Robert Pollard Solo - Album by Album

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Pop_Zeus, Aug 15, 2020.

  1. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    By popular (well, 2 people!) request, we will now cover the Boston Spaceships material: 5 albums, an EP, 2 singles and a live album, were released between 2008-2011. A 'greatest hits' compilation followed in 2012. This is what Bob himself had to say about the band (upon the release of their final album):

    "Though some - understandably confused by Pollard's ambitious, varied, and sprawling output post-Guided By Voices - may have earlier consigned Boston Spaceships to the "Pollard side-project" pile, (which is admittedly considerable), this is not a side-project. This is a band. This is Pollard's main band."

    First up is Boston Spaceships: 'Brown Submarine'. The album was preceded on 5 August 2008 by a promo single of 'You Satisfy Me' on Happy Jack Rock Records, backed with the track 'Impossible Octopus', which was actually 'You Satisfy Me' played backwards.

    [​IMG]

    Brown Submarine
    Released: 9 September 2008 (Guided By Voices Inc.)

    Lineup:
    Robert Pollard - Vocals
    Chris Slusarenko - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Bowed instruments
    John Moen - Drums and Percussion

    1. Winston's Atomic Bird
    2. Brown Submarine
    3. You Satisfy Me
    4. Ate It Twice
    5. Two Girl Area
    6. North 11 AM
    7. Zero Fix
    8. Psych Threat
    9. Andy Playboy
    10. Rat Trap
    11. Soggy Beavers
    12. Ready To Pop
    13. Still In Rome
    14. Go For The Exit

    Release Info:
    The debut album and tour from Robert Pollard's new band!

    "This is this you know..." Though you'll notice some subtle prog flourishes and acoustic strums, Brown Submarine is a pop punk album, made by and for kids who've worn out the grooves on their Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, Wire and dBs records. While Pollard has stretched out post-GBV , experimenting on each of his diverse and unique solo records, Boston Spaceships rock hard, have fun and drink Miller Lite.

    Without undue hyperbole, Pollard is penning fantastic pop songs in a style no longer fashionable, perhaps we should say, never fashionable. Makes no difference, on Brown Submarine, Pollard's charged up and sings his ass off.

    Mr. Pollard was so enthusiastic about this album that he's decided to play his first proper club tour in two years. This from a guy who hates flying, goes bananas sitting in the van, and who has turned down tours with Radiohead and the Strokes. Give Brown Submarine a spin or two - it'll make you feel like a kid again, too.

    Or go ahead, ignore Boston Spaceships and keep yourself busy finding the next Vampire Weekend, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or Ned's Atomic Dustbin. But if you save this album on your shelf and pull it out a few years from now, we guarantee it will make you very very happy...

    Buffalo credited with "Message" in liner notes.


    Boston Spaceships embarked on just one tour, across September & October 2008, during which every song from Brown Submarine was played. They released one live album which we will get to in due course. None of the songs from BS were later played by GBV. A dozen or so songs which ended up on Boston Spaceships albums began as Bob demos, which are scattered across Suitcases 1-3, with the recordings dating as far back as 1988. In the case of BS, there was a short demo of 'Soggy Beavers' dating from 2005, on Suitcase 2, CD1, and a demo of 'Go For The Exit' all the way back from 1988 (entitled 'Go For The Answers'), on Suitcase 1, CD4.

    Please share your thoughts on Brown Submarine.
     
  2. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Awesome, @Pop_Zeus ! I am a very enthusiastic Boston Spaceships fan, my favorite era between the Electrifying Conclusion and the new Doug lineup from 2016. Every album has absolutely essential Bob songs, and Brown Submarine kicks off with three amazing songs. Plus it got Bob back on the road after this came out with a new lineup. I'll give this a spin over the next day or two, it's been a while since I played it straight through.
     
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  3. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    I find Boston Spaceships overrated, as I think Pollard was still going through a songwriting slump during this period. The solution of reviving great Suitcase songs from the past helps paper that over and provides a lot of the highlights of these albums.

