Robert Pollard
Encyclopedia
Robert Pollard is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock
group Guided by Voices
, who disbanded in 2004, only to reform in 2010. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prolific solo career.
With more than 1,500 songs registered to his name with BMI
, Pollard is among the most prolific songwriters of his time. In 2006, Paste magazine listed him as the 78th greatest living songwriter. In 2007, he was nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize
.
called Anacrusis. He had also been writing his own music non-stop and recording demo tapes in the basement of his home. Many of these recordings ended up in the boxed set known as Suitcase. He named the band, which involved dozens of revolving members, 'Guided By Voices'. Using a loan taken out from a local credit union
, Guided By Voices produced a number of self-financed releases. Getting very little response at home, Guided By Voices released Propeller, which was to be their last album before Pollard resigned himself to a life as a 4th-Grade school teacher. The album eventually found its way to Scat Records, however, who signed the band to a recording contract.
"In the early days of Guided By Voices, when no one was listening, I was impatient," Pollard wrote in 2005. "I used to tire of people in the band very quickly. I had physical altercations with them. I even resorted to bullshit tactics, like telling the band I was quitting and we were breaking up, then forming again a month later with new members. I have learned to allow people to exist, grow, and find out who they are in the band, to give them all the time they need. As long as they are enthusiastic about the music, they can do whatever they want."
Guided By Voices became a legend in the independent rock scene, with both their recordings and live shows. Through the years, Guided By Voices would record with producers such as Ric Ocasek
as well as appear on the legendary TV program Austin City Limits
. In August 2004, GbV released Half Smiles of the Decomposed
, which would be the last album by the band. In 2004, on New Year's Eve, Guided By Voices performed their last show at The Metro in Chicago. In 2010 they reunited for Matador's 21st birthday and for a reunion tour. After a year of reunion performances, they played their last show at the Hopscotch Music festival on September 9, 2011 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
. These albums were typically recorded with a small group consisting of current or former Guided by Voices members, and they were generally considered to informally be part of the Guided by Voices canon, as that band would regularly perform selections from the solo releases in concert.
After the dissolution of Guided by Voices in 2004, Robert Pollard launched his official solo career with the release of From a Compound Eye
in February 2006. Pollard's recent studio work has eschewed the live-band format, instead relying on the multi-instrumental talents of Todd Tobias
, who produced several Guided by Voices albums. In 2006, Pollard resumed touring with a new band informally dubbed "The Ascended Masters", which featured Tommy Keene
on lead guitar and keyboards, Dave Phillips on guitar, Jon Wurster
on drums, and Jason Narducy on bass, but subsequent to the cancellation of some 2006 dates due to a leg injury, Pollard announced his retirement from touring.
Despite this, Pollard performed two shows in support of his new albums. The first show was on November 31, 2007 in Chicago
at The Metro. The second was on December 1, 2007 in Newport, Kentucky
(across the Ohio River
from Cincinnati) at the Southgate House. After releasing Superman Was a Rocker
in January he announced that he would be leaving Merge Records
to form Guided by Voices, Inc., his own record label that will produce his entire musical library.
In May 2008, Pollard announced his intention to form a new band, to be called "Boston Spaceships", who toured in the fall. The new band consists of Robert Pollard, Chris Slusarenko and John Moen, although the live band's line-up also included Tommy Keene on guitar and Jason Narducy on bass. The band's debut album, entitled "Brown Submarine" was released in September '08 and found Pollard re-visiting some older Suitcase songs (including "Go For The Exit" and "Soggy Beavers") as well as showcasing some brand new material.
In October 2008, it was announced that Guided by Voices' music would be used for a 3-D film
musical based on the life of Cleopatra to be directed by Steven Soderbergh
with script by former GBV member James Greer
.
Soderbergh and Greer will rewrite the lyrics of the songs.
is Pollard, John Moen
(Decemberists, Perhapst), and Chris Slusarenko. The band's first album, Brown Submarine
, was released on September 16, 2008, on Guided by Voices, Inc. The band toured fall 2008 in support of the album. A follow-up The Planets Are Blasted
was released on February 17, 2009 with another album Zero to 99
released in October '09.
Boston Spaceships released their fifth and final album Let It Beard
on August 2nd, 2011.
Other albums/EPs:
, Circus Devils
, and Go Back Snowball monikers, among others were produced in this fashion.
In December 2006, Pollard announced that the Fading Captain Series was being concluded with the release of Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999–2007
, a 50-song "best of" collection spanning from 1999 through 2007.
The bands that used to release works in the Fading Captain Series now release records on other labels, such as The Takeovers' Bad Football coming out on Off Records and the Circus Devils
Sgt. Disco coming out on Ipecac Records. In addition the Pollard albums Kid Marine, Motel of Fools and Fiction Man were all released in the Fading Captain Series although Pollard's other solo albums were not.
