Guided by Voices | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Inspired equally by jangle pop and arty post-punk, Guided by Voices created a series of trebly, hissy indie rock records filled with infectiously brief pop songs that fell somewhere between the British Invasion and prog rock. Led by songwriter and lead singer Robert Pollard, the Dayton, Ohio-based band recorded six self-released albums between 1986 and 1992 that attracted a handful of fans within the American indie rock underground. With the 1994 release of Bee Thousand, the group became an unexpected alternative rock sensation, winning positive reviews throughout the mainstream music press and signing a larger distribution deal with Matador Records. Initially, the bandmembers stuck to their aesthetic, continuing to record their albums on cheap four-track tape decks, but by 1999, Pollard recruited new bandmates, moved up to a larger label (TVT), and began working with name producers in real studios (Ric Ocasek was at the controls for Do the Collapse). Despite this, Pollards melodic sensibilities changed very little, and when the band moved back to Matador for 2002s Universal Truths and Cycles, they learned to strike a middle ground between more professional technique and Pollards spontaneous, compact songcraft. GbV broke up in 2004, reunited in 2010 in a lineup dominated by Bee Thousand-era sidemen, broke up again in 2014, and came back a second time in 2016 in a new lineup that proved to be one of the strongest in the groups long history. Schoolteacher Robert Pollard formed Guided by Voices in the early 80s. Throughout the groups history, Pollard was at the center, writing the majority of the songs and leading each incarnation of the band. During the 80s, Pollard was frequently joined by his brother Jim, who continued to write songs for the group even after his departure in the late 80s. Guided by Voices didnt become a full-fledged band until guitarist Tobin Sprout and bassist Dan Toohey joined the group in 1985. A year later, they released an EP, Forever Since Breakfast, on the local indie I Wanna Records. Guided by Voices released their first full-length album, Devil Between My Toes, on their own G Records in 1987; it was followed several months later by Sandbox, which appeared on Halo. Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia was released on Halo in 1989 and Same Place the Fly Got Smashed appeared on Rocket #9 Records in 1990. During the latter half of the 80s, Guided by Voices was essentially a hobby. The band rarely performed, and a wide array of musicians appeared on the groups albums -- according to some estimations, nearly 40 musicians passed through the band during its first decade. Nearly all of the Guided by Voices albums before Vampire on Titus were recorded in Steve Wilburs eight-track studio in his home garage; Wilbur occasionally played guitar and bass on the records. Guided by Voices added Mitch Mitchell (rhythm guitar) and Kevin Fennell (drums) around the time of Propeller (1992), which was released on Rockathon Records. Prior to 1993s Vampire on Titus, all of Guided by Voices records were essentially interchangeable musically, and none were widely available. Vampire on Titus was the first album the band released on the Cleveland-based indie label Scat, and the wider distribution meant the record was heard by a larger audience. Soon, the group had won fans like fellow Dayton native Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders) and Sonic Youths Thurston Moore. Later in 1993, the band began playing live for the first time in several years, with Greg Demos replacing bassist Toohey. By the spring of 1994, Scat had entered a national distribution deal with Matador Records. Bee Thousand was the first album released under the deal, and it became a surprise word-of-mouth hit, earning positive reviews from mainstream publications like Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. Pollard had quit teaching shortly before the spring release of Bee Thousand, and the group toured heavily behind the album, appearing on the second stage at several Lollapalooza dates. By the fall, GBVs video for "I Am a Scientist" was aired a handful of times on MTV. Demos left the band in late 1994 to study law and was replaced by music journalist Jim Greer. By the release of 1995s Alien Lanes, GBV had joined Matadors official roster; their contract with Scat was completed with the spring release of Box, a five-disc box set containing the bands pre-Propeller albums. Alien Lanes was greeted with positive reviews upon its March release, and the group embarked on its first full-scale American tour. Greer left the band before the recording of Under the Bushes Under the Stars, which was released in the spring of 1996. That fall, Pollard and Tobin Sprout both released solo albums on the same day; the records were quickly followed by an album-length EP a month after their release. As the solo albums indicated, Pollard and Sprout had had a falling out during the groups extensive tour earlier that year, which resulted in Pollard firing the rest of the group. At the end of 1996, Pollard recorded the next Guided by Voices record, Mag Earwhig!, supported by the Cleveland garage punk band Cobra Verde. In 1999, Guided by Voices left Matador to sign with TVT Records, which paired the band with producer Ric Ocasek in hopes of giving GBVs label debut, Do the Collapse, a more radio-friendly sound. Pollard, however, allowed fans of his older work to revel in his lo-fi period with Suitcase: Failed Experiments & Trashed Aircraft, a four-disc box set featuring 100 unreleased songs recorded over the space of 25 years. While GBVs second album for TVT, 2001s polished and hard-rocking Isolation Drills, received strong reviews, the band hadnt expanded its fan base far beyond its loyal cult, and in 2002 GBV returned to Matador with Universal Truths and Cycles, as well as a number of side projects released through Pollards reactivated Rockathon label. In the spring of 2004, Pollard startled his fans with the announcement that he would be breaking up Guided by Voices later that year. The bands supposed final album, Half Smiles of the Decomposed, was released the following August, and the resulting farewell tour concluded with a New Years Eve show in Chicago. Even broken up, 2005 was a busy year for GBV. Pollard signed with Chapel Hills Merge Records and announced plans for a 2006 solo album. Rock critic and former bandmember Jim Greer authored the book Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll. There was another box set of unreleased material, this one entitled Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow, and the 1992 album Propeller was reissued. To add to the accumulation of GBV material, a live album, Live from Austin TX, was released in 2007, showcasing a performance recorded in November 2004 for the PBS series Austin City Limits during the bands farewell tour. In 2010, Pollard assembled what he called a "classic lineup" of 1990s GBV veterans (including Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, and Greg Demos) to play a show at the Matador Records 21st anniversary festival. The show was well received, and the lineup proceeded to tour again; in 2011, Pollard announced they were working on new material. The following year, GBV released their first new album in eight years, Lets Go Eat the Factory. Making up for lost time, a second new album, Class Clown Spots a UFO, arrived in June of the same year, with a third, The Bears for Lunch, following before the year was out. The reunited band soldiered on in 2013 and dropped its fourth album, English Little League, right on schedule in May, followed shortly by the six-song EP Down by the Racetrack. After a public falling out with drummer Kevin Fennell -- who was asked to leave the band in October 2013 following a curious incident in which he attempted to sell his drum kit online for $55,000 -- frontman Pollard announced that the group would release its 21st album, Motivational Jumpsuit, with Kevin March behind the drums. The album saw release in February 2014. They continued their resurgence with Cool Planet, scheduled for release just months after Motivational Jumpsuit appeared, after recording 18 tracks during the freezing "polar vortex" weather system that swept through America that winter. But in September 2014, only four months after the release of Cool Planet, Guided by Voices abruptly announced that they were canceling all concert dates as the band had once again broken up, with Pollard telling The New York Times, "Its gone as far as it was going to go and to go beyond this point, to any degree or any length would be just going through the motions." In February 2015, Pollard launched a new project, Ricked Wicky, and two months later dropped a solo album, Faulty Superheroes, confirming he would remain prolific even without the group. In the fall of 2015, Pollard offered a look at his past and future with the box set Suitcase 4: Captain Kangaroo Won the War, another four-CD/100-song marathon which collected a wealth of Guided by Voices demos and outtakes along with rough versions of tunes Pollard wrote for an upcoming solo album, Of Course You Are. In February 2016, Robert Pollard surprised many fans by announcing that Guided by Voices would be touring that year, beginning with a June appearance at the Sled Island Festival in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Pollard revealed that GBV would be performing in a new lineup, with the frontman joined by Nick Mitchell (of Ricked Wicky) and Bobby Bare, Jr. on guitars, Mark Shue on bass, and Kevin March on drums. Pollard also released a new Guided by Voices album, Please Be Honest, in April 2016, but the new lineup did not perform on the set. Instead, the album featured Pollard playing all the vocal and instrumental tracks himself. This GBV lineup didnt last long; in July 2016, it was announced that Nick Mitchell had been given his pink slip, and Doug Gillard had stepped in once again as the bands lead guitarist. In April 2017, fans got to hear this GBV edition on wax with the arrival of August by Cake, which, in advance press releases, Pollard declared was his 100th album (though some fans and journalists questioned his math). The endlessly productive Pollard had another Guided by Voices album ready to go a few months later, and How Do You Spell Heaven was released in August 2017. March 2018 saw the release of Space Gun, an unusually ambitious set that the usually prolific Pollard declared would be GBVs only album of the year. Pollard was good to his word, but February 2019 saw the band deliver another epic-scale release, the 32-song, 75-minute Zeppelin Over China, featuring the same lineup as Space Gun. This time, GbV didnt wait nearly so long to issue a follow-up, with the 24-song, 37-minute Warp and Woof appearing in late April 2019. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 38 Title: Sandbox Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lips of Steel (01:34) 2 A Visit to the Creep Doctor (01:29) 3 Everyday (02:58) 4 Barricade (04:31) 5 Get to Know the Ropes (03:48) 6 Cant Stop (02:26) 7 The Drinking Jim Crow (01:36) 8 Trap Soul Door (01:15) 9 Common Rebels (02:03) 10 Long Distance Man (01:17) 11 I Certainly Hope Not (02:01) 12 Adverse Wind (02:09) |
| Sandbox : Allmusic album Review : Guided By Voices took a short step back on Sandbox -- Pollards melodies are sabotaged by the attempt to harness them to a harder guitar sound on songs like "Lips of Steel" and "The Drinking Jim Crow." With the exception of the R.E.M.-like jangle and stomp of "Cant Stop" and the Beatles-inspired harmonies of "Long Distance Man" (one of the prettiest songs in the bands extensive catalog), the songs on Sandbox ultimately fail to register. Sandbox represents a detour in the bands progress which was to be furthered significantly from this point forward. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 38 Title: Devil Between My Toes Released: 1987-02-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 31:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Old Battery (01:46) 2 Discussing Wallace Chambers (01:48) 3 Cyclops (01:50) 4 Crux (02:24) 5 A Portrait Destroyed by Fire (05:09) 6 3 Year Old Man (01:39) 7 Dogs Out (02:09) 8 A Proud and Booming Industry (01:03) 9 Hanks Little Fingers (02:13) 10 Artboat (02:27) 11 Hey Hey, Spaceman (02:51) 12 The Tumblers (02:39) 13 Bread Alone (01:09) 14 Captains Dead (02:00) |
| Devil Between My Toes : Allmusic album Review : This first full-length album shows that if the sparkling consistency of Pollards mid-90s masterpieces was not yet present, the madcap songwriting sensibility and pop instinct of those albums certainly was. Pollards melodies shine here, even in the bands embryonic stages. Whether on the garage ditty, "Hanks Little Fingers," or the slow-burning epic, "A Portrait Destroyed By Fire," despite its inconsistencies, Devil Between My Toes foreshadows the brilliant albums to come. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 38 Title: Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia Released: 1989 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Future Is in Eggs (03:29) 2 The Great Blake Street Canoe Race (02:54) 3 Slopes of Big Ugly (02:06) 4 Paper Girl (02:16) 5 Navigating Flood Regions (02:38) 6 An Earful O Wax (04:22) 7 White Whale (02:39) 8 Trampoline (02:12) 9 Short on Posters (01:46) 10 Chief Barrel Belly (03:16) 11 Dying to Try This (01:17) 12 The Qualifying Remainder (02:55) 13 Liars Tale (01:57) 14 Radio Show (Trust the Wizard) (04:01) |
