Author Topic: Robert Pollard  (Read 14425 times)

Gagneaux

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Robert Pollard
« on: February 05, 2008, 08:50:17 AM »
Hey Tom and Fots,

A friend recently recommended I look into Robert Pollards work. Since I spent 6 years in the Air Force, I decided to start with his "Not in my Air Force" album. I like it! "Maggie Turns To Flies" is now one of my all-time favorites. I seem to remember Robert Pollard being mentioned on The Best Show (I sure hope he was mentioned favorably and I'm not hanging myself here) and I was wondering if you could recommend another Pollard album. The dude seems to have 43 albums out and I'm not well-to-do enough to buy 'em all.

Thanks All.

Chas

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2008, 10:01:48 AM »

I'm sure you'll get tons of answers on this, all different, but I'd start with the classic Guided by Voices records--the ones with the hits. 

Alien Lanes (a must have--one of the greatest rock albums evah!)
Bee Thousand
Vampire on Titus
Propeller

Of more recent releases, GBV's Universal Truths and Cycles and the first Pollard solo album, From a Compound Eye are pretty great.

Just one man's opinion...Tom is the resident Pollard expert.  I'd go with whatever he says.



masterofsparks

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2008, 05:25:55 PM »
I'd go for Bee Thousand and Propeller first. I don't know the solo stuff too well.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.

John Junk

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2008, 06:01:58 PM »
Tom loves Pollard/GBV so much that he wrote an essay for the DVD release of a video of the last-ever Guided By Voices show!



Laurie

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2008, 07:14:29 PM »
I really love GBV. I do. "Window of My World" is one of my favorite songs. Granted, I didn't have the opportunity to see GBV live, but aren't their shows renowned for being hecka terrible?

John Junk

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2008, 07:24:57 PM »
OK, this is off the record.  I am a huge recorded GBV fan, but not a huge live GBV fan.  In fact, the love of my life, Christina The Yes Fan, bought me that DVD as a "This is truly for you because I never want to watch it" gift, and I never made it all the way through.  I saw them on their last tour, and I actually left early because, well, they had already been playing for two hours, and it had sorta devolved into them playing three bars of "Teenage FBI", then Pollard being like "STOP!  WHY DOES EVERYONE LOVE THE SHITTY SONGS??!!"  Then him laying into targets like Velvet Revolver.  One thing that was funny he said (but which actually pissed me off at the time) was when he was like "Neil Young does FARM AID (said in Tom's angry word repetition tone).  Fuck Neil Young!  I'm not a FARMER!  Nobody's a farmer!!"  So that's either awesome or hecka terrible, depending on how tired and/or drunk you are.  I was pretty drunk, but far from drunk enough.  It's funny to think about his bitter and envious rants against Velvet Revolver and assorted indie-music label-owners and rock-critics after the fact, but during the thing, mmmmmnot so much.  At least not for me.

Laurie

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2008, 07:32:42 PM »
Ha! I actually know two pairs of farmers. One pair is lesbian cheese makers. They live in Indiana, and they make the best cheese ever. Their goats and cows graze on sweet grass, and everything's organic and free range. The other pair is a naked lady on the internet and her tattooist husband, and they raise chickens in Canada.

John Junk

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2008, 07:52:01 PM »
Ha! I actually know two pairs of farmers. One pair is lesbian cheese makers. They live in Indiana, and they make the best cheese ever. Their goats and cows graze on sweet grass, and everything's organic and free range. The other pair is a naked lady on the internet and her tattooist husband, and they raise chickens in Canada.

Those aren't farmers, those are decadent weirdos.

masterofsparks

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2008, 08:05:33 PM »
I only saw GBV live once (right after Bee Thousand) and I couldn't get over how weird they sounded without all the tape hiss and distortion.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.

Gilly

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2008, 10:24:07 PM »
Ha! I actually know two pairs of farmers. One pair is lesbian cheese makers. They live in Indiana, and they make the best cheese ever. Their goats and cows graze on sweet grass, and everything's organic and free range. The other pair is a naked lady on the internet and her tattooist husband, and they raise chickens in Canada.

Oh, you east coasters....

Martin Edison

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2008, 11:10:25 PM »
I love all GBV albums for different reasons.
The ones I love the most:

Bee Thousand
Under the Bushes Under the Stars
Sunfish Holy Breakfast

For a good read check out
"Guided By Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll"
no comment

dania

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2008, 12:05:59 AM »
he was like "Neil Young does FARM AID (said in Tom's angry word repetition tone).  Fuck Neil Young!  I'm not a FARMER!  Nobody's a farmer!!" 

I'm shocked!  I thought Neil Young was untouchable.  Guess I was wrong.  I heard a Best Show once where Tom played "Auditorium" followed by "Motor Away" which made me feel cool because I made a mix tape a number of years ago with those two songs in the same progression.  Best song follow-up ever?  I think yes.  Alien Lanes is so amazing for so many reasons.  Short songs, tape hiss, soulful.. 
That album, and The Breeders' Last Splash are just a few of the only albums I will never tire of. 

By the way, Tom, can you please play "No Aloha" sometime? 

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2008, 12:14:13 AM »
I know lots of farmers, which I'm sure is a great help to Gagneaux.  Also, I like Half Smiles of the Decomposed!
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Gilly

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2008, 02:29:39 AM »
My wife's aunts and uncles farm cows and pigs. Her parents used to farm sheep but now breed westies and boxers. I also am an apologist for Do The Collapse and think there is no reason not to listen to all of GBV's albums and want to listen to more of Pollard's solo stuff.

Gregory

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Re: Robert Pollard
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2008, 02:05:19 AM »
Alien Lanes (a must have--one of the greatest rock albums evah!)


Just wanted to second this
and say that recently I've been on a major "Alien Lanes" kick. It's been pretty awesome