Song #31 On My MP3 Player - Back To The Lake by Guided by Voices

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Guided by Voices' (GBV's) 'Back To The Lake' is the song of the day at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. 'Back To The Lake' is the seventh track on the 2002 release Universal Truths and Cycles.

GBV was active from 1983 until 2004, but they should have called it quits in 2002 when they released Universal Truths and Cycles. It would have allowed the band to ride off into the sunset on a high note, but they stayed active for a few more years and released two forgettable albums, Earthquake Glue and Half Smiles of the Decomposed. I'm a diehard fan of GBV, and I thought Universal Truths and Cycles was their best album since 1997's Mag Earwhig!

'Back to the Lake' is one of my favorites from Universal Truths and Cycles because it was a song that made me believe in a band that I saw as an act on cruise control collecting checks. Mag Earwhig! ushered in an era of a studio version of GBV. The days of 4-tracks and lo-fi experimental rock was gone. While I enjoyed the big studio version at times, I felt that I was following a band desperate for a top 40 hit or an alternative rock radio hot rotation hit.

Do The Collapse (1999) and Isolation Drills (2001) showed moments of brilliance, but something didn't seem right in my opinion. The two aforementioned albums lacked something honest. My interest in GBV was on the decline in 2000, but they captured my attention once again with Universal Truths and Cycles. It is interesting to note that the album that brought me back to GBV was the album that was one of the best selling releases for GBV. Greatness had returned and all was well in the universe.




TonyDoug Wright is The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.

Songs On My MP3 Player: (I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries by Guided by Voices

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The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll is back in business. It has been five months since I last posted and I am glad to be back blogging about rock and roll. It was sometime last week when I decided to share with the Lost Soul faithful every song that is stored on my MP3 player which is a Philips GoGear Vibe 4G model.  All posts will be in alphabetical order.

'(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' by Guided by Voices (GBV) is the first song listed on my MP3 player because of the parentheses. '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is featured on the 'I Am A Tree' single that was released in 1997 by Matador Records.

GBV is a band that was formed in Dayton, Ohio during the early 1980's, and they became a favorite of music critics and alternative rock bands during the early 1990's following the release of the albums Propeller and Bee Thousand. The band has a sound that is influenced by various genres including The British Invasion, punk rock, post-punk, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock. Their lead singer is a former fourth grade teacher named Robert Pollard and he is quite possibly one of the most prolific songwriters of the past thirty years. Many of the GBV's releases are considered lo-fi due to the use of inexpensive recording devices to record their releases, but they would venture into the studio to produce some polished rock albums. The history of GBV includes numerous personnel changes and their career came to end in 2004 when Pollard decided to retire the band. GBV's retirement ended in 2010 when pollard got the band back together to tour and to release new music.

I became a fan of GBV in 1994 and saw my first show in Dayton, Ohio a year later. This was the time of the lo-fi era GBV and the lineup was Bob Pollard on vocals, Jim Greer on bass, Tobin Sprout on guitar and vocals, Mitch Mitchell on guitar, and Kevin Fennell on drums. Greg Demos would replace Greer on bass and this lineup from 1992 to 1996 was known as the "classic lineup".

What I've always liked about this band, especially the "classic lineup", was that on stage they looked like a bunch of regular guys playing solid rock and roll. The sets were long, the energy was high, and the band always played a great show. The "classic lineup" had a run featuring some incredibly amazing albums including Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and Under The Bushes, Under The Stars.

Everything seemed to be going well from my point of view as a fan during the mid to late 90's, but Pollard made a decision that shocked me in 1997 when he announced some major personnel changes. Pollard had the entire band replaced by members of Cobra Verde, a Cleveland rock band. I was on a GBV mailing list for fans and from what I was told on the list was that Pollard wanted a more savvy group of musicians to join him for a big studio album project. Doug Gillard was lead guitar player, John Petkovic was the rhythm guitar player, Don Depew was on bass, and Dave Swanson was on drums. The sound went from lo-fi to studio rock and the end result was a 1997 concept album titled Mag Earwhig!