 | Album: 4 of 38 Title: Same Place the Fly Got Smashed Released: 1990 Tracks: 14 Duration: 36:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Airshow 88 (02:12) 2 Order for the New Slave Trade (03:09) 3 The Hard Way (02:53) 4 Drinkers Peace (01:51) 5 Mammoth Cave (02:17) 6 When She Turns 50 (02:07) 7 Club Molluska (01:35) 8 Pendulum (01:49) 9 Ambergris (00:52) 10 Local Mix-Up (04:40) 11 Murder Charge (06:39) 12 Starboy (01:10) 13 Blatant Doom Trip (03:59) 14 How Loft I Am? (01:05) |
| Same Place the Fly Got Smashed : Allmusic album Review : Likely their darkest album, Same Place the Fly Got Smashed is another solid effort that takes the form of a tragic rock opera about a doomed, midwestern alcoholic. While the joylessness of this concept wears a bit thin over the course of the 13 tracks, the songwriting is compelling enough to make it fly. Punk rave-ups ("The Hard Way" and "Local Mix-Up/Murder Charge") and accoustic strummers ("When She Turns 50" and "How Loft I Am?") are equally capable in the evocation of the emotions of guilt, hopelessness, and forgotten innocence that pervade the album. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 38 Title: Propeller Released: 1992 Tracks: 15 Duration: 36:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Over the Neptune / Mesh Gear Fox (05:41) 2 Weed King (02:39) 3 Particular Damaged (01:59) 4 Quality of Armor (02:37) 5 Metal Mothers (03:18) 6 Lethargy (01:20) 7 Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy (01:59) 8 Red Gas Circle (01:25) 9 Exit Flagger (02:19) 10 14 Cheerleader Coldfront (01:31) 11 Back to Saturn X Radio Report (01:33) 12 Ergo Space Pig (02:48) 13 Circus World (02:40) 14 Some Drilling Implied (01:40) 15 On the Tundra (02:38) |
| Propeller : Allmusic album Review : 1992s Propeller was an album that Guided by Voices originally released themselves; it was eventually reissued on the Scat label one year later. All of the ingredients that make the group totally original are present -- rough production, strong melodies courtesy of Robert Pollard, and an overall sound straight out of the British clubs back in the mid-60s. The opening epic, "Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox," is two different songs sewn together (similar to T. Rexs "Tenement Lady" off their classic Tanx album). It starts off as a rock & roller and later changes into space rock, while "Quality of Armor" starts off as a cross between the Beatles and Elvis Costellos "(Whats So Funny Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?" But Guided by Voices have a style all their own, evidenced by the irresistible combination of chromatic guitar riffs and anthemic choruses contained in "Exit Flagger," and in the experimental song splices throughout "Back to Saturn X Radio Report." "Circus World" is pure guitar pop, as is the now-classic "Weedking." Propeller proved to be an important stepping stone for the group, helping to set the stage for such later triumphs as Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 38 Title: Vampire on Titus Released: 1993 Tracks: 18 Duration: 30:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wished I Was a Giant (02:43) 2 #2 in the Model Home Series (01:45) 3 Expecting Brainchild (02:30) 4 Superior Sector Janitor X (00:37) 5 Donkey School (01:03) 6 Dusted (02:08) 7 Marchers in Orange (01:24) 8 Sot (02:35) 9 World of Fun (00:55) 10 Jar of Cardinals (01:22) 11 Unstable Journey (02:15) 12 E-5 (01:29) 13 Cool Off Kid Kilowatt (00:56) 14 Gleemer (The Deeds of Fertile Jim) (02:24) 15 Wondering Boy Poet (00:59) 16 What About It? (01:37) 17 Perhaps Now the Vultures (02:23) 18 Non-Absorbing (01:37) |
| Vampire on Titus : Allmusic album Review : The home-crafted appeal of Guided by Voices finally reached the general public when Vampire on Titus was released in 1993. The band was on a roll at the time, pumping out creative gems like a band possessed. With one of their very best lineups, they explore the many aspects of their limited production skills without any pretension. Bandleader Robert Pollard found his voice around this time, going from a tuneful yelp to a dark croon effortlessly. And the marvelous Tobin Sprout was still with the band at the time, contributing several memorable songs that mixed up things nicely. Songs float in and out with a tight efficiency that is not typical of many likeminded artists. But without one extra second wasted on a melody, the albums strengths are only made more evident. Pollards voice had never sounded as dark and anxious as it does on "#2 in the Model Home Series," yet on most tracks he shows an endless optimism that brings to mind Warehouse-era Bob Mould. The beautiful "Marchers in Orange" is where his voice gets its best showcase, wailing away despite the weak production. The band really does display a tremendous amount of power and creativity on this effort, and fans of indie rock should try and find this as soon as possible. Like the Replacements Hootenanny or Pavements Slanted & Enchanted, this kicked off a several-album streak of brilliance that went unnoticed by the mainstream but collected quite a following in the underground. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 38 Title: Vampire on Titus / Propeller Released: 1993-12-10 Tracks: 33 Duration: 1:07:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wished I Was a Giant (02:43) 2 #2 in the Model Home Series (01:45) 3 Expecting Brainchild (02:30) 4 Superior Sector Janitor X (00:39) 5 Donkey School (01:02) 6 Dusted (02:08) 7 Marchers in Orange (01:24) 8 Sot (02:35) 9 World of Fun (00:55) 10 Jar of Cardinals (01:22) 11 Unstable Journey (02:15) 12 E-5 (01:29) 13 Cool Off Kid Kilowatt (00:56) 14 Gleemer (The Deeds of Fertile Jim) (02:24) 15 Wondering Boy Poet (00:59) 16 What About It? (01:37) 17 Perhaps Now the Vultures (02:23) 18 Non-Absorbing (01:37) 19 Over the Neptune / Mesh Gear Fox (05:45) 20 Weed King (02:39) 21 Particular Damaged (01:59) 22 Quality of Armor (02:35) 23 Metal Mothers (03:18) 24 Lethargy (01:20) 25 Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy (01:59) 26 Red Gas Circle (01:25) 27 Exit Flagger (02:20) 28 14 Cheerleader Coldfront (01:30) 29 Back to Saturn X Radio Report (01:37) 30 Ergo Space Pig (02:48) 31 Circus World (02:40) 32 Some Drilling Implied (01:41) 33 On the Tundra (02:38) |
| Vampire on Titus / Propeller : Allmusic album Review : The home-crafted appeal of Guided by Voices finally reached the general public when Vampire on Titus was released in 1993. The band was on a roll at the time, pumping out creative gems like a band possessed. With one of their very best lineups, they explore the many aspects of their limited production skills without any pretension. Bandleader Robert Pollard found his voice around this time, going from a tuneful yelp to a dark croon effortlessly. And the marvelous Tobin Sprout was still with the band at the time, contributing several memorable songs that mixed up things nicely. Songs float in and out with a tight efficiency that is not typical of many likeminded artists. But without one extra second wasted on a melody, the albums strengths are only made more evident. Pollards voice had never sounded as dark and anxious as it does on "#2 in the Model Home Series," yet on most tracks he shows an endless optimism that brings to mind Warehouse-era Bob Mould. The beautiful "Marchers in Orange" is where his voice gets its best showcase, wailing away despite the weak production. The band really does display a tremendous amount of power and creativity on this effort, and fans of indie rock should try and find this as soon as possible. Like the Replacements Hootenanny or Pavements Slanted and Enchanted, this kicked off a several-album streak of brilliance that went unnoticed by the mainstream but collected quite a following in the underground. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 38 Title: Bee Thousand Released: 1994-06-21 Tracks: 20 Duration: 36:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hardcore UFO’s (01:54) 2 Buzzards and Dreadful Crows (01:43) 3 Tractor Rape Chain (03:04) 4 The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory (01:45) 5 Hot Freaks (01:42) 6 Smothered in Hugs (03:00) 7 Yours to Keep (01:15) 8 Echos Myron (02:42) 9 Gold Star for Robot Boy (01:39) 10 Awful Bliss (01:12) 11 Mincer Ray (02:21) 12 A Big Fan of the Pigpen (02:09) 13 Queen of Cans and Jars (01:55) 14 Her Psychology Today (02:04) 15 Kicker of Elves (01:04) 16 Ester’s Day (01:51) 17 Demons Are Real (00:48) 18 I Am a Scientist (02:24) 19 Peep-Hole (01:25) 20 You’re Not an Airplane (00:33) |
| Bee Thousand : Allmusic album Review : The cult of indie rock thrives on the unexpected discovery, and in 1994 Guided by Voices were just the sort of musical phenomenon no one figured was still out there -- 30-something rock obsessives cranking out fractured guitar-driven pop tunes in a laundry room. Robert Pollard and his stable of beer buddies/backing musicians had been churning out stuff like Bee Thousand for years, but the albums surprise critical success marked the first time the group found a significant audience outside their hometown, and it made a clear case for Guided by Voices virtues -- as well as their flaws. From the moment "Hardcore UFOs" kicks in, its obvious that Pollard has an uncanny gift for a hook and a melody, and Bee Thousands 20 cuts are dotted with miniature masterpieces like "Echos Myron," "Smothered in Hugs," and "Queen of Cans and Jars." However, there are also more than a few duds that threaten to cancel out the goodwill the great songs generate, and Pollard is an acquired taste as a lyricist -- his freakishly poetic verse has a real charm, but its hard to figure out what hes on about. (GBVs other principal songwriter, Tobin Sprout, contributes less often, but manages a higher batting average.) The lo-tech rumble of the albums D.I.Y. production also wavers between being a help and a hindrance, depending on the songs, and as musicians Guided by Voices veer between sounding like inspired amateurs and, well, just amateurs. On Bee Thousand, Guided by Voices sound like a passionate and gloriously quirky garage band fronted by a thrillingly and maddeningly idiosyncratic songwriter; its many pearly moments make it a fascinating discovery for rock enthusiasts, but a few years would pass before this band was fully earning the new accolades showered upon it. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 38 Title: Box Released: 1995-02-28 Tracks: 72 Duration: 2:49:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Old Battery (01:46) 2 Discussing Wallace Chambers (01:48) 3 Cyclops (01:50) 4 Crux (02:24) 5 A Portrait Destroyed by Fire (05:09) 6 3 Year Old Man (01:39) 7 Dogs Out (02:09) 8 A Proud and Booming Industry (01:03) 9 Hanks Little Fingers (02:13) 10 Artboat (02:27) 11 Hey Hey, Spaceman (02:51) 12 The Tumblers (02:39) 13 Bread Alone (01:09) 14 Captains Dead (02:00) 1 Lips of Steel (01:34) 2 A Visit to the Creep Doctor (01:29) 3 Everyday (02:58) 4 Barricade (04:31) 5 Get to Know the Ropes (03:48) 6 Cant Stop (02:26) 7 The Drinking Jim Crow (01:36) 8 Trap Soul Door (01:15) 9 Common Rebels (02:03) 10 Long Distance Man (01:17) 11 I Certainly Hope Not (02:01) 12 Adverse Wind (02:09) 1 The Future Is in Eggs (03:29) 2 The Great Blake Street Canoe Race (02:54) 3 Slopes of Big Ugly (02:06) 4 Paper Girl (02:16) 5 Navigating Flood Regions (02:38) 6 An Earful O Wax (04:22) 7 White Whale (02:39) 8 Trampoline (02:12) 9 Short on Posters (01:46) 10 Chief Barrel Belly (03:16) 11 Dying to Try This (01:17) 12 The Qualifying Remainder (02:55) 13 Liars Tale (01:57) 14 Radio Show (Trust the Wizard) (04:01) 1 Airshow 88 (02:12) 2 Order for the New Slave Trade (03:09) 3 The Hard Way (02:53) 4 Drinkers Peace (01:51) 5 Mammoth Cave (02:17) 6 When She Turns 50 (02:07) 7 Club Molluska (01:35) 8 Pendulum (01:49) 9 Ambergris (00:52) 10 Murder Charge (06:39) 11 Starboy (01:10) 12 Blatant Doom Trip (03:59) 13 How Loft I Am? (01:05) 1 Weve Got Airplanes (03:01) 2 Dust Devil (02:50) 3 Squirmish Frontal Room (01:54) 4 Tricyclic Looper (01:59) 5 Crutch Came Slinking (02:11) 6 Fantasy Creeps (03:18) 7 Sopor Joe (03:23) 8 Crunch Pillow (02:49) 9 Indian Was an Angel (02:10) 10 Dont Stop Now (01:47) 11 Bite (01:07) 12 Greenface (01:53) 13 Deathtrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster (01:14) 14 2nd Moves to Twin (02:21) 15 At Odds With Dr. Genesis (01:32) 16 Please Freeze Me (01:18) 17 Scissors (01:50) 18 Postal Blowfish (02:12) 19 Crockers Favorite Song (02:13) |
| Box : Allmusic album Review : Compiling all of Guided By Voices 80s albums -- Devil Between My Toes, Sandbox, Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia, and Same Place the Fly Got Smashed (the vinyl version includes Propeller, which was on the Vampire on Titus CD) -- and adding a collection of rarities called King Shit and the Golden Boys, Box is a bit of an intimidating listen for some devoted fans, let alone beginners. On each of their albums, Guided By Voices packs their records full of brief songs -- if they reach the three-minute mark, its an epic for the band. That can make such a massive collection of music rather daunting; it all seems to speed by without much distinction, if youre listening casually, but on closer inspection, it withstands repeated listens. The first records, Devils and Sandbox, are unpolished versions of R.E.M.s Murmur. On the next two albums, the groups distinctive, British Invasion-inspired abbreviated pop begins to coalesce; their music sounds more like messages than songs, albeit messages that are driven by undeniable hooks. Retailing for under $50, Box is a worthwhile investment for dedicated fans. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 38 Title: Alien Lanes Released: 1995-04-04 Tracks: 28 Duration: 41:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 A Salty Salute (01:29) 2 Evil Speakers (00:58) 3 Watch Me Jumpstart (02:24) 4 Theyre Not Witches (00:51) 5 As We Go Up, We Go Down (01:37) 6 (I Wanna Be A) Dumbcharger (01:13) 7 Game of Pricks (01:33) 8 The Ugly Vision (01:35) 9 A Good Flying Bird (01:07) 10 Cigarette Tricks (00:18) 11 Pimple Zoo (00:42) 12 Big Chief Chinese Restaurant (00:56) 13 Closer You Are (01:56) 14 Auditorium (01:02) 15 Motor Away (02:06) 16 Hit (00:22) 17 My Valuable Hunting Knife (02:00) 18 Gold Hick (00:30) 19 King and Caroline (01:36) 20 Striped White Jets (02:15) 21 Ex-Supermodel (01:06) 22 Blimps Go 90 (01:40) 23 Strawdogs (01:17) 24 Chicken Blows (02:21) 25 Little Whirl (01:46) 26 My Son Cool (01:41) 27 Always Crush Me (01:44) 28 Alright (02:56) |
