Fight Test [ENHANCED] [EP]

The Flaming Lips

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 22, 2003)
• Original Release Date: April 22, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, EP
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00008V630
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #92,497 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The title track of this seven track EP is taken from the 2002 album, 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots', & it's backed with seven non-LP tracks, a cover of Kylie Minogue's 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' (KEXP Version), Beck's 'The Golden Age' (CD101 Version), Radiohead's 'Knives Out' (KCRW Version), 'Do You Realize??' (Scott Hardkiss Floating In Space Mix), 'The Strange Design of Conscience' (prev. unreleased), 'Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)' (prev. unreleased), & 'Flight Test' (Video). Warner Brothers. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For Collectors Only, April 23, 2003

By	Nathan E. Kiner (Milford, NH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a Lips fan, I enjoyed this EP, it's nice to have something to tide you over between major releases. It could have been better though. Here's the song by song breakdown.

Fight Test: This is the album version of this song. Great song, but if you've got Yoshimi you've already got it.

The next three are live covers-

Can't Get You Out of My Head: Don't know the original artist, but yes its THAT song. Amusing at best.

The Golden Age (Beck) - The Lips are in a pretty good position to play this song, given that they both opened for Beck and also played in his backing band on his most recent tour. This is a fairly straightforward version of a pretty good song. Wayne sounds a little funny singing so low.

Knives Out (Radiohead) : Another fairly straightforward cover. Interesting, but not remarkable.

Now we're back to studio tracks:

Do You Realize??(Floating in Space Mix): The original version of this is an awesome song, but probably not the best choice for a 9 minute long quasi techno remix. This remix adds little other than length, a lame dance hall drum beat, and the occasional warbly filter on wayne's voice.

The Strange Design of Conscience: Finally, a new song. This one's pretty good, with a similar vibe to the stuff on Yoshimi. Almost makes up for the butchering of Do You Realize, but not quite.

Thank You Jack White (For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me):

This is the saving grace of the EP right here. The song has a countryish vibe and tells the presumably true story of Wayne's run in with Jack White of the White Stripes, and the fiber optic Jesus he gave him. Fun song.

Bonus Material - This cd also contains a video for fight test, and a trailer for the upcoming lips movie Christmas on Mars. Haven't yet got to watch either of them, but bonus material is always a good thing.

Bottom line, this looks like a 'For Collectors Only' item, especially since at [money] its almost the price of a full length album. Definately buy Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and The Soft Bulletin before you think about getting this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Fight" on, July 3, 2003

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Flaming Lips produced the fantastic album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" in 2002, and the first of those was the fantastic "Fight Test." Now it's on its own single with covers of other bands' songs -- and a few new ones by the Lips.

First off is "Fight Test," unaltered from the original album, a hilariously stately cover of Kylie Minogue's dance-pop "Can't Get You Out Of My Head," a musically complex cover of Beck's "Golden Age," a harder-edged electronic cover of Radiohead's "Knives Out," a dance remix of "Do You Realize," and the likably perky "The Strange Design Of Conscience." The crowning glory is "Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)," in which the male half of the White Stripes drops off a unique gift. (Guess what it is)

"Fight Test" is a pretty decent collection of covers, remixes and new songs. The more ominous, dignified version of Kylie's dance hit is hysterical; "Thank You" is cheerfully countryish. "Do You Realize" is interesting once, but not after that; it's the same as the original, except more technoish. And as always, the songs are best when they're the Lips' own ("and I said 'thank you Jack White, for the fiberoptic Jesus that you gave me'/it shined so bright I couldn't help believin' it would save me").

Fans of the Lips and of "Yoshimi" should check this out. Consider it a slightly twisted extension of that much-loved album.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A treat for Lips fans, May 3, 2003

By	P. Nicholas Keppler "rorscach12" (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The EP accompanying Fight Test, the third single from the Flaming Lips' unbelievably good Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, is chunked full of treats that will delight the band's core following. The covers of "Golden Age" and "Knives Out," recent songs from Beck and Radiohead, respectively, are both first-rate. But their bizarre take on Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," is truly astounding. The group's brand of mad genius turns the dance-pop hit into an ominous dirge that reeks of pain and obsession. Next is an enjoyable, floaty remix of "Do You Realize??," followed by two new songs: the gentle "Strange Design of Conscious" and the folksy "Thank You Jack White (For the Fiberobtic Jesus that You Gave Me)," about a backstage encounter with the male half of The White Stripes. All this on an enhanced CD featuring the noticeably low-budget but entertaining video for "Fight Test" and the trailer for the band's upcoming film, Christmas on Mars.