GBV OCD

[sashwap]

dozens and dozens of listens in, I am loving Let's Go Eat the Factory. that said, I keep feeling ambivalence when friends of the oh-yeah-GBV-they're-cool camp ask about it, because I don't want to get their hopes up. it doesn't have the soaring transcendance of Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes, nor the polished pop sheen of "Glad Girls"/"Teenage FBI"/whatever spare late-GBV tracks non-obsessives might be familiar with.

what it sounds like to me--and why I love it--is some drunk middle-aged dudes bashing out some tunes in their basements and garages. which is funny, because most indications suggest it was anything but so casual or saturated with camaraderie, but it does sound that way--not a band hungry for a comeback, but a band comfortable in its own pocket. the catalog reference point I'd choose is Tonics and Twisted Chasers--wonderful, messy, and not terribly concerned with converting the nonbelievers. 

this is right on, totally. right now i'm stuck on those two acoustic pieces near the end, with the dog faintly barking in the background. that's probably not most people's idea of soaring transcendence, but those songs are where this album comes closest to that, for me.

although I don't know if Tobin Sprout got down with the Jesusman or what, but his lyrics are a little treacly and "spiritual" here in a way I don't associate with his past work. which is fine if it's his thing; really, his songs are carried along by their own fragile loveliness anyway, and I doubt many people linger on what he's saying.

i learned some unexpected things about tobin sprout when i stumbled across his facebook profile. luckily, i don't think he ever gets political in his songs, 'cause that would be an odd match. his lyrics tend to be even more obtuse than pollard's... i mean even his song titles -- say, "gas daddy gas" or "hit junky dives" -- lack the kind of poetic internal logic of something like "christian animation torch carriers" or, uh, "miles under the skin."

i agree about sprout's new GBV songs veering a bit towards treacly, but also it's kind of interesting how his two biggest songs on the new album bury/obscure his vocals. speaking of, how great is "waves," eh?

[auto-da-fey]

I cannot overstate the extent to which I regret looking at Tobin Sprout's Facebook.

I know, I know, separate the art from the artist, etc. . . . but, I mean, oof.

My personal theory of why-GBV-cancelled-shows was vaguely drummer-relapse-ish, but at least now I can picture leftist vituperation from Greg Demos leading to internal political fractures. Or maybe Pollard wanted to play a local Kucinich fundraiser, in my other fantasy version.

at least "Waves" is great, yeah.

[sashwap]

I cannot overstate the extent to which I regret looking at Tobin Sprout's Facebook.

I know, I know, separate the art from the artist, etc. . . . but, I mean, oof.

i know. i shouldn't have said anything... i've just been holding it in for so long..

but word is they're currently working on a third new album! i think they're all still buds.

[auto-da-fey]

This is esoteric postalblowfishery of the worst sort, but since I'm caught in a deep procrastinatory rut, I was looking at the setlist of a GBV show I saw at the Rave in Milwaukee in 2001, which turns out to be the only tour they ever (? according to GBVDB!) played "Sing It Out", which was kind of lost on me then but would thrill me today.

[auto-da-fey]

oh huh, this too:
the other day I was trying to prove to the lady that I'm not so completely uncritical of Pollard et al that I blindly sing the praises of every single thing, so I pulled out the Hazzard Hotrods as my exhibit A; it does, indeed, almost wholly suck.

reading a bit about it, I see it was recorded live, and apparently improvised, at a video store in Dayton, which is why the song titles so heavily invoke films. against my better judgment, this does endear it to me.

with that, I swear I am now setting out to take notes on this 1957 article blaaaaarrrrggggghhhh

[sashwap]

new single, "keep it in motion" streaming here: http://soundcloud.com/firerecords/guided-by-voices-keep-it-in

pollard and sprout singing together! after a few listens it is proving quite infectious.

