The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin - Pitchfork Classic

The Flaming Lips offer an oral history of The Soft Bulletin, with intimate interviews examining the stories behind this modern classic. Directed by RJ Bentler and Produced in Association w/ Vans.
Directed By RJ Bentler
Produced By Mark Richardson & Michael Garber
Co-Produced By Eavvon O'Neal
Edited By Michael Garber
Camera By RJ Bentler, Mark Zemel & Michael Garber
Motion Graphics By Stephen McNally
Mix By Jeff Curtin
Rights And Clearances By Julie Knapp
Production Assistants - Nick Bedo, Tessa Greenberg, Jenna Archambault, John Strong, Kristen Vazquez, Cody Watson
Special Thanks To Scott Booker, Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins, Dave Fridmann, Mary Fridmann, Michelle Martin-Coyne, Evan Purchell, The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma
Archival Materials Provided by The Flaming Lips, Michelle Martin-Coyne, The Fearless Freaks Directed By Bradley Beesley, Scott Booker, Dave and Mary Fridmann, George Salisbury, Warner Brothers Records
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[@shayneoneill1506]

The drum sound on this album is what catches my ear the most. Its just big and bombastic and alive. For this album, its just perfect, because its an album thats about being alive, warts and glory and all.

[@davidcarver8159]

this album got me through the worst time of my life, thank you Flaming Lips,You kept me alive

[@akidh]

Well said.I had a similar experience. This album is in my top 5.Cheers!

[@Ruminations1from2Connecticut]

Ditto, skate like a limo And fly to the highest state Relax, take a break, And watch it like cake

[@williamrayburn5314]

For what it’s worth, sincerely glad you’re still here.... hopefully 6 years later still. 👍🏼

[@thechief5670]

Was an addict just like Steven and this masterpiece helped bring me through.

[@ninsworldwide9530]

This album has actual healing qualities ✌️❤️

[@HarrimanExit]

Such a bad ass trick to slightly detune a few keyboards from one another to mimic orchestration.

[@TheDjmrobertson]

honestly, though. I locked that one away instantly when i heard them say that

[@threeminuteshate]

I have a friend that I met because I overheard him talking about The Soft Bulletin at a bar. I instantly horned in and in a few minutes the person he was originally talking to had gone on and he and I were animatedly exclaiming “Yeah! What about !?” “Oh man! Yeah!” Not the most brilliant musical analysis but I knew I’d found a new person.

[@pillettadoinswartsh4974]

The entire album. Headphones. Listen on headphones. LOUD. Life-changing.

[@DamnedGamers]

One of these on Pavement, Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel, Built to Spill, or maybe even Weezer would be pretty awesome.

[@econogate]

Wowwee Zowee....OK Computer.....Aeroplane.....this almost seems like the 33 1/3 in video format...

[@jems5403]

DamnedGamers Yeah, Pinkerton for sure and either Wowee or CRCR! Those would be awesome!

[@BigDaddyZakk420]

OK Computer and Aeroplane Over The Sea would indeed be fucking awesome! Or Kid A, for that matter.

[@brokley4]

DamnedGamers Any radiohead or early weezer would be awesome!

[@brokley4]

DamnedGamers it would be sweet if you guys checked out my band. you can download the material for free! meza.bandcamp.com/

[@gabrielbizzlebop4702]

one of the greatest albums ever made.

[@viachicago]

A Top 20 All Timer for sure.

[@curly_wyn]

*overrated

[@nt559]

​@@curly_wyn I disagree completely.

[@predeterminedmeat5024]

​@@curly_wyn*Bzzzzzttttt* Wrong

[@antonhaq3503]

I'm so sick of this band being described as weird or quirky, they've always sounded beautiful to me and Wayne is a real gentleman who articulates himself with such simple eloquence.

[@jdonyc]

They describe themselves as freaks, which was in the name of their childhood club... Weird and quirky can be beautiful, can it not?

[@antonhaq3503]

Yes it can but I was commenting on the music and those particular adjectives crop up repeatedly in reviews. I think it's too easy and lazy to describe it in that way, otherwise a huge proportion of my very varied music collection could be described as such.

[@HinesX416]

Anton - well said...; beautiful melody...musical textures.. and Wayne's charisma speaking of feelings that anyone has a hard time speaking about... Forget the chatter about weird, quirky..I try not to focus o what others think....Soft Bulletin - Top Album of 90's ... Top Album of my LIfetime. Wayne Coyne - Treasure and on the +side of human race....he's on my top 10 most interesting people ever.

[@antonhaq3503]

Tim Hines The Soft Bulletin if anything seems to get better with time. I love the majority of their stuff and every album from 'In A Priest Driven Ambulance' onwards is genius. The 2 I play the most are 'In A Priest ....' and 'Soft Bulletin'. The only band I thought that ever came close to their sonic majesty was The Beta Band.

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

Normies are a boring disgrace to American excellence.

[@ActualKaktus]

In 2017, my fiancé and I took a take a trip to Atlanta. It was my 37th birthday and we had tickets to see Radiohead. I quickly learned that the lips were playing the same weekend, and that the venue was a stones throw of the room we rented. I only knew two of their songs (Jelly and Yoshimi), but tickets were cheap and it felt like a no brainer. We went in blind and had no idea what to expect. We left the show completely astonished, and it took us awhile to process what we had experienced. It was a celebration of the human experience. The good, the bad, and the inevitable. It stands as one of my favorite experiences with music, and more importantly, one of my most cherished memories with her. Every time I think about that night, I smile and feel close to her. I became an immediate fan and rushed to catch up on their discography. I couldn't believe that I had missed out on The Soft Bulletin.

[@fazolis2024]

it took me a minute to figure out that "jelly" meant she dont use jelly

[@kylemclendon1]

Wayne was at that Radiohead show too

[@brianwilcox7521]

Dave Friedmann is a genius producer. Almost everything he touches turns to gold. This and Mercury Rev. Very touching music. So happy that a major label produced this music and spent the time promoting it. I don't know if that would happen in today's climate.

[@memalley]

....And Tame Impala

[@dayflowermusic]

I got to see the Lips a couple of times when they've played in my (smallish) hometown of Leicester: first supporting Mercury Rev (during the Deserters Songs tour - soon before they releasd The Soft Bulletin) the second during the Yoshimi tour a couple of years later. Both nights were, needless to say, mind-blowing

[@warshipsatin8764]

it wouldnt happen but fortunately they no longer have complete control over who has access to an audience

[@predeterminedmeat5024]

F*ck i haven't heard anyone talk about Mercury Rev in a while. See You on The Other Side Deserters Song's and All is Dream are fantastic

[@jmicco40]

Soft Bulletin is one of the best things that I have ever come across. It hits so close to home. Rarely do albums come out that have this much heart, and in my opinion, this album nails the basest of human emotions and illustrates spiritual growth.

[@gustavoalfaro1245]

Great doc. Would've been even better if they had talked about "The Spark That Bled" and "What Is The Light", two major tunes on the record.

[@erickjason9092]

This album is "Pet Sounds" genius.

[@Dean11link]

Ween - The Mollusk - Pitchfork Classic.

[@maxholliday4473]

Dean Hubbard I’m late but this would be great

[@roach9397]

I’m even later and I know it will never happen but yes

[@rallokkcaz]

Dave Friddman is my absolute idol, the sounds he's captured are just so wonderful and alien. Yet they don't seem jarring or out of place, the man is a genius.

[@basehead617]

This album defined my college years, I was in awe of it entirely... he's a fun guy but you can tell Wayne is peripheral to its success musically, Drozd and Fridmann are the geniuses

[@dparis2172]

Team effort. I agree, but sometimes all that genius needs something to coalesce around (WC).

[@wolfiethedog76]

This album is an album I have to listen to alone....."weeps" may happen.....what a beautiful masterpiece!

