A New Post!

Okay, so I finally posted after about 8 months of close to zero activity. I never intended it on going so long, but I must say I have been extremely busy. And like the last time this happened, I'll say again that I do not intend on letting such a long time go between posts ever again. There is a lot of exiting stuff happening in the world of Pollard (there is at least the same amount of Pollard solo material out there as GBV that I'm wondering about the title of this blog...) lately, and as always, it is an exiting time to be a fan.

I thought I'd provide some of my thoughts of some of the newer stuff that has been, and is soon to be released...

• Sgt. Disco and Ataxia are my favorite Circus Devils albums, so I'm naturally excited about Gringo.
• The pairing of Coast to Coast Carpet of Love and Standard Gargoyle Decisions was pretty decent, but does not reach the greatness of FACE/Normal Happiness. In fact, FACE/Normal Happiness is still the greatest post GBV material.
• I'm still not entirely getting into Boston Spaceships. I'll still take the Takeovers over the Boston Spaceships any day.
• Big fan of both Off to Business and The Crawling Distance.
• This interview talks about a 3D-film musical about Cleopatra, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Jim Greer, which will feature GBV music - wow.

Anyway, once again, sorry for the delay between posts. I should have the write-up for Normal Happiness up soon.

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Robert Pollard: From a Compound Eye (2006)

In 2006, the solo era of Robert Pollard truly began with two of the greatest albums of Pollard's; From a Compound Eye (which I'll refer to as FACE) and Normal Happiness. Both albums were done in collaboration with Todd Tobias (Pollard providing Tobias with the basic structure of the song, and Tobias recording most of the instruments), and both stand out as two of my personal favorites. There is not a bad song in the batch among these 26 tracks, and unlike some other Pollard solo albums that are full of recommended tracks (for example, Kid Marine or Coast to Coast Carpet of Love), the majority go beyond being simply good, and many are among the best in the entire Pollard catalog...

For me, quite a few tracks on FACE were instant classics on the first few listens, and a couple have since then also joined the ranks. FACE is generally a mix of pure pop songs and harder grunge rock, and it is the latter which make up the three epics which anchor the album together. Included among these are The Numbered Head, Love is Stronger than Witchcraft, and Conqueror of the Moon.

The Numbered Head is one of the heavier tracks of Pollard's, and the chorus of "Lets you go up/Lets you go up/Blurring your eyes/Lets you go up" is easily among my favorite moments in Pollard's music. The last half of the track is a long grunge outtro which may half been axed (or never created) if this was produced a few years prior. Love is Stronger than Witchcraft, the second single from the album, moves back and forth between cutesy guitar and heavy distorted riffs, with a bit of wonderful mayhem in the middle. The third epic, Conqueror of the Moon, feels a bit more like different songs pieced together to form a rock opera-like anthem, and is likely my second favorite track on the album.

Second favorite? As great as Conqueror of the Moon is, the honor of being the best song on FACE (and one Pollard's best ever) goes to Blessed in the Open Head. From its cut to the chase opening riff/verse riff, to its pure rock chorus ("Find a moment in your time/I say/Live the moment when you find/You'll blow your mind/You won't get dead/Is blessed in an open head"), this song is three minutes of awesome.

So what about some of the pop gems on FACE? Included in this group are Dancing Girls and Dancing Men, The Right Thing, I'm a Widow, I Surround You Naked, and the first single I'm a Strong Lion. I'm a Strong Lion took a while to grow on me, and the idea of having a lead off single that is only a minute long seemed a bit odd as well (but hey, wasn't the first single from Offspring's Ixnay on the Hombre the short and satisfying All I Want?). Like it or not, I guarantee you will not be able to get this song out of your head.

I've always felt that Dancing Girls and Dancing Men was meant to be the album's "hit" with its upbeat optimistic sound and lyrics ("Be thankful everyday/For everything and pray/For dancing girls and dancing men/to dance their lives away"). My personal favorite from this group has to be I'm a Widow (which has a main riff very similar to the track Kick Me and Cancel). Everything about this song screams radio single, even with its morbidly fun main line "I'm a widow and I'm hot to do you". I Surround You Naked follows a similar radio friendly pop mentality, and The Right Thing starts slow and builds to a powerful finish (with cow bell), also seemingly increasing studio polish as it builds as well.

A third type of track would be the weird songs. Four stand out as being in this category which always finds its way onto a Pollard album. The first, Field Jacket Blues, traps a possibly brilliant song (well, 25 seconds of one anyway) in between a fairly annoying guitar riff. Kensington Cradle, 50 Year Old Baby, and Denied first appear to be drowned out in overly-distorted vocals and guitar, a la Vampire in Titus, but there are good songs buried in there if you listen for it.

The last grouping of songs on FACE is the atmospheric ballads. Representing this group are the opener Gold, Fresh Threats..., Other Dogs Remain, and the amazing Cock of the Rainbow. Cock of the Rainbow is a beautiful song with eerie guitar and vocal melody with accompanying haunting backup "oooh's", and is one of my favorite tracks on the disc. Other Dogs Remain is similar in tone, and adds to the somewhat rock-opera feel of the album (even if unintentional).

I haven't went through every song individually, instead mentioning the highlights from the four groups of tracks (the heavy and epic, the pop gems, the slightly weird, and the atmosheric slow tracks). At 26 songs, there is not a bad song on the disc, though I can't really get into Payment for the Babies...

What really impresses me about FACE, is that the album does follow a theme musically, and truly feels like a concept album intended to be listened to as a whole. I am not sure if this was ever the intention, but it holds together just as well as, say, Under the Bushes Under the Stars. Along with its sister album Normal Happiness, the two albums are easily the ones I listen to more than any other Pollard-related offering. The two albums combined would likely (as of this writing - and if I was allowed to cheat a little) be listed as #1 as my favorite Robert Pollard release(s).

Tracklisting (songs in bold make the playlist):

01 Gold
02 Field Jacket Blues
03 Dancing Girls and Dancing Men
04 A Flowering Orphan
05 The Right Thing
06 U.S. Mustard Company
07 The Numbered Head
08 I'm a Widow
09 Fresh Threats, Salad Shooters and Zip Guns
10 Kick Me and Cancel
11 Other Dogs Remain
12 Kensington Cradle
13 Love is Stronger than Witchcraft
14 Hammer in your Eyes
15 50 Year Old Baby
16 I Surround You Naked
17 Cock of the Rainbow
18 Conqueror of the Moon
19 Blessed in an Open Head
20 A Boy in Motion
21 Denied
22 Lightshow
23 I'm a Strong Lion
24 Payment for the Babies
25 Kingdom Without
26 Recovering

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Guided By Voices: Half Smiles Of The Decomposed (2004)

In 2004, Robert Pollard announced that he was retiring Guided By Voices. Apparently he wanted to go out with an album that felt good as a final album, and Half Smiles of the Decomposed felt like that album. I have no doubts that any further GBV albums would have also been great to out on, based on the post-GBV solo work of Pollard's (in particular From a Compound Eye and Normal Happiness), but alas, this is it. Half Smiles is in many ways greater than the previous album, Earthquake Glue (more variety), though it is not nearly as rocking as Universal Truths and Cycles. That being said I feel it completes a trilogy somewhat which includes those other two albums. With songs such as Girls of Wild Strawberries, Gonna Never Have to Die, and Window of My World, we can also see a sort of bridge to the upcoming solo Pollard albums. But hey, as long as they end with a song related to aircrafts everything will be alright, right?...

The album kicks off with the closest thing Half Smiles has to a single, Everybody Thinks I'm A Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking). This is the last song GBV played live on television (on Conan), and it is also the heaviest track on this overall, mellower album. It is a very optimistic sounding tune which sets the stage for a great send off. The oddball Sleep Over Jack follows, and it is one of the more interesting tracks in the later GBV period. Dark, creepy, and strangely addicting, this is a Circus Devils song too good to be a Circus Devils song (with all respect to that wonderful band) and may be the true gem on Half Smiles.

Its all about melody with Girls of Wild Strawberries, an acoustic number with some beautiful lead guitar. This is probably a good time to note that Pollard is at the top of his game lyrically on Half Smiles; "In tribes I played/Survived and prayed to be free/And send my letters out/Delivered sermons to the sea/For the girls of wild strawberries". Gonna Never Have to Die is proof that this album was meant to be contained somewhat. This track could have been loud, fast, and a rocked out anthem, however, it is kept low-key with an awesome acoustic outro solo. It kind of reminds me of Pearl Jam in the way that Pearl Jam has all these great rockers, but they are tempered a bit and fleshed out, and more rewarding in the end.

