Indie and Lo-Fi music reviews

to the two morons writing reviews below- why dont you try knowing something about what you're saying before sharing your "knowledge" with the world. halo of gold is a skip spence song and the original skip spence song does contain the line "i walk the line" its sort of sampled into skip spences song writing the way a musical idea might be samples into a beck track. beck's music a great jumping off point into so many music styles and genres and whats best is its ART. popular music has become so generic, lifeless and artless, thank god we have beck to continue on in the spirit of the great rock and roll artists of the past. this compilation is cool but way to brief. hopefully someone will put out a more comprehensive compilation (theres definitely enough unreleased/unavailable beck stuff to fill an entire box set). halo of gold is one of the best beck rarities but if you dont want to pay the high price for "stray blues" you can get it on the tropicalia single. also check out the original of skip spence's album "oar." if you are into good boundary pushing music check out albums like miles davis "on the corner", funkadelic "free your mind and your as will follow", red red meat "theres a star above the manger tonight", captain beefheart "trout mask replica", t.rex "slider", beach boys "pet sounds" and groups like dr octagon, can and faust for starters.
dig it.

Hey dudes. Halo of Gold, despite containing lyrics from I Walk the Line is actually a cover of the Skip Spence song. Meow.

Somebody without alot of sense took this CD back to the used CD shop. One persons waste is anothers gain, and in this case I was quite excited to get this CD for relatively cheap. I don't know how long it will take you to find every single release to get all of these MISC B sides, but one way or another I HIGHLY recommend you finding these songs. Beck borrows a line from Johnny Cash on Halo of Gold, which I am deeply impressed with. In fact, seeming as how Cash plays the Beck song Rowboat on Unchained, it looks like Beck returns the cover-your-song favor by recreating "I Walk The Line." Almost unfamiliar in Beck's hands, it is actually an instant classic, as the steel guitar (I think) twangs in the background as Beck belts out "because your mine I walk the line." The out of place drum sample that breaks through at the end of the song, initially seeming very random to me, is actually a sample of the signature boomchickaboom sound Cash founded his career on, and emphasizes the very obscure way Beck references "I Walk The Line" in this song. Indeed, the major part of the song has little to do with the original. "Halo of Gold" transforms "I Walk The Line" into a modern day version complete with new story line and drama, and captures quintessential Beck- profound knowledge of music history, and a huge capacity to borrow, sample and recreate sounds into something completely his. I also really like Burro, an absolute requisite hear for any fan, the greatness of this song is immediately apparent, especially for fans of the odelay album. (When my brother and I saw Beck unplugged last summer at a small venue, we drove up windows down blaring Burro for good effect.) I have "Electric Music and Summer People" on another single, but this is a different version and quite cool. Totally confused is straight off the Mutations/Seachange vibe and is an excellent song. My Brother really gets into "Brother," although I don't find it quite as stimulating but still very good. "Lemonade" is lo-fi rock that I never quite get into, but this is among the least annoying of Beck's. "Clock" is sheer groove that you'd wanna jam if you had a low rider with hydraulics! "Feather in Your Cap" feels like "Brother" somewhat, but is more acoustic and really captures the "Blues" part of the title. If you enjoy beck albums, take the time to get his singles. I have accumulated 2+ hours of Beck music, a large percentage not just remixes, not on any of the albums. "Halo of Gold" may be his absolute best song for me right now, although I couldn't possibly say that when "Nicotine and Gravy" is still out there! Since I got this stuff pretty recent, its like Beck just came out with two new great albums, Sea Change and MISC B Sides. Don't waste any effort finding these songs, then, Enjoy!

It's a good thing Beat Happening started their own label, otherwise this would have never been released. If you've listened to their later albums "Dreamy" or "You Turn Me On" and are looking to further explore Beat Happening, avoid this. The only really good song is "Foggy Eyes," while "I Let Him Get To Me" and "I Spy" are passably OK. Pathetic doesn't begin to describe the rest of it.

This isn't controversial "art rock" like Sonic Youth or Syd Barrett era Floyd exploring innovative sonic structures and don't let anyone convince you otherwise. It's not even an aquired taste. If I had put this together one night goofing off with friends, I would count it as a supreme embarrassment if it ever made it to the web. Like the Jedi kid video. It literally sounds like someone threw a guitar and drum set into a pre-school. Heather's vocals are OK but whenever Bret and Calvin sing, it sounds like they threw the microphone into a special ed class who attempt to sing along to the aforementioned pre-school soundtrack. Before they heard it. I know I sound high on the Hatorade, but this "release" is really that bad.

