Guided by Voices
Bee Thousand

THE REVIEW

"Ah! For me, Guided is Pollard, for me, Guided is a One-man band’’ (NickGhostDrake)

It's rumored that in the morning Robert Pollard grabs his guitar and, coffee in hand, composes a whole series of songs/tracks as they come to his mind.
Legend? Who can say. The fact is that Bob started as an elementary school teacher in Dayton, Ohio. A modest profession that guaranteed him a salary and plenty of free time to dedicate to his passion, music.
With a marriage behind him, years and years of Genesis, Bowie, and Yes, Pollard embarked on a new phase in 1986; that's when Guided By Voices were born, a creation all his own.
"I write the lyrics in a notebook and record the music. Just a regular recorder, nothing special. In theory, I do things very simply… Even though I'm getting better at remembering: before, if I didn't record, I lost everything, now no, I focus and try to remember."
And we return to the previous discussion. Some say that Bob has written 5000 songs, some say he has recorded 1000 titles, some say nothing, yet Pollard remains one of the most prolific songwriters currently.
"Bee Thousand" is a good starting point, he says himself. Even though every album is different, both for the artist and for his audience. This one, released in 1994 by Matador, contains Beatlesque ballads, REM-like references (Pollard sometimes reminds of Stipe), and absolutely inspired pieces (I'm A Scientist, above all).
The strength of the Guided is precisely their flaw; the inconsistency. That is, beginning melodic ideas without developing them, leaving them hanging, almost to confuse the listener.
"Bee Thousand" lasts about half an hour, or a little more, just enough time to realize what Pollard and company are capable of, and then it closes just as it begins, abruptly; like a taste of quality indie pop, an album that invites listening, which personally relaxes me.

A good listen for us poor indie rockers (or at least, for those who play at being one).