Taken from "Choreographed Man Of War" 2001
"Aerial, I
I took two of these
Offered to take away
Where it has always gone
Leading you
Leading all the way
Offered to do my work
Now it is always done
Leading you
Leading all the way
Aerial, I
I took all of these"
A very long instrumental introduction of a lone guitar with an echoey effect that reminds me of a more sinister Red House Painters song that I have. Then Bobs vocals arrive and the song just floats out the speakers and the effect is both relaxing and uplifting. A great highlight from "Choreographed Man Of War".
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Hank's Little Fingers
Taken from "Devil Between My Toes" 1987
"{chorus}
We're watchin Hank
We're watchin Hank's little fingers
We're watchin Hank
We're watchin Hank's little fingers
Touching like new skin
pulling in the fibers within
hammerbox and strum
Beating on the Indian Drum
Unless you got the answers
Don't patronize the mountain man, uh-oh-oh
Unless you got the answers
Don't patronize the mountain man, uh-oh-oh
{chorus}
swimming river flow
rifle, bullet, arrow, and bow,
poster, paint, and tile
lepos, chivine, car and reptile
unless you've got the answers
don't patronize the mountain men."
A tribute to Hank Marvin perhaps? A great song with a fine melody. Niave in some respects but shows how Bob Pollard was a great song writer way back in the day. Someone he can make a list of random words and objects a fist punching rally cry.
"{chorus}
We're watchin Hank
We're watchin Hank's little fingers
We're watchin Hank
We're watchin Hank's little fingers
Touching like new skin
pulling in the fibers within
hammerbox and strum
Beating on the Indian Drum
Unless you got the answers
Don't patronize the mountain man, uh-oh-oh
Unless you got the answers
Don't patronize the mountain man, uh-oh-oh
{chorus}
swimming river flow
rifle, bullet, arrow, and bow,
poster, paint, and tile
lepos, chivine, car and reptile
unless you've got the answers
don't patronize the mountain men."
A tribute to Hank Marvin perhaps? A great song with a fine melody. Niave in some respects but shows how Bob Pollard was a great song writer way back in the day. Someone he can make a list of random words and objects a fist punching rally cry.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
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.
"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.
Monday, 28 May 2007
Scare Me No.3
Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005
Lyrics Unknown
An acoustic track with strong vocals and some great strumming from Bob and another song with the Number 3 in the title, much like the last song. Strange how that works out sometimes. Sounds like one of the acoustic starts that sometimes pepper album tracks that bob does. Crazy lyrics as ever.
Lyrics Unknown
An acoustic track with strong vocals and some great strumming from Bob and another song with the Number 3 in the title, much like the last song. Strange how that works out sometimes. Sounds like one of the acoustic starts that sometimes pepper album tracks that bob does. Crazy lyrics as ever.
Sunday, 27 May 2007
3 Year Old Man
Taken from "Devil Between My Toes" 1987
Lyrics Unknown
A spooky sounding guitar fills this track with a metronomic riff that sounds like the start of some "The Who" tracks. An instrumental track that is pretty good but doesnt really take off.
Lyrics Unknown
A spooky sounding guitar fills this track with a metronomic riff that sounds like the start of some "The Who" tracks. An instrumental track that is pretty good but doesnt really take off.
Saturday, 26 May 2007
Dog's Out
Taken from "Devil Between My Toes" 1987
"Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
And I must get high workin that line
And I must get high workin that line
Don't hide come to me
I'm workin that mile -Don't hide come to me"
A very 60s pop sounding moment from "Devil Between Your Toes" (Is this a reference to foot cheese). A strong track with excellent vibrant vocals by Mr.Pollard and a nice chorus. There are some real gems on the early albums. "Come to Me!" indeed Mr Pollard!
"Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
Come to me
Say you will say you won't
And I must get high workin that line
And I must get high workin that line
Don't hide come to me
I'm workin that mile -Don't hide come to me"
A very 60s pop sounding moment from "Devil Between Your Toes" (Is this a reference to foot cheese). A strong track with excellent vibrant vocals by Mr.Pollard and a nice chorus. There are some real gems on the early albums. "Come to Me!" indeed Mr Pollard!
Friday, 25 May 2007
Tainted Angels With Butter Knives
Taken from "Suitcase 2"
Lyrics Unknown.
A muffled and fuzzed up Suitcase track with a bizzare title. The vocals are lost in the muddy mess of recorder fizz and grot. Though Im sure he says "Wankers" at one point. Which is nice. You can hear the beginnings of a lovely melody and song amongst the mud. Nice bass though.
Lyrics Unknown.
