Album Review
Guided by Voices - Human Amusements at Hourly Rates
Matador, 2004
If there’s one thing I’ve never quite understood in the world of music, it’s the universal praise heaped upon The Strokes. Admittedly, I’ve never sat down and actually listened to one of the New York quintet’s albums, but going on the evidence of the singles alone, I’ve always thought they were nothing more than average. The lukewarm response to last year’s Room on Fire surely proves that I’m not completely insane to hold this opinion, but the uninspired, frankly-rather-dull nature of Last Night and the others leaves me mystified as to why they attracted so much adoration from the world’s music press in the first place.
However, if there was ever one moment of genius to spring from the mind of Julian Casablancas, it was to get Guided by Voices in for the video to Someday. You know the one, it’s the one where the two bands are getting all over-competitive in some sort of Family Fortunes-style gameshow. Apparently, The Strokes owe their ascendance to the big time to a support slot to GBV a few years ago. However, the ’Voices can be forgiven even this crime by virtue of the incredible back-catalogue they have blessed the world with.
Human Amusements at Hourly Rates is an eclectic, sometimes baffling but usually brilliant taster of a musical career which sadly drew to a close at the end of last year. There are touching acoustic ballads (14 Cheerleader Coldfront) to real air-guitar moments (Cut-Out Witch) with plenty of blissful, perfectly constructed classics in between. The lyrics are, it must be said, often unconventional, veering towards darker themes at times, but always with a wry smile and set to music to stunning effect. “I dunno where you get your nerve, I dunno how you chose your words” singer Robert Pollard sighs on The Best of Jill Hives on a soaring chorus that leaves you trembling with its majesty. Personal favourites are those taken from 1999’s Do The Collapse, mainly because I was lucky enough to catch GBV playing the Radio 1 tent at Reading that year - although it is a shame that, on an album stuffed with 32 tracks, they could not squeeze in the gorgeous Hold on Hope.
If there is one thing I will warn against with this album, it perhaps has to be its aforementioned eclectic nature - yes, it is one of the characteristics of Guided by Voices which make them so essential - but it does however prompt a need for patience with some of the less immediate songs. It’s an album that really does improve the more it is played, with perseverance of some of the more obscure tracks guaranteed to return your investment.
Guided by Voices never received their due fame and success - critical acclaim, yes - but never particularly well known to wider audiences. This best of collection proves why they deserve to be remembered for far more than as just a footnote in the history of The Strokes.
**** Icklesnail 11.03.2005
Matador, 2004
If there’s one thing I’ve never quite understood in the world of music, it’s the universal praise heaped upon The Strokes. Admittedly, I’ve never sat down and actually listened to one of the New York quintet’s albums, but going on the evidence of the singles alone, I’ve always thought they were nothing more than average. The lukewarm response to last year’s Room on Fire surely proves that I’m not completely insane to hold this opinion, but the uninspired, frankly-rather-dull nature of Last Night and the others leaves me mystified as to why they attracted so much adoration from the world’s music press in the first place.
However, if there was ever one moment of genius to spring from the mind of Julian Casablancas, it was to get Guided by Voices in for the video to Someday. You know the one, it’s the one where the two bands are getting all over-competitive in some sort of Family Fortunes-style gameshow. Apparently, The Strokes owe their ascendance to the big time to a support slot to GBV a few years ago. However, the ’Voices can be forgiven even this crime by virtue of the incredible back-catalogue they have blessed the world with.
Human Amusements at Hourly Rates is an eclectic, sometimes baffling but usually brilliant taster of a musical career which sadly drew to a close at the end of last year. There are touching acoustic ballads (14 Cheerleader Coldfront) to real air-guitar moments (Cut-Out Witch) with plenty of blissful, perfectly constructed classics in between. The lyrics are, it must be said, often unconventional, veering towards darker themes at times, but always with a wry smile and set to music to stunning effect. “I dunno where you get your nerve, I dunno how you chose your words” singer Robert Pollard sighs on The Best of Jill Hives on a soaring chorus that leaves you trembling with its majesty. Personal favourites are those taken from 1999’s Do The Collapse, mainly because I was lucky enough to catch GBV playing the Radio 1 tent at Reading that year - although it is a shame that, on an album stuffed with 32 tracks, they could not squeeze in the gorgeous Hold on Hope.
If there is one thing I will warn against with this album, it perhaps has to be its aforementioned eclectic nature - yes, it is one of the characteristics of Guided by Voices which make them so essential - but it does however prompt a need for patience with some of the less immediate songs. It’s an album that really does improve the more it is played, with perseverance of some of the more obscure tracks guaranteed to return your investment.
Guided by Voices never received their due fame and success - critical acclaim, yes - but never particularly well known to wider audiences. This best of collection proves why they deserve to be remembered for far more than as just a footnote in the history of The Strokes.
**** Icklesnail 11.03.2005