    When I reconstructed the Pollard discography, I didn't have any Suitcases as such (because the main point of the exercise was to integrate as many of those tracks as possible into contemporary releases), so I gathered together the bulk of the Boston Spaceships re-recordings into an album called Suitcase, which is a helluva lot of fun. It went a little like this:

    SUITCASE – BOSTON SPACESHIPS

    DOROTHY’S A PLANET
    PLUTO IS POLLUTED
    HEAVY CROWN
    A GOOD CIRCUITRY SOLDIER
    SOGGY BEAVERS
    HEADACHE REVOLUTION
    FLY AWAY (TERRY SEZ)
    EXPLODING ANTHILLS

    TRASHED AIRCRAFT BABY
    AQUARIAN HOVERCRAFT
    FREEDOM RINGS
    MEDDLE
    PLUTO THE SKATE
    CATHERINE FROM MID-OCTOBER
    UNSHAVEN BIRD
    GO FOR THE EXIT

    And it came with a bonus live 7" of further self-covers from the live album:

    BRIEFCASE EP

    LOVE THEORY / CRUTCH CAME SLINKING //
    SENSATIONAL GRAVITY BOY / BLUE GIL
     
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  4. jacethecrowl

    jacethecrowl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I know Chris a little bit, and have been seeing him in bands for thirty years (and in fact my lone feeble attempt at being on a stage was opening for Sprinkler). Though my first GBV was Do The Collapse, I did not see them until they were nearing the Electrifying Conclusion, and honestly it was Chris that kept me engaged with GBV until obsession finally kicked in (and I may forever be catching up). The Boston Spaceships records would be impossible for me to rank because they all have huge highs and no real lows (well, "Soggy Beavers" doesn't do a heck of a lot for me). Of course, I didn't know that many of the tunes were recycled from the Suitcases, but I remain untroubled by that (what a wonderful outcome for Writer's Bloc!) and I think the Slusarenko-Moen killer backing deserves a good deal of the credit (and looking again at Bob's inner-sleeve collage I wonder if Chris and John got their current band name "Eyelids" from this "External View of Eye" diagram). One thing that distinguishes Brown Submarine is that it seems to lay heavier on the acoustic guitars, which is not to say it rocks any less than the others. I feel like the sequencing could be more impactful but haven't taken a stab at it myself. When we get there I think an alternate universe BS best-of is in order, because I don't think Out of the Universe by Sundown does the job very well at all. But for this one, I say -

    Top hits: You Satisfy Me, Ate It Twice, Psych Threat, Rat Trap, Still In Rome

    "Right on. Roger. Exactly. F@#kin' A. Absolutely – a privilege."
     
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  5. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Definitely a good album. even though there's some clunkers in there.
     
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  6. 3Dman

    3Dman The Adventure Begins

    Location:
    MI
    Real quick thoughts on the second Teenage Guitar album More Lies From The Gooseberry Bush:
    It starts off fairly strong. I like the first three songs, and it’s interesting hearing Bob over distorted Radiohead-like beats on A Guaranteed Ratio. After that, I’m kinda hit and miss until the finale A Year That Could Have Been Worse. Maybe it just hasn’t clicked for me yet, but I find Force Fields At Home more engaging. Nevertheless, it’s always fascinating peaking into the window of Bob doing his thing solo and being the sole creator of the sound.

    Love me some Boston Spaceships, looking forward to see what you guys have to say.
     
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  7. capn

    capn Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    did Slusarenko play guitar live? who played bass?
     
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  8. DPK

    DPK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southeastern U.S.
    Yeah, Slusarenko played guitar along with Tommy Keene. Jason Narducy played bass.
     
  9. Jeepster39

    Jeepster39 Forum Resident

    I'd been a hardcore GBV fan since 1996 and drifted off after not really connecting with most of the Merge stuff. Boston Spaceships brought me back into the fold. Slusarenko did a tremendous job of fleshing out Bob's boombox demos into kick ass rock songs. My favorite Bob side project by far. I'm cool with most of the Suitcase remakes, just wish they'd had a crack at James Riot!
     
  10. Strummergas

    Strummergas Senior Member

    Location:
    Queens, NY
    Brown Submarine is not my favorite Boston Spaceships albums, but it's still very strong. This was a good band that I really enjoyed and I think Bob was right to end it when he did as it seemed like it was starting to run it's course. They went out on a high note, so to speak. I came to them late and heard the albums out of order, with this one potentially last.

