The Flaming Lips Detail At War With the Mystics Reissue

A Massive Collection of Archival Material

The upcoming anthology box set from The Flaming Lips commemorates the 20th anniversary of their 11th studio album. Arriving on Nov. 13, the collection will be available as both a 6xLP and a 6xCD set. This expansive reissue serves as a follow-up to the band's celebrated Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots LP and compiles a bevy of archival material, including the original album, B-sides from singles, and various compilation tracks released during that era. The set is notable for including dozens of rarities, with more than 30 tracks being previously unreleased.

At the time of its original release in 2006, At War With the Mystics was rumored to be a return to the guitar-led sound characteristic of the group's Psychedelic Rock origins. The album achieved significant commercial success, propelled by college radio hits such as "The W.A.N.D. (The Will Always Negates Defeat)," "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power)," and "It Overtakes Me." These singles helped the record reach Number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Demos and Creative Evolution

One of the primary highlights of the box set is a 360-degree behind-the-scenes look at the group’s songwriting process. One disc is dedicated to several different demos, some of which are only a minute long. For example, the track "The W.A.N.D." is represented by two instrumental demos and an early demo lasting 89 seconds, before concluding with a 3:44 instrumental version.

On Wednesday, the band released "The Sound of Failure (2 Demos)," providing a preview of the archival content. This release features a sparse rendition of the track with frontman Wayne Coyne singing alongside acoustic guitar and keys, as well as a more piano-driven version. Other demo material included in the set features 4-track recordings of "Free Radicals" and "Vein of Stars," a vocal demo of "Haven’t Got a Clue," and a "Ta! Da! Demo" of "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion."

Soundtracks, Sessions, and Rarities

The reissue also gathers various tracks the band contributed to soundtracks and special projects. Fans will find songs from The Heartbreak Kid and Spider-Man 3, including "The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How to Be in Love" and a "Spider-Man Theme." The collection also features a Goldfrapp remix of "The W.A.N.D.," a "Simlish Version" of "Free Radicals," and covers such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "(Just Like) Starting Over," and "If I Only Had a Brain."

Additionally, the set incorporates the band’s iTunes Originals session and the promo CD titled If You Could Blow Up the World With the Flick of a Switch—a title taken from the opening line of "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song." The rarities section further includes "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (Chicken Fried Hoedown Protest Rally)," "Vein of Stars (Operatic Spook)," and "Time Travel… Yes!! (Steve Burns Version)."

Live Recordings and Band Transitions

The CD version of the box set concludes with two live albums from 2006: U.F.O.s at the Zoo – The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City and Live at the Hollywood Bowl. While the LP box set contains the same wealth of material, it features a slightly different arrangement of tracks. The live recordings capture the band performing hits like "Race for the Prize," "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1," and "Do You Realize??," alongside the then-new material from At War With the Mystics.

This reissue comes at a time of transition for the band, which formed in 1983. The group recently underwent lineup changes following the exit of Steve Drozd, a multi-instrumentalist, co-songwriter, and core member who had been with the band since 1991. Drozd attributed his departure to a decision to stop touring. Currently, the band has only one concert scheduled for the remainder of the year, an appearance at Tecate Comuna 2026 in Cholula, Mexico, on Nov. 28.