Customer Reviews

Brown Submarine

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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This first Boston Spaceships cd is the most "classic era GBV" sounding record Robert Pollard has done in a long time. Almost every song is instantly catchy, and the few that aren't, will grow on you. The first 3 songs are so sharp and melodic, and it's also refreshing to hear Bob with a real live band again. Chris Slusarenko and John Moen are tight, and well rehearsed, with good rock and roll chops, and this record has a real rock band vibe to it. Every song is arranged perfectly for it's style or mood, and Bob's vocals are very strong. Favorite tracks are "You Satisfy Me", "Ready To Pop", "Still In Rome", "Psych Threat", the super-catchy "Winston's Atomic Bird", and the remake of an old gbv song, "Go For The Exit". This album has something for everyone who's ever loved the "Propeller" thru the "Do the Collapse" (and beyond) era of Guided By Voices, and also for the hardcore fan, who must buy every single challenging side-project, or solo excursion of Robert Pollard.

Bravo Bob, "Brown Submarine" is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Destined to be a Robert Pollard classic, I'm surprised this album isn't getting more attention. Probably because of the ungodly amount of material this man releases. It's easy to lose track, but this new band Bob's put together is incredible.

Brown Submarine kicks off with "Winston's Atomic Bird", a quirky piece of oddball pop perfection, but as soon as you get your head bobbing, it's over and the mood shifts to the dark, stripped acoustic title track. Well, this barely lasts a minute and in comes that very familiar GbV style guitar riff, similar to the intros to "I Am a Scientist" and "Queen of Cans and Jars". One of the longest songs on the album at three minutes, "You Satisfy Me" is pure melodic bliss. From here it just keeps getting better.

Acoustic guitar is very prominent throughout, but it still rocks hard. Kind of similar to Half Smiles of the Decomposed in that way. One of my favorites, "Rat Trap" ("Oh no, not Rat Trap!") is acoustic power glam-punk with a wigged out Pollard singing a laugh (Ha-ah-ah-Ha Ha HA!) over reverbed electric piano for the songs climax. And you know Bob can't help but experiment a little, and "Still in Rome" let's him prog out with some as always intriguing, dark yet humorous lyrics, asking "Shall I show them thumbs down?" and "I was hopin' that the dead would rise by themselves". It could've easily been a Circus Devils track. The album closes with a reworking of an old Guided by Voices demo, "Go For The Exit". It starts off as a gentle acoustic ditty, dripping with melodic goodness, then the band kicks in, turning it into a full on rocker, still dripping with melodic goodness.

The whole thing's over before you know it, and you'll find yourself playing the entire album again. It also had me wanting to hear Normal Happiness, it seems to have a similar pace and feel to that album, also recommended. Apparently the next record is already in the can and slated for an early '09 release, and Bob's finishing the demos for the third. Can't wait.

For longtime Robert Pollard/GBV fans, I'd describe this debut Boston Spaceships album as reminiscent of the classic "Alien Lanes," but with slightly longer songs and better sound. It's also a bit more consistent than "Alien Lanes," maybe because there are only 14 tracks here. The most light-hearted thing Pollard has released in some time, the album is varied, spirited, absurd, irreverent, very tuneful and imbued with a punky energy that makes it sound like the work of inspired 20-year-olds rather than a middle-aged goofball and his like-minded cohorts. Nobody can write like Pollard at his best. "You Satisfy Me," "Winston's Atomic Bird," "2 Girl Area," "Andy Playboy," "Psych Threat" and several others here are straight from skewed pop heaven -- inspired melodies and sharp, funny lyrics that are more comprehensible than is usually the case with Pollard. "Ate it Twice" and "Zero Fix" rock with abandon. Even the two songs that probably won't grab you immediately, "North 11 A.M." and "Still in Rome," will grow on you with repeated listenings. This album and Pollard's new solo disc, "The Crawling Distance," (which is very different but just as great) rank with his best-ever work.

Brown Submarine is the latest 2008 release by Robert Pollard. It will doubtfully be his last. This time, he credits his band as Boston Spaceships, after the band that sang "More Than a Feeling" and the image that always appeared on their album covers. (I guess that it could have also been ELO or Parliament Spaceships.)

