Bee Thousand (Matador ’94) Rating: B+
After years teaching fourth graders in Dayton, Ohio and drunkenly bashing out several albums worth of material with key cohorts such as Tobin Sprout, almost 40-ish Robert Pollard must’ve been surprised to see his band suddenly touted by the same lo-fi loving indie folk who worshipped Pavement. Song titles like “Hardcore U.F.O.’s,” “Gold Star For Robot Boy,” “Kicker Of Elves,” “Demons Are Real,” and “You’re Not An Airplane” betray a mind who probably spent too much time amusing juveniles, but it was the band’s sound that caught people’s attention. If The Beatles had never escaped the garage and were unable to edit themselves they may have sounded like Guided By Voices. Indeed, at their best the band’s inspired amateurism sounds a little like loud, poorly recorded Beatles demos, albeit with a more rocking “let ‘er rip” attitude, though they can also go acoustic effectively. Some of the standout songs on Bee Thousand include “Hardcore U.F.O.’s,” “Tractor Rape Train,” “The Goldheart Mountain Top Queen Directory,” “Smothered In Hugs,” “Echos Myron,” “Gold Star For Robot Boy,” “Queen of Cans and Jars,” “Ester’s Day,” and “I am A Scientist,” the latter of which is probably the band’s best known song. At least I think those are the catchiest songs; I have Bee Thousand on tape so it’s sometimes hard to tell where one song ends and another begins, and with 20 songs blurring by in a mere 40 minutes some of these “songs” sound more like unfinished fragments than full songs. It also can be hard to find the often-impeccable melodies buried amid the messy 4-track tape hiss (they really ought to hire a producer), and despite many inspired moments the band’s unfocused and erratic methods ultimately sells short their obvious talents.
Alien Lanes (Matador ’95) Rating: B+
With 28 songs blurring by in little over 40 minutes, Guided By Voices’ succinctness continues to be both a blessing and (more so) a curse. If none of the songs here stick around long enough to get too boring, neither do many of them last long enough to make a lasting impression. Although Guided By Voices are acknowledged masters of low-fi pop gems, and though many of these songs are engagingly catchy and rough, the band once again would’ve been better served by fully developing their most inspired moments rather than haphazardly running from one idea to the next. The album satisfies but only in fits and starts, and it can get frustrating when a remarkably catchy tune is taken away from you right when you’re really starting to get into it. Comparatively speaking, I’d say that Bee Thousand is more consistent but that Alien Lanes’ best songs (“Game of Pricks,” “A Good Flying Bird,” and “Closer You Are,” certainly, but also “Watch Me Jumpstart,” "We Go Up, We Go Down," “My Valuable Hunting Knife,” “King and Caroline,” “Little Whirl,” “My Son Cool,” and “Alright”) might be a bit better. However, Bee Thousand was discovered first and is therefore seen in a more favorable light by most people (much like how Slanted and Enchanted generally gets the nod over Crooked Rain Crooked Rain). Still, Alien Lanes was another highly idiosyncratic effort with some dazzling instances of popcraft. But they’re only instances, after all, and at 28 songs (actually, only about 20 of these could legitimately be called songs; the rest offer mere sound bites) it’s not too surprising that there are several misfires. The non-existent production values also continues and is consistent with past efforts (the band's messy style being their trademark), which helps make Guided By Voices a highly original band. However, the band's very uniqueness limits their overall effectiveness and makes me wonder whether future progress is possible.
Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (Matador ’96) Rating: B+
Not that progress is really necessary, ‘cause these guys have their very own niche that their cultish fans greatly appreciate, and this is another very good album. The production is much improved, too, perhaps because they actually hired outside producers (Kim Deal and Steve Albini) this time around. And though the songs here (all 24 of them) as a whole aren’t as immediately catchy as those found on Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes, these songs likewise grew on me over time. Also, there’s not as much filler on this album, and the songs seem more finished as a rule. The band plays better than ever, too, and songs such as “The Official Ironmen Rally Song,” “Underwater Explosions,” “Your Name Is Wild,” “Ghosts Of A Different Dream,” “Big Boring Wedding,” “It’s Like Soul Man,” “Drag Days,” “Sheetkickers,” and “Redmen and Their Wives” would all possibly qualify for my inevitable Best of Guided By Voices mix tape. Like a great NFL running back, the album gets stronger as it goes along, and this more straightforward and professional outing saw Guided By Voices growing as a band (they even add some guitar solos!) while managing to stay true to their lo-fi strengths. Of course, their (primarily Pollard’s, though Sprout is also a fine songwriter) melodic gifts have always been readily apparent, and had Under the Bushes, Under the Stars been better edited (i.e. condensed to a mere 18 or so songs) it could’ve been one hell of an album. Note: Unfortunately, this would be the last Guided By Voices album to feature the original band lineup.
