Hear It Is (1986)
Although it has flashes of the textured sound that would make the Lips famous, this is basically a garage rock album. It is noisy, aggressive and not bad for a first effort, but not essential except for completists or those who lost interest in the Lips after Transmissions (i.e. those who like them noisy and shaggy rather than spacey and symphonic).
Listen
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Oh My Gawd!!! (1987)
An interesting mixture of the garage rock from the first album with moments that are so heavily indebted to Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin that sometimes it sounds like the Lips are playing covers. Fans of their later work might find this hard to get into, but it is actually a very interesting album. Not essential, but worth a listen. It starts with a sample of John Lennon’s voice from The Beatles’ “Revolution 9.” God only knows how (or if) they got the rights to use that.
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Telepathic Surgery (1989)
This is the Lips’ worst album. With few exceptions, the songs are mired in the sound of the rising grunge movement. Mostly, they aren’t very compelling.
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In A Priest Driven Ambulance (1990)
Generally considered to be the Lips’ best early-period album. It is certainly worth a listen but not essential. You can hear the Lips leaving their early, noisy garage era behind and taking a step toward their next era of avant-garde pop, but they weren’t quite there yet.
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Hit To Death In The Future Head (1992)
During the final era of major-label dominance, the majors started scooping up every act they could find that sounded like the new grunge craze. The Lips were one of the bands scooped up (and one of the only ones who would end up with a long, successful career), and this is their first album for Warner Bros. This album doesn’t quite fit in the early era or in the middle era of the Lips’ work. It is the most accessible album up to this point, beautiful in many parts and pop-oriented without the weird guitar noise of the middle-era Lips.
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Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (1993)
Essential for anyone who wants to understand the Lips middle era, which was the one that made them famous (sort 0f). This album is important because it marked the addition of Steven Drozd. Also, new guitarist Ronald Jones provided a constant stream of noise and guitar effects that, when placed over Coyne’s more pop-oriented songs, ended up defining a new sound. This album contains the Lips’ first and biggest hit, “She Don’t Use Jelly.”
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Clouds Taste Metallic (1995)
Another classic Lips middle-era album. This one is a bit more accessible than Transmissions, and has flashes of the orchestrated pop, courtesy of Steven Drozd, that would define the next era of Lips music. Not quite essential, but damn close because of songs like “The Abandoned Hospital Ship,” “This Here Giraffe,” and “Bad Days.”
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Zaireeka (1997)
One of the greatest works of art in the history of recorded music, no shit. Absolutely essential both for the fascinating concept- four discs that must be played simultaneously on four stereos – and for the stunning musical accomplishments it contains. Arguably, there has never been a greater leap from album to album than the one the Lips took between Clouds and Zaireeka. Part of this is due to the fact that Ronald Jones quit the band and disappeared, leaving the Lips as a threesome and unsure of how to proceed. Instead of faltering or breaking up, they figured why not do something unprecedented? Uncompromising, awe inspiring, this album is a gauntlet.
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The Soft Bulletin (1998)
Arguably the best Lips album. It is a work of art that can stand with any of the 20th century. Where Zaireeka was mostly a product of Wayne Coyne’s genius – namely, the idea of four discs and the general concept that came from his famed “parking lot experiments” – this album is a perfect melding of that genius with the genius of Steven Drozd. Drozd created breathtaking, classically-inspired backdrops and Coyne put his heaviest, most epic lyrics ever on top to create a monster of an album.
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Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002)
This album goes pretty much neck and neck with The Soft Bulletin. Essential for Lips fans, and a great one to start with, as it is the most instantly accessible. Where Bulletin relied on quasi-classical arrangements and instruments, Yoshimi is more centered on electronic ones. This is in part due to the fact that Drozd was at the worst point of his heroin addiction and was often absent during the recording. Since Drozd plays drums, Coyne often had no choice but to rely on drum machines. Still, the songwriting and orchestration is phenomenal. It includes the Lips’ most famous song, “Do You Realize??”
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At War With The Mystics (2006)
After three masterpieces, this album was a bit of a letdown. It has about four excellent songs, two or three good ones, and a few that just don’t hold up. Not essential, although sonically, the actual recording is quite beautiful and is worth at least a listen.
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Once Beyond Hopelessness/Soundtrack for Christmas on Mars (2008)
Essential only for Lips completists, although it does have some stunning parts. This is Steven Drozd allowed to go wild with his classical inclinations and electronic fascinations. Definitely worth at least one listen.
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Embryonic (2009)
Another masterpiece, although fans of pretty much any era might have a hard time getting into this bizarre, dark double album. It doesn’t reveal itself on first listen, but persistence pays off, as this has some of the Lips’ most fascinating work.
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Dark Side Of The Moon/with Stardeath and White Dwarfs (2009)
Released as an iTunes goodie to coincide with Embryonic, this is essential only for completists, but like most of what the Lips have done, it is worth a least a listen. They recorded it with Coyne’s nephew’s band, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, and they felt no need to remain true to the original, which makes for interesting results.
