Never ones to shy away from reissues, the Flaming Lips are once again looking back — way back. Today the indie rock vets announced they will be celebrating their origins with a new series of reissues.
On April 20 (yes, 4/20), the Lips will release Scratching the Door: The First Recordings of the Flaming Lips via Rhino/Warner Bros. The 19-track collection will feature the group's very first songs captured with their original lineup. Following that, the band will release a new six-CD box set called Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips: 1986-1990 on May 25.
Arriving on CD and digitally, Scratching the Door is culled from the band's first two cassette demos and their first-ever self-released EP, with now-frontman Wayne Coyne's brother Mark on vocals. It will mark the first time these recordings have been collected on a single release.
Besides Lips originals, the collection features some classic rock covers, such as the Who's "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" — not to mention the "Batman Theme."
All the tracks on the release have been remastered from the original source tape by longtime Flaming Lips producer David Fridmann, as well as the band's Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins.
As for that box set, Seeing the Unseeable will contain the band's first four albums, as well as two discs of rarities. This means the group's four Restless Records albums: Hear It Is (1986), Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips (1987), Telepathic Surgery (1989) and In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) (1990). The two bonus discs are then made up of various tracks from the era previously found as B-sides, on flexi discs and on various compilations.
Again, all the recordings have been remastered from the original 1/4" analog tapes. And while this box set is only so far slated for release on CD and digitally, a press release promises that new vinyl reissues of the Restless albums are coming (we're looking at you, Record Store Day).
For now, you can see the extensive tracklists for both releases. That's the cover art for Scratching the Door above.
In addition, the Flaming Lips have several tour dates coming up, including some here in Canada. You can see their complete schedule at the bottom of the page.
Scratching the Door: The First Recordings of the Flaming Lips:
1. Bag Full Of Thoughts
2. Out For A Walk
3. Garden Of Eyes
4. Forever Is A Long Time
5. Scratchin' The Door
6. My Own Planet
7. Killer On The Radio
8. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
9. Batman Theme
10. Handsome Johnny
11. Flaming Lips Theme Song 1983
12. The Future Is Gone
13. Underground Pharmacist
14. Real Fast Words
15. Groove Room
16. Jesus Shootin' Heroin
17. Trains, Brains & Rain
18. Communication Breakdown
19. Summertime Blues
Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips: 1986-1990:
Disc One - Hear It Is:
1. With You
2. Unplugged
3. Trains, Brains and Rain
4. Jesus Shootin' Heroin
5. Just Like Before
6. She Is Death
7. Charlie Manson Blues
8. Man From Pakistan
9. Godzilla Flick
10. Staring At Sound/With You (Reprise)
Disc Two - Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips:
1. Everything's Explodin'
2. One Million Billionth Of A Millisecond On A Sunday Morning
3. Maximum Dream For Evil Knievel
4. Can't Exist
5. Ode to C.C. (Part I)
6. The Ceiling Is Bendin'
7. Prescription: Love
8. Thanks To You
9. Can't Stop The Spring
10. Ode To C.C. (Part II)
11. Love Yer Brain
Disc Three - Telepathic Surgery:
1. Drug Machine In Heaven
2. Right Now
3. Michael, Time To Wake Up
4. Chrome Plated Suicide
5. Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon (Fuck Led Zeppelin)
6. Miracle On 42nd Street
7. Fryin' Up
8. Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory
9. U.F.O. Story
10. Redneck School Of Technology
11. Shaved Gorilla
12. The Spontaneous Combustion Of John
13. The Last Drop Of Morning Dew
14. Begs and Achin'
Disc Four - In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares):
1. Shine On Sweet Jesus – Jesus Song No. 5
2. Unconsciously Screamin'
3. Rainin' Babies
4. Take Meta Mars
5. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
6. Stand In Line
7. God Walks Among Us Now – Jesus Song No. 6
8. There You Are – Jesus Song No. 7
9. Mountain Side
10. What A Wonderful World
Disc Five - Restless Rarities:
1. Death Valley '69
2. Thank You
3. Can't Stop The Spring – Remix
4. After The Gold Rush
5. Death Trippin' At Sunrise
6. Drug Machine In Heaven – Sub Pop 7-inch version
7. Strychnine/Peace, Love And Understanding
8. Lucifer Rising
9. Ma, I Didn't Notice
10. Let Me Be It
11. She's Gone Mad Again
12. Golden Hearse
13. Stand In Line
14. I Want To Kill My Brother; The Cymbal Head
15. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
Disc Six - The Mushroom Tapes:
1. Take Meta Mars
2. Mountain Side
3. There You Are
4. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
5. Rainin' Babies
6. Unconsciously Screamin'
7. Stand In Line
8. God's A Wheeler Dealer
9. Agonizing
10. One Shot
11. Cold Day
12. Jam
Tour dates:
03/03 Okeechobee, FL - Okeechobee Festival
03/05 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
03/06 Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine
03/07 Birmingham, AL - Iron City
03/09 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
03/10 Richmond, VA - The National
03/11 Bensalem, PA - XCite Center at Parx Casino
05/06 Memphis, TN - Beale Street Music Festival
05/31 Jackson, WY - Jackson Hole Center for the Arts
06/02 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
06/03 Seattle, WA - Upstream Music Fest + Summit
06/04 Bonner, MT - Kettlehouse Amphitheater
06/06 Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House
06/07 Ogden, UT - Ogden Amphitheatre
06/08 Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
06/22 Saskatoon, SK - Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest
06/24 Winnipeg, MB - Jazz Winnipeg - Burton Cummings Theatre
07/20 Cheshire, UK - Bluedot 2018, Jodrell Bank
07/21 London, UK - Kaleidoscope Festival, Alexandra Palace
11/09 Weissenhauser Strand, DE - Rolling Stone Weekender, Ferienpark
11/16 Europa-Park, DE - Rolling Stone Park
On April 20 (yes, 4/20), the Lips will release Scratching the Door: The First Recordings of the Flaming Lips via Rhino/Warner Bros. The 19-track collection will feature the group's very first songs captured with their original lineup. Following that, the band will release a new six-CD box set called Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips: 1986-1990 on May 25.
Arriving on CD and digitally, Scratching the Door is culled from the band's first two cassette demos and their first-ever self-released EP, with now-frontman Wayne Coyne's brother Mark on vocals. It will mark the first time these recordings have been collected on a single release.
Besides Lips originals, the collection features some classic rock covers, such as the Who's "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" — not to mention the "Batman Theme."
All the tracks on the release have been remastered from the original source tape by longtime Flaming Lips producer David Fridmann, as well as the band's Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins.
As for that box set, Seeing the Unseeable will contain the band's first four albums, as well as two discs of rarities. This means the group's four Restless Records albums: Hear It Is (1986), Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips (1987), Telepathic Surgery (1989) and In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) (1990). The two bonus discs are then made up of various tracks from the era previously found as B-sides, on flexi discs and on various compilations.
Again, all the recordings have been remastered from the original 1/4" analog tapes. And while this box set is only so far slated for release on CD and digitally, a press release promises that new vinyl reissues of the Restless albums are coming (we're looking at you, Record Store Day).
For now, you can see the extensive tracklists for both releases. That's the cover art for Scratching the Door above.
In addition, the Flaming Lips have several tour dates coming up, including some here in Canada. You can see their complete schedule at the bottom of the page.
