Guided by Voices: Isolation Drills

Guided by Voices: Isolation Drills

2001

TVT Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Fair Touching  2. Skills Like This  3. Chasing Heather Crazy  4. Frostman  5. Twilight Campfighter  6. Sister, I Need Wine  7. Want One  8. The Enemy  9. Unspirited  10. Glad Girls  11. Run Wild  12. Pivotal Film  13. How's My Drinking  14. The Brides Have Hit Glass  15. Fine to See You  16. Privately



Eek! I've been slow of late, haven't I? Time flying like crazy. I crack my knuckles in preparation for a morning of hardcore, anal blogging and suddenly the entire day is gone, I have two sentences typed and I've racked up 16 hours of cat videos...

But you didn't come here to listen to me make sorry excuses. You're here cos you love blabbing and theorizing about GBV records, which also happens to be my hobby! So let's get rolling...

If "Do the Collapse" (the first big budget GBV album) was, according to most folks, a big miss then this was Bob and Co. hitting the major label GBV-thing out of the goddamn park. Listen, I loved "Do the Collapse" but even I have to admit this is a huge improvement. More serious, more focused, with a coherent "blue" mood, a gleaming stadium-rock sound, loads of swinging microphones, hard rock riffs and hooks, hooks hooks. A lot of GBV fans (myself included) viewed this as Bob's "Blood on the Tracks" (universal divorce-rock triumph) but Pollard denies that his personal turmoil from this era influenced "Isolation Drills." He claimed the songs referencing that sad ordeal appeared on the B-Side of the "Dayton, Ohio-19 Something and 5" EP, which is true: Side two of "Dayton" is undeniably an unflinching look at a guy who fucked up, but I can't shake the feeling that Bob's misdirecting us here. There's no way that "The Brides Have Hit Glass," which captures every heart-breaking nuance of a break-up in such clear-headed detail, isn't a divorce song. 

Oh yea. And Pollard has always had a knack for great melodies, but "Isolation Drills' has some real doozies. "Chasing Heather Crazy" has a chorus that immediately grabbed a deep hold on my brain the split second I heard it. And although it somewhat loses its context outside of the album, when you're deep into the twinkling, starry sadness of the album and "Glad Girls" suddenly erupts out of the delicious malaise, it's an unforgettable moment. Pumped fists, shout-a-long chorus, a woozy Beach Boys-esque bridge; the song is a flat-ass classic. And I'll be damned if "Twilight Campfighter" isn't one of  the most beautiful rock songs I've ever heard. I always have to hoist my beer to good times long gone whenever this song plays...

As I listen to this, I really love just about every song. The sad and sorry"Brides Have Hit Glass" being a particular favorite. I can't recall another song where Pollard is so lyrically straight-forward. And he's real good at this confessional style too.You'd be forgiven thinking this was a cover song if the melody wasn't so Pollard-esque. The one track that I unjustly overlooked for the longest time was "The Enemy." Baiting the diehards by kicking off with a snippet of "Broadcaster House"  the song transitions into a stark, simple-yet-undeniably ass-kicking Doug Gilliard riff which slowly cycles into something bigger and bigger. Around the 3 minute mark  the thing finally starts humming and it's glorious for sure. The only song on here I really don't care for is "Want One" which has a fairly awkward melody. But even that song has its moments (that " Ticket to sugar pie" section is totally legit). 

GBV put out plenty of excellent albums afterwards but I feel like this was their big moment. This is the point where they totally match history's other power pop greats. "Radio City, " "In Color" and into that pantheon stumbles "Isolation Drills." I still have no idea how radio ignored this album. I guess Crazy Town or some shit was more important...Fuck the world.

Let's listen to some music. Here's "The Brides Have Hit Glass" by Guided by Voices. Enjoy:

Time for the rankings, based on nothing else but my raw, personal preference. I'm ranking "Isolation Drills"way high. It's my second favorite Pollard album. The critical fave "Bee Thousand" is getting knocked down to 4th place. I'm sorry, GBV fans. "Isolation Drills" hits me harder. It's exactly what I'm looking for in a rock record.

1. Guided by Voices: Alien Lanes

2. Guided by Voices: Isolation Drills

3. Robert Pollard With Doug Gillard:Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department

4. Guided by Voices: Bee Thousand

5.Guided by Voices: Under the Bushes, Under the Stars

6. Guided by Voices: Propeller

7. Tobin Sprout: Moonflower Plastic (Welcome to My Wigwam)

8. Robert Pollard: Waved Out

9. Tobin Sprout: Carnival Boy

10. Guided by Voices: Do the Collapse

11. Guided by Voices: Same Place the Fly Got Smashed

12. Robert Pollard: Kid Marine

13. Guided by Voices: Tonics and Twisted Chasers

14 Guided by Voices: Sunfish Holy Breakfast

15. Robert Pollard: Not In My Airforce

16. Guided by Voices: Mag Earwhig!

17. Tobin Sprout: Let's Welcome the Circus People

18. Guided by Voices: King Shit and the Golden Boys

19. Guided by Voices: Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia

20. Guided by Voices: Vampire on Titus

21. Guided by Voices: Sandbox

22. Guided by Voices: Forever Since Breakfast

23. Guided by Voices: Devil Between My Toes 
24. Nightwalker: In Shop We Build Electric Chairs: Professional Music by Nightwalker