If you're a completist and just HAVE to HAVE it, buy it used.

The best that can said of this is that it should have been released as a poetry book instead of an album.

I would also like to point out that 4 and 5 star reviews gave it also used words and phrases like "musically inept," "talentless," "tuneless," "rudimentary musicianship" and so on. Everyone here is in agreement, but those are qualities I normally associate with BAD reviews.

For a couple years, I had a few Beat Happening tracks on my hard-drive that I'd randomly downloaded simply because I'd heard the name and how influential they were. Too cheap to invest, I left it at that for a while. I received the Beat Happening box set as a birthday present, and was excited to find out what the band was really all about. I popped Disc One into my CD Player while I had a couple of friends over, and minutes into it grew truly embarassed at how amateur and just plain "AWFUL" it sounded, and removed the disc. As days passed, I began to get really into some of their more developed discs, like "You Turn Me On" and "Dreamy"; this was a really amazing band...

To make a long story short, I will say that Beat Happening quickly became the most frequently played band in my stereo. As I got more into them, I decided to give Disc One ("Beat Happening") another chance, and let me tell you... THIS IS NOW BY FAR MY FAVORITE BEAT HAPPENING RECORD.

Is it their most finely crafted album? No. Is it their most mature? Definitely not.

I must say, though, that there is something about the songs on this disc (yes, ALL of them!) that blows me away, no matter how many times I listen to them. Calvin's lyrics are so simple--almost as though they were written/sung by a kindergarden student--yet they are profound in their simplicity, perfectly expressing the very essence of the most basic human emotions--love, loneliness, fear, excitement, etc.

I never thought I'd claim that a song consisting of fuzzed-out droning vocals and some random guy beating on a tin can was an absolute classic--but this is what makes Beat Happening such a phenomenal group. This is where lo-fi began, and I doubt if any super-hip band in the 2000's will ever match the simplicity and utter beauty of these early recordings.

If you have the patience to really give this album a chance, I am sure that you will agree that it is a hands-down classic--five stars, no doubt. I do not lie when I say that this record changed my life and will always be remembered as THE soundtrack to the random, confused, but exciting years of my early 20's. Thank you Calvin Johnson.

THIS RECORD IS AMAZING.

I own the box set, and would encourage everyone that is interested to make the investment. The reason why I'm writing this review is to stick up for an album that I believe to be worthy of five stars. This album will show you how diverse and ahead of their time Beat Happening really was. With out a doubt my favorite album by Beat Happening and you'll see that even though it has a rough sound there really is a lot going on here.

but he does it so well. another great song cycle by the master. buy it for edison's memos. it alone justifies the purchase. and the rest of the songs are real good, too. 7th level shutdown is another standout.

this is a different kind of record, the sound is muddy in the midrange yet the playing is tight and bob's vocals are in great form. you really owe it to yourself. and uncle bob could always use you support. so join the soft rock renegades today and help destroy the unbelievers!

This is going to sell to the usual limited group of Pollard fans (GBV) and pop music fanatics... so reviewing it is not really required.

Yes it's a good record; the guitar work is textured like I can't remember him doing recently, so that's nice. The words are always funny and sad and just plain odd, which is why we're all here at Mr. Pollard's feet, we love him for just that.

Unfairly ( Because life is not fair ) it won't sell like a Sting Record or Dave Mathews, but as we already know it's better than anything ever done by them...Keep going Bob, we need you.

My personal fave Bob solo album. I admit, I am a GBV freak, but something about this solo record is really special to me. The chord choices are a little sadder, the songs a little more emotional and the sounds a bit more atmospheric than your average release by this artist, and the overall effect is an emotionally satisfying listen. Bally Hoo is particularly cool, in the way it incorporates two earlier songs from the album into its arrangement. Edisons Memos has a beautiful arrangement as well. Aeriel is simply gorgeous. This is a great record.

"Play some rock and ro-oool yeah!"

