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