For anyone who loves Guided By Voices but is intimidated by Pollard's non-stop output, the fact that he has a new project is a good excuse to check him out. Cap'n Bob is predictably unpredictable throughout Brown Submarine's 14 tracks. At just under 33 minutes, the songs are never longer than they need to be and the shortest songs never seem truncated.

Pollard's versatile and well-managed voice adorns excursions into several genres of popular music. Most of the tracks feature fuzzy, surface-scratching guitars, especially the great pop songs "Winston's Atomic Bird", "You Satisfy Me", and the appropriately-titled "Ready To Pop". Pollard also knows how to put acoustic guitars to good effect on numbers like "Brown Submarine", the spooky "North 11 A.M.", and "Go To the Exit", which breaks into full- on rock `n roll before too long. Other times, he dips into Bo Diddley-esque blues ("Ate It Twice"), Captain Beefheart-ish weirdness ("Zero Fix"), and string and brass-seasoned rockers ("When In Rome", "Psych Threat").

At 50 years old, and in spite of years of night-after-night drinking binges, Pollard's still sounds great. He remains a consummate music fan, dabbling in rock, pop, folk, and psychedelia. Although I love Guided By Voices and occasionally check out his solo work, I am not enough of a Pollard junkie to pick up every record that he puts out. However, I am pretty confident in asserting that Brown Submarine is as fun, enjoyable, and ever-so-slightly serious as anything he has put out in recent years.

In typical Robert Pollard fashion, he has once again channeled his unlimited musical spirit into a new project, Boston Spaceships. I just opened mine this morning and am now in it's third spin cycle. Here's the scoop:

Earnest, silly, adventurous, youthful, unrelenting, passionate, polished, raw, friendly, and on and on and on....

This disc has the usual smorgasborg of textures and rythyms and Bob's vocals are especially well done. He seems to be truly enjoying himself with this release. Standout tracks IMHO are "Winston's Atomic Bird", (which has gotten lots of uTube coverage for the DIY video contest), "You Satisfy Me" which has an odd structure but somehow sounds totally familiar, "Zero Fix" just flat out rocks, "Andy Playboy" an autobiographical (??) ditty of life in a band on the road, and my personal favorite...."Go For The Exit" which makes a great exit for the CD and could be a good show closer for the upcoming tour. It's instantly recognizable in it's "bob-ness". It brings back the GBV feel & sound that everyone loves.

One interesting feature of this set is the use of various instruments not normally heard in the Pollard universe...cello's, strings, horns, etc all shine prominently and to good use throughout the disc.

Get this one and play it over and over again. I plan on going to the Cincinnati show in September and this disc promises to make the weeks seem like centuries as I await the show. Thanks again Mr Pollard!

From start to finish. This is the promise that the first Boston album cover had brought to fruition. Those spaceships gonna attack with some RAWK. Pollard sings. the band is crazy--its beautiful. Not a naff track. its good to be alive.

I believe the last four releases by Bob are some of the best he's dropped since the conclusion of GBV and Brown Submarine the most consistently satisfying. Fanboys who harken back to the glories of LoFi GBV are missing out! The amazing Fading Captain retrospective Crickets equals(yes I will blaspheme) or surpasses GBV. It doesn't matter to me; It's all Pollard. Of the four recent releases I really love the tunes You Satisfy Me, Two Girl Area, the one-two punch of Zero Fix(great RnR Scream) and Psyche Threat. oh yeah, Rat Trap is great! From Blasted, Canned Food Demons, Dorothy's A Planet and Tattoo Mission make a great opening. Headache Revolution and Queen Of Stormy Weather are faves. From the last two Pollard releases, The Blondes(IMHO one of his best tunes of late), No One But I, Wealth and Hellbeing, Faking My Harlequin, Cave Zone, The Butler Stands For Us All(another Pollard Gem!), It's Easy(great Ballad) are highlights. In all fairness, tunes should not be singled out each album has numerous virtues. Get with it, Bob is peaking again!