Artist bio

Guided By Voices is the primary vehicle for Dayton, Ohio-based rocksmith Robert Pollard, and has proved one of the most tireless, exciting rock bands of its time.

Pollard, a former elementary school teacher, formed the group in 1985 around a group of Dayton musicians and friends, including frequent collaborator Tobin Sprout. Their first four albums didn't cross many radar screens, but 1992's excellent Propeller earned the group a modicum of national recognition, with such musical notaries as Kim Deal and Thurston Moore naming themselves fans.

Two years later, the group's second breakthrough came with Bee Thousand, a home-crafted epic, classic rock and roll album that exploded the group's popularity and almost overnight, instituting GBV as "the" quintessential indie rock band. The group signed a big record deal with Matador, and then proceeded to make their next album at home and keep the money. Smart guys, these Ohians.

But rock aspirations got the better of them. The group began experimenting with "real studios" and fleshing out their songs into full-on rockers and such in the late '90s. Pollard solidified his role as the band's driver in 1997, after Sprout left and Pollard kicked out the rest of the members, hiring indie rockers Cobra Verde as their replacements. CV guitarist Doug Gillard stayed on as Pollard's favorite post-Sprout sideman thereafter, while other members came and went and stayed and left, the most volatile seat being on the drum riser.

And last we heard, Pollard and his merry band of mischief-makers were still swilling Bud Light and rocking long into the night at a club near you. Get up slowly, and tear yourself away from your computer. You might be able to get there in time to catch set closer "My Valuable Hunting Knife>Baba O'Riley".

Albums by this artist

Half-Smiles Of The Decomposed (2004)

Human Amusements At Hourly Rates (2003)

Universal Truths And Cycles (2002)

Isolation Drills (2001)

Suitcase (2000)

Do The Collapse (1999)

Mag Earwhig! (1997)

Bulldog Skin 7" (1997)

Tonics and Twisted Chasters (1997)

Sunfish Holy Breakfast (1996)

Under The Bushes, Under The Stars (Recommended) (1996)

Alien Lanes (Recommended) (1996)

Bee Thousand (Recommended) (1994)

Crying Your Knife Away (1994)

The Grand Hour (1993)

Propeller (Recommended) (1992)

Concerts

March 18, 2002
The Dublin Pub, Dayton, Ohio

December 30, 2001
Apollo Theatre, New York

Features

Guided By Voices History: Part II: 1994-1999
Published October 31, 2005

Guided by Voices History: Part III: 1999-2004
Published October 31, 2005

Guided By Voices History: Part I: 1983-1994
Published October 30, 2005

GBV: A Eulogy: Or, Pollards We Have Known
Published December 30, 2004

NATN's Wholly Subjective Top 100 GBV Songs Of All Time:
Published December 30, 2004

The Top 100 Songs Thingy: Um, The Second Half.
Published December 30, 2004

Interviews

Doug Gillard
October 23, 2003

Rock Of Ages
March 27, 2001

Guided By Voices

Tonics and Twisted Chasters

» JOHN WENZEL | STAFF WRITER

Guided By Voices

Tonics and Twisted Chasters

Rockathon Records, 1997

RiYL: Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout

Originally limited to a pressing of 1,000 on various colors of vinyl, Tonics and Twisted Chasters was the first release on Dayton-based Rockathon Records since Guided By Voices' 1992 masterpiece Propeller. Rockathon was more a pretend label than a real one, but following GBV's exposure for 1994's Bee Thousand, the band was able to release just about anything they wanted and not worry about extra copies collecting mold in the members' basements. Thus Rockathon was resurrected, thanks mostly to the efforts of former GBV manager-for-life Pete Jamison and band friend Matt Davis.

The word was that songs on Tonics were mostly demos for one of GBV's new albums, and you'd be inclined to believe it. All were recorded on 4-track with GBV captain Robert Pollard on lead vocals and former first mate Tobin Sprout on instruments and, occasionally, vocals. Most are accompanied by a hollow, weak-sounding drum machine which works pretty well on some ("Dayton, Ohio 19 Something and 5" and "Optional Bases Opposed"), but falls flat on others ("Unbated Vicar of Scorched Earth").

Two piano pieces dot the album, one barely a song ("Wingtip Repair") and the other a nervous jaunt bordering on melodic brilliance ("Universal Nurse Finger"). On the latter, Pollard's voice sounds fucked with a-la the GBV classic "Dying to Try This." Another couple tracks have seen light of day in other places. The crackly and melodic "Key Losers" was on various imports and "Reptilian Beauty Secrets," formerly titled "Snuff Movie (She's Gone)," was on a 1995 Reading double-CD.

Bottom line: Some great stuff ("Is She Forever?" "Knock Em Flying," "Ha Ha Man") and not so great stuff ("My Thoughts Are a Gas"), but if you're a bigger than average GBV fan, you'll be content with the offering.

Re-released on CD in 1999.

JOHN WENZEL | John is a Denver-based writer and former editor of Sponic magazine. John currently works for The Denver Post and Rockpile and has contributed to such noble but non-paying enterprises as Shredding Paper, Aversion.com, and Erasing Clouds. He's obsessed with the Dayton, Ohio '90s music scene but likes to think he's keen on some of the new bands the kids are listening to these days. John also helps run the Friendly Psychics Music recording collective. Email.