Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Quirky without the redeeming qualities like: talent, or a sense of direction.
Is this just a collection of demos? Almost none of these songs sound finished and are just small bits. Too much all over the place.
Their eighth album. Rock / Indie. The production is awful, the vocals are terrible, the musicianship is bad and on and on. This sounds like a shitty demo tape by some drunk kids in a garage.
Honestly I don’t really know what I think of this one. There’s some stuff on here I really liked but just as it seemed to be getting going the song ended. There’s other tracks I flat out hated.. Top Track - The Ugly Vision
An okay album, I liked Motor Away the most.
feels like an album made for the streaming age with all these short 1 minute songs
I am surprised that this dross was put out by a label, that it was purchased by punters, and that someone saw fit to put it on this list. Whiny, discordant, uninventive rubbish.
Agree with the general consensus that this sounds like a solid demo tape. 28 songs in 41 mins is crazy. I kinda like the short punchy songs but it feels like cheating a bit when they aren't fleshed out. A potentially great album was left behind here. 3/5.
Pollard has written more songs than some people send texts in their lifetime!
#163/1001. This was the best demo tape of b-sides from an indie band which sounds exactly like X and has been obviously inspired by Y. I couldn't get any grip on the album so I started it all over again. Didn't help. But perhaps that is just the fun of it. Or perhaps this a clarevoyant depiction of our fragmented time and a metaphor or our chaotic world. Nah. It is a demo tape.
An interesting concept for an album- it sort of emulated a radio station in the variety of sounds and number of transitions. Ultimately didnt land for me- sometimes I enjoyed it, and sometimes I felt it was doing too much. Overall- not bad. 2.5 to 3 / 5
Like leaving the radio on while in a dream.
There wasn’t really any cohesion that I heard. Music is good but a pedestrian album all together.
I love this album <3
Lots of short little songs, not bad, some nice variety. I'm guessing it's some type of experimental group. Probably would have been pretty cool to hear this back in the mid 90's when I was young would be more open to it. Not bad but not something I will exactly be looking forward to hearing again.
Ramshackle and ineptly recorded - a borderline mess. Curious mixing decisions and parts that sound like first takes played on instruments that are often out of tune. The only consistent thing about it is the complete lack of polish or finesse. That and the obvious ear for melody. Stupendous, loved it
Cool songs, hard to find the full album
I feel like this one is a grower & requires repeat listens to fully get.
28 songs averaging 90 seconds a piece, you need a good reason to have that many tracks on an album. Releasing a ton of music doesn't make it good and before you even get into most of the tracks they end and a new one starts. Monotonous.
At least the songs were really short
I've heard of this band a good few times, but never listened to them. I can see why this was included on the list, because it shows how successful a band can be with a lo-fi approach. But I find the sheer number of song snippets on here a bit overwhelming. So many of them sound like demos, and there's no real flow to the album. I would have liked to hear like 12-15 of these songs at a proper length. The best ones, like Game of Pricks and Blimps Go 90, feel like they're only getting started and then they end. A lot of the songs are just obnoxious experimentation with effects and static as well, like Chicken Blows. Why is that one over 2 mins long, and the best songs on the album are barely 90 seconds? Come to think of it, I would have cut everything after "Blimps Go 90", apart from "Alright".
Zupełnie nieszczególny. Momentami nie miałem pewności czy wszyscy członkowie zespołu grają ten sam utwór.
Mess of an album - bad production and no cohesion. Couple alright bits but not enjoyable for me
This album’s just plain fun. You can hear bits of everything, early 80's, punk, British invasion esp Kinks but it never feels copied. Sounds like no one but Guided by Voices: messy, catchy, and totally their own thing. Only issues is not all songs work, so not a perfect album.
The Pollard/Sprout combo was a hook writing machine. There are so many gems on this but that’s something that can be said about every GBV record or Pollard’s career in general.
I really like this era of GBV. Between this and Bee Thousand it's hard to pick a favorite. "Game of Pricks" is a stand out and a good place to start.
I really enjoyed this album. I haven't listened to enough GBV.
Ei mitenkään erityinen, muttei erityisen huonokaan. Jos jotain niin odotuksia ei ollut ollenkaan ja täysin uusi tuttavuus itselle. Siihen nähden jopa ihan positiivinen albumi. Ysäri tästä huokuu vahvasti läpi
Tässähän riitti biisejä yllin kyllin. Kolmasosakin olisi riittänyt aivan hyvin. Aika paljon tuli Beatles-vibaa pienellä säröllä ja paskalla laululla. Ei löydy älyttömästi rispektiä Beatleseihin, niin tähän vielä vähemmän. Parempi kuitenkin kuin äskönen ni nakataan pari pojoa.
