City Beat - Cincinnati
Volume 7, Issue 37 August 2-8 2001
By Phil Morehart


Robert Pollard and His Soft Rock Renegades
Choreographed Man of War
#14 in the Fading Captain Series


Guided by Voices frontman and songwriter Robert
Pollard's latest solo album Choreographed Man of War
is his best work yet. Then again, I say that about
almost all of Pollard's albums after they're
released.

I'm one of the many entranced by and somewhat obsessed with
the prolific musical output of this musical wunderkid hailing
from the not too distant north of Dayton, Ohio. The man's
infectious pop-rock amalgam draws you into its world and
it's hard to escape at times. It's come to the point where I
can't help it anymore. If Pollard aka Uncle Bob aka The
Captain aka The Vampire on Titus releases it, I will buy it.
And so will many others. No other songwriter is as
consistent or trusted by their fans at this point in their
career as Pollard is.

Choreographed Man of War marks the forth (or is it fifth? ­
it's hard to keep up) release this year by Pollard and
proves to be the best thus far.

Recorded under the moniker, Robert Pollard and His Soft
Rock Renegades, the band consists of Pollard on guitar and
vocals with GBV alums Greg Demos on bass and lead guitar
and Jim Macpherson on drums. A strong trio, and the album
reflects it.

The first track, "I Drove A Tank," is a powerhouse. Pollard's
love of The Who and all that is Townsend shine in this
number. Driving guitars combined with Jimmy Mac's stellar
drumming give this song its strength. This song has already
become a staple of GBV's live show, which often borrows
from Pollard's side projects. The mental image of Pollard
swinging his mike with beer and cigarette in hand
immediately pops into my head upon hearing this number. A
definite fist pumper.

The album's next three tracks, "She Saw The Shadow,"
"Edison's Memos" and "7th Level Shutdown" showcase
Pollard's growth as a songwriter. The songs are haunting
both lyrically and melodically, yet still maintain the
capacity to rock when need be. Pollard's been through
some hell as of late and now he's letting the listener in.

The man who once wrote about Robot Boys, Weed Kings
and Jabberstrokers has matured, writing lyrics such as,
"We exchange love like radiation, under skies dark with
alienation," and "You wanted to be alone and I don't want
you to be alone." Personal stuff, but such tribulations have
allowed Pollard to achieve new depth as a songwriter.

Pollard has embraced a big rock sound as of late, brushing
aside the indie-rock school teacher persona of his past to
become the rock 'n' roll principal. Isolation Drills,
released by Guided By Voices earlier this year, had the big riffs to
cement that as fact, so it's no surprise that this album
contains its rockers, also.

"Citizen Fighter" and "Kickboxer Lightning" provide a
bad-ass one-two punch midway though the album.
Pollard's catchy vocal hooks and Greg Demos' lead guitar
work are high points on these songs.

"Ballyhoo," a Prog Rock delight reminiscent of early
Genesis, contains a reprise of the album opener "I Drove a
Tank," which leads me to wonder if Pollard had intended
Choreographed Man of War to be a concept album. If so,
then the album's closer, "Instrument Beetle" is the perfect
coda to this opera.

At seven minutes, this is the album's longest track and its
most triumphant and melancholic. Fuzzed out guitars drone
as Pollard pleads, "Stand by me, hold my hand, wake me
up, I'm your man. We will walk, undecided, without hope,
without love, without dreams..."

The drones rage for the final three minutes with an
answering machine message to Pollard from a love struck
yet conflicted friend as the vocal track. A beautiful finale.

Choreographed Man of War is an album that Robert Pollard
has had in him for a long time. It's been poking its head
out in past releases Isolation Drills and his 1999 solo
effort Kid Marine. But here, Pollard and his skills are in complete
fruition.

This is his best album. Of course, I'll be saying that with
the next album, and the next, and the next...