Official Album Title: Earthquake Glue

[cungar]

It's Official
GBV's next album, to be released on Matador Records on August 19th, is officially been titled Earthquake Glue. Recorded in Dayton with Todd Tobias and Guided By Voices handling the producing chores, the album features 14 songs. The usual heavy touring will accompany this summer release. More details as we get closer to release date. Here's the track listing:

1. My Son, My Secretary, My Country
2. I'll Replace You With Machines
3. She Goes Off At Night
4. Beat Your Wings
5. Useless Inventions
6. Dirty Water
7. The Best of Jill Hives
8. Dead Cloud
9. Mix Up The Satellites
10. Main Street Wizards
11. A Trophy Mule in Particular
12. Apology in Advance
13. Secret Star
14. Of Mites and Men

[James Riot]

Well maybe that title will grow on me, especially after I see the cover art and the songs that it represents. Anyone out there hear any of these songs yet? I know that when Pollard started debuting the UTAC songs, the album was immediately touted as his return to form. Back to the Lake, Cheyenne, Everywhere with Helicopter were among the songs that led people to declare this. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about the new album mentioned, strange since this is supposed to be an album of more straight-ahead pop numbers.

[cungar]

I know GBV have played I'll Replace you with Machines in concert over the last few months but I haven't heard it. I think Bob said it was the worst song on the album. Give it time, 6 months until release.

[James Riot]

You're right, I should give it time, though he might have been kidding about "I'll Replace you with Machines." I wonder what the relevance that Earthquake Glue as a title has with the album and where GBV and Pollard are right now. I don't think that GBV titles are ever random, and there were good reasons for why Isolation Drills and UTAC as well as the other albums had the names they did. Earthquake Glue... I'd guess

[James Riot]

Sorry, last post got cut off. Meant to say that if I had to guess what Earthquake Glue meant, I'd say it refered to the ability of music to help people withstand all of the adversities they face in their lives. The title may refer to Pollard's acknowledgement of a tough period in his life where music has helped him keep his shit together. After all, Isolation Drills, the last album with more straightforward lyrics was also an album title that reflected this.

[cungar]

I don't know. Other than Isolation Drills, I get the feeling a lot of the album titles are just things that sound cool to Bob. I have a hard time believing The Pipe Dreams of Instant Prince Whippet or Universal Truths and Cycles means much. Speak Kindly of your Volunter Fire Dept? Choreographed Man of War? I gave up trying to analyze Bob's titles and lyrics. I just love the sounds he makes and take most of the lyrics as twisted poetry. And when he hits his stride, well there ain't a sweeter sound in all of rock music.

[johansen smith]

all of the Guided by Voices proper albums have been named after songs or lyrics.

[James Riot]

His album titles come from song titles and lyrics, which are their original origins, but they are usually used because they reflect something to do with the album itself. Universal Truths and Cycles, of course, was derived from a song that was on the album, but Pollard chose that song title to represent the album because it the album was a rebirth, like a cycle in nature. It was their first one back on an independant label, where they had total artistic freedom again. It also refers to the cycles that people go through everyday, where each morning people have a chance to get their shit together again. And Pollard has even said that he wanted that title because it was a way of saying that GBV will be putting out a record every single year again (as opposed to the once every 2 on TNT). Isolation Drills was a title related to the divorce from his wife, when he was on his own again in his life, and it even sounds like the isolated, metallic sound of the record.
This isn't just my argument, but is based on what Pollard has said himself in interviews. But you're probably right that sometimes they just sound cool, as with the Prince Whippet one, and Speak Kindly. Although I'd be willing to bet that there is meaning behind the Choreographed Man of War title. Have you ever noticed that Rich T. from GBV.com will not post the lyrics to Choreographed, as requested by Pollard? Choreographed is the only album in which he has forbidden this. I think it has something to do with the divorce from his wife (Chorographed was put out in 2001 with Isolation Drills), and his perception that getting divorced is like fighting a war.

[johansen smith]

PDOIPW: song on PDOIPW
UTAC: song on UTAC
Isolation Drills: song on Glad Girls CD5
Do the Collapse: song on Hold on Hope EP
Mag Earwhig!: song on Mag Earwhig.
UTBUTS: lyric from song "Planet's Own Brand" off the I Am a Scientist EP
Alien Lanes: song on the Grand Hour EP
Bee Thousand: song on Grand Hour EP
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle: lyric from song "3rd World Birdwatching" from FJSC
Static Airplane Jive: song on Suitcase.
King Shit and the Golden Boys: lyric from song "Don't Stop Now"

[cungar]

Got any theories on Mist King Urth?

[James Riot]

Not really, other than that it seems to reflect the treehugger/Lord of the Rings song titles and lyrics. Wicked album title though. Pollard might say in an interview, but unfortunately most interviewers just want to talk about GBV albums proper.

[cungar]

I thought at first it was something like Bee Thousand which Bob claims is what "Pete Townshend" sounds like when you hold your tongue. Who knows?

[James Riot]

That's cool, I've never heard that before. And it's true too.

[Jason]

Two factoids picked up from Postal Blowfish:

According to Mitch Mitchell himself, the title Bee Thousand was taken from a theater marquee listing the movie, Beethoven. I guess someone misread it, or it was misspelled or somethin' like that.

