Guided by Voices: Nowhere to Go But Up ( 2023 )

      Nowhere to Go But Up? I don't know. You can't go up much more than 4.5/5.0. The current lineup of Guided by Voices seem to have found their sweet spot. Nowhere to Go But Up was their third release of 2023 and it consolidated the gains of Welshpool Frillies. Hopefully, this week's release, Strut of Kings, keeps up the momentum. It's their only scheduled album for 2024, so it should be solid. The lead singles have been promising. 

     The difference between Nowhere to Go But Up and Welshpool Frillies is every song on NTGBU is very good, but doesn't have the highs of WF, except "Local Master Airplane" which is an all-timer. This lineup is at its best when they split the difference between Earthquake Glue mode, and worshiping The Who. It makes sense because 60% of the band played on Earthquake Glue. However, Mark Shue's bass and Bobby Bare Jr.'s rhythm guitar are next level. NTGBU is a concise, 11 song set that's all killer and no filler. 

     As I already mentioned, "Local Master Airplane" is the standout track on this record. It begins with Doug Gillard's insistent guitar strumming, then Bob comes in, then explodes with the rest of the band. I love when Pollard comes in on the second verse, "Ten billion clocks in on the beat, synchronized feet on the pummeling, crumbling rip rapped path through the horror world". At the end, it rides out on a great Gillard solo. Perhaps the most impressive song on the album is the closer, "Song and Dance". It's four and a half minutes of musical restraint and tension combined with one of Pollard's greatest vocal performances. At the beginning, it almost has a "Behind Blue Eyes" vibe. Bob's lyrics are outstanding. "Should have seen rock and roll had nowhere left to go". About 3/4 through the song starts to rocks out, then fades with some olde tyme music. It's not as hooky as much of the rest of the album, but it's a powerful bit of songcraft. "We're Going the Wrong Way In" is a nice, mid-tempo track that perfectly illustrates the combination of Earthquake Glue and The Who on this album. "For the Home" is a fun, stomp rocker with soaring vocals. The only gripe I have with Nowhere to Go But Up is the album cover. It's an old photo of an athlete reaching to the sky while his admirers look onward. I much prefer Bob's collage work. 

     So, as soon as I can get my hands on Strut of Kings, I will check it out and write a post. Then I'll do a wrap up of my final rankings of this discography and a suggested playlist of the best tracks from the current Guided by Voices lineup. Hopefully, I can get back on track with the 2004 dive and publish that series by mid-July. After that, I'm not sure where Sound Mind will be going. Maybe I'll go back and revisit some of my old, crappy posts and fix them up. That should keep me busy. Peace.

Guided by Voices: Welshpool Frillies ( 2023 )

      Good news! I found one of my kids old Chromebooks and it still works, so I'm back in business. Now I can wrap up my Guided by Voices deep dive and then we can all move on with our lives. The dive is going to end with a bang because these last couple albums are tremendous. Today's post will be about their second release of 2023, Welshpool Frillies. I'm going to rate this one at 4.5 stars. It's not Bee Thousand or Isolation Drills level, but in the context of this band lineup I could argue it's a 5-star. There are multiple songs that I would put in the Guided by Voices canon. 

     This tight, 15 song set finds Pollard, Gillard, Bare, Shue and March firing on all cylinders. It starts with one of the bands best 1-2-3 punches ever; "Meet the Star", "Cruiser's Cross" and "Romeo Surgeon". "Romeo Surgeon" is the standout of this bunch. Gillard's razor sharp, stabby, stop-and-start riffs are dynamic. Even the next two tracks, "Chain Dance" and "Why Won't You Kiss Me", are those goofy type of Pollard songs that can quickly go off the rails, but he manages to straddle the line between having fun and being absurd. The rest of the album is on a spectrum from very good to great. In particular, the five song run of "Awake Man", "Rust Belt Boogie", "Seedling", "Better Odds" and "Radioactive Pigeons" is perfect. They are all quintessential Guided by Voices tracks. Bob's vocals and lyrics are exquisite, the guitars are clear and chime-y, and March's drumming is primal, especially on "Rust Belt Boogie". "Better Odds" is a masterclass in songwriting:

     Would you cut us off if we let cha?

