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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of 2000's best releases!, December 22, 2000
I saw two Guided By Voices shows in 1999, the first largely consisting of songs from Pollard's solo album "Kid Marine," and a whole lot of stuff from the (then) as yet unreleased "Do The Collapse." I was really, really disappointed. The next show restored my faith in the band, even as "Do The Collpase" came out and was pretty mediocre. While I'm not opposed to the improved production values, most of the songwriting just wasn't up to par: too many tracks consisted of a single-minded mid-tempo sludge. "Wrecking Now" and "Surgical Focus" were a couple of the standouts. This EP, however, is like that second show, sending me into rock'n'roll ecstasy. "Avalanche Aminos" (co-written with the ever-great Doug Gillard) is so cool: brilliant lyrics, buzzsaw guitar, and a touch of pop genius in the guise of kick-drums and hand claps. "Fly Into Ashes" is a little more subdued song which was the b-side of "Surgical Focus" (watch for that 7" record, by the way, with the entertaining-yet-scary dial-an-eye feature). "Tropical Robots" is a classic under-a-minute acoustic tune that might've fit nicely on Pollard's "Not In My Airforce" or even a Tobin Sprout record. The other great song to make this required listening (and a welcome relief from the overly processed indie records of this year) is "A Crick Uphill," which sports the unlikely lyrics "Yeah, you're okay, blow some life into me Jesus." Not sure what's going on there, but it's a must-have, sounding totally unlike anything GBV has done, with acoustic guitars, an unusual time-signature (for them), and a perfect rock-out build up at the end. Sadly, the EP closes with the title track which was the low point of "Do The Collpase," and supposedly the song that got them signed to TVT. Where "Avalanche Aminos" is rock transcendence and "A Crick Uphill" is earthiness incarnate, "Hold On Hope" is a schmaltzy slow-dance for a TV prom. Even with that complaint, this is still a wonderful slice of GBV, and I look forward to more...oh wait...what's that?..."Suitcase?"...4 discs? I guess I'll always be playing catch up with these guys. But it's a damn fun game.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Place to Start?, August 8, 2005
While I will not dismiss the spotty "Do The Collapse", this is clearly superior. Someone in the band clearly said "Hey, this is is good!" And I think this is one of the best. There is not a song I would skip and it puts a radically different song, "Hold On Hope" in a more "traditional GBV set". And let's nit forget how songs like "Uphill Crick" or "Avalanche Aminos" kick the band into a familiar but new realm (for the the times). So is this the place to start? Actually I would say to check out this ep with two others, the relatively obscure "Fast Japanese Spin Cycle" and "The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet" That should give you some idea of the trajectory of the band. And that would give an idea if you want to check classic albums like "Alien Lanes" or "Isolation Drills". And from there you can check out such obscure jewels like "Under Bushes, Under The Stars" or "Universal Truths & Cycles" And oh yeah, pick up something like "Bee Thousand" or "Propeller" so you don't look clueless. Oh by the way, get on board before the VH1 crowd gets on to tell that it's cool. This IS the best rock of the 90s!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Underground Initiations, April 9, 2005
I'll bet even a lot of GBV fans have looked at that title and said, "hmmm it's That Corporate Rock single (which even Robert Pollard can't stand and refuses to perform) plus a bunch of b-sides and outtakes, stuff that wasn't good enough to get on Do The Collapse, and that wasn't even all that good of an album."
It's a shame that of all the items in the vast GBV catalogue, this is about the only one without a cool, idiosyncratic title, so it'll go through life called The Hold On Hope EP. I guess the good news is that the titular song was thoughtfully placed last, so we can enjoy a terrific little sampler of GBV's skills, featuring Pollard's killer songwriting and the band rocking like mad.
Even in the condensed EP format, the breadth of Pollard's songcraft is incredible. And if this little gem proves one thing it's that whoever was responsible for choosing the tracklist on Do The Collapse must have had temporary insanity when they left these off. These outtakes and b-sides are to a song better than most of the official album.
Love that patented GBV blend of Who/Beatles/Big Star/Cheap Trick hard rockin' power-pop? Try "Underground Initiations" or Doug Gillard's "Avalanche Aminos" featuring his razor sharp leads. Love Pollard's inimitable British Invasion popcraft? You'll be humming "Fly Into Ashes" for days. Want grungy garage rock? There's a remake of "Reptilian Beauty Secrets" called "Idiot Princess." But the real ace in the hole is the incredible and completely unexpected "A Crick Uphill," truly one of a kind in Pollard's bottomless suitcase of songs. Starting out sounding like John Lennon singing a country song (!) it builds to a gospel-infused rockin' hoe-down that is truly unique in the GBV discography. Like the rest of this fine collection it deserves to be heard.
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