Peroxide

Taken from "Selective Service" 2001

"Man infected like railroad series
Man infected like tinsel
Man infected as socialite
Man infected remembers
As it so decides the sights he sees
As he redirects one's energies
Like commercial sequences

Man infected like lighter fluid
Man infected by sign language
Photon radio camp ostrich
Man enticed by rice - OK?

As it decides the signs he reads
as it redirects his efficiency
select another frequency"

A real garage swagger to this song that strangely fades away as you are just getting into it. The crazy Bob and his fade button. Would have loved to have heard the full version of this song or did it fall apart toward the end.

Selective Service

Taken from "Selective Service" 2001

"Beyond honky hearts
In the bengal lunch
Where distributors launch
A thoroughbred party
Madly they bite at the
Beauty of life
All forgiveness included
And fuckin' shit that
Requires insight
Strenuous
Laborous
Don't preach, reach!
You know God loves you when you try
Of the same blood that stirs
Making men mean
Wake up fresh
And take a rake
Give up the blues
Let's build something less fake"

The title track from the "Selective Service" EP that features both Guided By Voices and Airport 5, both Bob bands. A great spoken word piece with just Bob and a Guitar and a strange bit of feedback fuzz in the middle. Good stuff.

No Welcome Wagons

Taken from "Selective Service" 2001

"Pandemonium ensues
Sure enough fire and the dog barks
Let's get acquainted
Been so many days or should I say
"So long"
On the outset jets coming
People tend to take you away
Send me to the grip of funerals
The pain is in each character
Facing it always does
Wake up and pray tell
Where can we get off
Lean one
Double up your fists for the undercut
Pandemonium subsides
Rest assured
No welcome wagons will be there
When I get home"

Another fading-in Acoustic oddity. Cant quite work out what the song is about. It sounds like someone waking up with random thoughts then drifts back off to sleep. Bob can literally write these sort of songs in his sleep.

Travels

Taken from "Selective Service" 2001

"It is my destiny
To dye it with her tears
Common ties selected
From loose threads in the blanket
Where'd you get the girl?
Across the mighty highway
Disappeared in her apartment
Never to return"

A short poem come song played out in top of a lone acoustic guitar. Has the classic tape recorder fizz that marked the sound of many an early recording and this would almost fit on "Bee Thousand" but still sounds too Hi-Fi for that. Some nice plucking to fill in the final half of the song.

Cold War Water Sports

Taken from "Selective Service" 2001

"Grand filled father fake maneuver
It chills the bones in most mothers
But who's choosing
Latter day saint's are bruising
Expectations great
Still they make a moon pie
Nice and high like bottle rocket
But I'm not begging
I'm asking rather politely
Wealthy minglers
Cold War Water Sports
Johnny come never
He's increasing the frankenstein
loosing the the free association
Cold sensations"

A sluggish downbeat number from the split Airport 5 and Guided By Voices "Selective Service" EP. A very basic song with what sounds like a simple drum machine and a bass loop. Some interesting lyrics going on and the refrain of "Cold War War Water Sports" sort of reminds me of my little trip to Czech Republic. Love the "Cold Sensations" ending and sung in a very different way by Mr Pollard.