     Would you make a scene? Oh, I betcha

     Having better odds on less production.

     Would you kiss a snake if I held it?

     You caused an earthquake, yeah, I felt it

     Drawing out a plan of your construction

     More or less, a real reduction.

     I mentioned the other day that I was transferred to a new store for my job and it has been kind of stressful. Yesterday, I went back to the receiving room and the girl working back there was listening to Bee Thousand. I shit you not! She was jealous when I told her I was going to see them at The Grog Shop. Then she went on about Pavement and Built to Spill. Maybe this transfer will work out okay after all. Peace.

     

Jerry's Records 2024

      This past Saturday, me and my friends Mike and Dave made the pilgrimage, once again, to Jerry's Records in Pittsburgh. This time we also stopped at Attic Records, which had an amazing selection. Unfortunately, I blew my budget and had to leave a copy of Miles Davis' Nefertiti behind. Still, I made some great pickups and found a grail. One quick note before I reveal my selections. I dropped my laptop and the screen is broken, so my only way to post is on my phone, which I hate. I'm doing it for this post and I will finish the Guided by Voices dive, but I may not post after that until I get a new laptop or something. Anyhow, here are my picks. The first six are from Jerry's and the last three are from Attic.

Miles Davis- Miles Smiles. This was my big splurge of the trip. Like the Pickers say, "The time to buy it is when you see it." It was in great condition and it is Miles' great Second Quintet. Had I known I would find Nefertiti at Attic I might have held off, but I love Miles Smiles too. 

Mott the Hopple - All the Young Dudes. I've been picking up a lot of Mott and Ian Hunter lately and I couldn't pass up on a VG+ version of All the Young Dudes. I've been holding out for a nice copy for quite some time. 

Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars. I took a flyer on this because I love their 1984 album, Stoneage Romeos, but I've never heard this one. Dave said it's almost as good, so it should be fine. I'll check it out tomorrow on my day off. 

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp. I basically got this to have a nice copy for listening to "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" I'm sure the rest of it is great too. 

YES - Going For the One. One of my favorite YouTubers, Andy Edwards is always going on about this album. I found a promo copy for radio stations that was cheap and in good condition, so I jumped on it. 

April Wine - Live at the El Mocambo. This is a live recording of a  Canadian show where they opened for The Rolling Stones. I have been on a mission to pick up some old April Wine, so I was thrilled to find this. Unfortunately, my budget constraints forced me to pass up on a copy of Stand Back. 

Tommy Keene - Songs From the Film. Really jacked to have found this in the wild. This is the album that features "Places That Are Gone". Tommy was the best. R.I.P.

Esquivel- Other Worlds Other Sounds. I've also been on the lookout for any Esquivel. This is a limited edition, audiophile reissue that I got for $20. Pretty happy about that. I'd still like to find some O.G. copies in the wild. 

Charo- Cuchi Cuchi. This was my grail find. I've been looking for this forever. Attic Records even had another Charo record, but I left it behind due to my budget. I can't believe I finally found it. This was the capper to a great trip with great friends. Peace.

 

 

     

Guided by Voices: La La Land ( 2023 )

      Hello. Sorry it's been about a week between posts. I transferred to a new store for my job and the commute is considerably longer, and it's cutting into my available free time for writing and listening to albums. Once I'm adjusted and plan my listening with my commute, I should be back on a regular posting schedule. At least that's the plan. For those of you who are exhausted with Guided by Voices content, rejoice that we have almost reached the end of this exercise. La La Land is the 13th studio album by the current lineup of Guided by Voices, and the first of three releases in 2023. It is my least favorite of the three, and of this deep dive as well. I'm rating it at 3-stars. It's actually impressive that my lowest score for this discography is 3-stars. This lineup has not released a horrible album despite 16 releases since 2017. Kudos to Uncle Bob and gang. 