This release is ridiculous to anyone except for true believers, consisting of 6 songs that TOTAL 9½ minutes of music...that sound as if they were recorded on a portable cassette recorder (probably were)....with the most naïve drumming imaginable (and the absolute worst drum sound, too). If nothing else, it's worth mentioning that two tracks on this EP provided the titles for two subsequent GBV albums ("Bee Thousand" and "Alien Lanes"). "Bee Thousand" is also notable for sounding like what might happen if Little Red Riding Hood were to stumble upon Captain Beefheart in the middle of a bad drunk. Absurd? Oh, yes. Fun(ny)? Yeah...maybe even good, too...to somebody.B+- Tom Ryan

As Fast Japanese Spin Cycle is not available here, The Grand Hour is a fine alternative. It's 6 songs overflow with fine music and it features at least 2 classic GBV tunes. "Shocker in Gloomtown", "Off The Floor" and "Break Even" are great songs. "Alien Lanes" and "Bee Thousand" supply missing title songs to their two finest albums and "I'll Get Over It" is a decent song as well. This is a must have for any GBV fan and a nice snapshot of the band as it was just reaching it's peak. Get it....this will only make you cooler.

and probably still my favorite, though it is under 10 minutes long and objectively not all that good. This is the raw GBV sound that I got hooked on for a while. I wish I had the first GBV box set. The new GBV doesn't cut it. If you were to "professionally" produce these songs, you'd be left with very little. The beauty lies in the distortion.

The "Hold on Hope" EP is like a breath of fresh air after the disappointing "Do the Collapse" album. These songs are tight, melodic, energetic-- qualities that most of the LP sorely lacks. It's frustrating that given such great material from the sessions, Pollard picked the worst tracks for the album and left the best stuff languishing on this EP.

Luckily, programmable playlists allow us to rewrite history. Using "Do the Collapse," "Hold on Hope," and "Human Amusements at Hourly Rates," it's possible to create a worthy follow-up to "Mag Earwhig!" Here's my suggested tracklist:

1. Underground Initiations
2. Avalanche Aminos
3. Hold on Hope
4. Dragons Awake!
5. Surgical Focus (clean outro)
6. Things I Will Keep (clean intro)
7. Fly into Ashes
8. Mushroom Art
9. Tropical Robots
10. Wrecking Now
11. Picture Me Big Time
12. A Crick Uphill
13. Teenage FBI (demo version)
14. An Unmarketed Product

The "Hold on Hope" EP represnts a period of history in the band that many, many, MANY fans would like to forget. And yet, this EP provides songs that fans would cherish as part of the essential GbV experience.

"Tropical Robots" is amusingly light fare lyrically, and a short pleasant acoustic ride. "Underground Initiations" is a great track similar to GBV's material of the period just preceding this one. "Fly Into Ashes" and "A Crick Uphill" respresent what GbV might have become had they been willing to take their brand of indie rock into the realm of bands like Wilco who were exploring folkish instrumentation.

The title track "Hold on Hope" is the best of the ill-conceived and poorly-received album "Do the Collapse". The song is great, but the album deserves to be ignored by GbV fans, yet this EP is a release I would suggest owning.

While I will not dismiss the spotty "Do The Collapse", this is clearly superior. Someone in the band clearly said "Hey, this is is good!" And I think this is one of the best. There is not a song I would skip and it puts a radically different song, "Hold On Hope" in a more "traditional GBV set". And let's nit forget how songs like "Uphill Crick" or "Avalanche Aminos" kick the band into a familiar but new realm (for the the times). So is this the place to start? Actually I would say to check out this ep with two others, the relatively obscure "Fast Japanese Spin Cycle" and "The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet" That should give you some idea of the trajectory of the band. And that would give an idea if you want to check classic albums like "Alien Lanes" or "Isolation Drills". And from there you can check out such obscure jewels like "Under Bushes, Under The Stars" or "Universal Truths & Cycles" And oh yeah, pick up something like "Bee Thousand" or "Propeller" so you don't look clueless. Oh by the way, get on board before the VH1 crowd gets on to tell that it's cool. This IS the best rock of the 90s!

I am a student of music. I like to follow different styles and trends and write about them from an intellectual point of view, maybe shed some light in a way that few people have- offer a NEW perception, if you will.

I've been listening to GBV for about the last six months after a girlfriend left a tape in my car. Since then I have been collecting quite a few of their albums.

The music is rough and unpolished, like a jewel that's been buried in the desert for a few years. But once you pick it up and blow some of the dust off (hope I'm not getting TOO symbolic here) you'll find a shiny ruby!

