eMusic

Start Your Trial

Propeller

by

Guided By Voices

 
  • Pick
  • Deal
Propeller
view larger image View Larger

Rate it!

Avg: 4.0 (116 ratings)

Pollard and friends indulge their rock star fantasies.

  • We Say...

    Review by Greg Milner

    By the time Propeller was released, GbV had already been around in various forms for more than ten years. As the chants of “G! B! V!” that lead off the record — made to sound like a frenzied crowd in an arena — make clear, Pollard was already a rock legend in his own mind. Hearing the album today is kind of like listening to an old Lomax field recording (Basement Songs of Dayton’s Inebriated, perhaps), but there are parts that are of more than academic interest. The leadoff track, “Over the Neptune / Mesh Gear Fox,” features Pollard in fine Merseybeat voice. (The song popped up a few years later as “Kisses to the Crying Cook” on the Fast Japanese Spin Cycle EP.) The charming “14 Cheerleader Coldfront” was evidence that there were many future diamonds to be found in this rough.

  • They Say...

    Review by Greg Prato, All Music Guide

    1992's Propeller was an album that Guided by Voices originally released themselves; it was eventually reissued on the Scat label one year later. All of the ingredients that make the group totally original are present -- rough production, strong melodies courtesy of Robert Pollard, and an overall sound straight out of the British clubs back in the mid-'60s. The opening epic, "Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox," is two different songs sewn together (similar to T. Rex's "Tenement Lady" off their classic Tanx album). It starts off as a rock & roller and later changes into space rock, while "Quality of Armor" starts off as a cross between the Beatles and Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?" But Guided by Voices have a style all their own, evidenced by the irresistible combination of chromatic guitar riffs and anthemic choruses contained in "Exit Flagger," and in the experimental song splices throughout "Back to Saturn X Radio Report." "Circus World" is pure guitar pop, as is the now-classic "Weedking." Propeller proved to be an important stepping stone for the group, helping to set the stage for such later triumphs as Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes.

  • You Say...

    Write a Review

    I would like to say...

    Artist: Guided By Voices

    Album: Propeller

    Review Title: (maximum 50 characters)

    Your Review: (maximum 1,000 characters)

    Cancel

    Please keep your comments to the recordings themselves, and be courteous and respectful. Thanks! For further info, read our Community Guidelines.

“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

Recently Viewed

Back
Forward

© 1998-2009 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

Facebook®, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by Facebook, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.

Legal or copyright question regarding Facebook, YouTube, Flickr or Wikipedia content on eMusic? Please email us.