suitcase

A small bit of proof that Robert Pollard (from Guided By Voices) writes too many great songs for his own good. A collection of 100 songs from the past 26 years, including pre-GBV songs (disc 2 track 16), bootleg tape favorites(disc 1 track 24), live rarities(disc 1 track 12), album session outtakes(disc 4 track 20), alternate versions of earlier songs (disc 4 track 14), and the uncategorizable(disc 3 track 22). Some songs were recorded in multiple versions (disc 1 track 21), some songs showed up previously in fragments (disc 3 track 4), some songs were redone by Pollard's side projects (disc 4 track 6), some songs are brand new (disc 1 track 17), some songs are ancient (disc 1 track 23), some songs are easy to sing along with (disc 3 track 16), some songs are utterly unintelligible (disc 3 track 23). All of it is excellent in one way or another.

A few things about this set. It was released by Rockathon Records in 2000 as part of the Fading Captain Series (#6 in the series to be exact). The full title is Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft. According to former band member Jim Greer, the bulk of the material came from three different sources: a pair of aborted albums - 1989’s Learning To Hunt and 1992’s Back To Saturn X; demos for the aborted 1995 concept album The Power Of Suck; and outtakes/demos from 1994’s Bee Thousand through 1999's Do The Collapse.

There were tons more tapes, but according to Pollard, most of them were lost in a basement flood a couple of years ago. Oh what could have been. Of course we all wish for a limited release 100 disc box set 20 years from now, just so Bob can outdo Merzbow.

Every song is credited to a different band pseudonym. So the format the track list is presented in is: song title by fake band name (year recorded).

Disc 1:

1. The Terrible Two by Styles We Paid For(1993)
2. Bloodbeast by Standard Generator(1993)
3. The Kissing Life by Huge On Pluto(1998)
4. Bottoms Up! (You Fantastic Bastard) by Whitey Museum(1993)
5. Tear It Out by (The Amazing) Ben Zing(1988)
6. Cinnamon Flavored Skulls by Meat Kingdom Group(1993)
7. Bunco Men by Elf God(1995)
8. Bad & Rare by Juda & The Piledrivers(1992)
9. Dorothy's A Planet by Eric Pretty(1991)
10. Pluto The Skate by Global Witch Awakening(1992)
11. Let's Go Vike by Magic Toe(1989)
12. Sabotage by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
13. Pink Drink by Tax Revlon(1995)
14. James Riot by Champion Hairpuller(1998)
15. It's Easy by Burns Carpenter(1984)
16. Dank Star Ground Control by A A Bottom(1993)
17. Spring Tigers by Crushed Being Groovy(1992)
18. Born On Seaweed by Rex Polaroyd(2000)
19. Flesh Ears From June by Monkey Business(1992)
20. Driving In The U.S. of A. by Ghetto Blaster(1992)
21. My Big Day (3 Versions) by Turned On Turner(1990)
22. Have It Again by Maxwell Greenfield(1991)
23. Little Jimmy The Giant by Little Bobby Pop(1975)
24. Taco, Buffalo, Birddog & Jesus by Bozo's Octopuss(1989)
25. Ding Dong Daddy (Is Back From The Bank) by Mooshoo Wharf(1993)

Disc 2:

1. Supermarket The Moon by Clinton Killingsworth(1993)
2. Hold On To Yesterday by Stingy Queens(1983)
3. Ha Ha Man by The Judy Plus Nine(1993)
4. Our Value Of Luxury by Nicotine Cranes(1992)
5. Bug House (2 Versions) by Arthur Psycho And The Trippy Warts(1995)
6. Rainbow Billy by Groovy Lucifer(1992)
7. Shrine To The Dynamic Years (Athens Time Change Riots) by Approval Of Mice(1998)
8. On Short Wave by Eric Pretty(1991)
9. I Can See It In Your Eyes by Artrock Unicorns(1989)
10. Tobacco's Last Stand by Kuda Labranch(1992)
11. Shifting Swift Is A Lift by Elvis Caligula(1992)
12. Sing It Out by Tabatha's Flashpot(1992)
13. Messenger by Ricked Wicky(1985)
14. The Fool Ticket by K.C. Turner(1992)
15. Mallard Smoke by Brown Smoothies(1990)
16. Mr. McCaslin Will Sell No More Flowers by Edison Shell(1979)
17. Shit Midas by Ceramic Cock Einstein(1992)
18. Blue Gil by Moonchief(1989)
19. Invest In British Steel by Ricked Wicky(1985)
20. Spinning Around by Pearly Gates Smoke Machine(1983)
21. Let's Go! (To War) by 1st Joint(1992)
22. Grasshopper Rap by Antler(1989)
23. I'm Cold by King Of Cincinnati(1987)
24. Damn Good Mr. Jam by Ghost Fart(1992)
25. In Walked The Moon by Ben Zing(1988)

Disc 3:

1. Long Way To Run by Fake Organisms(1987)
2. Mr. Media by Tom Devil(1992)
3. Settlement Down by Urinary Track Stars(1989)
4. Mr. Japan by Red Hot Helicopter(1993)
5. A Kind Of Love by Doctor Formula(1984)
6. Meddle by Ben Zing(1988)
7. Big Trouble by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
8. A Good Circuitry Soldier by Eric Pretty(1991)
9. Devil Doll by Antler(1989)
10. Pantherz by Indian Alarm Clock(1995)
11. Cocaine Jane by Flaming Ray(1980)
12. Exploding Anthills by Grabbit(1992)
13. Perch Warble by 8th Dwarf(1990)
14. Medley (This View/True Sensation/On The Wall) by Coward Of The Hour(1991)
15. What Are We Coming Up To? by Oil Can Harry(1993)
16. Scissors And The Clay Ox (In) by Too Proud To Practice(1990)
17. Cody's Antler by Zeppelin Commander(1993)
18. Once In A While by God's Brother(1989)
19. Buzzards And Dreadful Crows by Antler(1989)
20. Carnival At The Morning Star School by Kink Zero(1992)
21. Cruise by Royal Japanese Daycare(1993)
22. Gayle by Stingy Queens(1983)
23. Gift by Homosexual Flypaper(1994)
24. The Flying Party by Fast Forward Life(1995)
25. Trashed Aircraft by Bus Of Trojan Hope(1992)

Disc 4:

1. Trying To Make It Work Again by Pete Eastwood(1981)
2. Turbo Boy by Panzee(1989)
3. Chain Wallet Bitch by The Unfriendly(1993)
4. Little Head by King Of Cincinnati(1987)
5. Why Did You Land by Matted Pat(1993)
6. Time Machines by Ben Zing(1988)
7. A Farewell To Arms by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
8. Best Things Goin' Round by Jumped Or Pushed(1983)
9. Sickly Sweet by Good Parts Only Corporation(1993)
10. United by Ben Zing(1988)
11. Unshaven Bird by John The Croc(1993)
12. Black Ghost Pie by Go Back Snowball(1995)
13. Go For The Answers by Brown Star Jam(1988)
14. Rocking Now by Factory Rat(1998)
15. Excellent Things by God's Brother(1988)
16. Static Airplane Jive by Antler(1989)
17. Where I Come From by Fake Organisms(1987)
18. Try To Find You by Fat Chance(1984)
19. Deaf Ears by Antler(1989)
20. Good For A Few Laughs by Academy Of Crowsfeet(1993)
21. Raphael by Nelly & The Dirtfloor(2000)
22. My Feet's Trustworthy Existance by Maxwell Greenfield(1992)
23. Eggs by Bravery Umpire(1989)
24. Wondering Boy Poet by Clinton Killingsworth(1993)
25. Oh, Blinky by Styles We Paid For(1989)