POLLSTAL BLOWFISH - ILM Artist Poll #8 - Guided By Voices - ReSuLtS!!!

ha, i really did not know, but i looked it up

I'm sitting on 2 heads
"Some seat" I heard some said
Just waiting for Sunday
Four days after Wednesday

The higher clouds are closing in
To hide the deeds of Fertile Jim

Could this be a brand new low
One that we can't talk about
One that we can't live without
One that we can join in now

I'm standing on 2 feet
Now buried in concrete
Just waiting for sundown
So as to be not found

The higher clouds are closing in
To hide the deeds of Fertile Jim

Could this be a brand new low
One that we can't talk about
One that we can't live without
One that we can join in now

The only one I voted for today was "Bulldog Skin" : such a power rocker. I thought about voting for "Gleemer" but 20's a tough # to fit with this band.

Was listening to a fairly random GBV playlist on my way into work. Only one track I voted for was on the selection, but realised that if I hadn't done an instant top-of-my-head 20, I could have been there all week trying to winnow it down. So many good songs.

Too bad that 'Key Losers' isn't better known. If it had been included on one of the '94-'96 albums, it would have placed MUCH higher. BTW, who had it at #1? It was my number 3.

Kicking it off for today in 3...2...1...

50. "As We Go Up, We Go Down" (Alien Lanes, 1995) [138 points, 8 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7FqlArPFwI

(My friend Danny actually made this video for it, so yeah.)

Good start.

49. "I Am a Tree" (Mag Earwhig!, 1997) [150 points, 6 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV1fPyh53Ik

definitely my most listened GBV song, all time guitar lick

Just realized I should have voted for Kicker of Elves.

I almost voted "Kicker of Elves"! It's a ridiculous song that I find myself singing for a laugh all the time.

I swear that Doug Gillard ripped off the first part of the main riff from 'I Am A Tree' from some 70's hard rock band (I wanna say it was Head East but it's not). I will find it someday. Definitely the most "classic rock" of their songs.

voted "I Am A Tree" pretty high too

48. "Closer You Are" (Alien Lanes, 1995) [150 points, 8 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTEcNruLS3Y

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.

Yeah, we've had here 2 Alien Lanes songs that didn't make my ballot but very easily could have (ended up with 4 AL songs on my ballot, easily could have been 8 or so)

One of mine finally made the list!

ha, i think "as we go up" is the first song i voted for that's shown up. so beautiful and seemingly effortless.

47. "Everywhere With Helicopter" (Universal Truths and Cycles, 2002) [152 points, 9 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMobFKG-a4

The number 47 already getting 9 votes can only mean: monster poll. Love it.

Woo! One of the songs that shows not the transformation from lo-fi to hi-fi, but the transformation into a band capable of rocking so tight and hard.

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".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-uZAwh7KLk

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.

Yay, Helicopter. Best part of that song is ROOF TO FLOOR.

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.

I love Gillard's solo on Helicopter ... Not usually a fan of solos.

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".

great track. The guitar solo reminds me of late 90s Bad Religion.

46. "Do the Earth" (I Am a Scientist EP, 1994) [154 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIC2mqWerR0

Great song. Just missed out on my ballot.

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...

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.

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...

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

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.

(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.

Wild Strawberries is a good melody - I always wanted to hear it with a more energetic tempo. boomp boomp boomp boomp zzzzzzz

I totally expected As We Go Up We Go Down to be top 20

This came on my iPod this morning, and I was struck by how brilliant it was. Didn't vote for it, mind.

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)

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

*swoons*

wth was i doing putting it at only #13?

My #03! Love love love it so

Number 1 voter come forth and be praised

I can't believe only 6 people voted for it.

i can't believe i forgot about it!
i'm ashamed

what a great song

Yeah, especially freakin' great on headphones, with that constant threatening droney sound in the background

I thought this would finish higher but, then again, I didn't vote for it either so I guess I can't complain.

oof yeah i should've voted for acorns & orioles!

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 :)