OFF: Guided By Voices

[Brian Halligan]

> Alright, what the hell is this band like?

They *were* lo-fi four-track psychedelic popsters led by Robert Pollard, who
is from Ohio, but sings with a mock accent and writes cryptic lyrics. Think
of the poppier aspects of Bevis Frond (as well as his weirder bits) with the
production values of his early albums and without his guitar solos. Robert
Pollard doesn't lean on the mic stand. He twirls the mic like Roger
Daltry...

They *are* a slickly-produced psychedelic pop band (as of the last two
albums) led by Robert Pollard, but with a different backing band. Less
shoegazing and more like, "Hey glad girls only wanna get you high...and
they're alright." The band was constantly jumping around the stage live.
Think of The Who meets Cheap Trick.

That's my take, but I'm sure John Majka could explain them much better. And
probably put them in a better light than I just did! Based on the bands and
songs you've talked about on the list, you'd probably enjoy the earlier
albums much more than the current one.

I recommend getting "Bee Thousand" used. If you don't like it, you probably
won't like Guided By Voices.

Brian

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