Good Luck Sailor

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996


"I can't even save you
I can't even let you know
And no one can reach you

And now no great philosophy prevails
May the cold wind always ripple in your sails

Good luck sailor
Good luck sailor
Good luck sailor"

A very suitcase sounding track with an interesting melody and ends with multi-layered Bob vocals. Short, sweet and to the point.

Roofer's Union Fight Song

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"For every wild weekend
The roofers cry
Under the underdog bullwhip

A "Nothing For Granted" requested
Abusing the signal
Went forth the student of mystery

Out there in the way - let's waste him
Show him the teaching tool
Only "No Ones" get through the gate
...not in my airforce"

Very 70's sounding guitar lick and some wailed Bob vocals. Bob loves planes doesnt he?

Chance To Buy An Island

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Chance to buy an island - I'll sell it to you
It's not so bad
Check out the "For Sale" sign - It's for you
And hey, it's really nice

Can I offer you a find?
Can I oil your rusty mind?
If I tell you all I know
Can I pack it up and go?

And now you're ten years colder
At least you're alive
And that's not too bad
And you can't afford an island

Put it up for sale
And hey, don't think twice"

What mic does Bob use to get that sound? Like he is on the radio. It rocks. A quite slow moving but emotional sounding song from Mr Pollard here. The main riff reminds me of another more famous composition but I cant put my finger on it.

One Clear Minute

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Everytime she sings when she goes away
Why does she sing to me of Monterey?
Offering a piece of her heaven to me up there

Once she went astray long enough to play
Promised to return - later run away
Of course it has to be a lesson for me again

It comes out to slow - what I wanna say
One clear minute shows that it goes away
Happening so quickly and strangely to me"

Is that the tink of a spoon a wine glass? A strange and naeive melody where two different Bobs seem to be making up the words but slightly differently. Very odd but oddly affecting

John Strange School

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Enter now into a place
Where forests are dripping
But no one seals the sap in no bottle

Let it rain rich and muddy to a war
And a cage of kind mockingbirds
Lonely and hungry will starve
And that's who it is for you
And that's who it is for you"

A haunting melody and sound with echoey tinny vocals from Bob Pollard. The guitar riff sounds very similar to a Beatles riff. Full of sadness and longing with a great bit of spooky keyboard and a lonely thumping drum at the end.

Psychic Pilot Clocks Out

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"The sign shed light on who is lonely
Run and hide - I'm alright
Light me, blood clot
I am only a child of light
And I'm going all the way
And I've thrown it all away

Service time is lonely
Live it up before you pass away

In my sight- no more fighting
Don't be defensive- not with me
Every issue presents itself
We address them quickly
And throw them all away
And I've thrown them all away

Service time is lonely
Live it up before you pass away

I feel life passing on by us..."

A squally guitar track fades in for about 30 seconds before we hit the song proper with a lone electric guitar and we are then into classic Pollard territory with rolling and crashing drums and a chorus that just lodges itself inside your brain! "I feel life passing us by". Fantastic stuff. This is the stuff of Pollard Legend. Great song.

Punk Rock Gods

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Punk rock gods
Your product is now available
Your wishes are not coming true
But you have quite fabulous stamina
So smear it around
Vrrrooom it around"

Another acoustic track. If your expecting snarly Punk you aint going to get it here. Is it a tribue to Punk bands who keep in going long past their sell out date? Who can say. Not a bad little ditty.

King of Arthur Avenue

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Just after the tin can laughter dies down I will hoist my vulgar flag,
Everywhere you are,
Don't blame me Don't maim me,
oh Like a leopard leaping out,
Into your life,
Crashing your nerve,
Who will protect you?,
You'd better stand tall,
Always on call I want a quick taste,
Look at your face changing,
Ideas exchanging,
The world is oblivious so far And it's timeless around me,
And nothing at all,
The world will be better when you fall,
You will recall..."

From one of Robert Pollard many Solo/Side-Project albums, "King of Arthur Avenue" starts as quite a lilting gentle acoustic track but suddenly explodes to life with a deep growly guitar finale and almost feels like two songs melded together. Again quite a longing type song that sounds better in isolation than hidden amongst the album.