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Human Amusements at Hourly Rates - The Best of Guided By Voices

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date November 24, 2003
Guided By Voices are an indie institution, and one of the most prolific bands to come out of the American indie underground. Whilst they never quite `made it', they became a highly visible example of how one could exist quite comfortably under the radar and still earn the respect of their peers.

To call this a `greatest hits' album would be an error as they didn't have any, but that overused term "Smash hits in an alternative universe" seems almost designed to apply to Guided By Voices. By not having to worry about following up hit singles and albums, Robert Pollard was able to write the songs that he wanted to hear, free from outside influences. Every song bursts with hooks and melodies, and almost all of them are over before ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Half Smiles of the Decomposed

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date August 30, 2004
This is Bob's half-smile, harkening back to the yearning melancholy sounds of 1990's astounding "Same Place The Fly Got Smashed", if not quite eclipsing them.

GBV may have decomposed over time but "HSOTD" still offers an opening 6 tracks that would have made it onto any of the classics. It does sag a bit at the end, and there's no point in gushing about swansongs etc cos Pollard's still at it and I imagine still has a "few" albums left.

However if you ever needed a reason, buy it for "Closets Of Henry" alone, it'll be 6 quid well spent.

CD-Charts Position 3
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Under the Bushes Under the Stars

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date February 28, 1996
personally its not my fave GBV album - but its still got some great songs on it.

I see GBV's career in 2 parts - the earlier part which is full of sketchy catchy hooks, short songs and sing a long choruses. then the second part which embraced higher production values and the songs became longer with a firmer structure and more ambition - with some definate prog rock leaning and a little more experimentation.

This album is the turning point - there are enough catchy numbers on this too keep a pop fan happy and we start to see songs like 'Offical Ironman rally' appear which have a much more conventional approach and a solid tune rather than a 'catchy hook'.

a good place to start i reckon - if you like the catchy sketchy ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Hold on Hope Ep

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date February 18, 2002
From the era of the 'big sound' - still has the glorious GBV basking-in-madness feel but this is bang in the middle of Pollard's more straightforward period, sometimes reflecting the ever-present sixties influence - especially on 'A Crick Uphill' (which then melts into a wall of guitar). Notably, as an EP, I think it delivers better than their albums of the time. It's not overlong or too crammed with tracks, just a perfect 20 minute sugar buzz.

Worth getting your hands on for 'Fly Into Ashes' and the miniscule 'Tropical Robots' anyway

Over and Out

CD-Charts Position 5
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Suitcase Vol.2: American Superdream Wow

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date August 01, 2005
I got into Guided By Voices about 8 years ago when I heard Teenage FBI. In that time I've tried to get as many of Mr. Pollard & Co.'s albums as possible. As any GBV fan will know, their music is incredibly diverse, lyrically mindbending, yet sounding incredible.

I bought Suitcase 2 to get some more of what I love. There are 100 tracks, and they are a mixture of lost songs and tracks that didnt make it onto albums. As is to be expected with Pollard, the album is a mixed bag.

It is noticably inconsistent in terms of style, but overall the album is incredibly good. There are some absoloute gems in here, my faves being Invisible Train To Earth and Perch Warble. You can also find an early version of what was to become Teenage FBI (Rocket ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Propeller

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date August 01, 2005
I'm really writing a review of Daniel Thompson's review. I think we agree that Propeller is a superb album, arguably better than Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes of the following 3 'golden' years.
I can't understand why he would want to emphasise how relatively poor new GBV is, considering he says Do the Collapse is his favourite album, in my view by far the least engaging of all GBV albums.
The early to mid 90's period found Pollard & co. in the sort of form that 99% of all other musicians EVER would hope to glimpse for one second. Constant comparison is pointless - the guy is in his forties and he is still cranking out great tunes. I can't even be bothered to name the standout tracks on Universal Truths and Earthquake Glue, they are so numerous.
... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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Selective Service

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date October 14, 2002
I'm really writing a review of Daniel Thompson's review. I think we agree that Propeller is a superb album, arguably better than Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes of the following 3 'golden' years.
I can't understand why he would want to emphasise how relatively poor new GBV is, considering he says Do the Collapse is his favourite album, in my view by far the least engaging of all GBV albums.
The early to mid 90's period found Pollard & co. in the sort of form that 99% of all other musicians EVER would hope to glimpse for one second. Constant comparison is pointless - the guy is in his forties and he is still cranking out great tunes. I can't even be bothered to name the standout tracks on Universal Truths and Earthquake Glue, they are so numerous.
... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
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Fast Japanese Spin Cycle

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date July 28, 2003
There is a charm to this 1994 release as the reviewer above notes but it's a bit overpriced here for a 12 minute EP. Four stars because of the magic version of 'Dusted' originally on 1993's 'Vampire On Titus' LP and the other standout track 'Kisses To The Crying Cooks' which aren't available elsewhere. The rest of it's a bit duff to be honest.

CD-Charts Position 9
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Get Out of My Stations

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date August 25, 2003
1994 Extended Play containing the classics 'Scalding Creek' and 'Spring Tiger'. This is GBV's tender summer EP, considerably more realised than other EPs they realeased that year. It actually benefits from its brevity, unlike some of the exhaustingly packed LPs GBV have put out, a neat encapsulation of the golden years.

You also get 4 live tracks (from Alien Lanes, Bee Thousand & Propellor) tacked on the end of the concise, shimmering 7 song cycle.

Sweet.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Box

by: Guided By Voices

Release Date December 02, 2002
This box set contains the first four GBV albums and a bonus CD containing outtakes, unavailable elsewhere, from 1988-1993. If you're reading this you're probably already a GBV fan. If not, this isn't the place to start: try Universal Truths and Cycles instead for a good intro. For GBV fans keen to explore the band's origins though understandably cautious of the box set price tag, this can be recommended.
This is the really early stuff, before they hit it big (in an indie-rock way) with Propeller. Someone once described listening to GBV as like discovering the greatest radio station in the world and that's the impression this box gives. The first two albums, Devil Between My Toes and Sandbox, are, in a lot of ways, unremarkable. Their influences at the time (the Byrds, ... Read More: