Guided by Voices: Hold On Hope EP

Guided by Voices: Hold On Hope EP

2000

TVT Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Underground Initiations  2. Interest Position  3. Fly Into Ashes  4. Tropical Robots  5. A Crick Uphill  6. Idiot Princess  7. Avalanche Aminos  8. Do the Collapse  9. Hold on Hope



An EP of "Do the Collapse" outtakes that often gets recognition for being better than the album the outtakes are from. It's also notable that all eight of  "Hold On Hope"'s B-Sides mop the floor with "Hold On Hope" (which, keep in mind, I like).  Loses a point for not including the killer "Do the Collapse" era B-Side "Perfect This Time" though. 

A super fun game is putting together an alternate "Do the Collapse" track listing using this EP for fodder. For example, swapping out "Zoo Pie" and "In Stitches" for "Fly Into Ashes" and "A Crick Uphill" could have made "Do the Collapse" a start-to-finish knockout. Or replacing "Teenage FBI" with "Underground Initiations" as the big opener and so on and so forth...There are endless combinations. 


Almost the whole thing is a highlight. You have "Fly Into Ashes," which is a shimmering/oldies/power-pop slice of perfection that somewhat brings to mind a humbler, more relaxed version of "Things I Will Keep." "A Crick Uphill" is unlike anything else the band ever recorded. A gospel/punk/gospel/indie rock oddity that's oddly uplifting and tends to get stuck in my head whenever I hear it. "Tropical Robots" is the sort of acoustic song-snippet, under-a-minute ditty. The type of thing that you'll find scattered throughout any of the lo-fi-era GBV albums, except this one sound especially sweet for some reason. "Underground Initiations," "Interest Position," and "Avalanche Aminos" are all top-shelf big rock, with "Interest Position" having some exceptionally great harmony vocals from Bob.

 "Idiot Princess" and "Do the Collapse" are old  re-titled "Tonic and Twisted Chasers" rehashes, freshly re-recorded with big budget sonics but I like both. "Idiot Princess" (formerly "Reptilian Beauty Secrets") is maybe the EP's weak point along with "Hold on Hope" (which I usually even forget is on this). 

If you're a GBV fan, don't overlook this one. I remember picking this up when it first came out and expecting so much less. Imagine my surprise when a B-Sides and outtake EP turned out to be 20-minutes of prime GBV. If you're a GBV fan who doesn't have an issue with the TVT-era stuff you'll especially flip for it. Be careful when you're looking for it though and makes sure you're buying the correct version. There are a lot of variations of this, some with less songs (like that black cover version, pictured above)...

Let's listen to some music. Here's "Fly Into Ashes." Enjoy...

Ranking Time: This is where I wish I would have separated the 20-minute EP's from the full-lengths. Cos "Hold on Hope" is, track-by-track stronger than its parent album, but "Do the Collapse" fits in twice as many highlights only due to its running time being twice as long...Let's separate them...Here's the 20-minute-ish EP ranking:


1. Guided by Voices: Sunfish Holy Breakfast
2. Guided by Voices:Hold On Hope EP
3. Guided by Voices:Forever Since Breakfast

This was hard. Again, taken on a track by track basis, "Hold on Hope" EP is better than "Sunfish Holy Breakfast" but as much as I like the songs on this EP, there's nothing quite as monumental as "Jabberstroker" or "If We Wait" which exist on a much higher level. So I'm sticking with this.