Wednesday 31 October 2007

Happy 50th Bob!

No, not a song title but its Robert Pollards 50th Birthday today. Many Happy Returns! Heres to many more years of songwriting, collages, poetry and amazing creativity.

(ps Its also my Birthday too, spooky)

Monday 29 October 2007

Search-Light Pickups

Taken from "Music For Bubble" 2005

Another song from the strange and "nothing happens" film Bubble. This is an instrumental and has all the Pollard hallmarks. Not a bad little ditty. Did this song ever become a lyrical song?

Sunday 28 October 2007

I'm A Strong Lion

Taken from "From A Compound Eye" 2006

""THAT'S IT" SOME'LL SAY
CAN'T SEE TOO WELL
PAST ANOTHER DAY
WHERE DO THEY GO?

I CAN GET YOU ON MY WRONG SIDE
RIGHT AWAY
IT MIGHT BE TODAY

I'M A STRONG LION - BEEN TRYIN'
THE LORD LIKES ME THAT WAY

SURE AS I'M DYIN' HERE
THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED
YEAH AND IT HURTS TO KNOW
YOU WON'T BE INVOLVED

BUT I CAN BEAT YOU TO THE STRONG SIDE
RIGHT AWAY
I'LL MEET YOU TODAY

'CUS I'M A STRONG LION - BEEN TRYIN'
THE LORD LIKES ME THAT WAY
TRYIN' - STILL FIGHTIN'
THE BOYS LIKE ME THAT WAY"

A fantastic fun minute long mega-pop song that somehow reminds me of Dire Straits "Walk of Life" in an alternate universe. Quality keyboard playing and catchy tune make this a wonderous standout track from FACE. Just makes you wanna do that indie hop.

Saturday 27 October 2007

The Colossus Crawls West

Taken from "Mag Earwig!" 1997

"It's too late now she's got me dreaming
Without you there is no truth according to me
Inside and around me tears got me drinking
Without you there is no scope in the morning for me
One of these days in the night
Old enemies will come back to fight
And since you would then disagree
We will be skinned alive
When full colored kings arrive
And teach then we will all we know
Bring popcorn for Geronimo
And dance with our freshly made friends
Ignoring the old ones - the boring and cold ones
And when the colossus crawls west
Jazz bastards will fall and confess
We all love you so and
You rock is paradise plastic
It's cheap and fantastic!"

A proggy warbly beginning for this song with odd chords and trickily guitar then builds up a bit and is quite a cool little song. Nothing too memorable but pretty cool.

Gods Of Richard

Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005

This song is an outtake from "Not In My Airforce" if I am not mistaken. A lone electric guitar builds up a head of steam in this instrumental track. Not too bad for a minute and a half of basic Rock Riffery.

All Around The World

Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005

Lyrics Unknown

A fast acoustic track and again a great tune that Bob has just chucked away. There are a million half-arsed British Indie bands who would love to have this song on their soon to be forgotten debut album. It appears Suitcase 2 is winning in track appearances over Suitcase 1, the magic of randomness.

Towers and Landslides

Taken from "Normal Happiness" 2006

Lyrics Unknown

When I first heard this song it didn't really click with its strange loose tempo at the start which felt just a touch off the proper speed but the more I listened to "Normal Happiness" it rapidly became one of my favourite Bob Pollard songs. Once you get used to the tempo this is one of the most dynamic songs Bob has written in the last few years with a great break and bridge and builds to a great finale. Superb.

Brick Soul Mascots (Part 2)

Taken from "Sgt. Disco" 2007

Lyrics Unknown.

The seconds part of the Brick Soul Mascots pair of songs from "Sgt. Disco" is a ploddy and lumpen rock song with some great "waaaaaaa" backing vocals. It teeters on the edge of just being pub-rock and has a primitive energy all of its own. Straight to the point I suppose.

She Saw The Shadow

Taken from "Choreographed Man Of War" 2001

"I was making a wish
And a witch was watching me
How did I know she was there?
I was invisible, impossible
Only observable to children
But I felt her glare

She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow

I was trying to run
But the earth was holding me down
Like a hammer and nail
Leading off with a ring
So I wouldn't remember
A universe predominantly female

She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow nothing in the dark
She saw the shadow
She saw the shadow"

The start of this song reminds me of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" from Joy Division but more lo-fi but then we enter the "Rawwwk" zone when the song burst to life half way through with a full band. A great song, very catchy and the lyrics are just amazing. Up there with Bobs best.

Sunday 21 October 2007

My Thoughts Are A Gas

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Of lights who've faded out before here comes the same
When I'm coded from to much of what I can't describe
Kepat at bay in some regard despite what she wrote
I've been frozen in a site display where nothing amounts
To anything

Took a journey back to sometime just to find out
If I could locate another improbable passage way
Penetrate ? rock and the rock echos back
My thoughts are a gas
I'm not going to crash
Into anyone

And often asked
What do you know
Just what was handed down to me
Slip graciously in to the happy homes
Groping ? frequently opposed
???
Built this champion
Out of their own wasted flesh
Is this supposed to do that
Through it all I'll pass
Cause my thoughts are a gas
My thoughts are a gas
My thoughts are a gas"

A shiny and almost Goth like twinkle pervades the early part of this song. I could almost imagine Sister of Mercy droning over the track. This is a classic Guided By Voices tune but only exists on rarity and collected albums. A very catchy hook and a good drive to the song and another song to feature "Gas" in the title. Can you remember the others?

Saturday 20 October 2007

The Weeping Bogeyman

Taken from "Universal Truths and Cycles" 2002

""Make it" comes alive
In my private glass tent
A portable mortuary
Going...
Going...
But not yet gone
'Cus when it does, it does and then...
The ancient practice
Of mourning the phantom
Do you really think he
Would choose to inhabit the pore
Where his container was planted?
...can't imagine that"

Another song just dripping with longing and feels like a small part of a musical epic. Short and consisting of mainly bobs voice, acoustic guitar and a keyboard but has the feeling of a song much bigger than its parts.

Boring About

Taken from "Music for Bubble" 2005

No Lyrics

A short instrumental piece that features quite heavily in the film "Bubble". Ive always loved this piece of music and love the vocal version that appears on "Normal Happiness". This song has a strange melancholic longing sound to it. Like.

Thursday 18 October 2007

Messiahs

Taken from "Speak Kindly Of Your Volunteer Fire Department" 1999

"I like it in their it looks good
when I’m at home I love you good
when away even more
it’s good to care for
dreams like strings in cold trees
iceberg heads and alien flavors
this being a giftshop
an electronics tent sale
over here in seats folded warmly

I like it out there the timeclock kills
must be the iron wills
of future kings who ride their ships
through fast atmospheres"

After about a month away "A Pollard A Day" is back. I'm finally moved in and sorted and getting back to normality and ready to kick of the Pollard Blog of The Century. So here we go....

"Messiahs" has a repetitive but catchy start and is a very melodic track from Pollards stable. This is a strong track with good lyric (although the usual Bob Nonsense at times). The song changes key and builds up and is a great song from a really good album.