Psychedelic Okies

Not until recently did I realize how long the Flaming Lips have been together.  According to online sources, they have been together since 1983.  The band has had a revolving door of members (Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins are the longest tenured members, having been in the band since its inception).  Commercially they have only had one popular single in the U.S., “She Don’t Use Jelly” (which is really the only song I knew until recently) but have had critical success with their albums and commercial success internationally.

The Flaming Lips’ fame is derived from their live shows.  Their live shows have always been events, featuring pyrotechnics and technology and other things to bring more life to their music.  This has been a trademark since their inception.  Their music has also evolved with their live shows, and for over a decade they have incorporated more lush arrangements, including small orchestras, into their music.  Their album The Soft Bulletin helped launch their popularity into the new millennium and is also their most critically-hailed album.

# 186 – The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin (Metascore = 85)

The band has always been known for outlandish song titles with other-worldly lyrics, and while The Soft Bulletin has its own share of other-worldly lyrics, it also has more thoughtful lyrics that are more accessible to the listening public (particularly those unfamiliar with the band).  Lyrically the album is not as abstract as other tracks I have heard (“She Don’t Use Jelly” was commercially entertaining but had what I thought were ridiculous lyrics).  The listener doesn’t feel like he or she is learning about politics on Neptune.  “Waitin’ for a Superman” is an example of lyrics that are somewhat abstract yet have a deeper meaning that can be understood by anyone (giving hope to those in despair or struggling that anyone can be Superman).

Sonically, this album has been compared to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds in that the album includes good harmonies with orchestrated sounds.  Every song whisks you away to the world that Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips want to take you.  Like Pet Sounds, their music does this to great effect.  “Race for the Prize” achieves this immediately, and as you get deeper and deeper into the album you go deeper and deeper into the Lips’ world.  Their mixture of guitars, bass and drums with synthesizers and other instruments creates this magical atmosphere that make shifting from dreamy pop to soul to rock effortless.

Some critics claim The Soft Bulletin as the best record of its decade (it was released in 1999).  I wouldn’t go that far, as Radiohead had released two spectacular albums only a year or so before (OK Computer and The Bends), and there were plenty of other great records that shifted the music landscape prior to Bulletin.  But I do not want to undermine what the Flaming Lips have achieved here.  Each song is a sweet musical landscape of psychedelic folk that enriches the listeners’ ears.