Guided by Voices - Hardcore Ufos Box Set: Revelations Epiphanies & (CD)

All Music Guide

It sometimes appears that Guided By Voices leader Robert Pollard has taken it upon himself to insure that GBV are the bestdocumented rock band on the face of the Earth. Between the band's busy schedule of studio albums, frequent live discs, copious singles, and numerous archive releases and side projects issued as part of GBV's "Fading Captain" series, it seems as if every sound the group or its leader emits will make it onto soundbearing plastic in some form, and in what could be some sort of world's record, Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies And Fast Food In The Western Hemisphere is the second multidisc box set from Guided By Voices in three years, and none of the 129 tracks that appear here were on 2000's hundredsong Suitcase (and none of those had been previously released). In short, this is the sort of release that forces fans to ask the question, "Just how much Guided By Voices do I really need?" Disc one is a useful thirtytwo song "Best Of" disc, which cherry picks seventys...even minutes of prime quality material from a catalog that has long needed a healthy pruning; this disc, also available separately in a different sequence, is as good an introduction to the band as you're likely to find. Discs two and three offer, respectively, a collection of Bsides and compilation tracks, and a selection of unreleased tunes and demos; in the grand tradition of the Suitcase set, these two discs offer a handful of true gems sitting cheek by jowl with recordings that didn't make the cut for very obvious reasons, once again proving what Robert Pollard needs more than anything is an editor. Disc four features thirtyone unreleased live performances from seven years worth of audiencetaped gigs, and while the disc certainly has its peaks and valleys, the beery enthusiasm and regularguy passion for rock that makes GBV's shows so much fun certainly comes across, and this is an enjoyable document of the group's live prowess and goofball charm. Disc five offers the firstever CD release of GBV's debut EP, Forever Since Breakfast, and heard today it's amusing to see how much of the band's sonic personality was in place from the start and how much they wanted to sound like R.E.M. when they were starting out. Rounding out the set is a DVD version of Banks Tarber's documentary about Guided By Voices, 1995's Watch Me Jumpstart, which is at once a sketchy but compelling look at GBV's formative years and, in retrospect, an almost poignant look at these musicians as they ride the cusp of greater recognition (it's especially telling that several say they aren't sure what they would do if the band's new success suddenly went away; two years later, Pollard would be the only one still in the band). The DVD has also been beefed up with additional music videos, live performances, and a new short from Tarber in which Pollard and his brother sort through boxes of Guided by Voices memorabilia. Marvelously, frustratingly, Hardcore UFOs ultimately plays out like a great big Guided By Voices album, with plenty of beautifully lifeaffirming hardrocking pop, and more than a few aimless and misguided failed experiments, with the proportions at just the point where it's ultimately a matter of taste and patience if you should have this on your shelf. If you're a beginner, get the standalone "Best Of" disc. If you're an obsessed fan, of course you'll want to have it. Anyone else ... hey, perhaps you could make friends with an obsessed fan and borrow it from them? - Mark Deming, All Music Guide Read more Less