Ranking The Guided By Voices Studio Albums

Well, now you have to do a ranking of all Non GBV Robert Pollard albums

Their two studio albums from this year (Crystal Nuns and Tremblers) are incredible.

Briliant!!! Could you do more videos ranking pollards solo and side projects? Would love to watch that. Great list! Thanks man!

Very enjoyable watch!

How Do You Spell Heaven at 31??? Hmmm.... definitely disagree with that one. Pretty good list though

I don't know why I watched this but I'm glad I did! The more recent material is far more touch-and-go than the "pre-reunion" stuff, and you've pointed out where to go first. Of course any prog fan that actually knows how to ROCK will love GBV. You are on spot, man (though I'm still with the crowd that doesn't like Do the Collapse quite as much!).

the black watch love you, scott!

Great video - thanks for taking the time!

Your best review.

Earthman Blues is my fave #1.
Beauty countdown man! 🍻

Top 2:
Universal truths and Cycles
Under the bushes, Under the Stars

Someone described Robert Pollard
Perfectly when they wrote:
He writes songs like we eat potato chips.

rewatching, spot on those 2 last ones of the 2nd "classic" line up period "cool planet" and before that "English Little League" - Probably both in my bottom of the list !! Good rewatch ! Thanks Scot !!

Great list, I mostly agree. I personally think where they are these days is their most proggy.

First off, this is a really cool thing you did here. But, I think English Little League belongs waaaay higher. Birds is one of the most rockin songs ever. And, Send to Celeste is great too... in addition to the songs you named. Oh, yeah and what about Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)? And, yes I heard your critique of Sprout's songs overall on this album, but I think you could easily swap places with Styles We Paid For (maybe even substitute it for your #11 choice) and not affect this list at all. Maybe we like different style Guided By Voices songs, you and I? But, I think the only decent song on Styles we Paid For is In Calculus Stratagem (and it ends waaaay too soon.) Anyway, thanks and it is so much fun to try and order something as dense as the GBV catalog. Wait, one more thing. You wouldn't split the money with your band:(?? This is what makes so many "band leaders" such dicks. They wouldn't be anything without the support they get from the people bringing their ideas to life. Be better- lol

edit: I left out the article a in bold:)

The greatest rock band of all time!! Been listening to Bobby for over 25 years! (Been listening to a lot of other great bands/song writers too), but in all honestly, Bobby is the best!

"The Who Vs Porky Pig"

Sandbox???? Damn! It's fucking awesome!!

Man I would love to see you rank some of Roberts solo projects!

this was awesome, thanks for the ride 🤙

How do you spell heaven should be much higher also its not a reunion album. Great review tho.

Propeller at 8?! The TVT records both in the top 5?!?! Ludicrous. You definitely found GBV much later. Nobody I know who's been listening since at least Propeller would ever agree with that. Those TVT albums were straight up disappointments when they came out according to myself and most people I knew at the time. LoFi early/mid 90's GBV was the band at it's most inspired; their height without question. Down hill from there.

I definitely agree Bee Thousand and Alien lanes are their best two records. Hardcore UFOs, Hot Freaks, and I am a Scientist were the songs that made me realize just how great GBV is.

Pollard's lyrics not making sense? Why does that not surprise me? 😅

Just started getting into GBV and I love your energy man!

Welp. It's been a year since you made this. Gotta be another 20 albums. Time to redo the list. Lol. I love the it is them cover so much. Mark shue FTW! Shocked you didn't mention electronic windows to nowhere.

As a prog guy I get your choices with crystal nuns etc but I'd never put space gun in the top 10. I might put earthman blues in there.

I love how you've got nothing negative to say. Just how much you love it all.

No musical perspective baffles me more than the disdain for Sandbox.

There's three incarnations of GBV: 1987 until 2004 - 2012 until 2014 - 2016 until the Present

I have zero love for that 2nd one. Six albums and barely a memorable melody across all of those songs. Have enjoyed most of the 2016 albums onward except the first two...August is pale compared to Heaven and Honest is just Pollard anyway.

If you claimed that any other musician had written 15,000 or more songs it would be laughably hyperbolic and an obvious exaggeration, but with Bob Pollard it's actually fucking true.

Solid list! Thanks for sharing.

Now do your top 25 non GBV Pollard albums!

Spot on order apart from AL should be #1

I’m jealous of that RP “normal happiness” LP! That is one fantastic album, I still listen to it once a week since it came out in 2006

Alien Lanes might be #1, but some days I think it's Bee Thousand

I agree completely with how surprisingly good Crystal Nun Cathedrals is. Earthquake Glue is also my favorite album of all time by any band ever so glad to see it in your top 10. Lastly, love the RP solo selection you've got there behind you. Would love to see your ranking for those!

Amazing to think there has been another 5 albums since this review. Incredible band.

Great vid. Have to say, I would agree with your top-5 (and overall your top-10). Glad to see "Do The Collapse" so high on the listing -- it gets too much stick from fans, and I will never understand it, since the songs on it are so damn PERFECT (right now) !! :)
Also glad to see a fellow-fan stump for "Mag Earwhig", a really stunning killer LP imo.
I haven't bought/heard "Space Gun" yet, sounds like I have to jump on that pronto. Cheers!

Thought you were pretty annoying at first but when you got to warp and woof i changed my mind, good energy for my favorite band of all time

UTBUTS is truly a great album

Rating English Little League beneath Class Clown Spots UFO got my hackles up.

Just getting into these guys after listening to Alien Lanes on repeat for last 2 years. Amazing stuff. I've listened to a bunch of stuff now, and Under The Bushes might be my favourite! If you read this, what did you think of the 3 albums they put out last year?

Props for keeping up with all of them, especially on vinyl. I just can’t do it myself. But I am a huge fan.

Getting into the Pollardverse is a daunting task on paper (unless you go through a completionist phase ;) ) and you're gonna dig through a Lot of dross and incompletes and demos, but if you took just two of your favorite tracks from each release the sum would rival Any other band's catalogue in size, scope, and excellence. And remember - they got their start Long before Bee Thousand; it's just that no one noticed yet. My Valuable Hunting Knife is a great biography if you want to get to know the roots and the times, and there are countless good EPs, several of which I see in the background here. Bob hasn't stopped moving forward in 40 years so why should we?

It’d be awesome if you did a top 20 of all the side projects and solo records. Great video man, Propeller is way too low but I appreciate your love for Collapse (even if it’s ranked a bit too high 😂)…that Collapse tour was absolutely bonkers and ridiculously awesome. Surprised he made it out alive .

you should do pollards solo albums

Propeller 🤘😑

I fucking love this band, and I'll never get tired of them, since they have so many fricking albums. So many things to discover!

I’ve been diving into their greatest hits and absolutely LOVING their vibe. Reminds me of Pavement mixed with Flaming Lips. I have yet to hear the prog vibes from the greatest hits album but I’m sure deeper album tracks might show that.

UPDATE. I need more time with Under The Bushes but so far it feels a little more pop and accessible than I would prefer. So that’s why it’s a little low. By the way, why is Tonics And Twisted Chasers ignored from your ranking? Is it not looked at as an official album? My top 3 are pretty equal
9. Sandbox
8. Devil Between My Toes
7. Under The Bushes Under The Stars
6. Self Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
5. Same Place The Fly Got Smashed
4. Propeller
3. Vampire On Titus
2. Alien Lanes
1. Bee Thousand

What critics said about his (their ) work ?

Just checked out Mag Earwhig! For the first time. I exoected next to nothing, and instead got everything. What a diverse and magnificent collection of tracks! Straight to the top of my buy list.