    There's no real clunkers on here, but my faves are Winston's, Brown Submarine, You Satisfy Me, Andy Playboy, and Go For The Exit.
     
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  11. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
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  12. kouzie

    kouzie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Batavia, IL
    Here's an awesome live show in Chicago featuring Dave in Robert's solo band. As much as I love the current GBV line up, what I would give to have seen some albums with this line up. In addition to Dave, included are Tommy Keene, Jason Narducy (Bob Mould) and the always amazing Jon Wurster (Bob Mould, Superchunk, Mountain Goats).
     
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  13. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Pre-Boston Spaceship thoughts....

    When Chris joined GBV in 2003, with Tim T kicked out without even a rumor of what the hell happened, mid tour I believe, I'd heard Chris was in a Portland GBV tribute band. His label was somehow responsible for Jeffrey Pumpernickel (hell yes Strident Wet Nurse!), Tropic of Nipples (ugh), Beard of Lightning (eh). He seemed like a nice enough guy, capable enough live, but I loved Tim T, and Chris was just fine. A few years after GBV broke up, The Takeovers came out in the middle of the Fading Captain Series the same day as Keene Brothers and All That is Holy, and Keene Brothers just dominated. But The Takeovers grew on me, and I was surprised that a postal project with Chris was successful. I really liked how Chris came up with a lot of cool stuff on that album, there was some serious rockers (Insane Cool It, Fairly Blacking Out), and some cool touches like horns on Bullfighters Cut (horns!), random guests, playing with old tapes and old songs (the killer Dan Peters drum overdub over an unreleased song, I think Eggs Make Me Sick and Sweet Jelly were old Bob things that Chris polished up...). Plus Bob sounded like he was having fun on it too, silly but not goofy "with the inflection of a question/ you know?"
    And if the second Takeovers album wasn't nearly as good, it also had some cool touches, and some great guest cameos like Steven Malkmus and the decemberists drummer Jon Moen? How the hell did a Decemberist make it on a Bob album?! But only a year or so ago I found out they'd been in bands together before either played with bigger acts, like on this one by the Cavemanish Boys....



    Anyway, Slushy was getting interesting, I think Carbon Wales he was part of which was a cool weird 80s vibe. so when Boston Spaceships was announced, Bob, Slushy and Moen, seemed like it'd be an interesting one-off...
     
  14. 3Dman

    3Dman The Adventure Begins

    Location:
    MI
    Great prepper!
     
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  15. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Brown Submarine
    Winston's Atomic Bird - I usually don't like the jerky stop/start Bob stuff, but I like the simple off rhythm riff, and it goes straight in the right spots. Bob's voice sounds great, and after years of Todd, I like hearing a new drummer on the throne. I was a big Decemberists fan in the mid 00's so Jon was cool with me. Nice acoustic under layer mixed in the chorus
    Brown Submarine - wow what a killer title track. Simple, lovely, and that cello is perfect. Nursery rhyme opening and ends with "We've nutella and toast in our Brown Submarine"!
    You Satisfy Me - I was as obsessed with this song as any others post-2004. This, Zoom, and Death of the Party, the holy trinity. Love how that second verse melody is different than the first, and super creamy. The lyrics are almost like words cut up and put back together, but I can sing along to this one all day "Locomotive Dynamo Aeroplane or Radio!"
    (pause here while I replay the first three songs!)
    Ate it Twice - Only song with Bob credited on guitar, wonder if this was a demo that Chris built over. Or possibly sampled/looped a guitar part from a demo, since the vocals are in the opposite channel. Not quite as strong as the first three but a solid album cut
    Two Girl Area - nice subtle handclaps buried in the mix, never noticed those before playing it this week on headphones. Guns N Roses, Axl! Bob definitely more playful and having fun on this album. Cool instrumental break before "pigeons are fun" verse.
    North 11am - "that all the gold in the world" part reminds me of something but not sure what. Not a huge fan of the song, but that melody keeps it interesting, and a good mood break for side 1.
    Zero Fix - this one grew on me big time especially after seeing it live. Turn this up a few notches. Even that goofy drumbreak with bob's AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Love Moen's drumming on this, the way he knows how to push and pull. Hey Bobby listen to this schiit!

