Where to start with GBV?

[fromaway]

That video is almost too much! I haven't read every reply so I may be repeating someone else's sentiments, but I just wanna say it's never too early or too late to watch the documentary about GBV, Watch Me Jumpstart. My recommendation for albums is to start with Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes and Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. Truly a power trilogy!

[Reeleyes]

I love the video because it's a great video that is making fun of the whole music video culture. Entertaining on many levels.

[Joe Rogaine]

The A.V. Club just did an article on this very subject.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/guided-by-voices,31076/

[icepants]

This article brings up a goo point.  There are definitely a few gbv related releases to stay away from.  Namely the split Robert Pollard did with smegma.  Its borderline unlistenable.  Don't get me started on "relaxation of the a**hole."  You have to take the good with the bad.

[JohnU]

This is repetitive:

Alien Lanes
Bee Thousand
Propeller

If you love that, then bits and pieces of the other albums are amazing and you will like most of it. Go to the first box set...

If you love Do The Collapse or Isolation Drills and not the older stuff, that is cool, but it is a bit of a different animal.

[Omar]

Mark Prindle just put up his GBV page:

http://www.markprindle.com/guided.htm

[Matt]

Mark Prindle just put up his GBV page:

http://www.markprindle.com/guided.htm

Am I weird for thinking that almost all of GBV's records are actually pretty consistent? Some songs may take longer to wedge themselves into my head than others, but I almost never skip a track when listening to a GBV album. Call me crazy!

No, seriously. Call me crazy, because I DO kinda agree with Mark on Under the Bushes Under the Stars. Yes, some people consider it their peak and it has great songs aplenty, but it's way too long and the pacing is almost nonexistent. The real saving grace of the album is that at the last minute they tucked the best-ever GBV EP on the end of it. The three song run of "Drag Days"/"Sheetkickers"/"Redmen and Their Wives" may be GBV's finest hour.

I think that, had Pollard not given up on it, The Power of Suck would have been their best album. Some dude compiled a CD imagining what it would've looked like, and it's pretty much all the GBV I've listened to for the past month. Hot stuff! Here's a link: http://ilovetotaldestruction.blogspot.com/2009/08/guided-by-voices-power-of-suck.html

[nec13]

This is why I like Mark Prindle.

I'm not sure why they chose the name "Guided By Voices," but it is an exceptionally appropriate name for two reasons: (1) so many of singer/songwriter/guitarist Robert Pollard's songs are centered around memorable vocal melodies that it often seems like the musical accompaniment is simply 'guided by (his) voice,' and (2) you'd have to be following voices in your head to think people want to hear every goddamned 4-second song you've recorded in your basement for the past 20 years.

[Reeleyes]

I just re-listened to Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco and still think that disk is amazing.

[methanolcereal]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFqBp3rfTTc[/youtube]

I love this video, it's so funny.

It's like if the "Hot for Teacher" video by Van Halen and the "Dirty Boots" video by Sonic Youth merged and ramped the sarcasm up to 11.

If somone can snap a screen shot (I don't have the proper hardware/software on this computer) of Doug Gillard shredding with the "MAXIMUM RIFFAGE" sign behind him for me, I'll be so happy.

[LJ]

My favorite album of all time is Under the Bushes, Under the Stars.  They're all pretty much awesome, but if you want to fall in love with The Man From Dayton, that IMHO, is the way to go.

[Reeleyes]

I doubt that this is the right thread for this question but has Pollard ever been on the show? If not, why?

[LJ]

I doubt that this is the right thread for this question but has Pollard ever been on the show? If not, why?

He's too busy tilling the field with his tractor rape chain.

[Matt]

After much deliberation, my Pollard Top 5:

1. FROM A COMPOUND EYE
2. ALIEN LANES
3. ISOLATION DRILLS
4. CHOREOGRAPHED MAN OF WAR
5. NOT IN MY AIRFORCE

If I had to round it out to ten, I'd add MAG EARWHIG, EARTHQUAKE GLUE, SPEAK KINDLY OF YOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT and BEE THOUSAND. One of the Boston Spaceships records would be in there too. ZERO TO 99 is the most consistent, but THE PLANETS ARE BLASTED still may be my favorite. The first side is pretty much flawless.

[Reeleyes]

1. Airport 5 - Tower In the Fountain of Sparks
2. Lifeguards - Mist King Urth
3. GBV - Mag Earwig
4. GBV - Bee Thousand
5. Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco

Has anyone heard Pollard's "comedy" album? I'm curious.