Most of the songs on Choreographed Man of War were written in 96-97, around the time Mag Earwhig was written. And either the tape was lost or Bob forgot about them. I think the missing lyrics are just Bob fucking with us.

Also, Do the Collapse was one of the titles considered for Mag Earwhig (I also remember the title Honeylocust Honky Tonk being mentioned in an Alternative Press interview circa 1996). I think stuff like naming the instrumental on the Hold on Hope EP "Do the Collapse" (which was previous released with lyrics as "Girl From the Sun" on the Tonics & Twisted Chasers CD reissue) or the Alien Lanes/Bee Thousand/Grand Hour thing are done to achieve a kind of mystique (and get us to have discussions like the one we're having now!) Like that Queen song, "Sheer Heart Attack" not being on the album of the same name (it's on News of the World)

Vampire on Titus. Titus is either the street Bob lived on or the street his parents live on (i forget).

"Tigerbomb" came from something Thurston Moore once said.

[johansen smith]

oh, Not in my Airforce, Waved Out, and Kid Marine are all either songs or lyrics on their respective albums.

my favorite almost made it title: Black Ghost Pie for Mag Earwhig!

[bitterfruit]

He still lives on Titus.

[James Riot]

Are you sure? I thought that was the street he lived on when he was still with his wife. He lives in an apartment now. Someone even told me that he no longer even lived in Northridge. I'd be willing to bet that the Vampire on Titus refered to his habit of staying up late with his friends when he lived on that street, or something along those lines.

That's crazy about choreographed. How do you lose albums? Makes you wonder how many other complete albums he's got recorded, or waiting to be recorded. I wonder what has happened to all of those songs that were recorded for UTBUTS with Albini? I think I remember hearing that over seventy tracks were recorded.

[johansen smith]

Matador Europe is calling the album "Live Like Kings Forever.'

[cungar]

I like that title better but I doubt they'll release it under two different titles. Live like Kings Forever was the first title idea I heard for the CD a month or two ago. Since then it has changed about 3 times. They claim Earthquake Glue is final but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

[James Riot]

Has anyone seen the Earthquake Glue cover they have up on this site? Opinions?

[johansen smith]

i think that's the best cover since Mag Earwhig!

[Ladt]

I'm still undecided about it. I liked the UTAC cover more but that's just first reactions.

[cungar]

I'm kind of surprised Bob went back to an indie looking cover after the last three. Looks more like his recent Fading Captain covers. I guess it's kind of heartening that in a day and age when the average Joe can do decent work in Photoshop, Bob's covers still look like they were made using cut and paste (literally).

[James Riot]

I really like the album cover, it kind of tells you that you're gonna find some interesting bubblegum pop inside.
Anyone notice that Pollard seems to have traded in his aviation obsession for satellites? (Although I guess they're not too far removed from one another). Case in point: the front of the album, the song Mix up the satellites, and the lyrics to Cheyenne, "Cheyenne, she's sending out satellites." Cheyenne is also a song that deals with another Pollard obsession as of late; religion. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into the lyrics.

[cungar]

Speaking of the aviation obsession, has anyone ever compiled a list of Bob's aviation inspired songs. And has anyone ever noticed they're always great?

Psychic Pilot Clocks Out
We've Got Airplanes
Blimps Go 90
Static Airplane Jive
You're Not an Airplane
Fly Into Ashes


off the top of my head

[Ladt]

Airshow '88? Not exactly his best song.....

[interrust]

i remember reading the original title for isolation drills when it was in production was broadcaster house, which is a song from one of their ep's in the 90's ... prince of the menthol trailer maybe?

-- rusty

[Scott Frost]

Originally posted by cungar
Speaking of the aviation obsession, has anyone ever compiled a list of Bob's aviation inspired songs. And has anyone ever noticed they're always great?

Psychic Pilot Clocks Out
We've Got Airplanes
Blimps Go 90
Static Airplane Jive
You're Not an Airplane
Fly Into Ashes


off the top of my head You're Not an Airplane is a Tobin song

[beekeeper]

yeah interrust--"Broadcaster House" is on the Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer EP. The song also of course is featured in part at the very beginning of "The Enemy" on Isolation Drills.

It's pretty interesting how much the titles can change for GBV albums. I remember when UTAC was going to be called "Exoskeleton Motorcade", then "From A Voice Plantation", and there was another title that I can't remember right now.

And then with Alien Lanes, the album was really close to being called "Scalping the Guru", and "The Flying Party Is Here" was also considered. Personally, I think it would have kicked so much ass if they called it The Flying Party Is Here. #1, the song itself (which is on Suitcase and appears within parts of "Beekeeper Seeks Ruth") is SO beautiful that it's almost haunting; and #2, the title would have been a nice continuation of the flight imagery, and would have added another cool dimension to what is already my favorite GBV album :)

and for other flight/airplane allusions, don't forget:

Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (my favorite of the early records)
Propeller (duh ;))
"Knock 'Em Flying"
"Striped White Jets"
"Not Behind the Fighter Jet"
"Take to the Sky"

...off the top of my head. I know I'm forgetting a bunch...

later!