solace Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 BOSTON SPACESHIPS 2008 TOUR Robert Pollard : vocals Chris Slusarenko : guitar John Moen : drums plus Tommy Keene : guitar Jason Narducy : bass Thu 9/25 Cincinnati OH - Midpoint Music Festival Fri 9/26 Cleveland OH - Grog Shop Sat 9/27 Washington DC - Black Cat Mon 9/29 Philadelphia PA - Johnny Brendas Tue 9/30 Boston MA - Paradise Wed 10/1 New York City - Highline Ballroom Fri 10/3 Ann Arbor MI - Blind Pig Sat 10/4 Dayton OH - Dayton Music Festival Mon 10/6 Chicago IL - Double Door Tue 10/7 St Paul MN - Turf Club Thu 10/9 Champaing IL - Higher Ground Fri 10/10 St Louis MO - Bluebird Sat 10/11 Memphis TN - Hi Tone Tue 10/14 Austin TX- Parish Wed 10/15Dallas TX - The Loft Fri 10/17 Atlanta GA - The Earl Sat 10/18 Nashville TN- Mercy Lounge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 a little role reversal? slushy moves from bass to guitar and narduccy from guitar to bass? nice to see keene back in the mix too i'll always go see pollard, but holy crap his last few records are just awful coast to coast carpet of love? standard gargoyle decisions? superman was a rocker? off to business? there are maybe a combined three good songs on them combined i keep buying them though since this guy had an unparalleled 50-album run of genius from sandbox up through from a compound eye. don't think he can write a good song anymore though. these records just keep getting more and more musically boring. i'm told the next record - the boston spaceships one - is the worst thing he's ever done. sad BOSTON SPACESHIPS 2008 TOUR Robert Pollard : vocals Chris Slusarenko : guitar John Moen : drums plus Tommy Keene : guitar Jason Narducy : bass Thu 9/25 Cincinnati OH - Midpoint Music Festival Fri 9/26 Cleveland OH - Grog Shop Sat 9/27 Washington DC - Black Cat Mon 9/29 Philadelphia PA - Johnny Brendas Tue 9/30 Boston MA - Paradise Wed 10/1 New York City - Highline Ballroom Fri 10/3 Ann Arbor MI - Blind Pig Sat 10/4 Dayton OH - Dayton Music Festival Mon 10/6 Chicago IL - Double Door Tue 10/7 St Paul MN - Turf Club Thu 10/9 Champaing IL - Higher Ground Fri 10/10 St Louis MO - Bluebird Sat 10/11 Memphis TN - Hi Tone Tue 10/14 Austin TX- Parish Wed 10/15Dallas TX - The Loft Fri 10/17 Atlanta GA - The Earl Sat 10/18 Nashville TN- Mercy Lounge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 don't think he can write a good song anymore though. these records just keep getting more and more musically boring. i'm told the next record - the boston spaceships one - is the worst thing he's ever done. sadI bet that Bob writing and recording with an honest-to-goodness band again will do him wonders. I love the recent solo stuff, plus Circus Devils, Keene Brothers, Takeovers, Psycho and the Birds, etc., but I've got a feeling Boston Spaceships is gonna be even better than all that. If the one Boston Spaceships song I've heard is any indication, Brown Submarine is gonna be GREAT. "Go for the Exit" is available at www.bostonspaceships.com. It's a fuckin' great song in my humble opinion, but I've been a Bob fan since 1993 and there's very little stuff he's done since then that I haven't flat-out loved. Nightwalker, Hazzard Hotrods, Phantom Tollbooth, Tropic of Nipples, and Howling Wolf Orchestra are the only Bob CDs that don't get a lot of lovin' in my house (that might sound like a lot, but it's maybe 0.5% of his output since '87). God bless you, Bob Pollard! Keep the tunes coming. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Go for the Exit is def great.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
people are leaving Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Robert Pollard - Is Off To Business is easily the best thing he's done since FaCE. It is no surprise that Robert Pollard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Yeah, Gratification is a good track. But saying this is the best thing he's done since From a Compound Eye is damning with faint praise because the guy has been on a downward spiral since FaCE, which I thought was every bit as good as B000, Alien Lanes or Under the Bushes. (although I do like Keene Brothers but haven't found it particularly enduring) These songs are hollow and boring, watered-down Bob Pollard product. There's no spark. There's nothing musically adventurous about them. I mean, listen to Christian Animation Torch Carriers or Storm Vibrations from UTaC and compare them to these dull-edged flat-lined tracks. Listen to the depth on something like Fiction Man and these tracks are just claustrophibic in comparison. The magic is gone. The musical depth and muscle and sense of dynamic range that separated Bob's songs and GBV songs from the masses are gone. The effortless melodic gift that we heard on 50 records from Forever Since Breakfast through FaCE has