Customer Reviews

Late Night Tales

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

 

 

This is one of the most worthwhile CD's I've purchased all year. Initially, I was skeptical (it seemed to me that a sampler of this kind should run about a penny under ten bucks) but a month and a half after I picked it up, I'm still listening to it on a daily basis. It's *almost* a textbook example of how you make a mix CD.

The theme is all in the vibe, which is mellow, world weary and yet hopeful. Almost every song locks neatly into the one that follows like trains cars being linked together. When you achieve that kind of music mix synchronization, the great songs bring out the ones that are only good and improve upon them.

Highlights? Miles Davis, "My Ship," from the Miles Ahead album he made with Gil Evans. It shouldn't fit between Bjork and Chris Bell, but somehow it does.

Speaking of Chris Bell, this disc serves up his "Speed of Sound," which -- with its sublime synthesizer solo (yeah, I actually wrote "sublime synthesizer solo" and I mean it) -- I liked so much I eventually had to dig out my long neglected copy of "I Am The Cosmos." Bell leads into Faust (sounding for all the world like Gordon Lightfoot) and Faust leads into a Roxy Music tune I'd never heard but now love.

The mix also gets huge points from me for including both my favorite Radiohead ("Pyramid Song") and my favorite Nick Drake song ("River Man"). It also gets away with copping a little 10CC, somehow, and the mood doesn't break or miss a beat at all.

But the best thing a mix can do is gradually, gracefully introduce the listener to songs they don't know, and in this case it's Alfie's "People," which includes an *incredible* harmony about halfway through, and Lush's "Monochrome."

Oddly enough, the one song that I can't recommend is a Lips song. Don't get me wrong (don't hit that "no" button just yet if you haven't already) it's a perfectly solid, raucous cover but, sequenced right into the middle of the disc, it just doesn't fit into this mix and it sticks out like a sore thumb, completely breaks the mood. Which, knowing Wayne Coyne (and given that the song opens with a blaring siren) might be the whole point, who knows?

Many people listen to the gloriously offbeat psychedelic rock created by the Flaming Lips. But what do the Lips themselves listen to? This edition of "Late Night Tales" gives listeners an idea, with a wild, weird collection of everything from folk to jazz to indierock.

Given the wonderfully bizarre nature of the Flaming Lips' musical style, some of these songs are sort of what you would expect: they include varying artists like Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Radiohead, and Bjork, as well as the Psychedelic Furs and the Chemical Brothers.

Less predictable are other selections, such as Love & Rockets, jazz great Miles Davis, and folk martyr Nick Drake. While these artists/bands aren't such obvious choices, they are remarkable to listen to. And finally we have the lesser-known bands: the strummy Chris Bell, sparkly shoegazer Lush, Sebadoh's midtempo indierock, the eerie Chameleons, the languid 10cc, the heady electrorock of Faust, and the rippling guitar pop of Mice Parade.

They also include their cover of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Okay, it's not really suitable for a mix CD, but "Seven Nation Army ("Harry Potter's and George W. Bush's Severed Head Arm Mix)" is a wildly charming cover, and one that had to be put somewhere.

To some degree, "Late Night Tales" is exactly what you would expect the Flaming Lips to have on their CD players. All it needs is some orchestral music, and the image of what shaped the Lips appears to be complete. As it is, this mix CD shows off the sort of music that shaped their quirky style: Very rich and complex tunes, mixed in with classic, complicated music.

The Flaming Lips evidently listen to a wide range of music, from shoegazer to avant-pop to indierock to jazz and folk. There's no real rhyme or reason to this collection, and the best way to listen to it is simply to sit back and enjoy the music. A few fall short -- Chris Bell sits like a gravel pebble amongst semiprecious stones -- but overall it's an almost magical experience.

Listening to it may not give you the acid-kitsch talents of the Flaming Lips, but their volume of "Late Night Tales" is still a solid, very fun listen.

The real beauty of this compilation is the liner notes. Don't get me wrong, the compilation is brilliant and the music is wonderful, but the key to the whole thing is the notes Wayne scribbled about why he chose each song.

Listening to this without reading the notes is a bit like wandering lost around an art museum, enjoying the paintings. It is a great way to spend your time. On the other hand, you could be led by an expert who can explain the finer points, the history, the reason the art is in this collection to begin with. You get all the aesthetic pleasure, plus enlightenment.

Wayne is your personal docent.

He points out reasons for collecting these songs; a beautiful innovation here, a pathetically heart wrenching lyric there, a sublime use of an odd time signature, this band had to be in the collection and this is a good representation of why, on and on.

I've no clue what the previous reviewer is talking about - when you buy the cd there's a sticker clearly stating that this is the "selected tunes by the flaming lips," not The Lips doing all covers. This CD is a perfect representation of what they listen to at home along with them doing a cover of the White Stripes song - which is hot by the way. If you are a true fan of The Flaming Lips and a fan of music - you'd enjoy this as much as I do.