    Psych Threat! - Side two kicks off with a great one, and this was a killer show opener for the Spaceships tour. The silly "psych threat" harmonies, then that hilarious opening verse, "by all means already on it you got it yesterday", such a strange song for trumpet and cello, then do it all again. "and it goes by the name Forget You" with a cool guitar solo out of nowhere to finish it.
    Andy Playboy - basic song with some nice harmonies near the end to mix it up then...
    OH NO! NOT RAT TRAP! Another one that grew on me after seeing it live. turn it up a few more notches. Interesting for a rocker that Slushy is rocking out an acoustic. "hot grease impala takes the fall"
    Soggy Beavers - odd choice from Suitcase, but Slushy makes it work. Love the "YES!" from Bob at the end of the first verse.
    Ready to Pop - again a little silly, but having horns during the "she's so my size" bit at the end cracks me up, like the weirdest L'eggs commercial ever. Then the bass drops as the horns change like a Beulah song. Slushy's choices making an ok song a lot of fun.
    Still in Rome - The elec guitar sound that comes in before the first noisy bit is what makes me think Slushy was involved in Carbon Wales, sounds like something from Seventeen Seconds, plus some random cool strings in the middle. Clowns and gladiators drunk drunk drunk.
    Go For The Exit - another not-obvious pick from Suitcase, especially as an album closer. One of the few stripped down Bob demos on suitcase I prefer stripped down and short maybe in between bigger better songs. As a closer, its just ok

    Average collage for the cover, the inner collage is more interesting.

    Overall, the front three songs seal the deal for me. Zero Fix, Psych Threat, Rat Trap are growers that keep me into the album. And everything in between, well Slusarenko's choices of instruments, and not being overly showy with what he does, keeps things interesting. And especially having Bob in a good, silly happy mood throughout, just a really good album for me. And I've said it before, but I felt like this was a spark for him, his solo albums benefitted from this new mood. And it lit a spark for me, I was burned out on the Todd/Merge years. The hits from this hit me right in my Bob sweet spot, songs I couldnt get enough of.

    the Spaceships show I saw in Austin was fantastic. Small club, packed with die hards. Tommy Keene always smiling and Slushy on guitar, Moen on drums, Bob Mould's bassist Jason Narducy. Killer lineup, playing stuff from Off To Business, Spaceships, a handful of Takeovers songs, seriously deep cuts (BLUE GIL! Crutch Came Slinking!), and saving a few GBV hits for an encore. I was seriously bummed when they cancelled the dallas show the following morning, luckily before I started my drive, claim was illness but likely bad ticket sales, as they were all doing fine in Austin.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2021
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  16. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    I was also late into Boston Spaceships, and picked up the albums in a random order amongst a jumble of side projects and the last few solo albums I needed. It's a while since I played any of these so fun to revisit them. I had it in my head that this was my least favourite, perhaps it still might be come the end of this, but it's better than I remembered. Plenty of really enjoyable stuff on this album. Only just got time to play it today and it has been on repeat a few times. It's a solid album and it seems the guys are having a lot of fun, though I do think they went on to better what they started here. May report back after some more plays but not sure I can add a lot. I don't have the B-side 'Impossible Octopus' ('You Satisfy Me' backwards) but it's not something I lose sleep over.

    Well spotted. That riff reminds me of the classic Sesame Street theme tune! I didn't have the CD to hand when I posted the other day, so for the sake of completion, here are the full band credits from the booklet (a nice shiny glossy booklet it is):

    Lineup:
    Robert Pollard - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar on 'Ate It Twice'
    Chris Slusarenko - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Bowed Instruments
    John Moen - Drums

    With:
    Brian Berg: Percussion
    Jim Talstra: Bass on 'Ate It Twice'
    Pam Snyder: Cello on 'Brown Submarine'
    David Grant: Trumpet on ''Psych Threat' & 'Ready To Pop'
    Buffalo: Message

    That is awesome. Never really studied BS lyrics. I had no idea that Bob mentioned Nutella in one of his songs. Thanks for the great back story, that was a good read. I realise that by the time of the later BS albums, the reunited GBV were touring, but it's a shame that there were no BS live dates after 2008. Good to see some enthusiasm for BS in here. As usual, thanks for input, everyone.

