Sunday 3 July 2011

On The Tundra

Taken from "Propeller" 1992

"On the tundra
We went under
We're going under now
On the tundra
We went to vicious places
Of dark and punished faces
Couldn't shake it
Or outgrow it
??Swung hells?? get open now
Don't we know it
Cause with my second guessing
The subject for the testing

Chorus: Look over our blunders
Our two-fisted wonders
The foxy wildest monster dial is
More peaceful than a human hammer
The great ??king tam?? transmissionaries
Evolving without (about) you
Dissolving without you
As you know
It's just too slow on the tundra

And then one day
Maybe today
We'll justify the joke
Make it our day
And blow the total savings
To satisfy our cravings"

Classic chugging early Guided By Voices with the sort of catchy tune that Bob can churn out whilst having a crap. A brilliant song. Fuzzy and warm.

Monday 16 May 2011

Teenage FBI

Taken from "Do The Collapse" 1999

"Someone tell me why
I do the things
That I don't want to do?

When you're around me
I'm somebody else

Someone tell my why
I act like a fool
When things don't go my way
And you're around me?
I'm somebody else

There is good reason I guess
Having it once gone to far
When you clean out the hive
Does it make you want to cry?
Are you still being followed
By the Teenage FBI
Someone tell me why"

A proper hit pop rock song from the mind of Robert Pollard. It just shows with a bit of production Bob can write a Top 10 from another Dimension hit. A great song and famous for its connections to Buffy The Vampire Slayer though never actually appearing on the show.

Do They Teach You The Chase?

Taken from "Demons & Painkillers" 2003

"Will the new suits replace me
I'm so worried you'll never see my face again
Cuz I can't stand the thought of not being involved
in you current disgrace
And at the oddlot do they teach you to chase?
And back at the factory will they laugh in my face
when they read all about it
The lacking racking slacking cracking
nagging bragging dragging etc..."

An almost gothy or Sisters of Mercy type sound to the instrumentation but then Bobs vocals lift the song with great wordplay "lacking racking slacking cracking". Another gem.

Saturday 30 April 2011

A Constant Strangle

Taken from "Moses On A Snail" 2010

Lyrics Unknown

Taken from "Moses On A Snail" and a song that sums up the album quite well. A slow to mid-tempo track with an almost lumbering sound. A really good song that sticks in your head.

Monday 25 April 2011

Heaven's Gate

Taken from "Blues and Boogie Shoes" 2006

Lyrics Unknown

The mighty power pop that is Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene as Keene Brothers. Another anthem and always nice to hear synths in a Bobby P song. There will never be too much singing at Heaven's Gate.

Pressurized

Taken from "Completed Soundtrack For The Tropic Of Nipples" 2002

"yes, the fruits and spoils
of our good people
at peace with equality
vast
northern
neighborly
all the properties that call us home
from wherever our swollen feet
are mistreated
by uncompromising streets"

Like standing in the next room when a band is playing live. Fuzzy. Distored. Dulled. Antler are too weird for me.

Zero Fix

Taken from "Brown Submarine" 2008

Lyrics Unknown

Classic Boston Spaceships sound. Built to high kick and punch the air to and a driving almost punk rhythm. Great song from a great Pollard Project. Features the most inhuman scream ever recorded.

I Shot A Jezebel

Taken from "Suitcase 3", 2009

Lyrics Unknown

Has the feels of an improvised jam. Its always interesting to hear the early stages of the song writing process. Bob sings with a lot of passion on this one.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Sabotage

Taken from "Bigger Trouble" 2005

"I never ever hear you say
I remember when we used to love
You did me wrong, baby
I have you now
It's sabotage
You know it's the work I love

She tried to take me to her world
I don't know why you tell me now
If this is everything you loved
It's sabotage
Baby that's the worst kind of love

Well sabotage is a thing I've thought about
Your sabotage is a thing I want to know
I don't wanna see you
I just don't wanna see you baby

I have a lot of things to say
You don't want to tell me now
It's sabotage
I have a lot for you
It's sabotage
I gotta lot for you

You know what I'm talking about
You heard a lot of people talking about you baby
You heard a lot of people talking about you baby
Sabotage
Yeah that's sabotage

You told me lies baby
??? words are going round
It's happy when I'm up
You hurt me when I'm down
It's sabotage
We got a lot of words are going round

(Play that sad blues song good for me maestro)
(Blood curdling howl)
Ooh, sabotage, sabotage, sabotage, sabotage"

Mr Pollard dips his toe into the land of Blues. This is a moody lo-fi pieces that could have been recorded by anyone from an old Blue musician to Joe Cocker. An interesting direction.