     The standout track, by a wide margin, is "Cousin Jackie". It's best described as a mashup of The Who and Free. In fact, there's a section where Gillard virtually quotes the guitar riff from "Alright Now". It even has some John Entwhistle style French Horn. I love the line. "Climb a mountain to the valley, drive a highway to the alley". It's been clear during this deep dive that this lineup of Guided by Voices is influenced, quite profoundly, by The Who. Not a bad influence.

     Overall, this album lacks memorable hooks or lyrics. The second-best song is probably the 6-minute epic, "Slowly on the Wheel". What it lacks in hooks or good lyrics it makes up for with some good musicianship. Especially about 4 minutes into the song. The de facto title track, "Instinct Dwelling", is a pretty decent, sludgy hard rock number. It also has some fun lyrics from Pollard, "Better not see your contraband, you'll wind up in La La Land" and "Front door lobbies for acronyms, L.A. gyms can pack 'em in". Everything else on La La Land is C-Tier Guided by Voices material, except "Queen of Spaces". Its slow tempo and string arrangements are really not my jam though. 

     I haven't made much progress on my 2004 listening, so I'm not sure when I'm going to get to that deep dive series. Saturday, I'm going to Jerry's Records, so I will post about that as soon as I can. I'm hoping to pick up some cool stuff that I never see at shops around here. Wish me luck. Peace.

Guided by Voices: Tremblers and Goggles by Rank ( 2022 )

     Guided by Voices second album of 2022 is the absurdly titled Tremblers and Goggles by Rank. By the band's standards, this is an extremely tight 10-song set, overtly informed by The Who. This is most evident on the de facto title track, "Goggles by Rank". Chronologically, following It's Not them and Crystal Nun Cathedral, it seems like a step backwards. Considering they focused on just 10 songs it seems more uneven than its immediate predecessors. An album this short should have no room for a song like "Cartoon Fashion (Bongo Lake). This track marks the return of Uncle Bob's goofy vocal deliveries and musical shenanigans. Having said that, TAGBR is a solid album and I'm rating it 3.5 stars. 

     The single "Alex Bell" illustrates the lack of focus on Tremblers and Goggles by Rank. The title evokes Big Star, but there's no Alex Chilton or Chris Bell influence to be found. It has two distinct sections, which are both pretty good, interrupted by Pollard repeating the line "Walking down Alex Bell" multiple times. It takes the listener out of the song. However, the last section of the track is the highlight. The other single is the lead track, "Lizard on the Red Brick Wall". It's good, but not particularly hooky or memorable. For me, the standout track is "Goggles by Rank". It's eerily "I Can See for Miles" adjacent. It's the one song where everything comes together. Kevin March kicks it off with his best Keith Moon moves. Gillard and Bare Jr. pay homage to Pete Townshend in their power and reserve. Pollard's vocals and lyrics are at their best. 

     The rest of the album is filled out with solid songs that fail to stay with you once you take the record off the turntable. It makes me want to go back and listen to Crystal Nun Cathedral or jump ahead to Welshpool Frillies. Like I said, I have it at 3.5, but I would say it's a low 3.5 and almost a 3.0. Now, that's in the context of this lineup's albums. It's still way better than most records in 2022. 

     Just a quick update about my collection. I am making my triumphant return to Jerry's Records in Pittsburgh with my friends Mike and Dave in a couple weeks. I haven't been since 2013. That's crazy! I will publish a post about it at that time. Hopefully, I can find some Charo this time. Peace.

Guided by Voices: Crystal Nun Cathedral ( 2022 )

      It's been fun revisiting this current run of Guided by Voices albums. If you've been along for the ride, I hope it's been fun for you as well. I realize this is an excessive amount of Guided by Voices content all at once, but I felt it would be an interesting exercise. Apologies to those of you who aren't fans of the band. My pace is slowing a bit because I'm down to the last five albums before the new one is released at the end of the month. I'm also trying to get through a copious list of 2004 albums for that deep dive. It's shaping up to be an excellent year of releases. I already have a 4.5-star new discovery. I'm aiming for early July for the 2004 reveals. 

