Do the Collapse

Guided by Voices

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 3, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 3, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Tvt
• ASIN: B00000JLI5
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,345 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Any doubts about Ric Ocasek producing Guided by Voices' latest record are swiftly put to rest within the first few seconds of "Teenage FBI," the brilliant opening track on Do the Collapse. As new-wavish keyboards snake around Robert Pollard's nasal vocal delivery it's apparent that GBV have always been, among many other things, a great new-wave band and that Ocasek, the one-time crown prince of new-wave techno geeks, is a natural fit. Do the Collapse is GBV's most polished effort yet, although the slick production doesn't sabotage GBV's lo-fi, garage aesthetics. The songs virtually leap out at the listener with typical spontaneity and the hooks still come early and often. This time out Pollard has surrounded himself with a loose aggregate of musicians including the Breeders' Jim Macpherson on drums and guitarist Doug Gillard, a holdover from 1997's Mag Earwhig! The lineup does an exceptional job fusing all of their disparate influences with a consistency not seen on previous GBV releases. Every song here is a gem; there are echoes of Syd Barrett on "Dragons Awake" and "Wormhole," the Who (circa A Quick One) are recalled on "Much Better Mr. Buckles" and "An Unmarketed Product," and the record's most astounding track, "Liquid Indian," finds GBV channeling a myriad of unlikely '70s sources and mingling them with their own sensibilities to create something all their own. The beauty of Do the Collapse is GBV's ability to seamlessly stitch together the best of '60s British garage pop, '70s prog-rock, '80s new wave, and '90s indie rock to create their own personal history of rock & roll. --Paul Ducey

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How can you not love this?, November 28, 1999

By	Patrick F Clifford (Columbust, OH) - See all my reviews

I have been a Guided By Voices fan for about 6 years now and still am struck about how tenaciously Bob Pollard's melodies stick in my brain. When I bought this album, I put it on at work and hit replay without telling anyone and let it play all day. The next day, the Garth Brooks and Skynyrd fans were all humming "Liquid Indian" and "Hold on Hope" without realising that they were betraying their country inclinations. That's what is so amazing about his songwriting: Bob Pollard has a way a slicing through the ordinary and mundane (read: commercial), to let the obscenely hummable shine through. The glossy sheen thrown on this record doesn't get in the way of that aesthetic. It's amazingly easy to ignore the Cars-like keyboards and beefed up guitars. This isn't really as over-produced as other long-time GBV fans let on. The fact that Bob can write a hook better than anyone else out right now isn't lost in this immediately apppealing work. Yeah, "Bee Thousand" is a a more cohesive, complete work, but if what you need is the major label sheen and completeness, this is a good place to start. If this were 1982, Guided By Voices would be opening for The Who, not The Clash. A great date album if you were trying to impress someone who is moderately in the know. If s/he is really hip, put "Bee Thousand" on. If trying to impress someone when your "in-the-know" isn't the point, this one will have him/her remembering something about the night, even if it isn't you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars it's ok, but..., December 6, 1999

By A Customer

it really isn't as good as the other albums. all the stars on this page have been earned by the back catalogue and the live performances. it sounds like bob hasn't listened to the white album for years. he used to invent new forms of melody; now he recycles his own and other people's. his lyrics used to be weirdly involving; now they seem really impersonal, like the words have been picked out of some lotto machine. listen to chicken blows next to wrecking now or tractor rape chain next to surgical focus. there's no comparison. he's losing it, and it's sad. but gbv are still one of the top ten bands of all time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GBV keeps rock alive for those that care, March 13, 2000

By	Shamus McGillicuddy (NYC) - See all my reviews

First off, my general view of GBV is that you cannot judge their work after one listen, or even three or four. Each album usually consists of 16 to 25 songs. Oftentimes, each track is so short that they tend to pile on top of each other. It's hard to absorb them when they come so quickly, one after the other. You have to listen to them and concentrate on them. Eventually each song starts to distinguish itself from the rest, and you begin to appreciate them for the beautiful blend of traditional pop, new wave, hard rock, etc... I really enjoy this about them. Everything tends to blend together until you actively listen to them. then you appreciate the crafting of each song.

I didn't know what to think when I heard that Ric Ocasek had produced this album. I was just a child when he was at the pinnacle of his career with the Cars. As a consequence, I never truly appreciated his aestheticism and his artfulness. It's palpable from the very first track (Teenage FBI, with its fantastic edge of 80s New Wave beatifully interwoven with the GBV hooks and Pollard's wordplay). You'll sing along with every chorus and hum every guitar chop. In Stitches, Mushroom Art, and Liquid Indian are inspired. The whole album is well-crafted.

An excellent intro to the band for new listeners. Don't stop here, pick up others when you're ready.