I'm gonna play this today because I can't remember much off this album. An odd thing about GBV (for me anyways) is I always enjoy the music and don't recall ever hating a single song I've heard, yet I never go on one of those jags where I listen to nothing but GBV. Yet everytime I play an album, whether it be Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes, I always think "why the hell don't I play this more?"

1 - Bee Thousand
2 - Alien Lanes
3 - Mag Earwig
4 - UTBUTS
5 - Propeller

i miss the bee thousand and alien lanes days...

propeller is my favorite

has anyone heard the new robert pollard? i've seen favorable reviews and the two tracks i've heard hold promise.

It's a byproduct of me getting into GBV VERY, VERY LATE in the game. Isolation Drills was actually my first exposure to GBV, so my list is decidedly late-era top heavy. I realize the source of disdain for my list lies in the fact that neither Bee Thousand nor Alien Lanes occupies their "rightful" position at/near the top, but I likes what I likes.

Yes, and it is open qual. I've got it as a solid #3 on my list of 2006 albums I've heard so far. Yeah, it's a bit long and could have benefitted by some pruning, but that's just Pollard being Pollard, innit?

i stand firmly that "isolation drills" has been one of the 5-10 best albums released in the first half of the 00's.

"the enemy" just slays me everytime i hear it.

Me too - I just got into them in the past 3-4 years or so. I don't really see a song-quality drop-off like others mention after 1996 when Tobin left. It's all quality stuff to me - I just love this band and love that there's SO much to dig through. Universal Truths and Cycles was my first exposure to them, so I tend to be like FT here, however - I tend to listen to the newer stuff more, but I have nothing against and enjoy almost equally everything they've put out. But then I'm like that - I tend to just dive in deep with bands and love it all unless some of the stuff is truly awful or irrelevent to me. With GBV, neither has been the case.

If he would've kept it around 20 songs, it would be near perfect.
BEST thing he's done since 'Mag Earwig'.

FT - Have you heard 'I'm A Strong Lion' ?
1:03 of pop perfection.....as well as an homage to 'The Who'

yeah it's a fist pumper

Yeah, that's one of my favs on the new album. As always, you know sonic goodness, M-Cap.

I need to get my hands on FACE asap.

Four of the five best albums associated with Robert Pollard since UTBUTS was released aren't even GbV albums:

1) Robert Pollard - Not in my Airforce
2) Robert Pollard with Doug Gillard - Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department
3) Isolation Drills
4) Airport 5 - Tower in the Fountain of Sparks
5) Robert Pollard and his Soft Rock Renegades - Choreographed Man of War

If you've never heard last year's solo Pollard effort, Fiction Man, you need to rectify that...STAT! A man called aerodynamics will back me up on this.

Hated both Fiction Man and Motel of Fools - thought they were among the worst albums he's ever been involved with

HATED Fiction Man??? Really? Why can we not find common Pollard ground, SK?

I only gave it two listens. I'll give her another spin. I've really disliked most of what he's done since Tobias left the band, although I'm optimistic about FACE based on what I've heard

Has anyone heard 'Waved Out' ?

Specifically the track 'Subspace Biographies' which belongs in Pollard's all-time Top 20 songs.

'People Are Leaving' & 'Picking Seeds From My Skull' are a couple of good tracks as well.

right back at ya dood...

Again, we are in lockstep. I think Waved Out is better than Not in My Airforce, and LOVE "Subspace Biographies." In fact, that may be his second best song ever, after "The Best of Jill Hives."

i love 'red ink superman' though

I'm listening to FaCE right now, and I like it a lot. A lot cleaner than early GbV, but some great songs.