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

Crying Your Knife Away

» JOHN WENZEL | STAFF WRITER

Guided By Voices

Crying Your Knife Away

Lo-Fi Records/Simple Solution, 1994

RiYL:

Arguably GBV's best-sounding live record, 1994's Crying Your Knife Away was re-released on CD by Simple Solution after languishing in an out-of-print double-vinyl format. For fans, this is a great opportunity to hear their heroes during the lo-fi era with the "classic" lineup. For new listeners, it's a great introduction to the perpetual party that was GBV concerts.

Recorded at the now-defunct Stache's in honor of Bela Koe-Krompecher's birthday (he's head of Anyway Records in Columbus, which released a couple GBV seven-inches), the album is a sprawling, drunken brawl. Future GBV collaborator and Dayton sound wizard Dave Doughman (of Swearing at Motorists) recorded and mixed the album, which would explain its impeccable sound quality and immediacy.

A good sampling of songs from Propeller, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes (then called Scalping the Guru) are represented here. Left off this version is the vinyl-only hidden track that finds Bob Pollard covering The Breeder's "Invisible Man," a rarity indeed, as Bob plays guitar on the song - something he never does live.

The band alternates between exhilerating crunch and drunken sloppiness (especially on the horribly off-key "If We Wait"), but never loses its infectious energy. The charming characters that came to be known as Toby, Mitch and Kevin are name-checked, as are Ohio indie rock dignitaries (Ron House, Jerry Wick, etc.) The warm vibe of familiarity and chaos coats every track. A great album to have on CD, and in general.

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.