A muffled and fuzzed up Suitcase track with a bizzare title. The vocals are lost in the muddy mess of recorder fizz and grot. Though Im sure he says "Wankers" at one point. Which is nice. You can hear the beginnings of a lovely melody and song amongst the mud. Nice bass though.
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Serious Bird Woman (You Turn Me On)
Taken from "Normal Happiness" 2006
Lyrics Unknown
Bang up to date with music from the 2006 album "Normal Happiness". A nice song but feature some weird warlby vocals by the Pollard-miester. Hard to describe the technique he uses here but it certainly takes some getting used to. What happened to the english sounding geezer in his earlier work? The song almost drifts into being out of tune but manages to stay there and has a nice refrain towards the end. I like "Normal Happiness" but this isnt one of my favourits from it.
Lyrics Unknown
Bang up to date with music from the 2006 album "Normal Happiness". A nice song but feature some weird warlby vocals by the Pollard-miester. Hard to describe the technique he uses here but it certainly takes some getting used to. What happened to the english sounding geezer in his earlier work? The song almost drifts into being out of tune but manages to stay there and has a nice refrain towards the end. I like "Normal Happiness" but this isnt one of my favourits from it.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
Red Ink Superman
Taken from "Motel Of Fools" 2003
"Now and then
She serenades the system
I like looking at the crime
I like looking in
Don't fill up your freezer
At Henry's disco
Last night was all over
Last night is all gone
You paid the price
You paid the bill
Zipping in and out
Where are the perfect suits
Tags still hang
From the red light special
From the blue ink dream
From the white man's money
And you know
Ain't no clouds above ya
Proves the angels love ya
And the white man
Now you wanna go
Now you wanna swim
Working on your man
Red ink superman
We'll even the score in World War IV"
Take from one of my least favourite of the "Robert Pollard" albums. Some of the songs are just too damn weird and discordant for my tastes. This song starts with room sounds, clinking and then ultra-slowed down vocals before we hit the song proper nearly 2 minutes in. Like the pounding drum sounds that appear between the mainly guitar led track. Not a bad song but I find the vocals slightly off and feels like tit once to be epic but doesn't quite get there. Ends in a horrible mess of guitars and randomly played instruments. Nuff said.
"Now and then
She serenades the system
I like looking at the crime
I like looking in
Don't fill up your freezer
At Henry's disco
Last night was all over
Last night is all gone
You paid the price
You paid the bill
Zipping in and out
Where are the perfect suits
Tags still hang
From the red light special
From the blue ink dream
From the white man's money
And you know
Ain't no clouds above ya
Proves the angels love ya
And the white man
Now you wanna go
Now you wanna swim
Working on your man
Red ink superman
We'll even the score in World War IV"
Take from one of my least favourite of the "Robert Pollard" albums. Some of the songs are just too damn weird and discordant for my tastes. This song starts with room sounds, clinking and then ultra-slowed down vocals before we hit the song proper nearly 2 minutes in. Like the pounding drum sounds that appear between the mainly guitar led track. Not a bad song but I find the vocals slightly off and feels like tit once to be epic but doesn't quite get there. Ends in a horrible mess of guitars and randomly played instruments. Nuff said.
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
Lets's Ride
Taken from "Forever Since Breakfast" 1986
"She looked up in the noonday sun, said, "Fighter jets are so unreal"
But we've got a job to be done, come on
When I was just a boy, I saw the kings of the big gold cities
But as they died I dried up inside -- let's ride
Let's ride on airplanes and buses
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on fast motorcycles
Let's leave the routines of living behind
We pulled into a tick-tock town and all the people looked so happy
Another trip down the elephant slide -- let's ride
Let's ride on subways and steeples
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on prescriptions and bottles
Let's leave the routines of living behind
Let's ride on airplanes and buses
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on fast motorcycles
Let's leave the routines of living behind"
Lets take a trip back in time to the beginning to Guided By Voices and the "Forever Since Breakfast" EP. "Lets Ride" is a very REM inspired song with a nice hook and chorus. The production of this early EP reminds me of early era-REM, in fact the lyrics and everything remind me of REM. REM, but a bit different. Its a nice song. Quite soft and winsome.
