9 votes with 152 points means a lot of people had this at the bottom of their ballot. I myself voted for it, at number 15. I've always thought it was the best song on Universal Truths & Cycles.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
Yay, Helicopter. Best part of that song is ROOF TO FLOOR.
― some lady (La Lechera), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
Even more than "I Am a Tree," I think "Helicopter" is their most fully put-together big rawk song. I used to love it originally, but now I'm a little over it. What it makes up for in flash and sound quality, it lacks in some of the other things I like about GBV. Gold bless Doug Gillard, but he's no Mitch Mitchell.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
I love Gillard's solo on Helicopter ... Not usually a fan of solos.
― Viva Brother Beyond (ithappens), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
The live version is better than the original imo. Rates pretty high on the "makes me flip out when I hear it" scale. I can't really say that for, I dunno, "Chicken Blows".
― Art Arfons (La Lechera), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
great track. The guitar solo reminds me of late 90s Bad Religion.
― skip, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:04 (twelve years ago) link
46. "Do the Earth" (I Am a Scientist EP, 1994) [154 points, 7 votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIC2mqWerR0
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:06 (twelve years ago) link
Great song. Just missed out on my ballot.
― Juice Should Be Sterliized (Tom D.), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
At the risk of offending some people, I've got to admit that Doug Gillard's overplaying ruins a lot of late-period GBV for me - not that he does it all the time but nonetheless...
― Juice Should Be Sterliized (Tom D.), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:10 (twelve years ago) link
the only AL song i voted for hasn't showed up yet, but i know it will. i woke up this morning trying to remember the name of the song that contains the lyrics "under the bushes, under the stars".
― some lady (La Lechera), Tuesday, September 27, 2011 2:53 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark
Bunco Men from the first Suitcase also contains the "under the bushes under the stars" lyric. It was suppose to be on UTBUTS but apparently they misplaced the tape it was recorded on. Great song.
― ColinO, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:15 (twelve years ago) link
So far three of my songs have appeared in the countdown including the 60-51 bonus portion. (Big Boring Wedding, Gleemer, and Do The Earth)
And like justfanoe, I easily could have included Closer You Are and As We Go Up We Go Down but I already included a handful of Alien Lanes' tracks. Just too too many damn great songs...
― ColinO, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:22 (twelve years ago) link
45. "Girls of Wild Strawberries" (Half Smiles of the Decomposed, 2004) [156 points, 7 votes, 1 #1 vote]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oahhlvwZKk
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:23 (twelve years ago) link
I'm pleased with the amount of love some songs from Half Smiles have gotten so far. I didn't vote for this one or Raincloud, but I did for Huffman Prairie and a couple others. Def an underrated album.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
(xpost) that's a good one. I didn't vote for anything past Isolation Drills but yesterday I was thinking this one could/should have made it. or maybe Back to the Lake.
― dmr, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:27 (twelve years ago) link
Wild Strawberries is a good melody - I always wanted to hear it with a more energetic tempo. boomp boomp boomp boomp zzzzzzz
― Art Arfons (La Lechera), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:30 (twelve years ago) link
I totally expected As We Go Up We Go Down to be top 20
― iatee, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:31 (twelve years ago) link
This came on my iPod this morning, and I was struck by how brilliant it was. Didn't vote for it, mind.
― Viva Brother Beyond (ithappens), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:32 (twelve years ago) link
Seeing these Alien Lanes songs come in that I did not vote for makes me realize that I could have just voted the first 20 AL songs with an exception here or there and been pretty happy with my ballot.
sooo much OTM right there. an the start I actually wanted to pull this one off as a kind of a joke (a joke that still would be pretty close to the truth)
― V79, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:37 (twelve years ago) link
44. "Acorns and Orioles" (Under the Bushes Under the Stars, 1996) [157 points, 6 votes, 1 #1 vote]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxVmVJ2ZGd4
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:45 (twelve years ago) link
*swoons*
wth was i doing putting it at only #13?
― ledge, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:46 (twelve years ago) link
My #03! Love love love it so
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:47 (twelve years ago) link
Number 1 voter come forth and be praised
I can't believe only 6 people voted for it.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:48 (twelve years ago) link
i can't believe i forgot about it! i'm ashamed
― Art Arfons (La Lechera), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
what a great song
Yeah, especially freakin' great on headphones, with that constant threatening droney sound in the background
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:53 (twelve years ago) link
I thought this would finish higher but, then again, I didn't vote for it either so I guess I can't complain.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
oof yeah i should've voted for acorns & orioles!
― tylerw, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
So basically it would've been the number one if so many people hadn't forgotten to vote for it! I suspect that will happen with more songs in this poll :)
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
Great song, sorry to omit it! Always loved the Peel wersion of "Cut-Out Witch" with the "I can't tell you anything" refrain stuck in at the end.
― bentelec, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:07 (twelve years ago) link
I've never heard that version, or session. Was it officially released?
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
43. "Unleashed! The Large-Hearted Boy" (Propeller, 1992) [157 points, 8 votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8JTHgOfRM
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:16 (twelve years ago) link
yaaaay "do the earth" and "U!TLHB"
― sons of menarche (donna rouge), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
I'm away for two hours and we're already at 43! Just wanted to mention that 'Everywhere with Helicopter' was the only song on my ballot that I hadn't heard before this poll and that I added thanks to the voting thread.
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
xxxp the bootleg called To Trigger A Synapse has these, suppose they weren't released officially?
― V79, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
"Unleashed" bassline intro reminds me heavily of a similar intro in JD's "Disorder"
― V79, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:19 (twelve years ago) link
LBI: only know it through less-than-legal downloads, but it's on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVz7RhAkiDE
― bentelec, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:28 (twelve years ago) link
Hey thanks!!
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:28 (twelve years ago) link
"Acorns and Orioles" always makes me think of R.E.M.
― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
42. "Man Called Aerodynamics" (Under the Bushes Under the Stars, 1996) [159 points, 7 votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PFlJ0hapXM
(see also, the BBC session youtube posted above...it's the second track.)
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
This song is a force of nature, btw.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
"Unleashed" bassline intro reminds me heavily of a similar intro in JD's "Disorder"― V79, Tuesday, September 27, 2011 6:19 PM (14 minutes ago)
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
'Digital'?
― Young Swell (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
xp the bassline also (kinda) resembles the Pachelbel canon, which is a popular chord movement after all. but I assure you, the moment I first heard "Unleashed" it made me think of "Disorder" :)
― V79, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
This song is a force of nature, btw
The way this song starts it sounds like you're in the middle of a tornado. No matter how many times I listen to it, it still takes me a second or two to get my bearings.
― righteousmaelstrom, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
Brilliant record opener, and OTM about the tornado effect. Sounds like a few seconds were cut off on the master tape.
BTW: I always thought that instead of a 'book mobile' he was talking about this thing :)http://images.wikia.com/mafiawars/images/c/ce/Popemobile_Real.jpg
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
don't know if he gets called out too much but kevin fennell can be a pretty impressive drummer -- the beat on aerodynamics is relentless.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
The whole song, for me, is a frantic build-up to the moment Pollard sings the song's title and stretches out the "aeeeroooo-dy-namics".
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:46 (twelve years ago) link
I feel like I just won the lottery by the time he gets to it.
I suddenly realised what the bassline of 'Unleashed' reminded me of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OArdM4Cb-ho
― ArchCarrier, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 16:50 (twelve years ago) link