Fifteen years ago today (June 22nd), the Flaming Lips released its masterpiece The Soft Bulletin in the US, an album which signaled the band's complete shift from acid punks to psychedelic pop geniuses. Here's my ranking of the album's thirteen songs, from weakest to best.
(Note: Because there are a few different editions of the album, I'm basing this list off of the thirteen track vinyl edition. None of the remixes were considered for this ranking.)
13. Slow Motion
Even the worst song on The Soft Bulletin is an immaculately produced pop gem (just listen to those huge, swirling drums), but "Slow Motion" is the only song on the album that doesn't completely fill my heart with majesty and wonder. It wasn't even included on the US edition, so it's definitely the album's most overlooked track.
12. The Observer
The first of two instrumental tracks from The Soft Bulletin, "The Observer" can be heard as almost an intermission of sorts. It's the aural equivalent of staring at a starry night sky, a beautifully atmospheric and subtle piece of music.
11. The Gash
For the first two minutes of "The Gash," the song is almost too much for me, with all of the weird voices and group vocals and whatnot. But then comes a classic moment of Wayne Coyne's uplifting romanticism: "Will the fight for our sanity be the fight of our lives?" This is the kind of music that makes living feel like a triumph.
10. What is the Light?
Wayne Coyne and Steve Drozd have a knack for creating songs that are sonically challenging and progressive, but have melodies that sound like they've already existed for a century, like the ballad "What is the Light?" Though there are some undeniable similarities between this song and " target="_blank">Pink Floyd's "Vera," it's still one of the album's most traditionally beautiful songs.
9. Sleeping On The Roof
The Soft Bulletin closes out with "Sleeping On The Roof," which has a melody that Steve Drozd composed by writing random dots onto a music staff. Like "The Observer," it's another sleepy, atmospheric instrumental, but after spending fifty minutes floating through the heavens with the other twelve songs, "Sleeping On The Roof" brilliantly brings us back down to a hot summer night on Earth, complete with chirping crickets.
8. A Spoonful Weighs A Ton
People coming in to The Soft Bulletin for the first time might find themselves turned off by "A Spoonful Weighs A Ton," as I was when I first heard the album six years ago. It veers dangerously close to a Disney level of schmaltz and whimsy, but this optimism exactly why it's a brilliant, beautiful song.
7. Buggin'
It is impossible to sing "Buggin'" without having a big, goofy smile across your face. It's the album's best and most straightforward pop song, and the fact that it wasn't a huge hit is very disappointing. If Wayne Coyne had a better singing voice, this song would have been everywhere.
6. The Spiderbite Song
When Steve Drozd developed an infection through his heavy heroin use, he told Wayne Coyne that it was simply a spider bite, which inspired this beautiful song. Though it's up for debate whether or not Coyne actually believed Drozd, the song's sweet, childlike nature never fails to leave me choked up.
5. The Spark That Bled
"The Spark That Bled" is the album's "Bohemian Rhapsody," a six-minute, multi-part epic that captures everything The Soft Bulletin has to offer: celestial production, sublime melodies, contemplative lyrics, and of course, moments of inspirational humanity.
4. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
When the chorus to "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" finally hits about two minutes into the song, it suddenly becomes obvious that the entire album was basically a build-up to this one glorious moment. Even the band realizes that it can't turn back, so they simply repeat the chorus until the song is finished.
3. Race for the Prize
Has there ever been a more exciting and definitive opening song than "Race for the Prize"? It introduces everything about the album that you've never heard anywhere else before: Steve Drozd's huge distorted drums, the heavenly synths, and Wayne Coyne's triumphant vocal melodies.
2. Suddenly Everything Has Changed
"Suddenly Everything Has Changed" isn't quite a ballad, but it's also not on the same pop platform as "Buggin'" or "Race for the Prize." What we get instead is a strange, wistful song about mortality that brilliantly twists around tempos and emotions.
1. Waitin' for a Superman
Steve Drozd claims that when he heard the final mix for "Waitin' for a Superman," it brought tears to his eyes. It's an incredibly simple, piano driven song held down by Drozd's eternally restless drums, featuring some of Wayne Coyne's most beautiful lyrics. Coyne may not be a great singer, but his wounded, fragile delivery suits the song beyond perfectly.
What's your favorite song on The Soft Bulletin? What did I get wrong? Let us know in the comments section!
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