Customer Reviews

The Best of Guided By Voices: Human Amusements At Hourly Rates

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This album works. Buy it and listen to it a few times in a row. You'll think, "Um, this is okay, but is this really the band that's released dozens of CDs and has one of the most fanatical cult fandoms in rock?"

Put it down for a few weeks. Then get it out and listen to it again. The songs will suddenly click, and you will be consumed by the insatiable urge to own everything Robert Pollard has ever touched. (Start with "Alien Lanes," "Under the Bushes Under the Stars," "Mag Earwhig!", and "Bee Thousand." Then proceed to the other 837 GBV/Pollard albums.)

Guided by Voices' weird, fragmented genius just doesn't sink in right away, but when it does, you'll join the cult too. It worked for me!

Really though, where are "Don't Stop Now" and "Sad If I Lost It"?! "Kicker of Elves" would have been nice too. "Blimps Go 90"? "Man Called Aerodynamics"? "She Goes Off at Night"? "Jane of the Waking Universe"? "Now to War"? Okay, I'll stop now.

If you've listened to much of Robert Pollard's recorded output, you know he's quite capable of churning out perfect pop songs. Then again, he's also capable of filling most of a CD with stuff that many artists would be ashamed to include as a b-side (and don't get me started on the usual quality of Pollard's b-sides). Finding the gems can often be a struggle. Guided by Voices has somewhere in the realm of 15 proper albums, about 20 more EPs, a box set of 100 outtakes, and the new Hardcore UFO's boxset with even more unreleased stuff (on which this best-of also appears in a slightly different form). Add to that countless solo and side projects, and you have literally thousands of songs to sift through if you want Pollard's best work.

Said best work is almost always found on the proper GBV albums, yet even then only about 20% is really worth listening to. Enter this disc, which attempts the difficult task of condensing 15 years worth of GBV material into 77 minutes. Does it succeed? Well, it comes pretty close. If you were looking for a good introduction to GBV, this is definetely the place to start (or perhaps the Isolation Drills album). But be prepared for some rough takes. More than half of the band's career was spent recording albums on 4-tracks or cheap cassette recorders. Thus, some of the band's best stuff winds up soudning like it was recorded over the phone. Wisely, about 2/3 of this disc are devoted to the later studio albums or cleaned up studio versions of classics like "Motor Away" or "Game of Pricks." The lo-fi stuff is sprinkled throughout these higher quality tracks, making the disc much more accessable to those new to GBV who may not be used to hearing music with $0 production values.

The selection of songs for this disc is pretty decent. Now everyone's opinion on the Best of GBV is going to be different. Me, I could cram another two discs worth of great music from this band. But there are a few noteable ommissions and strange inclusions. Where are great songs like "Don't Stop Now," "Underwater Explosions," and "Fair Touching?" Some of the early stuff they selected is just strange. I find it hard to believe that "Hit" or "Non-Absorbing" are worthy of being included here. "Liar's Tale" and "Smotheres in Hugs" would certainly have made better replacements. "Captain's Dead" is an okay song from the band's first LP, but not anywhere near as good as "Old Battery" from the same album. Plus, why chose the lo-fi version of "I am a Scientist" for this version of the disc when the superior studio version can be found on Hardcore UFOs. Strangest of all is the inclusion of the demo version of "Teenage FBI." For a song that was the closest thing GBV had to a hit, I would think the studio version would have been a wiser choice.

Overall, if you're looking for an introduction to GBV or you just don't want to put in the effort of working through their extensive catalogue for the good stuff, I would certainly advise you to pick up this album. If you like it, do yourself a favor and track down some of their other stuff, as you'll be missing quite a bit of great stuff.

Living in Cincinnati since the late 80s, I have seen Dayton's Guided By Voices a number of times over the years, yet I had never actually purchased a GBV album, because I felt that the live act always was the better of the studio act. But when this collection came out, I decided to cave in and get it. I'm happy I did.

"Human Amusements at Hourly Rates: The Best of Guided By Voices" (32 tracks--yes, you read right; 77 min.) is all over the maps as far as GBV's studio output is concerned, but centers more on the latter era GBV (considering the band celebrates 20 years this year). There are 4 songs from "Bee Thousand", the best known GBV album, including the great "Echos Myron" and "I Am A Scientist". Most songs run in the 2 minute range, scarcely wasting time, getting to the hooks right away, and moving on to the next song before you can settle in, not that that is a bad thing.

