Talk:The Flaming Lips

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Contents

[edit] first person account

I think I've done pretty well in not stating my opinion on matters aesthetic round these parts so far - heck, I wrote an entire article on Paul Hindemith, whose music gives me about as much pleasure as repeatedly stabbing forks into my eyes (that's no pleasure at all, by the way). But I can't help myself on this one, sorry: I went to see the FLips a couple of years ago (they were touring The Soft Bulletin) and it was the best gig I've ever seen. There was a very small amount of artistically placed fake blood, and video footage of Herbert von Karajan conducting in a rather over the top way, and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" sung with fake snow, and I didn't have to go to work in the morning (I was a student, I didn't work)... ah, happy days.

Right, back to this sonata form article (with apologies for the waste of wikipedia's disk space...) --Camembert

Well, I managed to write an entire set of articles on Stephin Merritt / The Magnetic Fields without mentioning the clearly evident fact that he's the greatest genius ever to grace the face of the Earth. Ah, the sacrifices we make for NPOV. And yes, the FLips are rather spiffy. --AW
I shouldn't say this, but just after I wrote this above, I suffered a power cut and was left in complete darkness. Clearly, this was a message from some sort of wikipedia god, ordering me to not waffle irrelevantly on talk pages. And yet, here I am doing it again. Hmm. --Camembert


[edit] Logo

That FLips logo at the top right is a pretty nasty cut job. I don't suppose anyone can source a nicer one? Rob W 22:27, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Legendary my eye

Sonic Youth and Morrissey - no matter how "famous" they might be considered by some - are not legendary.

Perhaps change to "legendary indie artists"? They are quite influential in this area of music and are often cited as inspirations. 98.218.199.0 (talk) 23:01, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Verb

In the first line of the article shouldn't "The Flaming Lips is..." be changed to "The Flaming Lips are..."? Hoekenheef 12:21, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC)


No, group nouns (such as band names), regardless of whether or not the words might otherwise be plural (such as "lips"), are singular and take a singular verb.

No... that's not a rule, it's simply the american english form of refering to group nouns. The british form -witch I consider more proper- allows the use of the plural verb, not only refering to plural nouns (such as "lips", e. "the flaming lips are"), but also for singular nouns as well(such as "clash", e. "the clash are").
Leo 20:49, 15 November 2007 (UTC)
Almost right. Since the grammar associated with band names varies from country to country, for American bands we treat it as a singular, and we pluralize words for British bands. However, in cases wherein the band's name is already a plural as opposed to singular (ie: Nirvana vs. The Killers), then you do in fact treat the noun as a plural one (ie: Nirvana is, The Killers are).
Verdict: The Flaming Lips = Plural
--Vazor20X6 01:34, 16 November 2007 (UTC)
Vazor20X6 is alluding to WP:ENGVAR, our guideline on how and when to use which dialect of English in which articles. Vaxor20X6, do you happen to know if there's a manual of style for band names? ··coelacan 05:11, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Grammar Problems

No, group nouns are not always treated as singular. A collective noun such as band, committee, or bunch takes a singular verb when the group acts as a SINGLE unit, and a plural verb when the members of the group act separately. For instance...

The herd of cattle is grazing in the field. (The whole herd is grazing.)

The herd of cattle are stampeding in all directions. (Individual cattle are running in various directions.)

In the Flaming Lips article, however, you can argue that the author is referring to each member of the band as a Flaming Lip; hence, he can be correct in writing that the Flaming Lips (all three of them) individually and collectively make up the band. Therefore, "are" is okay in this instance.

However, the lead sentence in the second paragraph is incorrectly phrased: "Although indie rock/post-punk approach to rock music, The Flaming Lips are known for their lush, multi-layered, psychedelic-ish arrangements and their spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles."

The opening phrase of that sentence should probably be refashioned into a subordinate clause.: "Although THEY TAKE AN indie rock/post-punk approach to rock music..." Actually the true intent of the sentence is difficult to decipher: Did the Lips ONCE take an indie approach? Do they NOW take an indie approach? Are they perceived to take an indie rock approach, when they actually don't? etc...

[edit] At War With the Mystics

I just recently checked the Lip's website and have heard no mention of a new album. I was wondering if anyone knew where this information was derived. Thank you. Hoekenheef 16:04, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Andrew Miller is God!

i don't seem to recall that being a Lips album. Could be vandalism. Hoekenheef 20:40, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] The Car show?