[auto-da-fey]

anybody else--besides, I'm gonna venture a guess, shaswap--digging the new Pollard solo jam? guy remains on a hell of a roll; I'd say this is slightly less wiry/Wire-y than some of his other recent solo LPs, but it's got a similar quick-and-jittery feel that really works. "Human Zoo," Pollard-by-numbers title notwithstanding, is one of those 45-second-gems that comes out of nowhere, and "I Was Silence" would make a good GBV-live-and-riffing tune. I like this more the more I spin it, and I've been spinning it a lot. Go figure.

also, props to the hilarious produced-by-Rick-Rubin cover, which cracks me up but works beautifully even without being funny:

[sashwap]

I like this more the more I spin it, and I've been spinning it a lot. Go figure.

same here!

it's funny  because some of the songs are SO WEIRD on first listen (i'm looking at you, "mother's milk & magnets") but then they sink in and turn into earworms that are playing in your head when you wake up.

a week or two ago when it was really nice out i took a walk in the park with mouseman on my ipod and it was great. i'm not always a headphones guy, but this stuff rewards it. there's this beautiful guitar line at the end of (the otherwise really strange) "smacks of euphoria" that suddenly stood out, for instance. and the inspired ridiculousness of the title track.

"science magazine" is probably the biggest hit for me. i'm always a sucker for a perfect, slightly melancholy pop song. sequel of sorts to "i am a scientist" too.

[sashwap]

GREAT cover art!

plus some info about the album:
http://www.midheaven.com/item/class-clown-spots-a-ufo-by-guided-by-voices-cd

[auto-da-fey]

I've been playing the first single off that incessantly. "Keep It In Motion" has this weird new-wave sound, and Pollard's vocals carry this strange affect that I couldn't quite place until I decided he was enunciating like Tegan & Sara (or maybe just Canadianish in general? but now I hear the T&S echo every time!). The drum machine is an odd touch, but it works.

And they've been killing it on the b-sides. Other than "Doughnut for a Snowman"'s gratuitous album-track b-side, they're effectively compiling a shadow album that's as good as the real ones. "White World" on the new one is crazy*


*by new, I mean I don't yet have the new new one "Jon the Croc" . . . surely will soon though.

[sashwap]

"White World" on the new one is crazy*

yeah, so good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6ZW7Qoqc-k

got jon the croc the other day. it's a hard rocker with an excellent chorus, b-side is a catchy sprout tune.

[auto-da-fey]

the "Jon the Croc" single does less for me than any other recent GBV effort, but it's not bad. B-

in other relevant news, I heard "Lonely Town" on the radio! which probably means nothing to anyone but sashwap, but this is a recorded-in-the-80s tune that only popped up buried among the 100 songs on Suitcase 2--my head pretty much exploded to come across it while channel-surfing in the car. yay Drexel University college radio, you have some hepcat fucking DJs (it was followed by the Strapping Fieldhands!).

also, i came across this image on an avant-garde film blog:



I'm convinced that Pollard has used it somewhere, but I can't place it. can anyone help? it shares aesthetics with the artwork for Standard Gargoyle Decisions, but I'm convinced he's used the exact image...maybe for the Circus Devils somewhere? but I can't locate it... hmm.
(post with the image: http://thesoundofeye.blogspot.com/2010/07/zbigniew-rybczynski-soup-1974.html)

[sashwap]

the "Jon the Croc" single does less for me than any other recent GBV effort, but it's not bad. B-

sounds about right. i love the wall of vocals on the chorus.

but the new new single is out there now and it's transcendent: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-download-guided-by-voices-new-improved-class-clown-spots-a-ufo-20120510

in other relevant news, I heard "Lonely Town" on the radio!

that would make my day for sure

[edison]

anybody else--besides, I'm gonna venture a guess, shaswap--digging the new Pollard solo jam? guy remains on a hell of a roll; I'd say this is slightly less wiry/Wire-y than some of his other recent solo LPs, but it's got a similar quick-and-jittery feel that really works. "Human Zoo," Pollard-by-numbers title notwithstanding, is one of those 45-second-gems that comes out of nowhere, and "I Was Silence" would make a good GBV-live-and-riffing tune. I like this more the more I spin it, and I've been spinning it a lot. Go figure.

also, props to the hilarious produced-by-Rick-Rubin cover, which cracks me up but works beautifully even without being funny:

I came to the conclusion the other day that overall, I like Mouseman Cloud more than Let's Go Eat The Factory. There are bunch of songs I always want to skip on the latter, and pretty much none on the former. It just lacks one or two big catchy singles to be a really excellent album; at this point all I really expect from Pollard or GBV is a song that equals or approaches the heights of "Not Behind The Fighter Jet" or "Game of Pricks" once or twice a year.

[davy]

Just found out GBV is coming to Athens this summer. Hmmm. Might have to go, it's been a while.

