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.

Systems Crash

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Systems crash, systems crash

Systems crash the universe
All emotions are flying
Systems crash the universe
All the systems are dying

Are you watching us watch you?
Are you, are you watching us watch you?
Are you watching us watch you?
Are you watching over black screen?
Are you writing her the blank page?
All the systems are dying

Systems crash the universe
All emotions are flying
Systems crash the universe
All the systems are dying

Falling all over the globe
Falling all over the globe
Falling all over the globe"

A very odd and ramshackle start and then an at-odd-with-itself melody. This song teeters on the edge of being totally out of tune but just hands on with its tiny fingernails. A quite catchy chorus but not a GBV classic.

Why Did You Land?

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Standing around
Hoping everything works out
Cause I want them all to work out
You were always so in love with the truth
Why did you change?
Why did you land?

Look at the photograph
Nothing is real
Spend another lonely life
With nothing to feel

Was it something
In the stories everyone told you
You needn't heed them
Maybe you should read them
Go back to where you came from
Why did you land?
You couldn't stayed in flight forever

Look at the photograph
Nothing is real
Spend another lonely life
With nothing to feel

Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?"

The second time this track has cropped up on "A Pollard A Day", this time the Demons and Painkillers version. This version is a quicker and more uptempo version and always a live favourite. A great song. Very "Alien Lanes". Kick the air to the Chorus!

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?

Running Off With The Fun City Girls

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Generous samples rising in the Indian heaven
Doesn't pretend she even cares things change at eleven
She's running off with the fun city girls
She's running off with the fun city girls

She threw away her treasure chest of nice tomorrows
and anyway its such a glue to loosen
every time you drink it
doesn't have to think it
she's full grown

Doesn't ever acknowledge ever knowing sound security
Shunning advice and clearly showing new found maturity
She's running off with the fun city girls
She's running off with the fun city girls

She threw away her treasure chest of nice tomorrows
and anyway its such a glue to loosen
every time you drink it
doesn't have to think it
she's full grown

With a pocket full of dimestore ammunition
She's arrived at the grand fitting of her mink
and new electric press kit.
Maximize the gaping hole and go"

An early version of the Mag! Earwig track and is a good song. A more traditional straight forward Rock Song with a good verse,chorus,verse and a good strong tune. Who are the "Fun City Girls"? and would be be cool to run off with them?

The Who Vs. Porky Pig

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Hey go
Quick, be off, be sinking
Lown down whale the navy wing
It clears out congested arenas
They sell rocking host balloons
And they're celebrating children
And the weeping circus

And the smoking-nosed robot
Tasted ???? blackens the sticks
Like clowns from a fire, the albatross winks
Faked to the back goes right wing shield
All in a day's work

We met at one of the Kinks' yeah
We could come from the inner circle
Of the dry ??
Until it is just one trap
One threaded ??"

A choppy distorted guitar and Bobs vocals lost in the background on this "Demons & Painkillers" rarity. Its hard to work out a lot of the vocals on this. It mentions the Who and the Kinks. Bobs obsession with the "British Invasion"?

Mannequin's Complaint (Wax Dummy Meltdown)

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Kleptos parading on market floors today,
Insider raiding like boys who drink
and bring down everything
On top of us

This is what we're tired of
This is what we're tired of

And then much later
Paint it up for display
Maximum Torso
Cat from Pluto's purple moon
Said "Light me a can of gas"

This is what we're tired of
This is what we're tired of

This is what we're tired of (repeated)"

A longer and better produced version of "Mannequin's Complaint" that was reviewed earlier in "A Pollard A Day". The instruments are a lot more produced here with a sort of fair ground sound to it all but still holding onto that Bonzo Dog feel. I'm surprised this song didnt't crop up on a major release as its a very imaginative song.

Postal Blowfish

Taken from "Demons & Painkillers" 2003

"Noticing the change
We are taking time
Everybody knows
Everybody's fine
And we'll figure out
Purpose in the end
Unless we have to jump
Unless we have to win

Chorus: Hold your tongue
Brace yourself
Give me a kiss
Show me what I missed

Can I find a phone
Can I drop a dime
Can I get a loan
Running out of time
And I'll have a toast
To what it's all about
Unless they move us on
Unless they move us out
Chorus
Seven doglegs hung to dry
It works that way
Postal blowfish make me cry
It works that way
Begging on the nail don't fail
To clue me in
??Cluster frogs and crabs begin??"