Window Of My World is the closest thing GBV has to a song found in some movie musical. The deep reverb chorus sounds as though Pollard's singing in some dance hall, and I can't help but to picture the cheesy video shown at the beginning of GBV's final show in Chicago. Nonetheless, its another great pop ballad from Guided By Voices. If I heard it out of context, I would have guessed that Closets of Henry was straight from Do the Collapse. Though lacking the obvious polish of that album, the big stadium chorus ("Wings refer to the wedding cake/The glasses fall and hearts will break/The primal scream is hard to take, you know") almost makes you wonder if Pollard was making another attempt at mainstream success.

The best moment of Half Smiles belongs to the otherwise unnoticeable Tour Guide at the Winston Churchill Memorial. I'm referring to the first two times Pollard sings "Be on top of me now". Once again proof that Pollard has the ability to make you love a song because 2% of it is beautiful. Maybe the second greatest moment belongs to "Nothing could be finer, yeah/In Asia Minor, yeah/The devil in the china, yeah" from Asia Minor, a track with rolling verses and cutesy piano. Tying for longest song on the album (at four minutes) are the next two tracks, Sons of Apollo and Sing For Your Meat. Both of these tracks are buried on an album with more exciting songs...they're okay.

Asphyxiated Circle picks things up again with the wonderful line "Expand, explode, wrinkle up or blow away". Its a short and sweet straight-forward pop nugget. I never really liked this song for a while, but it has definitely grown on me on repeated listens. In fact, this entire album took a little longer in general to grow on me compared to other GBV albums. A Second Spurt of Growth is a quiet lullaby which features Pollard's best vocals on the album, and (S)mothering and Coaching is a bit all over. It starts out quiet, jarringly switching to haunting and angry, before settling into that classic Pollard pop tune.

Now lets talk about the finale, Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the album's arguably best track. Anyone who listens to GBV has noticed a tendency to have aircraft themed songs and albums...White Striped Jets, Everywhere With Helicopter, You're Not An Airplane, Man Called Aerodynamics, Static Airplane Jive, Isolation Drills, We've Got Airplanes, & Not Behind the Fighter Jet to name a few. It just seems so fitting to have this theme (even if it is mostly in the title only) as the concluding chapter in the GBV story. Along with Raincloud, these two tracks form a sort of bookends with their happy and optimistic sounding rock. Raincloud lets you know that GBV is sending you off with a gooder, and Huffman Prairie Flying Field leaves it on a high note. Half Smiles of the Decomposed may not be the best album, but it is a good album, by the greatest band.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make the playlist):

01 Everybody Thinks I'm A Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)
02 Sleep Over Jack
03 Girls Of Wild Strawberries
04 Gonna Never Have To Die
05 Window Of My World
06 The Closets Of Henry
07 Tour Guide At The Winston Churchill Memorial
08 Asia Minor
09 Sons Of Apollo
10 Sing For Your Meat
11 Asphyxiated Circle
12 A Second Spurt Of Growth
13 (S)mothering And Coaching
14 Huffman Prairie Flying Field

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The Takeovers: Little Green Onion Man (2008)

The Takeovers are quickly becoming one of the best Pollard-related side-projects. The duo of Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko bring together much of what made early GBV so great; (as stated in my roundup of the first Takeover's album) "instant classics, thrown in half-finished ideas, total toss-offs, and decent tracks, all mixed together to form an album greater than the sum of its parts." So it doesn't really surprise me that my favorite Takeovers album is actually a four song EP. Not only does it only have four songs, but one of them is on the last Takeovers album (Bad Football), and another is a alternate version of a track from their first (Turn to Red). But the real treat is just how great the other two songs are...

The EP's title track, Little Green Onion Man was described on my entry of Bad Football as "wonderfully strange..., (it) a) gets its own EP, b) contains the words "bad football", c) has a great riff throughout the verses, and d) includes one of Pollard's stranger vocals. It is a standout, but not even among the album's three best tracks." However, in the context of this strange little EP, Little Green Onion Man seems more at home, and is a stronger track overall.

The other revisited track is Wig Stomper 07, a heavier version of the "toss-off" from Turn to Red. In fact, the original was a voice mail message. To hear a voice mail message fleshed out into an actual song is pretty cool.

The highlights of the EP are the other two tracks, Rich Man's Girl and Instigator. Rich Man's Girl starts off sounding like a lo-fi boombox recording, but then blends into a full out studio sounding track (well...that is a bit of a stretch...but check it out and you'll see what I mean). The simple chorus of "she's calling out" is just beautiful, and the overall tone of the track is dark. As for Instigator, I love this song! Everything from its fun bass beat to the cheap organ sound is brilliant. Pollard's melody is perfect, and I'm quite confident if I were somehow able to produce a single-disc "Best of Pollard", Instigator would be on it!

This EP is a must have, mostly because it includes one of my new favorite songs, Instigator. I find the disc is excellent to listen to on late night drives through the city, due in large part to its oddness and darkness. Its my favorite release from The Takeovers thus far, and I can't wait for the next one!

Tracklisting (songs in bold make the playlist):
01 Little Green Onion Man
02 Rich Man's Girl
03 Wig Stomper '07
04 Instigator

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The Takeovers: Bad Football (2007)

My conclusion of Turn to Red, the first Takeovers album, was that even though less than half of the tracks made the playlist, the album as a whole was pretty decent. For Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko's sophomore effort, there is less quirkiness and more rock n' roll. However, the real difference between Turn to Red and Bad Football is that Bad Football is front-stacked, and shelves the toss-offs together at the end of the disc, whereas Turn to Red mixed them in with the rest of the album. That being said, the percentage of tracks making the playlist this time around has increased...

You're At It starts things off. A solid intro, the track sets the tone for a more serious effort, and has the memorable line "This form of suicide's not quick enough, what else you got?" It is followed by the wonderfully strange Little Green Onion Man, which a) gets its own EP, b) contains the words "bad football", c) has a great riff throughout the verses, and d) includes one of Pollard's stranger vocals. It is a standout, but not even among the album's three best tracks.

Father's Favorite Temperature has a bit of a classic rock vibe (maybe even southern rock), and is proof that Pollard can be a outstanding singer when he wants to be. Molly & Zack slows things down, and is a bit of a throwback to the more acoustic Guided By Voices tracks, and I can't help but smile when I hear lyrics like "Space stationships arrive" or "Youmans bouncin' off one per other like eated up Molly-cues". The fifth track, Pretty Not Bad, may be the album's best song with its Elvis Costello's Pump It Up-like riff, and rock anthem chorus. Throw in some guitar solos and self-referentiality ("I wrote a song and I like it/called 'Pretty Not Bad'") and this one alone is worth the price of admission.

The jolly Smokestack Bellowing Stars has grown on me after repeated listens. The lyrics listed in the liner notes of the album simply say "Great lyrics", and the simple chorus of "Never hitch a ride with those guys baby" is incredibly catchy. The mellow pop tunes continue with I Can See My Dog. However, The Jester of Helpmeat can best be summed up as a messed up version of Pimple Zoo (replace "Sometimes I get the feeling that you don't want me around" with "The Jester of Helpmeat is not fucking around"). It is also the start of a string of odder tracks, with Kicks at the Gym having Pollard almost yelling over a heavy driven riff, and Music for Us featuring the return of Rich Turiel, the "narrator" of Turn to Red, and some strange singing.

The Year Nobody Died is generally forgettable, and when things look like Bad Football is going to end on a whimper, it is finished with the fuzz-rock My Will. Is Bad Football better than Turn to Red, I would say so. However, this is an album where after seven tracks I started thinking The Takeovers were going to complete a perfect album, but then four consecutive tracks sort of ruined it. Don't get me wrong, tracks Kicks at the Gym and Music for Us add tons of character to an album, but I almost wished this one included some more You're At It's and Pretty Not Bad's.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make the playlist):
01 You're At It
02 Little Green Onion Man
03 Father's Favorite Temperature
04 Molly & Zack
05 Pretty Not Bad
06 Smokestack Bellowing Stars
07 I Can See My Dog
08 The Jester of Helpmeat
09 Kicks at the Gym
10 Music for Us
11 The Year Nobody Died
12 My Will

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The Takeovers: Turn To Red (2006)

I'm changing things up a bit. No longer am I following a chronological order of posts, but mixing it up from here on in. This way, I get to choose what release I post next a little more randomly. That being said, I am loving the Takeovers EP Little Green Onion Man, so I decided to do their first effort, Turn To Red. The Takeovers are a collaboration between Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko. There are some guest musicians thrown into the mix as well...

