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Avg: 4.5 (566 ratings)
- Date Released: June 20, 1994
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: Scat / Revolver
The consensus masterpiece of Guided by Voice’s enormous catalogue.
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We Say...
This one's the fan favorite, the consensus masterpiece, and the easiest GbV album to love instantly and unconditionally. The combination of lo-fi-ness, unbelievable catchiness and clearly enunciated but still impenetrable lyrics, provide the sensation of picking up a faint radio transmission of the greatest band ever practicing aboard one of those “hardcore UFOs” Pollard sings about on the first song. Put it this way: There is one song in particular that you will immediately want to hear again, and will be humming for the rest of your life, and the name of that song is “Tractor Rape Chain.” Another one that has the same effect is “Echos Myron,” in which Pollard announces, “We’re finally here, and shit, yeah, it’s cool.” That pretty much says it all.
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They Say...
The cult of indie rock thrives on the unexpected discovery, and in 1994 Guided by Voices was just the sort of musical phenomenon no one figured was still out there -- 30-something rock obsessives cranking out fractured guitar-driven pop tunes in a laundry room. Robert Pollard and his stable of beer buddies/backing musicians had been churning out stuff like Bee Thousand for years, but the album's surprise critical success marked the first time the group found a significant audience outside their hometown, and it made a clear case for Guided by Voices' virtues -- as well as their flaws. From the moment "Hardcore UFOs" kicks in, it's obvious that Pollard has an uncanny gift for a hook and a melody, and Bee Thousand's 20 cuts are dotted with miniature masterpieces like "Echos Myron," "Smothered in Hugs," and "Queen of Cans and Jars." However, there are also more than a few duds that threaten to cancel out the goodwill the great songs generate, and Pollard is an acquired taste as a lyricist -- his freakishly poetic verse has a real charm, but it's hard to figure out what he's on about. (GBV's other principal songwriter, Tobin Sprout, contributes less often, but manages a higher batting average.) The lo-tech rumble of the album's D.I.Y. production also wavers between being a help and a hindrance, depending on the songs, and as musicians Guided by Voices veer between sounding like inspired amateurs and, well, just amateurs. On Bee Thousand, Guided by Voices sounds like a passionate and gloriously quirky garage band fronted by a thrillingly and maddeningly idiosyncratic songwriter; its many pearly moments make it a fascinating discovery for rock enthusiasts, but a few years would pass before this band was fully earning the new accolades showered upon it.
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| 01. |  |
Hardcore Ufos |
1:54 |
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| 02. | |
Buzzards and Dreadful Crows |
1:43 |
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| 03. | |
Tractor Rape Chain |
3:04 |
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| 04. | |
The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory |
1:45 |
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| 05. | |
Hot Freaks |
1:42 |
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| 06. | |
Smothered in Hugs |
2:59 |
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| 07. | |
Yours to Keep |
1:15 |
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| 08. | |
Echos Myron |
2:42 |
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| 09. | |
Gold Star for Robot Boy |
1:39 |
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| 10. | |
Awful Bliss |
1:12 |
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| 11. | |
Mincer Ray |
2:21 |
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| 12. | |
Big Fan of the Pigpen |
2:09 |
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| 13. | |
Queen of Cans and Jars |
1:55 |
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| 14. | |
Her Psychology Today |
2:04 |
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| 15. | |
Kicker of Elves |
1:04 |
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| 16. | |
Ester's Day |
1:51 |
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| 17. | |
Demons Are Real |
0:48 |
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| 18. | |
I Am a Scientist |
2:24 |
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| 19. | |
Peep-Hole |
1:25 |
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| 20. |
You're Not an Airplane |
0:33 |
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20 Total Tracks, 36:29 Total Length
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Credits
- Guided by Voices - Main Performer // Kevin Fennell - ? // Tobin Sprout - Guitar // Robert Pollard - Vocals // Greg Demos - ? // Jim Pollard - ? // Don Thrasher - ? // Dan Toohey - ? // Mitch Mitchell - Guitar
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