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Les fans des Flaming Lips (rarement je me serai senti aussi seul en écrivant cinq mots) commençaient légitimement à se ronger les ongles à l'écoute des deux précédents albums : malgré tout l'amour porté à Wayne Coyne (je n'ai pas dit "admiration" : j'ai bien dit "amour"), on pouvait en effet voir poindre dans Yoshimi battles the pink robots... et surtout At war with the mystics, une certaine tendance à l'harmonisation, voire - horreur ! - à une forme d'apaisement. En vérité, c'était reculer pour mieux sauter : Embryonic, le douzième effort des aliénés d'Oklahoma City, est un double-album passablement barré, une genre de fanfare psyché-rock malade et joyeuse avec de vrais morceaux d'espace dedans, qui redonnera le sourire aux admirateurs de Transmissions from the satellite heart et Clouds taste metallic et fera fuir à toutes jambes ceux qui avait découvert le groupe avec Do you realize ? et autres gentillesses pop sucrées. Cette musique vient de très loin : à la troisième écoute, je reste incapable d'en dire plus. La parole, en ce jour, est donc laissée à celui qui sait :
The Flaming Lips -
A TRACK-BY-TRACK Review from Wayne Coyne
1) CONVINCED OF THE HEX
The basic track is a first take freak-out jam with Steven on drum kit, Kliph on another drum kit and me (Wayne) on wobbly, distorted bass. The initial recording went on for about 10 minutes. We edited it down to just the section where the groove was best. This was our first successful attempt at merging a low-fi distortion jam with hi-fi computer overdubs. This was the first in a series of lyrics inspired by repeated viewings of the controversial film, “The Night Porter” (made in 1974 by the radical Italian director Liliana Cavani.) Its themes of submission and obsession and cruelty and pleasure really put the zap on my sleep-deprived head.
2) THE SPARROW LOOKS UP AT THE MACHINE
A simple rhythmic mantra about the meaning of the concepts of power and submission and nature vs. technology….but not for defiant reasons…..to be in awe of things that have power….even if it has the power to control you….to mentally get past the fear of being dominated and to embrace the realization of our helplessness.
3) EVIL
An underlying story of regretting not being able to detect and understand evil…being haunted by how kind, gentle creatures are easily overpowered by the violent, mean beings…..humans are capable of such horrible things and create so much suffering in the world.
4) AQUARIUS SABOTAGE
Another of the early freak-out jams that showed us a new way. We began to name our free-form sessions using astrological signs. We didn’t know how many we’d end up with, so this naming system was a solution to keeping track…..but it quickly began to color what the little pieces of music meant. I guess everybody already has an abstract concept in their mind that is evoked by the zodiac stuff.
5) SEE THE LEAVES
A simple, menacing groove, but also a kind of grinding machine…..it implies a primitive self-exploration…..to understand life, we must, sadly, understand death….to know the value of love, we must try to understand the nature of evil….to know ecstasy, one must explore suffering. Crazy, panic drums by Kliph.
6) IF
A quiet response to the song “Evil.” It says, “yes….people are evil….it’s true.” But humans have within them the capacity to do the greatest of kindness….if they decide. Sung by Steven. Done with a little digital recorder sitting on top of the Fender Rhodes.
7) GEMINI SYRINGES
Features Thorsten Wörmann doing sound bites explaining some fundamental mathematical equations involving polynomial rings….but also featuring Karen O making clicking gunshot sounds.
8) YOUR BATS
This song began as a free-form rock jam with Steven on drum kit, Kliph on congas and me, again, on wobbly, simple bass. Lyrics inspired again by themes of digression - accepting human nature as disturbing.
9) POWERLESS
One of our longer guitar solos ever put into a song. Lyrics and mood of waiting in the dark…..scared of what you might find.
10) THE EGO’S LAST STAND
Strange song about standing with my mother watching a small kitten die on her porch…
11) I CAN BE A FROG
A kind of Sonny and Cher back-and-forth love song. Karen O makes joyful animalistic outbursts.
12) SAGITTARIUS SILVER ANNOUNCEMENT
Voice from beyond was added to early spooky jam. Religious choir vocal things by Steven. The lyrics imply that to surrender to our primitive desires and obsessions is the only way to pure freedom
13) WORM MOUNTAIN
A spontaneous, heavy, Lightning Bolt-style jam. MGMT join in with singing and shakers…..freedom to fail.
14) THE IMPULSE
A mellow observer voice tries to remind us to see joy in all situations and to redefine what pleasure is.
15) SCORPIO SWORD
The most free-form of all of the early freak-out jams. Initial recording goes on for about 10 minutes. This is just a piece of that. Michael on bass, Steven on wah Rhodes, Kliph doing exploding drums and me on echo 12-string guitar.
16) SILVER TREMBLING HANDS
At last, the ecstasy of following her more true animalistic urges……the “she” in the song finally gets the ultimate high.
17) VIRGO SELF-ESTEEM BROADCAST
Thorsten Wörmann can be heard giving the final blow that will, at last, destroy our ego and let us begin again!! He says, “you think the forces have control….well, there are no forces and they have no control…..it’s just you and me…..and we fear anything that looks like the sun……and we, by our own design, are helpless……this is the beginning…..” Kind of a religious mantra that says “destroy all religion.”
18) WATCHING THE PLANETS
Tribal conquering dirge. Karen O kicks in singing with me and Steven. A final revelation that celebrates the power of nature and implies that the only laws worth obeying are the laws one makes for oneself. Experience is the only teacher…..
-Wayne
2009