been replaced by pile after pile of faceless songs that wouldn't have been good enough for Motel of Fools. In my opinion, this is just a bad record. Another bad record from Bob. He's able to crank up one or two great songs per record - miles under the skin on coast to coast, for example ... pattern girl on sgt. disco ... etc. But I guess his days of filling records with brilliance like he did for two decades are over Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I listened to Half Smiles & Off to Business last night just to kind of try and get a better feel for what's missing these days and I think ya know Todd Tobias is an amazing technician and he can play a lot of instruments proficiently, but there's no fucking SOUL in these songs. It's been Tobias'ed out. Bob desperately misses Doug & I guess that's why he's trying again with Tommy Keene, but Doug's playing gave Bob's songs life, and they have very little of that now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 unbelievably great show last night boston spaceships @ johnny brenda's in philadelphia nearly three hours of pure seismic guitar explosion bob's still got it the band was insane, the set list was tremendous, crowd was frenzied amazing stuff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Reading hardwood's flip flops on Bob Pollard is one of the unique aspects of ViaChicago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Reading hardwood's flip flops on Bob Pollard is one of the unique aspects of ViaChicago. not at all the new records are terrible everything up through From a Compound Eye is incredible the last group of live shows was flat saturday night was tremendous you're basically eliminating todd tobias's claustrophobic production and gaining tommy keene's guitar playing not sure where the "flip flop" is Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Sounds good. I'm not 10% the Pollard fan you are. I do like Business and Submarine. The latter is the stronger of the 2. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
people are leaving Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I do like Business and Submarine. The former is the stronger of the 2. I will say Go For The Exit is classic Pollard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CortezTheKiller Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I will say Go For The Exit is classic Pollard.I couldn't define "classic Pollard" for you, but I love "Zero Fix" and "You Satisfy Me." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I couldn't define "classic Pollard" for you.... hmmm ... 10 classic pollard tracks ... Edison's MemosSmothered in HugsTime MachinesConquerer of the MoonTwilight CampfighterSubspace BiographiesGirl named CaptainQuality of ArmorStorm VibrationsMiles under the Skin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I think the Boston Spaceships record stinks, though Back to Business is pretty decent. Overall I'm not too keen on his more recent releases but am probably willing to check out the live show, as it will be worth it if only a third as good as GBV was back in the day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I think the Boston Spaceships record stinks, though Back to Business is pretty decent. Overall I'm not too keen on his more recent releases but am probably willing to check out the live show, as it will be worth it if only a third as good as GBV was back in the day. yeah, i'm with you ... like i said, i can't stand the last few pollard records, everything since keene brothers really but this was a vintage pollard live show. the band is insanely great -- tommy keene and chris slusarenko on guitar, jason narduccy on bass, john moen on drums. this is pollard's best band since the 2001 gbv lineup -- doug gillard, tim tobias, nate farley and jim mcpherson go see 'em, you'll dig it. you won't even care that the last couple records blow Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brianjeremy Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 yeah, i'm with you ... like i said, i can't stand the last few pollard records, everything since keene brothers really but this was a vintage pollard live show. the band is insanely great -- tommy keene and chris slusarenko on guitar, jason narduccy on bass, john moen on drums. this is pollard's best band since the 2001 gbv lineup -- doug gillard, tim tobias, nate farley and jim mcpherson go see 'em, you'll dig it. you won't even care that the last couple records blow I think it's his best since the Keene Brothers album. It has stirred a resurgence of GBV music in the house. I read somewhere that they've already got their second record in the can and the third one is in the demo stages. This isn't surprising but more power to Uncle Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 yeah, i'm with you ... like i said, i can't stand the last few pollard records, everything since keene brothers really but this was a vintage pollard live show. the band is insanely great -- tommy keene and chris slusarenko on guitar, jason narduccy on bass, john moen on drums. this is pollard's best band since the 2001 gbv lineup -- doug gillard, tim tobias, nate farley and jim mcpherson go see 'em, you'll dig it. you won't even care that the last couple records blow What songs are they playing? Pollard solo? GBV? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I think it's his best since the Keene Brothers album. It has stirred a resurgence of GBV music in the house. I read somewhere that they've already got their second record in the can and the third one is in the demo stages. This isn't surprising but more power to Uncle Bob. yeah, they played four songs from the next boston spaceships record. one of them was one of the best pollard songs i've heard in a long, long time. hopefully tobias doesn't suck all the life out of it by the time it's released. would love to see bob work with a different producer and get back to recording with a real band and pick up the guitar again, but doesn't look like that's gonna happen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I'm going to the show in Ann Arbor tomorrow night! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 What songs are they playing? Pollard solo? GBV? the main set included just three GBV songs and only recent solo stuff - almost all from boston spaceships, off to business and the recent EPs. nothing even from the earlier post-gbv releases --- coast to coast carpet of love, normal happiness, FaCE, standard gargoyle decisions, keene brothers, psycho and the birds, etc. the only gbv tracks in the main set if i remember were four obscurities - crutch came slinking (from king shit and the golden boys), a full-band version of headache revolution (originally released on the tvt web site as a pollard acoustic track, later appeared on suitcase 2), full-band version of carnival at the morningstar school (originally appeared on the 30 songs fan comp, later on suitcase 1) and sensational gravity boy (from the kinetic records comp). the only other stuff that predates 2007 was two takeovers tracks and a solo track, catherine of mid-october, i think from the zoom EP? then the encore included the hits - motor away, tractor rape chain, game of pricks and cut-out witch i reckon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 top 20 robert pollard post-gbv tracks Miles Under The Skin, Coast to Coast Carpet of Love (Robert Pollard)There Will Be no Island, The Crawling Distance (Robert Pollard)Death of the Party, Blues and Boogie Shoes (Keene Brothers)The Blondes, Robert Pollard Is off to Business (Robert Pollard)Fresh Threats, Salad Shooters, Zip Guns, From a Compound Eye (Robert Pollard)Circle Saw Boys Club, Silverfish Trivia (Robert Pollard)The Butler Stands for All of Us, The Crawling Distance (Robert Pollard)Serious Bird Woman (You Turn me On), Normal Happiness, (Robert Pollard)U.S. Mustard Company, From a Compound Eye (Robert Pollard)Zoom (It Happens under the World), Zoom (Robert Pollard)Light Show, From a Compound Eye (Robert Pollard)Folded Claws, Standard Gargoyle Decisions (Robert Pollard)Shadow Port, Standard Gargoyle Decisions (Robert Pollard)Beauty of the Draft, Blues and Boogie Shoes (Keene Brothers)Catherine From Mid-October, Zoom (Robert Pollard)Jesus the Clockwork, All that is Holy (Psycho and the Birds)Pattern Girl, Sgt. Disco (Circus Devils)Dancing Girls And Dancing Men, From a Compound Eye (Robert Pollard)Winston's Atomic Bird, Brown Submarine (Boston Spaceships)Our Gaze, Coast to Coast Carpet of Love (Robert Pollard) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 the new pollard is actually really good the crawling distance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brianjeremy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I am enjoying his new one quite a bit. It's so much better than Off to Business. I can't wait until the new Boston Spaceship's new one to drop, The Planets are Blasted. I guess it's no real surprise that this is just one of six new albums (that we know about) by Pollard this year! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I am enjoying his new one quite a bit. It's so much better than Off to Business. I can't wait until the new Boston Spaceship's new one to drop, The Planets are Blasted. I guess it's no real surprise that this is just one of six new albums (that we know about) by Pollard this year! yeah, six albums that if you take the best tracks from each will still be about half as good as the worst gbv record Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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