[@godkeebler]

The Soft Bulletin in blew my mind when I heard it. It is a top 10 in the soundtrack of my life. And when I find a fello fan in the wild it is a insta-friendship

[@skainovember7262]

These guys are so crazy that I could show this to somebody unfamiliar with The Lips and convince them that this was a parody mockumentary.

[@PlaylistGeneral]

The biggest shock to me is seemingly how much Wayne is a pretty sober dude. I think he probably experimented a bit and probably experienced some kind of ego death, because he just gives that vibe with knowing himself and his feelings and just being earnest. He's so articulate in a way that you just wouldn't be if you were still heavily doing psychadelics in your 40s.

[@jessemetsala6138]

Happy 20th birthday The Soft Bulletin!

[@threeminuteshate]

Just passed the 25th birthday!

[@landowalker5479]

More of these, please. Also, thank you for not having this narrated by a Pitchfork employee, their voices make my skin crawl.

[@brianchaundy5074]

21:50 Wayne has a very good point about music. Music like this is made for memories and connections.

[@hp123434]

These docs are so great, I don't wanna sound like one of these people, but please keep doing them haha.

[@beflygelt]

You sound like one of these people who say nothing but the truth!

[@Jalex_Owns]

I can't get enough of these guys. They're utterly brilliant, moving, evolving artists. There is such a raw, rich beauty in what they do, and it's such a fascinating trip to watch and hear about their whole creative process. Their music touches me like no other quite has. Here's to them continuing to do what they do so excellently for decades to come.

[@easy2120]

One of the best albums.. ever. Fantastic.

[@tommyz1082]

This album is one of my favorites. Back to front, I can listen to the entire thing. It's only gotten stronger over the years. Thank you wayne, thank you band.

[@mathhew7352]

The essence of their sound, the polyphonic spree, and broken social scene have such a youthful spirit

[@jems5403]

Such an ingenious work of art! Race for the Prize might be one of my favorite songs of all time :)

[@metalsabatico]

Please, you have to make more of these! My humble suggestions: In the Aeroplane Over The Sea Music Has the Right to Children Weezer Blue Loveless F#A#infinity or Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven Spiderland

[@thomasstein4087]

There is a documentary on KZbin on Spiderland called Breadcrumb Trail, it’s good

[@souljubilant12]

Lips can and should inspire every musican when they say they cant make it as an artist. Such hope

[@alanceballos2024]

Thank you for this documentary, Pitchfork. You lot continuously prove that there is more to journalism than just criticism. Not to mention you guys seem to be the only ones who got the track listing right. Masterpiece documentary.

[@falcolombardi1000]

I was two hours early for their concert in Denmark in around 2008. So I was standing in the middle of the empty crowd area and anticipating the show. Then suddenly Wayne Coyne walked out on center stage and it was just him and me and it seemed like we were totally alone. And he just just waved and said hi, and I waved back. And we went our separate ways. I don't know why, but it really made a big impression on me.

[@jamesshields6721]

Love The Lips, love R Jones, love Steven D, love Wayne, love Michale.....love the parking lot experiments...sat in on one at a venue in NYC....X

[@gabrielgolden4336]

I pick a fav album every decade, this was my 90s choice.

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

Warner Bros. is hands down the greatest distributor of American Psychedica. Great label.

[@wolfiethedog76]

Free Band Name: "The Olympics of 1969"....Not possible due to holding Olympics every 4 years,during even years! Thanks, Wayne Coyne

[@OhVicanne]

Wow good idea! I'll remember that...

[@cbus]

New Spotify playlist name 😊

[@scottEhall3]

I love this album more and more as I listen to more music. Nothing sounds like this. Arguably the best album of the 90s.

[@matthewdickerson6560]

The keyboard with Stevie Wonder and Rick Wakeman on it is the most inspiring thing Ive seen in months.

[@silverarrowtarot]

soundtrack to my college years.... will always be a very perfect album for me

[@ghostrider2664]

In my opinion the most sonically important albums since Sergeant Pepper's maybe pet sounds. Every song on this album is a gem. It featured heavily in the soundtrack of my early to mid-twenties. Thank you guys

[@johnarcher6554]

This album changed my whole life.