After an intro from Rich Turiel, the album explodes into one of its best tracks, Insane/Cool It. This is an automatic inclusion on the playlist with its pure rock vibe, and its chorus ("A nameless hate/A nameless hate/Time gushes pain on my days/And I can't get away") reminds me of classic Rolling Stones. It is followed by the sombre First Spill Is Free, a track who's lyrics are (to me) some of Pollard's most baffling ("I want just to raw/I want head is the word").

Mojo Police has a great pulsing beat verse, followed by a Circus Devils-ish chaotic section, and is one of the weirder tracks on the disc. I can't help but love Scuffle With Nature. From its cutesy melody, off lyrics ("By a stuttering f-f-f-f-f"/Healthy does of the T-Ruth crippling me"), and even the crackling recording noise, this one sticks with you. Even Rich's intro comes back and sounds a little more at home in this song. The following Sweet Jelly can be filed under "toss-off" (and while we're at it, so is Wig Stomper - see the Little Green Onion Man EP for a non-phone message recorded version).

Competing with Insane/Cool It for the cut of the album is Fairly Blacking Out, an all-out rocker with a great riff, complete with "programming" from Charlie Campbell. I'm not too sure what I think about The Public Dance, and instrumental moving into Circus Devils country which builds nicely throughout its three minutes. Be It Not For The Serpentine Rain Dodger sounds like it comes straight from mid/late 80's GBV, and would have fit in nicely on the first Suitcase box set.

Bullfighter's Cut sounds like a preview of what to expect on a later Pollard release, Standard Gargoyle Decisions, a bit of brooding with the rock. With its pulsing baseline, this is the type of track that sounds great during a late night drive. I am not a big fan of Pollard's vocals on Jancy, the albums final track. I think Bullfighter's Cut would have made a better closer...oh well.

The five tracks on this disc that make my playlist do stand out from those that do not...quite a bit. The Takeovers' first effort follows the proven formula of instant classics, thrown in half-finished ideas, total toss-offs, and decent tracks, all mixed together to form an album greater than the sum of its parts. And it also looks like The Takeovers are here to stay, as they already have another album (Bad Football), and the great EP Little Green Onion Man.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make the playlist):
01 Do You Get Your Wish?
02 Insane/Cool It
03 First Spill Is Free
04 Mojo Police
05 Scuffle With Nature
06 Sweet Jelly
07 Fairly Blacking Out
08 Wig Stomper
09 The Public Dance
10 Be It Not For The Serpentine Rain Dodger
11 Bullfighter's Cut
12 Jancy

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Not Dead...

Hey everyone, just a quick note to let you know that no, I have not abandoned this blog. In fact, I have made my order for the new Takeovers, Psycho & the Birds, & Robert Pollard, and am looking forward to checking them out (also picked up a bunch of t-shirts).

Anyway, I have been incredibly busy since September, and hope things will cool down soon. I also aim to have a post as early as tomorrow, and hopefully by the end of the weekend.

So thanks for all the comments over the last little while, and we'll get this blog into full swing soon!

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Guided By Voices: Earthquake Glue (2003)

Earthquake Glue is likely the new-era GBV disc that I listen to the least. After the rock-fest that was Universal Truths & Cycles, Earthquake Glue has a slightly more pop-mellow vibe, and reminds me of Kid Marine in its okay-ness. That is, there is not a bad track on the album, nor does it really ever shine through as spectacular. It has its fair share of hits (My Kind of Soldier, The Best of Jill Hives, and Useless Inventions are up there with GBV's best), but the album overall may take more listens than usual before other tracks begin standing out. That being said, the whole album is pretty much making the playlist...

My Kind Of Soldier kicks things off in a good way. I love the intro to this one, and the chorus ("My kind of soldier/You can ride on my shoulders when you've won") is extremely catchy. A definite hit on first listen, it is surprising this wasn't playing on modern rock radio all over the place.

The military-theme continues with My Son, My Secretary and My Country, which finishes with a genius charge of "rahhhhhh!" (which the liner notes attribute to the Model Prisoners of the 5 Sense Realm), blending nicely into my personal favorite of the album, I'll Replace You With Machines. There is a watery sound effect which continues throughout I'll Replace You With Machines. At first, this effect is extremely cool as part of the intro. However, I think it overstays its welcome, and it would have been nice if it faded out shortly after the song's beginning. Otherwise, this track kicks ass ("Ain't it funny how it gets there/And they say it never does/I'll replace you with machines/I can't face you").

She Goes Off At Night is the first of those slightly-better-than-okay tracks which will make the playlist due to having at least one part being pretty cool (in this case, the verses). It's a painless pop tune which Pollard can write in his sleep. Beat Your Wings is even closer to the cut-off which goes over the top with its stellar finish, guitar solo included.

Useless Inventions is among the realm of great GBV tunes. From its opening pulsing riff to Pollard's melody-oozing verses, this one is topped off with a killer chorus as well. The lyrical work is among Pollard's best ("Come on and purchase the new one/Be the first to strap it on/Lose antiquated fixations that you cannot be without/For a nice try change this model out").

Dirty Water has its moments, and its role of being the darker track on a mostly joyful album is a highlight. It is immediately followed by one of Pollard's most beautiful songs, The Best Of Jill Hives. This goose bump inducing pop-ballad is a candidate for the best song to introduce your friend to GBV with.

There is something going on with Pollard's vocals on Dead Cloud. This track is another on-the-fence decision for making the playlist. It is fairly repetitive, but the dueling vocal "She said to send the sunlight to me" part is quite nice. Mix Up The Satellite has a great title, and sounds like something from a dreamy early-70's prog-rock tune. The Main Street Wizards also follows the mood of Mix Up The Satellite, though once again Pollard's vocals sound a little different (higher?).

Wow is A Trophy Mule In Particular a cool track. The "...and earthquake glue" part is genius, and its continued build up to the line "for I am a soldier" nicely wraps up the album theme. This would have been a wonderful final track (come to think of it, a perfect opener as well). Apology In Advance has some great parts, including the line "been around the block, i even threw up one street over" and an interlude with some sweet lead guitar work. Finally, Secret Star is the epic of the album with three fairly distinctive parts, and Of Mites And Men (which starts off sounding like Club Molluska) is the closer, and probably the heaviest song on the album.

Don't let the fact that almost the entire album made the playlist fool you, Earthquake Glue is good, but is not among the best GBV albums. If I rated songs on a ten point scale with six being the minimum to make the playlist, there would be a bunch of sixes on here. But let's face it, when it comes to GBV-proper albums, there are rarely any songs that are duds since Propeller and onward. Is Earthquake Glue essential...of course it is, but so is every GBV full album.

Tracklisting (Songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Pollard playlist/box set):

01 My Kind Of Soldier
02 My Son, My Secretary And My Country
03 I'll Replace You With Machines
04 She Goes Off At Night
05 Beat Your Wings
06 Useless Inventions
07 Dirty Water
08 The Best Of Jill Hives
09 Dead Cloud
10 Mix Up The Satellite
11 The Main Street Wizards
12 A Trophy Mule In Particular
13 Apology In Advance
14 Secret Star
15 Of Mites And Men

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Guided By Voices: Hardcore UFOs - Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere (2003)

Boxsets are the collector's dream. Guided By Voices boxsets are not so rare. With two editions of Suitcase, a collection of early out-of-print albums, and Hardcore UFOs, GBV has four boxsets collecting about a hundred songs each. Where the two Suitcase boxsets showcase only unreleased tracks, the Box boxset having four out-of-print albums and one album of unreleased material...Hardcore UFOs has six distinct discs; 1) a greatest hits package, 2) a documentary DVD, 3) A live album, 4) an out-of-print singles/EP collection, 5) an unreleased collection, and 6) an out-of-print EP...

I have not wrote an entry for Watch Me Jumpstart, the documentary DVD (with music videos), since I'm trying to concentrate on the albums (for now). However, please click on the links below for the individual entries for each disc:

Forever Since Breakfast
Live At the Wheelchair Races
Delicious Pie & Thank You For Calling
Demons & Painkillers
Human Amusements at Hourly Rates - The Best of Guided By Voices
Watch Me Jumpstart DVD - no entry yet

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Guided By Voices: Hardcore UFOs: Human Amusements At Hourly Rates - The Best of Guided By Voices (2003)

A Guided By Voices greatest hits package? How can a band with as many rocking songs as GBV have a single disc greatest hits? I think this needs to be put into some context before continuing. First off, this album is virtually meaningless for someone already a big fan. Because of this, its inclusion in Hardcore UFOs is an odd choice. Who other than those already owning every GBV album would buy Hardcore UFOs in the first place? Therefore, I must review this disc in its non-Hardcore UFOs stand-alone version aimed at the person who has not yet discovered Robert Pollard and GBV. This was the very first GBV album I ever purchased, and in the context of a primer for newcomers, this greatest hits package is perfect...

I honestly cannot argue with the tracklisting on this package, as it truly highlights all era's of GBV. Also, it is all GBV with no solo Robert Pollard, nor any GBV-related side-projects. And let's face it, isn't GBV the gateway drug to all things Pollard?

When I started listening to Human Amusements at Hourly Rates, I instantly fell in love with all the newer tracks; stuff from Isolation Drills, Universal Truths & Cycles, & Earthquake Glue. However, after more listens it was the lo-fi tracks that started grabbing my attention (Non-Absorbing, I Am A scientist, and Shocker in Gloomtown are great examples).

Quickly there was not a song I didn't love on this disc. I saw the mega-rock potential with I Am a Tree & Cut-Out Witch, and lo-fi minute-long weirdfest in Hot Freaks. I heard the pop rock gems Surgical Focus and Glad Girls, and I even felt that Official Ironmen Rally Song, Twilight Campfighter, and The Best of Jill Hives formed some sort of beautiful ballad trilogy.

I then started to look up GBV in earnest and started planning my next purchases. It was time to see if the regular albums had more to offer than the greatest hits package. I was floored by the amount of material it turned out GBV had out there with all the albums, EPs, singles, and boxsets. And then I realized that Robert Pollard had tons of solo material as well as side projects out there as well!

Based on what I can find on the internet, I decided to pick up Bee Thousand (which appeared to be known as their greatest), and Vampire on Titus (which was often described as their harshest and lowest of lo-fi, and "only for the fans" type of material). I figured if I couldn't get into their (by popular vote) greatest album ever, then I could probably just stick with the greatest hits. By contrast, if I could dig their least accessible, then this would be a great band to invest in.

Long story short, I have most of the Robert Pollard/GBV catalog in CD form (I don't own a record player, but I do have Bee Thousand: Director's Cut and the Love is Stronger than Witchcraft vinyls), and I started this blog, and I can easily say without a doubt that Pollard/GBV make up my favorite music. I like a lot of other bands with almost as much enthusiasm (I won't name them here, but maybe I'll write about them sometime), but none have captured my attention like GBV.

Basically what I am trying to say is that my entire path into the world of Guided By Voices started because of the perfect selection of Human Amusements. Though looking back at the GBV catalog, I would predict a fan selected greatest hits would be a lot more late 80's/early-mid 90's focused, whereas this album captures plenty of the newer stuff. Not including solo Pollard, any side projects, nor any fan mixes, this is the very best official Guided By Voices album. it truly is a studio greatest hits, unlike the new Fading Captain greatest hits compilation Crickets, which has more of a fan-based song selection feel.

And since I was so good at not making any suggestions as to what should have been included and what shouldn't (which I'm sure every GBV fan feels compelled to do with this album), I feel I deserve to make my one small suggestion; Where the hell is Weed King?

Tracklisting (Hardcore UFOs order - NOTE: Order of tracklist on Hardcore UFO's is chronological. The non-Hardcore UFOs version is a random order):
01 Captain's Dead
02 Drinker's Peace
03 Exit Flagger
04 14 Cheerleader Coldfront
05 Shocker in Gloomtown
06 Non-Absorbing
07 Tractor Rape Chain
08 Hot Freaks
09 Echos Myron
10 I Am a Scientist
11 A Salty Salute
12 Watch Me Jumpstart
13 Game of Pricks
14 Motor Away
15 Hit
16 My Valuable Hunting Knife
17 Cut-Out Witch
18 The Official Ironmen Rally Song
19 To Remake the Young Flyer
20 I Am a Tree
21 Bulldog Skin
22 Learning to Hunt
23 Teenage FBI
24 Things I Will Keep
25 Surgical Focus
26 Chasing Heather Crazy
27 Twilight Campfighter
28 Glad Girls
29 Back to the Lake
30 Everywhere With Helicopter
31 My Kind of Soldier
32 The Best of Jill Hives

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Guided By Voices: Hardcore UFOs: Live At The Wheelchair Races (2003)

Live At the Wheelchair Races is a stellar live album. It has a great mix of tracks, from the classics (A Salty Salute, Weed King, Game Of Pricks, Tractor Rape Chain), live staples (My Impression Now, Drinker's Peace, Johnny Appleseed, Over The Neptune), Robert Pollard solo album tracks (Quicksilver, Make Use, Town Of Mirrors, Far Out Crops), and some rare live tracks (Key Losers, How Loft Am I?, Look At Them, Shrine To The Dynamic Years, James Riot). I did not plan on actually putting any live tracks on the playlist, however, one particular cut is just too cool to ignore...

The live version of I Am Produced simply rocks, and I cannot leave it off the playlist. I absolutely love it when this one gets going, with its dueling vocals (the three main lines: "I Am Produced", "Produce Me!" & "Pressed, printed, stomped, tripped ,trapped, tricked, packaged, shipped")

I am not going to go into detail with all the other tracks, since there is tons of live material out there from GBV, and this is simply a collection of great performances to add to it.

Tracklisting (NOTE: I did not plan on putting live tracks on the playlist, but I'm making an exception for I Am Produced):

01 (Intro)
02 Little Lines
03 A Salty Salute
04 I Am Produced
05 Why Did You Land?
06 Zap
07 14 Cheerleader Coldfront
08 Everywhere With Helicopter
09 Quicksilver
10 James Riot
11 Pretty Bombs
12 Far Out Crops
13 My Impression Now
14 Look At Them
15 Melted Pat
16 How Loft Am I?
17 King And Caroline/Motor Away
18 Trap Door Soul
19 Cheyenne
20 Make Use
21 Burning Flag Birthday Suit
22 Weed King
23 Town Of Mirrors
24 Over The Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox
25 Dragon's Awake
26 Shrine To The Dynamic Years
27 Game Of Pricks
28 Tractor Rape Chain
29 Key Losers
30 Now To War
31 Johnny Appleseed
32 Drinker's Peace

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Guided By Voices: Hardcore UFOs : Delicious Pie & Thank You For Calling (2003)

I was listening to the new Fading Captain Series greatest hits collection Crickets in my car to and from work today, and it definitely got me in the mood to write a post today (and of course one is due). Continuing on with Hardcore UFOs, I am going to tackle the unreleased collection Delicious Pie & Thank You For Calling. Unlike the Suitcase collections, this particular unreleased collection has some order to it. Tracks 1-6 are early 8-track/boombox recordings (recorded late 80's), 7-11 are outtakes from Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1989), 15-18 are Do The Collapse demos, and 19-22 are Mag Earwhig! demos. How does this compilation stack up against, say, a Suitcase disc? Generally, I would have to say it is not quite up to par...

Let's start off with the Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia outtakes (the album where GBV really started to show their weirder side). 7 Strokes To Heaven's Edge is a charming acoustic ballad, while Fire 'Em Up, Abner is the exact opposite; a driven, repetitive rocker which generally overstays its welcome after three minutes.

Harboring Exiles is oozing punk with some catchy lyrics ("As such the dream up here is falling/I'll keep it close until the pattern breaks/And when it breaks the dream is over/The kind of thing that makes me sing"). Still Worth Nothing has a great chorus, and it shares the lyric "Speed up, slow down, go all around in the end" with Tractor Rape Chain from Bee Thousand. It is on the edge of making the playlist. Lastly, Never has something underlying its simple melody which might evolve after more listens, but I'll keep it off the list for now.

The Do The Collapse demos start off with I Invented The Moonwalk (And the Pencil Sharpener). This track is obviously the demo which became Whiskey Ships on Robert Pollard's 1998 solo album Waved Out, and as such does not even come close to capturing that track's greatness, but still provides an interesting take on its early stages. One has to wonder how Whiskey Ships would have sounded with the slick production of Do The Collapse.

The Fly Into Ashes demo is almost identical to the version on the Hold On Hope EP, however with a large dip in quality. The Various Vaults Of Convenience features Pollard coughing in the middle, and Trashed Aircraft (which is important in title alone) is not quite as heavy as the version of Suitcase, and I prefer the Suitcase version over this one.

Now for the Mag Earwhig! demos. This box set features both the demo of Running Off With The Fun City Girls (on this album) and the studio version on the Demons & Painkiller disc. Once again, I am going to have to side with the cleaner version (though I love the sound of the lead guitar on the demo). As for the Bulldog Skin demo, Pollard let's us know when the "kick ass part" is coming up, which of course sounds even more kick ass on the studio version. Demos of Portable Men's Society and Choking Tara also cannot be compared to their magnificent studio versions (or should I say the "creamy" version of Choking Tara?).

