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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1989)
Repeat performance to ‘shock and rock’ By Lisa Donovan Senior Reporter A member of the Flaming Lips claims he KNOWS about Lincoln, and that’s why the surrealistic punk rock group out of Oklahoma City, Okla., likes playing in the capital city. “We know there’s weirdos there,’’ Wayne Coyne said. “We know you guys arc doing drugs just like us.’’ The four-year-old band, which has shocked and rocked audiences with its louder-than-life music and wild light show, will make its second appearance in Lincoln at Duffy’s tonight The chaotic sound, documented on four albums and a fifth release this year (Telepathic Surgery), combines the hard-driving thrash beat of the Sex Pistols with a whining, heavily - charged guitar sound like Led Zeppe lin, and the Sonic Youth-like dron ing, hallucinating and metaphysical lyrics. With such a potpourri of influ Rfe ences, the band has earned such nick names as the Flaming Trips. According to Coyne, the trio isn’t heavily into drugs, the members are just trying to be creative. “If you listen to this (music) you don’t need Quaaludes,’’ he said. “What we’re talking about is real,” Coyne said, but he added that the music is about hallucination. , The Flaming Lips aren’t really out to raise people’s consciousness the same way that Tracy Chapman does. “I’m not knocking it (issues-ori ented music),” he said. “We just want to use drugs and freak out.” “You should use drugs and get out of your head and forget about saving the world for awhile. There's cnougn people trying to save the world,” Coyne said. According to Coyne, rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t matter that much to the band. “We don’t care about the music,” Coyne said. “We get into the aggres sion and emotion of it all.” Since its inception, the band has taken a turn for the worse and accord ing to Coyne, that isn’t necessarily bad. “We started out as this easygoing little psychedelic band and then we moved on and became worse and Tammy Taylor/Daily Nebraskan I LATE NIGHT Mur: I _J The Italian Masterpiece Place LATE NIGHT SPECIAL MEDIUM PEPPERONI PIZZA $5.95... No Joke! When you're hungry late at night, the choice between daVinci's and the other guys is easy. Call daVinci's after 9:00 p.m. and ask for the LATE NIGHT SPECIAL. daVinci’s will pile pepperoni onto a 12* medium pizza. You’ll get the same quality pizza that you enjoy for a special low price. Offer good 9:00 p m. until close seven days a week No coupon necessary. Not valid with any other coupon offers. Dine In, Carry Out or Call for delivery in service area. 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The band tries to play its most “popular” music, but mostly, Coyne said, the members play their favor ites. “We’re not up here playing songs for you, we’re playing songs lor us,” said Coyne. The audience members are in for a big surprise when they go see file Flaming Lips perform tonight. “If you show up, we’re going to abuse you,’’ Coyne said. “If the music is too loud, then leave. Any way that’s the way music should be. Hey. it’s almost 1990. “We want people to come up and say, ‘Dude, we don’t know what that was, but we liked it,’” Coyne said. Showtime is at 9 p.m., with the Mew Brass Guns opening for the -laming Lips. Cover is $6. ——-— Lyrics on Flaming Lips’ new release compensate for monotonous melodies By Lisa Donovan Senior Reporter The Flaming Lips Telepathic Surgery Restless Records Practically hot off the press, the Feb. 15 release of the Flaming Lips’ “Telepathic Surgery’’ is yet another relentless and hard-driv ing compilation of dreams and nightmares. llhim^ This is the fifth effort from Wayne Coyne, guitar and vocals; Mike Ivins, bass; and Richard English, drums. “Telepathic Surgery’’ is al most like a stream-of-conscious ness production, and the results are fantastic. Continuing on a sort of drug trip from their 1987 release, “Oh My Gawd,” the Lips pick up where “Jesus Shoots Heroin,” leaves off. The first song, “Drug Machine in Heaven,” is a moody, surrealis tic fantasy of terror and pleasure. “Every time that we fly to gether our planet blows up in the sky/We’re workin in an explosives factory 'cause we don't care if we die/Every thing, everything, every thing that I wish/Give us a 20th century Jesus guy.” With the pleasure comes a bur ied, soft guitar sound, but with the terror comes the almost suicidal lyrics and driving, thrashing guitar and drum combination. Side One continues wi, “Chrome Plated Suicide.” Wayne Coyne told the Daily Nebraskan the song is the album’s prize, at least for the band members. “It’s probably my favorite right now,” he said, “because it cap tures a good thing, and when we hear it we don’t cringe.” The lead Lip is probably refer ring to the lyrics, because he defi nitely doesn’t mean the music. As stated earlier, the melody fits the music’s mood, but that’s where it ends. Unfortunately, the thrash melody (it’s almost heavy metal - Coyne’s droning voice gives it that aitemative/punk sound) tends to get monotonous. In fact, all the songs get monotonous. That is not to say each song isn’t an individual, but the songs seem to be just a reorganization of the same melody. But there is a catch: The lyrics. The lyrics are well worth the adventure of listening to the al bum. They mock and they make a point Take for instance, “Shaved Gorilla’’: “We got a gorilla/and we shaved him/and bought him a motorcycle/I swear it God only lets us we would change it/we don’t care that much now.’’ “Telepathic Surgery’’ is not a typical album and these arc not typical lyrics, Coyne explained. “In one respect, we’re serious about what the music says,’’ Coyne said. “But on the other hand, we’re just screwing around.’’ Sexton addresses human nature By Tom Koperski Staff Reporter Charlie Sexton Charlie Sexton MCA Records Charlie Sexton’s new self-titled album is a well balanced combina tion of music and vocals with special appearances by artists such as Bryan Adams. Throughout Sexton’s third album, he proves he can project his thoughts to the listener, by the very well-done arrangement of instruments and vo cals he has orchestrated. Ubugfcn The video of Sexton’s latest single, “Don’t Look Back,’’ re ceived MTV airtime. The song, which looks into the future, talks about breaking the chains of reality and making dreams come true. This experience is heightened with guitar peaks and lulls brought through by the expert guitar playing of Bryan Adams. “I Can’t Cry,” about human na ture and the struggle against failure, features prolific keyboards and drums. The last song on Side A, “While You Sleep,” portrays a man waiting for a light in the window to tell him to return to his lost love. Overall, Side A does a sound job in discussing, in part, human nature and the constant struggle to achieve dreams of success and love. Side B is full of energy, and con tinues the discussion of human nature by its well balanced arrangement of music and vocals. “Battle Hymm of the Republic," not a Civil War cover, energetically tells the story about the battle of the streets, and good versus the tempta tions of evil through the use of back ground keyboards and guitar solos. The song, “Save Yourself," talks about how the people of the big city knock down the dreams of the small town girl and how she fights to keep her dreams alive. “Cry Little Sister,” the last song, tells of hr-v big brother will take care of little sister when she messes up. This is done by the contrasting of guitars and saxophones throughout the song. Overall, Sexton comes across with a very solid album. Through his music, he projects his views of hu man nature. Throughout this album he has done a masterful job of orches trating the arrangements of music and vocals. The songs mix well, and all come acroKV.vpry scnauily ia&oNiaal s pres entation of human nature. [GOLD RING SALE! ■s40 OFF 14KB ■$20OFF10KH Jostens Gold Sale. For one week only Order and save on the gold ring of your choice JOSTENS A Josten’s Rep will be in the store Wed & Thurs. March 1 & 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to answer your questions. 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