Scratching the Door: The First Recordings of the Flaming Lips:
1. Bag Full Of Thoughts
2. Out For A Walk
3. Garden Of Eyes
4. Forever Is A Long Time
5. Scratchin' The Door
6. My Own Planet
7. Killer On The Radio
8. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
9. Batman Theme
10. Handsome Johnny
11. Flaming Lips Theme Song 1983
12. The Future Is Gone
13. Underground Pharmacist
14. Real Fast Words
15. Groove Room
16. Jesus Shootin' Heroin
17. Trains, Brains & Rain
18. Communication Breakdown
19. Summertime Blues
Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips: 1986-1990:
Disc One - Hear It Is:
1. With You
2. Unplugged
3. Trains, Brains and Rain
4. Jesus Shootin' Heroin
5. Just Like Before
6. She Is Death
7. Charlie Manson Blues
8. Man From Pakistan
9. Godzilla Flick
10. Staring At Sound/With You (Reprise)
Disc Two - Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips:
1. Everything's Explodin'
2. One Million Billionth Of A Millisecond On A Sunday Morning
3. Maximum Dream For Evil Knievel
4. Can't Exist
5. Ode to C.C. (Part I)
6. The Ceiling Is Bendin'
7. Prescription: Love
8. Thanks To You
9. Can't Stop The Spring
10. Ode To C.C. (Part II)
11. Love Yer Brain
Disc Three - Telepathic Surgery:
1. Drug Machine In Heaven
2. Right Now
3. Michael, Time To Wake Up
4. Chrome Plated Suicide
5. Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon (Fuck Led Zeppelin)
6. Miracle On 42nd Street
7. Fryin' Up
8. Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory
9. U.F.O. Story
10. Redneck School Of Technology
11. Shaved Gorilla
12. The Spontaneous Combustion Of John
13. The Last Drop Of Morning Dew
14. Begs and Achin'
Disc Four - In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares):
1. Shine On Sweet Jesus – Jesus Song No. 5
2. Unconsciously Screamin'
3. Rainin' Babies
4. Take Meta Mars
5. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
6. Stand In Line
7. God Walks Among Us Now – Jesus Song No. 6
8. There You Are – Jesus Song No. 7
9. Mountain Side
10. What A Wonderful World
Disc Five - Restless Rarities:
1. Death Valley '69
2. Thank You
3. Can't Stop The Spring – Remix
4. After The Gold Rush
5. Death Trippin' At Sunrise
6. Drug Machine In Heaven – Sub Pop 7-inch version
7. Strychnine/Peace, Love And Understanding
8. Lucifer Rising
9. Ma, I Didn't Notice
10. Let Me Be It
11. She's Gone Mad Again
12. Golden Hearse
13. Stand In Line
14. I Want To Kill My Brother; The Cymbal Head
15. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
Disc Six - The Mushroom Tapes:
1. Take Meta Mars
2. Mountain Side
3. There You Are
4. Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
5. Rainin' Babies
6. Unconsciously Screamin'
7. Stand In Line
8. God's A Wheeler Dealer
9. Agonizing
10. One Shot
11. Cold Day
12. Jam
Tour dates:
03/03 Okeechobee, FL - Okeechobee Festival
03/05 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
03/06 Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine
03/07 Birmingham, AL - Iron City
03/09 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
03/10 Richmond, VA - The National
03/11 Bensalem, PA - XCite Center at Parx Casino
05/06 Memphis, TN - Beale Street Music Festival
05/31 Jackson, WY - Jackson Hole Center for the Arts
06/02 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
06/03 Seattle, WA - Upstream Music Fest + Summit
06/04 Bonner, MT - Kettlehouse Amphitheater
06/06 Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House
06/07 Ogden, UT - Ogden Amphitheatre
06/08 Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
06/22 Saskatoon, SK - Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest
06/24 Winnipeg, MB - Jazz Winnipeg - Burton Cummings Theatre
07/20 Cheshire, UK - Bluedot 2018, Jodrell Bank
07/21 London, UK - Kaleidoscope Festival, Alexandra Palace
11/09 Weissenhauser Strand, DE - Rolling Stone Weekender, Ferienpark
11/16 Europa-Park, DE - Rolling Stone Park