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The voice of Vie collapse9
'The first great rock show of the
millennium'
by Robert Fleming
Assistant Encore Editor
One of the premier Indie rock
bands of the last 10 years is com
ing to Columbia. Guided By Voic
es will be appearing Friday night, tour
ing in support of their latest album,
“Do the Collapse.” Friday’s appearance
at the Elbow Room Music Hall marks the
first time these 14-year veterans of rock have
ever played here.
Guided By Voices have been a vital part of rock
music for many years now. First formed in 1986
out of Dayton, Ohio, GBV began playing and record
ing their own style of low-fidelity rock that had in
fluences ranging from the ‘60s (White Album-Bea
tles, The Who) to underground rock of their time
(Replacements, early R.E.M.).
Although the name has remained the same,
GBV have gone through significant roster changes
after the release of most of their albums. Only lead
singer/songwriter Robert Pollard has been in
each incarnation of the band.
Guided By Voices recorded a number of al
bums and EPs before releasing their 5th effort,
1992’s Propeller. Propeller and their 6th release,
1993’s Vampire on Titus, created a fantastic buzz
s-6 -■ s
among critics and fans alike.
Constant touring and releasing albums gave
them an increasing fan base that now ranges far
from their hometown of Dayton. As a result of
all the attention, GBV soon signed onto indepen
dent rock’s label of labels, Matador records, to re
lease the 1994 album Bee Thousand.
This album received a lionshare of critical praise
and solidified the band as a mainstay of underground
rock. With the release of Bee Thousand making
them a band to take notice of, GBV released sev
eral more albums and EPs on the Matador label in
cluding 1995’s Alien Lanes, 1,996’s Under the Bush
es Under the Stars and 1997’s Mag Earwhig! After
1997’s Mag Earwhig! GBV left the ranks of Mata
dor and were signed to TVT records to release their
11th full-length album, last year’s Do the Collapse.
‘The last great rock album of the millennium.’
Do the Collapse represents a departure from
the way GBV has recorded albums in the past. The
short, roughly produced songs are thrown out the
window, and instead an album of fully developed,
polished songs are presented.
Also gone are the lo-fi aspects that the band
built a career around. Collapse’s all hi-fi sound can
best be attributed to the band’s evolution over time
and to the addition of former Cars frontman Ric
Ocasek as producer.
From the opening song “Teenage FBI,” the
change in GBV sound is apparent. Collapse flows
beautifully from start to finish. The static guitars
have been replaced with the occasional string sec
tion and piano chorus. That doesn’t mean the band
has gone soft. Rock and Roll is still the law in the
GBV universe, and they uphold to it the fullest de
gree.
“Hold on Hope” is quite possibly one of the
most uplifting and memorable songs the band has
I-1
ever set to tape. And further listening reveals more
rock gems like “Surgical Focus” and “Picture Me
Big Time.” Robert Pollard continues to prove that
he is one of the leading lyricists and songwriters of
the past 15 years.
With Do the Collapse, GBV seems to no longer
be complacent with the title “lo-fi indie rock leg
ends” and is throwing in its bid to go after the ti
tle of “rock legends” as well.
Do the Collapse has received a number of crit
ical praises since its release in midsummer. The al
bum did remarkably well among the college ra
dio circuit, reaching up to number one on the
College Music Journal (CMJ) charts, as well as
spending more than three weeks as the No. 1 record
on our own WUSC-FM.
Fewer than 20 days removed from 1999, GBV
has appeared on numerous Top ten lists for albums
of the year. In addition to this, Guided By Voices
were chosen as one of the 9 artists of the year in
Magnet Magazine along with artists such as Tom
Whits, The Flaming Lips, Beth Orton, and the Mag
netic Fields.
Guided By Voices are not resting on the pil
low of their praise, though. The band is on a tour
that brings them through the heart of the South,
making stops at the Elbow Room Music Hall in
Five Points on Friday and at the 40 Watt in Athens,
Ga. on Saturday.
This marks the first occasion (least to my knowl
edge) that GBV has ever graced this city with their
presence. So if you’re going to be in Five Points
this Friday night (as many of you will be), go check
out Guided By Voices and see one of the best live
shows to come to this city for a long time.
Guided By Voices
Do The Collapse