Released in 1992, just before their breakthrough record,
Transmissions From The Satellite Heart,
Hit To Death In The Future Head represents an important part of The Flaming Lips' career. As the first record they made after being signed to Warner Brothers,
Hit To Death In The Future Head presents a more mature view on the early sound of the band.
The Flaming Lips
Wayne Coyne - Vocals, Guitar
Michael Ivins - Bass
Nathan Roberts - Drums
Jonathon Donahue - Technician
After their well known classic,
In A Priest Driven Ambulance, The Flaming Lips signed to Warner Brothers and made what was to be their final record with Jonathon Donahue. Donahue was once a full time member of The Flaming Lips, but left after
Hit To Death to pursue his efforts in Mercury Rev full time. Out of all the old Flaming Lips records,
Hit To Death, along with
Clouds Taste Metallic may well be the best. Where the 'old' Flaming Lips records end and the new ones start may be a hard thing to decide, but it's generally seen as anything pre
The Soft Bulletin. The frustration that many diehard Lips fans feel in relation to the group's earlier material is well justified. Many fans of the band listen to "The Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" and leave their Flaming Lips expeience there, regarding the older material as irrelevant or boring.
Hit To Death In The Future Head proves to be neither and is a must own for any serious Flaming Lips fan. The sound of the album is simultaniously dirty and polished. Using a wide range of instruments, the group conveniently (and pretentiously) name every instrument used on the album in it's booklet. There are quite a few. The huge range of instrumentation, along with Wayne Coyne's typically strange lyrics,
Hit To Death In The Future Head is a standard Flaming Lips album, which means it's as crazy as ever.
Hit To Death In The Future Head, released after the beginning of the grunge area, represents it's time in it's sound. However, the sound is very much The Flaming Lips. It is not depressing and it is much more experimental (to hear the experimental, check out the 29 minute track of noise at the end of the album) than your standard grunge record of the early 90s. Wayne Coyne's high "he can't sing" vocals have always been a unique part of The Flaming Lips and they are out in full swing here. Though the whole album is very good and there is not one track that lets the album down, the album's opener is easily the best. "Talkin' Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues" displays not only Wayne Coyne's brilliance in making up songtitles, but also how amazing the songs he writes can be. The track ranks as possibly the best Flaming Lips song ever. Other highlights are hard to pick, but there are a few that stand out above the rest. With it's unqiue sound and quality of songs,
Hit To Death In The Future Head represents an excellent and important part of The Flaming Lips' career.
Pros
Beautiful while still being dirty
Great mix of sounds
Imaginative lyrics and song titles
Cons
Nothing major, but tracks like "The Sun" are slightly hard to listen to at first
Reccomended Tracks
Talkin' 'Bout The Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues
Hit Me Like You Did The First Time
Gingerale Afternoon (The Astrology of A Saturday)
