Hardcore UFOs Box Set: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemi

Performer: Guided by Voices
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: HARDCORE UFO'S BOX SET: REVELATIONS, EPIPHANIES, AND FAST FOOD IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE includes 5 CDs, bonus DVD, and an 80 page booklet. Guided By Voices includes: T. Sprout, P. Eric, R. Pollard, M. Mitchell. Recorded between 1984 & 2002. Those familiar with songwriter and lead singer Rob Pollard's quirky genius already know how inescapably catchy his tunes can be, how disorienting and delightful his shape-shifting persona, and how hard his band can rock. They also probably know how irrepressibly prolific he is, which is where this excellent six-disc box set--which collects only a sliver of GBV's monolithic vault of material--comes in. The discs are divided by function and/or source, with one offering up a 32-track greatest-hits sampler, another selecting b-sides and rarities, another delivering demos and outtakes (most of which were previously unreleased), another containing an in-concert performance, and yet another containing their first EP, FOREVER SINCE BREAKFAST. The final disc is a DVD with a documentary, videos, and live footage, among other treats. Those looking to dip a toe into the GBV ocean might want to start with a single-disc compilation (the hits disc from this set is sold separately), or one of their many excellent studio releases (BEE THOUSAND is a good portal), but anyone already bitten by the GBV bug will revel in HARDCORE UFOs for a long time to come.

Spin (12/03, p.125) - "...Like listening to the best psych/pop-metal/British Invasion/indie-rock jukebox in the world while on the brink of an alcoholic blackout..." Q (1/04, p.136) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he lo-fi rock of Guided By Voices enjoys a healthy cult following. This boxset goes some way to explaining why..." Mojo (Publisher) (12/03, pp.126-7) - 5 stars out of 5 - "[I]t's an archive of a way of life and a catalogue of genius."

Led by former school teacher Robert Pollard, Dayton, OH's Guided By Voices pursued an aesthetic marked by structural brevity, lo-fi sound, bizarre lyrics, and a preference for early to mid-period Who and other primal pop-rock. Pollard continually shifted the group's lineup, with a new outfit backing him on nearly every record. On 1999's DO THE COLLAPSE, GBV polished its sound considerably, bringing in Ric Ocasek as a producer. GBV played their final show on New Year's Eve 2004, however Pollard continues to write and record as a solo artist and with various collaborators.

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