Transmissions from the Satellite Heart

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Sometimes it seems as if there's every other band in America, and then there's the Flaming Lips. The Norman, Oklahoma, quartet makes modern rock that doesn't sound like anyone else; head music, they'd have called it in psychedelia's heyday, weird soundscapes that conjure the bizarre alternate universe on the other side of the funhouse mirror. Transmissions, their second major-label release after a long indie apprenticeship has a mellower feel than early fans might expect, with lots of acoustic guitar and dreamy interludes to shame More-era Pink Floyd, but it's no less weird than their last two efforts. Strange sounds float in and out of the mix, and Wayne Coyne's twisted hick vocals are convincingly demented. Coyne's lyrics tend toward a Dadaist stream of consciousness with occasional forays into junk culture; this is familiar modern rock territory, but songs such as "She Don't Use Jelly," "Chewin the Apple of Your Eye," and "Be My Head" are more effective and less annoying than the would-be gonzo efforts of Frank Black and Sonic Youth because they're catchier and less pretentious. The Flaming Lips may be transmitting to the satellites, but when all is said and done, they live in Oklahoma. --Jim DeRogatis --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Average customer rating:

Not as recognized as later works, but still great (4.5)

Flaming Lips transitioning from Punk to, well, Flaming Lips

Transmissions from the Satellite Heart

one of the most significant releases of the 90s (really!!!)

The second Flaming Lips masterpiece

Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
The Flaming Lips
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Noise | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Neo-Psychedelia | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Eccentrics | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000002ML7
Release Date: 1993-06-22

Tracks:

Turn It On
Pilot Can At The Queer Of God
Oh My Pregnant Head
She Dont Use JellY
Chewin The Apple Of Your Eye
Superhumans
Be My Head
Moth In The Incubat
* * * * * * *
When Yer Twenty Two
Slow Nerve Action

Amazon.com essential recording

Sometimes it seems as if there's every other band in America, and then there's the Flaming Lips. The Norman, Oklahoma, quartet makes modern rock that doesn't sound like anyone else; head music, they'd have called it in psychedelia's heyday, weird soundscapes that conjure the bizarre alternate universe on the other side of the funhouse mirror. Transmissions, their second major-label release after a long indie apprenticeship has a mellower feel than early fans might expect, with lots of acoustic guitar and dreamy interludes to shame More-era Pink Floyd, but it's no less weird than their last two efforts. Strange sounds float in and out of the mix, and Wayne Coyne's twisted hick vocals are convincingly demented. Coyne's lyrics tend toward a Dadaist stream of consciousness with occasional forays into junk culture; this is familiar modern rock territory, but songs such as "She Don't Use Jelly," "Chewin the Apple of Your Eye," and "Be My Head" are more effective and less annoying than the would-be gonzo efforts of Frank Black and Sonic Youth because they're catchier and less pretentious. The Flaming Lips may be transmitting to the satellites, but when all is said and done, they live in Oklahoma. --Jim DeRogatis

Customer Reviews:

Not as recognized as later works, but still great (4.5).......2007-07-06

Sometimes a band's better work can still be overshadowed by others. It seems that the public and the press tend to value The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots much more, and as great as those are, I feel that this is about on par with them. It is not quite as soundscape-ish and not as conceptual, but just as good. The record actually kind of reminds me of what Jane's Addiction would be like if they were a dream pop band.

The most famous of the 11 songs is easily "She Don't Use Jelly." That one's quite clever, and while it got them known as one hit wonders it doesn't mean the rest of the songs aren't catchy, or even good. I really love "Be My Head" with its effortless pop melodies and the flop follow-up "Turn It On" is a great track as well. The songs still have a psychedelic feel and I think that if you like the later Lips works that you'll like this. It's a noisy pop record on the whole, but then there's more gentle tracks like "Chewin' the Apple of Your Head" as well.

I recommend this to fans of the later work or good alternative music in general. Speaking of which, in spite being released in the "grunge" era this was actually kind of the antidote, with songs that aren't really dark at all and have a somewhat lighthearted feel. I think you too will find enjoyment here.

Flaming Lips transitioning from Punk to, well, Flaming Lips.......2007-05-06

This is a great album for those of us who "discovered" TFL during the Yoshimi or At War period. This one really betrays their punk roots, but with glimmers of the band they are today. Pretty cool.

Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.......2007-01-24

A sound that's far less polished then more recent works, but well worth a listen nonetheless.

one of the most significant releases of the 90s (really!!!).......2006-07-24

in coming up with a value judgement on this record i have tried to steer clear of comparisons to any of the lips' other output, and view it in a sort of cultural freeze frame taking into consideration things like the grunge rock i still can't get enough of, the popular television programming and the overall atmosphere of the clinton 90s. what i came up with was that this record, probably more than any other, embodies the overwhelming sense of relief and newfound optimism that happened with the new administration and the "end" of the cold war. i may have said in other reviews that the clinton 90s are a time more distant from us at the present than even the cold war 70s and 80s...it was a wonderful era where a man was free to stick a needle in his arm and sing a jobim bossa nova over guitar feedback if he so chose and not worry about a draft or nuclear threats, etc. Wayne and company have the same ethic as the above-mentioned band and on this record they created something which i consider to be locked in a tie for the best radio-type song representative of the clinton era: she don't use jelly, of course, with the other standout (in my mind, at least) being interstate love song. the entire album features the crisp sound and elastic bass and guitar fuzztones which made the single famous, and it stands in sharp contrast to the flood of grunge releases from those couple of years because of the sonic clarity and cheerful vibe, and, to my ears (even as a dyed-in-the-wool, flannel-wearing ed vedder fanboy), it pretty much trumps all of them in terms of pure inspiration and consistency. now, to be fair, the lips are not my favorite band, nor is stp (that honor i reserve for crusty old mark lanegan and the screaming trees on sst). this is not my favorite lips album either (that would be yoshimi)...she don't use jelly is not even my favorite song on the record (i like chewin the apple of your eye for its unique chord progression and sparse acoustic guitar work...it is the only real break from the veritable deluge of fuzz); all i am saying is that this album is an extremely significant expression of the time period in which it was recorded and as such it has monumental value which is pretty much undeniable regardless of one's personal preferences.

The second Flaming Lips masterpiece.......2006-04-27

I dont understand how one reviewer said this record is weak musically, Ronald Jones and Steven Drozd are very talented musicians. Not to mention Wayne Coyne's songwriting. "Moth in the Incubator" among others are classics. Production is perfect, the drum sound is loud and fat.

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