[screamingskull]

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

i do agree with you that i feel at war with the mystics is a stronger album than rather ripped, and yes, it seems the case since they spent more time on it than sy with rr; having seen sy play the rr songs a couple of months ago, i feel they should have waited a little to develope them more, as the live counterparts are much experimental, instrumentally better and even noisier with more improv, which i felt made the album feel incomplete.

i agree with this completely, i think the flaming lips give the songs time to develop and work on them, where as sonic youth maybe don't as much.

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

however, i think that a band that can't sustain a firm line up are bound to produce weaker music than a band with a solid, constant line up, i don't think sy are hit or miss, as you said, i think they are pretty great at what they do and it's because their line up. sure, rather ripped is not stellar but it's still great for simple, direct pop rock album, and they are also experimental, whether the flaming lips go thru phases, (depending on who's on the line up perhaps?) and move marginally within them; also, my guess is that, since there are big gaps in between albums, they seem to be moving in giant steps in their evolution since we can't grasp what happens in those in between years.

but can't that be a good thing? if every album is in a new direction and exploring new territory for the band and it sounds as good as it does then i don't see a problem.