Bee Thousand

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This article is about the album by Guided by Voices. For the song by the same band, see The Grand Hour.
Bee Thousand
Bee Thousand cover
Studio album by Guided by Voices
Released June 20, 1994
Recorded Various places in Dayton, Ohio, with recordings pulled from as far back as the early 1980s
Genre Indie rock
Length 36:35
Label Scat
Professional reviews

Original:

The Director's Cut:
Guided by Voices chronology
Vampire on Titus
(1993)		 Bee Thousand
(1994)		 Alien Lanes
(1995)
Alternate cover
Bee Thousand was reissued in 2004 as Bee Thousand: The Director's Cut.
Bee Thousand was reissued in 2004 as Bee Thousand: The Director's Cut.

Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices released on June 20, 1994. It is noted for its poor fidelity, having been recorded on retail devices rather than in a studio, and for its abnormally brief song lengths. Nonetheless, the album has been considered to be among the most important of indie rock. The album's music draws inspiration from British Invasion-era rock music and punk rock, while the surreal lyrics are largely a reflection of principal songwriter Robert Pollard's experiences as a schoolteacher, a father, and a musician.

Upon its release, Bee Thousand unexpectedly garnered a relatively large amount of attention within indie and alternative rock circles, receiving critical praise. Due to the album's inferior fidelity, the band became associated with an indie rock genre known as "lo-fi", a movement defined by its poor recording quality. The album has since been hailed as a masterpiece, and is considered an essential indie rock album and among the most important alternative rock albums of the 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Background

Guided by Voices was a Dayton, Ohio-based band formed in 1983. Although by 1992 the band had released five full-length albums (not including their 1986 debut EP, Forever Since Breakfast), Guided by Voices was not a band in a conventional sense; its line-up was extremely loose, consisting of whomever of a group of friends showed up to short notice recording sessions. Additionally, the group did not put on live performances. Robert Pollard thought of Guided by Voices as more of a "songwriter's guild" than a band, and also said that "Whoever could come over would play. [...] It was just a bunch of friends who could occasionally get together so it didn't really feel like a band."[1]

Bee Thousand was to be the band's final album. Pollard was close to disbanding Guided by Voices by 1993, due to financial constraints and pressure to focus more on his family and teaching career;[2] Pollard has also stated that the band was nearly broken up as early as 1991, during the creation of Propeller.[3] Pollard was also struggling with writing for a follow-up record to Vampire on Titus and Propeller, which had been the band's two most noticed records yet. However, it occurred to him to "deconstruct" and "reconstruct" the band's older, unused material into new songs.[1]

[edit] Recording

Unlike some of the band's earlier releases, Bee Thousand was not recorded in a studio, but rather on four track machines or other primitive home recording devices in the garages and basements of various band members. Moreover, many of the demo takes of the songs were the ones that were used for the album. Due in part to both of these factors, several unusual errors are present in the album's recording and mixing; for example, the guitar drops in and out of "Hardcore UFO's",[4] and part of the outtake song "Way to a Man's Heart" appears midway into "Mincer Ray".[5] The band's choice to use inexpensive recording devices was initially a matter of economics, but eventually the band grew to prefer the sound. Pollard said that:

“ For our first [EP], Forever Since Breakfast, we went into a studio and created a very mediocre recording out of a very sterile environment. I thought, "Fuck that. If we're paying for it and no one's listening to these records anyway, if we're only making them for ourselves, then I'm going to put exactly what I want on them."[6] ”

Kevin Fennel similarly said, "When Bee Thousand came out we sounded much less professional than we did in 1982. The music was much more spontaneous."[7] Pollard also said that, at the time, the band's recording style was intended to sound like Beatles bootlegs.[4] Furthermore, songs were usually completed in a minimum amount of takes with no rehearsal beforehand.[8] In all, recording for the album was extremely brief, taking only three days,[9] with Pollard estimating that each song took roughly half an hour.[8]

[edit] Music

The music of Bee Thousand is influenced by British Invasion rock music, as well as what Pollard calls the "four P's" of rock: pop, punk rock, progressive rock, and psychedelia.[10] Only a few new songs were written for the album, among them "I Am a Scientist" and "Gold Star for Robot Boy", with the rest of the album mostly being overdubbed, rerecorded, or edited versions of the band's older, unused material.

