Music fans have differing views on cover albums. It is a love or hate relationship with very few falling in the middle. What I enjoy about covers is when an artist takes a well known song and interprets it in their own way bringing about a freshness to it. That is in plain English a ballsy thing to attempt when you are going to do a track-by-track cover of an iconic and beloved album like Sgt. Pepper by the Beatles. If you are familiar with the band (meaning the Lips) then you should not be surprised as they have done the same thing with the monster of an album Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. Sgt. Pepper when you think about it is perfect for The Flaming Lips as it is filled with otherworldly music. They certainly are up to the task when it comes to that musical style. The band certainly does not do what is expected. That being said this is one of those situations where an obvious partnership does not work. Instead of being an updating of the ethereal album it ends up sounding one big mess. An attempt at irreverence falls flat on its face. Yes, they are trying to have fun with the songs and yet there are some weird dark moments that creep in and kind of mess things up. Surprisingly the “friend” (or guest) that comes off the best is Miley Cyrus. Her guest vocals on “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is one of the few highlights. There are appearances by other “friends” including Tegan and Sara, Grace Potter, My Morning Jacket and Moby. Maybe the problem is that this album was perfect the way it was originally done and should have been left alone. Maybe…
The Flaming Lips – With a Little Help From My Friends
