Alternative Press review of Do The Collapse

Alternative Press
Darren Johnson
4 out of 5 rating

GUIDED BY VOICES
Do The Collapse
TVT

The decline and fall of lo-fi? Not exactly.

What's this - the undisputed champions of lo-fi rock teaming with super-slick Weezer producer and ex-Cars frontman Ric Ocasek? Perhaps it's not as crazy as it sounds. After all, microscopic recording budgets have never kept GBV mastermind Robert Pollard from dreaming big: Just hear the arena-rock chants at the start of 1992's Propeller, or Pollard's unironic Roger Daltry-like leg kicks during GBV's live shows. Now that I think about it, maybe every kid should have a poster of Pollard, beer in hand, on his or her bedroom wall.

A major step toward fulfilling GBV's big rock ambitions, Do The Collapse showcases less filler and more full fledged inspiration than any of the band's previous albums. "Hold On Hope" the most striking of the new tracks, is an especially ambitious lit-Bic power ballad. "Teenage FBI", another instant classic, supplements GBV's trademark wall-of-guitars attack with an ear-catching flourish of Rentals-style analog synth. And the best of the rest, including "Dragon's Awake", "Things I Will Keep" and "Liquid Indian" retain the band's infectious sing-along choruses without sacrificing any of Pollard's usual enigmatic wit.

Self Analysis - GBV's Robert Pollard in the face of Collapse

AP - After the release of Mag Earwhig!, you said that you wanted the to step up the production of the next GBV album to give it more of a chance to get played on the radio. With Ric Ocasek's help, you've finally made your big rock record. Did Do the Collapse turn out as you hoped?

RP - From the beginning the aim of Guided By Voices was to make a big rock record. We tried that with the very first record we did in 1986, and it failed miserably. The whole 4-track thing was just out of frustration with the local studios; we just said " We'll do it ourselves". But we finally crossed over to the realm of hi-fi successfully, I think, because of Rick Ocasek. We attempted to do that with Mag Earwhig!, but my mind was kind of scattered at the time. We did a bunch of what I thought were really good, big sounding rock songs at Don Depew's on 16-track, and still people in radio were saying, "Well, it's just still not quite the sound major radio stations will play". I was somewhat perplexed about what it takes to be played on radio. So I figured Ric Ocasek knows.

AP - But even with the slicker production, you must realize that the style of music you play isn't what's popular on the radio and MTV these days. Do you think the mainstream is ready for GBV?

BP - I don't know. Things go in cycles. I think people are ready for some rock again. It seems like every eight or nine years they're in to good, solid rock. I think the last dose of it was that whole Sub Pop thing (in the early 90s). I think kids like rock. But, yeah, you're right. I think there's just too much multi-genre-type stuff going on righht now. There's not a lot of solid rock out there. But that's all I know how to do, and I'm not going to icoporate hip hop or jazz or swing into our music.

AP - In addition to more straightforward production, Do The Collapse features your most straightforward songwriting yet. I'm especially thinking of the ballad "Hold On Hope".

BP - That may be the most straightforward song I have ever written. I was kind of embarassed about it, actually. I gave it to Ric and said, "I apologize for this one," and he goes, "No, that's the fucking monster hit right there." So I go, "Wahtever".

AP - Are you worried that you might lose some old fans because of this new direction?

BP - There's bound to be a few people who liked our more punk-rock attitude toward recording who will say this is just big, sappy shit. But for the most part, I see a lot of people that have been fans of ours for the last few years, and they still come to our shows and everything, and they love it. I'd say 80 percent of our fans really like it, and they also really like the move towards a better sound.

AP - Do you plan on working with Ric Ocasek again?

BP - I think I will. I really enjoyed it, and I really like the way the record turned out, so I see no reason why we shouldn't work with him again. He's producing Hanson now, you know.

AP - So I heard. You guys should go on tour together.

BP - No. {Long pause, then laughs}. We'd turn them into fucking drunks and shit, man. Yeah, 15-year old haggard drunks. They'd be looking rough in about a year. - Marc Hawthorne