This compilation has its shares of throwaways as well. The first track I is almost annoying with Pollard yelping "I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I" repeatedly, and H-O-M-E starts off with a voicemail recording before breaking into an early-Ween-ish track. You're The Special is the same three second riff repeated continuously and features the lyric "Before she or he or me or you or them and us and them and you and knowin it". Lastly, Slave Your Beetle Brain is a complete song in reverse.

Not quite throwaways, but still fairly mediocre, are the reverb-ballads Perhaps We Were Swinging and Mother & Son, the dark and poetic They, and the Concert For Todd version of Man Called Aerodynamics (which is practically a demo version).

There are two more gems on this collection though. A track which shares a title and main lyric with Go Back Snowball's It Is Divine, but is otherwise a completely different tune. Pollard manages at least three separate melodies which are put together to create a fairly great tune (even though the quality is on the lower end). Also, likely the star on this disc is the full version of Back To Saturn X, which was previously known only as a snippet on Propeller's Back To Saturn X Radio Report. Easily, this is the most rocking track on the CD, and is a must have for GBV fans (though I will likely edit out the minute of laughing at the end).

Basically after Back To Saturn X and It Is Divine, there is nothing to spectacular on this album. The demos from Do The Collapse and Mag Earwhig! are interesting, but all suffer from all things demo-ish. The outtakes from Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia are pretty decent, and would for the most part fit in nicely with an extended version of that album. Overall, this is on the lower end of GBV-related albums.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate Pollard/GBV playlist):

01 I
02 Back To Saturn X
03 H-O-M-E
04 You're The Special
05 Perhaps We Were Swinging
06 Mother & Son
07 7 Strokes To Heaven's Edge
08 Fire 'Em Up, Abner
09 Harboring Exiles
10 Still Worth Nothing
11 Never
12 Slave Your Beetle Brain
13 It Is Divine (Different Version)
14 They
15 I Invented The Moonwalk (And The Pencil Sharpener)
16 Fly Into Ashes (Demo)
17 The Various Vaults Of Convenience
18 Trashed Aircraft
19 Running Off With The Fun City Girls (Demo)
20 Bulldog Skin (Demo)
21 Portable Men's Society (Demo)
22 Choking Tara (Demo)
23 Man Called Aerodynamics (Concert For Todd Version)

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Guided By Voices: Hardcore UFOs : Demons & Painkillers (2003)

I thought I'd start my 2003-era GBV coverage with the Hardcore UFOs boxset. More specifically, with Demons & Painkillers; a collection of Matador out-of-print singles, B-sides, and tunes from compilations. Albums like this are so important to fans like me who get into a band late in the game (or who do not have a record player), and missed out on grabbing some of these singles when they originally came out. This may be the best reason to pick up Hardcore UFOs, since Demons & Painkillers is a fairly decent album all on its own...

I have already covered some of these tracks in other entries, so I'll simply quote those reviews and interlace them with the new ones.

Motor Away 7" (1995)
From my entry here: "What made the Motor Away 7" single special was (like the My Valuable Hunting Knife single) the alternate take on the title track. The original from Alien Lanes is an anthem for the lo-fi movement. The version on this single sounds slightly more polished, and yet emptier. I choose the Alien Lanes version over the slick 7" every time, but there really is not much of a difference. I'm guessing finding this single is close to impossible now, but you can find its contents on the Demons & Painkillers disc in Hardcore UFOs...

The b-side Color Of My Blade is a special treat as well, and I would have loved to hear this song on Alien Lanes. It is a heavier, consistent rock track which keeps a nice pace and often sounds like it is straight out of the late 60's."

I actually left off the 7" version of Motor Away off the playlist, which I have since changed my mind about.

Tigerbomb 7" EP (1995)
From my entry here: "Tigerbomb is likely best known for its inclusion of two 7" alternate takes on GBV hits from the Alien Lanes era; My Valuable Hunting Knife and Game Of Pricks. Whereas this version of My Valuable Hunting Knife fails to capture the magic of what made the original from Alien Lanes so excellent, the slick production and added intro make Tigerbomb's Game Of Pricks the ultimate version...

The 7" version of My Valuable Hunting Knife adds effects on Pollard's vocals with more of a dance beat, and has a nice loud finish which is slightly similar to the original. Since the original is one of my favorite GBV songs of all time, this version is different enough to also be included in my playlist. As stated earlier, the new intro on Game Of Pricks is absolutely beautiful, and really gets me pumped for the song. I could see it as a great intro at a concert.

As for the rest of the EP, it consists of what I would mostly consider throwaways, except for Tobin Sprout's Dodging Invisible Rays. Mice Feel Nice (In My Room) had potential, maybe if there some chords being played over the main riff? Overall it comes off as a duller track which at over two minutes overstays its welcome. Not Good For The Mechanism has some of the grungiest and heaviest guitar in the GBV catalog, but is missing that trademark Pollard melody. Kiss Only The Important Ones is okay, but still does not stand out enough to make the playlist. It is a short little acoustic ditty with some feedback effects.

Dodging Invisible Rays does not explore any new territory for Sprout, but delivers that satisfactory pop injection we have come to expect from him. It also stands out quality-wise from this group, since the previous three tracks are recorded with poor quality (of course, sound quality is not a category in which one should be judging GBV).

Tigerbomb is mostly a gift to fans, with its alternate takes of GBV classics, a few tracks not good enough to make a proper album, and a hidden gem of a Tobin song. Just remember that you can get these songs on Demons and Painkillers from the Hardcore UFOs box set."

Holy crap, how did I leave Kiss Only The Important Ones of the playlist?! This song is beautiful, and it definately makes the list.

The Official Ironmen Rally Song 7" (1996)
From my review here: "Deaf Ears has Pollard singing through what sounds at first like a megaphone from far away, over a repeated riff. The song suddenly switches gears and has Pollard singing "My final words have fallen upon deaf ears/My last few words have fallen upon deaf ears" over and over until the fade out finish. I really like the finish to this track, as it saves an otherwise so-so cut. There is also a Same Place The Fly Got Smashed outtake version on the first Suitcase box set, though it has nothing on the newer version.

Why Did You Land? starts out sounding like Sloan's Lemonzinger (and if you are not Canadian, you likely have no idea what I'm talking about). The chorus is great, and the track provides that nice shot of rock n' roll which GBV is known for. There is a slow version on Suitcase which removes everything that is great about this heavier version. June Salutes You! is another rocking track on what is truly a great single.

Guided By Voices treat their fans well. Instead of putting pure b-sides on their singles and EP's, they include tracks which for the most part are just as good as those on the full album of the same era. Like the single I Am A Scientist, The Official Ironmen Rally Song single is a couple of minutes of pop genius."

Under The Bushes Under The Stars Bonus Tracks (Europe 1996 & Japan 1997)
From my entry here: "If you were lucky enough to find either a European or Japanese version of Under The Bushes Under The Stars, you would have been treated to a few bonus tracks. In fact the European release also contained the Tigerbomb EP and the split with Superchunk (another great band). I thought I'd go through some of these tracks since it appears that I'll get through Demons & Painkillers one release at a time...

Delayed Reaction Brats is swimming in fuzz and noise, but there is a fine song hiding underneath. I must say that is balancing on the fence when it comes to adding it to my playlist, and at just over a minute, I'll add it to the playlist for now. He's The Uncle is another short track which is oozing melody, mixed with some sound effects. It is surprising this didn't find its way to a proper album, as it would have sounded nice on Under The Bushes Under The Stars. The Key Losers is practically the same version as on Tonics & Twisted Chasers except with better sound quality.

As for the Japanese version of Under The Bushes Under The Stars, the version of The Finest Joke Upon Us is the same as on Mag Earwhig! Finks was apparently set to be on Pollard's solo album Not In My Airforce. It would make for a great car tune, and reminds me of a stroll through the park. It is a happy sounding little tune with a great riff."

Various Compilations (1996 - 1999)
The version of Postal Blowfish that made the soundtrack to the movie Brain Candy (made by Canadian sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall) is a tuned up, slicker version then what was originally planned for Bee Thousand (and what eventually ended up on King Shit and the Golden Boys). There is a version of My Thoughts Are A Gas on Tonics And Twisted Chasers which I called a downright throwaway. The version here (and from the compilation album What's Up Matador) shares little resemblance. In fact, this a fairly rocking tune. Lastly, from the compilation Everything Is Nice comes Choking Tara (Creamy Version). The version that made Mag Earwhig! stands out on being one of the worst quality (production, that is) tracks on the album. The version here is cleaned up quite a bit, and sounds wonderful.

Cut Out Witch 7" (1996)
The Cut Out Witch single included two live tracks of Propeller tunes, Some Drilling Implied, and Unleased! The Large-Hearted Boy. Basically, I am trying to refrain from putting live tracks on the playlist. However, I should note that these two live tracks rock hard, especially Unleased! which rivals the album version.