Mag Earwhig! is a good album overall, but it was a clear statement from Pollard that the lo-fi era was over. The Cobra Verde lineup did not disappoint fans at shows, but for some reason, Pollard decided to keep Gillard and replace the remaining band members with new musicians less than one year after disbanding the "classic lineup".

'(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is the first song in this MP3 series and it opens with a lovely acoustic sound that builds up to a great progressive rock explosion. It seems to me that it is a crime that this song was placed on the 'I Am A Tree' single instead of Mag Earwhig! because '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is quite possibly one of GBV's strongest songs from this Cobra Verde era. I've always been of the opinion that Pollard really wanted a hit at this point in his career and Mag Earwhig! could have been the album to take him to radio hitsville. For some reason, it did not happen. '(I'll Name You) The Flame That cries' has everything that a band needs for a radio hit, so it has been a myestery to me why this didn't make the album.

Progressive rock or prog rock is not something I want to listen to on a daily basis, but '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is an exception that deserves to be on my MP3 player because it is that kind of rock song that will get your head bobbing and your fist pumping in the air. For those of you that have not converted to the rock awesomeness of GBV then give this song a listen because it is definitely a gateway song one can use to get new converts to join the Church of GBV. The club is open.




TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDougWright or join The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll page on Facebook.

Breath by Pere Ubu

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Ohio Week has come to an end at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Let me walk with you 'cause it's breaking my heart. The song of the day is 'Breath' by Pere Ubu. 'Breath' is featured on the 1989 album, Cloudland.

Pere Ubu is a band from Cleveland, Ohio, and they have been one weird but interesting act for the pat thirty-seven years. It is not easy to explain the sound of Pere Ubu, and some are not ready for the stage antics of lead singer David Thomas. I'm giving you my Pere Ubu gateway song, which is 'Breath'. I've selected their live performance from Night Music, which was hosted by David Sanborn. Enjoy.

Vincent Come on Down by Brainiac

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This is Ohio Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll, so I am selecting some great tracks from the Buckeye State. I don't think you can tell me the things that I want you to. The song of the day for November 20, 2012 is 'Vincent Come on Down' by Brainiac. This song was released in 1996 and is featured on the album Hissing Prigs in Static Couture.

There was something happening in Dayton, Ohio during the early to mid nineties. I wasn't part of the local music scene, but I was living in the area at the time. There were some people who felt that something was about to happen where Dayton would be the next great rock city. It didn't turn into Seattle or Minneapolis or Boston. Whatever happened can be best answered by those who experienced it firsthand.

The Dayton Voice was a great local newspaper that gave local bands plenty of great press. That's how I discovered acts like O-Matic, Cage, Swearing at Motorists, Real Lulu, and Brainiac. There was even a local cable access show called Alternative Edge that played videos from local bands. I remember being in awe when they played the 'Weed King' video for Guided by Voices, and I recall when they started playing 'Vincent Come on Down' by Brainiac.

I never had the chance to see Brainiac live. Timmy Taylor, the lead singer of the band, was killed in an automobile accident in 1997 when Brainiac was in the process of working on their major label debut. The best way I can describe the sound of Brainiac is to imagine someone electrocuting punk rock. Enjoy.    

Tipp City by The Amps

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This is Ohio Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll because I am traveling to Ohio this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. Stop drinking my beer! The song of the day for November 19, 2012 is 'Tipp City' by The Amps, which is featured on their debut album, Pacer.

The first time I saw the The Amps, they opened for Guided by Voices at the infamous 1995 'Benefit for the Winos' show at Gilly's in Dayton, Ohio. The Amps featured Kim Deal (guitar and vocals), Nate Farley (guitar), Luis Lerma (bass), and Jim Macpherson (drums). They rocked Gilly's with songs like 'Pacer' and 'Tipp City'. I had the opportunity to see The Amps play a few shows in the Dayton, Ohio area, and they were never disappointing live. Nate Farley and Jim Macpherson later joined Guided by Voices.

