An Album About A Fascination With Religion

The Flaming Lips are becoming a multi-media outlet for influential artistic journeys, but they have never always been so lucky to have the chance to express their creativity to such a wide audience. Blasting atmospheric walls of guitar feedback whizzing past the listeners ears like a flying bumble bee opens The Flaming Lips, ear achingly beautiful LP “In a Priest Driven Ambulance”.

As its not distributed by Warner Brothers the concept album of frontman, Wayne Coyne’s obession with religion is not often discovered by fans which is disappointing as its one of The Flaming Lips truly psychedelic albums.

Many techniques such as lowering Wayne’s pitch, the unusual contrast of acoustic guitars and the multi-layering of guitar feedback helps give the album a unique style and atmosphere (and establishes that there is an art to manipulating guitar feedback) which helps make the album different and gave it a more likely chance to be picked up by a cigar puffing man at Warner Brothers.

Although at times I could see how people could find this album as poor due to it being slightly too amateurish sounding. Its that aspect in the record I like, Wayne’s voice at times can be a bit annoying and some what of a child pretending to be a rock star. However for me its cuteness grows on you and you must remember this was before being signed to Warner Brothers and before (in my eyes) under-rated Steven Drozd joined “The Lips“ to guide them into a more professional presentation of the band we have today.I would recommend this album out of the few before the signing to Warner Brothers era.

Unlike the other albums like “Telepathic Surgery” which to me sounds like them trying to discover their sound, its in this album they finally did discover there desired sound.