    From Monday we will cover the follow-up album 'The Planets Are Blasted' and the 'Headache Revolution' single.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2021
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  17. Mr. Fantastic

    Mr. Fantastic Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Saint Louis
    Late Gooseberry observations - this was new to me and initially I felt it was inferior to Force Fields, but after a few spins the songs started to come through. I still give Force Fields a slight edge cause it's more of a rocker, but I also feel like Gooseberry is a bit more song-oriented if a bit sloppier. Each has about the same number of compelling or annoying tracks, and each has a nice variety of instrumentation (organ!!), production values (?!)...there are actually some decent drum sounds here and there. Even if the playing is sloppy it seems like Bob did put some thought into arrangements and instrumentation. I understand there's plenty of lower-hanging fruit than Teenage Guitar on the Bob tree, but it's a mistake to classify these albums in the same league as Acid Ranch, Nightwalker, etc. With those I feel like the improv half-baked musicianship is a feature rather than a bug, while it's the reverse with Teenage Guitar. Superficially similar, but essentially different. Skip if you prefer the creamy, or check it if you like Vampire or Tonics - though the TG albums are not in the same league.

    Glad to discuss Boston Spaceships. Although Brown Submarine is easily my least favorite of the five, I'd still rank it higher than lower-tier solo Bob albums. It doesn't quite sound like a band yet and there just aren't as many good songs as the other albums, though it's a mostly enjoyable listen. I *love* Andy Playboy, the lyrics kill me every time, love it when Bob sings about rock n roll or musicians. I sometimes wonder if Andy is an actual person, or semi-autobiographical. For me the other standout is Go for the Exit - a great song, arrangement, and Moen's drumming is fantastic. A few tracks definitely annoy, many others are/were a nice contrast to Todd T, and there's plenty of decent stuff here. But in the end I think the songs, performances, and production on the next 4 albums are generally superior.
     
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  18. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    Just had a few more plays and so am chiming in with thoughts before I put up 'The Planets Are Blasted':

    Brown Submarine

    I think it's a pretty good opening trio and though I'm not crazy about the jerky riff on 'Winston's Atomic Bird', I have to remind myself that Bob started off the year putting out 'Superman Was A Rocker', so this album is a huge improvement! The lovely title track really reminds me of some of the short moody pieces from 'Waved Out'. 'You Satisfy Me' is a very good one, I too love the 'silly lyrics sung to the melody' thing near the end. Also it was the first Spaceships song I ever heard, as I picked up the 2012 'Greatest Hits' comp 'Out Of The Universe By Sundown' before I found any of the albums. 'Ate It Twice' does nothing for me, well apart from make me laugh because it reminds me of Sesame Street. 'Two Girl Area' is another one I couldn't recall whatsoever, but has grown on me a bit during the week. I do think that the album really picks up from 'North 11 AM' though.

    It reminds me of 'Will You Show Me Your Gold?' by Lexo And The Leapers. I think it's a nice moody piece particularly from the 'Show me her heart' bit and I love the way Bob delivers 'With hearts beating the dam builders song'. Classic sequencing to follow it up with a punky rocker in 'Zero Fix', preceded by the great intro 'Hey Bobby, listen to this s***!' I think the run of songs from North 11 AM thru' Rat Trap is excellent. 'Psych Threat' early on had me tempted to reach for the skip button, but when the killer verse & melody come in, it becomes rather awesome. Some of the heavier stuff on here reminds me of Western Centipede, which of course is from the same year and was played on the Spaceships' tour. It's pretty cool how the Brown Submarine & 'Robert Pollard Is Off To Business' songs sit together on the live record. 'Andy Playboy' is a really fun little 90 second slice of Bob and great mixtape material. 'Rat Trap' really is the twin brother of 'Western Centipede'! I wasn't keen on 'Soggy Beavers' or 'Ready To Pop' early on, but I think they work quite nicely as a fun 1-2 punch of goofy pop silliness.


    Good call. 'Still in Rome' is not one of my faves on here, but as a big Cure fan I love the Seventeen Seconds shoutout here, that simple riff & when it comes back with flanger on really is quite early 80's Cure sounding. 'Go For The Exit' is a cool closer, a sweet combo of both the pop and rock sides of the album. Enjoyed this album more than I thought I would, but I'm sure I will like the others more. . .
     
