Denver Post
By John Wenzel

Guided By Voices
Hardcore UFOs Box Set
Matador Records

Robert Pollard, head voice of the Dayton, Ohio, indie rock godfathers Guided By Voices, rewards his fervent fans with "Hardcore UFOs." Collecting GBV's singles, live tracks, rarities and unreleased songs, this six-disc box set is - as the name implies - both hard-core and pretty far out.

Over the course of 17 years and almost as many full-lengths, the prolific GBV has morphed from an R.E.M.-aping act to lo-fi pioneers to a respectable rock outfit, recording short, Merseybeat-inspired tunes and releasing them at an incredible pace. (Pollard purports to have written about 5,000 songs and has recorded at least 1,000.)

Pollard's knack for brilliant melodies and bizarre lyrics is evident on tracks like "Tractor Rape Chain," "Drinker's Peace" and "I Am a Scientist." The previously released GBV documentary "Watch Me Jumpstart" is included on DVD, coupled with video scrapbooks and music videos. The documentary provides an appropriate primer on the band's unlikely rise to cult-hero status. Sloppy, brilliant and difficult to categorize, "Hardcore UFOs" is an overdue tribute to a below-the-radar band that has inspired everyone from The Strokes to Sonic Youth.