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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Guided By Voices: Suitcase - Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft (2000)

38 of the 100 tracks found on Suitcase made my ultimate Pollard/GBV playlist/box set. On top of that, I would say that about 80% of Suitcase is not just listenable, but decent as well. Any personal Suitcase "best of" compliation would fit perfectly well amongst GBV's albums, and the quality of these rarities is surprisingly good. I reviewed all the discs separately and hope that I have set aside any fears of those who wonder if the box set is worth the $50 bucks or so to purchase it...

Guided By Voices: Suitcase - Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft: DISC FOUR (2000)

Whereas the focus of the previous three discs in Suitcase was with aborted album tracks (and some album cuts), the focus of the fourth disc is late 80's tunes...and boy were GBV on a roll during this era. On top of the five 80's releases (Forever Since Breakfast, Devil Between My Toes, Sandbox, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia, and Same Place The Fly Got Smashed), GBV had more than enough material to release a sixth album, and a damn good album at that. Disc Four continues the trend of surprising quality, rounding out what truly is a great box set...

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

Overall, Disc Three is probably better than Disc Two. After a few listens, some songs really started to mesh with me, and I really began enjoying the disc as an album in its own right. The quality here is surprisingly good (not sound quality mind you...song quality), and hidden among the hiss are some nice melodies. Scattered throughout Disc Three are the usual suspects for the Suitcase box set; aborted album tracks from Learning to Hunt, Power of Suck, A Concert for Todd, and The Corpse Like Sleep of Stupidity, outtakes from Bee Thousand and Same Place the Fly Got Smashed, and a bunch of 80's tunes...

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

After being dazzled by some prime cuts in Disc One, I was a little disappointed with Disc Two. Though it still follows the pattern of focusing on outtakes from Bee Thousand, Same Place The Fly Got Smashed, and Do The Collapse, as well as grabbing songs from aborted albums Power Of Suck, Back To Saturn X, and Learning To Hunt, Disc One appears to have a better collection. The highlights of Disc Two include the beautiful Supermarket The Moon, which actually had a case for itself for inclusion in Bee Thousand, a wonderful version of Ha Ha Man, and another gem in Our Value Of Luxury. Hey, and it has the Back To Saturn X version of Damn Good Mr. Jam, so it is not without its charms...

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

Disc One of Suitcase's greatest claim to fame is the inclusion of the incredible Bunco Men, a song which has no right being on a rarities collection. This should have been on Under The Bushes Under The Stars, and made a spectacular album even greater. Overall, Disc One is a decent album in itself, especially if you trimmed it of some of the fat. Hey, its better than some of the EPs, and way better than Sandbox! It turns out that 10 of these 25 tracks have made my playlist, which will hopefully shed some of the fears that some of you may have when considering investing in this box set. You need this boxset for at least Bunco Men, as no GBV collection is complete with that track. How about a fast version of Spring Tiger? Or how about some tracks form aborted albums Concert For Todd, Power Of Suck, Back To Saturn X, Learning To Hunt, and The Corpse Like Sleep Of Stupidy? All this and outtakes from Bee Thousand and Do The Collapse make up Disc One of Suitcase...

Guided By Voices: Box (1995)

Simply put, if you do not own the individual albums contained in Box, then it is an essential purchase for the GBV fan (and you can't get King Shit and the Golden Boys anywhere else). It includes the first four Guided By Voices' albums, but not the first EP (that is available in the Hardcore UFO's box set), and a rarities disc. Instead of providing a review, here are my reviews for the individual CD's found in Box:

1987 - Devil Between My Toes
1987 - Sandbox
1989 - Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
1990 - Same Place the Fly Got Smashed
1995 - King Shit and the Golden Boys (rarities)