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After Bee Thousand gave Guided By Voices a wider audience, it became evident that Robert Pollard saw himself as more than just the band's songwriter and frontman, and as his career ambitions grew, he became increasingly frustrated with the limitations of his band. Matters came to a head prior to the recording of Mag Earwhig! as Pollard broke ties with longtime guitarist and fellow songwriter Tobin Sprout and fired the rest of the group. While Pollard and Sprout soon buried the hatchet, Sprout opted not to stay on as a full-time member of the group, and Pollard was now Guided By Voices' uncontested leader. He hired Cleveland-based blues/garage rockers Cobra Verde as his backing band for the next GBV album, and Mag Earwhig! sounded a good bit different as a result; while there were a few stray four-track experiments with Sprout scattered about, most of the album had a solid, professional sheen, and Cobra Verde rock harder and sound tighter than any of the lineups Pollard had worked with in the past. Unfortunately, his songwriting wasn't quite up to his usual standards, which the new clarity of this album makes all the more evident. Pollard is incapable of making an album without a few fine songs, and "Bulldog Skin," "Sad If I Lost It," "Not Behind the Fighter Jet," and "Portable Men's Society" certainly fill the bill, but it may well be significant that Mag Earwhig!'s most exciting song, the joyous "I Am a Tree," was written by Cobra Verde's Doug Gillard. While there's plenty to enjoy here, Robert Pollard's next experiment in hi-fi record making, Do the Collapse, would prove to be much more successful.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tobin Sprout, AssociatedPerformer - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Jim Pollard, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - John Shough, Programmer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Joe Buben, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, StudioMusician - Flippant Music, BMI, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Jim Pollard, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Chad Stanisic, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tobin Sprout, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Jim Pollard, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - MCA (BMI), MusicPublisher - I'm A Cowboy Songs (BMI), MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tobin Sprout, ComposerLyricist, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - MCA (BMI), MusicPublisher - I'm A Cowboy Songs (BMI), MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Kevin Fennell, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Mitch Mitchell, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Mitch Mitchell, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - John Shough, Programmer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Kevin Fennell, StudioMusician - John Shough, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Mitch Mitchell, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Kevin Fennell, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Mitch Mitchell, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Guided By Voices, MainArtist - Don Depew, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Robert Pollard, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dave Swanson, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Needmore Songs, MusicPublisher - Doug Gillard, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - John Petkovic, AssociatedPerformer, StudioMusician - Music Corporation of America BMI, MusicPublisher
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
Album review
After Bee Thousand gave Guided By Voices a wider audience, it became evident that Robert Pollard saw himself as more than just the band's songwriter and frontman, and as his career ambitions grew, he became increasingly frustrated with the limitations of his band. Matters came to a head prior to the recording of Mag Earwhig! as Pollard broke ties with longtime guitarist and fellow songwriter Tobin Sprout and fired the rest of the group. While Pollard and Sprout soon buried the hatchet, Sprout opted not to stay on as a full-time member of the group, and Pollard was now Guided By Voices' uncontested leader. He hired Cleveland-based blues/garage rockers Cobra Verde as his backing band for the next GBV album, and Mag Earwhig! sounded a good bit different as a result; while there were a few stray four-track experiments with Sprout scattered about, most of the album had a solid, professional sheen, and Cobra Verde rock harder and sound tighter than any of the lineups Pollard had worked with in the past. Unfortunately, his songwriting wasn't quite up to his usual standards, which the new clarity of this album makes all the more evident. Pollard is incapable of making an album without a few fine songs, and "Bulldog Skin," "Sad If I Lost It," "Not Behind the Fighter Jet," and "Portable Men's Society" certainly fill the bill, but it may well be significant that Mag Earwhig!'s most exciting song, the joyous "I Am a Tree," was written by Cobra Verde's Doug Gillard. While there's plenty to enjoy here, Robert Pollard's next experiment in hi-fi record making, Do the Collapse, would prove to be much more successful.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:31
- Main artists: Guided By Voices
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Matador
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
1997 Matador Records 1997 Matador Records
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