| Alien Lanes : Allmusic album Review : Its surprising what a difference it makes when a musician knows someone will actually be hearing his work. After 1994s charmingly sloppy Bee Thousand gained Guided By Voices a nationwide cult following (instead of the local cult following they were accustomed to), 1995s Alien Lanes found Robert Pollard and his partners in hard pop cleaning up their act a bit. For the most part, Alien Lanes isnt radically different from Bee Thousand -- it was primarily recorded on a four-track cassette machine (and sounds like it), and Guided By Voices was still a garage band with more in the way of inspiration than chops. But the musicians have put a bit more care and focus into their performance on this set; the playing is tighter and sharper, and the band plays toward their strengths, pushing their occasional sloppiness into a harder, more rock-oriented direction. And if Pollard and Tobin Sprout were still obsessed with tiny fragments of pop song wonderment, they also rounded up a more consistent collection of them; there arent quite as many obvious masterpieces as on Bee Thousand, but also fewer obvious mistakes, and the sequencing gives the album a more consistent flow than before. Pollard also made genuine inroads into more lyrically cognizant material (though dont fret, "Auditorium" and "Blimps Go 90" are as cryptic as ever), and "Watch Me Jumpstart," "Striped White Jets," and "Motor Away" are simply superb pop/rock songs. (Sprout also gets a few shining moments on "A Good Flying Bird" and "Straw Dogs.") Both Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes sound like they were made by a band of inspired amateurs with great ideas; the difference is that Alien Lanes suggests that Guided By Voices wanted to prove that they could turn pro some day. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 38 Title: Tonics & Twisted Chasers Released: 1996 Tracks: 24 Duration: 36:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Satellite (01:42) 2 Dayton, Ohio-19 Something and 5 (01:45) 3 Is She Ever? (01:03) 4 My Thoughts Are a Gas (Fucked Up version) (01:18) 5 Knock em Flyin (01:04) 6 The Top Chicks Silver Chord (01:22) 7 The Key Losers (02:27) 8 Ha Ha Man (00:39) 9 Wingtip Repair (00:58) 10 At the Farms (02:30) 11 Unbaited Vicar of Scorched Earth (02:10) 12 Optional Bases Opposed (01:38) 13 Look, Its Baseball (01:21) 14 Maxwell Jump (00:46) 15 The Stir-Crazy Pornographer (02:16) 16 158 Years of Beautiful Sex (01:21) 17 Universal Nurse Finger (01:04) 18 Sadness to the End (00:56) 19 Reptilian Beauty Secrets (01:40) 20 Long as the Block Is Black (01:16) 21 Jellyfish Reflector (01:33) 22 The Kite Surfer (01:47) 23 Girl From the Sun (01:37) 24 The Candyland Riots (02:07) |
 | Album: 12 of 38 Title: Under the Bushes Under the Stars Released: 1996-03-26 Tracks: 33 Duration: 55:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Man Called Aerodynamics (02:01) 2 Rhine Jive Click (01:34) 3 Cut-Out Witch (03:04) 4 Burning Flag Birthday Suit (02:22) 5 The Official Ironmen Rally Song (02:48) 6 To Remake the Young Flyer (01:43) 7 No Sky (02:03) 8 Bright Paper Werewolves (01:14) 9 Lord of Overstock (02:34) 10 Your Name Is Wild (02:01) 11 Ghosts of a Different Dream (02:30) 12 Acorns & Orioles (02:12) 13 Look at Them (02:27) 14 The Perfect Life (00:59) 15 Underwater Explosions (02:02) 16 Atom Eyes (01:42) 17 Dont Stop Now (02:39) 18 Office of Hearts (02:06) 19 Big Boring Wedding (03:43) 20 Its Like Soul Man (02:09) 21 Drag Days (02:50) 22 Sheetkickers (03:17) 23 Redmen and Their Wives (03:55) 24 Take to the Sky (01:50) 1 My Valuable Hunting Knife (7" version) (?) 2 Game of Pricks (7" version) (?) 3 Mice Feel Nice (In My Room) (?) 4 Not Good for the Mechanism (?) 5 Kiss Only the Important Ones (?) 6 Dodging Invisible Rays (?) 7 Delayed Reaction Brats (?) 8 Hes the Uncle (?) 9 The Key Losers (?) |
| Under the Bushes Under the Stars : Allmusic album Review : After firmly establishing themselves as Americas most original and interesting band of part-time, over-30 garage rockers, Under the Bushes Under the Stars found Guided by Voices dipping their toes into something resembling professionalism. Leaving behind the homemade studio craft of their previous work, this album was recorded in a pair of actual recording studios, and the sessions boasted an outside producer (friend and temporary fellow Ohioan Kim Deal); while no one would mistake the results for the latest Bob Rock project, the set sounded more like a "real" record than anything GBV had attempted up to that time. The new edition of the band attempted to rise to the occasion, and though the performances lack the passion of Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes finest moments, the stronger playing and cleaner production honors the pop sensibilities of Robert Pollards songwriting. Pollard was also reaching for a better controlled style as a songwriter; Under the Bushes Under the Stars boats a mere 18 songs (as opposed to the 30 on Alien Lanes), and most sound like full fledged pop tunes, with fewer shards of musical fancy littering the way. While Pollards tighter reign over the band and new sense of self-control made this album a more solid and consistent album than GBV had made in the past, its also not as exciting as Alien Lanes; Pollards songs lack a certain fire here (though "Man Called Aerodynamics," "Your Name Is Wild," and "The Official Ironmen Rally Song" sound just fine), and the band sounds more stifled than enthused by their new grasp of the material. Theres plenty to enjoy here, but it also appeared to have caught Guided by Voices in a transitional stage; just how much they were changing would be revealed on their next two albums. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 38 Title: Mag Earwhig! Released: 1997-05-20 Tracks: 21 Duration: 45:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Cant Hear the Revolution (01:36) 2 Sad If I Lost It (03:10) 3 I Am a Tree (04:40) 4 The Old Grunt (01:28) 5 Bulldog Skin (02:59) 6 Are You Faster? (01:13) 7 I Am Produced (01:06) 8 Knock em Flyin (01:52) 9 Not Behind the Fighter Jet (02:13) 10 Choking Tara (01:24) 11 Hollow Cheek (00:32) 12 Portable Mens Society (04:16) 13 Little Lines (02:02) 14 Learning to Hunt (02:24) 15 The Finest Joke Is Upon Us (03:08) 16 Mag Earwhig! (00:39) 17 Now to War (02:44) 18 Jane of the Waking Universe (02:25) 19 The Colossus Crawls West (02:13) 20 Mute Superstar (01:24) 21 Bomb in the Bee-Hive (02:03) |
 | Album: 14 of 38 Title: Do the Collapse Released: 1999-08-03 Tracks: 17 Duration: 46:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Teenage FBI (02:53) 2 Zoo Pie (02:18) 3 Things I Will Keep (02:25) 4 Hold on Hope (03:31) 5 In Stitches (03:39) 6 Dragons Awake! (02:08) 7 Surgical Focus (03:48) 8 Optical Hopscotch (03:01) 9 Mushroom Art (01:47) 10 Much Better Mr. Buckles (02:24) 11 Wormhole (02:33) 12 Strumpet Eye (01:58) 13 Liquid Indian (03:38) 14 Wrecking Now (02:33) 15 Picture Me Big Time (04:01) 16 An Unmarketed Product (01:08) 17 Avalanche Aminos (02:11) |
| Do the Collapse : Allmusic album Review : One school of thought regarding Guided By Voices considers the band in their element with a four-track, turning out impressionist albums of fragmented, mini-pop songs. The other claims that theyre a great pop band that has never made a great pop album because of their adherence to the four-track. Maybe frontman Robert Pollard is among the latter camp, since Do the Collapse is their first effort recorded in a full-fledged studio with a real producer, namely Ric Ocasek. Of course, the jump to professionalism could have happened simply because there was nowhere left to go; their amateurish, homemade guitar pop had become entirely too predictable, and hiring Cobra Verde as a backing band on Mag Earwhig! didnt really change things -- it was time for a shot at the big time. As a matter of fact, Do the Collapse was even designed as their major-label debut, but the label passed on their option after hearing the finished result, so GBV headed over for TVT. Its hard to blame the major label, actually, because Do the Collapse simply doesnt work. Its not that Ocaseks production is inappropriate, or that the expanded song lengths feel wrong, its that Pollard is stuck in a rut. His songs follow familiar patterns, and now that there have been so many of them, its hard not to feel like theyre all tossed off to a certain extent. No hooks gain hold, the imagery feels silly, and theres no excitement or energy to the bands performances, resulting in exactly what any fan would fear from a GBV major-label release -- a puffed-up, overblown version of Alien Lanes. Its clear thats not what Pollard or Ocasek wanted, but the bands strengths have deteriorated so much, thats the only thing they were capable of cutting. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 38 Title: Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft Released: 2000-10-17 Tracks: 100 Duration: 3:45:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Terrible Two (01:46) 2 Bloodbeast (01:02) 3 The Kissing Life (02:44) 4 Bottoms Up! (You Fantastic Bastard) (03:25) 5 Tear It Out (04:27) 6 Cinnamon Flavored Skulls (00:35) 7 Bunco Men (02:22) 8 Bad and Rare (01:04) 9 Dorothys a Planet (02:15) 10 Pluto the Skate (01:17) 11 Lets Go Vike (02:38) 12 Sabotage (04:26) 13 Pink Drink (03:09) 14 James Riot (02:47) 15 Its Easy (00:46) 16 Dank Star Ground Control (02:24) 17 Spring Tigers (02:08) 18 Born on Seaweed (02:11) 19 Flesh Ears From June (01:58) 20 Driving in the U.S. of A. (01:53) 21 My Big Day (3 Versions) (05:55) 22 Have It Again (01:02) 23 Little Jimmy the Giant (01:52) 24 Taco, Buffalo, Birddog and Jesus (03:23) 25 Ding Dong Daddy (Is Back From the Bank) (00:38) 1 Supermarket the Moon (02:12) 2 Hold on to Yesterday (03:19) 3 Ha Ha Man (01:19) 4 Our Value of Luxury (02:59) 5 Bug House (2 Versions) (03:43) 6 Rainbow Billy (01:40) 7 Shrine to the Dynamic Years (Athens Time Change Riots) (01:56) 8 On a Short Wave (02:48) 9 I Can See It in Your Eyes (02:12) 10 Tobaccos Last Stand (01:42) 11 Shifting Swift Is a Lift (02:17) 12 Sing It Out (01:11) 13 Messenger (01:54) 14 The Fool Ticket (02:24) 15 Mallard Smoke (01:55) 16 Mr. McCaslin Will Sell No More Flowers (01:26) 17 Shit Midas (00:55) 18 Blue Gil (02:51) 19 Invest in British Steel (03:49) 20 Spinning Around (02:10) 21 Lets Go! (To War) (00:47) 22 Grasshopper Rap (01:27) 23 Im Cold (02:41) 24 Damn Good Mr. Jam (02:41) 25 In Walked the Moon (04:08) 1 Long Way to Run (01:38) 2 Mr. Media (01:24) 3 Settlement Down (02:59) 4 Mr. Japan (01:47) 5 A Kind of Love (live) (02:52) 6 Meddle (02:42) 7 Big Trouble (live) (07:49) 8 A Good Circuitry Soldier (01:38) 9 Devil Doll (01:05) 10 Pantherz (02:04) 11 Cocaine Jane (00:52) 12 Exploding Anthills (01:39) 13 Perch Warble (01:36) 14 Medley: This View / True Sensation / On the Wall (03:52) 15 What Are We Coming Up To? (01:56) 16 Scissors and the Clay Ox (In) (02:58) 17 Codys Antler (02:24) 18 Once in a While (02:00) 19 Buzzards and Dreadful Crows (01:28) 20 Carnival at the Morning Star School (01:05) 21 Cruise (02:53) 22 Gayle (01:17) 23 Gift (02:55) 24 The Flying Party Is Here (00:55) 25 Trashed Aircraft (02:16) 1 Trying to Make It Work Again (01:04) 2 Turbo Boy (03:12) 3 Chain Wallet Bitch (00:29) 4 Little Head (02:19) 5 Why Did You Land? (02:47) 6 Time Machines (03:11) 7 A Farewell to Arms (live) (02:13) 8 Best Things Goin Round (00:55) 9 Sickly Sweet (01:27) 10 United (03:51) 11 Unshaven Bird (01:19) 12 Black Ghost Pie (00:50) 13 Go for the Answers (02:19) 14 Rocking Now (01:47) 15 Excellent Things (02:33) 16 Static Airplane Jive (01:11) 17 Where I Come From (02:47) 18 Try to Find You (02:57) 19 Deaf Ears (02:06) 20 Good for a Few Laughs (02:14) 21 Raphael (02:59) 22 My Feets Trustworthy Existence (02:29) 23 Eggs (03:24) 24 Wondering Boy Poet (01:08) 25 Oh, Blinky (02:22) |
| Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft : Allmusic album Review : Only a fool would argue Robert Pollards talent as a songwriter, but even the most loyal fans may find room to question his decision-making process. As the frontman, benevolent dictator, and sole constant member of Guided By Voices, the ever-prolific Pollard writes songs the way most people eat potato chips (one right after another), but while a surprising number of them are good, he doesnt always appear to know which songs are keepers and which would be best left in his basement. The majority of Guided By Voices albums have at least two or three songs that are purposeless fragments (often more), and its significant that GBVs most consistent (if not their best) album, Do the Collapse, was the first with a "real" producer (Ric Ocasek) on hand to assist in the editing process. Pollards issues with quality vs. quantity are practically the raison dêtre of Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft, a four-CD box set that collects homemade recordings of 100 songs that didnt make the grade on GBVs albums, from a tune Pollard wrote and recorded while a junior in high school ("Little Jimmy the Giant," one of the better songs on disc one) to several tunes rejected for Do the Collapse. Like most of Guided By Voices previous releases, just about everything here was recorded on cassette machines in basements or rec rooms, and it sounds like it; Im no audiophile, but the constant rumbling of hiss, fumbling of microphones, and rising and falling of levels was driving me nuts by the end of disc four. (However, on " "Try to Find You," recorded live in a noisy bar, we do get to overhear the touching reunion of two women who apparently havent seen each other in a while.) And true to form, each disc has several songs that sound unfinished, go in the wrong direction, or are simply dumb jokes that dont communicate outside the rehearsal room. But its just as true that Pollards genius with a melody, a chord change, and a hook runs wild and free through this set, and if you dont mind wading through losers like "Mr. McCaslin Will Sell No More Flowers," "Gayle," and "Driving in the U.S.A.," youll be rewarded with beauties like "James Riot," "The Terrible Two," "Shrine to the Dynamic Years," "I Can See It in Your Eyes," "A Farewell to Arms," and "Long Way to Run," to name but a few. In many ways, Suitcase plays like Bee Thousand or Vampire on Titus expanded to epic length -- the work of a bunch of inspired semi-pros serving up a little noisy crap alongside a healthy portion of unpolished genius. The noise and the crap are what keep the mass audience away, and at the same time makes them all the more endearing to their cult; the same cultists probably also love the bulk of a four-disc box, while most anyone else would be better served with a more tightly edited two-disc package. If youre already a GBV loyalist, you dont need me to tell you youll love Suitcase, but if youre either a dabbler or new to the bands work, let me point out that Do the Collapse and Mag Earwhig! are a lot cheaper, more portable, and readily available at better record stores near you. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 38 Title: Isolation Drills Released: 2001-04-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 47:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fair Touching (03:08) 2 Skills Like This (02:48) 3 Chasing Heather Crazy (02:53) 4 Frostman (00:56) 5 Twilight Campfighter (03:08) 6 Sister I Need Wine (01:41) 7 Want One? (01:49) 8 The Enemy (04:54) 9 Unspirited (02:25) 10 Glad Girls (03:49) 11 Run Wild (03:48) 12 Pivotal Film (03:10) 13 Hows My Drinking? (02:38) 14 The Brides Have Hit Glass (02:51) 15 Fine to See You (03:16) 16 Privately (04:04) |
| Isolation Drills : Allmusic album Review : Guided by Voices fans who embraced them as the saviors of lo-fi pop after discovering such four-track-in-a-basement masterpieces as Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes had better learn to live with the fact those days are gone for good -- the high-gloss production of 1999s Do the Collapse made it clear that GBV topkick Robert Pollard wanted his band to compete in rocks big leagues, and Isolation Drills only confirms that notion, sounding even more polished and precise than its precursor. However, if you loved GBV for their songs rather than their sometimes-charming sloppiness, then youll be glad to hear that Pollard and Company have never used professionalism to better advantage than they do here. While Ric Ocaseks production on Do the Collapse was sympathetic, he clearly favored the pop side of the bands personality at the expense of their muscle (most clearly evidenced by the pseudo-new wave keyboard patches). But with Rob Schnapf behind the controls, Isolation Drills sounds like the real rock album GBV have always wanted to make; Pollards hooky-but-rollicking melodies pay audible tribute to his great love for mid-70s rock throughout, while Doug Gillard and Nate Farleys guitars finally crunch as much as they chime, making the bands rock moves as credible as their pop gestures ("Glad Girls" and "Chasing Heather Crazy" even finding them managing both at the same time, to superb effect). And Guided by Voices has never made an album this consistently strong from start to finish; with the possible exception of "Frostman" (which appears to have been processed to sound like it was recorded on four track), every song here matters, with Pollards vocals at the top of their form (it helps that most of his lyrics actually make sense for a change -- sounds like Bobs been having relationship problems again) and the band sounds tight, forceful, and emphatic throughout. God knows if the indie rock audience will ever forgive him for such obvious craft, but the side of Pollards personality that thought touring with Cheap Trick was a great idea finally gets the album hes been waiting for with Isolation Drills. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 38 Title: Universal Truths and Cycles Released: 2002-06-10 Tracks: 19 Duration: 46:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wire Greyhounds (00:35) 2 Skin Parade (02:57) 3 Zap (01:14) 4 Christian Animation Torch Carriers (03:54) 5 Cheyenne (02:58) 6 The Weeping Bogeyman (01:35) 7 Back to the Lake (02:33) 8 Love 1 (00:54) 9 Storm Vibrations (04:59) 10 Factory of Raw Essentials (01:25) 11 Everywhere With Helicopter (02:38) 12 Pretty Bombs (03:06) 13 Eureka Signs (03:06) 14 Wings of Thorn (02:10) 15 Car Language (04:44) 16 From a Voice Plantation (02:06) 17 The IDs Are Alright (01:10) 18 Universal Truths and Cycles (02:19) 19 Father Sgt. Christmas Card (02:04) |
| Universal Truths and Cycles : Allmusic album Review : After leaving the comfy indie confines of Matador Records for the corporate sponsorship of bigger indie TVT Records, Robert Pollard and his partners in Guided by Voices abandoned the sloppy production that had long been their hallmark and starting playing on the same field as the big boys, which offended purists but also resulted in one of the bands best albums, 2001s Isolation Drills, which boasted a clean but potent production by Rob Schnapf. In 2002, Guided by Voices and TVT parted ways, and GBVs return to Matador, Universal Truths and Cycles, sounds like a case of two steps forward, one step back. Produced by the band with Todd Tobias in their humble home state of Ohio, Universal Truths and Cycles lacks the high sheen of Do the Collapse and Isolation Drills, but it also reveals a much sharper focus and precise musical attack than anything this band released prior to Mag Earwhig!, and if the production has a rougher surface, Pollards ambition has certainly grown, with a tighter sound, more details, and even a well-placed string section on a few cuts. However, Universal Truths and Cycles shows the band has lost touch with the most important thing outside producers brought to their TVT albums -- someone to help pick, choose, and sequence Robert Pollards over-abundance of songs. While Pollard has, as usual, come up with a few great tunes here (most notably "Cheyenne," "Everywhere With Helicopter," and "Eureka Signs"), this album lacks the thematic coherence and unified impact of Isolation Drills. Universal Truths and Cycles proves that Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices have come a long, long way since Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, but it also suggests the old high school football star needs a good coach to play at the top of his game. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 38 Title: Earthquake Glue Released: 2003-08-10 Tracks: 15 Duration: 45:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Kind of Soldier (02:36) 2 My Son, My Secretary, My Country (01:57) 3 Ill Replace You With Machines (02:49) 4 She Goes Off at Night (02:03) 5 Beat Your Wings (04:47) 6 Useless Inventions (02:53) 7 Dirty Water (03:27) 8 The Best of Jill Hives (02:42) 9 Dead Cloud (03:12) 10 Mix Up the Satellites (03:23) 11 Main Street Wizards (03:22) 12 A Trophy Mule in Particular (02:19) 13 Apology in Advance (02:32) 14 Secret Star (04:42) 15 Of Mites and Men (02:33) |
| Earthquake Glue : Allmusic album Review : For those who love the idea of Guided By Voices a bit more than the reality, its sometimes hard not to be frustrated with Robert Pollard, a scattershot genius who is equally well-defined by both halves of that description. GBV leader Pollard is a startlingly gifted and prolific songwriter and musician, but he also displays either an inability or a disinterest in separating his wheat from his chaff, as anyone who has tried to plow through his relentless barrage of side projects has doubtless noticed. Which is why Earthquake Glue is such a pleasant surprise -- it may well be the most consistent and satisfying Guided By Voices album to date, and if its potent rock crunch is bettered by 2001s superb Isolation Drills, this comes close enough to make any fan pummel his air guitar with glee. While the sharper focus and tight set list of Earthquake Glue is impressive, just as important is how good Guided By Voices sounds as a band these days; while usually regarded as little more than Pollards backing group, this edition of GBV has become tight, emphatic, and joyously powerful after several years on the road and in the studio, with the guitars of Doug Gillard and Nate Farley and the rhythm section of Tim Tobias and Kevin March giving the tunes all the smarts and twice the muscle their creator could have hoped for. And while Earthquake Glue lacks the clunky lo-fi ambience of Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes, these songs suggest Pollard and his collaborators have been able to take the spontaneity and adventure of those tracks and graft them into a better structured and more satisfying framework. If Earthquake Glue isnt a masterpiece, its as close as this band can be expected to get, and is the rare Guided By Voices effort thats imaginative enough for longtime loyalists and tight enough for dabblers at the same time. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 38 Title: Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere Released: 2003-11-04 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:16:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Captains Dead (02:00) 2 Drinkers Peace (01:51) 3 Exit Flagger (02:19) 4 14 Cheerleader Coldfront (01:31) 5 Shocker in Gloomtown (01:25) 6 Non-Absorbing (01:37) 7 Tractor Rape Chain (03:04) 8 Hot Freaks (01:42) 9 Echos Myron (02:38) 10 I Am a Scientist (02:31) 11 A Salty Salute (01:29) 12 Watch Me Jumpstart (02:24) 13 Game of Pricks (01:33) 14 Motor Away (02:06) 15 Hit (00:23) 16 My Valuable Hunting Knife (02:00) 17 Cut-Out Witch (03:04) 18 The Official Ironman Rally Song (02:49) 19 To Remake the Young Flyer (01:43) 20 I Am a Tree (04:40) 21 Bulldog Skin (02:59) 22 Learning to Hunt (02:24) 23 Teenage FBI (01:38) 24 Things I Will Keep (02:25) 25 Surgical Focus (03:48) 26 Chasing Heather Crazy (02:53) 27 Twilight Campfighter (03:08) 28 Glad Girls (03:49) 29 Back to the Lake (02:33) 30 Everywhere With Helicopter (02:37) 31 My Kind of Soldier (02:36) 32 The Best of Jill Hives (02:37) |
 | Album: 20 of 38 Title: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates: The Best of Guided by Voices Released: 2003-11-04 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:17:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 A Salty Salute (01:29) 2 Things I Will Keep (02:25) 3 Everywhere With Helicopter (02:38) 4 I Am a Tree (04:40) 5 My Kind of Soldier (02:36) 6 14 Cheerleader Coldfront (01:31) 7 Twilight Campfighter (03:08) 8 Echos Myron (02:38) 9 Learning to Hunt (02:24) 10 Bulldog Skin (02:59) 11 Captains Dead (02:00) 12 Tractor Rape Chain (03:04) 13 Game of Pricks (02:15) 14 To Remake the Young Flyer (01:43) 15 Hit (00:22) 16 Glad Girls (03:49) 17 Drinkers Peace (01:51) 18 Surgical Focus (03:48) 19 Cut-Out Witch (03:04) 20 The Best of Jill Hives (02:37) 21 Hot Freaks (01:42) 22 Shocker in Gloomtown (01:25) 23 Chasing Heather Crazy (02:53) 24 My Valuable Hunting Knife (02:00) 25 The Official Ironmen Rally Song (02:48) 26 Non-Absorbing (01:37) 27 Motor Away (02:16) 28 Teenage FBI (01:38) 29 Watch Me Jumpstart (02:24) 30 Exit Flagger (02:19) 31 Back to the Lake (02:33) 32 I Am a Scientist (02:24) |
 | Album: 21 of 38 Title: Half Smiles of the Decomposed Released: 2004-08-06 Tracks: 15 Duration: 48:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Thinks Im a Raincloud (When Im Not Looking) (03:21) 2 Sleep Over Jack (03:05) 3 Girls of Wild Strawberries (02:30) 4 Gonna Never Have to Die (02:18) 5 Window of My World (02:58) 6 The Closets of Henry (02:31) 7 Tour Guide for the Winston Churchill Memorial (03:02) 8 Asia Minor (02:24) 9 Sons of Apollo (04:05) 10 Sing for Your Meat (04:04) 11 Asphyxiated Circle (02:50) 12 A Second Spurt of Growth (02:46) 13 (S)mothering and Coaching (03:21) 14 Huffman Prairie Flying Field (03:14) 15 The Mind Refuser (05:35) |
