RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft: DISC THREE (2000)

TOTAL SCORE: 47, AVG: 1.88

Though not the case when I typed up my original post on Disc 3 of Suitcase, today its claim to fame is probably the four songs that all not only ended up redone as great Boston Spaceships songs, but also all ended up on the same album (Zero to 99). Meddle, A Good Circuitry Soldier, Exploding Anthills, and Trashed Aircraft are all here in early demo-like form, and though Carnival at the Morning Star School wasn't redone with the Boston Spaceships (though they did play it live once), I feel like it should have been...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft: DISC TWO (2000)

TOTAL SCORE: 50, AVG: 2.00

Again please see my original post for Disc 2 on Suitcase since I am not going to rehash all the detail on this re:score post. For me, the stand-out track on Disc 2 of Suitcase is still Supermarket the Moon, which holds a place among the dark and slow (or ballad-like) songs in the GBV catalog. Similar to James Riot, Shrine to the Dynamic Years is another Do the Collapse era outtake that just screams for an updated studio take so fans can really enjoy it without the middling recording...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft: DISC ONE (2000)

TOTAL SCORE: 48, AVG: 1.92

Parsing through the Suitcase releases is a lot of work, but luckily I did most of that already in my original post for the 1st disc of Suitcase 1, so please refer to that for details. The first disc of Suitcase includes the amazing Bunco Men, but just recently a new and slicker version of Bunco Men has appeared on Guided By Voices' 2020 album Mirrored Aztec. The most annoying thing about the song was the incredibly low volume it is recording at which makes it tough to include on playlists or whatnot, so I'm going to start using the Mirrored Aztec version from now on...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Dayton, Ohio - 19 Something and 5 (2000)

TOTAL SCORE: 8, AVG: 2.00

I generally do not rank live versions of songs, but the live version of Dayton, Ohio - 19 Something and 5 on this EP almost sounds like an alternate studio take given how it was recorded. There are things to like about both the version on Tonics & Twisted Chasers and here that they can stand separately. In original post I mostly discussed the differences between the two versions, and ultimately took a pass on the other three songs on the EP...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Hold on Hope EP (2000)

TOTAL SCORE: 37, AVG: 3.70

My copy of the Hold on Hope EP does not include Perfect this Time (see my original post), but since some copies of the EP do include that song, I'll include and write about it here in my re:score. Even without Perfect this Time I called Hold on Hope my favorite EP, and said it was like a scaled back version of Do the Collapse and more in line with the GBV that we always knew, while still moving forward in a finer production style...

Guided By Voices: B-Sides 2011 - 2014

TOTAL SCORE: 61, AVG: 2.01

The classic lineup of GBV put together over 20 singles for the six albums released between 2011 and 2014, and combined generated 30 b-sides that were released. Instead of going through them one by one, I decided to treat the b-sides of the era as a single entry. Though most of the singles included non-album tracks, there were a couple that included only tracks that appeared on the upcoming record, so those are not covered here...

Guided By Voices: Down by the Racetrack (2013)

TOTAL SCORE: 11, AVG: 1.83

One of the cornerstones of the classic era GBV is all the extra content available through EP's during the 90's. For the most part the EP's were quirky side-quests to the relevant album's main quest, and they helped define the legacy of GBV in a big way. Chasing down those hard to find EP's and hearing the odd gem among the oddities is a GBV right of passage. For the classic reunited era most of that extra content is covered in the 20+ singles released between 2011 and 2014, but we did get one EP during that time as well...

RE:SCORE - Robert Pollard with Doug Gillard: Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 51, AVG: 3.40

I still remember getting this album and reviewing it for the first time. I had trouble finding it, yet I knew that it was highly regarded by GBV fans, and often remarked as one of the best non-GBV releases (if not the best). I totally get why that is, as both Gillard and Pollard are firing on all cylinders on Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department. If Do the Collapse left you scratching your head, then maybe Speak Kindly is the ultimate representation of GBV for 1999...

RE:SCORE - Nightwalker: In Shop We Build Electrical Chairs - Professional Music By Nightwalker 1984-93 (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 9, AVG: 0.82

I originally wrote that Nightwalker was for diehards only, and consists of odd nuggets from Robert Pollard and his music buddies. Unlike a Circus Devils release, where the oddness is a more up and front feature (and far more polished), Nightwalker comes off as more like the unfinished recordings of folks just sort of fooling around...