Others have described the CD fairly well. No point in adding my blather to theirs. I'll leave it at this: this is a good CD, but not great; it needs some editing. Delete tracks 12-16 and you have a much more concise, cohesive offering.

I don't how who Alfie are (is?) but their song "People" is a definite highlight. Linear, tight, multipart interwoven guitar rock: picture the Strokes with twice the IQ.

One of the most inspired series ever offered on CD, 'Late Night Tales' offers an intimate look into the personal home listening tastes of each of the artists spotlighted in the series. The best description of the series is by it's creator AUSTIN WILDE who states on their website latenighttales.co.uk; "Our special series gives artists and producers the opportunity to select their favorite tracks for home listening. The series is an ideal opportunity for the artists to express their tastes and musical background and to take the listener on a journey through their musical inspirations. Normally we ask our chosen producers to compile an album of their favorite music that inspired them to make music their profession - their favourite of the favourites.Sit back relax and enjoy.". I personally share this vision, for years I have asked club dj's to make a mix of the best music that they can't get away with playing at dance clubs (you can e-mail me at nickfromspace@yahoo.com if you want to hear some of those).

The spotlight here shines on WAYNE COYNE of THE FLAMING LIPS. As in the FLAMING LIPS own music, that light shines through a kaleidoscope. Showing off music of all times from todays ALFIE, SEBADOH, MICE PARADE,
CHRIS BELL, NICK DRAKE & DAVID SHRIGLEY; to 90s defining RADIOHEAD, BJORK, APHEX TWIN, FAUST & CHEMICAL BROTHERS; to 80s ingenues PSYCHEDELIC FURS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, THE CHAMELEONS & LUSH; to 70s innovators ROXY MUSIC, BRIAN ENO, & 10CC; the timeless jazz of MILES DAVIS; and a features an exclusive new track by FLAMING LIPS in which they cover WHITE STRIPES 'Seven Nation Army'; this is truely a renaissance man expierence.

A personal description as to the inspiration and reason for the selection of each track is offered in the liner notes. I only wonder if WAYNE was the one who selected the picture of the plastic elephant for the cover of the CD & how much wonderful it would look on LP.

[...]

Billed as a "compilation", it's clear that these aren't covers (not sure why so much confusion in earlier reviews) but rather personal favorites of the band members themselves. I've seen this type of thing grow in popularity recently, with artists offering up their personal playlists for all to see. I think its a great way for the unannitiated to get exposed to new music (old and new). I am particularly enjoying the 10cc, Aphex Twin, and Brian Eno tracks. Mostly soothing, occasionally melancholy, this comp is made up of a wide range of tracks that are perfect for fans of the Lips, or for anyone else looking to hear something new.

The Flaming Lips are always musically adventurous and experimental, so I knew they'd have to have some cool influences. This album is a sweet mellow mix kicked off with Bjork's "Unravel" (probably the best song from "Homogenic"), seguing into some Miles Davis (not my favorite by him, but continues the mellow mood), later getting into some music box funk by Aphex Twin and Chemical Brothers. Near the end we get Radiohead's "Pyramid Song"-- I've never been a huge fan, but this song is by leaps and bounds the best I've heard from them, Thom Yorke distilled down to somber wailing poetry and a simple, eerie piano riff underneath. A definite highlight. Right after that, we get the easy listening song "I'm Not in Love," whose inclusion here makes me see the song in a new light, especially in this extended and uncut version.

You know the Lips know their music, and this mix tape doesn't disappoint. It manages to be downtempo and always interesting at the same time.

This is quite possibly the best album I have bought in ages. Finally, a c.d. where every song is great! The songs flow very well into eachother and are arranged perfectly. I really liked this mix because it contained some music that I already know and love, like Radiohead and Bjork, and then a lot of new songs that I would have never thought to listen to, like Mice Parade or The Chameleons. I'm sooo happy I invested in this cd and you should buy it too! It will make you day! :)

Typically chilled out, mellow, tastefully compiled entry into the Late Night series. The previous reviewers are apparently unaware of the recent upsurge in artist-compiled "mix" cds. I love the whole concept--I've been exposed to so much great and obscure music through these compilations, things I would never have heard otherwise (the Chris Bell song on here is a killer). And the recasting and contextualizing of tunes I am familar with only adds to the sense of discovery and excitement. If you dig this one, be sure to check out Four Tet's entry in the series--it's equally enlightening, if a bit more obscure.
You know, it's moronic to misinterpret this as a scam on the Lips' part. Were you equally outraged when you realized Zaireeka's four discs were four pieces of a whole? Or are you new to the whole Flaming Lips "thing"? Sounds like you're the kind of person who might benefit from hearing a little classic Roxy Music or Nick Drake. Did you actually listen to this disc or were you too busy playing consumer advocate?