| Half Smiles of the Decomposed : Allmusic album Review : Ever since they first burst into the consciousness of indie rock fans across our great nation in 1994 with Bee Thousand, Guided by Voices seemed like one of those bands that was always going to be there for us, letting loose with a steady stream of albums, singles, EPs, live shows, and side projects that even devoted fans had trouble keeping up with. But in April of 2004, GBV commandant Robert Pollard announced that the band would be calling it quits at the end of that year, and that Half Smiles of the Decomposed would be their last album. Given its status as GBVs sort-of-official recorded farewell, Half Smiles of the Decomposed carries significantly more psychic weight than previous albums from the group, so its a bit surprising that the results hardly equal a "typical" Guided by Voices CD. Comprised of a mere 14 songs in 42 minutes, half of which are over three minutes in length, Half Smiles of the Decomposed is a final departure from GBVs tradition of compact pop masterpieces, and while the production (by occasional keyboard player Todd Tobias) doesnt approach the slickness of Do the Collapse or Isolation Drills, this may be the polished and attentive "indie" album Pollard and GBV have ever made. And the songs appear to be reaching for an epic quality that goes beyond their length; Pollards way with a melody is very much in evidence, but rather than going for simple blissful hookiness, this set approximates a homegrown version of the big-screen sweep of, say, The Who on Whos Next or Mott the Hoople on Mott. But even though Half Smiles of the Decomposed sounds great, the band plays with impressive skill, and it represents one of Pollards most successful attempts to balance his lo-fi musical impulses against the demands of proper record production, it lacks the ineffable fire and energy that has always set their best work apart. In short, Half Smiles takes Guided by Voices to the edge of their musical possibilities, but instead of leading them to a final glorious victory, it just seems to stop at the end of the road. But then again, maybe this is really just where Robert Pollard picks up a ride to his next destination. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 38 Title: King Shit & The Golden Boys Released: 2005 Tracks: 19 Duration: 41:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Weve Got Airplanes (03:01) 2 Dust Devil (02:50) 3 Squirmish Frontal Room (01:54) 4 Tricyclic Looper (01:59) 5 Crutch Came Slinking (02:11) 6 Fantasy Creeps (03:18) 7 Sopor Joe (03:23) 8 Crunch Pillow (02:49) 9 Indian Was an Angel (02:10) 10 Dont Stop Now (01:47) 11 Bite (01:07) 12 Greenface (01:53) 13 Deathtrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster (01:14) 14 2nd Moves to Twin (02:21) 15 At Odds With Dr. Genesis (01:32) 16 Please Freeze Me (01:18) 17 Scissors (01:50) 18 Postal Blowfish (02:12) 19 Crockers Favorite Song (02:13) |
| King Shit & The Golden Boys : Allmusic album Review : Although the 19 songs that make up King Shit and the Golden Boys all hover around the two-minute mark, they manage to feel like full songs rather than simply incomplete snippets. It is this knack for pumping out basement pop gems in the space of only a minute or two that has become Robert Pollards trademark. The fact that even his incomplete musical thoughts easily surpass the best work of many groups makes it all the more impressive. Though it has a bit of everything, the record favors springy Brit-pop, with prime tracks like "Crutch Came Slinking" even featuring layers of background "ooohs" and "aaaahs," a fairly elaborate bit of production for such a lo-fi outfit. The albums acoustic tracks are among the most stirring bits, as their straightforward execution makes it feel like youre catching bits of a secret tape you werent meant to hear -- like eavesdropping on a show the musicians were playing just for themselves. Re-recorded for 1996s Under the Bushes Under the Stars, the now classic "Dont Stop Now" (starring Big Daddy the rooster) appears here in an early, bare-bones incarnation that may actually be more stunning than its cleaned-up redux. In fact, this discs title is pulled from the tracks lyrics: "We pulled into economy island/King Sh*t and the Golden Boys/Plenty more where we came from/Top of the line/Dont stop now." Stripped-down and truly minimalist, the beauty of "Dont Stop Now" (and the album as a whole) is that it proves that while many artists have bought into the fallacy that it is big studios or expensive guitars that make albums great, the truth of the matter is that a great song is a great song, and that will show through even if its recorded on a cheapo tape deck with an open-air microphone on a guitar with a buzzing string. While there are several striking acoustic tracks (Pollards "Please Freeze Me" and Tobin Sprouts "Crunch Pillow" shine through), there are some truly rocking numbers as well. The spastic live staple "Postal Blowfish" and chunky static riff of "Greenface" spring most readily to mind, though "Squirmish Frontal Room" ranks high as well -- not to mention the delightfully odd "Deathtrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster." Another highlight, the bliss pop of "Weve Got Airplanes," sounds a bit like it may have been an early relative of "I Am a Scientist" and "Teenage F.B.I." King Shit is as engaging as most of GBVs proper albums, and that it is merely a collection of mismatched rarities and outtakes is truly astounding. Made up of material culled from Bee Thousand outtakes (worth the price of admission on their own) and chunks of the unreleased LPs Back to Saturn X and Learning to Hunt, this is an album that should go over especially well with those fans in love with the Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes incarnation of GBV and the makeshift sonic-collage approach of those records. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 38 Title: Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow Released: 2005-10-04 Tracks: 100 Duration: 3:35:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 This Ream (01:34) 2 Rocket Head (02:38) 3 The Golden Pickle (00:29) 4 Your Charming Proposal (01:08) 5 Searing Tonight (01:52) 6 Somewhere Sometime (03:04) 7 If You Think Its Easy (01:00) 8 His Spacetruck Is Strange (02:11) 9 Tin Can Laughter (02:55) 10 Sacred Space (02:07) 11 Soul Flyers (03:07) 12 Gods of Richard (01:32) 13 Its Only Up to You (02:19) 14 Dancing With the Answers (04:06) 15 Waiting for Your Touch (01:44) 16 Soggy Beavers (00:45) 17 Invisible Train to Earth (01:53) 18 Stingy Queens (03:20) 19 Something for Susan in the Shadows (02:18) 20 Sinister Infrared Halo (04:05) 21 Happy at the Drag Strip (02:08) 22 Arms (02:03) 23 Solid Gold Animal Collection (01:46) 24 Beach Towers (04:24) 25 Cosmic Clown (01:04) 1 I Am Decided (02:12) 2 Tainted Angels With Butter Knives (02:24) 3 What About the Rock? (06:43) 4 Pack of Rolling Papers (00:26) 5 Telephone Town (02:41) 6 Hey, I Know Your Old Lady (00:48) 7 Headache Revolution (01:19) 8 Every Man (02:16) 9 Alibible (01:37) 10 I Cant Help But Noticing (02:20) 11 Mannequins Complaint (02:09) 12 Zarkoffs Coming (01:35) 13 Supersonic Love Funky Love Gun (02:18) 14 Perch Warble (different version) (01:28) 15 Youre Not the Queen Anymore (01:24) 16 Ivanhoe (01:01) 17 How Can You? (01:53) 18 The Lodger Carried a Gun (02:47) 19 Metro XVI (01:47) 20 My Dream Making Machine (01:22) 21 Mustard Man (04:18) 22 Alone in Time (01:10) 23 Dusty Bushworms (different version) (03:22) 24 Free It (01:14) 25 Are You Faster? (different version) (03:41) 1 A Proud and Booming Industry (different version) (02:25) 2 Two or Three Songs (02:20) 3 Little Games (01:03) 4 Daughter of the Gold Rush (04:58) 5 Color Coat Drawing (03:48) 6 Learning to Burn (01:32) 7 A Minute Before the Evil Street (01:00) 8 Id Choose You (03:55) 9 Youre Killin Me (01:40) 10 Old Friend (02:05) 11 She Dont Shit (No Golden Bricks for Me) (00:51) 12 I Have a Hard Heart (00:53) 13 Shoddy Clothes (04:08) 14 Sordid Forst (02:08) 15 Shake It Out (02:01) 16 Cowboy Zoo (01:45) 17 Soul Barn (03:16) 18 Phase IV (Rise of the Ants) (03:22) 19 Piece (01:09) 20 Lonely Town (02:46) 21 Do Be (01:02) 22 Boston Spaceships (02:44) 23 Drugs & Eggs (02:32) 24 That Aint No Good (02:31) 25 Immediate Frozen Lookalikes (00:42) 1 Madroom Assistance (02:31) 2 Man of Dimension (02:21) 3 Nerve Gas (00:47) 4 Do the Ball (01:21) 5 The Issue Presents Itself (02:52) 6 Leprechaun Catfish Fighter (00:29) 7 Child (03:12) 8 Invisible Exercise (02:00) 9 All Around the World (01:39) 10 Late Night Scamerica (01:51) 11 A World of My Own (02:50) 12 Shes the One (00:56) 13 Daddys in the State Pen (01:58) 14 Cox Municipal Airport Song (02:25) 15 Scare Me No. 3 (01:18) 16 Grope (02:33) 17 Heavy Crown (02:13) 18 So Roll Me Over (01:12) 19 Home by Ten (02:38) 20 Come Make My Shadow (01:39) 21 Paper Girl (different version) (01:46) 22 Jimmys Einstein Poster (00:50) 23 My Only Confection (01:45) 24 Groundwork (02:59) 25 Bye Bye Song (02:47) |
| Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow : Allmusic album Review : This is the second four-disc box set of unreleased recordings by Guided by Voices, led by Robert Pollard. It also marks the first use of the Guided by Voices name in the marketplace since their principal member dissolved the unit at the end of 2004. Like the initial Suitcase, it spans nearly 30 years worth of previously unheard demos, outtakes, jams, live excerpts, and spur-of-the-moment musical ideas from Pollards vast vault. While the former collection didnt favor one period over another, its notable that here there is very little attention paid to the bands peak years, 1992-1996 (not much more than a few aborted concept album tracks and a handful of songs that didnt make it on to Pollards first solo album). Instead, there is a focus on their earliest beginnings, including songs that wouldve fit nicely on their debut, Forever Since Breakfast, had the decision been made to turn that 1986 EP into a full-length. And its not like the man has stopped writing since the last box, so theres a wealth of material from 2000 and beyond (including songs written the year this compilation was released, 2005). Its a treat for fans to get this kind of access to Pollards development as a songwriter and to find melodies that would show up in later works: "Sacred Space" would soon become "Office of Hearts," "Daughter of the Gold Rush" begat "Volcano Divers," and theres a bit of the Bee Thousand castoff "Deathrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster" in "Beach Towers" (as well as the influence of Blue Öyster Cult). But its the 1988 recording of the song "Rocket Head" that provides the greatest thrill, as many years later it would turn into "Teenage FBI," one of GBVs finest numbers. There are also glimpses of early cracks at writing and recording, one result being a little tune from 1980 called "Metro XVI" that sounds like excited kids attempting to play new wave. Its fascinating to observe Pollards progression and evolution over the years, and to discover the origins of future approaches such as the riff-rock method taken up for 2001s Isolation Drills dating way back to 1987 ("A Proud and Booming Industry") and resurfacing fully formed as early as 1996 ("Madroom Assistance"). These examples arent just fragments, either (though that aspect of his process is present elsewhere on this anthology), and most of the songs on Suitcase 2 are more fleshed-out than one might imagine. While its often an absorbing listen, its hard to fathom this appealing to anyone but the terminally obsessed; neophytes who have read this far probably realize this is not the one for them. There is a pared-down single LP, Briefcase 2 -- The Return of Milko Waif; Suitcase 2 Abridged, which is only available on vinyl and frustratingly includes two songs not found here. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 38 Title: Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now Released: 2009-11-03 Tracks: 100 Duration: 3:34:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Building a Castle (00:32) 2 Tired of Knocking (01:51) 3 Together Apart (02:53) 4 Away With Driver (04:07) 5 Trash Truck (03:10) 6 Dropping the Bomb (01:30) 7 Whats So Safe About You? (01:59) 8 Troopers in the Town (03:52) 9 Gas (01:28) 10 Watchin em Diggin Up the Road (01:30) 11 Coastal Town (02:30) 12 Escape From Kama Loka (02:47) 13 The Annex (03:45) 14 Green Ivory Cross (01:40) 15 Janet Wait (02:18) 16 Independent Productions (01:04) 17 Thee White Flower (01:38) 18 Juggernaut Vs. Monolith (01:39) 19 Feels Good (01:59) 20 Candy Machine (01:48) 21 Air & Also a World (01:46) 22 Back to the Navy (03:21) 23 Speak Like Men (02:44) 24 Hi, Im Kelsey (01:56) 25 No Trash Allowed (01:00) 1 Raphael Muzak (03:01) 2 Tear the Ticket in Half (04:05) 3 Im an Acting Student (01:27) 4 Ill Come (And When It Does Its Mine) (01:58) 5 Psychlophobia (01:13) 6 Take Me Back (01:44) 7 Sonny the Monster (03:30) 8 I Share a Rhythm (01:14) 9 Before My Eyes (02:52) 10 Freedom Rings (02:10) 11 Cochise (02:01) 12 Whens the Last Time (02:13) 13 Thats Good (01:53) 14 You Gotta Lotta Nerve (01:44) 15 Vagabond Lover (01:29) 16 Banners (03:20) 17 100 Colors (01:49) 18 Old Engine Driver (01:29) 19 Joe (02:17) 20 Axtual Sectivity (01:57) 21 Call Me (01:52) 22 Believe It (01:48) 23 Class Clown Spots a UFO (03:20) 24 You You You (01:46) 25 Dibble (00:18) 1 Night Ears (01:09) 2 Amnesia (03:23) 3 Fly Away (Tommy Sez) (01:33) 4 Peace & Persecution (02:49) 5 There Are Other Worlds (03:55) 6 Its the Song (01:36) 7 One Drop (02:53) 8 Mainstay (02:35) 9 Sixland (02:29) 10 How Bridges Fall (02:57) 11 A Kind of Love (03:06) 12 Bad Whiskey (02:08) 13 Naked Believer (I Am) (00:39) 14 Out of the House (02:51) 15 Grow (01:41) 16 Rough Tracks (02:30) 17 Nothing So Hard (02:24) 18 Piss Along You Bird (02:16) 19 300 Birds (Quota) (03:07) 20 Fireking Says No Cheating (01:39) 21 Poison Shop (00:35) 22 Trader Vic (01:56) 23 Smothered in Hugs (4 Track version) (03:24) 24 Dibble 2 (00:18) 25 Huffman Prairie Flying Field (02:41) 1 Pluto Is Polluted (01:52) 2 Aquarian Hovercraft (02:25) 3 Brand New Star (01:46) 4 Sea-Mint Robots (01:41) 5 South Rat Observatory (02:41) 6 The Cinnamon Flavored Skull (02:21) 7 Porpoise Mitten (Was a Real Good Kitten) (01:43) 8 Mr. Spoon (01:55) 9 Hey Mr. Spoundman (02:12) 10 Oh... Pie (02:15) 11 Kotex Moon (02:24) 12 Bingo Pool Hall of Blood (00:51) 13 There Goes the King Again (01:54) 14 Evil Vandalia/Mojo Crow Zenith (03:06) 15 Cuddling Bozos Octopus (01:41) 16 I Shot a Jezebel (01:36) 17 After the Quake (Lets Bake a Cake) (01:52) 18 P Melts Everything (01:30) 19 My Dad Is a Motorboat (02:16) 20 Ugly Ba Ba (01:57) 21 Hairspray Lies (01:36) 22 Sawhorse With Big Blue Ears (02:26) 23 Tough Skin River (02:06) 24 Cruise (02:04) 25 Alright (02:45) |
| Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now : Allmusic album Review : Not many bands could release a box set of 100 original unreleased songs, and fewer still could (or would) do it twice. But given Robert Pollards freakish level of productivity, it figures that Guided by Voices would be the first band to turn that singular accomplishment into a hat trick -- Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now is the third in a series of four-disc box sets featuring 100 previously unheard tracks from GBV archives, which is all the more impressive given the fact Guided by Voices broke up at the end of 2004, meaning bandleader Pollard has been sitting on this many leftovers five years after the group ceased to be. However, quantity isnt always quality, and while the first two Suitcase sets were somewhat hit and miss, Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now is far and away the weakest in the series, a mass of scraps that didnt make the cut on the first two collections (or on one of their 15 official studio albums) for reasons that become obvious when you try to plow through the thing. The majority of the tracks on Suitcase 3 dont sound like songs so much as fragments, ideas that were quickly committed to tape and then tossed into a box where they stayed, and even by the lo-fi standards of GBV, the production and fidelity is often dreadful, meaning that they often sound like they were recorded on a boombox, only this time, it was a boombox that wasnt working quite right, with static, severe hiss, volume jumps and dips, and other examples of technical ineptitude that make Propeller sound like Dark Side of the Moon by comparison. A lot of the material doesnt even seem to be Guided By Voices in the strictest sense, just Pollard and his rudimentary acoustic guitar, and the rapid, martial strum of these numbers gets tiring with great speed. Its worth noting that many of these flaws could also be attributed to some of GBVs best albums, but those albums also had enough great songs to compensate, and Suitcase 3 appears to be what was left over after Pollards A-List songs were harvested for previous projects. While discs one through three are made up of demos and unreleased tracks (each credited to a different imaginary band), disc four offers the promise of buried treasure, preserving some improvised acoustic sessions from 1994 with Pollard and guitarists Tobin Sprout and Greg Demos working up material for the classic Alien Lanes. Given that this one was one of GBVs most impressive periods, fans might expect something special, but while there are bits are pieces that would evolve with time into worthwhile songs, most of this disc is the sound of three friends goofing off, and the fact theyre often interrupted by ringing telephones, children playing, and other folks having conversations eliminates the feeling youre witnessing the creation of magic. There are a few stray items on Suitcase 3 that are worth a listen -- several songs that seemingly date from the R.E.M. -emulating period of the Forever Since Breakfast EP, and the gloriously baffling "Sonny the Monster," an oddball synth pop interpretation of a number Pollard wrote for one of his pre-GBV bands. But the unfortunate truth is, Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now is the shoddiest posthumous Guided by Voices release to date, and maybe the least satisfying product Robert Pollard has released to date. If the stuff left in the suitcase isnt any better than this, Bob, youre better off just leaving it in the basement. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 38 Title: Lets Go Eat the Factory Released: 2012-01-16 Tracks: 21 Duration: 41:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Laundry and Lasers (02:38) 2 The Head (01:10) 3 Doughnut for a Snowman (01:44) 4 Spiderfighter (03:35) 5 Hang Mr. Kite (01:40) 6 God Loves Us (01:28) 7 The Unsinkable Fats Domino (01:53) 8 Who Invented the Sun (01:21) 9 The Big Hat and Toy Show (02:12) 10 Imperial Racehorsing (02:54) 11 How I Met My Mother (01:02) 12 Waves (03:22) 13 My Europa (01:48) 14 Chocolate Boy (01:31) 15 The Things That Never Need (01:11) 16 Either Nelson (02:04) 17 Cyclone Utilities (Remember Your Birthday) (02:50) 18 Old Bones (02:03) 19 Go Rolling Home (00:34) 20 The Room Taking Shape (00:43) 21 We Wont Apologize for the Human Race (04:01) |
| Let's Go Eat the Factory : Allmusic album Review : By the time Guided by Voices called it quits at the end of 2004, it was taken as gospel by most fans that Robert Pollard was the band, especially given the notorious 1996 incident in which Pollard fired all his bandmates and replaced them en masse with the group Cobra Verde. With this in mind, it was expected that Pollards solo career would achieve the same loopy majesty as GBVs best work, but that proved not to be the case as Pollard released an unrelenting stream of pleasant but mediocre albums that made his densely packed pop tunes sound ordinary and troublingly similar. Easily the best work Pollard did after retiring GBV were his collaborative projects with makeshift groups such as Boston Spaceships, the Keene Brothers, and the Circus Devils, making it obvious that Pollard might not need Guided by Voices per se, but he needed a band, spirited collaborators who would give his songs shape and help him separate his wheat from his chaff. In 2010, Pollard was persuaded to re-form Guided by Voices for a handful of live shows which grew into an extensive tour, and having buried the hatchet with the guys he fired in 1996, the "classic lineup" of GBV (Pollard on vocals, Mitch Mitchell on guitar, Tobin Sprout on guitar and keys, Greg Demos on bass, and Kevin Fennell on drums) wandered to Pollards rec room to make a new album. Or at least thats how it sounds. Lets Go Eat the Factory explicitly steps back from the more professional tone of latter-day GBV albums like Isolation Drills and Universal Truths and Cycles in favor of the rickety lo-fi approach of 90s touchstones Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, and the opening track, "Laundry and Lasers," even sounds like it was recorded on a wheezing four-track cassette machine. Having a real band on board, even one with this level of sloppiness, truly makes a difference, and theres an edge and a scrappy passion to Lets Go Eat the Factory thats been conspicuously absent from Pollards solo stuff, and the best songs rock while showing off a playful enthusiasm that serves them well. But Pollard and Company seem to have confused cause and effect here, re-creating not just their lo-fi recording technique on several tunes, but the inconsistent pacing and bursts of filler that dogged GBVs pre-Bee Thousand catalog. And while Pollards songs are fine, the most rewarding moments on Lets Go Eat the Factory belong to Tobin Sprout; the eccentric joy of songs like "God Loves Us" and "Who Invented the Sun," his inspired keyboard patches, and the clouds of noise he adds to several tracks are a reminder of what GBV lost when they stopped being a proper band. Lets Go Eat the Factory is hardly a triumph, but its a step in the right direction for Pollard, as well as confirmation that this group of friendly reprobates still has some good work left in them. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 38 Title: Class Clown Spots a UFO Released: 2012-06-11 Tracks: 21 Duration: 39:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 He Rises! (Our Union Bellboy) (03:01) 2 Blue Babbleships Bay (01:18) 3 Forever Until It Breaks (03:16) 4 Class Clown Spots a UFO (03:17) 5 Chain to the Moon (00:59) 6 Hang Up and Try Again (02:15) 7 Keep It in Motion (02:06) 8 Tysons High School (02:35) 9 They and Them (01:09) 10 Fighter Pilot (01:00) 11 Roll of the Dice, Kick in the Head (00:46) 12 Billy Wire (02:03) 13 Worm W/ 7 Broken Hearts (00:50) 14 Starfire (01:26) 15 Jon the Croc (02:32) 16 Fly Baby (01:42) 17 All of This Will Go (01:46) 18 The Opposite Continues (01:37) 19 Be Impeccable (02:56) 20 Lost in Space (00:51) 21 No Transmission (02:18) |
| Class Clown Spots a UFO : Allmusic album Review : Following a 2004 breakup, Ohio lo-fi gods Guided by Voices re-formed to release January 2012s Lets Go Eat the Factory. The (no exaggeration) 13 Bob Pollard solo records and countless side-project recordings that came out during that eight-year hiatus might have weakened the impact of an in-name-only Guided by Voices reunion, but not only did the band return in a "Bob Pollard and some other dudes" form of GBV, but as their classic 1993-1996 lineup featuring co-songwriter Tobin Sprout and longtime collaborator Greg Demos. Not even six months following the return to form of that album comes Class Clown Spots a UFO, another 21-song collection of the kind of slapdash 60s-influenced two-minute pop songs the band was spitting out in its heyday. Time has been very kind in compressing the brilliance of the classic lineups classic albums, and its sometimes hard to remember that listening to the updated version. In essence, almost nothing has changed from the off-the-cuff magic of Alien Lanes and Bee Thousand. Like those albums, Class Clown Spots a UFO has occasional breakthrough bursts of pop perfection, some aimless rockers, some useless snippets, and some bizarre drunken sci-fi/mythically geared tunes that are just kinda there. The bright moments are exceptional, as usual. The bouncy horn section and glammy snare rolls of the title track and the rolling melancholy of infectious single "Keep It in Motion" sound inspired and considered, especially for GBVs infamously casual style. Tobin Sprouts contributions to the band were one of its most missed aspects after the classic lineup initially disbanded, and his jangly, wistful tunes here are among the albums best. Much like the bands faded masterpieces from the mid-90s, for every startlingly strong song there is at least one moment of mediocrity or downright annoyance. "Be Impeccable" sounds deflated and cloying; the 51-second "Lost in Space" sounds sniveling, soaked in corny keyboard tones. Even when aiming for the heights of the Who, one of their longest-running influences, GBV misstep with sloppy bumblers like "Blue Babbleships Bay" before striking gold with a meaty anthem like "Jon the Croc." The albums spottiness becomes just another part of the Guided by Voices experience, and in a strange way it eventually works as a positive attribute. Waiting through a solid minute of nonsense like "Worm w/ 7 Broken Hearts" makes a passably pleasant song like "Starfire" seem much brighter when it finally arrives. The GBV camp thinks in the framework of the bigger picture, and Class Clown is no exception. Fans of the band are waiting for an album that matches the genius of those classic albums, but really, it might just take some time becoming familiar with these new songs to see that the genius of the band is ongoing. Comparing the new stuff to time-tested 90s records begs us to remember exactly how many times we had to hear "Kicker of Elves" and "Pimple Zoo" before they sounded like necessary parts of perfect albums. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 38 Title: The Bears for Lunch Released: 2012-11-13 Tracks: 19 Duration: 43:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 King Arthur the Red (02:14) 2 The Corners Are Glowing (03:02) 3 Have a Jug (01:09) 4 Hangover Child (02:57) 5 Dome Rust (01:10) 6 Finger Gang (01:50) 7 The Challenge Is Much More (01:48) 8 Waving at Airplanes (03:13) 9 The Military School Dance Dismissal (02:06) 10 White Flag (02:14) 11 Skin to Skin Combat (03:42) 12 She Lives in an Airport (02:44) 13 Tree Fly Jet (02:46) 14 Waking Up the Stars (02:13) 15 Up Instead of Running (02:12) 16 Smoggy Boy (00:34) 17 Amorphous Surprise (01:59) 18 You Can Fly Anything Right (01:54) 19 Everywhere Is Miles From Everywhere (03:04) |