A lot of people are labeling this music "home recording" or low fidelity music. It's not done in big studios with big budgets. I assume they got record deals for writing good songs, not for slick productions and glossy engineering.

So, where does that leave us?

Well, my grand impression or opinion is that you could actually compare Guided by Voices to the Beatles. (OK, stretch your imagination a little, I'm not saying they're as good). But what you get is a band like the Beatles. And if you use your imagination, well, wouldn't Robert Pollard be Paul McCartney and Tobin Sprout be John Lennon?

It's kind of neat, because they're making solo albums just like the Beatles did.

The nice part about this album, is it sounds like John Lennon in a way. Maybe not as perfect. But listen to John Lennon's Anthology CD's of his demos and rougher recordings. Then listen to this album. They're very similar.

Great pop hooks that are prettier than orange blossom trees and drinking a cool soda in the shade with the one you love.

I hope that someone will realize the talents of these songwriters and get them to a proper studio. Maybe we've yet to hear a Band on the Run or and Imagine from these potentially good singer/songwriters.

Hope to be reviewing some more Guided By Voices, so keep checking back! I hope I can steer everybody on to some great overlooked music in a time when music is not all that good anyways.

The first track on here "Get out of My Throat" is awesome...it's as good as the best GBV song you can think of... Everything else sounds like Paul McCartney. If you like Paul McCartney, you'll love this album.

About as good as his first effort, "Carnival Boy", which is to say it is pretty darn good. It's more melodious than "Carnival Boy". I wish Tobin would sing about things that really mean something to him, rather than random things off the top of his head (the same complaint I have against GBV: stop trying to be the Picassos of music or something--it's lame), but the lyrics are quirky enough to be at least semi-cool, and music is lovely--Tobin is peppier than Goddard. Peppy, catchy, Tobin is always good to listen to, whatever he does.

Lately Pollard seems to have fallen into the kind of artistic self-consciousness (e.g. "Look at Your Life" w/ the Moping Swans) that stifles his creative genius. Hopefully his new album will be a return to the top form that makes Not In My Airforce a great album. If you haven't heard it, you are missing out on perhaps his most inspired solo work.

pollard solo albums used to be guided by voices records in thin disguise. GbV would dip liberally into them on their setlists and current and former bandmates stream through them, lending their skills to further promote the trademark sound. nowhere is this more the case then on this, the first solo effort. it is filled with ridiculously great pop songs: psychic pilot clocks out, flat beauty, get under it, maggie turns to flies, girl named captain. it has some song snippets that one wonders how they would have turned out if fully materialized. and ends with a barrage of short acoustic numbers that won't leave your head. some have commented on this song sequencing and how the flow of the record is negatively affected by this front loading of traditional pop/rock tracks. i for one love it. pollard puts much effort into this process. he says it's one of the things he enjoys most about his job, diddling with song order. and don't you do the same thing when burning a CD for your girlfriend or some guy who's never heard real (indie) music before?

this may be the crowning achievement in robert pollard's amazing career. highly recommended.

The most important thing to note about this record is that it has several absolute classic songs on it. They are being played live on the current 2006 solo(post GBV)tour and they are outstanding pop classics. Pollard's music can only be appreciated through thoughtful listening over time and one must be patient. I was recently drawn back to this record and astounded by how low-fi it really is, compared to the last 5 GBV efforts. It really is important to note that it was rushed out to be in time with Tobin Sprout's solo Carnival Boy. Not as a comparison, but as an effort to show what Bob wanted to showcase as a solo effort. Now stayed tuned for "Normal Happiness" as the follow up to one of the greatest song writer efforts of the new Century "From a Compound Eye."
I would stack Bob up against anyone as a touring artist-songwriter and a dues paying member of the music industry that has driven many like him from the business. What happend to the labels man, Uncle Bob said "Free Beer".

I'm not sure who I'd compare them to in sound..They make pleasant, spare pop songs with just a touch of alt-country at times.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Postage Stamp World" is one of the rare ones where the hook sticks with you for awhile. It's alt-countryish..maybe a little reminiscent of Wilco. The refrain of "you can all get in line/to lick my behind" is catchy. "Kicking the Heart Out" has a pretty good hook, but I find myself wondering how good it would sound fully produced. A gurgling keyboard underscores the ballad "Endgame" as Zach Rogue croons "nothing else matters". Unfortunately, there's a whole bunch of tacked-on noise at the end...apparently to keep it all "underground" sounding. Bleah.

