The Flaming Lips

A catchall of random tracks from all over the place, most previously unissued, Providing Needles served as a fun stopgap release between Transmissions and Clouds Taste Metallic. Kicking off with the joyful invocation of boss killing and the like of "Bad Days," matched to a semi-"California Girls" start, jaunty groove, and giddy all-around performance, Providing Needles hops and skips around much like the band itself. A definite treat comes with the inclusion of three songs from a live show done as an in-store for a record shop in Minneapolis. After a soft take on Transmissions' "Chewin' the Apple of Your Eye," the Lips break into calm but grand versions of Smog's "Chosen One" and an arrangement of the Christmas traditional "Little Drummer Boy." Wayne Coyne's between-song comments merely confirm his reputation as one of the most amiable and friendly guys in rock, humorous and fun to listen to -- especially his story about catching a Smog show near his hometown. A nicely twangy, fuzz bass-heavy cover of Suicide's "Ice Drummer," recorded for a tribute album, also provides much joy, but the absolute killer is an amazing version of Transmissions' "Slow Nerve Action" -- recorded live with distortion up to maximum for a Top 40 station broadcast! ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide