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Avg: 3.5 (106 ratings)
- Date Released: August 19, 2003
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Matador
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We Say...
What is the sound of treading water? For Guided By Voices, it's closely approximated by the 15 tracks that comprise Earthquake Glue. On this, the group's penultimate album, GBV main man Bob Pollard's unhealthy obsession with the rhythmic and dynamic flourishes of Quadrophenia-era Who threaten to drag him under more than once, and his usually soaring voice is obscured by the chop of riffs that are both overblown and undercooked. That said, Pollard is such a gifted songwriter that even his least-inspired efforts contain a few must-hear gems: the swirling album opener, "My Kind of Soldier," is a touching tribute to legendary obsessive-compulsive super-fan Beatle Bob; the hyperkinetic "Useless Inventions" is a rousing Luddite call to arms; and the shimmering "Best of Jill Hives" reminds us that Pollard is an alchemist who can turn even the most leaden descending chord progression into pure power-pop gold.
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They Say...
For those who love the idea of Guided By Voices a bit more than the reality, it's sometimes hard not to be frustrated with Robert Pollard, a scattershot genius who is equally well-defined by both halves of that description. GBV leader Pollard is a startlingly gifted and prolific songwriter and musician, but he also displays either an inability or a disinterest in separating his wheat from his chaff, as anyone who has tried to plow through his relentless barrage of side projects has doubtless noticed. Which is why Earthquake Glue is such a pleasant surprise -- it may well be the most consistent and satisfying Guided By Voices album to date, and if its potent rock crunch is bettered by 2001's superb Isolation Drills, this comes close enough to make any fan pummel his air guitar with glee. While the sharper focus and tight set list of Earthquake Glue is impressive, just as important is how good Guided By Voices sounds as a band these days; while usually regarded as little more than Pollard's backing group, this edition of GBV has become tight, emphatic, and joyously powerful after several years on the road and in the studio, with the guitars of Doug Gillard and Nate Farley and the rhythm section of Tim Tobias and Kevin March giving the tunes all the smarts and twice the muscle their creator could have hoped for. And while Earthquake Glue lacks the clunky lo-fi ambience of Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes, these songs suggest Pollard and his collaborators have been able to take the spontaneity and adventure of those tracks and graft them into a better structured and more satisfying framework. If Earthquake Glue isn't a masterpiece, it's as close as this band can be expected to get, and is the rare Guided By Voices effort that's imaginative enough for longtime loyalists and tight enough for dabblers at the same time.
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| 01. |  |
My Kind of Soldier |
2:36 |
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| 02. | |
My Son, My Secretary and My Country |
1:57 |
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| 03. | |
I'll Replace You With Machines |
2:49 |
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| 04. | |
She Goes Off at Night |
2:03 |
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| 05. | |
Beat Your Wings |
4:47 |
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| 06. | |
Useless Inventions |
2:53 |
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| 07. | |
Dirty Water |
3:27 |
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| 08. | |
The Best of Jill Hives |
2:42 |
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| 09. | |
Dead Cloud |
3:12 |
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| 10. | |
Mix Up the Satellite |
3:23 |
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| 11. | |
The Main Street Wizards |
3:22 |
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| 12. | |
A Trophy Mule in Particular |
2:19 |
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| 13. | |
Apology in Advance |
2:32 |
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| 14. | |
Secret Star |
4:42 |
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| 15. | |
Of Mites and Men |
2:33 |
|
15 Total Tracks, 45:17 Total Length
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Credits
- Tom Byrne - Group Member // Guided by Voices - Producer // Jeff Graham - Mastering // Tim Tobias - Group Member // John Shough - Engineer // Robert Pollard - Group Member // Kevin March - Group Member // Jim Pollard - Group Member // Doug Gillard - Group Member // Frank Longo - Layout Design // Greg Norman - Engineer // Nate Farley - Group Member // Charley Balderson - Group Member // Tony Conley - Group Member // Esther Dennis Middle School 8th Grade Band - Introduction // Jim Hamby - Group Member // Bruce Horner - Group Member // Ana Luisa Morales - Photography // Nathan Mosley - Group Member // Tom Pfronger - Direction // Scott Ryan - Group Member // Chad Smith - Engineer // Todd Tobias - Keyboards // Todd Tobias - Noise // Todd Tobias - Producer // Todd Tobias - Engineer // Todd Tobias - Atmosphere // Jason White - Assistant
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