HiRez Poll Flaming Lips - YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS [DVD-A]

[Dylan Berichon]

I eventually decided on a 8 vote.

 

[neil wilkes]

It got an 8 from me, and it could so easily have been a 10.
Why?
This is brutally overcompressed. Really, truly terrifyingly smashed to bits - very little in the way of dynamics at all.

Content wise, it is original for sure. The mix is aggressive to the point of gimmicky & almost twee in places.
Still - no matter what the issues - this one is worth finding & buying just for the sheer chutzpah of the thing.
It is a lot of fun....

 

[Mr. Hookup]

Re: Flaming Lips - YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS 5.1. The real reason that the Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots has such fantastic surround sound is the fact that this disc was recorded in 5.1. 90% of all other surround sound audio discs are Re-mixed to create 5.1. Big difference. In addition, this material is futuristic & innovative. That's who the Flaming Lips are. They arre very serious about surround sound. They have influenced a number of other groups who are also recording discs in surround sound. Tom Petty's Mojo is available in Blu Ray. I have it, and thery went to great lengths to bring it out in the format. They also influenced King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, etc. The Flaming Lips also have another great disc that is also recorded in 5.1 called the Soft Bulletin. Great surround sound. If these FL discs don't wow you with their surround sound, then you need a new system, or a better system.

 

[John Svensson]

There is also "At War with The Mystics" in surround, you might want to find that also.... Recorded in 5.1???? There's alot I could argue here..but I'll pass. John

 

[DKA]

I actually agree with Neil's assessment from many moons ago. Excellent mix, but ear fatigue factor is pretty big on all the Lips commercial 5.1 mixes. the LFE is pretty pronounced as well. Still, surroundwise, this is as good as retail surround gets.

 

[Chiburb]

It's all been said over the years:
Demo, ear candy, FUN!

Having received it just 2 days ago from Amazon ($17), this is clearly a 10.

 

[ProgRules]

I had never heard FL either, but I kept hearing that this disc was a killer surround mix, so I finally broke down and got it. This is an amazing surround experience. The way it's used wouldn't work for a lot of music, but it fits this music perfectly. I doubt if I would have liked this album enough to give it a chance had I heard it first in stereo, but I enjoyed it so much in surround that I got Soft Bulletin CD/DVD shortly after. That one still hasn't sunk in yet, but Yoshimi clicked on first listen.

 

[quattroatl]

I just listened to this disc again and watched the extra video content as well. This is what dvd-audio is all about and is reference material. Every 5.1 enthusiast should have this in their collection!

 

[fredblue]

I had never heard FL either, but I kept hearing that this disc was a killer surround mix, so I finally broke down and got it. This is an amazing surround experience. The way it's used wouldn't work for a lot of music, but it fits this music perfectly. I doubt if I would have liked this album enough to give it a chance had I heard it first in stereo, but I enjoyed it so much in surround that I got Soft Bulletin CD/DVD shortly after. That one still hasn't sunk in yet, but Yoshimi clicked on first listen.

I've got all 3 FL DVDAs and I still think Yoshimi is the best of the lot.

 

[artwwweb]

I'm thinking about getting this disc, but a review on Amazon.co.uk says it is protected - so won't play hi-res through HDMI. Can anybody confirm that? My amp only has stereo analogue inputs, and HDMI, so HDMI is the only way for me to get hi-res 5.1.

(Seeing as this gets such good reviews, I might get anyway, assuming I *can* play the DTS stream.)

Anybody know about this? Thanks.

 

[ABMickey]

Solid 9...this Disk makes real fun in surround.

 

[mrcond]

I'm thinking about getting this disc, but a review on Amazon.co.uk says it is protected - so won't play hi-res through HDMI. Can anybody confirm that? My amp only has stereo analogue inputs, and HDMI, so HDMI is the only way for me to get hi-res 5.1.

(Seeing as this gets such good reviews, I might get anyway, assuming I *can* play the DTS stream.)

Anybody know about this? Thanks.

My copy plays through HDMI just fine (Oppo BD-83 SE to Denon 2312).

 

[sukothai]

I'm thinking about getting this disc, but a review on Amazon.co.uk says it is protected - so won't play hi-res through HDMI. Can anybody confirm that? My amp only has stereo analogue inputs, and HDMI, so HDMI is the only way for me to get hi-res 5.1.

(Seeing as this gets such good reviews, I might get anyway, assuming I *can* play the DTS stream.)

Anybody know about this? Thanks.

Older versions of HDMI didn't have support for the security mechanisms required for Hi-Rez disks. That's why early on Denon and others came out with their own proprietary digital cables approved for Hi-Rez digital connections between the player and the receiver. Now days, HDMI is approved for this connection - though I can't remember which version added the capability.