| The Bears for Lunch : Allmusic album Review : The Bears for Lunch rounds out a ridiculously busy year in the history of Ohio lo-fi pioneers Guided by Voices as their third full-length album released in 2012. Back with a vengeance from an eight-year hiatus, the GbV brand is recalibrated for this trio of new albums with the classic 1993-1996 lineup of the band that produced its most adored records like Alien Lanes and Bee Thousand. The drive to create is audible, with all three of these collections (as well as two solo albums released in 2012 by GbV frontman Robert Pollard) stuffed with frantic amounts of song ideas, from off-the-cuff free-associative ranting to fully formed jangling power pop. Almost 20 years since those early albums of hissy four-track recordings, a couple of things have changed. In the 2010s the band has taken to mixing its infectious pop with slight hints of prog rock, as on the relatively epic album opener "King Arthur the Red" and the spacy paranoia of "Amorphous Surprise." While there are still some nods to home-recorded experiments like the charmingly off-key multi-tracked vocals of the Beatles-folky "Waking Up the Stars" and the lo-fi piano ballad "The Military School Dance Dismissal," these songs are mostly studio-recorded rock, with clear drums, loud guitars, and coherent vocals. The dusty charm of the bands early work is still intrinsic to the songwriting, however. Hooky slices of sad pop magic like "White Flag," "Waving at Airplanes," and the R.E.M.-styled bounce of "Everywhere Is Miles from Everywhere" sound like new chapters in the bands history of incredibly catchy songs rather than rewrites of former glories. However, also true to GbV style, theres a good amount of frustrating filler like the half-baked and drunk-sounding jam "Dome Rust" and the tedious "Tree Fly Jet." The truly curious part of the equation is the bands choice to release three albums of almost interchangeably average quality in the space of one year instead of offering up one collection of standouts. The Bears for Lunch may be the strongest of the three 2012 albums by a small margin, but regardless of whether your preferences fall to the side of pop or snotty noise, a far better album-length "best-of" playlist could be culled from the three records than any of them standing on its own. As an entity unto itself, The Bears for Lunch is much like Lets Go Eat the Factory and Class Clown Spots a UFO before it: completely respectable collections of tunes from a well-oiled machine, but falling short of the almost accidental brilliance of their best work. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 38 Title: English Little League Released: 2013-04-30 Tracks: 17 Duration: 45:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Xeno Pariah (02:03) 2 Know Me as Heavy (02:50) 3 Islands (She Talks in Rainbows) (02:16) 4 Trashcan Full of Nails (03:31) 5 Send to Celeste (03:19) 6 The Quiet Game (03:19) 7 Noble Insect (03:24) 8 Sir Garlic Breath (02:26) 9 Crybaby 4 Star Hotel (01:53) 10 Biographer Seahorse (03:36) 11 Flunky Minnows (02:12) 12 Birds (02:45) 13 The Sudden Death of Epsteins Ways (02:16) 14 Reflections in a Metal Whistle (01:47) 15 Taciturn Cave (03:55) 16 A Burning Glass (02:01) 17 W/ Glass in Foot (02:20) |
| English Little League : Allmusic album Review : English Little League is the fourth album by the reunited mid-90s Guided by Voices lineup in a little under a year and it shows the inevitable strain of making so much music in such a short time. Of course, being prolific is basically GbVs calling card, but in the past one could count on a fairly high killer vs. filler ratio. Sometimes even hovering close to 100 percent during the bands salad days. This time its closer to 50-50, as Robert Pollards songs sometimes struggle to deliver hooks and the band runs through the fractured power pop paces, but rarely comes to life. These are the times when you wish the band would pack it in. The times you are glad theyre back are when Pollard whips out a classic tune and the band starts firing on all four, and it sounds like an older, but still rambunctious, version of the classic band. The shorter, faster Pollard tunes like the rumbling "Crybaby 4 Star Hotel" sound the best, though some of the proggy heavy rockers sound fine too. The problems arise on the slower, more introspective songs that give more airtime to the toll years of being Pollard have extracted from his voice. They drag the album to a halt when they arrive, sucking all the energy out of their sound as they ramble along with no strong payoff. The real bright spots on the album are the Tobin Sprout songs. He gets three solo songs and one co-write with Pollard, and they are the brightest, most straightforward songs on the album -- "Islands" is even the best song here. While GbV are clearly Pollards show and his aesthetic rightfully guides their way, Sprout is doing better work now and it might make sense to showcase his work more on their next record. Which will follow this one in a couple months, no doubt. As for English Little League, the three records the band did in 2012 are all stronger collections, but this is hardly a failure. One just has to search a little harder to find the good songs this time. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 38 Title: Motivational Jumpsuit Released: 2014-02-17 Tracks: 20 Duration: 37:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Littlest League Possible (01:18) 2 Until Next Time (01:28) 3 Writers Bloc (Psycho All the Time) (02:43) 4 Child Activist (01:21) 5 Planet Score (01:41) 6 Jupiter Spin (02:23) 7 Save the Company (02:21) 8 Go Without Packing (01:14) 9 Record Level Love (02:54) 10 I Am Columbus (01:42) 11 Difficult Outburst and Breakthrough (01:12) 12 Calling up Washington (02:06) 13 Zero Elasticity (01:15) 14 Bird with No Name (01:23) 15 Shine (Tomahawk Breath) (03:03) 16 Vote for Me Dummy (02:21) 17 Some Things Are Big (and Some Things Are Small) (02:08) 18 Bulletin Borders (01:23) 19 Evangeline Dandelion (01:16) 20 Alex and the Omegas (02:15) |
| Motivational Jumpsuit : Allmusic album Review : After reuniting in 2012, Ohios gods of lo-fi songcraft Guided by Voices flooded the world with a rush of new songs, releasing three full-length albums that year and following up with another long-player and the slapdash Down by the Racetrack EP in 2013. Motivational Jumpsuit marks the first GBV album of what seems like it could be a few in 2014 and a monumental 21st proper record for the band. Never short on songs, the issue with the maelstrom of post-reunion material was more an issue of inconsistency. The four albums and one EPs worth of serviceable and sometimes spotty new music could have easily been cherry-picked for one stellar album, free of a lot of what some fans perceived as filler tracks. Motivational Jumpsuit comes a lot closer to the almost unattainably high bar GBV set for themselves with their classic mid-90s albums, its 20 songs blazing by in a lo-fi collage of hooky pop, tape-hiss rock, and middle-aged anthems to the ineffable teenage spirit. Melodic indie rock anthems like "Save the Company" and the jangly "Planet Score" come on with the same soft contemplation Robert Pollard perfected on Bee Thousand, while he leads his band into heavier rock territory on "Zero Elasticity" and the chunky riffs of "Writers Bloc (Psycho All the Time)." Other principal songwriter Tobin Sprout turns in some of the highlights of the album with his tunes. Both "Calling Up Washington" and the lilting "Record Level Love" wrap up their hooks in jangly little packages, decorated with twee harmonies and over just after a minute or so. On "Jupiter Spin," Sprout borrows generously from the melody of the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" for a pastiche of that songs flowery psych pop and his own signature sense of melody. The homemade production of the bands best work is revisited here as well, tapping into deft spontaneity through raw recording methods. The guitar tones on the bounding "Vote for Me, Dummy" sound broadcast through a walkie-talkie left on in the same room where the exceptionally present drums are being recorded. Rushing by with a distinct sense of economy in less than 40 minutes and heavy on counterpoint between Pollards robust fantasy rock and Sprouts careful sentimentality, Motivational Jumpsuit is easily the most satisfying full-length of GBVs reunited, overproductive 2010s phase. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 38 Title: Cool Planet Released: 2014-05-13 Tracks: 18 Duration: 36:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Authoritarian Zoo (02:21) 2 Fast Crawl (01:41) 3 Psychotic Crush (01:22) 4 Costume Makes the Man (02:06) 5 Hat of Flames (01:31) 6 These Dooms (01:59) 7 Table at Fools Tooth (01:20) 8 All American Boy (03:45) 9 You Get Every Game (02:05) 10 Pan Swimmer (00:59) 11 The Bone Church (02:14) 12 Bad Love Is Easy to Do (02:04) 13 The No Doubters (02:36) 14 Narrated by Paul (01:05) 15 Cream of Lung (01:13) 16 Males of Wormwood Mars (02:53) 17 Ticket to Hide (03:02) 18 Cool Planet (01:51) |
| Cool Planet : Allmusic album Review : Being proud sons of Ohio, the members of Guided by Voices know that when the weather gets cold, its good to have an indoor project to keep yourself occupied, and as a rare polar vortex hit the Midwest with one of the worst winters in history in 2013-2014, GbV responded in the way they know best: they hunkered down and made an album. Guided by Voices recorded 2014s Cool Planet in the midst of brutal cold snaps and extreme snowfall, and it sounds a little less lively than most of their best work, as if a chill in the air was holding them back. Despite that, the band sounds well focused and determined to make the most of the material, with the emphasis resting on the spontaneity of these sessions. Cool Planet was released only four months after GbV dropped Motivational Jumpsuit, making this a speedy project even by the standards of this prolific band, and the performances feel like the governing philosophy was "first thought, best thought." Perhaps because Cool Planet was conceived and recorded so quickly, Tobin Sprout gets a bit more room for his songs this time out, and he delivers some real gems; "All American Boy" is the most powerful and evocative tune on this album, while "The Bone Church," "Narrated by Paul," and "Ticket to Hide" are all lovely examples of Sprouts ethereal melodic sense, which makes for an interesting counterpoint with Robert Pollards more straightforward hooky rock numbers. (Though the Mick Ronson riff that opens "Psychotic Crush" shows he still knows how to swagger.) Pollards songs sound, well, like Robert Pollard songs, which is to say that some are splendid and some are ordinary, but if youve ever been a fan, "Table at Fools Tooth," "Pan Swimmer," and "Bad Love Is Easy to Do" will remind you why, and this album easily captures Guided by Voices doing what theyve always done and always will do -- ride their seemingly endless font of catchy tunes and crunchy riffs into infinity, and though this is no career-defining masterpiece, as a make-busy project for five guys stuck in a snowstorm, its pretty great. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 38 Title: Suitcase 4 : Captain Kangaroo Won the War Released: 2015-11-20 Tracks: 100 Duration: 3:29:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lead Walking Shorts (02:52) 2 Walls And Windows (02:56) 3 Im In Shock (Hit Me With Tonic) (00:55) 4 Deaf Dumb And Blind Girl (01:17) 5 Try Me On For Size (01:20) 6 No One Looking For You (01:11) 7 Murphy Had A Birthday (03:34) 8 Living On Planet Cake (02:06) 9 Great Service (00:53) 10 Only Ghost In Town (02:55) 11 8 Bars (Ext 3) (01:07) 12 No Bird (02:42) 13 Motor Away (01:07) 14 The Garden (03:07) 15 Happy Heartbreaker (00:45) 16 Less Active Railroad (03:25) 17 Porpoise Northeast (03:37) 18 Pretty Pinwheel (02:32) 19 Back To The Diving Board (03:52) 20 Mary And The Summer (00:56) 21 Eloise (01:35) 22 Here To Stay (00:59) 23 She It (00:46) 24 Hallway Of Glass (03:10) 25 Govt. Bldg. 15 (01:24) 1 Lockets Of The Empress (02:20) 2 The New Ooze (01:23) 3 Our Little Secret (01:06) 4 I Can Never Let You Win (01:27) 5 Hey You Know Me (01:56) 6 Ode To J.D. (01:21) 7 I Am Decided (02:14) 8 Over and Over Again (03:32) 9 Excellent Extension (02:08) 10 Good To Look (02:22) 11 Slave Boss Cranberry (00:37) 12 Slow Dirty Water (02:41) 13 The Garden Goes (01:02) 14 Save My Life (03:04) 15 Somethings Missing (01:20) 16 Clean It Up (02:06) 17 You Dont Know Me (Im Your Dog) (02:12) 18 You Make The Sun (01:27) 19 Time Will Destroy You (03:19) 20 Delayed Reaction Brats (02:07) 21 Pretty As Her Cats (00:58) 22 One Big Boss (03:18) 23 Mistery Walk (01:07) 24 Then Again (01:09) 25 Son Of The Sea (03:03) 1 Bellboy Stomp (02:45) 2 Lindas Lottery (02:06) 3 Of Course You Are (02:20) 4 Pinpoints On The Anal Zone (02:57) 5 City With Fear (01:45) 6 She Doesnt Know Why (00:41) 7 (I Been) Pigeon Tripping (00:56) 8 Fall All Over Yourself (01:13) 9 Quality of Armor (02:50) 10 Teeth Flashlight (Demo) (02:19) 11 Lest Make Out (03:33) 12 Busy Bee (00:33) 13 Why Do You Stare Into The Sea (03:54) 14 Rock Time (02:03) 15 Heartbeat (02:32) 16 Near As Not Late (01:40) 17 Finger To The Lips (01:02) 18 Carnal Limousine (02:50) 19 Doctor Boyfriend (02:15) 20 Spiraling Epsilon (01:12) 21 Ugly Day of Rain and Soccer (02:36) 22 Yank For The Rooties (01:32) 23 Glad Girls (00:47) 24 (If Youve Got A Rocket) Got To Ride (01:58) 25 Frog Baby Axe Murderer (04:48) 1 Strange Games (01:23) 2 Thick And Thin (01:59) 3 When 2 Hours Seem Like 5 (03:24) 4 Find A Wet Spot (00:51) 5 Im Just Doing My Job (02:11) 6 Contemporary Man (He Is Our Age) (02:05) 7 Heels Tight (01:34) 8 The House Always Looks So Nice (02:19) 9 Amazed (02:03) 10 Disappearing Act (02:52) 11 Rubber Man (Long) (02:16) 12 James Of Life (01:40) 13 The Jerking Clown (00:58) 14 Psycho All The Time (01:45) 15 Throwing Down The Line (04:28) 16 Proof (01:35) 17 Third Grade Aviator (01:10) 18 She Likes Tea Rats (02:18) 19 Promo Brunette (02:29) 20 Just One Drop (03:11) 21 Temporary Shutdown (02:25) 22 Skin High (01:33) 23 Your Cricket Is Rather Unique (03:07) 24 Fame And Fortune (03:19) 25 High Treason (02:10) |