Mag Earwhig! (Matador ’97) Rating: B
The new era of Guided By Voices begins, as Robert Pollard, who now pretty much is Guided By Voices, plays with members of Cobra Verde on the solid but unremarkable Mag Earwhig!. Don't get me wrong, the guys from Cobra Verde acquit themselves quite well, providing Pollard with tighter and harder rocking playing than his former mates ever did. However, Guided By Voices have always succeeded or failed primarily based on Pollard's songwriting, which has been better. "Buldog Skin," "Not Behind The Fighter Jet," "Portable Men's Society," and "Now To War" are instantly memorable standouts, yet Mag Earwhig! has far too many throwaway songs and fragments, without enough of the pop brillance that made Guided By Voices' previous albums well worth enduring. Maybe I'm just tiring of Pollard's lack of discipline (though the strong production is again commendable), but one thing I'm sure of is that my enthusiasm for his band has waned considerably. Then again, when I hear songs like "I am A Tree" and "Jane of the Waking Universe" (the two best songs here) I think that Pollard is capable of being one of the best songwriters in the world. Which is why I keep coming back.
The Best Of Guided By Voices (1994-1997) (SF Productions ’99) Rating: A+
Well, I finally got around to making my "best of" mix tape, and such is the measure of Robert Pollard's songwriting talent that rarely a week goes by when I don't listen to it. It's a shame that listeners have to sit through so much filler to get to the good stuff on his band's original albums. However, when listening to Guided By Voices you simply have to take the good with the bad. Unless you take matters into your own hands, of course (like I did here), and now that I have this trusty little tape I doubt that I'll ever listen to Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under The Bushes, Under The Stars, or Mag Earwhig! ever again.
Human Amusements At Hourly Rates: The Best Of Guided By Voices (Matador '03) Rating: A-
Guided By Voices main man Robert Pollard has probably written more songs over the past 15 years than any man alive. Many of those songs have been well written, raucously played pop gems that nodded to both The Beatles and The Who, whether recorded seemingly in his basement (the early “lo-fi” stuff) or in a real recording studio (the slicker later stuff). Alas, virtually all of Guided By Voices’ (or GBV, as their fans call them) albums have been maddeningly inconsistent from day one, as Pollard seems uninterested in fully developing certain songs or discarding the ones that don’t work, making GBV a perfect choice for this “best of” package that I’m proudly holding in my hands.
Surprisingly, given that Pollard himself selected the songs, this compilation does its job quite well. By that I mean that it holds together as an album, with a non-chronological sequencing that makes sense (thereby making all of the songs seem of a piece even though some periods in the band’s history are markedly different from others), and a thoughtful track listing that proves that Pollard can separate the good stuff from the bad after all.
With 32 songs filling up almost an entire cd, there are many highlights, so I’ll just name a few. “I am A Tree” features great ringing riffs (I like the way the first riff begins in the left speaker before the second one kicks in on the right) and even a soaring guitar solo, while “My Kind Of Soldier” and “Twilight Campfighter” feature exciting buildups as the guitars surge and the tension escalates. “Echos Myron” and “Tractor Rape Train,” both from arguably the band’s best album, Bee Thousand, each feature wonderful melodies and Pollard’s Lennon-eque vocals, while “Game Of Pricks” is arguably the band’s most singable pop song, though I prefer the version from Alien Lanes to the one included here. There are plenty of other songs that sound instantly familiar, such as “Things I Will Keep,” “Glad Girls,” “My Valuable Hunting Knife,” “Teenage FBI,” “Watch Me Jumpstart,” and “I am a Scientist”; I could pick plenty of others as well, actually, such is the consistent quality of this collection.
It’s not perfect, though, as there are still a few underdeveloped songs (“Hit” is only 22 seconds long, for example) and a poor selection or two (“Hot Freaks” instead of “Smothered In Hugs”?). In addition, though Pollard does a fine job of cherry picking songs from his less worthwhile early albums, this album is a little too career encompassing, as more attention should’ve been paid to his mid-90s prime and albums like Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and Under The Bushes Under The Stars. Of course, nobody would ever accuse Robert Pollard of being a perfectionist, so it makes sense that even this album would be flawed. Still, this is easily the most consistently entertaining album with the Guided By Voices imprint on it, and it makes for a great beginners guide while providing a choice mix tape for any fans who may have forgotten why they fell in love with this Ohio band in the first place.