This song crops up in many different recorded versions on various releases. This is probably the cleanest and most produced version. A great chugga-chugga guitar and a memorable chorus section that I'm sure the Breeders loved so much they based most of their career around. What is a Postal Blowfish? You decided.

Motor Away

Taken from "Demons & Painkillers" 2003

"When you motor away beyond the once-red lips
When you free yourself from the chance of a lifetime
You can be anyone they told you to
You can belittle every little voice that told you so
And then the time will come when you add up the numbers
And then the time will come when you motor away
Oh, why don't you just drive away?

When you motor away down the icy streets
You can't lie to yourself that it's the chance of a lifetime
You can be anyone they told you to
You can belittle every little voice that told you so
And the time will come when you add up the numbers
And then the time will come when you motor away
Oh, why don't you just drive away?

Come on
Speed on"

A slightly different and gravelly version of the "Alien Lanes" classic. A bone-fide Guided By Voices classic (though I prefer the proper version). As close as GBV come to standard Indie Rock but a sound that captures the sound of American Independant Rock during the Grunge years. Not sure about the echoed vocals at the end but still a good version of a brilliant song. A song to drive cars to.

Unleashed! The Large Hearted Boy

Taken from "Demons & Painkillers" 2003

"In a world you think you understand
stay put and tune to another planet
It’s up to you to stay put
the shoe is on the other foot
Driven to the fields
whipped like a slave
ready for out.
Ready for the .beast unleashed
large hearted boy"

A Rocking version of an old "Propeller" song that can be found on the "Hardcore UFOs" Box set, co-written by Mitch Mitchell if I recall this song is a simple blast through semi-punk territory and seems to reference "Another Girl Another Planet" in both melody and lyrics. A live favourite in the GBV years if Im not mistaken.

(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Cherub blown apart
baby's in the bed
sit around and mope
better not
can't be long from me

Here they linger
probably in danger
read it on a flyer
glisten on the burner
king shows anger, "reign, man!"
he will deal with it later, send them away
send them away then
not gonna spank you
and we thank you from all of our hearts
send them away then
they're developing rashes
down on the ashes
and after the body-parts
visiting down there
trying to cling there
it don't mean a thing there

Warlock bought her,
animal's little daughter
smiling in spite that she's a spy
while she's singing, an insect stinging
glowing, winging by
if this one will call you like a tide
it can only breed alone
so alone it flys
to enslave you by the night
you can only weep alone
I'll name you the flame that cries

Yeah we did it
we brought you in this ready
takes a quick one to find the light
high speed child in motion
and you can't come along for the ride
yeah we made it with a pitchfork and machete
wow, that's amazing, can I try?
no dangerous weather is approaching
and we wouldn't want you to slide

Visiting down there
trying to cling there
it don't mean a thing there"

A gentle acoustic number will a bit of weird The Day The Earth Stood Still 50s type Sci-Fi sounds in the background which breaks into a full band number halfway through. Some good production on this song and some great playing off each other really well and sounds very much like The Who at times. The lyrics, as ever, conjure up a number of different images. It could almost be sound sort of Fantastical story of Kings and adventure or a story about S&M and STDs. The choice is yours.

Now To War (Electric Version)

Taken from "Demons & Killers" 2003.

"There is no boy in me now,
There is no time and I'm alone,
But I am only breathing - breathing around,
I get involved with your crowd,
They make me feel so alone,
If you could only see me when I'm around,
But this is you and this is war,
It makes me drink even more,
And I'll have fun then I'll make a mark on you,
I'll tell you all that I am,
How simple feet will walk for free,
Until you injure me again"

This is the rarer souped up full band version of "Now To War" which was originally in an acoustic version on "Mag Earwig!". I must admit I prefer the acoustic version but this is still a strong song in the Electric version. I like this song a lot. I think its one of Bob Pollards strongest lyrical songs hes ever written. I don't know if I'm missing the meaning but it sounds to me a song about a someone trapped in a relationship, having to mix with their partners friends and not enjoying it much and loosing them self in drink which eventually turns to domestic abuse. Very sad but a very strong lyric. A Quality song but try out the acoustic version first.