RE:SCORE - Lexo and the Leapers: Ask Them (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 26, AVG: 4.33

When I originally wrote about this album, drummer Jay Madewell corrected me when I noted that Lexo and the Leapers spun their own version of Fair Touching, noting that this is actually the original version. Though Fair Touching would eventually be a big song for GBV on Isolation Drills, it isn't in the top three of this amazing EP from Robert Pollard, Gate Bonham, Tere Lerma, and Jay Madewell...

RE:SCORE - Robert Pollard: Kid Marine (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 36, AVG: 2.40

I wasn't the biggest fan of Kid Marine back in '06 and I still feel that the album was an overall drop in quality from Not In My Airforce and Waved Out. I've heard that Kid Marine was meant as a working class concept album and there is a cohesive theme throughout, but there is also a blandness that may or may not be on purpose given that theme. As with most Pollard releases there are standout moments, such as the wonderful Far-Out Crops or the last part of Town of Mirrors...

Guided By Voices: Plugs for the Program (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 7, AVG: 3.50

Sucker of Pistol City is a good enough song that fans will want to have access to it, but finding a copy of Plugs for the Program can be a challenge given its limited release. This is one that I actually don't have access to so I'm relying on what is available on YouTube, which is both Sucker of Pistol City and the demo of Picture Me Big Time...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Do the Collapse (1999)

TOTAL SCORE: 54, AVG: 3.38

Re-reading my original post for Do the Collapse, my feelings about the album haven't really changed. It is a good album that gives us a glimpse of another world where GBV had major-label backing and the production wizardry of the late Ric Ocasek. 1999 saw some great songs from Pollard (and his collaboration with Gillard), and part of the problem of Do the Collapse for me, is that the songs chosen for the album just aren't a great representation of GBV, even if decent on their own merit... 

Guided By Voices: Cool Planet (2014)

TOTAL SCORE: 57, AVG: 3.17

With a small change to the lineup (drummer Kevin March replacing Kevin Fennell), the final album of this era of the classic lineup re-visited doesn't stray too far from what we've already seen, but after an inconsistent start, becomes arguably the finest album of the reunion. If Cool Planet was supposed to represent and respect the past of classic rock musicians, I feel it has hit its mark, and Sprout contributes some of his best tunes yet on an album where he truly earns equal billing...

RE:SCORE - Robert Pollard: Waved Out (1998)

TOTAL SCORE: 52, AVG: 3.47

One of the commenters of my original post noted that they enjoyed listening to Waved Out while driving late at night, as the album matched the mood so well. Listening to Waved Out while putting together this updated rating, I was amazed by how well everything just fit together. In fact, if there are two songs that are out of place, they are the amazing Make Use and Subspace Biographies...

Guided By Voices: Wish in One Hand... (1997)

TOTAL SCORE: 9, AVG: 3.00

The Wish in One Hand EP contains an older version of Teenage FBI, prior to it being a more polished single from 1999's Do the Collapse. Recorded with Jim Pollard, Nick Shuld, and Kevin Fennell, Robert Pollard was "between bands" at this time. What I find most interesting when listening to this early version of Teenage FBI is just how much the DNA of Do the Collapse was truly Pollard's...

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

TOTAL SCORE: 115, AVG: 3.48

I think chronologically, this is the right time to cover the rest of the Demons & Painkillers collection from the 2003 boxset Hardcore UFOs. You can read my original entry for it here, and I have already re:scored some of it (Motor Away, Tigerbomb,  The Official Ironmen Rally Song, Under the Bushes Under the Stars Bonus Tracks, and Plantations of Pale Pink). Remaining are the Mag Earwhig! era singles and bonus tracks, and other songs released on various compilations from around '96 - '99...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Mag Earwhig! (1997)

TOTAL SCORE: 76, AVG: 3.62

When I first wrote about Mag Earwhig! I noted that it  might be the best introduction to Guided By Voices. It is a transition record that is truly mid-fi being pressed by the lo-fi stylings of the classic lineup and the Doug Gillard featured lineup that would last until the "final" album in 2004 and mostly feature a more hi-fidelity recording quality. In my opinion Mag Earwhig! is so good that it should be in any conversation about the greatest GBV album of all time...

