In a Priest Driven Ambulance
| In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Flaming Lips | ||||
| Released | September 18, 1990 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, noise pop | |||
| Length |
46:36 (original release) 55:43 (1995 re-release) | |||
| Label | Restless Records/Enigma | |||
| Producer | The Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann | |||
| The Flaming Lips chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from In a Priest Driven Ambulance | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
In a Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) is the fourth album by The Flaming Lips, released in 1990 (see 1990 in music). It is a concept album primarily focused on frontman Wayne Coyne's fascination with religion. It is generally considered among critics to be one of the best early period Flaming Lips albums. 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
A music video for the song "Unconsciously Screamin" was shot at a religious theme park called Holyland in Waterbury, Connecticut and was directed by Jim Spring and Jens Jurgensen.
It was re-released as a CD with two bonus tracks on January 17, 1995, however the full name with subtitle appears only on the vinyl release.
It was also re-released in a 2xCD special edition in 2002; for more information on this version, see the entry for 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
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shine on Sweet Jesus: Jesus Song No. 5" | 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: Jesus Song No. 6" | 4:46 |
| 8. | "There You Are: Jesus Song No. 7" | 4:32 |
| 9. | "Mountain Side" | 6:36 |
| 10. | "What a Wonderful World" | 3:44 |
Limited edition vinyl only reissue
In a Priest Driven Ambulance was reissued in 2005 on pink vinyl. The reissue is on 4 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. | Title | Length |
| 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" | |
| Side Two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 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" | |
| Side Three | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Lucifer Rising" | |
| 12. | "Ma, I Didn't Notice" | |
| Side Four | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "Let Me Be It" | |
| 14. | "Drug Machine" | |
| 15. | "Strychnine/Peace, Love and Understanding" | |
- "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
The song "Take Meta Mars" is closely modeled on the Can song "Mushroom" off the album Tago Mago.
Personnel
- Wayne Coyne - guitar, vocals
- Michael Ivins - bass guitar
- Jonathan Donahue - guitar
- Nathan Roberts - drums
- Harold Adamson - Composer
- Dave Fridmann - Recording Engineer, Producer
- Jan Savitt - Composer
- Michele Vlasimsky - Executive Producer, Photography
- Johnny Watson - Composer[2]