Plantations Of Pale Pink 7" EP (1996)
From my entry here: "Systems Crash is a short fuzz-rock anthem, which I admit I did not quite like when first hearing it. However, the track has grown on me considerably. I now see it as a companion to My Valuable Hunting Knife, as both are similar musically. Catfood On The Earwig is a longer (over two minutes anyway) track which sounds like a few different songs tied together. Parts of the track are decent, but the disjointed feel to it put me off slightly.

The Who Vs. Porky Pig suffers a tad due to recording quality, but the straight out rock comes through loud and clear anyway. I'm sure there are fans of A Life In Finer Clothing, especially with the nice lead guitar at the end of the track. However, the song doesn't stand out for me at all and is the least interesting song on Plantations Of The Pale Pink.

The Worryin' Song is a minute of beautiful melody layered with sonic noise (like most of the more poorly recorded songs), and has also grown on me lately. The final track, Subtle Gear Shifting, contains the album title lyric and is epic at almost four minutes long. There is not very much variation in the four minutes, as the track follows a pulsing guitar rhythm throughout.

Plantations Of Pale Pink does not contain anything that could be considered a Guided By Voices hit in any way, yet it still manages to be a satisfying treat. Is it a reason in itself to buy the Hardcore UFOs boxset? Likely not, but it still manages to be a huge check in the plus column when weighing the decision to spend the 70 bucks."

Bulldog Skin 7" (1997)
I did not actually review the Mag Earwhig! singles separately as I did for Under The Bushes Under The Stars. Luckily, this entry for Demons & Painkillers provides a forum for doing so. Bulldog Skin is a single which I called underwhelming in my entry for Mag Earwhig!, but I know just as much as the next guy that it rocks.

As for The Singing Razorblade, I have trouble deciding if I like it or not. It has quite the catchy beat, and a remixed Pollard chant which is actually quite cool. The acoustic Now To War from Mag Earwhig! is given the heavy treatment on this version, and Mannequin's Complaint (Wax Dummy Meltdown) is a bizarre, rolling, rock opera tune that would likely fit nicely on a Circus Devil's album (or maybe it is just to jolly).

I Am A Tree 7" (1997)
I Am A Tree is one hell of a song. It is definitely among the rockiest, and best of GBV's entire catalog, and should have propelled them into rock n' roll stardom. How do the b-sides fair?

Do They Teach You The Chase? is a short, moody track. (I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries follows suit for the first minute, and sound quite similar to the prior track. However, at about the minute and a half mark, GBV kicks into gear and turns the track into something worthy of an I Am A Tree b-side. Lastly, The Ascended Master's Grogshop is a half-minute ballad.

Mag Earwhig! Japanese Bonus Tracks (1998)
Running Off With The Fun City Girls surely sounds like it comes from the Mag Earwhig! sessions, and has a nice punky-edge to it. None Of Them Any Good is another rocker that is decent enough to be included on Mag Earwhig!

As you can see from all the bolded tracks on this disc, as an album, Demons & Painkillers is pretty decent. Part of this is because Pollard chose to put softer versions of some tracks on the albums, and left the heavier versions for the b-sides. Another reason of course, is the re-recording of the Alien Lanes singles. And the last reason, GBV just has so many damn good songs, a bunch of them are bound to pushed to b-side status.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Pollard playlist):

01 Motor Away [7" Version]
02 Color Of My Blade
03 My Valuable Hunting Knife [7" Version]
04 Game Of Pricks [7" Version]
05 Mice Feel Nice (In My Room)
06 Not Good For The Mechanism
07 Kiss Only The Important Ones
08 Dodging Invisible Rays
09 Deaf Ears
10 Why Did You Land?
11 June Salutes You!
12 Delayed Reaction Brats
13 He's The Uncle
14 Key Losers
15 Postal Blowfish
16 Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy [Live]
17 Some Drilling Implied [Live]
18 Systems Crash
19 Catfood On The Earwhig
20 The Who Vs. Porky Pig
21 A Life In Finer Clothing
22 The Worryin' Song
23 Subtle Gear Shifting
24 Finks
25 The Finest Joke Is Upon Us
26 The Singing Razorblade
27 Now To War (Electric Version)
28 Mannequin's Complaint (Wax Dummy Meltdown)
29 Do They Teach You The Chase?
30 (I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries
31 The Ascended Master's Grogshop
32 My Thoughts Are A Gas
33 Running Off With The Fun City Girls
34 None Of Them Any Good
35 Choking Tara (Creamy Version)

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Site News, or Boring Post Title

Hi everyone!

I supposed most of you have been as excited as I to find out about all the upcoming releases (new Pollard albums - two of 'em!, new Circus Devils, Crickets, Austin City Limits, The Takeovers...), and you also likely noticed a great distance of time passing between my latest posts.

I have been extremely busy lately, but I do not have any plans other than keeping up with this project and going through every Pollard release! I posted Go Back Snowball earlier today, and look forward to writing about 2003 releases (Earthquake Glue, Pinball Mars, Hardcore UFOs, Lifeguards, & Phantom Tollbooth) in the very near future.

I also updated my links recently (and was excited to see a blog with the goal of writing about every Pollard song -> see links on sidebar). I also listed some more non-GBV related links (thank you to those nice people who linked this site).

Anyway, I just wanted to provide an update, and make sure you all know that I am still 100% dedicated to this site. I also plan to update its look and feel sometime in the future (did you know that you can reach this site through www.rock-robot.com?).

Lastly, please do not click on the 'click here to read the rest of this article...' link on the bottom of this post. This is the whole post. I don't know how to NOT have it on every post...so hopefully I saved you a mouse-click.

Thanks,
Dave (The Rock Robot)

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Go Back Snowball: Calling Zero (2002)

Go Back Snowball is made up of two indie-rock giants: Robert Pollard, and Superchunk's Mac McCaughan. McCaughan lays down all the music and Pollard adds vocals. I should start off by saying that I have been growing into quite the Superchunk fan (after finding all their tunes on eMusic), especially Foolish, that is a good album. Therefore, the expectations are high. Does Go Back Snowball reach the great heights expected by this dynamic duo? Maybe not. Is it a good album? Sure. Will it grow on you after repeated listens? Oh, definately! The music is interesting (a mix of fuzzed-out guitar, piano, and acoustic rhythm), and did I mention one of Pollard's best vocal performances...

The album starts off with the best track, Radical Girl. This song is a great example of Pollard's ability to throw tons of melody over anything, with McCaughan's off-kilter organ which sounds like the most mellow Rob Zombie tune never made. Following is the acoustic title track, Calling Zero. This one has been growing on me, and perhaps more for the catchy strumming work of McCaughan and less for Pollards (though still great) vocals.

If you asked me if I would include either Calling Zero, or the next track (Never Forget Where You Get Them) on my ultimate playlist a month ago, I would likely say no. After listening to this album on my way to and back from work a few times I have changed my mind. McCaughan's sonic grooves in Never Forget Where You Get Them are a perfect background to Pollard's vocals. On a side note, I find Pollard's singing on this album sounds as good as on any GBV-related album.

Red Hot Halos is a mix of beating guitar pulses and cutesy piano, and a somewhat letdown of a chorus. It does contain some of my favorite lyrics on the album; ("And sometimes when its 'look out below', the people move too slow"). Again the Waterloo is a static-radio rocker which reminds me a bit of Earthling-era Bowie (think Little Wonder). I'm on the wall on this one as for its inclusion on the playlist, though I'm leaning on keeping it since there is really nothing else like it from Pollard.

The sonic guitar continues into Climb, a short and simple track. Go Gold has a constant acoustic rhythm chased by a slow bass lead, and is another great example of Pollard's word-smithing ("Preconceived in half allegiance/Ideas of the wicked/Who remove you from your sickness/Young and old/Go gold", and "We will march one-half a million/From the tents to the pavillion/Where the drinks are being sold/Go gold").

Lifetime for the Mavericks and Throat of Throats continues McCaughan's melding of fuzzed-out sonic guitar with either acoustic guitar or piano. At just under two minutes, Lifetime for the Mavericks is another quick jolt of pop. Throat of Throats is a pretty tune, and it is at about this time I realize that this album would be cool soundtrack for some weird futuristic spaghetti western.

Ironrose Worm sounds like a carnival ride song, and It Is Divine is truly divine (yes, I had to do it no matter how corny it was). The chorus of "It is divine my child, and it only lasts a second" is possibly the most beautiful moment on the album. I should note that there is track with the same title (and some of the same lyrics) on Hardcore UFO's, but there is not any real similarity. Finally, Dumbluck Systems Stormfront finishes off the album with a gentle release.