Acid Ranch: (archival recordings featuring Robert Pollard, Kevin Fennell and Mitch Mitchell)
Airport 5
: (Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout
)
Circus Devils
: (Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias
and Tim Tobias)
Go Back Snowball: (Robert Pollard and Mac McCaughan
)
Hazzard Hotrods: (Recording of informal 1990 performance by Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell)
Howling Wolf Orchestra: (Pollard and various GbV members)
Keene Brothers: (Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene
)
Lexo and the Leapers: (Robert Pollard backed by The Tasties)
Lifeguards (Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard)
The Moping Swans (Robert Pollard, Greg Demos, Jim MacPherson and Tony Conley)
Nightwalker (pseudonym for archival GbV recordings)
Phantom Tollbooth:
Psycho and the Birds: (Todd Tobias supplementing Pollard solo demos)
The Takeovers: (Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko)
. The first (and thus far only) release on Prom is Coming was Silverfish Trivia
.
In spring 2007, Pollard began a singles collection called the Happy Jack Rock Records Single Series in which one 7" record was released per month for 12 months starting June 22, 2007. All the records featured an A-side from Bob's dueling Merge releases that year (Standard Gargoyle Decisions & Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love) and a non-album B-side. 1,000 of each 7" was pressed.
Pollard's album Superman Was a Rocker
was the first LP released on Happy Jack Rock Records (although the vinyl version of Circus Devils' "Sgt. Disco" had been released on the same label in 2007). Pollard continues to release 7" records on the label. June 2009 will see the first release from a new Happy Jack project Cosmos, a collaboration with Richard Davies
titled Jar of Jam Ton of Bricks.
In 2008, Pollard announced the forming of yet another new label Guided By Voices Inc., named after his former band Guided by Voices. The first album release on Guided by Voices Inc. was Robert Pollard Is Off To Business, preceded by the 12" EP "Weatherman And Skin Goddess". Pollard's first two Boston Spaceships releases have been on Guided by Voices Inc.
consisting of original poems and collages by Pollard. As of October 2007 EAT is on its fourth issue. Pollard's collage art is featured on many Guided by Voices albums (notable exceptions being the two released on TVT Records
).
Robert Pollard's collages were collected and published in Town of Mirrors: The Reassembled Imagery of Robert Pollard. Town of Mirrors features roughly 150 collages, 20 of which were created specifically for the book's release.
in 1994. In James Greer
's book Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll he states that Pollard's days teaching inspired songs such as "Gold Star For Robot Boy," "Teenage FBI" and "Non-Absorbing".
During high school Pollard was a tri-sport varsity athlete. His most notable athletic achievement was throwing the first no-hitter
in the history of Wright State University
. Pollard has stated that he and the other members of GBV beat Beastie Boys
and Billy Corgan
in a basketball game. He also stated that Kim Deal
and Kelley Deal
were cheering for them during the game and that Steve Drozd
was riding on a bicycle during the game.
Much of the inspiration for Pollard's work has come from time spent hanging out with his high school friends from Dayton, a group he calls "The Monument Club".
He has two children (Erica and Bryan) with his ex-wife Kim and wrote a song about each, with "Your Name is Wild" being about his daughter and "My Son Cool" being about his son. He re-married in 2007 and still lives in Dayton, Ohio.
"I’ve never considered myself to be a runaway success at anything I’ve done, including parenthood," Pollard wrote in 2005. "But I’ve at least allowed my children to pursue their own interests without too much interference, and I think they both turned out pretty good."
Pollard cites The King of Comedy
, Blue Velvet, Psycho
, Husbands
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
, The Big Night
, Last Night at the Alamo, Goodfellas
and O Lucky Man!
as his ten favorite movies.
In April 2010, along with his brother Jimmy, Pollard was inducted into the Northridge High School Hall of Fame for excellence in football, baseball, and basketball.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, who disbanded in 2004, only to reform in 2010. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prolific solo career.
With more than 1,500 songs registered to his name with BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
, Pollard is among the most prolific songwriters of his time. In 2006, Paste magazine listed him as the 78th greatest living songwriter. In 2007, he was nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize
Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as , was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination...
.
Early music and Guided By Voices
Robert Pollard began his musical career in a heavy metal cover band in his hometown of Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
called Anacrusis. He had also been writing his own music non-stop and recording demo tapes in the basement of his home. Many of these recordings ended up in the boxed set known as Suitcase. He named the band, which involved dozens of revolving members, 'Guided By Voices'. Using a loan taken out from a local credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
, Guided By Voices produced a number of self-financed releases. Getting very little response at home, Guided By Voices released Propeller, which was to be their last album before Pollard resigned himself to a life as a 4th-Grade school teacher. The album eventually found its way to Scat Records, however, who signed the band to a recording contract.