LOWS:
"Endless Shovel" displays the right SOUND for the band..it's a nifty thickly produced pop gem. But where's the singalong hook? If they can find a way to marry this type of music with the type of craft in the lyric to "Postage Stamp World", they'd be onto something.

BOTTOM LINE:
It sounds like they have the germ of a good power pop band in there if they'd ever decide to thicken up the sound and write a little better hooks. As it is, they're a fairly average band. Pleasant and hummable, but nothing that makes me want to shout their praises. Definitely listen to the samples first before clicking the "BUY THIS" button.

If you enjoy and appreciate good music buy this CD. Is it like anything else out there today? Maybe. Or maybe not. Bottom line is this: Rogue Wave is great.

So spouts Zach Rogue, mastermind of West-Coast power-folk-pop wonders ROGUE WAVE. Their debut album, OUT OF THE SHADOW, immediately establishes a new king of happy/sad, pop-edelic retro-land. World-class instrumentation abounds - sweetly pounded, bubblegum drums, exquisite acoustic guitar lines, original yet familiar melodies dropped from songwriter heaven, Wurlitzers, Moogs, a myriad of percussive delights, chirping birds, and a smorgasbord more. The listener is treated to an alt-country number ("Postage Stamp World") complete with high lonesome pedal steel and the declaration, "You can all get in line, and lick my behind," a sublime and relentless power pop bliss-out ("Endless Shovel") that actually doesn't end, but, fades out as the band thrashes harder than ever (Zach sings, "I'll never know what is wrong with you/You know it feels so good."), multiple sparkling folk gems with vocals that sound like they emanate from the love-child of Neil Young and Paul Simon, if that were possible. Rogue Wave's killer effort easily bumps like-minded groups (The Shins, etc.) to opening act status. Unlike the Shins, the Wave rolls in with a heavy bottom.

And, oh yeah, there's Zach. His breathtaking voice and outstanding talent for conjuring the golden pop hook are beyond criticism. Zach's high tone floats above layers of acoustic and electronic dream noise - Spacey synths, rapidly strummed acoustic guitars, double-tracked vocals, handclaps. The tunes are Big-sounding with meticulous execution galore. Also, ramshackle numbers like "Sewn Up" enrich and deepen the overall experience of the album.

Zach includes a quote in his liner notes from someone only to be known as "F.H." It reads, "Paradise is here, only we destroy it," seemingly calling for awareness of ideal forms and embracing of the really real. Life as we do not know it (anymore). Consequently, the bitter taste of mortality can free you, bring you peace when you accept it and let go. A spin of this record guarantees a journey into paradox, duality, shadows and light, but, most importantly, sonic candy.

This album by Wesley Willis was recorded around 2000. It is billed as "Wesley Willis and the Dragnews", as many of his later albums are. But there isn't a band backing him up, the only musical accompaniment is from his keyboard. The songs sound like the songs on every other Wesley Willis album, but the subject matter is even more repetitive than usual. I mean, there are SIX songs about licking the private parts of animals! Anyway, it is still pretty enjoyable if you are a fan of Wesley.

The man got da casio
He rocks da casio
Just needs one button
Just press sample

Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid

He weighs 540 pounds
He's out of his mind
He headbutts for fun
He a poet of today

Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid

I seen his webpage
I seen his DVD
I seen him live
I buy his music

Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid

He should run for president
He would make a good president
That evil G.W. Bush
He is squatting the White House

Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid
Wesley is da bomb kid

Wesley Willis is one of rock music's most misunderstood artists. Many dismiss him as a silly black man that's fun to laugh at because of his weight and schizophrenia, but his music is some of the best I've heard in years. In an era where "punk" music has become mainstream, and overproduced bands like Good Charlotte and Blink 182 dominate MTV, the future of punk music may look bleak to many fans of the genre. But they shall not worry, for Wesley's music is the most honest example of true punk music ever. He doesn't need layers of overdubbed guitars or whiny relationship lyrics--his cheap keyboard loops represent a very stripped-down approach, and his usually-spoken lyrics and simple chorus melodies show that true punk music doesn't rely on sounding pretty. His ability to write a song about literally ANYTHING without straying from the topic is phenomenal. How many people do you know that can write an entire song about a Ford Windstar? His music contains some very deep thoughts which casual listeners will most certainly overlook, and he also manages to throw in some hilarious lines that will keep anyone with a sense of humor in stitches. His wide range of songs will lift you up, bring back memories, evoke profound ideas, and make you cry, all on one album. Many average listeners dismiss Wesley as nothing more than a cheap novelty that gets old fast, but please, God, forgive them. They know not the excellent music they are missing while they spend eighteen dollars on a pop-punk CD at a trendy record store.