Guided By Voices: Motivational Jumpsuit (2014)

TOTAL SCORE: 57, AVG: 2.85

With The Littlest League Possible, I don't think this song could have been anything else but the opening track, though from a title perspective it missed the boat on the thematic tie-in to the previous album English Little League. Of course, where English Little League was a bit dark and constrained, Motivational Jumpsuit is more geared towards lighthearted fun and fantastic rock n' roll. Bookended by The Littlest League Possible and the classic rock energetic feast that is Alex and the Omegas, Motivational Jumpsuit and English Little League couldn't really be any more different...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Under the Bushes Under the Stars - Bonus Tracks (1996)

 

TOTAL SCORE: 18, AVG: 3.40

You can read my original post here, which covers which songs were on which version of Under the Bushes Under the Stars, and which ones found themselves on the split with Superchunk. Not much left to say other than here is some more goodness from 1996...

RE:SCORE: Guided By Voices: The Official Ironmen Rally Song (1996)

TOTAL SCORE: 17, AVG: 4.25

Unlike previous singles, the version of The Official Ironmen Rally Song here is the same as the one on Under the Bushes Under the Stars. Both Deaf Ears and Why Did You Land? have alternate versions on the Suitcase boxsets, though I find the best versions are the ones presented here. June Salutes You! is also a decent track that hints at even far greater potential...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Plantations of Pale Pink (1996)

TOTAL SCORE: 17, AVG: 2.83

I noted back in 2006 that I was fond of Plantations of Pale Pink (PoPP), and as a stand-alone quick and funky EP it stood up really well, however, as stand-alone songs it can be seen as a weaker EP. Over time Systems Crash has really grown on me, and I specifically remember it being close to not making my original playlist and yet I have a hard time understanding why it wasn't an obvious choice to be included...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Sunfish Holy Breakfast (1996)

TOTAL SCORE: 36, AVG: 3.60

Looking back at my original posting I was definitely on Team Sunfish Holy Breakfast, and I am still today. An EP with 10 songs (the size of other bands' full albums), Sunfish continues to expand on the 1996 version of a band that just has so much to offer at the time, and it is generally considered essential as far as fans go...

RE:SCORE: Robert Pollard: Not in My Airforce (1996)

LP SCORE: 57, AVG: 3.56

EP SCORE: 8, AVG: 1.33

TOTAL SCORE: 65, AVG: 2.95 

Between my original review and now, this is one of the records that has grown on me and jumped up the ranks. I imagine re-reading my review I didn't spend that much time with Not in My Airforce before writing that up. For one, I wrote that Psychic Pilot Clocks Out just barely made the playlist, and today it is one of my favorite Pollard songs ever. That being said, the album has six underwhelming bonus tracks from a planned EP tacked on that don't really mix with the album...

Guided By Voices: English Little League (2013)

TOTAL SCORE: 50, AVG: 2.94

After the scattered The Bears for Lunch, English Little League sees the classic era lineup produce their most ambitious album of their return yet. English Little League manages to sound cohesive and thematic, while also managing to bring out a lot of unique tunes. Apparently this is around the time Robert Pollard installed a recording studio in his home, and English Little League is, from a fidelity perspective, the best this version of GBV has ever sounded....

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Tonics and Twisted Chasers (1996)

TOTAL SCORE: 68, AVG: 2.83

I'm still not entirely sure what this album is. Released as a fan club release, it shares the overall tone with another 1996 release Under the Bushes Under the Stars, but it comes across sounding like a collection of demos from that era. Or possibly, Tonics and Twisted Chasers can be seen as a Pollard and Sprout collaboration and it is the true first Airport 5 album...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Box (1995)

TOTAL SCORE: 163, AVG: 2.26

Updating the entry for Box can now happen since I've updated the scoring for all its contents: Devil Between My Toes, Sandbox, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia, Same Place the Fly Got Smashed, and the compilation album King Shit and the Golden Boys....

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: King Shit and the Golden Boys (1995)

TOTAL SCORE: 37, AVG: 1.95

This compilation of tracks yet unreleased between 1988 and 1993 was included in the Box box set, and it included a good part of what was supposed to be the Back to Saturn X album. My enthusiasm for the very earliest GBV has diminished in the past 15 years since originally reviewing this, and can also be seen in my re:scores for other early era albums....

