Embryonic (album)
Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: Template:Start date | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Once Beyond Hopelessness2008The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon2009studioEmbryonicEmbryonic cover.jpgA photo of a woman's face being held by a hand; the photo is overlaid on top of a photo of human hairthe Flaming LipsTemplate:Start dateFebruary–July 2009* Tarbox Road Studios (Cassadaga, New York)
- Dull Roar Studios (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)* Acid rock<ref name = Pitchfork />
- psychedelic rock<ref name = Pitchfork /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:DurationWarner Bros.* The Flaming Lips
- Dave Fridmann
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Embryonic is the twelfth studio album by experimental rock band the Flaming Lips released on October 13, 2009, on Warner Bros.<ref name="rollingstone">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band's first double album, it was released to generally positive reviews and became their most successful album in the US, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard 200.
Production
News of the album first surfaced in an interview with Wayne Coyne, who stated that "Somewhere along the way it occurred to me that we should do a double album... Just this idea that you can weave a couple of themes into there and you can sprawl a little bit.<ref name="billboard">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Several other artists made contributions to various tracks on the album. German mathematician Dr. Thorsten Wörmann contributed to the track "Gemini Syringes", psychedelic rock band MGMT contributed to the song "Worm Mountain", and Karen O (lead singer of the alternative rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs) contributed to the songs "I Can Be a Frog" and "Watching the Planets".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Karen O's contributions were recorded by Wayne Coyne over the phone.Template:Citation needed
Background and promotion
On August 13, 2009, the song "See the Leaves" was reviewed and streamed on Pitchfork.com<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 3, 2009, the album was previewed in its entirety on The Fly website, using Wayne Coyne's own track-by-track guide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On September 17, 2009, the band appeared on The Colbert Report and announced that the album would stream in its entirety on Colbertnation.com until September 21, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Embryonic was streamed in full on the UK music site Clash Music on October 5, just over a week ahead of its release. It was selected as fourth best album of 2009 by Pitchfork Media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Critical reception
Template:Music ratings Embryonic received acclaim from critics upon release, garnering an 81/100 score (indicating "universal acclaim") on Metacritic based on 33 critics.<ref name="Metacritic"/> NME wrote that "ten years after their last masterpiece, The Flaming Lips have finally produced another one,"<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> while Paste described the record as "a wonderfully weird parade of sonic delights: an arresting consummation of the Lips' two-and-a-half decade career."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other critics praised the album but were also quick to note its dramatically different sound in comparison to previous releases. Mojo remarked that "(EmbryonicTemplate:'s) themes may be familiar, but its fine, dazzlingly outlandish music is fresh and utterly fearless."<ref name="mojo">Template:Cite journal</ref> Graeme Thomson in The Observer described the album as a "fragmented, loose, indulgent, occasionally inspired, [and] considerably heavier than their last outing".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stuart Berman in Pitchfork called it a " an unrelentingly paranoid, static-soaked acid-rock epic" and praised the raw directness of the material.<ref name = Pitchfork /> David Machese in Spin Magazine also noted the uncompromising sound and lyrical content, describing it as "the band's coldest, darkest, slipperiest, least organic work yet.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
As of 2011, the album has sold 103,000 copies in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Sound and influence
The style of the tracks on Embryonic differs from the styles of previous albums, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and At War with the Mystics, and has been reported to be similar to the style of Joy Division, Miles Davis, and John Lennon.<ref name="billboard"/>
Wayne Coyne says the new record solves their perpetual "dilemma" of what to include on each album, by dumping all their ideas on the follow-up to 2006's At War with the Mystics. Coyne had this to say about the double-LP decision to Billboard: "Some of my favorite records – thinking Beatles' White Album, Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti and even some of the longer things that The Clash have done – part of the reason I like them is that they're not focused. They're kind of like a free-for-all and go everywhere. It's not necessarily because we're prolific, I think we always stay in a sort of perpetual panic of like we never have more songs than we need and we always wonder if any of them are any good to begin with." Coyne notes that Embryonic is less polished than Mystics or 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and has a "freak-out vibe". The frontman also notes the influence of Miles Davis's group and slow-burn songs like John Lennon's "Instant Karma!".<ref name="billboard"/>
Deluxe edition
A deluxe version of the album was released on October 13, 2009.
The deluxe edition includes the original 18 tracks (on two discs) as well as a bonus DVD-Audio which features the album in full dynamic range at 24bit/96 kHz audio. A further variant sold exclusively through the band's website is packaged in a "fur pack" with an extended booklet which features additional art, lyrics, and band photos. This web-only deluxe edition also comes with a 14-inch by 28-inch lithograph featuring the full album cover. A limited number of pre-orders received an additional lithograph autographed by the band, shipped 2–3 weeks after the release date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track listing
Itunes exclusive bonus tracks
Personnel
The Flaming Lips
- Wayne Coyne – lead vocals, guitar, theremin, keyboards, vocoder, mixing, production
- Steven Drozd – guitars, keyboards, drums, bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on "If", mixing, production
- Michael Ivins – bass, keyboards, backing vocals, mixing, production, additional engineering
- Kliph Scurlock – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Scott Booker – production
- Dave Fridmann – production, mixing, programming, engineering, mastering
- MGMT – additional singing and playing (track 13)
- Karen O – additional singing, screaming, animal sounds and noises (tracks: 7, 11, 18)
- Thorsten Wörmann – spoken announcements (tracks: 7, 17)
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 37 |
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 8 |
Embryonic moved 32,000 copies in its first week on US charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>