Suht tuskainen setti kuunneltavaksi.
Oon varmaan tätä edeltävää äänet johdattelee -levyä kuunnellut, mut tää ol entuudestaan vieras. Muistaakseni se levy ei ollut ihan näin rajua tavaraa. Jotain juttua tästä albyymistä ol, että tuotantokulut ol kympin verran, jos ei laske mukaan kaljaan mennyttä rahaa. Sillainhan kun halutaan käyttää ilmasun tehokeinona kämäsyyttä ja biisit saattaa loppua siinä kohtaa kun ne vasta pitäs alkaa, niin kuulija jää helposti miettimään, että miksi. On tässä seassa hyviäkin biisejä tai ainakiin niiden aihioita. Enkä nyt lähe liiaksi tuomitsemaan sitä, että hommaa ei ole hiottu. Ohan toi myös melkosta erikoishuumoria lyödä kuorsaukset taustalle ja siihen sitten nauhotella päälle musisointia. Jollain tasolla siis viehättävää, mutta varmaan kasetille nauhotettu "minun kuided pai voisiis best ohvi" kestäs paremmin kuuntelua. Kai siin kuitenkin se perusidea katois, kun selkeestihän tätä säveltäneellä on ajatus hyvistä melodioista ja poppiksesta, mutta haluaa tehdä tajunnanvirtaa sen sijaan, että nälväis viimeisteltyä taideteosta. Kai nää omatkin ajatukset levyistä jotka pitäs kuunnella ennen viikatemiehen vierailua on enemmän tän levyn henkistä taidetta kun mitään musiikkijournalismia. Että sillai. Yritä tälle nyt sitten pisteitä antaa. No yritän. Annetaan sit paremmat pisteet, jos tulee se toinen levy. Voi kyl olla, että sekin ol ihan samaa menoo. Joopajoo sano rengit päissään.
Jotain jännää tässä on.
Vähän taas erikoinen levy tälle listalle, miksi kenenkään pitäisi tämä kuunnella? Liekö levyn biisinikkari listan laatijan kavereita? Mutta siis joo. Perus autotallikamaa mitä mahtuu tusinaan 15 bändiä. Ei mitään tarttumapintaa, varsinkin kun soundi oli ehkä vähän liian sliipattu ollakseen autotallibändi. Varmaan sillain just "oman kylän bändinä" olis kiva käydä näiden keikoilla siellä oman kylän pikkubaarissa, mutta siihen se sitten jää. Ei nyt missään nimessä yhden tähden arvoista paskaa, mutta ei kyllä myöskään missään nimessä kolmen tähden kamaa. Vähän säikähdin ensin kun scrollasin biisilistaa alaspäin, että tässähän menee koko päivä, mutta biisit olivatkin sitten aika lyhyitä. Siitä toki plussaa tässä haasteessa.
I don’t really find their sound generally enjoyable but they get credit for creativity and sonic experimentation with some moments of genuine brilliance.
No standouts, every song is too short
Despite feeling unfinished as an album, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Vocals are reminiscent of Beatles and early garage band rhythms. Would love to hear this polished up.
Didn't know what to expect from this, left pleasantly surprised in a good way. Just the essence of good catchy songs, sure influenced by the beatles. Turns out I like lo-fi, which doesn't surprised me too much, give me 28 songs in 40 minutes if there is the multitude of ideas, as on show here. Don’t hold with the demo idea these are fully formed 2 to 3 minute escapes. 4 Star
mixed bag. wish there were half stars like Letterboxd i would probably give it a 2.5 stars
Absolutely no recollection of this - inoffensive I guess
Nice album in some parts, but also some weak songs. I found it refreshing to have all the short songs. Nevertheless not more than 3.3
A 60s psychadelic sounding album with hints of grunge and hard rock. 28 songs in less than 50 minutes is quite a lot of scrobbles! A very weird concept that I have never heard of before. It was a whatever listening experience. Some good tracks over others but they were all short songs.
Meh.
Love this album since my university times from the very first seconds. One of those really rare things in life you revisit again and again over decades.
nice sound but having a hard time figuring these short songs out
I like the vibe but i JUST hate men singing!! The guitar is too prominent imho Also what is up with the songs being a minute long It's connected the way i believe an album should be you can't really hear when the song is changing It isnt that nice It lowkey hurt my soul
Another one of those 90s bands that I never really figured out. It’s not terrible but it just doesn’t do much for me. 2.something, but not enough for 3 stars.
Look, if you're going to just give us 1 or 2 minute song snippets, make them fucking enjoyable to listen to. This was not enjoyable. And the production sounds like it was all recorded in a tin can. Sure, it's lo-fi alt rock, but I'd rather hear Pavement than this. Hell, even the album cover screams stay away.