"In the early days of Guided By Voices, when no one was listening, I was impatient," Pollard wrote in 2005. "I used to tire of people in the band very quickly. I had physical altercations with them. I even resorted to bullshit tactics, like telling the band I was quitting and we were breaking up, then forming again a month later with new members. I have learned to allow people to exist, grow, and find out who they are in the band, to give them all the time they need. As long as they are enthusiastic about the music, they can do whatever they want."
Guided By Voices became a legend in the independent rock scene, with both their recordings and live shows. Through the years, Guided By Voices would record with producers such as Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
as well as appear on the legendary TV program Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
. In August 2004, GbV released Half Smiles of the Decomposed
Half Smiles of the Decomposed
Half Smiles of the Decomposed is the 15th album by Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices. It was the final album by the band before their 2010 reformation.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard....
, which would be the last album by the band. In 2004, on New Year's Eve, Guided By Voices performed their last show at The Metro in Chicago. In 2010 they reunited for Matador's 21st birthday and for a reunion tour. After a year of reunion performances, they played their last show at the Hopscotch Music festival on September 9, 2011 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Solo career
Pollard began releasing solo records in 1996, alongside regular releases from Guided by VoicesGuided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
. These albums were typically recorded with a small group consisting of current or former Guided by Voices members, and they were generally considered to informally be part of the Guided by Voices canon, as that band would regularly perform selections from the solo releases in concert.
After the dissolution of Guided by Voices in 2004, Robert Pollard launched his official solo career with the release of From a Compound Eye
From A Compound Eye
From a Compound Eye is a Robert Pollard CD and double LP released in 2006. Though Pollard had already released several albums under his own name, this album, being the first released after the 2004 dissolution of his longtime vehicle Guided by Voices, was considered to be the official commencement...
in February 2006. Pollard's recent studio work has eschewed the live-band format, instead relying on the multi-instrumental talents of Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias is a record producer and musician/ multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Clouds Forming Crowns, the Sleeptalkers, The Library is on Fire, the Celebrity Pilots, Kramies, Brian Lisik, Slark...
, who produced several Guided by Voices albums. In 2006, Pollard resumed touring with a new band informally dubbed "The Ascended Masters", which featured Tommy Keene
Tommy Keene
Tommy Keene is an American singer-songwriter, best known for releasing critical acclaimed new wave/power pop songs in the 1980s. He has a longtime cult following among fans of the musical genre of power pop...
on lead guitar and keyboards, Dave Phillips on guitar, Jon Wurster
Jon Wurster
Jon Wurster is an American musician and humorist best known as the drummer for indie rockers Superchunk and recently for The Mountain Goats, as well for his comedic work with radio host Tom Scharpling on the The Best Show on WFMU....
on drums, and Jason Narducy on bass, but subsequent to the cancellation of some 2006 dates due to a leg injury, Pollard announced his retirement from touring.
Despite this, Pollard performed two shows in support of his new albums. The first show was on November 31, 2007 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at The Metro. The second was on December 1, 2007 in Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
(across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
from Cincinnati) at the Southgate House. After releasing Superman Was a Rocker
Superman Was a Rocker
Superman Was A Rocker is the tenth studio album from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released on January 29, 2008. It differs from Pollard's past solo albums in that it is very lo-fi in comparison to his more polished releases....
in January he announced that he would be leaving Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
to form Guided by Voices, Inc., his own record label that will produce his entire musical library.
In May 2008, Pollard announced his intention to form a new band, to be called "Boston Spaceships", who toured in the fall. The new band consists of Robert Pollard, Chris Slusarenko and John Moen, although the live band's line-up also included Tommy Keene on guitar and Jason Narducy on bass. The band's debut album, entitled "Brown Submarine" was released in September '08 and found Pollard re-visiting some older Suitcase songs (including "Go For The Exit" and "Soggy Beavers") as well as showcasing some brand new material.
In October 2008, it was announced that Guided by Voices' music would be used for a 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
musical based on the life of Cleopatra to be directed by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
with script by former GBV member James Greer
James Greer
James Greer is an American novelist, screenwriter, musician, and critic. He lives in Los Angeles but spends much of his time in France.-Career as a musician/critic:Greer was Senior Editor and Senior Writer at Spin magazine in NYC in the early 90s...
.
Soderbergh and Greer will rewrite the lyrics of the songs.
Boston Spaceships
Boston SpaceshipsBoston Spaceships
Boston Spaceships is a pop, punk and rock music band featuring Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices, John Moen , and Chris Slusarenko of Guided By Voices. The name of the band comes from a nickname Pollard gave to the Boston cream donut from Krispy Kreme, which is Pollard's favorite donut...
is Pollard, John Moen
John Moen
John Moen is a musician and member of The Decemberists, Boston Spaceships, and Perhapst. He sings, plays the drums, five banjos, the melodica, occasionally the keyboard, and dances around with a floor tom...
