This song is particularly poignant when heard in the context of the previous song on the album - it's like falling into a garden at the eye of a hurricane. Beautiful stuff.

UNRESERVEDLY YES.  And many of the Lips' other albums, too!

on a side note: can anyone tell me if the rest of the CD is as great as this track? sounds great, thinking about buyin 

on a side note: can anyone tell me if the rest of the CD is as great as this track? sounds great, thinking about buyin 

This is a completely legitimate argument against the band. I hate Bob Dillon for the exact same reason. Can't get past his damn voice. I think you can safely ignore that guy who trashed you earlier.

This is a completely legitimate argument against the band. I hate Bob Dillon for the exact same reason. Can't get past his damn voice. I think you can safely ignore that guy who trashed you earlier.

S-curvy:

Your comments toward Excelsior aside, in Latin, "excelsior" means "superior" or "lordly." I have no dog in this fight; I'm just putting this nugget out there.

 S-curvy wrote: 

Excelsior, you're such a whiner. Every last one of your comments that I've seen take on an air of feigned insight and superiority. NNOT!!!! You just can't figure out that this is all subjective, and like bung-holes, everyone has one; yours just seems to be pimplier and farts much louder than most others. I just can't help myself here, but I came across something that fits you way too well:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -

ex·cel·si·or /ɪkˈsɛlsiər, ɛk-/ Pronunciation Key - -noun
1. fine wood shavings, used for stuffing, packing, etc.
2. Printing. a 3-point type: a size smaller than brilliant. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

So what are you today besides pissy? Are you wood shavings? Stuffing? Or maybe 3-point, which by the way is extremely tiny, verging on illegible without an aid?

We think you're a masochist because you continue to listen to RP, which after reading your many negative comments and the tilted distribution of your ratings, clearly shows that you hold most all that you hear on this station in the highest disdain (a.k.a., your favorite ratings are 1's and 2's). Come on smart-mouth, go start your own station or find something else to listen to, but for the greater good, GO AWAY or figure out that your comments appeal to you and you only and might be better if left unposted! I suppose we could just ask Bill to automatically make your comments what they are, excelsior as in 3-point.

Would have been pretty good as an instrumental, but the whining, strained voice of the vocalist completely destroys it.

A truly amazing song. One in which there are layers upon layers of meaning, both in the instrumental portions, the periodic background audience laughter, and the lead lyrics. I've always thought RP should pair this with King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King." The debt of this song to its prog rock progenitor is clear, and its bright tone serves to counterpoint the darkness of the other tune. I've just got to pick up this album at some point soon.

Would have been pretty good as an instrumental, but the whining, strained voice of the vocalist completely destroys it.

Bar none, one of the best CDs so far this millennium. This did not leave my CD player from when it was released in 2002 until the end of 2003.