"She looked up in the noonday sun, said, "Fighter jets are so unreal"
But we've got a job to be done, come on
When I was just a boy, I saw the kings of the big gold cities
But as they died I dried up inside -- let's ride
Let's ride on airplanes and buses
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on fast motorcycles
Let's leave the routines of living behind
We pulled into a tick-tock town and all the people looked so happy
Another trip down the elephant slide -- let's ride
Let's ride on subways and steeples
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on prescriptions and bottles
Let's leave the routines of living behind
Let's ride on airplanes and buses
Let's ride to the end of the line
Let's ride on fast motorcycles
Let's leave the routines of living behind"
Lets take a trip back in time to the beginning to Guided By Voices and the "Forever Since Breakfast" EP. "Lets Ride" is a very REM inspired song with a nice hook and chorus. The production of this early EP reminds me of early era-REM, in fact the lyrics and everything remind me of REM. REM, but a bit different. Its a nice song. Quite soft and winsome.
Monday, 21 May 2007
Marchers in Orange
Taken from "Fast Japanese Spin Cycle" 1994
"The white line of tracers
For the facers of the aftermath
Positioned in the situation
Lost in battles of love
Not learning not returning
Unborn unhatched
Yeah but wait
It's time to collide
To decide, if you will
A purpose for the marchers in orange
Still circus for the children in disguise
Throwing bones to the drug-sniffing dogs
Projecting what we've come to know as ours
For the colors we wear in our dreams
For the flags we fly in our films"
A glam rock beat great you to this mini-rockathon from the earlier days of Guided By Voices. This is a different version from the Vampire on Titus original and Im not sure if I prefer this amped up version or the original lo-fi strum. Is it about the Orange Men? This time they are marching, they are not in a Parade.
"The white line of tracers
For the facers of the aftermath
Positioned in the situation
Lost in battles of love
Not learning not returning
Unborn unhatched
Yeah but wait
It's time to collide
To decide, if you will
A purpose for the marchers in orange
Still circus for the children in disguise
Throwing bones to the drug-sniffing dogs
Projecting what we've come to know as ours
For the colors we wear in our dreams
For the flags we fly in our films"
A glam rock beat great you to this mini-rockathon from the earlier days of Guided By Voices. This is a different version from the Vampire on Titus original and Im not sure if I prefer this amped up version or the original lo-fi strum. Is it about the Orange Men? This time they are marching, they are not in a Parade.
Sunday, 20 May 2007
The Best Of Jill Hives
Taken from "Earthquake Glue" 2003
"Paid up weathered and type-o,
clad in gladstone watch him go,
swimming beneath the microscope.
hello lonely bless the nation.
mr. skip to all or none,
wooden soldiers fall upon,
try to find what makes her tick,
while their finding out what makes them sick.
i dont know where you find your nerve,
i dont know how you choose your words,
speak the ones that suit you worse,
keep you grounded, sad and cursed,
circle the ones that come alive,
save them for the best of jill hives.
been around and left you flat,
tragically decided that,
every child of god's a brat,
and shes dying to escape them.
but do we really need to see,
all her punchdrunk history,
and which of it might hold the key
for the exit to her destiny.
i dont know where you find your nerve,
i dont know how you choose your words,
speak the ones that suit you worse,
keep you grounded, sad and cursed,
circle the ones that come alive,
save them for the best of jill hives.
number one in all our souls,
trifle in the crystal bowl,
fill it up with 9 to 5,
save them for the best of jill hives."
A single and one of the most well know Guided By Voices songs. I like the way it builds and has some great lyrics. The chorus as to be some of the most wonderful sounding Poetry that Bob has ever written, just read it and its flows so beautifully. Its a good song but not an absolute favourite of mine and I find the vocal effect a bit off putting, its all sibilance and "sesses" if you ask me. Who is Jill Hives?
"Paid up weathered and type-o,
clad in gladstone watch him go,
swimming beneath the microscope.
hello lonely bless the nation.
mr. skip to all or none,
wooden soldiers fall upon,
try to find what makes her tick,
while their finding out what makes them sick.
i dont know where you find your nerve,
i dont know how you choose your words,
speak the ones that suit you worse,
keep you grounded, sad and cursed,
circle the ones that come alive,
save them for the best of jill hives.
been around and left you flat,
tragically decided that,
every child of god's a brat,
and shes dying to escape them.
but do we really need to see,
all her punchdrunk history,
and which of it might hold the key
for the exit to her destiny.
i dont know where you find your nerve,
i dont know how you choose your words,
speak the ones that suit you worse,
keep you grounded, sad and cursed,
circle the ones that come alive,
save them for the best of jill hives.
number one in all our souls,
trifle in the crystal bowl,
fill it up with 9 to 5,
save them for the best of jill hives."
A single and one of the most well know Guided By Voices songs. I like the way it builds and has some great lyrics. The chorus as to be some of the most wonderful sounding Poetry that Bob has ever written, just read it and its flows so beautifully. Its a good song but not an absolute favourite of mine and I find the vocal effect a bit off putting, its all sibilance and "sesses" if you ask me. Who is Jill Hives?