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  19. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    This week's Boston Spaceships album is 'The Planets Are Blasted'. The album was preceded by the following 7" single:

    [​IMG]

    'Headache Revolution' (Happy Jack Rock Records)
    Released: 30 December 2008

    1. Headache Revolution
    2. Dementia Is Rising
    3. Take That Off (And Put This On)
    4. 7 Is The Hot Noose

    [​IMG]

    The Planets Are Blasted
    Released: 17 February 2009 (Guided By Voices Inc.)

    Lineup:
    Robert Pollard - Vocals
    Chris Slusarenko - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, String Arrangements on 'Tattoo Mission'
    John Moen - Drums, Percussion

    With:
    Greg 'Canned Food' Demos: Lead on 'Tattoo Mission' & 'Keep Me Down'
    Kaitlyn ni Donovan: Strings (& arrangements) on 'Lake Of Fire' & 'Queen of Stormy Weather'
    Chris Funk: Pedal Steel on 'Sylph'
    Pam Snyder: Cello on 'Tattoo Mission'
    Gary Jarman: Whistling on 'UFO Love Letters'
    Jonathan Drews: Percussion, Keyboards

    1. Canned Food Demons
    2. Dorothy's A Planet
    3. Tattoo Mission
    4. Keep Me Down
    5. Big 'O' Gets An Earful
    6. Catherine From Mid-October
    7. Headache Revolution
    8. Sylph
    9. UFO Love Letters
    10. Lake Of Fire
    11. Queen of Stormy Weather
    12. The Town That's After Me
    13. Sight On Sight
    14. Heavy Crown

    Release Info:
    This nuanced and transcendent rock album culminates with four of Pollard's best songs yet. The majestic and metaphorical "Queen of Stormy Weather," who threatens to "pee on my parade," is followed by "The Town That's After Me," which combines acoustic, electric guitar and strings to stunning effect. "Sight on Sight," a four-minute mini-epic, detours to otherworldly chants, echoes and drones, sitars, handrums, and tambourines, but rocks like heck, and the verse of "Heavy Crown" is melodically reminiscent of the Guided By Voices hit "Everywhere With Helicopter," but Pollard ups the ante with an even better chorus and then goes over the top with a still catchier refrain.

    The only songs played live by the Spaceships were 'Dorothy's A Planet', 'Catherine From Mid-October', 'Headache Revolution' and 'Heavy Crown'. All can be heard on the live album 'Licking Stamps and Drinking ****y Coffee', which I will add to next weeks chat. None of the songs from TPAB were later played by GBV.

    As for the songs on here which began as Bob demos, these were as follows:
    Dorothy's A Planet: Suitcase 1, CD1 (1991)
    Headache Revolution: Suitcase 2, CD2 (2001)
    Heavy Crown: Suitcase 2, CD4 (1991)

    'Catherine From Mid-October' was a rework from the solo 'Zoom' EP of 2005. The ending of ‘The Town That’s After Me’ is similar to the first half of 'You Make The Sun' (thought to be an 'Of Course You Are' demo from Suitcase 4), the second part of that song (from 0:52) sharing lyrics with the ‘Look at me, I’m still not out of bed’ part of ‘Break My Leg’ from the Circus Devils album ‘Sgt. Disco’ (2007).

    Somewhat bizarrely, the booklet for TPAB includes the lyrics to the 3 'Headache Revolution' B-sides. Those 3 songs were set for inclusion on the proposed but ultimately scrapped 2009 compilation 'Tug Of War At The Faithful Center' which I think I mentioned further back in the topic but the tracklist can be seen here:

    GBVDB - Guided By Voices Database

    Please share your thoughts on The Planets Are Blasted.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2021
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  20. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    Now for a really random question for the uber-nerds! Way back on page 3 of the thread, a tracklisting of Bob demos was posted (quoted above) and the demo 'I Apologize for Pie' appeared. I don't have that song and have never heard it, so I hope someone can answer this:

    The B-side '7 Is The Hot Noose' features the lyrics: 'I apologise for nothing / But the pilot speaks of pi / No not the weeding spirit / But a pie!' Can anyone tell me if it's the same song, or just a coincidence that 'apologise' and 'pie' feature in the B-side. Thanks!
     
