free floating cheap sounding brilliant space rock
Bee Thousand isn't the best of GBV, but is certaintly a big and bizzare contender-most, if not all, of the recordings sound like they were played into an astronaut microphone as something artsy aliens from beyond decided to do in their spare time before landing on Earth, where they created all the other GBV masterpieces. Little off-key blips and blops here and there back this up. Some of the wierdest sounding songs include the unorthodox chord-changing "Her Psychology Today" and the very short, fuzzy piano ballad "You're Not An Airplane". As for the best songs, well, that's hard to tell...all of them are well-written in a kind of 'stream of conciousness' style, coming on as little snippets of tales from their outerworldly and quizzical past lives. Each tale will have a different take on you, some bringing smiles because of the clever absurdities (ex. "Kicker Of Elves", "Hot Freaks", "I Am A Scientist",etc.), others being vaguely ambient in thought-provoking ways (ex. "Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory", "Echos Myron", "Smothered In Hugs",etc). If you are more prone to over-polished pop/rock music, then this will be a hard listen to take-but it's the perfect gateway into their wierd universe.
Catchy beyond belief
Anyone who considers themselves a music enthusiast or even just a fan must listen to "Bee Thousand" by GBV. I have been listening to GBV for almost four years and I own over 450 CDs-this is in my top five with ease and next to Close to The Edge by Yes-may be my favorite. This album is the first of 4 masterpieces they released in succession(Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes Under the stars and Mag Earwhig) and although much deserved debate exists as to which is best, I truly believe this to be it. All any "music fan" has to do is listen to the first 5 songs 2 or three times and they will be hooked. This is a timeless masterpiece and I am almost glad that GBV is not nationally recognized, they are our little secret. Buy all their albums-including Robert Pollard's solo work. Buy Bee Thousand first- it's what hooked me!You wont' be disappointed , this is some of the catchiest music ever written.
GBV is the s***.
Like many people who have heard this recording, at first I didn't like it. The musicians are relatively elementary in their skills and Bob Pollard's fake McCartney-esque accent isn't exactly rangey. But it grew on me, of course. The record is very consistent (for Pollard, of course) and over half the songs are great. The very best song here is the startling "Tractor Rape Chain," which I think is one of the best, if not THE best song Pollard ever wrote. He also cranks out some gems, like "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory," "Smothered in Hugs," "Queen of Cans & Jars," "Kicker of Elves," "Hardcore UFO's," and the gorgeous "Yours to Keep." Tobin Sprout writes two stone cold GBV classics: "Awful Bliss" and "Echos Myron." It's a shame he didn't contribute more and was thrown out by Bob.
But this is a GBV record and "Demons Are Real," "Peep Hole," and "Ester's Day" are awful, but that's what can be expected. I remember a reviewer saying it would better to spend time on ten songs rather than 20 songs with lesser quality. That is true, but that is the charm of GBV; they hastily write, record and release with no compromise (until Do the Collapse, of course)
and as much spontaneity as the best true rock 'n roll.
Low-fi Magic
Let's get the negative out of the way quickly--the album sounds like it was recorded in the basement on a 4 track recorder. The reason this is the case is because that is exactly how it was recorded. Once you unpolish your ears, and get used to the low-fi sound, you will begin to appreciate this album. The first time I listened to Bee Thousand, I didn't like it because I thought it "sounded" bad. This just goes to show you how much we rely on SOUND quality as opposed to SONG quality when we judge an album. After I listened to it about 5 times, and got used to how it sounded, I started to realize how great Bee Thousand is. This album stands up as a classic solely because it does not rely on studio tricks or gimmicks. The songs are great not because they sound great, but because they are so well written. Robert Pollard has a way with melodies that will remind listeners of The Who or The Beatles. He manages to do this while at the same time creating a sound and style that is uniquely his. I like the fact that many of the songs are less than 2 minutes. I get frustrated listening to songs these days that feel the need to repeat the chorus 13 times at the end so that the song is 4 or 5 minutes long. GBV attacks songs like a covert ops team attacks its target: get in, get it done, get out as fast as possible, and don't waste time. After all, sometimes it is better to be brief. How many times have you written something and made it worse be padding it with meaningless fluff just to make it look longer?
It's hard to pick favorites on this album, but I'll give it a try. "I am a Scientist" and "Echoes Myron" are both catchy, and "Buzzards and Dreadful Crows" straight up rocks. "Tractor Rape Chain," despite it's title, is a piece of pop-rock magic. "Gold Star for Robot Boy" taps into Pollard's experience as a teacher, and "Hardcore UFOs" gets right to the roots of what being in a band is all about.
This album is not for causal listeners. If you give a CD one shot to hook you, then you will miss out on this one for sure. If you are a fan of powerful music with great melodies, and you don't mind spending time with an album learning to love it, then this album is an absolute must have.
Misguided by Voices
I don't get it. These guys have an odd loyal following or a lot of friends. The recording is crap. I've made better recordings on my four-track in my basement. This is hard to listen to. Even after a dozen or so attempts to try and find something likeable. The lyrics are interesting, which is why I didn't rate it one star. Instead of twenty short songs, how about putting some effort into at least ten decent sounding tracks. I'll take quality over quantity any day.
Midwestern obscure-rock archivists and curators Guided by Voices are back before you could consider them gone with another fun-filled, hook-happy hodge podge of songs, half-songs, ideas, and vaguely pleasing sounds to get you through summer. How many influences can you find in this picture? A Beatles harmony and a Syd Barrett musing here and there are easy to spot, but how about the pack of no-name psychedelicists and prepunk garage dwellers that only Guided by voices have ever heard of? Could be thousands. GBV are so good at integrating references, in fact, their records sound like nothing more than well-groomed and quirky modern rock. Call them post-postmodernists--what else to brand a group that sings a song named "The Golden Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory" without even a smirk and doesn't come off disgustingly pretentious? Sincere? Timeless? We get the joke while they swear they never made one. --Roni Sarig
The holy grail. It still stands as their best (or at least among them), 20+ albums later.
