Skip to content
Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube

psychedelic Scene

psychedelic Scene Magazine

  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Categories
    • Music
    • Lists
    • Books
    • Art
    • Columns
    • Science
    • Film
    • Podcasts
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Categories
    • Music
    • Lists
    • Books
    • Art
    • Columns
    • Science
    • Film
    • Podcasts
Navbar
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Categories
    • Music
    • Lists
    • Books
    • Art
    • Columns
    • Science
    • Film
    • Podcasts
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Categories
    • Music
    • Lists
    • Books
    • Art
    • Columns
    • Science
    • Film
    • Podcasts

The Psych Ward–Hit to Death in the Future Head

PrevPreviousArtist Spotlight: Blake Foster
NextComing Full Circle by Shannon Duncan: Book ReviewNext
  • Brian Kuhar
  • July 21, 2023
  • 9:17 pm

The Psych Ward–Hit to Death in the Future Head

I discovered the Flaming Lips shortly after their third album Telepathic Surgery was released in 1989. The impact was concussive; a band from rural Oklahoma with an explosive psychedelic sound that hadn’t been heard in decades. The Lips were one of the big three bands influencing me as a musician during my college years—the others being Jane’s Addiction and Lips’ tourmates Butthole Surfers.

Hit to Death in the Future Head, released in 1992, was their first after signing with Warner Brothers and the production value garnered from that move is quite evident. Producing genius Dave Fridmann had been with them since 1990’s In a Priest Driven

Psychedelic lyricism, driving beats, pitch-shifted vocal harmonies, and the occasional tabla can be found all over this transitional album.

Ambulance and has driven their studio presence on each subsequent album, pushing them further into symphonic rock with each subsequent album. It was also around this time that singer Wayne Coyne began his iconic vocal style, often compared to Neil Young and at times venturing into Jon Anderson’s Yes territory.

“The Sun” sounds like a gem from late-sixties Britain. Its prominent horn section in the choruses is a toe-dip into the symphonic sound they would champion years later with their masterpiece The Soft Bulletin.

Photo of a toilet with multi-colored dots along the rim and bottom of seat cover with the word "HIT" in giant letters and the rest of the album title as well as the band's name in smaller pinkish letters and a parental advisory sticker in the bottom right corner

“Gingerale Afternoon” is reminiscent of tracks from the early Cure catalog. Poppy and driving with a delayed fuzzy wah guitar at its forefront. The song ends with another symphonic break foreshadowing the band’s coming ambitions (i.e., The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, At War with the Mystics).

“Hold Your Head” is a slow, fragmented song that whispers its poetry in your ears. After all these years I still don’t know what it’s truly about, but I love the vibe of the music.

The album ends with a secret track consisting of 29+ minutes of a panning noise loop extrapolated from the previous song “The Magician vs The Headache.” Just something to mess with your head if you forgot to turn off the CD.

Psychedelic lyricism, driving beats, pitch-shifted vocal harmonies, and the occasional tabla can be found all over this transitional album. They would soon hit big with “She Don’t Use Jelly” from Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, ensured by its near-constant airplay on MTV. Shortly after this album’s release, the band lost guitarist Jonathan Donahue to devote himself full-time to Mercury Rev. He was replaced by the revelatory Ronald Jones while Steven Drozd took up the drum throne. Drozd has been the multi-instrumental guiding force of the band ever since.

Highlights: “The Sun,” “Felt Good to Burn,” “Gingerale Afternoon”

 

Related:  Top 100 Psychedelic Rock Acts of All Time

Psychedelic Rock in the 80s

Psychedelic Rock in the 90s

 

Gallery

Recent Articles

A colorful mushroom in the desert with the skyline of the United Arab Emirates in the background
An Arab Nation’s Psychedelic Awakening

An Arab Nation’s Psychedelic Awakening

•
May 21, 2025
High Moon Records Releases Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix by The Final Solution

High Moon Records Releases Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix by The Final Solution

•
May 18, 2025
Silhouette image of a person in the lotus position in front of a cosmic vortex
Choosing Your Guide

Choosing Your Guide

•
May 15, 2025
PrevPreviousArtist Spotlight: Blake Foster
NextComing Full Circle by Shannon Duncan: Book ReviewNext
Loading...
  • Features

An Arab Nation’s Psychedelic Awakening

  • Michelle Beehari
  • May 21, 2025
  • No Comments
  • Music

High Moon Records Releases Just Like Gold: Live At The Matrix by The Final Solution

  • Arlyn Ibarra
  • May 18, 2025
  • No Comments
  • Features

Choosing Your Guide

  • Stephan Kerby, Amber Kerby LMFT
  • May 15, 2025
  • No Comments
  • Music

Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders Release New Album Synchronous Orbit

  • Allie Iverson
  • May 12, 2025
  • One Comment
  • Columns, Music, Vinyl Relics

Vinyl Relics: Underground by The Electric Prunes

  • Farmer John
  • May 9, 2025
  • No Comments
  • Acid Lore, Columns

Acid Lore: Mickey Mouse LSD

  • Paul Weatherhead
  • May 6, 2025
  • No Comments

Gallery

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up for our mailing list to receive updates on trending stories, featured music articles, artist highlights and much more!

Contact Us

psychedelic Scene

Magazine

  • Home
    Home
  • About Us
    About Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
    Contact Us
  • Art
    Art
  • Books
    Books
  • Music
    Music
  • Film
    Film
  • Interviews
    Interviews
  • Reviews
    Reviews
  • Lists
    Lists
  • Features
    Features
Copyright @ 2025 All Rights Reserved Psychedelic Scene Magazine

Designed & Developed by: SYNC Digital Management

psychedelic Scene

Magazine

Learn More About Psychedelic Sacred Sexuality

Buy The Book On Amazon