I remember not being all that enamored with GBV in the 90's when they got "big". This album is an interesting mix of songs and I tend to be fine with the lo-fi sensibility but I don't think I will be coming back to this albums....
Not my jam
It’s interesting, very indie, good mix of Brit-pop and indie sounds. Simple chords and guitar. Sounds a bit like Generation X, especially Auditorium. But just a little less edgy or punk. Real lo-fi sound. Reminds me of an easier to listen to Sonic Youth. So many tracks, each really short. Overall, good album. Very indie, which I like.
Very cool post punk album! Some of the shortest songs I've ever seen on a record, a lot of them being 30 seconds - 2 minutes. Shimmering guitars, grunge vocals, blown out production. Passionate!
It wasn't bad, it was just ideas of songs.
Um…..Uh……I guess I don’t get it. I’ve heard about Guided By Voices forever, but I never knew anything about them. I was kind of hoping they were a punk band, and I guess some might say they are. Alien Lanes is the group’s 8th album and it has 28 songs with some lasting just 19 seconds. In fact, the album has several songs under a minute. Are they songs at that point? Maybe they’re jingles? Music critics love this band, which generally means I’m not smart enough or I’m not pretentious enough to get it. Or maybe I’m not afraid to admit I don’t like it? The songs seem like they turned on the the recording equipment and decided to make up a song on the spot. I guess I can see the appeal to some. I thought of Weezer, the Who, the Eagles of Death Metal’s first album when I listened to GBV. However, I will also listen to those bands in the future. GBV is what some refer to a lo-fi, indie music. They are praised for their songwriting and their lyrics, but I don’t get it. They actually have what sounds like a dude snoring throughout one song. The song is called Ex-Supermodel. Check it out and tell me a dude isn’t snoring. Hey, I get it, I wanted to snore through most of this album. It’s not all bad; there are several good jingles on the album. If GBV worked on them longer than 2 minutes, they might make actual good songs. I don't hate this album, because I’m old. I've never liked this kind of music. Maybe I’m the pretentious one. I recommend not listening to this unless you like pretentious indie rock or you want to hear how snoring can be a musical instrument.
28 songs in 41 minutes is insane. I don't know about this one. It wasn't the worst but I'll also never listen to any of the songs either on their own or as part of this album again. Tinny and hissy wasn't particularly pleasant. Maybe I'm being too harsh but it just didn't work for me.
Al principio me pareció entretenida la idea de escuchar un álbum que más que de canciones, se compone de momentos y descartes que surgen de forma aleatoria en un estudio de grabación. Desconozco si esa es la pretensión del grupo, en cualquier caso, a mi me gustan las películas de 3 horas y me parece que hacer cortos es súper complicado, porque tienes que ser muy preciso con lo que quieres decir para resultar memorable y yo de de estas 28 canciones no recuerdo absolutamente nada. En algunas encuentran ideas interesantes pero se niegan a perseguirlas, me dio mogollón de rabia. Las demás, siendo algunas snippets de 20 segundos, me recuerdan a un sketch de SNL donde hacen una parodia de los Sex Pistols y suena más o menos como esto. Las únicas que recuerdo: My valuable hunting knife, Alright (efectivamente, porque es la última)
El lofi noventero tenía todas las de gustarme, pero este formato deja mucho que desear. Tal vez las ideas registradas según surgen, sin filtro ni estructura, sea parte del encanto, pero a mí me cuesta verle la gracia. 28 canciones en cuarenta y pico minutos es una experiencia bastante agotadora. Muchas de ellas terminan justo cuando empiezan a ponerse interesantes. Hay cosas bastante rescatables, pero al estar inacabadas no ofrecen demasiado. Interesante concepto, mediocre ejecución. Favs: Game of Pricks, Motor Away
La discográfica nunca había puesto tanto dinero para un disco (100.000 dolarus). Sólo usaron 10 dólares y el resto se fue en cerveza. Teniendo en cuenta que se grabó con un Fisher-Price en el parking de un McDonald's, el disco es muy divertido y frenético. Las canciones son muy cortas, pero eso les juega a favor: los momentos pesados del disco son cortísimos, y los buenos son muy reescuchables. Una sorpresa, la verdad. Desde fuera parecía un desastre, y aunque en parte lo sea, sólo hay que disfrutarlo y no entenderlo mucho o buscarle mucha lógica. Total, son alien lanes. A la playlist: As We Go Up, We Go Down, Game of Pricks (absoluto tema), A Good Flying Bird, Motor Away, My Valuable Hunting Knife. Os habéis pasado: Hit, Ex-Supermodel.