(Decemberists, Perhapst), and Chris Slusarenko. The band's first album, Brown Submarine
Brown Submarine
-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.Side A#Winston's Atomic Bird - 1.48#Brown Submarine - 1.22#You Satisfy Me - 3.04#Ate It Twice - 1.56#Two Girl Area - 2.31#North 11 A.M, - 2.35#Zero Fix - 2.44Side B...
, was released on September 16, 2008, on Guided by Voices, Inc. The band toured fall 2008 in support of the album. A follow-up The Planets Are Blasted
The Planets are Blasted
The Planets are Blasted is the second album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2009.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.Side A#Canned Food Demons - 2.08#Dorothy's A Planet - 2.21#Tattoo Mission - 2.44...
was released on February 17, 2009 with another album Zero to 99
Zero to 99
Zero to 99 is the third album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2009.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.Side A#Pluto The Skate - 1.17#How Wrong You Are - 2.27#Radical Amazement - 3.20...
released in October '09.
Boston Spaceships released their fifth and final album Let It Beard
Let It Beard
Let It Beard is the fifth and final album by the Boston Spaceships, released in 2011.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.#Blind 20-20 - 3.03#Juggernaut Vs...
on August 2nd, 2011.
Discography
Solo studio albums:- 1996 - Not in My AirforceNot in My AirforceNot in My Airforce is Robert Pollard's first solo album, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving....
(CD/LP) - 1998 - Waved OutWaved OutWaved Out is Robert Pollard's second solo album, released in 1998 on Matador Records.-Track listing:#"Make Use" – 3:16#"Vibrations in the Woods" – 1:05#"Just Say the Word" – 3:00#"Subspace Biographies" – 2:57#"Caught Waves Again" – 1:52...
(CD/LP) - 1999 - Kid MarineKid MarineKid Marine is an album by Robert Pollard, released in 1999. It is the first release of Robert Pollard's Fading Captain Series. Pollard has stated that the album is about Jeff "Kid Marine" Davis, the person pictured on the cover...
(CD/LP) - 2003 - Motel of FoolsMotel of Fools-Concept:In a MAGNET interview Pollard stated the album's concept dates back to the Alien Lanes song "Ex-Supermodel" in which he states "I write music for soundtracks now." Motel of Fools is intended to "appear to be a soundtrack" As Pollard stated "since no one contacts me to do soundtracks, I...
(CD/LP) - 2004 - Fiction ManFiction ManFiction Man is an album by Robert Pollard, released in 2004. The songs recorded for this album were written during the same time as the material for Guided by Voices' 2003 release Earthquake Glue. Producer Todd Tobias plays almost every instrument on the album...
(CD/LP) - 2006 - From a Compound EyeFrom A Compound EyeFrom a Compound Eye is a Robert Pollard CD and double LP released in 2006. Though Pollard had already released several albums under his own name, this album, being the first released after the 2004 dissolution of his longtime vehicle Guided by Voices, was considered to be the official commencement...
(CD/2xLP) - 2006 - Normal HappinessNormal HappinessNormal Happiness is an album from Robert Pollard. Like its predecessor, it was recorded with Pollard on basic guitar and vocal tracks, with instrumental overdubs from producer Todd Tobias...
(CD/LP) - 2007 - Standard Gargoyle DecisionsStandard Gargoyle DecisionsStandard Gargoyle Decisions is singer-songwriter Robert Pollard's 8th release since the break-up of indie-rock band Guided by Voices. It was released October 9, 2007 alongside a second LP, Coast to Coast Carpet of Love...
(CD/LP) - 2007 - Coast to Coast Carpet of LoveCoast to Coast Carpet of LoveCoast to Coast Carpet of Love is singer-songwriter Robert Pollard's 9th solo release. It was released October 9, 2007 alongside Standard Gargoyle Decisions. In addition, the album was pressed on 180 gram vinyl in a limited edition of 1,500...
(CD/LP) - 2008 - Superman Was a RockerSuperman Was a RockerSuperman Was A Rocker is the tenth studio album from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released on January 29, 2008. It differs from Pollard's past solo albums in that it is very lo-fi in comparison to his more polished releases....
(CD/LP) - 2008 - Robert Pollard Is Off to BusinessRobert Pollard Is Off to BusinessRobert Pollard Is Off to Business is 11th studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard on June 2, 2008. This is the first LP release from Robert Pollard's new record label Guided by Voices Inc. All instrumentation on the album was performed by producer Todd Tobias...
(CD/LP) - 2009 - The Crawling DistanceThe Crawling DistanceThe Crawling Distance is 12th studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard on January 20, 2009. Similar to many of Pollard's releases since Fiction Man in 2004, all instrumentation on the album was performed by producer Todd Tobias...
(CD/LP) - 2009 - Elephant JokesElephant JokesElephant Jokes is 13th studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard on August 11, 2009, and the 8th full length album to be released by Pollard since the break-up of his band Guided by Voices in 2004...
(CD/LP) - 2010 - We All Got Out Of The ArmyWe All Got Out of the ArmyWe All Got Out Of The Army is the 14th full-length solo studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard since 1996. The album was recorded at producer Todd Tobias's studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and was released in February 2010. Similar to Elephant Jokes Pollard plays guitar on a few solos...
(CD/LP) - 2010 - Moses on a SnailMoses on a SnailMoses on a Snail is the 15th full-length solo studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard since 1996. The album was recorded at producer Todd Tobias's studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and was released on July 6, 2010....
- 2011 - Space City KicksSpace City KicksSpace City Kicks is the 16th full-length solo studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard since 1996. It was released on January 18, 2011....
- 2011 - Lord of the BirdcageLord of the BirdcageLord of the Birdcage is the 17th full-length solo studio album released by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard since 1996. It is scheduled for a June 7, 2011 release....
Other albums/EPs:
- 1999 - Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire DepartmentSpeak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire DepartmentSpeak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department is an album released by Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard in 1999. For the album, Gillard recorded instrumental tracks for songs Pollard had written , to which Pollard later added vocals.The fifth track of the album, 'Do Something Real', appeared as the...
(with Doug GillardDoug GillardDoug Gillard is a guitarist and songwriter from Cleveland, Ohio who has performed with bands and artists such as Death Of Samantha, Gem, Cobra Verde, Guided by Voices, Richard Buckner, Children's Crusade, Starvation Army, Yuji Oniki, My Dad is Dead, The Mice, Bill Fox, Fence Lions, Zest Of Yore,...
) (CD/LP) - 2001 - Choreographed Man of WarChoreographed Man of WarChoreographed Man of War is an album by Robert Pollard and the Soft Rock Renegades, released in 2001. The album features Robert Pollard , Greg Demos , and Jim Macpherson .-Track listing:#"I Drove a Tank" – 2:53...
(billed as "Robert Pollard and the Soft Rock Renegades") (CD/LP) - 2004 - Edison's Demos (LP)
- 2005 - Music for 'Bubble'Music for 'Bubble'Music for 'Bubble' is an album by Robert Pollard, released in 2005. It collects his score for the Steven Soderbergh film Bubble.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard# "All Men Are Freezing" – 2:14# "747 Ego" – 2:07...
(CD EP/7") - 2005 - Zoom (It Happens All Over The World) (CD EP/7")
- 2005 - Relaxation of the AssholeRelaxation of the AssholeRelaxation of the Asshole is the name of a live comedy album by Robert Pollard. All of its tracks are outtakes from his onstage banter at various concerts...
(spoken word) (LP) - 2006 - Moon (live CD included with original mail orders of Normal HappinessNormal HappinessNormal Happiness is an album from Robert Pollard. Like its predecessor, it was recorded with Pollard on basic guitar and vocal tracks, with instrumental overdubs from producer Todd Tobias...
) - 2007 - Meet the King: Asshole 2 (LP - Yuk Yuk Motherfucker - Unofficial release)
- 2007 - Silverfish TriviaSilverfish TriviaSilverfish Trivia is an album by indie rock singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released April 17, 2007 and is a 22-minute, seven-song mini-LP.Silverfish Trivia was originally intended as a 12-song album...
(CD/12" EP) - 2008 - Weatherman and Skin GoddessWeatherman and Skin GoddessWeatherman and Skin Goddess is a limited EP from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. Only 1,000 CDs and 500 12 inch LPs were put into production and were made available exclusively on Pollard's website...
(CD EP/12")
Fading Captain series
During the mid-90s, in addition to GbV albums appearing annually, Pollard's prolificacy typically was vented onto innumerable singles, EPs, compilations and other side releases. However, once signed to a major label and constrained to the expectation of producing only a single album per 18 months, Pollard began the self-financed and released Fading Captain Series, a series of releases both under his own name, and a wide variety of pseudonyms. In addition to solo and archival releases, Pollard began collaborating with fellow musicians and friends by mail via a process dubbed "postal rock" - Pollard would receive completed musical backing tracks, and add his own lyrics and vocals. Albums under the Airport 5Airport 5
Airport 5 was a musical collaboration project between Guided by Voices's Robert Pollard and one-time fellow bandmate Tobin Sprout, released through the Fading Captain Series imprint by Luna Music in Indianapolis, Indiana. Collaborating chiefly by mail, Sprout provided completed backing tracks...
, Circus Devils
Circus Devils
Circus Devils is an American rock band with experimental/ psychedelic styles founded in 2001 by Robert Pollard, former lead singer and songwriter of the Dayton, Ohio band Guided by Voices. Members include Todd Tobias , and Tim Tobias...