[@imchristhegangster]

Was lucky enough to see them play this album with an orchestra at Red rocks amphitheater a few years ago. Best show of my life. One of my favorite albums too, especially when I'm feeling anxious about life and about death. Love these guys and proud to be from Oklahoma.

[@skithekey]

43:41 “It’s a beautiful, wicked, wonderful world… Is it?” Gotta love Wayne and his way of expressing himself. It’s all of the words above…

[@cercless]

Clouds taste metallic is one of my favorite albums of theres

[@edwardbliss8931]

This album takes me back to happier times.

[@POHeck2]

Whenever I watch this I get an immediate need to listen to the album in full

[@immersed.in.darkness]

Won't even miss one episode, Liner Notes too, excellent work Pitchfork

[@timespace.productions7513]

Clouds Taste Metallic is a masterpiece.

[@cbus]

In the span of 7 years they released Clouds, Zaireeka, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi. That’s a group of masterpieces right there.

[@darkfieldmpls]

Right right, it's a Pitchfork classic because it's one of the few things they got correct.

[@superorangeish]

Went to see or should I say hear the Flaming Lips in Central Park quite a few years back.The show was sold out but you could sit in the park close to the venue and hear it just fine. In the Morning of the Magicians on that summer night was pretty much a religious experience.

[@TheTargetedScapegoat]

I absolutely love Steven Drozd. Such an honest human with such amazing ability to sculpt notes and chords with scale and key into feelings that are familiar to us. I’m not bad at playing music (guitar, drums, some keys) but I could never write music with such skill.

[@BigDaddyZakk420]

The Soft Bulletin and Clouds, along with Yoshimi are obviously fucking great albums. But I think Hit To Death is a criminally underrated album. I was in love with that album long before I ever heard Soft Bulletin I wish more people gave it a mention, because it's definitely worth a listen; same with A Priest Driven Ambulance actually.

[@thesprawl2361]

That never clicked with me.For me, something changed from Clouds onwards - they had an ear for a melody that wasn't really there before. I don't know if it was Steven Drozd but in retrospect he seems to have made a huge difference. IMO there's a lack of quality control and focus in pre-Clouds stuff. I bought Transmissions, Clouds and Hit To Death at the same time and the latter really felt noticeably less colourful and interesting. And it lacked the very particular character and personality that marks later Lips stuff out - later on they centred on a kind of philosophical tone: the tininess of us versus the hugeness of the universe and the inevitability of death. Before that their stuff was a lot more messy and bitty, and kind of aimlessly nihilistic. And Hit To Death will always carry the stain of influencing The Futureheads to form and release recorded music. That, I cannot forgive. Don't take this too seriously BTW - I'm not trying to smulch your taste in music. I know a lot of people like HTDITFH, but I just disagree.

[@viachicago]

@@thesprawl2361 I agree that Clouds was the album that marked their transition to a great band. There are a few standouts on Hit To Death though: Hit Me Like You Did The First Time, Gingerale Afternoon, and Halloween on the Barbary Coast are worth a listen.

[@abelramirez7320]

Clouds is my favorite right now.

[@thesprawl2361]

That's my favourite and the first Lips album I ever bought(and the cover's cool too). I was pretty young, heard Ladies & Gentlemen by Spiritualized and Deserter's Songs by Mercury Rev, had my mind set on fire and then started hoovering up weird neo-psych bands wherever I could find them. I remember there was a gig advert in the NME for the Flaming Lips and the sentence-long caption was something like 'weirdo American psychedelic band who sing about zoo animals'... SOLD. Soft Bulletin came out about six months later and then they blew up, but Clouds is still my personal favourite, and Transmissions From The Satellite Heart has my desert island disc choice Chewin' The Apple Of Your Eye on it, so those two are very special to me.