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Tigerbomb (1995)

TOTAL SCORE: 23, AVG: 3.83

When I original reviewed this EP most of the comments were about how Mice Feel Nice (In My Room) is nothing short of a masterpiece. I still think it is just cool how different songs resonate with fans, and to me, who does not get the love for that song, it still makes me happy to know others enjoy it so much. I was also surprised that I didn't include Kiss Only the Important Ones since I think it is pretty good nowadays...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Motor Away (Single) (1995)

TOTAL SCORE: 10, AVG: 5.00

There's only two tracks on this single; the more polished version of Motor Away and the excellent b-side Color of My Blade. Unlike Game of Pricks, My Valuable Hunting Knife, and I Am a Scientist, Motor Away doesn't quite get the same level of elevation as those reproductions did for their associated singles. You can check out my original review here...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes (1995)

TOTAL SCORE: 98, AVG: 3.50

It is crazy to think that when I originally reviewed Alien Lanes the album was only about 10 years old. Now, it is almost 25 years old! I called My Valuable Hunting Knife my favorite GBV song of all-time, didn't really dig My Son Cool, and mentioned that Vampire on Titus has a claim to being GBV's best album. I can say that none of those statements are true anymore (to me anyway), but I completely agree with my original assessment that Alien Lanes is an amazing album and extremely essential when discussing Guided By Voices...

Guided By Voices: The Bears for Lunch (2012)

TOTAL SCORE: 51, AVG: 2.68

Following in the footsteps of Let's Go Eat the Factory and Class Clown Spots a UFO, the classic GBV lineup bring out another solid effort, and the third album released in 2012 alone. However, whereas the previous two albums were cohesive records with a range of highs and lows that sounded distinctly like GBV, The Bears For Lunch is more like a collection of separate pieces that has the edges smoothed out, leaving out the lows, but also the highs...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: I Am a Scientist EP (1994)

TOTAL SCORE: 15, AVG: 3.75

In my original review of this EP (or single), I was surprised that Do the Earth was a leftover on a single and not featured on an album proper. The version of I Am a Scientist here is a better produced and rocking version that you may or may not like better than the version on Bee Thousand. I enjoy both equally and feel both versions have their place...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Get Out of My Stations (1994)

TOTAL SCORE: 15, AVG: 2.14

Some copies of Get Out of My Stations included some live tracks, but I am not covering those in my re:score. In my original review I noted that a couple of the songs (Dusty Bushworms and Spring Tiger) had alternate takes on Sandbox I and II that could be considered superior. Considering 1994 saw the amazing Bee Thousand released, the '94 EPs are a bit underwhelming but they still have their charms...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer (1994)

TOTAL SCORE: 14, AVG: 2.00

I stand by my original review in that Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer isn't a great EP. Listening to it again while putting together this re:score I was somewhat hoping that something new would emerge, but alas, there is still nothing here that truly stands out. Matter Eater Lad is still a lot of fun, and Johnny Appleseed is a solid ballad, but outside of those I'm not a huge fan...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Bee Thousand (1994)

TOTAL SCORE: 85, AVG: 4.25

What is there left to say about Bee Thousand? When I originally reviewed it back in early 2006 I was very much aware that this album was considered Guided By Voices' masterpiece and I made sure to go through it song by song. Since then I now like some songs even more today, but at the same time I lament over some of the production details that both give it character and at the same time detract from it. I am also quite annoyed in my early reviews how little I gave credit to anyone other than Pollard...

Guided By Voices: Class Clown Spots a UFO (2012)

 TOTAL SCORE: 62, AVG: 2.95

The return of the classic lineup with Let's Go Eat the Factory was a great event, and the way the record merged the classic sound with Pollard's current (at the time) songwriting was overall a success. It turned out we were going to get six albums between 2012 and 2014 from Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, and Kevin Fennell (Fennel would be replaced by Kevin March by the last one) before the next big mix up and return of Doug Gillard in 2016. If you were to separate Pollard's work in eras, these six albums (and possibly the 4 or 5 Pollard solo's) would make up the classic GBV reunited era, and the return of that classic mid-fi sound. Class Clown Spots a UFO is held together a bit more solidly than GBV's previous effort, with a military orchestral vibe that permeates throughout, and a general consistency that doesn't quite have the large split of highs and lows that Factory had...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Static Airplane Jive (1993)

TOTAL SCORE: 13, AVG: 2.17

Looking back at Static Airplane Jive, I am reminded by how these early 90's EPs were both consistent and thematic as smaller records and also were complementary to the larger albums released at the time. When I was getting into GBV in 2005, it was so fun to discover these EPs and throw in another 6 or so songs into the collection...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: An Earful O' Wax (1993)

TOTAL SCORE: 55, AVG: 3.24

An Earful O' Wax is a greatest hits album that covered Guided By Voices' first 4 albums and 1 EP that was made in Germany. Since I've re:scored all of the albums covered in the compilation I thought I'd apply the scoring to it at well...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (1993)

