Review Summary: The name is Yoshimi...
Growing pains are common in most aspects in life, and music is no different. I remember listening to
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots for the first time years back and immediately hating the experience. I had previously never heard of the Flaming Lips, and I even went so far as to genuinely think that it was one of the worst albums I had ever heard simply because I was unfamiliar with the band and their music. Of course, the reality is that I simply wasn’t ready for the sounds that I once felt had mercilessly assaulted my ears years back. My taste in music was still relatively pedestrian, not extending much further than mainstream pop, trashy metal, and whatever was heavily featured on classic rock radio stations. Therefore, it’s not really surprising that I once hated this and fount it unbearable, as my tastes had yet to mature and develop. Since then, however, my taste in music has expanded exponentially, and, consequently, I have found that my love for
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots only continues to grow with each listen: the sounds I once utterly loathed are now among my favorites in all of music, with “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2” and “One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21” being particular standouts in that regard. The former is entirely instrumental and filled with myriad electronic sounds, but it’s undeniably a fun, pure blast of energy, while the closing seconds of the latter are utterly beautiful and work to cultivate a lush and soothing feel.
I think, though, that I love this album because I have yet to come across another album that so effortlessly relates the human experience to its listener. “Fight Test,” “In the Morning of the Magicians,” “It’s Summertime,” and “Do You Realize???” are beautiful pieces of music, not only because of the sublime sounds and instrumentation, but because the lyrical topics range from from love and hate, empathy, fighting for you want, and the importance of living in the moment. I realize that some of the lyrical content might be cliché for some listeners, as no doubt this is material that has been covered ad nauseam, but, regardless, it all still hits home for me. Lines such as “For to lose I could accept but to surrender / I just wept and regretted this moment,” on “ Fight Test” and “Instead of saying all of your goodbyes, let them know / You realize that life goes fast / It’s hard to make the good things last,” on “Do You Realize???” always stand out. I think this is primarily a result of the contrast between the lyrics and the featured electronic sounds. Because, for an album that is thematically centered around what it means to be human and alive, the electronic sounds that permeate the songs best serve as a way to ensure that the point is transparent and recognized. This juxtaposition enhances not only the overall experience, but the various emotions that each song articulates as well.
Furthermore,
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots finds the Flaming Lips at their most cohesive, both conceptually and musically. It’s arguably their best work because of this very aspect and the album’s sound is impeccably fluid as a result. Songs transition from one to the other with such ease it’s not difficult to get lost in the experience. But, ultimately, I love
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots simply because it’s an album I can always depend on. I find that to be pretty rare, as I cannot say that for most of the music I listen to. These days, it seems that my enjoyment can vanish just as swiftly as it appeared. Therefore, as time keeps invariably marching forward, I’ve found
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots to be essential to me as a person, and it also might very well be the pinnacle of the Flaming Lip’s career.