Guided By Voices is an underrated and underappreciated band (not unlike, say, Cincinnati's Afghan Whigs when they were around) and Robert Pollard recently announced that GBV will hang it up for good after this Fall's 'farewell' tour. Don't miss them if they come to your town. I know I will be there when they come to Cincinnati in late October! Meanwhile, this collection is a great introduction to the band and a handy overview if you don't feel like buying any of their many albums.

Despite some rather odd choices and omissions, this is a pretty good introduction to GBV. They have so many good songs though that Bob could've picked another completely different 32 and this would have been just as good. Under The Bushes is severely under-represented here though.

The word is out -- now that GBV is leaving us as a "collective" this August with their final album, "Half Smiles of the Decomposed". it's time to relish their recordings and help them live on.

GBV has always produced "challenging" music that's NOT for the casual listener or music part-timer. They may sound sloppy, lo-fi, garagey and "loopy" -- most of their best songs are short, sweet and to the point. They are not for everyone.

HOWEVER, if you are into big hooks, anthematic choruses, big emotions and stadium RAWK, then they will work for you. There is just a power to GBV that cannot be denied -- the hook, wordplay and shimmering guitars all weave into a magical tapestry (and no, I'm not one of those GBV freaks who obsess over them). I honestly get chills when I hear their music -- it hits me to the core -- not many bands give me feelings of joy, confusion, sadness and awe. Among the seemingly messy song, there lies pure pop ingenuity and SOLID melody.

Ok Ok so what does this have to do with this collective? Well for the album completists or those new or partly aware of GBV, this album works. Spanning over 10 years of their recorded career (they've been around for 20!), this album contains some of their best songs, "snippets" and golden nuggets. You will find a hook in each and every song here!

Listen to the album and you'll experience great songs that should have been hits in a fair and alternate universe. While the titles / lyrics are sometimes silly and "trippy", the music is dead-on. Ranging from punk to pop to pure rock, you'll hear these songs way after they've left spinning in your player. (And amazingly, GBV avoids the cliche "la la la" or "clapping" choruses to get the pop song moving along.)

If you love music and want to hear it pure, whole and without overproduced engineering, check this disc out (and then go buy more of their catalog).

You will be happy.

(Given my review, I left a star out because there is no way to catalog and showcase GBV's massive and impressive catalog on one disc.)

I think a fair way to judge a greatest hits package is to ask yourself if it would be the band's best studio album. Of course, if you are new to GBV, or any other band for that matter, the question is mute. Hear me out though....

I got Aerosmith's (I'm talking pre-no drugs-Aerosmith. I'm happy for them and everything, but they suck after they got clean) 1st greatest hits as a kid. The one with the red and white cover. It was good, yeah, but once I got to know the real band, it hardly matched any of their studio albums (with the possible exception of DRAW THE LINE)....Hell, Queen is an example of a band whose "greatest hits" , for the most part, suck.

This would be GBV's best studio album. That's high praise indeed. As other's have said, this is one for the car or possible converts. 32 examples of what makes Robert Pollard God's musical jester.

O.K., "Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox" from PROPELLER isn't here. And sure, UNDER THE BUSHES UNDER THE STARS is under represented: Where the hell is "Dont Stop Now" or "Redmen and Their Wives"? And "Striped White Jets" and "Blimps Go 90" from ALIEN LANES got pimped. And the best 3 songs from ISOLATION DRILLS are not here. And my own personal gold star for "Gold Star for Robot Boy" from BEE THOUSAND is fractured because it got cut. And....Hey, you can't please everyone right? This is particularly true with Uncle Bob's incredible songlist...

For any fan that has a beef with the song selection, here is what you do: take your entire GBV collection and make your own 32 song greatest hits. It's not easy to condense Bob's overwhelming cornucopia of awesome tuneage is it?

Five Stars: For: cars, converts and cronies....Hey Bob, how bout that for a song title?