TOTAL SCORE: 24, AVG: 3.00

Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (FJSC) is a cool EP, with its alternate takes on Dusted, Marchers in Orange, and Over the Neptune (Kisses to the Crying Cooks), as well as its centerpiece rocker My Impression Now. My impression of FJSP hasn't really changed since originally reviewing it 15 years ago...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: The Grand Hour (1993)

TOTAL SCORE: 14, AVG: 2.33

There's Shocker in Gloomtown, and then there is everything else. Shocker has been given placement among the most famous of GBV tracks, and for good reason. It is a staple at live shows, and it is just a really fun and energetic tune that gets even better the more you hear it. It also doesn't break the 90 mark, so given that it packs that much of a punch in less than a minute and half is something to be admired...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Forever Since Breakfast (1986)

TOTAL SCORE: 15, AVG: 2.14

Back in January of 2006 I originally reviewed this early EP and enthusiastically declared that GBV were rocking from the very beginning. Forever Since Breakfast is alright, but today it is even more clear how un-GBV it sounds. Especially in light of the hoard of releases in recent years, and where the line between Robert Pollard solo releases are blurred with GBV-proper, and how it is almost impossible to define how GBV sounds, this EP still is not that sound...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Vampire on Titus (1993)

TOTAL SCORE: 48, AVG: 2.67

As I stated in my original review, intentional or not, Vampire on Titus (VoT) is marred by the recording quality on the heavier songs. Although as a cohesive whole this lends a certain thematic quality, and I enjoy listening to the album on its own, it does make it hard for me to rank specific songs higher.  VoT could be a good litmus test for a new listener - if you can hear the gold from the noise, then welcome to the GBV world...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Propeller (1992)

TOTAL SCORE: 54, AVG: 3.60

Probably the most surprising thing about this re:score is that no songs from Propeller have been ranked "among Bob's best". I'm sure that at different points in time I would have easily graded Weedking, Exit Flagger, and even Some Drilling Implied with the best score (and if you check out my original review, I basically said Weedking was the best song not included on the Guided By Voices Best Of album), but it has been a long time since I first heard this album...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Same Place the Fly Got Smashed (1990)

TOTAL SCORE: 35, AVG: 2.69

Same Place the Fly Got Smashed (SPtFGS) is a neat album, and a great companion to the previous Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (SIAN). Similar to that album, quality of recordings hurt SPtFGS, especially with some of the heavier songs like The Hard Way, Mammoth Cave, and Blatant Doom Trip. Also similar to SIAN, the sum is better than its parts, and SPtFGS does well when listened to all at once...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1989)

TOTAL SCORE: 38, AVG: 2.71

I included 8 of the tracks on Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (SIAN) in my original review, and my feelings on the album haven't changed too much. I would just love a studio re-recording of this album because I do feel that the generally poor recording quality does take so much away from SIAN, and there is an even better album buried here somewhere. For me, this is where Guided By Voices truly begins; where the gems lay side by side with the toss-offs, and the only thing that is consistent is that there will be an endearing inconsistency...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Sandbox (1987)

 

TOTAL SCORE: 27, AVG: 2.25

I was fairly negative in my original review for Sandbox, prefering Devil Between My Toes since it had some quirkiness that I felt Sandbox was missing at the time. Going through them both 15 years later, and Sandbox is easily the better album. Looking at the comments, posters at the time were surprised I missed the greatness of Trap Soul Door and Adverse Wind, or how I didn't get the greatness of Sandbox altogether...

RE:SCORE - Guided By Voices: Devil Between My Toes (1987)

TOTAL SCORE: 24, AVG: 1.71

Looking back at my original entry for Devil Between My Toes (DBMT) 15 years ago, I can tell that my tastes have definitely changed, and I am not as into the pre-Propeller GBV sound as I may have been back then. Captain's Dead, the most latter GBV-sounding tune on the album is easily my favorite now, followed by the next most latter GBV-sounding song, The Tumblers. You can check out how the new scoring works here, but honestly I could cut DBMT a break by not counting the five instrumental tracks, but I decided to leave them in since the final score felt right to me (if you caught this review as soon as I posted it, at first I did take the instrumental tracks out of the scoring)...

Boston Spaceships: Let it Beard (2011)

 TOTAL SCORE: 76, AVG: 2.92

This would be Pollard, Slusarenko, and Moen's final album as the Boston Spaceships, and what a way to go out. Let it Beard is Boston Spaceships at their sprawling best, with 26 mostly good tunes that, though not reaching the highs of The Planets Are Blasted or Our Cubehouse Still Rocks, is still surprisingly consistent over that large quantity of songs.