Does anyone have any info about "The Flaming Lips Car Experience" they did at the 1999 Roskilde Festival? They hooked speakers up to a number of cars & broadcasted a "concert" on that system, much to some peoples dismay (ie. those who thought it would be a real concert). Was this replicated elsewhere & if/if not, would it be worth including on this page?

You're thinking of the Parking Lot Experiments, and later, the Boombox Experiments. Short overview of what these were (from my own memory of various interviews etc): prerecorded tapes of various noises and instruments were played out of car stereos/boomboxes arranged in a specific way, conducted by the band. This way each tape player is an 'instrument' in an 'orchestra'... wayne would occasionally shout instructions over a megaphone, asking certain people to turn their tapes up, start or stop theirs, etc. to create an ongoing composition...
And yes, they're worthy of addition to this page, the band place emphasis on these 'experiments' as critical learning experiences, esp. in the creation of Zaireeka, blah blah blah, and of course they were a bloody cool idea. "Much to some people's dismay"? I would have loved to be there... direct interaction with the band, the chance to make a piece of music with a whole bunch of strangers in what sounds like an entirely original way? I'll add something when I get around to writing it... (see: info on official website) - mrkpwnz 07:52, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Which version is true?

Could someone please find another source to back up one of these two stories? --taestell 17:18, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

It should be in the documentary The Fearless Freaks. Unfortunately, my copy of the DVD is at home while at am at college. But of the top of my head I don't remember any mention of instruments being stolen from a church.

The wonderful thing is that the stories are equally plausible. Sirnickdon 10:35, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

The Flaming Lips first gog was at a place called Blue Note and their second gig was at a transvestite bar. It says so on the commentary on the Frearless Freaks DVD.Gregholden 00:05, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What about Spongebob

They did a song for the soundtrack, didn't they?

Yes. Yes, they did. CaptHayfever 04:33, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
It's called 'Sponge Bob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy' I love all. 20:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Itunes exclusive/Can't get you out of my head

I am by no means a Flaming Lips expert (in fact I only started listening starting with Yoshimi) but I seem to recall an album with 4 or 5 songs, one of which had a cover of a Kylie Menogue song called "Can't Get You Out of My Head". It may or may not have been an itunes exclusive but I know I definitely bought it from itunes. Anyone have any info on this? I will leave it to more informed people to edit the article.

It's on the Yoshimi EP "Fight Test", I think. There's a Radiohead cover on that one too. maxcap 03:55, 24 January 2006 (UTC)
It's also on the promo EP 'Yoshimi Wins: Live Radio Sessions' which may have turned up on iTunes. 203.166.249.50 04:21, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

I think there's also cover of the white stripes, 7 nation army.

No the 7 nation army cover was released on the Flaming Lips Late Night Tales compilation album.

[edit] Cat Stevens?

There was a spat between Cat Stevens and the Lips over the song Fight Test and it's similarities... anyone know any details that wants to put it in here?

I'm 90% sure Cat/Yusef tried to take them to court and got a settlement, but I lack the proper sources & details to add it myself. CaptHayfever 04:33, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
if you do a google, you'll find an interview where wayne gives all the details. he admits he realised the similarities to "father and son" soon after recording it but didn't sort out the publishing problems, and cat stevens' publishing company came after them for royalties. apparently cat stevens himself was cool about it.

[edit] Gettin' messy

Do we need all those tour dates at the end of the mystics section? maxcap 18:21, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Charts

Are there any tracks that made the Modern Rock charts? Surely "She Don't Use Jelly" would have. WesleyDodds 22:58, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lispacey?

the band is known for their lush, multi-layered, psychedelic arrangements and their Lispacey lyrics and bizarre song titles

What on Earth is "Lispacey"? GeeJo (t)⁄(c) • 13:56, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Picture

Does anyone have a better pic? All you can really see is Wayne Coyne, and all the other junk in the pic is really distracting. --Patinthehat1 02:26, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

All that junk is the Flaming Lips.  : D Stop the War in Uganda! 23:18, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I added a nicer one from flickr—enjoy! Bannus 20:01, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] List of cover songs

I really think that needs to go. Does it really matter what songs they've covered in concert? --Rajah 03:46, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Agreed.maxcap 02:06, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

I've trimmed it down to a more manageable list of songs they've covered and recorded/released. I'm not sure as to the complete accuracy of my trimmed list though. --Rajah 05:42, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Date wrong

In October 2005, The Flaming Lips recorded a cover of "If I Only Had a Brain" for the soundtrack of the video game Stubbs the Zombie, which features modern rock bands covering songs from the 1950s and 1960s.