First a quick history. I live in Dayton, so I have been aware of GBV for a while through press coverage here. However, for some reason never bought a CD, since I am usually willing to take a risk on music. I had heard "Teenage FBI" on the local alternative station and sang it to myself often even before I bought a CD, so I can't explain, other than when I did go to look for "Do The Collapse" it was not readily available in local stores. Go figure.
So recently I saw "Under The Bushes...", "Mag Earwhig!", and "Do The Collapse" for sale at a resell store, so I took a dive. I listened to "Do The Collapse" and to "The Official Ironmen Rally Song" on "Under The Bushes" since I had heard of it before. I liked almost everything I heard. So for my birthday I decided to buy this album for myself. I'm very glad I did.
This is truly a great collection of songs. And if you are coming at it like I did (first, second, third exposure), you will truly be taken in.
The coolest thing was that as I listened to it, I was constantly finding a new favorite song that I would repeat. I started with "Teenage FBI" and "Official Ironmen", but then caught onto "I Am A Tree", then "Motor Away", then "Captain's Dead", then "Cut-Out Witch", "Shocker In Gloomtown", it really grows on you. I have also played the CD with other people around (including my two sons), and it is interesting that anyone who generally likes pop-rock finds something they like. That's rare.
Since then, it has lead me to buying all of their albums from "Propeller" to their latest, and some of Rob Pollard's solo work.
I have only two complaints, both minor. The first is a common "Best Of" complaint from fans of the artist. I can think of several songs I would have added. I could have seen a 2 CD set split between "lo-fi" and "hi-fi" days. Maybe even a thrid CD will Pollard's solo material (often with members of the group). But I suppose you have to draw the line somewhere.
The second is the sequencing. I didn't think much of it at the time I bought it, but now having heard much more of their material, I would have sequenced the songs more chronologically, which leads back to my earlier 2 CD collection idea. I would have definitely have used album version of "Motor Away" followed by "Hit". I understand there is an alternate version of this CD in the box set "Hardcore UFOs", that is sequenced chronologically, maybe that would work. Also, I like the version of "Teenage FBI" better that the one on "Do The Collapse", but I would have preferred the "Alien Lanes" version of "Game Of Pricks".
Definitely buy this album. And if you "get into" GBV, take a look at their EPs and downloads for their web site. There are some excellent songs in both places.

This disc has lots of amazing songs that will get you into GBV. Before I heard this I really didn't like GBV much. I had bought the album "Under the Bushes Under the Stars" album before I heard this. A friend of mine encouraged me to get a GBV album before this came out and I ended up buying the a hard one to get into, because it was priced low at a store. It was a big mistake, I couldn't get into "Under...". So I steered clear of GBV for awhile. UNTIL a half a year later...This "BestOf" comp came out. I figured it has over 30 songs and it probably has good cuts and it's not even twelve dollars, I'm taking a shot! Finally I'm into GBV and they sound better to me. Yeah, there's a lot of strange sounding things on this disc(lo-fi tunes on purpose,strange lyrics,etc.), but it's all creative and art in my eyes. This is genius work from a group that formed in 1985 in Dayton,Ohio.

My favorite songs are "A Salty Salute", "I Am A Tree", "Learning To Hunt","Things That I Will Keep", "14 Cheerleader Coldfront", "Surgical Focus", "Echos Myron", and more that I can't recall cause there's lots of songs. This is where to begin for starters. Hardcore fans get "Hardcore UFOs Boxset".

Yes folks, you have your Beatles Double Disc greatest, but GBV is a band that has produced many albams which the majority believes has brilliant songs and then some not so brilliant songs muddled in.

This takes their Best, and has to be considered The Greatest Greastest Hits album in Rock n Roll history, in my mind of course.

So many other groups have those albums that you need to listen to the entire album to get it's full impact, and the hits album doesn't measure up.

This is that once in a lifetime wierd exception.

My recomendations would be to get this album, Earthquake Glue, and Half Smiles of the Decomposed, and you've got a hefty amount of incredible GBV material.

ok, we all know that back in the day, 'greatest hits' records seldom ever were, and that you already HAD all of the best albums from bands that you truly loved. GBV existed only peripherally for me during the 90s, as my tastes switched from so called 'alternative' to 'alt.country'. anyway, a buddy of mine (ex music critic) put me onto this unbelievably good cd and - well, how to explain it - i loved it so much that i sold it to a friend and then went out and bought the FIVE cd boxed set! this is pop music in the TRUE sense of the word, like the very best REM, Mats, My Morning Jacket, Bill Lloyd, even (for Canadians) the Tragically Hip - gorgeous, shimmering pop of the highest order. DO NOT miss GBV's final opus "Half Smiles of the Decomposed" either - though it's said to be the 'end of the line' for this legendary band, at least we have a pretty outstanding output of music to enjoy. twang on, bob pollard, you crazy diamond! gee, now what was this 'pavement' band all about??