[@HeyImPeterRS]

The Soft Bulletin slowly has become an album that means a lot to me, and getting to hear more about the thoughts/process behind it is really cool, thank you Pitchfork

[@mettleandcloth]

I would buy all of the Pitchfork Classic docs on DVD. So good...

[@Gauchodivino]

The last masterpiece of the ancient world.

[@6Mega6Man6]

Ween - White Pepper. You're welcome

[@6Mega6Man6]

***** >Last masterpiece of the ancient world >White Pepper came after the Mollusk >I prefer White Pepper

[@6Mega6Man6]

***** I was just answering ;)

[@jamesguillorytheirascibleh585]

Coil's Musick to Play in the Dark came out a few months after this album. You should check it out.

[@ALonelyWeeaboo]

If you listen to the Vinyl setlist, the 10 out of 10 rating is justified

[@ZwienerZ]

This album is extraordinary. It's one of a kind. One of my favorites.

[@DrillForAbsentee]

What's really cool is that, for a lot of musicians and bands, their early music (sometimes even just their first record) is their best. It says something that the Flaming Lips made their tour de force in the 90s, considering the band got its early start in, what? The late 70s? Pretty impressive.

[@Kampy_]

+Michael Nace 1983

[@dparis2172]

One of my favorite albums, album titles and album covers. Everything worked out just right. Something so absurdly and audaciously conceived could fail 99 times out of 100, but The Soft Bulletin was the miracle.

[@direbearcoat7551]

I loved this album! I played it over and over and over for months and months and months... After watching this documentary, I went and dug up my old CDs and I'm gonna go on another long stretch of playing this album.

[@mathieur7915]

The spider bite story is amazing. The song was already my favorite on the album, but the real story behind it makes it much deeper.

[@Kubiak04]

Incredible album. They did everything on this record and weren't aiming for cool. The music stands outside of any type I've ever heard.

[@apian29]

Absolutely love this album. Great video

[@stuartholden6163]

I'm sure I could be wrong, but it's nice to see some down to earth musicians who describe their music how it is, or at least in this case, without coming across as having huge egos. I look forward to hearing more of the Flaming lips anthology of music.

[@warshipsatin8764]

being down to earth isnt particularly uncommon

[@davidcoyne9448]

So good, thank you Pitchfork.

[@blackfang04]

I'm so glad this exists. I would have never checked out this album if I hadn't watched it.

[@6BURG9]

Just saw these guys last night. Even though they didn't play too much off TSB, it was an incredible show. One of the greatest albums ever conceived, in my opinion. Thanks for this insight.

[@Megamare1]

Dig the actual meaning behind the songs Too kool 💯🎶

[@Sarah-pq8kj]

Good music is never super popular in my opinion. I have always loved the Lips ♡

[@Fallagainstfatejake]

I met the flaming lips the other night and was busy trying to find wayne that i didn't talk to steven didn't really know much about him. He's such a genius wish i knew at the time should of spoke to him while i had the time peace bro! if i get a chance to meet you i won't take it for granted next time!!!

[@MrUndersolo]

Bought this almost by accident (vaguely remembered them from another video). Glad I took a chance on this.

[@singlesideman]

Words cannot tell anyone how important, how relevant, and real this is for me... Thank you.

[@spacealienjesus709]

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Please!

[@Chaktahwilly123]

Make more of these! Please!!!

[@johnnyscifi]

Drozd is brilliant!!

[@kassidylingenfelter9665]

Goddamn, what a brilliant album. Holy shit.

[@killroy123]

So wonderful to get the back story on one of the best albums in my collection. Flaming Lips FOREVER!

[@BrainHooligan]

Glad to find this. I loved this album back in the day and hadn't listened in a long time...looking forward to reuniting with it.

[@p_wallington]

Awesome little documentary! Really makes me appreciate the album and band a bit more!

[@navasaband]

I was doing tech for S.I.R. at a Warner Bros. promo party around 2008. The head of Warners A&R was there, and I asked him, how do you guys keep the Flaming Lips at the label? They don’t sell f*ckloads of records! He answered, “Because I can call Wayne and ask him to fly to Buffalo and stand in the middle of a mall in a bear suit and he goes ‘Sure! No problem!’”. And that’s why they have traversed the major label minefield as an uncompromising artistic enigma.