     Crystal Nun Cathedral is similar to Sweating the Plague in that it's a tight, 12-song set that's a solid rocker with no extreme highs or lows. The quality of the songs is higher on CNC, but I'm rating it at 4-stars as well. It's close to 4.5, but I can't quite rate it the same as Alien Lanes or Half Smiles of the Decomposed. In the context of this band lineup though a 4.5 could be argued. My only complaint is CNC is mostly one-note and lacks a couple really hooky tracks. However, every song is good to great. It's amazing that Robert Pollard can still deliver a vocal performance like the one he does here. The lyrics seem more personal, especially on the song "Never Mind the List". It's clearly a diss track to someone. "Let it rest and go away. Keep your profile low. Never try so hard", "Make a fist when you pray", "Too bad we couldn't get along", "Might I say you can cross me from your list. Very good then". It's interesting that this song was the single that they produced a video for. 

     The opening track, "Eye City" is an intense combination of grunge and prog. The lyrics of chorus 2 are fantastic, "Presidential ghost of this illusion/That's how it goes/In and out through tighter spaces, voyeuristic light/Venus flytrap slowly dying/Snapping lashes on the brink/Arriving violently through the stream/A scene that's playing out in some god's dream/And I still come 'round here". The song "Forced to the Sea" reminds me of "Look at Them' from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. The following track, "Huddled" is reminiscent of the album Earthquake Glue. "Excited Ones" is probably the most classically catchy song in this set. "Mad River Man" is menacing in the verses, up-tempo in the choruses, and Who's Next adjacent. CNC closes with the title track, "Crystal Nun Cathedral". It's another of those great under two-minute rockers that Pollard can toss off while sitting on the toilet. The lyrics are delightful. The more I listen to CNC, I might get to a 4.5-stars at some point. It's a great record. Peace.

Guided by Voices: It's Not Them, It Couldn't Be Them. It Is Them ( 2021 )

      The second Guided by Voices album of 2021 is the obnoxiously titled, It's Not Them, It Couldn't Be Them, It Is Them. Technically, it's the third if you count their release Clang Clang Ho under the moniker Cub Scout Bowling Pins. For the purposes of this deep dive, I'm not. For the purposes of this post, I will refer to this album simply as It's Not Them. I love the cover of this record. It features bassist Mark Shue, legs akimbo, finger pointed to the sky, beer bottle in his left hand and cigarette dangling. The color scheme is also quite striking with olive green lettering and gray background. It's Not Them perfectly illustrates why I gave Earth Man Blues 3-stars and rate this one at 4-stars. It's still plenty weird, but it's a confident, consolidated band effort with some interesting production. Pollard's vocals are strong, even when he's indulging in some of his "idiosyncrasies". Doug Gillard also contributes some impressive string and horn arrangements on several tracks. 

     Right out of the gate is the song "Spanish Coin" in which Gillard plays flamenco-style guitar and adds swelling strings and trumpet. It's a singular track in the Guided by Voices catalog. It really sets the tone for what's to come over 41 minutes. This is followed up by the two standout songs on It's Not Them, "High in the Rain" and "Dance of Gurus". "High in the Rain" sounds like classic early 2000's Guided by Voices, catchy and muscular. "Dance of Gurus" has some great lyrics, "raise a drink to a planet rich in symbols", "no salute to a marcher's boot, that's for beginners" and "Buy me a Big Mac". Even "weird" tracks like "Flying Without a License" and "Maintenance Man of the Haunted House" are musically adventurous. There's also an obligatory epic track, "Black and White Eyes in a Prism". It's a nice composition and Pollard is in top form. Great lyrics. Then there's the delightful track, "People Need Holes". "People need holes to climb inside. People need cars to go for a ride". Yes, they do Uncle Bob. 

