The Soft Bulletin

by The Flaming Lips

The Soft Bulletin cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: May 17, 1999
  • Label: Warner Bros.
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 58:24
  • Community rating: 4.49/5 from 22 ratings

Artists on this release: Steven Drozd, Wayne Coyne, Michael Ivins

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Hailed as a significant departure from the band's guitar-driven past, 'The Soft Bulletin' features a densely layered, symphonic sound achieved through a fusion of rock instrumentation with electronic beats and meticulously arranged MIDI keyboards. This intricate sonic tapestry, often compared to the production of 'Pet Sounds', provides the backdrop for more traditional melodies and Wayne Coyne's increasingly poignant lyrics exploring themes of love, loss, and mortality. The album was met with widespread critical acclaim, solidifying the band's enduring identity for the following decade and is widely regarded as their masterpiece.

Genres

Descriptors: orchestral, experimental, conceptual, grandiose, life-affirming

Tracklist

  1. Race for the Prize (04:18)
  2. A Spoonful Weighs a Ton (03:32)
  3. The Spark That Bled (05:54)
  4. The Spiderbite Song (04:02)
  5. Buggin' (03:16)
  6. What Is the Light? (04:05)
  7. The Observer (04:11)
  8. Waitin' for a Superman (04:17)
  9. Suddenly Everything Has Changed (03:54)
  10. The Gash (04:02)
  11. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate (05:17)
  12. Sleeping on the Roof (03:09)
  13. Race for the Prize (04:08)
  14. Waitin' for a Superman (04:19)

Credits

  • Wayne Coyne - vocals, guitar, keyboards, theremin, production, mix, recording
  • Michael Ivins - bass, keyboards, backing vocals, engineering, production, mix, recording, additional engineering
  • Steven Drozd - drums, percussion, guitar, keyboards, bass, backing vocals, production, mix, recording
  • Scott Bennett - additional bass on "Waitin' for a Superman (Remix)"
  • Dave Fridmann - production, mix, recording
  • Scott Booker - production
  • Steve Hall - mastering
  • Peter Mokran - additional production & mix
  • Lawrence Schiller - cover photograph
  • George Salisbury - layout & design

More from The Flaming Lips: full discography