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:
- The Terrible Two by Styles We Paid For(1993)
- Bloodbeast by Standard Generator(1993)
- The Kissing Life by Huge On Pluto(1998)
- Bottoms Up! (You Fantastic Bastard) by Whitey Museum(1993)
- Tear It Out by (The Amazing) Ben Zing(1988)
- Cinnamon Flavored Skulls by Meat Kingdom Group(1993)
- Bunco Men by Elf God(1995)
- Bad & Rare by Juda & The Piledrivers(1992)
- Dorothy's A Planet by Eric Pretty(1991)
- Pluto The Skate by Global Witch Awakening(1992)
- Let's Go Vike by Magic Toe(1989)
- Sabotage by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
- Pink Drink by Tax Revlon(1995)
- James Riot by Champion Hairpuller(1998)
- It's Easy by Burns Carpenter(1984)
- Dank Star Ground Control by A A Bottom(1993)
- Spring Tigers by Crushed Being Groovy(1992)
- Born On Seaweed by Rex Polaroyd(2000)
- Flesh Ears From June by Monkey Business(1992)
- Driving In The U.S. of A. by Ghetto Blaster(1992)
- My Big Day (3 Versions) by Turned On Turner(1990)
- Have It Again by Maxwell Greenfield(1991)
- Little Jimmy The Giant by Little Bobby Pop(1975)
- Taco, Buffalo, Birddog & Jesus by Bozo's Octopuss(1989)
- Ding Dong Daddy (Is Back From The Bank) by Mooshoo Wharf(1993)
Disc 2:
- Supermarket The Moon by Clinton Killingsworth(1993)
- Hold On To Yesterday by Stingy Queens(1983)
- Ha Ha Man by The Judy Plus Nine(1993)
- Our Value Of Luxury by Nicotine Cranes(1992)
- Bug House (2 Versions) by Arthur Psycho And The Trippy Warts(1995)
- Rainbow Billy by Groovy Lucifer(1992)
- Shrine To The Dynamic Years (Athens Time Change Riots) by Approval Of Mice(1998)
- On Short Wave by Eric Pretty(1991)
- I Can See It In Your Eyes by Artrock Unicorns(1989)
- Tobacco's Last Stand by Kuda Labranch(1992)
- Shifting Swift Is A Lift by Elvis Caligula(1992)
- Sing It Out by Tabatha's Flashpot(1992)
- Messenger by Ricked Wicky(1985)
- The Fool Ticket by K.C. Turner(1992)
- Mallard Smoke by Brown Smoothies(1990)
- Mr. McCaslin Will Sell No More Flowers by Edison Shell(1979)
- Shit Midas by Ceramic Cock Einstein(1992)
- Blue Gil by Moonchief(1989)
- Invest In British Steel by Ricked Wicky(1985)
- Spinning Around by Pearly Gates Smoke Machine(1983)
- Let's Go! (To War) by 1st Joint(1992)
- Grasshopper Rap by Antler(1989)
- I'm Cold by King Of Cincinnati(1987)
- Damn Good Mr. Jam by Ghost Fart(1992)
- In Walked The Moon by Ben Zing(1988)
Disc 3:
- Long Way To Run by Fake Organisms(1987)
- Mr. Media by Tom Devil(1992)
- Settlement Down by Urinary Track Stars(1989)
- Mr. Japan by Red Hot Helicopter(1993)
- A Kind Of Love by Doctor Formula(1984)
- Meddle by Ben Zing(1988)
- Big Trouble by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
- A Good Circuitry Soldier by Eric Pretty(1991)
- Devil Doll by Antler(1989)
- Pantherz by Indian Alarm Clock(1995)
- Cocaine Jane by Flaming Ray(1980)
- Exploding Anthills by Grabbit(1992)
- Perch Warble by 8th Dwarf(1990)
- Medley (This View/True Sensation/On The Wall) by Coward Of The Hour(1991)
- What Are We Coming Up To? by Oil Can Harry(1993)
- Scissors And The Clay Ox (In) by Too Proud To Practice(1990)
- Cody's Antler by Zeppelin Commander(1993)
- Once In A While by God's Brother(1989)
- Buzzards And Dreadful Crows by Antler(1989)
- Carnival At The Morning Star School by Kink Zero(1992)
- Cruise by Royal Japanese Daycare(1993)
- Gayle by Stingy Queens(1983)
- Gift by Homosexual Flypaper(1994)
- The Flying Party by Fast Forward Life(1995)
- Trashed Aircraft by Bus Of Trojan Hope(1992)
Disc 4:
- Trying To Make It Work Again by Pete Eastwood(1981)
- Turbo Boy by Panzee(1989)
- Chain Wallet Bitch by The Unfriendly(1993)
- Little Head by King Of Cincinnati(1987)
- Why Did You Land by Matted Pat(1993)
- Time Machines by Ben Zing(1988)
- A Farewell To Arms by Hazzard Hotrods(1990)
- Best Things Goin' Round by Jumped Or Pushed(1983)
- Sickly Sweet by Good Parts Only Corporation(1993)
- United by Ben Zing(1988)
- Unshaven Bird by John The Croc(1993)
- Black Ghost Pie by Go Back Snowball(1995)
- Go For The Answers by Brown Star Jam(1988)
- Rocking Now by Factory Rat(1998)
- Excellent Things by God's Brother(1988)
- Static Airplane Jive by Antler(1989)
- Where I Come From by Fake Organisms(1987)
- Try To Find You by Fat Chance(1984)
- Deaf Ears by Antler(1989)
- Good For A Few Laughs by Academy Of Crowsfeet(1993)
- Raphael by Nelly & The Dirtfloor(2000)
- My Feet's Trustworthy Existance by Maxwell Greenfield(1992)
- Eggs by Bravery Umpire(1989)
- Wondering Boy Poet by Clinton Killingsworth(1993)
- Oh, Blinky by Styles We Paid For(1989)