Let's Pretend Guided By Voices' First Record Was Mag Earwhig

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Assess their career. Forget about Bee Thousand, etc.

You can also start with Do The Collapse if you feel like that's a better place.

I haven't heard Earthquake Glue yet, but I am trying to become a GBV fan again after giving up on the 1st era. Or was that the second era?

― southern lights (southern lights), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Isolation Drills is a great record and i will defend it to the death. i like Universal Truths a lot, but of the hi fi GBV albums, Isolation Drills is the shit. i have not heard the newie either.

"brides have hit glass" is in my top 5 GbV songs, no worries.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

however, Do The Collapse i listen to rarely if ever. its production does it no favours but i also think the songs aren't Bob's best either. i'd rate it alongside his solo albums.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting premise.

Mag Earwhig would have been a decent debut. Do the Collapse would have been the sophomore record that leaves everyone scratching their heads. Falling in line with my earlier "third record theory," Isolation Drills would have been the one to beat. Sadly, Universal Truths and Cycles did live up to the task. Earthquake Glue, however, did...and then some.

Premise aside, Earthquake Glue is my favorite GbV record ever.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:20 (twenty-two years ago)

encouraging!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops..."Universal Truths and Cycles didn't live up to the task."

re: Earthquake Glue. It's not as immediate as GbV albums you're used to. It requires commitment and special attention. But the relationship will turn out to be quite rewarding.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Saturday, 16 August 2003 05:29 (twenty-two years ago)

But why? Their career didn't start with Mag Earwig, and I think anyone who has followed the band since before that time, say from Bee Thousand on, would agree that their best stuff was done earlier, when they were emerging from Columbus, still a bunch of guys that knew each other from way back, and on the cusp of greater recognition. 'Yeah we're finally here - and shit yeah it's cool.' I saw them play in '94 and it was the most rocking show ever. Mitchell was genius on the Les Paul, Fennell pounded away like a fucking cro-mag, Sprout stood quiety and played a Tele and looked like a gym instructor, and Pollard was the star.

― nickdouglas (Nick D), Saturday, 16 August 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree, but people keep finding ways to say wonderful things about their newer records, & I can't get there. I wondered if stripping away prejudice about their earlier work would help me appreciate them.

I also thought there was some encouraging debut/sophomore slump/creative renewal pattern along the lines of what Mr. Frye mentioned above.

Hell, even through the membership has rotated throughout history, they really did become a whole new band at Mag Earwhig.

― southern lights (southern lights), Saturday, 16 August 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

There are a couple songs on Mag Earwig that just made a passing grade with the new band but would've been classic with the old dudes: I'm thinking of 'Bulldog Skin' and 'Jane of the Waking Universe.' And 'Learning to Hunt' would've been great too with a little less production.

― nickdouglas (Nick D), Saturday, 16 August 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I definitely think _Mag Earwig_ can be seen as seperate from the rest of their (main) career, a complete different backing band (Cobre Verde), that never went on to record in that lineup again. It's also pretty much the only LP by GBV I don't care for.

After that the LPs have been pretty much in the same ballpark, with maybe _Do The Collapse_ being slightly apart due to Ric Ocasek production & attempts for a big hit. _Earthquake Glue_ is good, but I'd certainly put it behind _Isolation Drills_ & _Universal Truths & Cycles_, which I'd say were amongst the best in their catalogue.

That said, _EG_ is growing on me with every play, & I'm about to see a bunch of live gigs, so who knows where that'll leave me with regards to this LP.

― Wandering Boy Poet, Saturday, 16 August 2003 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

it sucks this era will never release a greatest hits album.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 16 August 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Mag Earwhig! is definitely a high point of the recent albums, with strong songwriting (besides Doug Gillard's "I Am A Tree," which makes up for lacking in lyricism with raw energy). Earthquake Glue is growing on me, it's amazingly good without the low points (filler) that made Isolation Drills and Universal Truths and Cycles efforts in fast-forwarding for me.

― largehearted boy (largeheartedboy), Saturday, 16 August 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I like a bunch of the Fading Captain stuff -- i can recommend two without hesitation: Speak Kindly Of Your Volunteer Firemen with Doug Gillard and the Lexo and the Leapers project, Ask Them.

Most of their/his (recent) albums will be ½ great and ½ ok -- other than the two i listed above, i don't think Pollard's had a 100% great outing since Bee Thousand -- that is, of course if you don't count my latest top 10 pick for 2003 as the remarkably engaging Earthquake Glue.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 18 August 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

twenty-one years pass...

If that's the case: nearly perfectly solid career!

― Matt Riedl (veal), Tuesday, 4 February 2025 18:54 (one year ago)

the 2001-2004 albums are still a good run of power pop. the post-reunion torrent of releases would be a lot more perplexing though

― ciderpress, Tuesday, 4 February 2025 22:38 (one year ago)

As someone who didn't start listening til '04, my reaction to hearing Do The Collapse was "people got worked up over that?"

― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 4 February 2025 23:40 (one year ago)

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