     In the Guided by Voices online community, the a-Capella track "Razor Bug" has become a meme and somewhat of a litmus test. It's arguably Robert Pollard's most bonkers one-minute of recorded "music". It's a spoken word piece in which Pollard may or may not have consumed a few "pops". You can almost sense the rest of the band standing around trying not to crack up while he recorded it. "Razor bug is coming with his golden boots and clubs. Razor bug is here with his surfboard suicide. Razor bug is back with his vegetable girls. Razor bug is thirsty drinking Greenworm soda. Razor bug is talent let him join your jacket. Razor bug is out there in the clearing of his pimples. Razor bug is goofy from the shots". I think it's hilarious. Count me as Team Razor Bug. 

     In a world where the past 30 years of music has hardly evolved or changed, and everyone worships nostalgia, it's nice that a band like Guide by Voices can exist and make music that challenges the listener and pushes the envelope. And they are a dynamic live band. As Bob once said, "Isn't it great to exist at this point in time?" Peace.

     I tried to attach a video for Razor Bug, but it wouldn't come up as an option. I also tried to attach the music video for "Dance of Gurus" and that wouldn't come up either. I'm not sure what I ended up attaching, but I can't figure out how to get rid of it. Hopefully it's not something dumb. Please try to find those videos for yourself. Once again, Peace.

Guided by Voices: Earth Man Blues ( 2021)

      Alright kids, the Guided by Voices (current lineup) discography breakdown is back with the first of two 2021 releases, Earth Man Blues. I'm going to predict this will be my lowest ranked album of this dive. Having said that, it's a low 3 stars and has five songs that most bands would kill for. The great thing about Guided by Voices is they have a relatively small, dedicated fanbase that supports them no matter what direction Uncle Bob leads them. Pollard is proof of marketing expert Seth Godin's belief that if you show up every day and ship the work your people will find it and support you. This album features many facets of Robert Pollard's muse that I, personally, don't like. Weird vocal deliveries, goofy accents and sections of songs that sound like they're being played at the wrong speed. Instead of being outlier tracks, they are most of the album. Earth Man Blues is comprised of reworked "suitcase tapes" songs from the Pollard vault. I wish he made better use of this muscular incarnation of the band, but I love and support Guided by Voices, and I'm glad they released five more genius songs into the universe. 

     The standout track is "Trust Them Now". It's a headlong, downhill rocker that clocks in at a tight 2:20. Pollard's lyrics and delivery turn back the clock. This song is already canon. "The Batman Sees the Ball" is a fun song about Batman playing baseball. It locks in on a high-octane groove and never lets up. "Margaret Middle School" is a classic, amped up, one-minute, hit and run Guided by Voices tune. It's followed up by the most well-produced track on the album, "I Bet Hippy". The effects on Bob's vocals and the guitars are unique in the discography. It's not as immediate as the other three tracks, but it's a more interesting listen. Mark Shue's powerful, melodic bass playing is all over the song "Test Pilot". The two-guitar attack of Gillard and Bare Jr. is in your face. And Pollard's lyrics are fantastic. "You can count to ten on all your thumbs". 

     There are a few tracks on Earth Man Blues that aren't essential but are nonetheless worth noting. "Dirty Kid School" is completely bonkers. "Can't hear the bell 'cause no one gives a shit", "Dirty kid school, the moms all hate it". Then the song ends with a crazy Jerry Goldsmith movie score inspired section. "Lights Out in Memphis (Egypt)" is a nearly six-minute epic. The verses are menacing and cinematic, then the choruses kick in with hard rock bombast. It's actually an impressive composition. "Ant Repellent" is delightfully goofy, yet still manages to rock. So, when I rate Earth Man Blues at 3-stars I'm basing that in comparison to other Guided by Voices records. Half of the tracks on here are better than most other bands, but the other half aren't my personal Guide by Voices preference. But "Trust Them Now" is the leader in the clubhouse for best song by this lineup. Peace.