Hear It Is: ALBUM REVIEW
New years is coming early, why? Because it's late and I'm bored so why not do an album review.
Right the hear we go (see what I did there?). That was really stupid... Hear It Is is the first full length album, from seminal psych pop band The Flaming Lips. The album came out after the departure of Mark Coyne (Wayne Coyne's older brother) leaving Wayne with guitar and vocal duties. The style and sound of the record doesn't differ far from the punk, garage rock sounds that were heard on The Flaming Lips EP ( 1984 ), in fact they didn't start to let go of the punky sound until 1990's In A Priest Driven Ambulance which I will review at a later date. The only real difference from this and TFL EP again is the new vocalist everything else remains the same they just sound tighter.
So now that the pleasantries are out of the way let us get to the actual album. Also as a note my tracklisting is messed up so excuse that. With You starts us off, it starts off really gentle and acoustic like, with lyrics with about feeling strange around someone. Suddenly the tempo picks and some noise guitars and drums start to fly in everything deteriorates and goes straight back to the beggining this time with bass. This is my kind of song, the lyrics shift to more sexual overtones about hallucinations at touch, which also could be a drug reference I'm not sure. And yep as I suspected everything breaks apart (which is kind of as part chorus).
Alright quick to the next song which starts off with a really garage rock riff that sounds pretty badass, this one is called unplugged which is a lie, this is a very punky song probably the punkiest song I've ever heard from The Lips. So far so good, my only problem is that the lyrics are really hard to distinguish.
And another quick entrance to the next song called Trains, Brains & Rain. This one sounds a lot like a R.E.M song or maybe an early XTC song to me. So far it's the poppiest song on the record and I'm loving the melody on this one. The lyrics again I'm not to sure as I'm not having too much time to digest them. Cool song probably my favorite so far.
Next up is Just Like Before, oooo right off the bat I'm getting a little Sonic Youth from the riff. The main riff is cool, but I'm not really feeling the rest, and the lyrics are really cheesy, I don't think they were really trying to all that weird yet, and seriousness doesn't really suit them well. Nice dissonant solo right in the middle, I like that. Nothing all that notable on this one unfortunately kind of middle of the road punk, nothing that special.
Alright now we're coming to She Is Death, another more acoustic song it seems. It starts off with some weird guitar effects that remind me of a Can song. I'm liking this one a lot actually, the lyrics aren't anything amazing, but they're a hell of a lot better than the last track. During the hook the full band comes in and gives us a pretty melody to work with. A guitar lead just popped in to add a bit of dissonance to the track which is always appreciated. Sadly the track just kind of fizzled out after that weak ending to an otherwise good song.
Alright so this next track is called Charlie Manson Blues, and the intro kicks serious ass oh goodness me is that good. Alright on to the song, again fairly punky like much of the rest of the album. The lyrics are what you expect from a track called Charlie Manson Blues, but the backup vocals are worth mentioning because they're delightfully weird almost creepy, it's my favorite thing I've heard on this album so far to be honest. Boy this song just kicks all sorts of ass, most definitely contender for favourite track on the album. Cool noisy speed up outright as well!
Man from Pakistan is up next, and the intro yet again is pretty killer, that's one thing I can say for sure positive is that all the intros are really great. As far as the song goes it's one of the stronger ones on the album, as far as songs go it's just good. Nothing really noteworthy about it just that it's a really killer song.
( never mentioned this, but this is my first time listening through this whole album, so that's why I'm opting to go in a more overall track by track style because it's the easiest to get my thoughts down that way)
Another acoustic one Godzilla Flick, really pretty the bass sounds a bit 80's though (you'd know what I'm talking about if you heard it). Coyne's singing in a much lower register than normal, more like how he actually talks rather than his usual high pitched out of tune yell of his. The backing vocals add something really nice to the mix as well nice poppy chorused-out feel. Very 80's, but very nice, pleasent would be the way to describe this one perfectly.
Second track with blues in the title, this one being Summertime Blues. Another really punk rock song, like classic punk rock think Ramones or Modern Lovers. This one is actually really fun to listen to, even though it's kind of derivative.
Alright two more tracks to go, this one is a sequel to the first track With You, it's called Staring At Sound - With You II, very punky yet again as most of this album is. Again getting getting a R.E.M vibe from this one. Right in the middle there's a weird breakdown that's dissonant in an almost jazzy way, it just kind of stops and goes back to the song, weird. Again the lyrics are much like With You talking about being with someone you like a lot, again it could just be a big drug metaphor. After the second chorus, we literally go back to With You again as a sort of reprise (I'm a big fan of reprises) what what a pleasent surprise it actually makes the record feel like more of a whole. Nice...
And finally.... Jesus Shooting Heroin. This is by far my favorite track on the album, and is one of my favorite Flaming Lips songs in general. The lyrics are actually great about war and how we'll never be at peace in the world, there's also religious overtones (or rather a distrust of religion), best lyrics on the album by far. The music during the verses is really subdued and the chord progression is really simple but hits in the right way. And the chorus legit kicks ass with those thudding notes and Floydish back round vocals. In fact this track I'd probably the most Floyd - like on the album, and the longest clocking in at over seven minutes.
Hear It Is is an astounding debut from The Lips because it's so different from almost anything else they've ever made since. If by far got the most punk influence from any album I've ever heard from them. There are definitely highlights like the opener With You, Charlie Manson Blues, Godzilla Flick, and Jesus Shooting Heroin, but there are pitfalls as well, and the songwriting wasn't nearly as complete from Coyne and Ivins yet, as they were still just starting off. And without Drozd for years to come they didn't have any of the expanded instrumentation or songwriting capabilities that he brought to the table.
FAVORITE TRACKS: Jesus Shooting Heroin, Godzilla Flick, With You, With You II, Charlie Manson Blues
LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: She Is Death, Just Like Before
OVERALL RATING: 6/10