While typical rock instruments, such as guitar, bass, and drums, are dominant, a variety of instruments and sounds are used. Recorders are used in "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory", and a piano is used in the closing track "You're Not An Airplane".[5]

[edit] Lyrics

Pollard's surreal lyrical style has been compared to the cut-up technique of Beat writer William S. Burroughs.[11] Many of the album's lyrics reflect childish or fantastical themes and were heavily influenced by the statements and actions of Pollard's fourth grade class, exemplified by "Gold Star for Robot Boy". Pollard was inspired to write "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory" after having an LSD-triggered psychedelic experience in which he perceived his own face in a mirror changing into his son's face; however, the song's lyrics are not about this event.[12] According to Pollard, "I Am a Scientist" is "the first song that showed some maturity in my ability as a songwriter."[13]

Tobin Sprout, who wrote or co-wrote many of the songs, has been described as Pollard's creative foil.[14]

[edit] Album title

The title Bee Thousand was inspired by a group brainstorming session, during which band members smoked marijuana. Pollard's brother, Jim, thought of "zoo thousand", allegedly inspired by a mile marker reading "Z1000". This phrase coalesced with a misspelling of a movie title at a drive-in theater, with "Beethoven" spelled as "Beethouen", which Pollard liked because the misspelling sounded like the name of The Who guitarist Pete Townshend. Reportedly, other considered titles included All That Glue and Instructions For The Rusty Time Machine, both of which were used in the lyrics of other Guided by Voices songs.[5]

[edit] Track listing

All tracks were written by Robert Pollard, except where noted.

[edit] Original release

  1. "Hardcore UFO's" – 1:54
  2. "Buzzards and Dreadful Crows" (Jim Pollard, Robert Pollard) – 1:43
  3. "Tractor Rape Chain" – 3:04
  4. "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory" – 1:45
  5. "Hot Freaks" (R. Pollard, Tobin Sprout) – 1:42
  6. "Smothered in Hugs" (Mitch Mitchell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:59
  7. "Yours to Keep" – 1:15
  8. "Echos Myron" – 2:42
  9. "Gold Star for Robot Boy" – 1:39
  10. "Awful Bliss" (Sprout) – 1:12
  11. "Mincer Ray" (Sprout) – 2:21
  12. "A Big Fan of the Pigpen" (Randy Campbell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:09
  13. "Queen of Cans and Jars" – 1:55
  14. "Her Psychology Today" (Guided by Voices) – 2:04
  15. "Kicker of Elves" – 1:04
  16. "Ester's Day" (Sprout) – 1:51
  17. "Demons Are Real" (Guided by Voices) – 0:48
  18. "I Am a Scientist" – 2:30
  19. "Peep-Hole" – 1:25
  20. "You're Not an Airplane" (Sprout) – 0:33

[edit] The Director's Cut

[edit] Side one

  1. "Demons Are Real" (Guided by Voices) – 0:49
  2. "Deathtrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster" (Mitchell, R. Pollard) – 1:12
  3. "Postal Blowfish" (Mitchell, R. Pollard) – 2:09
  4. "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory" – 1:45
  5. "At Odds with Dr. Genesis" – 1:25
  6. "Hot Freaks" (R. Pollard, Sprout) – 1:44
  7. "Queen of Cans and Jars" – 1:56
  8. "Bite" (Mitchell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 1:04
  9. "It's Like Soul Man" (4-track version) (Sprout) – 0:49

[edit] Side two

  1. "Supermarket the Moon" – 2:13
  2. "Stabbing a Star" – 1:46
  3. "Ester's Day" (Sprout) – 1:33
  4. "Her Psychology Today" (Guided by Voices) – 2:05
  5. "Good for a Few Laughs" (R. Pollard, Sprout) – 2:15
  6. "Smothered in Hugs" (Mitchell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 3:03
  7. "What Are We Coming Up To?" – 1:57
  8. "Peep-Hole" – 1:30

[edit] Side three

  1. "Revolution Boy" – 3:03
  2. "Indian Was an Angel" – 2:07
  3. "Zoning the Planet" – 2:25
  4. "Scissors" (Sprout) – 1:48
  5. "Crayola" – 1:17
  6. "Kicker of Elves" – 1:15
  7. "2nd Moves to Twin" (Mitchell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:46
  8. "I'll Buy You a Bird" – 1:47

[edit] Side four

  1. "Awful Bliss" (Sprout) – 1:13
  2. "Echos Myron" – 2:19
  3. "Why Did You Land?" (4-track version) – 2:45
  4. "You're Not an Airplane" (Sprout) – 0:34
  5. "Crunch Pillow" (Sprout) – 2:46
  6. "Rainbow Billy" – 1:39
  7. "Tractor Rape Chain" – 2:47
  8. "Crocker's Favorite Song" – 2:16