Tipp City is about 20 minutes from my hometown of Springfield, Ohio, and I'm pretty certain I've never visited the city formerly known as Tippecanoe. The video below gives an accurate representation of the city where chicks with big hair cruise around in a Camaro. I think that's a Camaro. It's hard to remember all of those popular 80's cruisin' cars. Enjoy.  

I Am A Scientist by Guided by Voices

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I am a lost soul

I shoot myself with rock and roll

The hole I dig is bottomless

But nothing else can set me free

Welcome to the Lost Soul of Rock & Roll. I thought it was appropriate to have the first post relate to the title of the blog.

Am I a lost soul of rock and roll? My former boss referred to me as a lost soul of rock and roll and there are days when I feel that is true. Rock and roll has been a major part of my life since I was a child. Music has helped me along during some difficult, amazing and humorous times, so creating this blog was my way of sharing my love of music with the world. 

The first song I selected to showcase is 'I Am A Scientist' by Guided by Voices (GBV), a band from Dayton, Ohio. This track is from their 1994 masterpiece, Bee Thousand. If you know nothing about this band then the best way I can describe them is imagine that a group of music fans ingested huge amounts of the British Invasion, garage rock, hard rock, psychedelic rock, power pop, progressive rock, avant-garde music, punk rock, and post punk and then formed a band.

Under the leadership of front-man, Bob Pollard, this band has released numerous albums, singles, split singles, box sets, and everything in-between from 1983 until their break-up in 2004. Every release is something different and I mean that in a good way. GBV's sound ranges from lo-fi rock to slick productions without disappointing fans.

Guided by Voices was not a good band - they were great. They are one of a handful of bands that I have been obsessed with in my lifetime. I've attended some thirty-five shows and own countless GBV releases. Somewhere in a cardboard box you'll find some of my live bootlegs and rarities compilations that I acquired from 1995 to 1999 via tape trading. I've met some wonderful GBV fans over the years and still keep in touch with those crazy kids.There are some great GBV related stories I'd love to share, but I'm saving them for some upcoming posts. Gotta save up on material.

How did I fall in love with this band? I went to Lollapalooza '94 in Columbus, Ohio with Captain Chemtrail and Dizzy D to check out out The Breeders, Beastie Boys and Smashing Pumpkins. I heard The Flaming Lips were going to be at the show and wanted to see their performance. At the time, I knew GBV in name only because they were making a name for themselves on MTV and in some music magazines. I grew up twenty minutes north of Dayton and the local paper was also giving them plenty of praise.

Anyway, I had suffered through sets of Nick Cave and The Boredoms. I thought things would get better with L7. They took the main stage but there was a band making noise on the second stage. Lollapalooza had bands on a main stage and bands on a smaller second stage during their festivals. L7 informed the crowd that it was GBV and the ladies of L7 thought it was cool that GBV was rocking hard. On a side note, no tampons were thrown in the crowd by L7. Captain Chemtrail wondered if we should check out GBV and I said no. Big mistake. Perhaps the biggest rock & roll mistake of my lifetime.

A few months later, I was at a CD store near Wright State University with Captain Chemtrail and Ryan Dellwood, andother brother of rock & roll. It was one of those places that allowed customers to listen to a CD before purchase. Dellwood was listening to Bee Thousand and told me to come over to hear a song called 'Tractor Rape Chain'. It was an acoustic number with some fuzzy guitar moments, which did not sit well with me for some reason. I was in a Pixies and Fugazi kind of mood.

I returned to that same store a month later sans Chemtrail and Dellwood. I asked to check out Bee Thousand. This listen was different because I was knocked upside the head with the opening track, 'Hardcore UFOs'. It sounded like a long lost Beatles song. I bought the CD. 

The following weeks were nothing more than a heavy rotation of Bee Thousand. Each listen was a different experience. Then one day it was another knock upside the head courtesy of 'I Am A Scientist'.  I was amazed with the song and still am to this very day. The lyrics alone are fantastic.  

Enjoy 'I Am A Scientist'. This song is one of the best first doses of goodness one can ingest towards becoming a GBV fanatic. 

To all of you GBV fans out there: God bless the Pine Club. The club is open. See ya, sideburns.