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In a Priest Driven Ambulance

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In a Priest Driven Ambulance
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1990
Genre
Length46:36 (original release)
55:43 (1995 re-release)
LabelRestless Records/Enigma
ProducerThe Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann
The Flaming Lips chronology
Telepathic Surgery
(1989)
In a Priest Driven Ambulance
(1990)
Hit to Death in the Future Head
(1992)
Singles from In a Priest Driven Ambulance
  1. "Unconsciously Screamin'"
    Released: March 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
The Great Rock Discography6/10[3]
MusicHound Rock[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Select4/5[6]
Sounds[7]

In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) is the fourth album by the Flaming Lips, released in 1990. It is the first Flaming Lips album to feature Jonathan Donahue (also of Mercury Rev) and drummer Nathan Roberts. This line-up would subsequently be signed by Warner Bros. Records and go on to record the follow-up album Hit to Death in the Future Head. It is a concept album primarily focused on frontman Wayne Coyne's fascination with religion.

A music video for the song "Unconsciously Screamin" was shot at a religious theme park called Holy Land USA in Waterbury, Connecticut, as well as Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and City Gardens in Trenton, New Jersey. It was directed by Jim Spring and Jens Jurgensen.

The album was re-released as a CD with two bonus tracks on January 17, 1995, although the full name with subtitle appears only on the vinyl release. It was also re-released in a two-CD special edition in 2002 under the title The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg. The first disc of this release, composed of the entire Priest album and numerous bonus tracks, was also released as a limited-edition two-record vinyl release on pink vinyl.

"Unconsciously Screamin'" was released as an EP in 1991 to promote the album. Two of the B-sides were featured as bonus tracks on the 1995 re-release.

Track listing

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Original release

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Shine on Sweet Jesus"4:27
2."Unconsciously Screamin'"3:52
3."Rainin' Babies"4:28
4."Take Meta Mars"3:13
5."Five Stop Mother Superior Rain"6:19
6."Stand in Line"4:42
7."God Walks Among Us Now"4:46
8."There You Are"4:32
9."Mountain Side"6:36
10."What a Wonderful World"3:44

Limited edition vinyl-only reissue

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In a Priest Driven Ambulance was reissued in 2005 on pink vinyl. The reissue is on four sides and contains the bonus tracks “Lucifer Rising”, “Ma, I Didn’t Notice”, “Let Me Be It”, “Drug Machine”, and “Strychnine/Peace, Love, and Understanding”. The cover has promotional photos and the inside sleeve has a story about the early Lips by Scott Booker.

Side One
No.TitleLength
1."Shine on Sweet Jesus"4:28
2."Unconsciously Screamin’"3:53
3."Rainin’ Babies"4:29
4."Take Meta Mars"3:13
5."Five Stop Mother Superior Rain"6:20
Side Two
No.TitleLength
6."Stand in Line"4:37
7."God Walks Among Us Now (Jesus Song No. 6)"4:53
8."There You Are (Jesus Song No. 7)"4:32
9."Mountain Side"6:36
10."(What a) Wonderful World"3:41
Side Three
No.TitleLength
11."Lucifer Rising"3:36
12."Ma, I Didn’t Notice"8:11
Side Four
No.TitleLength
13."Let Me Be It"5:32
14."Drug Machine"2:53
15."Strychnine/Peace, Love and Understanding"3:59
  • "Drug Machine" is the Sub Pop single rerecording of "Drug Machine in Heaven"; the song in its original form was featured on Telepathic Surgery.

Influences

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The song "Take Meta Mars" is closely modeled on the Can song "Mushroom" off the album Tago Mago.

Personnel

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  • Wayne Coyne – vocals, guitar
  • Michael Ivins – bass
  • Jonathan Donahue – guitar
  • Nathan Roberts – drums
  • Dave Fridmann – recording engineer, producer
  • Michele Vlasimsky – executive producer, photography

References

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  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "In a Priest Driven Ambulance – The Flaming Lips". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "The Flaming Lips". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958.
  3. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). "Flaming Lips". The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 543–544. ISBN 1-84195-615-5.
  4. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "The Flaming Lips". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 428–429. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  5. ^ Kot, Greg (2004). "Flaming Lips". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 300. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ Perry, Andrew (May 1991). "The Flaming Lips: In a Priest Driven Ambulance". Select. No. 11. p. 71.
  7. ^ Finlay, Leo (2 February 1991). "The Flaming Lips: In a Priest Driven Ambulance" (PDF). Sounds. p. 39. Retrieved 17 July 2024.