That song is from The Wizard of Oz, which came out in 1939. It's not from the 1950s or the 1960s.Jondaris 19:10, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Separate discography?

Just wondering if the discography, filmography, et al section is large enough to be moved to a page of it's own. Anyone agree or disagree? MWB1138 12:08, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

  • I'm thinking that the discography list may be long enough now, but I'd like to see what some others say first. -Martinman 01:48, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
I agree, I've been thinking about doing that for a while now.maxcap 18:24, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
Well, it's been a week, and since there were no objections, I went ahead and moved the discography over to it's own page. MWB1138 10:27, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, I'm definately thinking that the move is a good change. -Martinman 13:10, 26 April 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Dubious Band Name Origin

Removed senetence reading: "Legend has it that the band's name came from a dream Wayne Coyne had in which he was kissed passionately by a Flaming Virgin Mary in the back seat of his car." from the "Early History" section. The official Flaming Lips website ( http://www.flaminglips.com/main.php ) credits this story as a bit of nonsense created for a press release (the article on the theories behind the origin of the band's name is listed in the tab "Band" under the "Trivia" section.68.165.229.136 22:20, 27 April 2007 (UTC)artemisstrong

(newbie, forgive any entry mistakes) i heard it was a sort of parody to other seemingly-nonsense 80s band names. flock of seagulls, talking heads, etc seem just as silly as "flaming lips", or so said wayne around 1995 on 101.1fm in chicago. dont have the exact date, but if it's archived it could document at least one explanation. Idrankthepaint 19:32, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

There are tons of theories about the band's name and its origin, most of them actually encouraged by the band. From the band's biography, "Staring at Sound"

"In the years to come, the band would encourage a number of myths about the origin of its moniker... (the name) simply appealed to Wayne as a bit of psychedelic surrealism, and a distinct alternative to names such as Reagan Youth or the many hardcore bands known by their initials.

So basically, it's just a phrase that the band thought sounded cool. 24.159.205.132 22:32, 7 July 2007 (UTC)Nick in Minnesota

There's apparently a film-within-a-film called "Flaming Lips". I forget where I saw it, but IMDB has a listing for a song with that name in the movie Geraldine. That seems like a realistic source (although "that seems like..." isn't a good enough excuse to add it to the article). Torc2 (talk) 02:18, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:SoftBulletinPoster.jpg

Image:SoftBulletinPoster.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 05:09, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:Flaming lips 2.jpg

Image:Flaming lips 2.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 04:48, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Activism

This recently-added section seems really out-of-place to me. It might be better suited to Wayne Coyne's solo page. At the very least, it needs to be integrated into the page a little better, so it doesn't seem so tacked-on. Any other opinions? Torc2 (talk) 02:43, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] UFO's at the Zoo DVD didn't come with a bonus CD

I edited the following because it had factual errors and contained the phrase "most recent" which always has a short shelf life and has already expired:

Their most recent festival appearance was at Bonnaroo 2007 in Manchester, Tennessee on June 17, 2007. They played a full-version of "War Pigs" 90 minutes prior to their midnight show, which they told the audience was "just a sound test" but was seen as a continuance of their oddity and love of their audiences.

The band released their first live concert DVD, UFO's at the Zoo: The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City, on August 7, 2007. The DVD also came with a CD containing the entire concert in audio format.

[edit] External link to The Flaming Lips page on last.fm

Hello, i would like to suggest an external link to The Flaming Lips last.fm page (http://www.last.fm/music/The+Flaming+Lips). Last.fm is a user generated music platform offering free legal contents such as music and videos. They have free streams of The Flaming Lips albums, videos, stats, updated gigs listings about the band, etc.. As a member of last.fm staff i would like to point your attention to what we believe to be relevant and free contents for those wikipedia users interested in the band.

cheers,

Marco - Last.fm Staff - Mystical-bunny (talk) 11:59, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] sentence removal

I removed the sentence: "It should be noted that the band was offered a street but politely declined and opted for an alleyway" regarding the Oklahoma City alleyway. It's not cited, and it's too bold of a statement to be left with no citation. - tbone (talk) 14:27, 6 June 2008 (UTC)