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  21. Pop_Zeus

    Pop_Zeus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Southport, UK
    Holy ****, the fact that I only just realised that 'Keep Me Down' from The Planets Are Blasted was redone by GBV for August By Cake, shows how long it is since I played Planets. Probably at least 4 years! So, 'Keep Me Down' WAS played by GBV in 2016/17 after all.
     
  22. jacethecrowl

    jacethecrowl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Early on I'd compiled a reduction of the first three BS albums into a CD mix that I unsolicitedly shared with a few folks and subsisted on myself for a long time. So I'd forgotten how these operated as proper albums, and Planets is a huge step up from Brown Sub, with a wham-bam and flowing sequence and no turkeys in sight. Again, the Slusarenko embellishments are tasty and tasteful, like the bargain sale ELO cello on "Tattoo Mission," so what could Bob’s beef with "Keep Me Down" have possibly been that it necessitated that woozy GBV remake? (It’s perfect here and a rare dud on ABC). I'm partial to booming epics like "Big 'O' Gets An Earful" and while it's easy to throw around the term "mini rock opera" when talking about Bob, what else can we call the stunning "Sight On Sight"? That said, the biggest blast for me is "UFO Love Letters," with words that are equal parts evocative and inscrutable (as with Dylan I'll settle for an individual line that slays me over a song's "meaning"). I've never been able to find the 7" but still have hopes that I one day will.

    Top hits: Dorothy’s A Planet, Big ‘O’ Gets An Earful, UFO Love Letters, Sight On Sight, Heavy Crown
     
    guidedbyvoices and Pop_Zeus like this.
  23. Jeepster39

    Jeepster39 Forum Resident

    Planets is another winner for me. Love Tattoo Mission with the Roy Wood style cello overdubs. Keep Me Down and Heavy Crown are massive. As far as the ABC remake of Keep Me Down, I enjoy the ragged, cowbell-heavy, Stonesy-vibe. And it's kind of endearing in the way it falls apart. But yeah, the Boston Spaceships version wins no contest.
     
  24. jacethecrowl

    jacethecrowl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Yes! I mentioned ELO but you're right -- Roy Wood is more on point.
     
    guidedbyvoices likes this.
  25. 3Dman

    3Dman The Adventure Begins

    Location:
    MI
    Trying to weigh in before it gets too late. Boy, life sure can get in the way of posting thoughts of your favorite musicians on the interweb sometimes.

    I never bought the first two Boston Spaceships albums, and I’m not really sure why. I remember being excited for the band and the descriptions of the albums. Life must’ve got in the way again. But they are two glaring holes in my Bob collection. The length of time the vinyl copies hung around on the website made me foolishly think I’d be able to pick them up whenever. So other than a handful of songs, most of Brown Submarine and The Planets Are Blasted are still very fresh for me.

    Submarine initially has a bit of a skeletal sound to me, but in a good way. Like many Bob albums, you feel in familiar territory yet something is slightly varied. As a veteran Bob listener, your ears pick up the differences in sound and arrangements from Tobias to Slusarenko. Chris’s playing and use of acoustic guitars is one I notice, and of course John’s drumming.

    I feel like I always go into this album with the though that it’s their least, but this last listen I’ve begun to shake that notion and enjoy the album for what it is. And what it is is quite a good album. The only tune that had I any kind of ‘ehh’ feeling this time was Ready To Pop; I still was ok with it and a few more listens will probably change that.

    Highlights for me would be:
    Winston’s Atomic Bird, a great opener that pulls me in and makes me want to hear this album. Intriguing lyrics and hooks, and that first taste of Spaceships feel make it very compelling. You Satisfy Me is simply prime material, as is closer Go For The Exit. Psych Threat really opened up this time, and I’m a big fan of solid Bob epics. One to go with Christian Animation Torch Carriers and Conqueror Of The Moon. The title track is another nugget of that dark and moody vein Bob mines from time to time, and I need to make a playlist of that stuff. Rat Trap is one of those I don’t expect to love, but it burrows its way in to your brain whether you like it or not.

    Not really any lowlights for me here. The album doesn’t try to do too much and sets the band up. There’s some nice Bob-prog touches, a decent chunk of rock and cool instrumentation like cello. A good batch of tunes done well by Chris and John, and Bob sounds great here. A very likable beginning.

    I hope to get to Planets this weekend and be caught up.
     

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