Track Listing

1. Race For The Prize
2. Spoonful Weighs A Ton
3. Spark That Bled
4. Slow Motion
5. What Is The Light
6. Observer
7. Superman
8. Suddenly Everything Has Changed
9. Gash
10. Feeling Yourself Disentergrate
11. Sleeping On The Roof
12. Race For The Prize (2)
13. Superman (2)
14. Buggin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10753 in Music
• Released on: 1999-05-17
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Flaming Lips are a restless band--their 1994 album, Zaireeka,was released on four separate CDs, the idea being that you played them simultaneously on four separate stereos to benefit from their full effect. The only flaw in this delightful plan is that not very many people have four stereos; but as unquenchably optimistic chief songwriter Wayne Coyne points out, "You could invite all your friends to bring their stereos over and have a happening." Compared to this, Soft Bulletin is as sane as a nun. A paint-box explosion of psychedelia and bubble gum pop--"Race For The Prize" even dented the Top 40 --Soft Bulletin is the sound of a band racing their peers to invent the music of the future. The drums are all "Lust For Life"'s Neanderthal funk; whilst the guitars alternately melt, fry and squeal through the whole psychedelic kaleidoscope. Almost guaranteed to be seminal. --Caitlin Moran

Customer Reviews

Fearless freaks
The crazed genius of the Lips comes to full flower on the sonically massive and majestic 'The Soft Bulletin'. The major reason that "The Soft Bulletin" is such an amazing album is because at the time that it came out no-one really excepted that the Flaming Lips could record an album like it. Whilst they constantly released brilliant albums, they were very much a cult college band.


With this album they were free to create without the pressure of having to come up with a hit album. That freedom led to one of the greatest albums of the decade, in my humble gypsy opinion. This classic album was a radical departure from the punk sound that had dominated releases like "Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (which is a very good album by the way).


On this album that sound was replaced with lush orchestral arrangements, and dense sonic landscapes dominated by heartfelt lyrics. But the ace in the hole for this is that the Lips pull it off with out any hint of pretension. This is an album that can't help but cheer you up on a bad day. Even when the rain is pouring down out of the heavens, put this record and it will make the rain seem like a gift from God; I think my friend described the experience of listening to the soft bulletin the best when he said it was like listing to a ray of sunshine. What makes this album all the more special is that this is their 10th album, and it sounds like their first there are not too many bands around that can still come up with fresh ideas by album 9.

sublime
last november, i went to see the flaming lips with my girlfriend, we got mistaken for the support band, and snuck backstage. we met wayne steven and michael, and at the expense of sounding a little wierd, it was the most magical experience ever. these people, are the real thing. Wayne truly is wayne, if you know what i mean, he was the most exciting person iv ever been with, and had infinite patience with me, even though id just snuck backstage and barged into the dressing room! point being, that the flaming lips really are their music. they dont just try to create something they dont believe in to make money or whatever, their personalities ARE the music, and in that way, never was a more honest and beautiful record made, than the soft bulletin. a fantastic adeventure from start to finish, that questions everything you once thought about life, and turns it on its head. themeatically its the most universal album iv ever heard, and the music is splendorous and magnificent. To the extent that it has and never will be matched again.
The most perfect record ever made, that will inspire me and others for ever.
listen and be uplifted.

Amazing stuff!
Having read some of the bad reviews her, I thought I had to add a comment.
The Soft Bulletin, quite simply is a superb collection of songs and music. If it's not your 'cup of tea' then by all means say so, but that does not make it bad.
This album is absolutely full of emotion, and every song is honest. It's not 'bubblegum' it's genuine. I have heard peopl compare this to the Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds', and yes this is pushing a 3 piece to the limit, and often beyond. But thankfully the Flaming lips regard the album as the priority and not if you can play it live. Their live shows are amazing but the albums are even better!
This album is for me the closest I have found to perfection. I can listen to it over and over again. 'Feeling yourself disintergrate' is simply amazing, whilst 'The Gash' made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Fully reccomended, but give it a few listens!