Review Summary: Hear It Is, the band's debut LP, draws heavily from the punk rock era and never fully develops into something engaging, but it manages to present some fairly interesting tunes.
The Flaming Lips, like every other seminal band, had to start somewhere. Before they were shooting their confetti cannons, the group was just another rock band from the 1980s. Hear It Is, the band's debut LP released in 1986, presents the group at their most raw and underdeveloped.
If you are a fan of albums like The Soft Bulletin, you will likely be surprised by the overall sound of this album. It sounds like your everyday punk rock with a hint of psychedelia. There are some decent songs on Hear It Is, but in general, there is nothing incredibly enticing about this album. As a whole, the record comes across as somewhat bland and monotonous in scope.
"With You" is the LP's eccentric opener, conveying some of the band's self-deprecating tendencies that would characterize later works. The album's pinnacle comes at the very end with the song "Staring at Sound", a heavy, epic guitar-laden track with an eruption of drums and quirky lyrics. The song points ahead to future albums like Oh My Gawd!!! and In a Priest Driven Ambulance with its sheer ambition. "Trains, Brains & Rain" picks up the slack of the dull "Unplugged" with memorable vocals and amusing tempo changes that keep the song on its feet. "Godzilla Flick" is an interesting change of pace as a slow song that comes across as both comical and earnest.
Furthermore, The Lips implement some muddy electric guitar accompanied by haunting cries with the seven-minute "Jesus Shootin' Heroin", the album's most experimental track. The reserved guitar playing throughout the song serves as a neat contrast with the caustic lyricism from Wayne Coyne. "Man from Pakistan" is another good tune that utilizes some notable vocal hooks while giving the drummer necessary breathing room.
Hear It Is is not a definitely not a bad album, as it has a number of enjoyable tunes for those who can learn to appreciate the early punk phase of the band's career. However, this LP is not a very cohesive one, and it feels like some tracks were just thrown onto this album at the last minute. As far as Flaming Lips albums go, Hear It Is is indeed one of the band's weakest efforts, but it is worth giving this album a chance.
Favorite Tracks:
Staring at Sound
Man from Pakistan
Trains, Brains & Rain
Jesus Shootin' Heroin
Godzilla Flick
