The Flaming Lips - With a Little Help from my Fwends

When this album was announced I stopped what I was doing and thought, The Flaming Lips are going to release Sgt. Pepper’s, it’s got to work, right? For Wayne Coyne & Co to take on source material as well loved as this is a bold effort. You would think that the psychedelic nature of The Flaming Lips means it should marry well together with one of The Beatles most psychedelic albums. It's just a shame that it misses the mark. Don't get me wrong; it's not an awful listen. When it works, it works well, notably on She's Leaving Home and A Day in the Life which features Miley Cyrus. Having this ‘fwend’ guest is an inspired choice; not only will she create an extra level of interest, she actually sounds damn good. A sound like that of Sgt Pepper’s will always be tough to recreate without simply making a carbon copy. To be sure this hasn't happened, The Flaming Lips' sound has been well and truly stamped onto the record. Eccentric, odd arrangements and strained vocals are all part of what makes The Flaming Lips wonderfully distinctive. Unfortunately when merged with familiar Beatles tracks can become a frustrating listen. All that being said,  if you are interested then why not give it a go, it's worth a listen. Don't expect a masterpiece but listen to these ‘fwends’ obviously enjoy themselves, jamming out their own interpretation of one of the best albums of all time, even if it's just once.