[edit] Side five

  1. "I Am a Scientist" – 2:30
  2. "Buzzards and Dreadful Crows" (J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 1:43
  3. "A Big Fan of The Pigpen" (Campbell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:09
  4. "Mincer Ray" (Sprout) – 2:21
  5. "Way to a Man's Heart" (Unknown) – 1:52
  6. "Twig" (Unknown) – 2:15
  7. "Gold Star for Robot Boy" – 1:39
  8. "Hardcore UFOs" – 1:54
  9. "Yours to Keep" – 1:15
  10. "Shocker in Gloomtown" – 1:05
  11. "Break Even" – 1:40

[edit] Side six

  1. "I'll Get Over It" (J. Pollard, R. Pollard, Sprout) – 0:39
  2. "Shocker in Gloomtown" – 1:25
  3. "Alien Lanes" (J. Pollard, R. Pollard, Sprout) – 2:32
  4. "Off the Floor" (Sprout) – 0:53
  5. "Break Even" – 2:28
  6. "Bee Thousand" – 1:30
  7. "I Am a Scientist" – 2:31
  8. "Curse of the Black Ass Buffalo" – 1:20
  9. "Do the Earth" – 2:42
  10. "Planet's Own Brand" – 1:15
  11. "My Valuable Hunting Knife" – 2:08

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Accolades

Information taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.[15]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Spin United States Best Albums of 1994[16] 1994 10
The Village Voice United States Album of the Year - Critics Pick[17] 1994 8
Alternative Press United States The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s[18] 1998 63
Pitchfork Media United States Top 100 Albums of the 1990s[19] 2003 10
Spin United States Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years[20] 2005 37
Mojo United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime 1993–2006[21] 2006 80

[edit] References

  • Greer, Jim (2005). Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock. (New York) Black Cat/Grove. ISBN 0-8021-7013-7.
  • Woodworth, Marc (2006). Bee Thousand 33⅓. (New York) Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1748-5.
  • Warren, Jeff. Guided By Voices Database. Guided by Voices Database. Retrieved on 22 August 2007.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Woodworth (2006). p. 23–25
  2. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 13
  3. ^ Miller, Nick. Unpeeled Interview with Robert Pollard 2004. GBV.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
  4. ^ a b Woodworth, 2006. p. 28
  5. ^ a b c Recycled!: Re-used Lyrics, Titles, Music & Images. GBVDB.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
  6. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 17–18
  7. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 73
  8. ^ a b Woodworth, 2006. p. 21
  9. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 77
  10. ^ Harrington, Richard (2004-09-10). Guided by His Own Voice. WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
  11. ^ Ellis, Iain (2004-09-15). G.B.V -- R.I.P: For the Love of Rock. PopMatters.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
  12. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 28
  13. ^ Woodworth (2006). p. 16
  14. ^ Perry, Jonathon (1998-07-08). New Waves and Old Tricks: GBV's Robert Pollard on being "lo-fi," recording with Ric Ocasek and getting lubed. RollingStone.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
  15. ^ Bee Thousand. AcclaimedMusic.net. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  16. ^ Spin End of year lists: Best of 1994. Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  17. ^ The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Music Poll: Search Results. Acclaimed Music Forum. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  18. ^ The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s. Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  19. ^ Top 100 Albums of the 1990s. PitchforkMedia.com (2003-11-17). Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  20. ^ New SPIN list: Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years. AcclaimedMusic.net Forum. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
  21. ^ MOJO: The 100 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime. AcclaimedMusic.net Forum. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Guided by Voices
Robert Pollard
Doug Gillard • Nate Farley • Chris Slusarenko • Kevin March
Former members
Tobin Sprout • Mitch Mitchell • Tim Tobias • Jim Pollard • Kevin Fennell • Greg Demos • Jim Macpherson • Don Thrasher • Jim Greer
Albums
Devil Between My Toes (1987) • Sandbox (1987) • Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1989) • Same Place The Fly Got Smashed (1990) • Propeller (1992) • Vampire on Titus (1993) • Bee Thousand (1994) • Alien Lanes (1995) • Under the Bushes Under the Stars (1996) • Tonics and Twisted Chasers (1996) • Mag Earwhig! (1997) • Do the Collapse (1999) • Isolation Drills (2001) • Universal Truths and Cycles (2002) • Earthquake Glue (2003) • Half Smiles of the Decomposed (2004)
EPs
Forever Since Breakfast (1986) • The Grand Hour (1993) • Static Airplane Jive (1993) • Get Out of My Stations (1994) • Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (1994) • Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer (1994) • I Am a Scientist (1994) • Tigerbomb (1995) • Sunfish Holy Breakfast (1996) • Plantations of Pale Pink (1996) • Wish in One Hand... (1997) • Plugs For The Program (1999) • Hold on Hope (2000) • Dayton, Ohio – 19 Something and 5 (2000) • Daredevil Stamp Collector: Do The Collapse B – sides (2001) • The Pipe Dreams Of Instant Prince Whippet (2002)
Box Sets
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