[elpollodiablo]

GBV is playing the Nelsonville Music Festival tonight, which I am (very) briefly attending but not for the music.

[auto-da-fey]

you guys should definitely go, they really tear it up! I always find the restricted setlists that focus on one album or one period annoying no matter who's playing, but now that they've got new material it should be a good mix. I'm definitely hitting the Philly show.

and edison, I could probably get behind that sentiment; MC is really good. "I Was Silence" comes pretty close to occupying that position you mention IMHO, though it does lack that sort of driving-it-home climax that, say, "Unsinkable Fats Domino" has. I probably play MC more than LGEtF too.

[auto-da-fey]

I will say, I had a moment of realization recently that I had taken my GBV obsession a bit too far. I bought not only the solo debut of Todd Tobias--who's been collaborating/producing with Pollard for a decade now, and not necessarily for the best--which is a fucking instrumental narrative album, and then also the album by Detective, Jim Greer's new band. I mean, what did Jim Greer ever even do besides write one great GBV song (Trendspotter Acrobat!) and then a blatantly sanitized book about the band?

If and when Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience or Greg Demos' New Creatures put out new albums, someone remind me of this moment, please. 

[elpollodiablo]

I bought a children's book by Tobin Sprout in New York this week!

[auto-da-fey]

I like his style (there was a preview for the book when I ordered his last solo album direct from him) . . . but beware of hidden Tea Party messages!   

[sashwap]

new stuff sounds great live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beN5vVanStg

i love how GBV has never been afraid to tackle the minute-long, tossed off album tracks and make them rock live.

so yeah, i've been living with the new LP class clown spots a ufo for about a week now, and it's quite good. i would definitely choose it over factory for casual fans who haven't checked out the new GBV stuff yet. it's quite a bit more friendly and approachable, the production is a marked improvement. sprout's songs are way more consistent , the acoustic/ballad-type songs are sadder more beautiful...

other than the title track, my favorites are:
"billy wire" -- an alien lanes style rocker with boston spaceships muscle behind it great couple of hooks.
"he rises! our union bellboy" -- opening song has a real early GBV feel to it. similar to "hardcore UFOs" in a way. it'd a slow burner.
"be impeccable" -- awesome just-bob-and-a-guitar song.
"all of this will go" -- tobin at his jangly best

[sashwap]

I will say, I had a moment of realization recently that I had taken my GBV obsession a bit too far. I bought not only the solo debut of Todd Tobias--who's been collaborating/producing with Pollard for a decade now, and not necessarily for the best--which is a fucking instrumental narrative album, and then also the album by Detective, Jim Greer's new band.

you win the geek contest 

the tobias album seems interesting though. i may seek it out. i think we're about at the same level in terms of circus devils appreciation, so let me know what you think. did you know that tobias funnels circus devils music rejected by pollard into a band called brother earth? presumably this will be great stuff if we ever need a circus devils fix that their nine (!!!!) albums can't provide. have not reached that point though.

[nonotyet]

SOMEONE TELL ME WHYYYYYYYYYY

[sashwap]

somebody here just saw GBV and needs to give the report

(i'm seeing 'em next weekend in the mythical land of DAYTON OHIO!!!!!)

how're the new songs live?

[auto-da-fey]

they were fucking great--and no nostalgia-pandering, the main set was almost nothing but new stuff (though they busted out Bee Thousand tunes for the three encores, with Pollard drunkenly mumbling something about playing the county fair circuit for the next 15 years or something). they opened with "Laundry and Lasers"; "God Loves Us" shredded pretty hard, with Bob deflecting Tobin's weird politics (courtesy Ben Franklin!) by citing beer as evidence of the song's lyrics; "Billy Wire" and "Roll of the Dice, Kick in the Head" translated perfectly into the live show; no "Be Impeccable," alas, but a just-Pollard-and-Demos "Chain to the Moon" was lovely.

oh, and the Class Clown title track (album version here for anyone who's forgotten how great these guys can be) was definitely a crowd favorite.

not as packed a venue as the initial reunion tour, and slightly less exuberance (well, Mitch didn't try to fuck every woman in the house, but he had a delightfully grizzled companion hanging behind his amp), but they're playing like a band with something to prove instead of coasting on the oldies, and I'll always take that as my preference.