How in the world can this package exist? These guys, leader Robert Pollard in particular, release something like 100 tracks in any given year, and most of them sound like they were rushed out without too much regard for polish or perfection, so how could there have been another 100 tracks sitting around unused? This 4-CD set comprises exactly 100 tracks, 25 per disk, of songs that were lying around, overlooked, tossed aside or didn't seem to fit properly elsewhere. Like I said, though, I just don't get the logic of it, since virtually all GBV disks sound like a random assortment of stuff that was, well, lying around. The main difference is that this box is even more disjointed than most GBV albums, as it contains leftovers and out-takes from what certainly must be one of the most haphazard catalogs of all time. The glue that holds it together (albeit tenuously) is the fertile mind of Robert Pollard, who tosses out song ideas and melodies like Keebler makes cookies. The point, though, is whether or not it's worth your time and money to invest in this and spend time with it. The answer is....maybe.
Guided By Voices are the real Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Players. Their audience is limited to those who can sit through impossibly dense, apparently unfocused rants in order to locate the bits that penetrate through the fog. Not everybody can do this, or would want to bother. I buy and listen to things like this so that you don't have to. I suffer for you. As a fan, I was compelled to immerse myself in this box. I was hoping for an embarrassment of riches, but must say that an awful lot of this collection is simply an embarrassment. The box's subtitle can be taken quite literally and if nothing else, represents truth in advertising - "Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft." The quality ranges from the excellent to incredibly bad. On the bad side, half-baked ideas share space with horrendous, unlistenable trash; If I never hear "Hold On to Yesterday" or "Big Trouble" again, I will consider myself lucky. That's unfortunate, though, because they sit side by side with some truly great (although very raw) stuff, like "I'm Cold", "In Walked the Moon" and "Wondering Boy Poet". I'm convinced that some other band could make a good living simply by polishing up songs like these and re-releasing them. GBV could do it themselves, but it's all too obvious that they are far too busy just trying to keep up with themselves as it is.
The truth is that most of this never should have seen the light of day, at least not for mass market release, but GBV aren't really for the mass market, so there's the conundrum. If the best bits were compiled onto one disk, this would be a great collection. But it's four disks, and the bad stuff is so f*&%ing horrible that it makes it impossible to recommend this box to anyone except fellow GBV obsessives and the socially deprived, especially since it retails at over $50.00. For that money, I'd suggest buying any three of their single CD releases instead. Either that or form a band, learn these songs by heart, and give them the attention to detail that they deserve.
B-Tom Ryan

how can anyone write so many great songs? c'mon people, plunk down the forty-five stinking bucks and experience the unearthly genius of robert pollard. if you are already a fan, there is no excuse to NOT have this. as one might expect, this is not the starters place to look. bee thousand, alien lanes or the safer(more NORMAL sounding) isolation drills would be the best choices.

nice packaging, good booklet. excellent liner notes. pick your favorite 20 or 25 songs and make the ultimate GbV disc. what a joy the suitcase is.

i will depart from the tone set by the reviewers before me. i will automatically assume that anyone interested in buying this box set is already a fan. why would someone shell out the money for this (slightly) pricey set if they didnt already love guided by voices?
that being said, all thats left to say is WOW. i am in lo-fi heaven. some songs make me jump up and down, and others make me cry. there are a couple of unremarkable songs, but i disagree firmly with anyone who says this box set could have been cut down to 2 cds. there are way more great songs than there are "bad" ones (i hesitate to call anything of robert pollard's bad) if youre thinking about buying the set, just do it. where is the risk? if you dont like it you can always sell it back on amazon.
by the way i am listening to it right now. i cant seem to listen to anything else since i got it a few weeks ago. *sigh* robert pollard plucks at the pleasure center of my brain with his hauntingly beautiful lo-fi melodies. was there ever a band that comes even close to the genius of guided by voices? no, of course not.