I have to admit I did not get into this album the first time I heard it. It has definitely grown on me over time, and now more than half the tracks make my playlist. It is quite original within the GBV catalog, and I love the mix of acoustic elements and the psychedelic, sonic guitar. It does not reach the heavy riff-driven Superchunk awesomeness, but the overall mellow vibe is a great backdrop for Pollard to shine through on vocals.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Pollard playlist):
01 Radical Girl
02 Calling Zero
03 Never Forget Where Get Them
04 Red Hot Halos
05 Again the Waterloo
06 Climb
07 Go Gold
08 Lifetime for the Mavericks
09 Throat of Throats
10 Ironrose Worm
11 It Is Divine
12 Dumbluck Systems Stormfront

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Circus Devils: The Harold Pig Memorial (2002)

When reviewing the first Circus Devils release (Ringworm Interiors), I found it hard to convey how much I enjoyed the album while only selecting 8 out of 28 of the tracks for my ultimate GBV-related playlist. The problem was that the disc was great as a cohesive album, yet individual tracks were just too "out there" to sound in place on a GBV/Pollard mix. Well, the dynamic trio of Robert Pollard (vocals) and the Tobias' (Tim and Todd - all the guitar licks and weird noises) are back with The Harold Pig Memorial. This album is toned down quite a bit compared to Ringworm Interiors, and is generally a rather fine rock album...

Alaska To Burning Men starts things off with an intro which sounds a lot like the theme to Lost, then blends into a Metallica-ish ballad riff with Pollard's more haunting style of vocals. Saved Herself, Shaved Herself continues the mellow tone for about a minute until picking up to a decent beat with Pollard repeating the title lyrics. A fairly decent start which is not even remotely close to the strangeness of Ringworm Interiors.

Soldiers of June is extremely poppy/catchy, for a Circus Devil's release anyway. Once again, like on Ringworm Interiors (and Pinball Mars), Pollard does some Eddie Vedder impressions ("Counting holes in the moon/In thee moon"). Following is a wonderful minute and a half in I Guess I Needed That. The only thing this track is missing is another minute and a half. Things slow down again for Festival of Death, a mild folk ballad.

Five songs in, and there really isn't anything strange to mark this as a Circus Devil's release. In fact, it is so far a fairly decent rock album. This trend continues into Dirty World News which has an echoing Pollard talking over a juicy riff. May We See the Hostage? is the first track with a distinct Circus Devil's feel.This beautiful ballad is invaded by intermittent pounding of feedback, and then completely taken over by a sonic guitar solo. Do You Feel Legal? may be the closest thing Pollard has done which would fit nicely in a broadway musical, and A Birdcage Until Further Notice is proof that the atmosphere of Ringworm Interiors hasn't completely disappeared, though the song does not stray to far off of this album's more pop-like approach.

Injured? is a calm ride, and one of the more forgettable ones on this disc. In contrast Foxhead Delivery cranks the rock n' roll ("Its easy unless it rains/The night eats us alive"). Last Punk Standing is another straight forward rock tune (which Pollard always turns into something not so straight forward). It has three distinct parts which have it moving into rock opera territory.

And then there is Bull Spears. Likely among your journey finding out about the Circus Devils you have come across this song. Also, you likely have only read great wonderful things about it. There is a good reason for this...the track rocks! Perhaps the greatest Circus Devils song, Bull Spears starts off with a rocket of a riff, and quickly mellows to a grooving bass line, before exploding again for the grand finish. There is something purely addictive about this track, perhaps the same something that gives Shocker In Gloomtown its edge.

Discussions In The Cave is fairly weird, as is Recirculating Hearse. The latter continues the dark rock opera style of music, and even has some fuzzy distortion which sounds like bees. The strangeness continues into Pigs Can't Hide (On Their Night Off) which ends with some high-pitched squealing feedback. Haunting rock n' roll comes back with Exoskeleton Motorcade. This track features a grooving riff and some noises which I can only describe as chipmunk rap.

The top half of this album is fairly straight-away rock, whereas the bottom half finds the Circus Devils in Ringworm Interiors territory. After the interlude which is Real Trip No. 3, the Circus Devils throw in another minute or so of brilliance with Vegas ("Vegas, oooohhh"). The Pilot's Crucifixion/Indian Oil has some funky riffs during the Indian Oil portion of the song, and Tulip Review features the sounds of bottles clashing. Finally, the title track finishes the album. The Harold Pig Memorial moves into Nine Inch Nails territory with its haunting piano in front of ambient noise.

Is The Harold Pig Memorial better than Ringworm Interiors? The quick answer is no. However, it is far more accessible. 10 out of 22 tracks make my playlist, compared to 8 out of 28 from Ringworm Interiors. However, The Harold Pig Memorial toned down some of the more exciting aspects of its predecessor and took a more straight forward approach, generally creating a slightly strange rock album. Overall I would say Ringworm Interiors is more exciting, but it has a few tracks which border on the unlistenable, preventing it from being as instantly accessible as The Harold Pig Memorial.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Pollard playlist/box set):

01 Alaska To Burning Men
02 Saved Herself, Shaved Herself
03 Soldiers Of June
04 I Guess I Needed That
05 Festival Of Death
06 Dirty World News
07 May We See The Hostage?
08 Do You Feel Legal?
09 A Birdcage Until Further Notice
10 Injured?
11 Foxhead Delivery
12 Last Punk Standing
13 Bull Spears
14 Discussions In The Cave
15 Recirculating Hearse
16 Pigs Can't Hid (On Their Night Off)
17 Exoskeleton Motorcade
18 Real Trip No. 3
19 Vegas
20 The Pilot's Crucifixion/Indian Oil
21 Tulip Review
22 The Harold Pig Memorial

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Richard Meltzer, Robert Pollard, Smegma, Antler & Vom: The Completed Soundtrack For The Tropic Of Nipples (2002)

In 2002 Robert Pollard teamed up with Richard Meltzer (former music critic), and noise bands Smegma and Antler to create a truly psychedelic vinyl only EP release. This CD version was expanded to include nine more tracks, as well as the addition of Vom (6 tracks). I am hard pressed to write a full entry for this disc, which I would have to say is one of the least important albums in the GBV catalog (or is it one of the most important ones, considering that only die-hard fans are going to bother to pick it up?) That being said, The Complete Soundtrack for the Tropic of Nipples is interesting with its mix of spoken word over noise, instrumentals, and some old school punk...

First off, I am going to focus on Pollard's contribution's to the album. The Vom tracks (Electricute Your Cock, Too Animalistic, Punkmobile, God Save The Wales, I Live With The Roaches, and I'm In Love With Your Mom) don't really have anything to do with Pollard, so they are not up for the playlist. If 70's era punk is your thing you may want to check these tracks out.

The Smegma tracks are generally spoken word over noise, and almost act like intros to the Antler tracks, which in return sound more like full fledged songs. The Smegma bits serve a purpose on this album which taken out of context would be completely lost, which is not so much true for the Antler songs.

More specifically, Industry Standard may be the most fully realized track on the album, or at least on the original EP. The best track on the entire album is the instrumental World's Coolest Rock Star (Antler), which was not even included on the original EP. It is kind of like a psychedelic spaghetti western intro. Aside from these, the somewhat compelling Ovarian Angel Architect (Antler), and the Vom tracks, I cannot really recommend this album to anyone. Of course if you need every GBV-related album out there...

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Robert Pollard playlist/box set - in this case, none):

01 The Valium Restaurant
02 Ovarian Angel Architect
03 Kerouac Never Drove, So He Never Drove Alone
04 Industry Standard
05 Corduroy
06 Mosquitoes Dropped Their Javelins
07 Pressurized
08 Chowder, Anyone?
09 All For Sex and Better Whiskey
10 The Sonny Liston Fan Club
11 Tykie Love (Text Book Memorial Hemmingway)
12 Tropic of Nipples
13 Electricute Your Cock
14 Tropic of Labia
15 World's Coolest Rock Star
16 Too Animalistic
17 Revolver Tricks
18 Gotta
19 Punkmobile
20 God Save The Whales (Live at Rhino 12/77)
21 I Live With The Roaches
22 I'm In Love With Your Mom

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New Robert Pollard Album...

This is probably old news for most fans, but Robert Pollard is releasing a new mini-LP called Silverfish Trivia on April 17th! On another note, I was hoping to do another post this weekend (Circus Devils) and did not get a chance. Please be patient as I'm finding less and less time to write these posts...However, I am still dedicated to this site and will get a new post up soon.

