American Head

On March 23, 2020, Drozd announced that the band's sixteenth studio album, titled American Head, was due for release that summer.{{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Jeffrey |title=The Songs (and Sounds) of Space with Steven Drozd & The Flaming Lips |url=https://www.satellitetoday.com/podcast/2020/03/23/the-songs-and-sounds-of-space-with-steven-drozd-the-flaming-lips/ |website=Via Satellite |date=March 23, 2020 |access-date=March 25, 2020}} The album represents a shift in identity as the band decided to focus on their American roots on the album.{{cite magazine |last1=Ehrlich |first1=Brenna |title=The Flaming Lips Get Patriotic on New Album 'American Head,' Out This Fall |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/flaming-lips-american-head-1020852/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 26, 2020 |access-date=July 22, 2020}} Many of the songs reference Wayne Coyne's turbulent upbringing with his brothers in Oklahoma City. The band officially announced the album's release date as September 11, 2020, along with the single "My Religion Is You" on June 26, 2020. Coyne gave a track-by-track breakdown of the album for Apple Music.{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2020 |title=American Head by The Flaming Lips on Apple Music |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/american-head/1516243970 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912031449id_/https://music.apple.com/us/album/american-head/1516243970 |url-status=unfit |archive-date=September 12, 2020 |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=Apple Music}}{{cbignore}} The album artwork contains a photograph of Coyne's older brother Tommy, taken around 1970.{{cite Instagram|user=waynecoyne5|postid=CmBsc8NOWbr|title=My oldest brother Tommy.. holding the photo ( I think from 1970) that turned into the American Head album cover image...|date=December 11, 2022}}

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 7.5/10{{cite web |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/12565/The-Flaming-Lips-American-Head.aspx |title=American Head by The Flaming Lips reviews |work=AnyDecentMusic? |access-date=September 24, 2020}}

| MC = 80/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/american-head/the-flaming-lips |title=American Head by The Flaming Lips Reviews and Tracks |work=Metacritic |access-date=September 20, 2024}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |title=American Head - The Flaming Lips |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/american-head-mw0003400498 |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = Consequence of Sound

| rev2score = A−{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Tyler |date=September 11, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips Return to Earth on Devastatingly Beautiful American Head: Review |url=https://consequence.net/2020/09/album-review-the-flaming-lips-american-head/ |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=Consequence of Sound}}

| rev3 = The Independent

| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |last2=Bray |first2=Elisa |date=September 10, 2020 |title=Album reviews: Everything Everything, The Flaming Lips, and Doves |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/everything-everything-review-reanimator-doves-universal-want-flaming-lips-b421079.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910153103/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/everything-everything-review-reanimator-doves-universal-want-flaming-lips-b421079.html |archive-date=September 10, 2020 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=The Independent}}

| rev4 = Mojo

| rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Rogers |first=Jude |title=Heads, you win: The Lips' reimagined radio rock history. |magazine=Mojo |edition=September 2020 |issue=322 |page=86}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=West |first=Max |date=September 9, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips – 'American Head' review: indie-rock's space invaders crash-land back on planet Earth |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/the-flaming-lips-american-head-album-review-2748097 |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=NME}}

| rev6 = The Observer

| rev6score = {{rating|2|5}}{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Damien |date=September 13, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips: American Head review – psych whimsy wears thin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/13/the-flaming-lips-american-head-review-wayne-coyne |access-date=September 14, 2020 |website=The Observer}}

| rev7 = Paste

| rev7score = 5.8/10{{Cite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach |date=September 9, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips Revel in Patriotism and Druggy Fantasies on American Head |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/the-flaming-lips/american-head-album-review/ |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=Paste}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8score = 7.7/10{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Stuart |date=September 11, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips: American Head Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-flaming-lips-american-head/ |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=Pitchfork}}

| rev9 = The Times

| rev9score = {{rating|5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Hodgkinson |first=Will |author-link=Will Hodgkinson |date=September 11, 2020 |title=The Flaming Lips: American Head review — flaming into musical Technicolor |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/the-flaming-lips-american-head-review-flaming-into-musical-technicolor-0b82scczf |url-access=subscription |access-date=September 11, 2020 |website=The Times}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10score = 9/10{{Cite magazine |last=Pinnock |first=Tom |title=Brainville: Lips go Americana, with added Kacey Musgraves |magazine=Uncut |edition=September 2020 |issue=280 |page=29}}

}}

American Head received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from professional publications, it received a weighted mean score of 80 based on 23 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Tyler Clark of Consequence of Sound gave the album an A− rating, writing, "American Head stands alongside The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots as one of the very best records the Flaming Lips have recorded". Tom Pinnock of Uncut gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, praising the band for "examining the nature of family, love, death and nostalgia with a sincerity and tenderness that's been missed". Jude Rogers of Mojo praised the tracks "Mother I've Taken LSD", "Mother Please Don't Be Sad", and "Brother Eye", writing, "They suggest a place for the band's psychedelic imagination in more present, physical realms, which feels new." Pitchfork gave the album a 7.7 with the summary, "At the top of their fifth decade, the Lips rekindle their past romance with Neil Young's piano ballads, the Beatles' psychedelic guitar tones, and Bowie's stargazing anthems on a deeply personal album."

{{Track listing

|headline=American Head track listing

| all_writing = the Flaming Lips{{cite web |title=The Flaming Lips American Head |url=https://store.flaminglips.com/ |website=The Flaming Lips Official Store |access-date=June 26, 2020 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809050824/https://store.flaminglips.com/ |url-status=dead }}

| title1 = Will You Return / When You Come Down

| length1 = 5:20

| title2 = Watching the Lightbugs Glow

| length2 = 2:53

| title3 = Flowers of Neptune 6

| length3 = 4:30

| title4 = Dinosaurs on the Mountain

| length4 = 3:38

| title5 = At the Movies on Quaaludes

| length5 = 3:41

| title6 = Mother I've Taken LSD

| length6 = 3:47

| title7 = Brother Eye

| length7 = 4:23

| title8 = You n Me Sellin' Weed

| length8 = 4:56

| title9 = Mother Please Don't Be Sad

| length9 = 3:35

| title10 = When We Die When We're High

| length10 = 3:39

| title11 = Assassins of Youth

| length11 = 4:12

| title12 = God and the Policeman

| length12 = 2:28

| note12 = featuring Kacey Musgraves

| title13 = My Religion Is You

| length13 = 3:33

| total_length = 50:35

}}

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=American Head |others=The Flaming Lips |publisher=Bella Union |year=2020 |type=liner notes |id=BELLA1052V}}

The Flaming Lips

• Wayne Coyne
• Steven Drozd
• Michael Ivins
• Derek Brown
• Jake Ingalls
• Matt Kirksey
• Nicholas Ley

Other musicians

• Kacey Musgraves – additional vocals (2, 3, 12)
• Micah Nelson – additional vocals (1), additional guitar (1)

• The Flaming Lips – production, recording, mixing
• Dave Fridmann – production, recording, mixing, mastering
• Scott Booker – production
• Dennis Coyne – recording, mixing, additional production
• Mike Fridmann – additional production

• Kenny Coyne – photography
• George Salisbury – layout, design
• Wayne Coyne – layout, design

{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|Hi7ueokyjVM|The Flaming Lips: American Head}}

{{The Flaming Lips}}

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Category:The Flaming Lips albums

Category:2020 albums

Category:Warner Records albums

Category:Bella Union albums

Category:Albums produced by Dave Fridmann

Category:Albums recorded at Tarbox Road Studios