Saturday, 19 May 2007
Skin Parade
Taken from "Universal Truths and Cycles" 2002
"For Chrissakes, Charley
Send them your love
Pictures from happier times
When babies acted like babies
So did the grown-ups
The band played "We All Fall Down"
And some of us did...
Fly off the wheel
Travel highwired
There are movements necessary
Then there is unnecessary motion
It happens all the time
You can see it swim
In the skin parade
Where other objects move too
Right through you
To the other side
It is come alive!
It is come alive
In the skin parade
In the parade of skin
Celebrating this level
Of concrete movement
Wicked!"
Another Pollard song. Another Parade! The mans Parade Mad! Whats it with Parades! Starts with short acoustic bit with a tinkling of glass in the background and sounds like its recorded in a bar. I like that. The song then turns in a pulsing, industrial piece with off-kilter vocals with disturbing imagery of Skin on Parade. Are we all in the Skin Parade? Ends with a repeated word being shouted out.
"For Chrissakes, Charley
Send them your love
Pictures from happier times
When babies acted like babies
So did the grown-ups
The band played "We All Fall Down"
And some of us did...
Fly off the wheel
Travel highwired
There are movements necessary
Then there is unnecessary motion
It happens all the time
You can see it swim
In the skin parade
Where other objects move too
Right through you
To the other side
It is come alive!
It is come alive
In the skin parade
In the parade of skin
Celebrating this level
Of concrete movement
Wicked!"
Another Pollard song. Another Parade! The mans Parade Mad! Whats it with Parades! Starts with short acoustic bit with a tinkling of glass in the background and sounds like its recorded in a bar. I like that. The song then turns in a pulsing, industrial piece with off-kilter vocals with disturbing imagery of Skin on Parade. Are we all in the Skin Parade? Ends with a repeated word being shouted out.
Friday, 18 May 2007
Dolphins of Color
Taken from "Five" 2005
"PRAISE ALL YOUR DREAM-LIKE LOVE LIFE
BUILDS ALL YOUR DAYS AROUND
SEAS, AIRPORTS, ASPHALT
THEY CHOSE THE PATH THEY TAKE
BUILD UP YOU’LL NEED YOUR OWN LIFE
STRADDLE/STRAP DOWN
THE EIGHT COUNT SLIDE BREAK WAILS IN TUNE
THE JESTERS OF SYSTEM AWAIT YOU
THE CHILDREN FEEL THE NEED TO PRAY
THE SHADES OF LATER
DROWN THE SOUNDBIRD STATION
SEEKING LOVE
SAFE NOT SAFE FROM HARM
THE PROUD ONES SLAVINGS LONG
CHASING THE STATION
THE BASTARDS WEEP
THEIR RAGE WON’T MENTION
SAVE THEM LIGHT FOR BREAKING DOWN
THE CHILDREN SAY THEY WANT THEIR BREAK
I CHASE THEM AROUND
I CHASE THEM ALL AWAY"
A mounrful Circus Devils song that is made up of a keyboard and strange persussion. Bobs voice is very deep and slow and gives a sense of forboding and darkness but with an uplifting chorus. Circus Devils are an odd band, sort of more experimental, but darker as well. "Dolphins of Color" is also a great name for a song.
"PRAISE ALL YOUR DREAM-LIKE LOVE LIFE
BUILDS ALL YOUR DAYS AROUND
SEAS, AIRPORTS, ASPHALT
THEY CHOSE THE PATH THEY TAKE
BUILD UP YOU’LL NEED YOUR OWN LIFE
STRADDLE/STRAP DOWN
THE EIGHT COUNT SLIDE BREAK WAILS IN TUNE
THE JESTERS OF SYSTEM AWAIT YOU
THE CHILDREN FEEL THE NEED TO PRAY
THE SHADES OF LATER
DROWN THE SOUNDBIRD STATION
SEEKING LOVE
SAFE NOT SAFE FROM HARM
THE PROUD ONES SLAVINGS LONG
CHASING THE STATION
THE BASTARDS WEEP
THEIR RAGE WON’T MENTION
SAVE THEM LIGHT FOR BREAKING DOWN
THE CHILDREN SAY THEY WANT THEIR BREAK
I CHASE THEM AROUND
I CHASE THEM ALL AWAY"
A mounrful Circus Devils song that is made up of a keyboard and strange persussion. Bobs voice is very deep and slow and gives a sense of forboding and darkness but with an uplifting chorus. Circus Devils are an odd band, sort of more experimental, but darker as well. "Dolphins of Color" is also a great name for a song.
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