Flaming Lips fail with ‘Sgt. Pepper’ cover

The Flaming Lips
“With a Little Help from My Fwends”
(Warner Bros.)

Ever wonder what “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” would sound like sung by robots? Me neither, but here’s the answer.

The Flaming Lips have recorded a full-length tribute to the Beatles’ 1967 album, and the music is even more far-out and psychedelic than the landmark original. This daft pop is silly, bombastic, druggy, irreverent and rude, with lots of bleeps and blasts, but it’s not much fun or funny.

The songs lack the melodic charm and rhythmic bounce of the Fab Four renditions. Instead, there’s so much distortion not even “Lovely Rita” is pretty.

And if the goal is merely to be weird, the Lips don’t come close to matching William Shatner, who established the standard for bizarre Beatles covers when he sang “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” There’s no Shatner here, but guest appearances by Miley Cyrus, Moby, My Morning Jacket and J Mascis -- among others -- fail to salvage the set.

The Lips forgo the famous sustained chord to conclude “A Day in the Life.” Instead, the song and album end abruptly, as if someone finally wised up and pulled the plug. (AP)


Joe Lynn Turner, Carmine Appice lead rock quartet

Rated X
“Rated X”
(Frontiers)

The term supergroup has been overused to the point of meaninglessness, so just call Rated X a new old-school rock quartet.

Led by Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner and Carmine Appice, one of the greatest drummers in rock history, the band also includes guitarist Karl Cochran (Ace Frehley’s touring band) and bassist Tony Franklin (The Firm, Jimmy Page).

For those hoping this would be Rainbow 5.0, there’s definitely some of that: “Get Back My Crown” would sound right at home on Rainbow’s “Bent out of Shape” album. Turner is unquestionably one of the most underrated singers of the 1980s, and his voice is as fresh and soulful as ever.

But ultimately, Rated X creates its own unique sound. Cochran is no Ritchie Blackmore, and to his credit, doesn’t try to be. Instead, he tailors each solo to the individual track, spanning a variety of styles. Appice, who has played for everyone from Vanilla Fudge to Rod Stewart to Ozzy Osbourne, makes the drums sound like a lead instrument on several tracks here.

Rated X has opened the street of dreams to traffic once again. (AP)


Calvin Harris’ ‘Motion’ is passable electro-house

Calvin Harris
“Motion”
(Columbia)

The U.K.’s preeminent dance hit-maker Calvin Harris is out with his fourth studio album, “Motion,” a smattering of hit-and-miss attempts at filling dance floors and minds with his relentless brand of acceptable electro-house.

The professional polish is there, and Harris’ fans won’t be disappointed with energetic tracks like “Outside,” featuring Ellie Goulding, and the much heavier “Burnin,” with R3hab. But make no mistake. This is everyman’s house. Just peppy enough to get you moving, but no approaches you haven’t heard before.

Even “Under Control,” the first single from the album, is less about the middling track and more about the collaborative star power by Alesso and synth-sound specialists Hurts.

The best track by far is “Love Now,” thanks to gorgeous vocals by Vanya Taylor from All About She. “Open Wide” with Big Sean handling the rap duties also stands out, with a sharp bottom end and adults-only lyrics.

Harris’ smartest move on “Motion” is partnering with white-hot featured artists for just the right songs. He picks his spots better than most. (AP)