Scalping the Guru | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | October 28, 2022 | |||
Recorded | 1993–1994 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 33:13 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Guided by Voices, Inc. | |||
Guided by Voices chronology | ||||
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Scalping the Guru is a 2022 compilation album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices. The collection includes tracks from the extended plays Static Airplane Jive (City Slang), Get Out of My Stations (Siltbreeze), Fast Japanese Spin Cycle (Engine Records), and Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer (Domino), released in 1993 and 1994 [1] and has received positive reviews from critics. [2]
Scalping the Guru received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on four reviews. [2] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars and named it the Best of 2022, [3] with critic Fred Thomas writing that this period of Guided by Voice's career had "some of the strongest indie rock of its era as well as being emblematic of the lo-fi movement the band was at the forefront of". [4] Pat King of Paste rated the compilation an 8.5 out of 10, calling it "a must for longtime fans who have logged countless hours trying to nab original copies of these EPs". [5] PopMatters' John Garratt rated Scalping the Guru a 7 out of 10, calling the music "fun, rough, and artful" and "a treat". [6]
Tracks omitted include "Queen of Second Guessing" (Get Out of My Stations), "Blue Moon Fruit" (Get Out of My Stations), "3rd World Birdwatching" (Fast Japanese Spin Cycle), "Snowman" (Fast Japanese Spin Cycle), "Marchers in Orange" (Different Version) (Fast Japanese Spin Cycle), "Dusted" (Different Version) (Fast Japanese Spin Cycle), "Kisses to the Crying Cooks" (Fast Japanese Spin Cycle), and "Broadcaster House" (Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer)
Guided by Voices
Additional personnel
Guided by Voices (GBV) is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted of Pollard, his brother Jim, Mitch Mitchell, Tobin Sprout, Kevin Fennell (drums), and bassist Greg Demos. Noted at first for its lo-fi aesthetic and Portastudio four-tracks-to-cassette production methods, Guided by Voices' music was influenced by early post–British Invasion garage rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, punk rock and post-punk. The band has had a prolific output, releasing 35+ full-length albums along with many other releases, and has garnered a dedicated cult following. Their songs are known for their frequent brevity and for ending abruptly or intertwining with homemade sound effects.
Robert Ellsworth Pollard Jr. is an American singer and songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices. In addition to his work with Guided by Voices, he continues to have a prolific solo career with 22 solo albums released so far.
Tobin Sprout is an American visual artist, musician, songwriter, and children's author. He is best known as a former member of the indie rock band Guided by Voices. He served as a secondary major songwriter and guitarist of the group from 1987 to 1997 and again from 2010 to 2014.
Bee Thousand is the seventh album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices, released on June 21, 1994, on Scat Records. After its release the band became one of the more prominent groups associated with the "lo-fi" genre, a movement defined by the relatively low fidelity of audio releases. Musically, the album draws inspiration from British Invasion-era rock music and punk rock. Following the release of Bee Thousand, the band began to attract interest from other record labels, eventually signing with Matador for their next album.
Alien Lanes is the eighth full-length album by American lo-fi band Guided by Voices, released on April 4, 1995.
Mag Earwhig! is the 10th studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices. Following the dissolution of the group's "classic" lineup, band-leader Robert Pollard recruited Cleveland group Cobra Verde as his backing band, while retaining the Guided by Voices name. It was the second release to feature future long-term collaborator Doug Gillard. Gillard had previously played on and co-wrote the song "Mice Feel Nice " on the Tigerbomb EP. Most of Mag Earwhig! was recorded in a professional studio in Cleveland by the new lineup and marked a departure from band's trademark lo-fi sound; additional songs were also recorded in Dayton, Ohio.
Isolation Drills is the 12th studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices. It was their second and final LP released under TVT Records and their second to feature a major rock producer in Rob Schnapf. The album was also their first to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 168. The album notably features instrumental contributions from Elliott Smith and David Sulzer. Previous longtime band member Tobin Sprout also returned as a guest and contributed with playing piano. While Jim MacPherson plays drums on the album, his replacement Jon McCann is featured in the cover photos, as MacPherson had left the band immediately after the recording to focus on his home life.
Vampire on Titus is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Propeller is the fifth album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Same Place the Fly Got Smashed is the fourth album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Sandbox is the second studio album from American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Devil Between My Toes is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Guided by Voices.
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle is an EP by Guided by Voices, released in 1994.
Not in My Airforce (1996) is the debut solo album by American indie rock musician Robert Pollard, released simultaneously with Tobin Sprout's Carnival Boy, just as the "classic" Guided by Voices lineup was dissolving.
Get out of My Stations is a 1994 EP by Guided by Voices. It was reissued with live bonus tracks on 25 August 2003.
Static Airplane Jive is a 1993 EP by Guided by Voices.
The Grand Hour is a 1993 EP by Guided by Voices. "Shocker in Gloomtown" has remained in GbV concert setlists, and was in 1994 covered by the Breeders.
Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer is a 1994 EP by Guided by Voices.
Under the Bushes Under the Stars is the ninth Guided by Voices album overall, and the last until 2012's Let's Go Eat the Factory to feature the "classic" lineup including Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, and Kevin Fennell in addition to leader Robert Pollard. The album is noted as Guided by Voices' first stab at professionalism, being recorded in 24 track studios rather than their customary 4 track. Sessions for the album were reportedly arduous, spread as they were across at least four studios and as many sets of producers, and many titles and configurations were vetted before a final sequence was reached.
Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft is a four-CD box set released by Guided by Voices in 2000. Named for the reputed literal suitcase in which the bandleader Robert Pollard allegedly stored his hundreds of unreleased tapes, the set is a trawl through decades worth of material from throughout Guided by Voices' recorded career.