Pitchforkmedia.com

[debaser]

Good review from Pitchforkmedia, pretty much echoing my own sentiments exactly.

[johansen smith]

except that they managed to toss off everything Pollard's released since Alien Lanes. even in victory, defeat.

[newspearmint]

This review is shite.
It absolutely revisionist history. The problem is that all Pollard's songs don't come out under the gbv banner. I wouldn't expect everyone to pay attention to everything he does..but you should be aware of it, especially if you are to cast off everything he's done since underthebushes as rubbish. Isolation drills ...man i love that record.
Carr is wack.

[jef]

That's how I feel. I would agree that Earthquake Glue is my favorite GBV album since UTBUTS if Isolation Drills wasn't so damn good. I don't see how one could just pass off that album.

[James Riot]

Isolation Drills absolutely deserves to be placed in the pantheon of great GBV albums and, as far as I'm concerned, the greatest albums of all-time by any artist. I think time will improve its status in the same way that Neil Young's On the Beach has. If Pitchfork is still around when the album eventually becomes reissued it will garner at least a classic album status of a 9.0 rating if not a ten, and hopefully will admit that their original review was totally off.

[bmmello]

Even though I very much like ID I am one who says EG it's their best since UTBUTS.

[Craig]

Pitchfork likes to be dramatic. Everything is hyperbole. The reviewer wanted to get attention and it obviously worked. The whole Bob Pollard "on his last legs" analogy is a complete joke. Isolation Drills was excellent and UTAC, while far from perfect, was still a solid outing. I agree that Do the Collapse was a dud. The reviewer makes some good points about Earthquake Glue. EG does recapture some of the effortless magic of the past. It keeps getting better and better.

[captain]

I'm in agreement with almost all of you guys.

I thought it was complete shit. Barely touched on the actual content of Earthquake Glue save a few cursory comments toward the end. And this review completely DEFINES "revisionist." It's funny, 'cos Carr probably anticipated people seeing through the revisionist shit by saying to the effect "yeah, I know it's revisionist, but that's because history was wrong." That analysis was only made to make his review look more "important" in the scheme of GBV's career than it actually is. What bullshit.

I also echo the complete idiotic dismissal of all post-95 material--even if you disregard the solo stuff (which I suppose for the sake of a Guided By Voices review, is OK), do you mean to tell me that Under the Bushes Under the Stars, Mag Earwhig, and Isolation Drills are not solid (in actuality tremendous by almost any standard) albums? Total rubbish. And it's oh so chic to slam Isolation Drills, for no good reason whatsoever (kind of like the ass who posted on this board a week or so ago who owned that record store).

Sorry this post is so long--I had to vent. I was curious to see what Pitchfork's review would be like, and having had to wait almost a week (hello!! came out last Tuesday P-fork!) was annoyed to see rubbish--irregardless of the rating they gave it.

oh well, at least we know this type of drivel can be expected many times from Pitchfork.

[James Riot]

Though I hate Pitchfork at times, their review was the one that I was anticipating the most. I usually look at their page every day, in spite of the fact that their irreverant attitudes towards bands I care about usually makes my blood boil. I guess it's kind of like how some of Howard Stern's most dedicated listeners are those that hate him the most - I just want to know whats going to happen next.

[gee beer vee]

Don't apologize for being long-winded. After all, this is a pitchfork thread.

I think reviewer's lyrics are wrong on Jill Hives to boot.

[debaser]

I guess the problem I have with post UTBUTS albums is they just seem to lack something, as much as I love Isolation Drills, it just doesn't give me the same feeling. Ditto Mag Earwhig. Ditto UTAC. (Cut exactly half of that album and you'd have a brilliant record) Don't even talk to me about DTC. 3 or 4 of the songs are great but by no means classic. I feel that being such a devoted fan as to defend EVERY song GBV produce ("no you idiot, demons are real is a CLASSIC") is to actually disrespect their genuine talent. In any case, EG gives me THAT feeling again, and while it may not be the best collection of songs they've ever done (personally I give that honour to UTBUTS) it IS the best *album* they've ever done. If that makes sense. Certainly I believe it manages the highest 'batting average' in terms of consistent song quality of anything they've ever done, excepting possibly UTBUTS.

[captain]

I'm not defending all their releases (note my non-inclusion of Do the Collapse and Universal Truths and Cycles in my discussion) but in actuality, ME! and ID ARE tremendous albums--they may not give you that "feeling," but they sure as heck give me and a lot of other people that "feeling" (Mag Earwhig! is my second favorite GBV album period).

And furthermore, "Demons are Real" IS a freaking classic!! At first I thought you were joking with that comment--I mean, come on man!

[portablefire]

how do you review this record and not even mention secret star?

the la show kicked ass ... incidentally, the belle & sebastian show 5 days later was one of the 5 best concerts i've ever seen.

[lester1/2jr]

that reviewers tone was nauseating.