''Telepathic Surgery'' is the third studio album by

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (k ...

, released in 1989.

Overview

''Telepathic Surgery'' began life as a concept album; the band initially set out to create a 30-minute

sound collage In music, montage (literally "putting together") or sound collage ("gluing together") is a technique where newly branded sound objects or compositions, including songs, are created from collage, also known as montage. This is often done throu ...

. The plan was later scrapped; however, the remnants of this original idea are evident within the album's loose, meandering structure and the epic "Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory". The album is named after a line from the song "Chrome Plated Suicide". "Chrome Plated Suicide" stands out as one of the group's most accomplished early recordings, possibly due to being based on Guns N' Roses' critically acclaimed "

Sweet Child o' Mine "Sweet Child o' Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses. It appears on their debut album, ''Appetite for Destruction''. In the United States, the song was released in June 1988 as the album's third single, topping the ''Billboard'' ...

". Sub Pop asked the group to record "Drug Machine in Heaven" for their 'single of the month' series. It was retitled as "Drug Machine" and is the group's first official single. The 'A-side' was backed with "Strychnine/What's So Funny (About Peace, Love and Understanding)", a cover of "Strychnine" by

The Sonics The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspirations to the White Str ...

and "

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1974 song written by English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe. Initially released by Lowe with his band Brinsley Schwarz on their 1974 album '' The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz' ...

" by Brinsley Schwarz, but based on the

Elvis Costello and the Attractions Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...

cover version. ayne_Coyne._Liner_notes_of_''A_Collection_of_Songs_Representing_an_Enthusiasm_for_Recording...By_Amateurs'',_(1998)_Restless_Records._"Sub-Pop_asked_us_to_do_a_cover_of_this_Sonics'_(they're_from_Seattle)_song_for_their_"single_of_the_month"_series_and_for_some_reason,_which_i_can't_remember_now,_we_fused_it_with_this_Elvis_Costello_cover" Similar_to_many_albums_of_its_time,_the_ ayne_Coyne._Liner_notes_of_''A_Collection_of_Songs_Representing_an_Enthusiasm_for_Recording...By_Amateurs'',_(1998)_Restless_Records._"Sub-Pop_asked_us_to_do_a_cover_of_this_Sonics'_(they're_from_Seattle)_song_for_their_"single_of_the_month"_series_and_for_some_reason,_which_i_can't_remember_now,_we_fused_it_with_this_Elvis_Costello_cover" Similar_to_many_albums_of_its_time,_the_Compact_disc">CD_release_of_''Telepathic_Surgery''_had_a_track_listing_differing_from_its_Gramophone_record.html" ;"title="Compact_disc.html" ;"title="A Collection of Songs Representing an Enthusiasm for Recording...By Amateurs">ayne Coyne. Liner notes of ''A Collection of Songs Representing an Enthusiasm for Recording...By Amateurs'', (1998) Restless Records. "Sub-Pop asked us to do a cover of this Sonics' (they're from Seattle) song for their "single of the month" series and for some reason, which i can't remember now, we fused it with this Elvis Costello cover" Similar to many albums of its time, the Compact disc">CD release of ''Telepathic Surgery'' had a track listing differing from its Gramophone record">LP release due to the time restraints of a single vinyl LP. Extra tracks on CD versions were "Fryin' Up" and "Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory", which are included in between "Miracle on 42nd Street and "U.F.O. Story".

Reissue

The album was reissued and remastered as part of the ''Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid'' boxset in 2002, which included the extra tracks from the CD but "Hell's Angels Cracker Factory" was amended to just over three minutes in length. ''Telepathic Surgery'' was reissued in limited quantities in 2005 on blue vinyl. The reissue is on 3 sides and contains the bonus track "Hell's Angels Cracker Factory", a 23-minute song with backward vocals and long guitar solos. The cover depicts promotional photos including the band standing in front of a staged fatal car crash. The inside sleeve contains a story about the early Lips by

Michael Ivins Michael Lee Ivins (born March 17, 1963, in Omaha, Nebraska) is the former bassist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and founding member of The Flaming Lips. Along with Mark Coyne and Wayne Coyne, he formed The Flaming Lips in 1983 in Oklahoma Ci ...

, the bassist of the Flaming Lips.

Track listing

Original release

CD

Personnel

Wayne Coyne Wayne Michael Coyne (born January 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, theremin player and songwriter for the band the Flaming Lips. Early life Coyne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...

– lead vocals,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

– bass,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

* Richard English – drums, backing vocals, keyboards * Produced by The Flaming Lips * Ruben Ayala – recording engineer * Craig 'Niteman' Taylor – harmonica * Michelle Martin – photography * Michele Vlasimsky – layout design, photography

References

{{Authority control 1989 albums The Flaming Lips albums Restless Records albums