on 2008-01-28 dscanland Said:

Wonderful user review. Much better than my 9 year old review. lol
Not Rated

Review:

on 2008-01-28 xtal Said:

After first reviewing my favourite album here, I thought "what would be a good second review? I've got it! Something I first thought poorly of, then fell in love with. Sounds good!" And so I decided on The Soft Bulletin.

You know when you feel like going to the music store (if any of you still go to music stores) but there isn't anything you really think you need at the music store, but you decide you'll go anyway? Those times you'll just get something that "looks cool." It was one of those times when I discovered the Flaming Lips. Start from A, work your way down the aisles. Look for interesting names that stick out, then look for cool covers that grab your eye. F ... F, anything cool here? Hmmm... "Flaming Lips?" .... sounds oddly familiar, but not because you know it, just because it's one of those names that you would figure you had heard before. "Hey what's this? 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots'. What the f**k, is that a giant pink Gumby? Alright, it's got my approval!"

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes that strange, intriguing artwork can sell itself. It did, and as a bonus the music was good too. Very good! "I'll remember this." A few months later at the music store again, failing to ever just write a damn list and cross it off as I go, I struggle to remember anything of interest. I recalled F. "Flaming Lips ... hmm, let's find something more." The only other thing there was The Soft Bulletin, and it came home with me. I don't exactly remember the conditions of my first listen, whether I was half-paying attention on the computer, half-paying attention in the car, or half-paying attention while eating cheese. Heck, maybe I fell asleep halfway through. All I do remember is that I was extremely disappointed and would likely never listen to it again. "On the shelf you go."

I'm glad to say that was not the case. About a year later I picked it up and gave it another chance; I actually listened this time. I quickly changed my opinion that "it sucks" to "it definitely does not suck." This isn't a very good album review. But if you've heard it, you know it's great stuff, and if you haven't, well ... give it a try. That's moreso what I chose to write this "review" about. Second chances. You should never, ever write off an album because of one disappointing listen. (Unless it's a Paris Hilton album... then perhaps). What a great collection of weirdness this is, and what a fool I was to have my lazy opinion back then.

The Soft Bulletin taught me two things. The first was about second chances. The second was that having a greedy record label sucks, but is often a necessary evil. Having their evil taint all over the album is better than not having the album at all, I suppose, but they really f**ked with the tracklisting of The Soft Bulletin, which turns out to be my single gripe. The first 8 tracks remind me of the prog-rock days of Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson. While many found their self-indulgence disgusting and brushed off the whole "progressive" camp as a bunch of wankery, I find a unique (and mostly forgotten) approach to the album: more is good, but at the same time less is more. Longer "pop"-ish songs, but a mercifully short tracklist of eight, seven, six, or perhaps just five songs. It was balance. This is the approach the Lips take on 'Bulletin'; longer, carefully crafted pop suites that work so well and sound so right that after the first minute of the album you know exactly how it will unfold and when it will end, yet you also know nothing.

That holds true: until of course "Waitin' for a Superman" comes to a close, and just as you go to wipe the sweat from your brow a ninth track begins. "What the hell? Did they tack on some EP to the end of this?" Nope, it's part of the "album"! More is better! More is everything! Bah I say to that. Bah I say to the executive(s) who thought the album wouldn't sell those extra 25,000 copies if there wasn't some tactless bonbons appended to what should have been a beautiful 8 song masterpiece. It instead turns out to be a beautiful 8 song masterpiece with some useless fat and gristle in the form of b-sides and remixes.

A fully-loaded twice-baked potato can often be delicious, but couldn't this steak have been served a la carte? I guess I'm a purist, and the third portion of this meal still bothers me a great deal, even if I have the option to leave it on the plate.

Albeit flawed, a personal favourite, and a lesson in many things.
Rating: 7/10

on 2008-01-28 xtal Said:

[removed - edit messed my post up. oops!]
Rating: 7/10