, and Go Back Snowball monikers, among others were produced in this fashion.
In December 2006, Pollard announced that the Fading Captain Series was being concluded with the release of Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999–2007
Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999–2007
Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999–2007 is a collection of songs from releases in the Fading Captain Series of Dayton, Ohio rock group Guided by Voices.-CD1:#Tight Globes - Robert Pollard/Doug Gillard#Total Exposure - Airport 5...
, a 50-song "best of" collection spanning from 1999 through 2007.
The bands that used to release works in the Fading Captain Series now release records on other labels, such as The Takeovers' Bad Football coming out on Off Records and the Circus Devils
Circus Devils
Circus Devils is an American rock band with experimental/ psychedelic styles founded in 2001 by Robert Pollard, former lead singer and songwriter of the Dayton, Ohio band Guided by Voices. Members include Todd Tobias , and Tim Tobias...
Sgt. Disco coming out on Ipecac Records. In addition the Pollard albums Kid Marine, Motel of Fools and Fiction Man were all released in the Fading Captain Series although Pollard's other solo albums were not.
Acid Ranch: (archival recordings featuring Robert Pollard, Kevin Fennell and Mitch Mitchell)
- 2002 - Some Of The Magic Syrup Was PreservedSome Of The Magic Syrup Was PreservedSome Of The Magic Syrup Was Preserved is the first album by the Acid Ranch, a side project of Robert Pollard with Jim Pollard and Mitch Mitchell, released in 2002.-Track listing:Side A# The Theory Of Broken Circles - 5.21# Underdogs - 2.50...
(2xLP—Pollard's first double album) - 2005 - As Forever: A Manifesto Of Fractured Imagination And Wreckless LivingAs Forever: A Manifesto Of Fractured Imagination And Wreckless LivingAs Forever: a Manifesto of Fractured Imagination and Wreckless Living is the second album by the Acid Ranch, a side project of Robert Pollard with Jim Pollard and Mitch Mitchell, released in 2005 but recorded in the early to mid 80s.-Track listing:...
- 2007 - The Great Houdini Wasn't So GreatThe Great Houdini Wasn't So GreatThe Great Houdini Wasn't So Great is the third and last album by the Acid Ranch, a side project of Robert Pollard with Jim Pollard and Mitch Mitchell, released in 2007.-Track listing:Side A#Gosimer - 1.08#Wayne Saw It - 2.20...
Airport 5
Airport 5
Airport 5 was a musical collaboration project between Guided by Voices's Robert Pollard and one-time fellow bandmate Tobin Sprout, released through the Fading Captain Series imprint by Luna Music in Indianapolis, Indiana. Collaborating chiefly by mail, Sprout provided completed backing tracks...
: (Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout
Tobin Sprout
Tobin Sprout is an American artist and musician, best known for his contributions as a member of indie rock group Guided by Voices.-History:A self taught musician. From an early age he played with and was a major collaborator to the Dayton, OH band Guided By Voices...
)
- 2001 - Tower in the Fountain of SparksTower in the Fountain of SparksTower in the Fountain of Sparks is the debut album by the Airport 5, released in 2001..-Track listing:Al song written by Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout except were noted.#Burns Carpenter, Man Of Science - 3.40#Total Exposure - 4.08...
- 2002 - Life Starts HereLife Starts HereLife Starts Here is the second and last album by the Airport 5, released in 2002..-Track listing:Al song written by Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout.#Intro - 1.07#We're In The Business - 2.31#Yellow Wife No...
Circus Devils
Circus Devils
Circus Devils is an American rock band with experimental/ psychedelic styles founded in 2001 by Robert Pollard, former lead singer and songwriter of the Dayton, Ohio band Guided by Voices. Members include Todd Tobias , and Tim Tobias...
: (Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias
Todd Tobias is a record producer and musician/ multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Robert Pollard and his band Guided by Voices. Other projects include Circus Devils, Clouds Forming Crowns, the Sleeptalkers, The Library is on Fire, the Celebrity Pilots, Kramies, Brian Lisik, Slark...
and Tim Tobias)
- 2001 - Ringworm InteriorsRingworm InteriorsRingworm Interiors is the debut album from Ohio alternative rock band Circus Devils. Released in 2001, the album is a psychedelic collage of musical vignettes with moods ranging from aggressive and disorienting to haunting and dreamy....
(CD/LP) - 2002 - The Harold Pig MemorialThe Harold Pig MemorialThe Harold Pig Memorial is the second studio album by Ohio alternative rock band Circus Devils, released in 2002. Conceived as a concept album, each song depicts an episode in the life of biker Harold Pig as told by Harold's friends at his wake....
(CD/LP) - 2003 - Pinball MarsPinball MarsPinball Mars is the third studio album from Ohio alternative rock band Circus Devils. The album, written as a mini-rock opera, was released in 2004...
(CD/LP) - 2005 - FiveFive (Circus Devils album)FIVE is the curiously titled fourth studio album by the experimental/psychedelic rock band Circus Devils. Released in 2005, FIVE is considered among the band's least accessible albums due to the fragmented moods and styles and the experimental nature of the music...
(CD/LP) - 2007 - Sgt. DiscoSgt. DiscoSgt. Disco is the fifth studio album by the Ohio psychedelic/ experimental rock band Circus Devils. The album was released first as a double vinyl Lp. The CD version of the album was released by Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings label on August 28, 2007. Sgt...
(CD/ LP) - 2008 - AtaxiaAtaxia (album title)Ataxia is the sixth studio album released by alternative / psychedelic-rock band Circus Devils on October 31, 2008. All songs on Ataxia were written and performed by Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias, and Tim Tobias.- Reaction :...
(CD/LP) - 2009 - GringoGringo (album title)Gringo is the seventh studio album released by the Ohio rock band Circus Devils in 2009. All songs on Gringo were written and performed by Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias, and Tim Tobias...
(CD/LP) - 2010 - Mother SkinnyMother SkinnyMother Skinny is the eighth studio album released by the Ohio rock band Circus Devils in March, 2010. All songs on Mother Skinny were written and performed by Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias, and Tim Tobias...
(CD/LP) - 2011 - Capsized!Capsized!Capsized! is the ninth studio album released by the Ohio rock band Circus Devils in October, 2011. All songs on Capsized! were written and performed by Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias, and Tim Tobias....
(CD/LP)
Go Back Snowball: (Robert Pollard and Mac McCaughan
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
)
- 2002 - Calling ZeroCalling ZeroCalling Zero is an album album by the Go Back Snowball, a side project of Robert Pollard with Mac McCaughan, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.Side A#Radical Girl#Calling Zero...
Hazzard Hotrods: (Recording of informal 1990 performance by Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell)
- 2000 - Big TroubleBig Trouble (album)Big Trouble is an album album by the Hazzard Hotrods, a recording of informal 1990 performance by Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Larry Kellar, released in 2000 .-Track listing:...
(re-released as Bigger Trouble 2005)
Howling Wolf Orchestra: (Pollard and various GbV members)
- 2000 - Speedtraps for the Bee Kingdom (12" EP/CD)
Keene Brothers: (Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene
Tommy Keene
Tommy Keene is an American singer-songwriter, best known for releasing critical acclaimed new wave/power pop songs in the 1980s. He has a longtime cult following among fans of the musical genre of power pop...
)
- 2006 - Blues and Boogie ShoesBlues and Boogie ShoesBlues And Boogie Shoes is an album album by the Keene Brothers, formed by Robert Pollard and Tommy Keene, released in 2006.-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Pollard.Side A#Evil Vs...
Lexo and the Leapers: (Robert Pollard backed by The Tasties)
- 1999 - Ask Them (12" EP/CD)
Lifeguards (Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard)
- 2003 - Mist King Urth
- 2011 - Waving at the Astronauts
The Moping Swans (Robert Pollard, Greg Demos, Jim MacPherson and Tony Conley)
- 2005 - Lightninghead to Coffee Pot (12" EP/CD)
Nightwalker (pseudonym for archival GbV recordings)
- 1999 - In Shop We Build Electric Chairs: Professional Music by Nightwalker 1984–1993
Phantom Tollbooth:
Phantom Tollbooth (band)
Phantom Tollbooth was a post punk band from New York City. Purveyors of psychedelic/jazzcore damage, PT played from 1984 to 1988, releasing albums on Homestead Records....
- 2003 - Beard of Lighting
Psycho and the Birds: (Todd Tobias supplementing Pollard solo demos)
- 2006 - All That is Holy
- 2006 - Check Your Zoo (7" EP/CD)
- 2008 - We've Moved
The Takeovers: (Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenko)
- 2006 - Turn to Red
- 2007 - Bad Football
Other record labels
When Pollard announced that the Fading Captain Series was being concluded he also announced that he was starting up a new record label, then called Record Company Records but later re-titled as Prom is Coming, which is named after a song off his first solo album Not in My AirforceNot in My Airforce
Not in My Airforce is Robert Pollard's first solo album, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving....
. The first (and thus far only) release on Prom is Coming was Silverfish Trivia
Silverfish Trivia
Silverfish Trivia is an album by indie rock singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released April 17, 2007 and is a 22-minute, seven-song mini-LP.Silverfish Trivia was originally intended as a 12-song album...
.
In spring 2007, Pollard began a singles collection called the Happy Jack Rock Records Single Series in which one 7" record was released per month for 12 months starting June 22, 2007. All the records featured an A-side from Bob's dueling Merge releases that year (Standard Gargoyle Decisions & Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love) and a non-album B-side. 1,000 of each 7" was pressed.
Pollard's album Superman Was a Rocker
Superman Was a Rocker
Superman Was A Rocker is the tenth studio album from singer-songwriter Robert Pollard. It was released on January 29, 2008. It differs from Pollard's past solo albums in that it is very lo-fi in comparison to his more polished releases....
was the first LP released on Happy Jack Rock Records (although the vinyl version of Circus Devils' "Sgt. Disco" had been released on the same label in 2007). Pollard continues to release 7" records on the label. June 2009 will see the first release from a new Happy Jack project Cosmos, a collaboration with Richard Davies
Richard Davies (musician)
Richard Davies is an Australian-American musician. He first came to prominence in the Australian band the Moles. Upon moving to the United States, Davies joined with Eric Matthews to form Cardinal, whose debut , Cardinal, was released by Flydaddy in 1994...
titled Jar of Jam Ton of Bricks.
In 2008, Pollard announced the forming of yet another new label Guided By Voices Inc., named after his former band Guided by Voices. The first album release on Guided by Voices Inc. was Robert Pollard Is Off To Business, preceded by the 12" EP "Weatherman And Skin Goddess". Pollard's first two Boston Spaceships releases have been on Guided by Voices Inc.
EAT and Town of Mirrors
In the fall of 2003 Pollard released EAT, a literary magazineLiterary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
consisting of original poems and collages by Pollard. As of October 2007 EAT is on its fourth issue. Pollard's collage art is featured on many Guided by Voices albums (notable exceptions being the two released on TVT Records
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
).
Robert Pollard's collages were collected and published in Town of Mirrors: The Reassembled Imagery of Robert Pollard. Town of Mirrors features roughly 150 collages, 20 of which were created specifically for the book's release.
Side projects mentioned by Pollard that have not yet happened
- Red Explosion (mentioned back in 1996 or so)
- Polymorph Orchestra (mentioned around the time of Isolation Drills)
- Frozen Sissy (allegedly a collaboration with his brother Jim Pollard)
Personal life
Pollard was a fourth-grade school teacher for several years prior to the release of Bee ThousandBee Thousand
Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices released on June 21, 1994. The album was recorded on consumer-quality audio recorders rather than in a studio, and many of the songs included were less than two minutes long...
in 1994. In James Greer
James Greer
James Greer is an American novelist, screenwriter, musician, and critic. He lives in Los Angeles but spends much of his time in France.-Career as a musician/critic:Greer was Senior Editor and Senior Writer at Spin magazine in NYC in the early 90s...
's book Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll he states that Pollard's days teaching inspired songs such as "Gold Star For Robot Boy," "Teenage FBI" and "Non-Absorbing".
During high school Pollard was a tri-sport varsity athlete. His most notable athletic achievement was throwing the first no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in the history of Wright State University
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
. Pollard has stated that he and the other members of GBV beat Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
and Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
in a basketball game. He also stated that Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
and Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal is an American musician. The identical twin sister of Kim Deal, she is the lead guitarist of The Breeders, besides having a solo career.- Early days :...
were cheering for them during the game and that Steve Drozd
Steven Drozd
Steven Gregory Drozd is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
was riding on a bicycle during the game.
Much of the inspiration for Pollard's work has come from time spent hanging out with his high school friends from Dayton, a group he calls "The Monument Club".
He has two children (Erica and Bryan) with his ex-wife Kim and wrote a song about each, with "Your Name is Wild" being about his daughter and "My Son Cool" being about his son. He re-married in 2007 and still lives in Dayton, Ohio.
"I’ve never considered myself to be a runaway success at anything I’ve done, including parenthood," Pollard wrote in 2005. "But I’ve at least allowed my children to pursue their own interests without too much interference, and I think they both turned out pretty good."
Pollard cites The King of Comedy
The King of Comedy (1983 film)
The King of Comedy is a 1983 American dark comedy film starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, and directed by Martin Scorsese. The subject of the movie is celebrity stalking...
, Blue Velvet, Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
, Husbands
Husbands (film)
Husbands is a 1970 film written and directed by John Cassavetes. This ensemble film, which describes three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis, stars Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk and Cassavetes....
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
, The Big Night
The Big Night
The Big Night is a 1951 black-and-white film drama starring John Drew Barrymore . The film, directed by Joseph Losey, is considered to be film noir.- Reception :...
, Last Night at the Alamo, Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
and O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
as his ten favorite movies.
In April 2010, along with his brother Jimmy, Pollard was inducted into the Northridge High School Hall of Fame for excellence in football, baseball, and basketball.
External links
- Robert Pollard official website
- BMI entry for Robert Pollard
- What I've Learned: An Essay by Robert Pollard
- Man With Emission: Are Robert Pollard and his spend-happy collector fans sowing ecological catastrophe? (Washington City PaperWashington City PaperThe Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
) - Circus Devils - Gringo - Album Review at Citizen Dick