is even better than the "Fight Test" EP.
The remixes are quite good -- "Do You Realize? (T.P.S. Remix)" is a trippy little remix with video-game-ish blips. "Ego Tripping (Ego In Acceleration) Jason Bentley Remix" is a lush, multilayered remix full of shifting electronic tones and a mild techno sound. But "Ego Tripping (Self-Admiration With Blow-Up Mix)" didn't quite tickle my fancy -- I got tired of Coyne repeating "up... up... up..." in the background. It made me think that the CD was skipping. But aside from that, it's a decent, densely-mixed song.
But the new songs are even better. "Assassination of the Sun" is a lush, piano-led number filled with electronic dashes, while "I'm A Fly In A Sunbeam (Following The Funeral Procession Of A Stranger)" is a solemn, horn-laden instrumental. "Sunship Balloons" is a pleasant but not exceptional song, sounding like a track that never made it onto "Yoshimi." But the Lips outdo themselves with "A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn't So)," a silvery Christmas song laced with bells, peace, love and Christmas. It's the best Christmas song I've heard in eons.
The Flaming Lips are an ever-evolving band -- they've come from a sort of punky sound to the lush, epic psychedelica of "Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." But the heart of their music more or less remains the same -- a sort of childlike optimism in the human spirit.
As in "Yoshimi," they mingle acoustics and polished electronics, into a vaguely Yes-like sound. It's sunny, bright and sweet, without ever feeling fake or gimmicky. It sounds like frontman Wayne Coyne believes every word he sings. "And now this horrible machine churns out pain/instead of love/and looks just like the sun..." he sings in his slightly off-kilter voice. And he really sounds depressed.
Sweet, wistful and wonderfully remixed, "Ego Tripping At the Gates of Hell" is a worthy EP to complement the "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" album. A wonderful experience.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A surprise., December 19, 2003
I have become quite the fan of the Lips over the last few years and was able to see them perform their spectacular live show twice this past summer. A joy.I was drawn to buy this cd, not thinking it would be much more than some, no doubt interesting, out-takes, much like the Fight Test ep. I was wrong. This work stands on its own. It is a wonderfully connected aural experience with a song cycle that updates, advances and continues where Yoshimi left off - minus Yoshimi and the robots. The emotional oomph underlying the Yoshimi work is furthered; consider this a Flaming Lips "take" on things, updated and up to the minute as of the 2003 holiday season. This is a very satisfying musical and lyrical experience, culminating on the profound rumination of "A Change At Christmas". May we all be more successful in making that annual "change" in thinking last the whole year. While this may be considered a bridge to what's next for the Flaming Lips, this ep, as I said earlier, stands a worthy release on its own. If you are someone who digs the Lips, I highly recommend that you don't overlook this compelling work. Happy holidays to Wayne, Michael, Steve and you.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good with one essential track., November 26, 2003
If you view ownership of b-sides tracks in the manner similar to essential or passable; then hopefully this review will help you out. The first three tracks are pretty good quality while listening to them, they follow in the same electronic/thoughtful/atmospheric songs similar to Morning Magicians, Pavonis Mons by Balloon, and It's Summertime... but sadly just aren't as strong as I hoped. That doesn't mean they are failed attempts, but it helps to view them as expanded sounds from the original album (which is I guess the essence of a b-side). The remixes. Do You Realize has finally scored a good remix from the Postal Service. Someone else in the reviews described it well as "Laptop electro beeps and blips", and that pretty much sums it up. The first remix of Ego tripping is quality and has more soundscape than the original. It should be noticed that I think Ego Tripping is one of the weaker songs on the album, and I was amazed that they were making an EP out of it. The second one, on the other hand is forgettable. Finally we get to the best song on the album, A Change At Christmas (Say it isn't So). This is my new favorite song from the Lips. The way it's performed, and with Wayne's trademark positive outlook on the universe, is in line with Flaming Lips' stronger and more impressive songs. The great thing I love about the Lips is their message in songs. They always have a bi-polar arrangement about simple things presented in complex manners. And this one is about hope in Christmas time, about how great it is to mankind, but it's so fleeting to hold onto... yet we repeat the cycle year after year. With all mankind has accomplished in our time, you think we could easily accomplish a well deserved peace among all. This song is kind of similar to Do You Realize off of Yoshimi (which I also loved), with hope and despair occupying the same song. I really like this tune a lot, it's essential Lips, and I think it's worth the price of the EP all on its own. Peace and Merry Christmas,
Michael
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