Did the Flaming Lips just steal from Lester Bangs?

[Sir HC]

For Zaireeka which came as 4 cds.  Here is a quote from "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung" by Lester Bangs (reviewing a Chicago album):
 
 "When they get to Chicago VII, they can release a seven-record set, with one entire album for each member of the group - a whole record of nothing but Peter Cetera's bass, another of Lee Loughnane on trumpet, etc. - playing a forty-minute version of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and then we can get seven record players, and have the greatest concert of all time."
 
 Creem, February 1972

[Ikarus]

that flaming lips set had a big ol warning label on it about causing migraine headcahes, halluciantions, explosive diahreaha, etc.  kinda like happy fun ball or something.  kind of a neat novelty set, but i don't know many people who actually set up four stereos to listen to it.
 
 i  remember once holding a spirtualized  12-vinyl set of one album each record in a different key or octave or whatever. cost something like $90 at tower so i put it back.
 
 only thing i could find online is a pure phase single for dj's.  i think it runs through 16 keys of the same song, and is playable as a 33 or 45, 4 songs on each side.

[SPARX]

Originally posted by Ikarus:
  that flaming lips set had a big ol warning label on it about causing migraine headcahes, halluciantions, explosive diahreaha, etc.  kinda like happy fun ball or something.  kind of a neat novelty set, but i don't know many people who actually set up four stereos to listen to it.
 
 

It works well both simultaneously and just playing them 1 at a time.

[mjnova]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  For Zaireeka which came as 4 cds.  Here is a quote from "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung" by Lester Bangs (reviewing a Chicago album):
 
 "When they get to Chicago VII, they can release a seven-record set, with one entire album for each member of the group - a whole record of nothing but Peter Cetera's bass, another of Lee Loughnane on trumpet, etc. - playing a forty-minute version of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and then we can get seven record players, and have the greatest concert of all time."
 
 Creem, February 1972

Great quote.  I wouldn't doubt that they've read it, but the Lips have always been about messing around.  I still think Zaireeka is the ballsiest thing ever released on a major label.  It's amazing they snuck it past Warner, AND got it reissued recently.

[Sir HC]

I agree Zaireeka is pretty ballsy, but what of Lou Reed "Metal Machine Music" or PiL "Flowers of Romance", to me those were insanely ballsy.

[mjnova]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  I agree Zaireeka is pretty ballsy, but what of Lou Reed "Metal Machine Music" or PiL "Flowers of Romance", to me those were insanely ballsy.

Good point.  But I think MMM was really just Lou being an ass.  Nothing more, nothing less.  He was getting out a contract, not really trying to make an artistic statement.  PiL's metal Box is probably up there with Zaireeka (and was on virgin), as is the first Durutti Column album (the "sandpaper" album), which was on Factory, known for crazy packaging.