I’ve taken part in two Zaireeka listening parties, one amazingly using the vinyl version, in which organisation, patience and sociability were all integral to the overall experience. In an age in which both convenience and speed are paramount Richardson argues that Zaireeka represents the music world’s equivalent to the concept of slow food and therefore by extension the slow living movement.
The act of listening in groups, Richardson muses, is not all that common and when it does happen is fraught with psychological issues a theory that is perhaps questionable, but also fascinating to consider. The requirement of actually having to organize four stereos (that’s at least eight speakers!) means that there needs to be at least two or more people present, something that results in gatherings known as Zaireeka listening parties. If you happen to not be a fan of the band then why would you want to read about a bunch of freaks that made an album that is inherently difficult to actually sit down and listen to? Well believe it or not there is quite a bit of cultural significance attached to Zaireeka. Both the story of the band and the Zaireeka album are truly inspirational and Richardson does a fine job of articulating just how it all happened. He also includes a condensed history of The Flaming Lips that answers the question of how an amateurish bunch of small town freaks inspired by both punk and the likes of Pink Floyd came to transform themselves into an innovative and accomplished band.
Richardson examines Zaireeka as an idea, where it came from and how it then became a fully realized album. If you are a fan of The Flaming Lips then Zaireeka is an essential read. A good joke yes, but this inspired Richardson to structure the book in four separate parts that contain eight ‘tracks’ each, a format that serves the subject well. Richardson notes in the introduction that when he mentioned to friends that he was going to write about Zaireeka they would joke about him having to write four separate books meant to be read simultaneously. As an album Zaireeka also stands as one of the best The Flaming Lips have produced in their long and eccentric career. Zaireeka was released in 1997 as a four CD set designed to be listened to simultaneously on four separate CD players. Their career arc has been one of unbridled adventurousness, always following their muse without concern for commercial gain, whilst at the same time maintaining a high level of quality control. The Flaming Lips are perhaps the most rewarding underground band to have emerged in America in the last thirty years. Both The Flaming Lips and the Zaireeka album are fascinating and compelling subjects. Their career arc has been one of unbridled adventurousness, always following their muse without concern for commercial gain, whilst at the same time maint As much as I love music I rarely read books on the subject, but when a good friend of mine lent me this book I knew that I’d have to read it. Thoughts on communal listening and the "death of the album" are interspersed with the story of the Zaireeka's creation (with assistance from Wayne Coyne) and an in-depth analysis of the music, leading to a complete picture of a record that proved to be a watershed for both the band and adventurous music fans alike.moreĪs much as I love music I rarely read books on the subject, but when a good friend of mine lent me this book I knew that I’d have to read it.
Approaching this powerful and complex art-rock masterpiece from multiple angles, Mark Richardson's prismatic study of Zaireeka mirrors the structure the work itself. The Flaming Lips' 1997 album Zaireeka is one of the most peculiar albums ever recorded, consisting of four CDs meant to be played simultaneously on four CD players. So another way to think of Zaireeka is as a one-off piece of technology that comes in a highly inconvenient dead-end format, which is a rather extraordinary kind of thing for a rock band to make. It is not solitary, cannot be easily controlled, and can't easily be consumed in small doses. It purposely makes the two biggest developments in end-user music in the last 30 years irrelevant. So another way to think of Zaireeka is as a one-off piece of technology that comes in a h Zaireeka is the anti-headphone and the anti-mp3. Zaireeka is the anti-headphone and the anti-mp3.