[@souljubilant12]

when i bought this cd used i was ready a fan upto clouds, and yoshimi but this record just kicked in in full gear when i put it in the cd player driving back home i was so enthralled with it so many emotions and joy was n me i havent felt like that in a while and no record has moved me like soft bulletin its next to clouds and mellon collie and infinite sadness

[@cbus]

This could be two hours longer and I’d be at peace

[@scottEhall3]

2021. I watch this regularly.

[@ianjanas1370]

Very interesting and well put together good job pitchfork!

[@brianh190]

I have had a strange experience involving the song "the gash" on this album... One night I woke up with sleep paralysis and several cartoon like voices in my head (I've only ever heard voices in the state between sleep and wakefulness...not schizophrenic) started saying a bunch of stuff to me, but all I can remember is that they would switch off every sentence saying the gash something something something(can't remember) the gash something something, but without the gash, we would have nothing!. Since the words 'the gash" really stuck out in my head, I googled it right when I got out of bed and the first results were this song(which I don't recall having heard before) which pretty much describes my life, since I've been unemployed living off my parents for a few years now/ pretty much gave up on life. I then did a bit of reading on the guy who wrote this song, and read that he had an incident where he was held up at gunpoint, which positively changed his view of life forever...this made me think of the scene in Fight Club where Tyler holds a gun to a guy's head for the purpose of changing his life for the better. I then realized the chemical burn scene where Tyler said "without pain, there would be nothing" is almost exactly what the voice said to me in sleep paralysis. I also realized that "will the fight for our sanity, be the fight of our lives" line in this song, is very similar to the Fight Club quote"we have no great war, no great depression. Our war is a spiritual war, our great depression is our lives", and that Fight Club and this album were both released in 1999... I'm not sure there is a greater meaning to any of this is,but I figured it was worth sharing anyway...

[@POZOLEDECARAMELITO]

This crazy coincidences just make everything more beautiful don't you think?

[@brianh190]

Definitely...It also reminds me of how little I understand about the workings of the universe and the human mind.

[@ews850]

Love this story

[@googie182]

The Glow Pt 2

[@gringogreen4719]

I remember getting into the Flaming Lips to challenge my ear. I appreciated that it was unique but it never soaked in as an influence. I saw these guys in 02 on the Unlimited Sunshine Tour and it was so perfect. The other band that was challenging to my ear was Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs. That was a bit more accessible to me for wayward indie music. Glad to be into this when I was.

[@chancethadood]

we need more of these. ask king gizz about releasing those five records

[@numsiskit]

So good. The album and this documentary.

[@ghostrider2664]

Adjust real quick, b I always like flaming lips since the first time I heard them. But waiting for Superman, that one song made me fall absolutely in love with them for the rest of my life.

[@staygoldendesigner]

Fantastic! I saw them in England on this albums tour and cried my eyes out.

[@Bfixico]

jacob golden that must have been killer

[@MacAttack891898]

It must be easy to sell yourself as a manager with the name Scott "Booker"

[@fartboxer22]

I love this band forever!!!

[@RatTrashTV]

i would die of happiness before i could even watch it.

[@jjforyomama]

bring these type of vids back

[@statesofinertia]

The lips exist on an entire different plain to all current and previous (and sadly possibly future) experimental bands including the obvious ones that people rave about like the ones beginning with the intials PF etc. Talk about throwing away the rule book... these guys will be a very hard act to follow. Love to you Wayne, Steve & co

[@xx7secondsxx]

Wow. 3:46 in so far n the view on clouds.... that's my fave LP by them!

[@moeron13]

These make listening to the albums just so much better. Thank you Pitchfork for this, the Belle and Sebastian doc and the Modest Mouse doc. Hoping for a My Bloody Valentine doc or maybe a Neutral Milk Hotel