 | Album: 32 of 38 Title: Briefcase Four: Captain Kangaroo Won The War Released: 2015-11-20 Tracks: 22 Duration: 34:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Excellent Extension (02:08) 2 No One Looking For You (01:11) 3 Clean It Up (02:06) 4 Fall All Over Yourself (01:13) 5 Great Service (00:53) 6 No Bird (02:42) 7 Deaf Dumb And Blind Girl (01:17) 8 Golden Boy Years (00:59) 9 Heartbeat (02:32) 10 Lindas Lottery (02:06) 11 Govt. Bldg. 15 (01:24) 12 Collider X (01:31) 13 Third Grade Aviator (01:10) 14 Strange Games (01:23) 15 Doctor Boyfriend (02:15) 16 James Of Life (01:40) 17 Eyes Re-Load (00:58) 18 Motor Away (01:07) 19 Skin High (01:33) 20 Mistery Walk (01:07) 21 High Treason (02:10) 22 Glad Girls (00:47) |
 | Album: 33 of 38 Title: Please Be Honest Released: 2016-04-22 Tracks: 15 Duration: 33:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Zodiac Companion (02:12) 2 Kid on a Ladder (01:47) 3 Come on Mr. Christian (02:03) 4 The Grasshopper Eaters (03:22) 5 Glittering Parliaments (02:27) 6 The Caterpillar Workforce (01:28) 7 Sad Baby Eyes (00:34) 8 The Quickers Arrive (02:55) 9 Hotel X (Big Soap) (03:01) 10 I Think a Telescope (02:30) 11 Please Be Honest (02:04) 12 Nightmare Jamboree (02:00) 13 Unfinished Business (01:29) 14 Defeatists Lament (02:23) 15 Eye Shop Heaven (02:59) |
| Please Be Honest : Allmusic album Review : Guided by Voices is whoever and whatever Robert Pollard decides it is. Pollard made that clear in 1997, when he fired the bands original lineup and recruited Cobra Verde to be his backing band during the recording of the album Mag Earwhig. Now Pollard has taken an even bigger step, declaring he is Guided by Voices, both literally and figuratively. As usual, he wrote and sang all the songs for 2016s Please Be Honest. But this time, he also played all the instruments himself, not bothering with other musicians when he has the magic of multi-tracking at his disposal. Anyone who heard More Lies from the Gooseberry Bush, the truly inept 2014 album Pollard recorded under the name Teenage Guitar, has good reason to be wary of this decision. On More Lies, Pollard revealed just how clumsy he can be as an instrumentalist, but thankfully, hes stepped up his game on Please Be Honest. Admittedly, he still isnt much of a guitarist, bassist, or drummer, but on Please Be Honest, he has the good sense to keep things simple. Between the sturdy but rudimentary performances and the buzzy lo-fi audio, Please Be Honest is a dead ringer for the wobbly homemade sound of GbVs pre-Alien Lanes era. Many of these tracks sound like demos, but they have a "first thought, best thought" enthusiasm that suits Pollards angular melodies better than excessive polish. Between the budget-priced production and Pollards songwriting choices, Please Be Honest feels like the rough, exciting early work that made him a cult hero in the first place. (And the rough edges of the production help disguise the craggy qualities of Pollards voice.) Paradoxically, Please Be Honest arrived as Pollard prepared to take Guided by Voices back out on the road with a lineup featuring only one other previous member of the band. (And the statement in the albums press sheet that "The only classic lineup that has ever mattered is singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/band leader/magician/thunderstorm Robert Pollard" may raise the eyebrows of Tobin Sprout.) But as a celebration of GbVs core virtues, Please Be Honest really does honor the sound of the band as much as the skills of its frontman and founder. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 38 Title: August By Cake Released: 2017-04-07 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:11:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 5° on the Inside (02:28) 2 Generox Gray ® (01:58) 3 When We All Hold Hands at the End of the World (02:02) 4 Goodbye Note (02:50) 5 We Liken the Sun (02:08) 6 Fever Pitch (01:01) 7 Absent the Man (01:36) 8 Packing the Dead Zone (02:51) 9 What Begins On New Years Day (01:59) 10 Overloaded (03:31) 11 Keep Me Down (02:33) 12 West Coast Company Man (01:55) 13 Warm Up to Religion (01:52) 14 High Five Hall of Famers (02:07) 15 Sudden Fiction (02:40) 16 Hiking Skin (01:55) 17 Its Food (02:52) 18 Cheap Buttons (02:11) 19 Substitute 11 (02:31) 20 Chew the Sand (03:44) 21 Dr. Feelgood Falls Off the Ocean (01:59) 22 The Laughing Closet (01:32) 23 Deflect Project (02:33) 24 Upon the Circus Bus (02:20) 25 Try It Out (Its Nothing) (01:46) 26 Sentimental Wars (02:47) 27 Circus Day Holdout (02:01) 28 Whole Tomatoes (01:11) 29 Amusement Park Is Over (02:17) 30 Golden Doors (01:43) 31 The Possible Edge (02:01) 32 Escape to Phoenix (02:06) |
| August By Cake : Allmusic album Review : To state the obvious: Guided by Voices is a band defined by the lyrical and musical voice of Robert Pollard. Since they formed in the mid-80s, Pollard has been GbVs leader, and these days, as the frontman and only consistent member of the group, his status as their absolute ruler is uncontested. Which is one of the reasons 2017s August by Cake is a pleasant surprise. While this music is certainly governed by Pollards prog-addled smart pop worldview, August by Cake unveils a GbV lineup that sounds more like a band than anything thats appeared under the bands rubric since the early 2000s. August by Cake introduces yet another new edition of Guided by Voices, with Pollard joined by guitarists Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare, Jr., bassist Mark Shue, and drummer Kevin March. Gillard and March have worked extensively with Pollard in the past, but with Bare as the wild card, this album sounds like a group effort, rather than the work of a handful of musicians taking orders from one guy. August by Cake suffers from a few of the flaws that mark many of GbVs albums -- most particularly, a less than ideal balance between the great and merely good songs -- yet there is a sonic diversity and playful energy that recall the spirit of early lo-fi triumphs such as 1994s Bee Thousand and 1995s Alien Lanes. Pollards songwriting tropes havent changed much, but with his bandmates contributing to the tunes, theres more variety in the textures, and the performances recall the anything-goes spirit of their best early work. August by Cake occasionally sinks into a chaos from which it has trouble escaping, but in its way, thats a real asset -- this is Guided by Voices sounding free and wild, and its ultimately more satisfying than any of the "classic lineup" GbV reunion efforts that appeared between 2012 and 2014. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 38 Title: How Do You Spell Heaven Released: 2017-08-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 37:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Birthday Democrats (02:29) 2 King 007 (02:51) 3 Boy W (02:33) 4 Steppenwolf Mausoleum (03:21) 5 Cretinous Number Ones (01:45) 6 They Fall Silent (00:54) 7 Diver Dan (02:03) 8 How to Murder a Man (In 3 Acts) (02:43) 9 Pearly Gates Smoke Machine (04:01) 10 Tenth Century (02:37) 11 How Do You Spell Heaven (01:52) 12 Paper Cutz (02:36) 13 Low Flying Perfection (02:36) 14 Nothing Gets You Real (02:23) 15 Just to Show You (02:17) |
| How Do You Spell Heaven : Allmusic album Review : Its sometimes difficult to fathom the thought processes of Robert Pollard, but more often than not, it turns out the guy knows what hes doing. More than a few fans and observers were puzzled when Pollard debuted a new edition of Guided by Voices in February 2016, less than 18 months after the ignoble breakup of the "classic lineup" that had been touring and recording since 2010. But a spin of 2017s How Do You Spell Heaven, the second album from the reconstituted band, shows that in terms of chops and imagination, Pollard certainly traded up. This version of GbV can do more than just play Pollards songs -- they bring a tough but intelligent rock & roll swagger to the music, and seem as comfortable with his glam and prog rock influences as his pop hooks. Doug Gillards lead guitar work shines on these tracks, especially the stomping instrumental workout "Pearly Gates Smoke Machine" (the tune was written by Gillard as well, with Pollard penning the rest of the set), and Bobby Bare, Jr. lends him impressive support. The rhythm section of Mark Shue on bass and Kevin March on drums is excellent, bringing a muscular snap to the performances as well as an enviable sense of color and shading. And with a band this good behind him, Pollard has stepped up as a vocalist, singing with a vigor and commitment that he hasnt achieved in recent years. As a songwriter, How Do You Spell Heaven finds Pollard in an expansive mood, with more (relatively) grand-scale rock numbers on board than pocket-sized pop tunes. But if Pollard has this good a band at his disposal, why wouldnt he want to make use of their talents? How Do You Spell Heaven is one of the best and smartest rock albums Guided by Voices have given us since Isolation Drills, and this music confirms Pollard is no dummy when it comes to putting together a band. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 38 Title: Space Gun Released: 2018-03-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 39:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Space Gun (04:17) 2 Colonel Paper (01:59) 3 King Flute (01:22) 4 Ark Technician (02:18) 5 See My Field (02:47) 6 Liars Box (02:49) 7 Blink Blank (03:25) 8 Daily Get Ups (01:35) 9 Hudson Rake (01:44) 10 Sport Component National (02:48) 11 I Love Kangaroos (03:07) 12 Grey Spat Matters (01:28) 13 Thats Good (03:15) 14 Flight Advantage (02:23) 15 Evolution Circus (03:36) |
| Space Gun : Allmusic album Review : Robert Pollard has long taken pride in being recklessly prolific, cranking out albums with his band Guided by Voices at a dizzying pace while also issuing a steady flow of solo releases and side projects. When GBV released August by Cake in April 2017, Pollard announced it was the 100th album hed appeared on, and several fans contested his math, insisting hed been on even more LPs than that. So when Pollard declared that Space Gun would be the only Guided by Voices album of 2018, it was hard not to wonder what he was up to. Why was the most prolific man in indie rock suddenly dialing down his workflow? Well, maybe he just wanted to concentrate on making one really good album for a change. Pollard certainly benefited from the strength and chops of the edition of GBV he assembled -- guitarists Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare, Jr., bassist Mark Shue, and drummer Kevin March -- on 2017s August by Cake and How Do You Spell Heaven, and Space Gun doubles down on the skill of his current collaborators. Pollard hasnt had a band this solid since GBVs initial breakup in 2004 (that lineup also featured Gillard and March), and they sound tight, muscular, and imaginative on Space Gun, not just playing Pollards songs but giving them shape and gravity they might not have had otherwise. These guys sound like a band, not a handful of backing musicians, and with producer Travis Harrison at the controls, this real band has made what sounds like a real album. Space Gun is full-bodied and adventurous, with the subtle but intelligent use of the studio giving the album a sonic gravitas that many of GBVs albums, good as they are, happen to lack. And as both a songwriter and a vocalist, Pollard is in especially fine fettle, with his bent pop melodies and gloriously cryptic lyrics a perfect match for a band that can play this stuff with a power that belies its detail-oriented intuition. Guided by Voices havent made an album thats this committed to craft since 2001s Isolation Drills, and if Space Gun doesnt quite match that underappreciated masterpiece, it comes close enough to confirm that Guided by Voices are quietly in the midst of a late-career renaissance. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 38 Title: Zeppelin Over China Released: 2019-02-01 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:14:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Morning Sir (01:09) 2 Step of the Wave (02:59) 3 Carapace (03:03) 4 Send In the Suicide Squad (02:06) 5 Blurring the Contacts (01:57) 6 Your Lights Are Out (03:25) 7 Windshield Wiper Rex (01:28) 8 Holy Rhythm (02:38) 9 Jack Tell (03:19) 10 Bellicose Starling (02:15) 11 Wrong Turn On (01:49) 12 Charmless Peters (03:20) 13 The Rally Boys (01:43) 14 Think. Be a Man. (02:31) 15 Jam Warsong (02:30) 16 You Own the Night (03:24) 17 Everythings Thrilling (02:12) 18 Nice About You (01:57) 19 Einsteins Angel (02:36) 20 The Hearing Department (03:18) 21 Questions of the Test (02:59) 22 No Point (02:05) 23 Lurk of the Worm (03:01) 24 Zeppelin Over China (00:39) 25 Where Have You Been All My Life (01:48) 26 Cold Cold Hands (01:56) 27 Transpiring Anathema (02:02) 28 We Can Make Music (01:42) 29 Cobbler Ditches (01:48) 30 Enough Is Never at the End (01:13) 31 My Future in Barcelona (03:48) 32 Vertiginous Rafts (01:43) |
 | Album: 38 of 38 Title: Warp And Woof Released: 2019-04-26 Tracks: 24 Duration: 37:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Bury The Mouse (01:29) 2 Angelic Weirdness (01:30) 3 Foreign Deputies (01:00) 4 Dead Liquor Store (01:31) 5 Mumbling Amens (01:53) 6 Cohesive Scoops (01:30) 7 Photo Range Within (01:13) 8 My Dog Surprise (01:38) 9 Tiny Apes (01:07) 10 Blue Jay House (02:01) 11 Down The Island (01:36) 12 Thimble Society (01:43) 13 My Angel (01:26) 14 More Reduction Linda (01:33) 15 Cool Jewels And Aprons (01:23) 16 Even Next (01:39) 17 It Will Never Be That Simple (02:31) 18 The Stars Behind Us (01:22) 19 Skull Arrow (01:03) 20 Out Of The Blue Race (01:21) 21 Coming Back From Now On (01:52) 22 The Pipers, The Vipers, The Snakes! (01:47) 23 Time Remains In Central Position (01:49) 24 End It With Light (01:10) |