The Fearless Freaks [DVD]

This look back over the career of the Flaming Lips is essential for all fans of the band, but might have interest for music fans in general.

The first half is amazing at it looks at the background of the band. Most of their families are either on crack or in jail (or both), there is a fine line between hope and despair in small town America.

The second half is more disjointed, but full of equally fascinating moments. Seeing band member Steven Drozd talking about and taking heroin on camera is about as shocking and explicit as it gets, yet despite the gritty content the film always retains a certain joyousness.

The music, of course, is amazing.

Well, I'm a fan of the Flaming Lips but this is a great documentary nonetheless. Insightful, passionate and personal this really is great. It reflects one of their last albums in some ways by being weird, wonderful and having a touch of heart leaving you satisfied on every level. It starts by delving into the murky past where there's a lot of noise and confusion and then it breaks into their success and their ultimate position as one of the best bands ever. It even has real human interest and a touching story of Steve Drodzs' heroin addiction and his redemption. It also has Wayne telling the story of how his father's death affected him and the music and the happy story of how "a bunch of okies" (wayne's quote) managed to get where they were.

All in all, its essential for lovers of the band and a great music film for anyone else. It starts off pretty noisy though and the menu screen blasts out as soon as you load the DVD. Turn it down a bit before you put it on!

Worth every penny of the current asking price (I bought it somewhere else and it was more expensive - dang!) even if its to see bass player's Michael Ivins hairdo and how thin one man can become living on lentils, coffee and cigarettes.

Along with Belle & Sebastian's "Fans Only" DVD, this is best rockumentry I've seen. Very rarley does one of these thigs leave you with a complete feeling at the ending, like you got your money's worth. This retrospective look back at the formation and final breakthrough of The Flaming Lips, described by one of the band members as "hillbillies" crossed with The Who. This movie uses home movies, home video and current footage of the band to go back into the past and see the formation of one of America's most important rock bands around. Coyne describes his band early on as a loud band without much talent (oh, not true Wayne perhaps inexperienced) in the beginning of their career, The Flaming Lips went from cult favorite to critical favorite and while not in the top ten (who is today except historic singers) they've found a niche in rock music that they work exceedingly well in. Coyne at 41 with a touch of gray proves that there are second acts in American lives...or perhaps first acts with a late curtain. We also get a glimpse behind The Flaming Lips science fiction movie a bizarre, unscripted film like only The Flaming Lips could make involving an insane Santa Claus, a giant bunny and Wayne Coyne as a super powered alien.

Because the source material for this is drawn from a variety of sources over the years, the picture quality ranges from poor to good. That's not a problem in the transfer but in the source material itself which includes Super 8 home movies, early videotapes, film shot in less than the best lighting conditions and video ditto. The picture quality for the newer footage is quite good. Audio, likewise, varies quite a bit from poor to good once again depending on the source material.

We get a load of good live performance footage of the band (some of it with distorted sound), deleted scenes including behind-the-scenes footage of the band warming up for "Austin City Limits". There's also footage of Wayne as Santa and some truly strange stuff that was cut out of the film including footage shot for one of the band's first recording sessions. There's a photo gallery that looks like a trip through my childhood (bell bottoms, long hair, goofy afros, punk hair cuts although I'll never confess to any of those and I've burned MY photos like that) clearly the band and I share a bond that goes beyond simple music. Perhaps it's my simpleton attitude but, more than likely, it's an appreciation for Coyne and his band pushing the limits of music wherever possible.

The current line up for the band does a running commentary throughout the film giving considerable background on the various people interviewed throughout the film. It's actually interesting in a car wreck sort of way in that we learn a lot more than we really need to know about the lives of the band members and their extended family.

If The Flaming Lips hadn't come into existence someone would have to invent them. Luckily, Wayne Coyne found his true calling as a songwriter and singer. Yes, they borrowed from the best (including The Butthole Surfers) but Coyne made it all his own creating a sound and style unique to his band.