The Guided By Voices songs Robert Pollard is most proud of
Guided By Voices, the multi-faceted indie project hailing from Dayton, Ohio, has been led by frontman and principal songwriter Robert Pollard for over four decades. With influences spanning from 1960s garage rock through post-punk to neo-psychedelia, Guided By Voices has exhibited a knack for a coherent condensation of disparate rock aesthetics. However, considering the band’s jaw-droppingly vast catalogue, perhaps “condensation” isn’t the right word.
Pollard is undoubtedly one of the world’s most prolific songwriters. The musical machine has written a staggering 3,000 plus songs, more than 500 of which were released under the Guided By Voices banner. With 39 studio albums to wade through, the GbV oeuvre is a treasure trove that alienates newcomers and keeps loyal fans’ record shelves splinteringly stacked.
In a 2023 interview with Dan MacIntosh of Songfacts, Pollard addressed his insatiable thirst for songcraft. “It’s just what I like to do,” he offered candidly. “I do it for a living, so I have a lot of time to think – not having many other distractions, other obligations. I’ve always loved great songs, especially rock, and from listening and studying my entire life, I’ve just kind of absorbed the lexicon. What goes into making a song interesting.”
Continuing to discuss his songwriting process, Pollard revealed that he usually finds himself inspired by one idea, from which further ideas blossom until he has a whole album. “I write when I’m inspired,” he said. “It usually takes one good idea that triggers the process of creating an entire album’s worth of songs. It takes a few days, and it happens two or three times a year.”
Since the start of 2020, Pollard has released ten albums with Guided By Voices, with the number undoubtedly set to change very soon. When reflecting on his enormous legacy of lyrics, one might expect that he would only remember more recent material, but his memory holds age-old highlights dear.
Asked to pick out some of his favourite lyrics, Pollard pondered: “‘My life is dirt, but you seem to make it cleaner, reduce my felony to a misdemeanour.’ That’s a pretty decent rhyme, and it’s a nice thought on a relationship. It’s from ‘Drinker’s Peace’ on Same Place The Fly Got Smashed [1990].”
“I’ll climb up on the house, weep to water the trees, and when you come calling me down, I’ll put on my disease” from ‘Game Of Pricks’ [1995],” he continued. “I’m sure there are better ones, but it’s hard to think of out of three or four thousand songs.”
The restless creative also listed the songs he’s most proud of, once again finding it difficult to sift through such a humbling stack. ‘Alex Bell’, ‘I Am A Scientist’, ‘A Good Circuitry Soldier’, ‘Just To Show You’, ‘Game Of Pricks’… I don’t know… there are just so many to pick from.”
Although Robert Pollard would undoubtedly like to add several more songs, we have created a small playlist for you to enjoy some of the creator’s favourites. It certainly makes for an easier introduction than tackling the entire Guided By Voices catalogue.
Robert Pollard’s favourite songs:
- ‘Alex Bell’ – Tremblers and Goggles by Rank
- ‘I Am A Scientist’ – Bee Thousand
- ‘A Good Circuitry Soldier’ – Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft
- ‘Just To Show You’ – How Do You Spell Heaven
- ‘Game Of Pricks’ – Alien Lanes