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Guided By Voices: The Pipe Dreams Of Instant Prince Whippet (2002)

Two months later and I'm back with a new entry into what has now been a year-long project; creating the ultimate Robert Pollard/GBV guide. My absence has been quite necessary as I have been a) doing the whole Christmas /New Year thing, and b) I moved into a new house. With the new house I have picked up a killer sound system to enjoy my GBV-related tunes on, so I'm pretty excited about that. So the first post of the new year, in the new house, and on the new sound system is Universal Truth's and Cycle's companion EP, The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet. Whereas the Hold On Hope EP was generally better than its companion album (Do The Collapse), Prince Whippet is definitely more of an extension of Universal Truths and Cycles...

Visit This Place starts thing off right with steady guitar riffs and classic Pollard vocals ("Crawl from the holes that hold your eyes/Feel the importance of crying"). Swooping Energies reminds me a bit of Whiskey Ships from Waved Out, with its bar lounge atmosphere (crowd chanting and reverbed vocals). Two songs in, and Prince Whippet is already catchy and addictive.

Things slow down for Keep It Coming, a track that would have sounded right at home on Suitcase (in a good way), or some tracks from Mag Earwhig!; a throwback to the lower quality sound of old. The verses in this track are gorgeous, and I started to pick up some of the more complex guitar parts after hearing the track on a good stereo.

I'm a bit split on Action Speaks Volumes. Mainly, its repetitiveness keeps it from being a no-brainer for the list. However, for now, I'm going to add it to the playlist. The pumping, driving guitar beat is cool in itself and almost epic in its doomsday sound. Stronger Lizards (aside from a great title) starts off with great promise, and builds to one of the most wonderful pop gems, and then stops suddenly at the 55 second mark. What the? This could have been one of the greatest GBV songs ever! The hint those 55 seconds leave me wishing to hear more! Oh well, isn't it kind of a GBV staple to have a few songs that end just as they are really getting going?

Similar to Stronger Lizards, I was hoping the title track of The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet would last a little longer than a minute and a half. A little silly, this song is extremely catchy, and Pollard's ah-ah-ahh-ahhhh-ahh-ah finishing off the track is superb.

Similar to Action Speaks Volumes, Request Pharmaceuticals is a darker, fuzz-filled cut. For some reason, the vocals at the beginning somewhat remind me of that Underworld song on Trainspotting (or was that Orbital? Who cares, my electronica phase was over ten years ago). The guitar on this track kicks ass, and its brooding sound fit into this short album perfectly.

Is any song on Prince Whippet not going to make my ultimate playlist? Likely not, as For Liberty makes the playlist just for that little guitar ditty that gets played twice during its 53 seconds. Now on to Dig Through My Window. How is this song not on Universal Truths and Cycles? It is the definite hit on this EP, the hidden gem, the Bunco Men if you will. It is a beautiful ballad that provides a bit of a preview of where GBV is heading towards in Half Smiles of the Decomposed.

The EP is finished with the perfect closer Beg For A Wheelbarrow. A punk-ish marching tune ("But by and large/blood of the vine/fruit of the womb/sweat of the brow..."). This is another track that would have sounded great on Universal Truths and Cycles.

100% of Prince Whippet makes my playlist (though there were a couple of close ones). This EP is more of a mini-album. It is extremely cohesive and every song sounds related to the rest of the disc. If all of these tracks made Universal Truths and Cycles, then that album would have made a killer double-album. However, they have their own character, and that is what makes Prince Whippet such a treat. It may be an EP, but it plays like an album.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate GBV/Robert Pollard playlist/box set):

01 Visit This Place
02 Swooping Energies
03 Keep It Coming
04 Action Speaks Volumes
05 Stronger Lizards
06 The Pip Dreams Of Instant Prince Whippet
07 Request Pharmaceuticals
08 For Liberty
09 Dig Through My Window
10 Beg For A Wheelbarrow

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Happy Holidays

Hi everyone! Just a quick note that I will not likely be posting until after the new year. With Christmas and New Years activities, as well as myself moving into a new house first thing in January, I will likely not find the time to post until after settling in.

I will be back to posting first thing in 2007!

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Guided By Voices: Universal Truths and Cycles (2002)

It's been a while, but I'm back. I woke up this morning and thought that it was about time to get another entry up. Let me start off my saying that for quite a while, this was the GBV album that I listened to the least. It had the least impact on first listen, and took the longest to grow on me. That being said, I now find myself in a 'new era' GBV phase, and Universal Truths and Cycles is getting a lot of plays. It is unique in the GBV catalog with its mix of slick production and heavier rock, somewhat in the vein of Choreographed Man of War. I can tell you right off the bat that there are going to be a lot of bolded tracks on this one...

Universal Truths and Cycles starts off with the absolute best GBV song to clock in under forty seconds, Wire Greyhounds. From the opening lines of "My tongue that moves slow a minute before the evil street...", this album never lets up. One of the heaviest, loudest, and grungiest GBV songs is offered next, as Skin Parade marches through three minutes pure rock bliss. I like to listen to this track on my drive to work to both help me wake up, and get pumped up for the day.

Zap brings us back to that warm, familiar, Pollard-acoustic one-minute ditty, before leading into Christian Animation Torch Carriers. Universal Truths and Cycles has a couple of "epic" sounding tracks, and this cut is one of them. It is a constant climb, a buildup of sounds and intensity, which peaks during the final minute ("However will you try to hide/Within their eyes?/Within them in life?"). Cheyenne is an incredibly catchy pop tune which gets stuck in that part of your brain that kicks in when you are brushing your teeth. Cheyenne is in no way near my favorite tracks on this album, though it may be the one that I have playing in my head the most.

The Weeping Bogeyman is the first track from UT&C to get passed by for the playlist, as it may best be seen as an intro to the great Back to the Lake. I've seen a video (I believe a fan-made video) for this track on You-Tube that was just unbelievable. Back to the Lake is probably the best candidate for a single on the album (which it was), as it highlights Pollard's melodic genius, as well as Gillard's amazing guitar work (and how about that gorgeous piano). Love 1 brings back the heavy in a minute-long adrenaline drive which I enjoy more and more with each listen.

Storm Vibrations is epic #2 on UT&C. The chorus is just beautiful ("Confusing emotions - deliberately/Does it hurt you?/To love, I mean?"), and the song's five minute length also lends a hand to the epic feel of the track. Factory of Raw Essentials slows things down a bit, and truly sounds like something that would be found on one of Pollard's solo albums. And of course, there is Everywhere With Helicopter. Along with Back to the Lake, they were the only two tracks on the GBV's greatest hits album to represent UT&C. Everywhere With Helicopter doesn't slow down for one bit as it cruises through great guitar solo's and a perfect driven rhythm.

Pretty Bombs is another single-sounding almost-ballad (it even has violins). This is my favorite track on UT&C rated on Pollard's vocals alone. It never seems to reach the peak it promises throughout, instead going for a disjointed back-and-forth sound with shifts from the rock n' roll to the orchestra, finally blending them in the final moments. Eureka Signs is what I consider the finale in the trilogy of epic-sounding tunes on UT&C. It even has a hint of Everyone Thinks I'm a Raincloud-style guitar.

Other than having a wicked intro, Wings of Thorn has an incredible constant rhythm. At just under five minutes, Car Language seems to drag on a bit. The main riff is dark, and the song feels like something that should be at the end of the album. I am putting it on the list, though it is the closest track on UT&C to make the list, yet be so close to not making it. From a Voice Plantation has a bit of a Circus Devils thing going, and the last few moments of this track are spectacular.

I'm passing on the folksy The Ids Are Alright, and just loving the title track Universal Truths and Cycles. I love the rhythm guitar in this track, and the bittersweet pop feel (and yet, there is something about this track which sounds downright depressing). Father Sgt. Christmas Card finishes things off in a hauntingly send off ("for the la la la la la").

Universal Truths and Cycles is rock brilliance. Looking back I can't believe it took so long for this album to set in the way it finally has. There is not a bad track on it, and it will surely rank among GBV's finest to anyone who enjoys the heavier, more produced sound.

Tracklisting (songs in bold make my ultimate Pollard/GBV playlist/box set):
01 Wire Greyhounds
02 Skin Parade
03 Zap
04 Christian Animation Torch Carriers
05 Cheyenne
06 The Weeping Bogeyman
07 Back to the Lake
08 Love 1
09 Storm Vibrations
10 Factory of Raw Essentials
11 Everywhere With Helicopter
12 Pretty Bombs
13 Eureka Signs
14 Wings of Thorn
15 Car Language
16 From a Voice Plantation
17 The Ids Are Alright
18 Universal Truths and Cycles
19 Father Sgt. Christmas Card

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