 

[fredblue]

My copy plays through HDMI just fine (Oppo BD-83 SE to Denon 2312).

works ok via HDMI on both my old Pioneer (DV-600AV) and newer Cambridge Audio (651BD.. Oppo BDP-93 clone).. still doesn't get around the pervading LOUDNESS though.. but the mix is wild which helps!

 

[sukothai]

You forced me to look it up : Looks like only HDMI version 1.0 didn't support DVD-Audio. So according to Wikipedia, v1.1 added DVD-Audio and v1.2 added SACD. The Pioneer DV-600AV FAQ says it is HDMI v1.2a.

 

[fredblue]

You forced me to look it up : Looks like only HDMI version 1.0 didn't support DVD-Audio. So according to Wikipedia, v1.1 added DVD-Audio and v1.2 added SACD. The Pioneer DV-600AV FAQ says it is HDMI v1.2a.

taa-daa..! thanks for the info :friday:

so I guess my BDP does 1.4 as it does 3D and all that jazzapalooza..!?

..although I thought the idea of labelling HDMI "1.2, 1.3, one-point-anything" now was vetoed since all equipment and cabling from herein must do "high speed" & 3D video, etc..?

goodness knows what confusion and hassle will arise if/when 4k content/movies become readily available!? can HDMI (currently/ever!) even handle 4k video? :yikes

 

[artwwweb]

Thanks all! Will be ordering asap!

 

[Bill Houston]

Flaming Lips really lend themselves well to surround. Very creative mix which enhances the music. Docked them a point for the compression...otherwise would have been a 10.

Mix/Sonics.: 9
Music: 8

 

[ifthenwhy]

Pros:

01. This is a band totally invested in the idea that 5.1 should be FUN. The fact that they considered the 5.1 mix during the albums creation really demonstrates a fearlessness that more bands would be wise to consider. Like it or not, this is an artistic statement on the power of surround.

02. Like all good 5.1 mixes, this album breathes and pulses, chaotically suggesting a living soundstage. The arrangements truly lend themselves to spacial placements, and the copious effects (delays and verb trails) do not muck up the soundstage, but rather, move around the head in ways that suggest the Lips want nothing short of sonic transportation.

03. If you don't do drugs, this album provides a fairly reasonable template of a "heroic" drug experience. If you DO drugs, this album accentuates that experience. Win/Win if you ask me.

04. If you have any doubts of the Production mastery of Dave Fridmann, this 5.1 mix should crush them.

Cons:

01. Do You Realize?! (arguably the finest song on the album) may make you feel ill.

02. I'm not sure I wanna listen to this offering too much more, (on the 5th listen or so) I found the 5.1 gymnastics to actually distract from a collection of very nice songs, which, after the come down, feel a little beaten up.

03. The Lips are not known for their "understated" world view, yet I wonder if this 5.1 mix would have benefitted from just a "little" restraint? Having said that, I always have the 2.0 to fall back on.

Conclusion

Sometimes eating a cake made of nothing but frosting can really hit the spot. While the beautiful songs of Yoshimi may suffer a bit from the heavy handed 5.1 laugh riot, the sense of fun and wonder (which are the hallmarks of every Flaming Lips release and live show) is potently active. The 5.1 Yoshimi is a living, breathing work of art, and is unrelenting in it's insistence that the listener remain engaged. If subtlety and purity of sound are your thing, this 5.1 mix is probably best avoided, but if you occasionally like to knock on the doors of perception, this mouthful of frosting may just be what Dr Leary ordered!

9.0

 

[GOS]

LOL! Wow, last post in 2013. So, I just got the DVD-Audio today. Of course, I've been debating this one for years. Super discrete, sometimes you just get singing in left rear...then it pans to right front. This, as most probably already know, is a super active surround experience. I mean, it's WORK, just to listen to this thing. But, I love that.

I gave it a 9. I really wanted to give it a 10. But a lot goes into my rating. I think the music and the surrealism is a 10. I think the surround mix itself is a 10. I think the audio sonics on it are just ever so slightly off. OK, hold on to your boxers Clint. In some cases - it has too much bass. I literally had to adjust bass/sub from song to song. OK, my sub can handle whatever you throw at it....but seriously. There were things moving in this room that I didn't think could move. I mean, they could have held back on the bass just a little bit. Why? Because this is the sort of fun surround event that I just want to absolutely crank it. And...oh beware. If I crank it and walk away...I truly think something in this room will break.

cool......Again.....my real score is a 9.5. But we don't do halves. So 9.