Hadde lydbildet på hele albumet vært som på låten Blimp90 ville de nok ha fått en stjerne til. Muligens to til også. For det finnes bra melodier bak her, men de velger å drukne dem i en blanding av dårlig lyd og et ræva ide om at det låter tøffere hvis gitaren har høy skrangle lyd over alt.
Went into this one completely blind, and I think that was the way to go. This album is kind of a lot. I could see several ways in which this album could turn people off, the biggest being its song length. The whole album is filled with songs that rarely make it past 2 minutes. But as a massive Ween fan, this album felt very brown. It felt like they just sort of threw everything they had at the wall and just kept going and worried about what stuck later. But that’s not a negative, I wish more albums were this bold and risky. There’s a couple songs that are less than a minute but they are so creative and inspired that they feel more quality than most songs that are 3 mins long. Honestly the album was very pleasantly surprising. The best analogy for this album is that it’s very similar to sketch comedy, they can’t ALL be winners. Just by the nature of the medium it’s always gunna be hit and miss, but I will say these are mostly “hits” (figuratively). Seriously though this album is pretty fun and has good energy in it.
I tried to like it. I really wanted to. Some of it was solid, but man, it just didn't stick
Interest old indie sound.
I quite like this sort of thing but when Death Cab did it 500 times better this just doesn’t cut it
It sounds like a demo tape. The recording is too muddy and incomprehensible to really speak to the quality of musicianship.
Great example of how the counter culture movement has extremes of either great social commentary music or just lyrics for the sake of shock value. This album was unfortunately the latter.
I tried listening to all of the songs but was only able to hear 5 of them, I did not like the sound of the guitar in any of the songs at all, too rough
I'm giving this a 3 on first listen. There were a handful of tracks I really enjoyed, but the project is a lot to digest in one go. I plan on revisiting though. Some really catchy hooks filtered through lo-fi production, which may take some getting used to.
What a glorious mess.
Used to listen to this one quite a bit back in high school but it eventually fell through the cracks, well due for a revisit. I think I like it even more than I did back in the day. What a great record.
I really love these guys lol. I’ve only listened to this and Bee Thousand, which I preferred, but this is still fun too. I’m a little annoyed by the fade-outs sometimes. Some of these song fragments are unnecessary. Still, I love an artist who just throws everything at the wall. Must-listen #219.
This shit blows
Some of the melodies on this are absolutely insane but I just can't deal with 20 2-minute songs
Kinda mid
Favorite Track: Game Of Pricks
Ya tiene que ser bueno para que yo me escuche 28 canciones. Esta gente de cree los Beatles o algo... ¿Seleccionar canciones y terminarlas no era una opción? Parece una cassette de maquetas de amigos. Supongo que alguna gente se considera tan genial que cree que debe sacar un cajón de maquetas grabadas de cualquier manera y eso le importará a la humanidad. No es que haya ninguna canción especialmente molesta, pero sin duda no están al nivel de ser publicadas.
*Not my preferred type of music and nothing hooked me as interesting or noteworthy.
This album started out alright- solidly in 3 star territory- but as it went on...and on...and on...I got so sick of it. I was happy to see a departure from the extremely long noise tracks that make up 90% of my experience on this generator thus far, but alas this also ended up being not much more than noise to my ears. I cannot give it 1 star as I still enjoyed a couple tracks, and overall the vibe is good. But as an album experience, it's not so hot. Best consumed in small doses, for sure. Side note- can I expect any albums with any sort of structure and (*gasp*) predictability? If not, this is a waste of time. I did not sign up for this album generator to listen to dozens of hours of pretentious noise. Some of it is good, but this is hardly an accurate representation of the most influential music of all time. Predictability and structure does not equal a lesser form of art, and some of the reviews seem to imply that this is indeed the case.
2.5
2.0
Hitting a bit of a rough streak on the site lately. I’m not very fond of this guys voice, I feel like this album is stylistically disjointed and all over the place, and I really dislike most albums that consist of short songs bordering on 1 minute long each, with very few exceptions. Not entirely sure that Lofi is for me, but this definitely wasn’t. It’s a low 2 bordering on a 1 for me. I think my favorite song was the closer, “Alright”. I just find most of the songs either too short and never really get started, excruciatingly boring and repetitive, or worst of all, all of the above. Sorry guys, I gave it the day. Tried to find something redeeming or an aspect I could end up appreciating, just couldn’t do it.
Weird way to start a day. 28 songs and 41 minutes. Definitely some strange choices made. Snoring in a song? Strumming your lips like Bugs Bunny? Anyway, at least each song was short and before you could get tired of it a new song was on. My biggest complaint is that this really didn't feel like an album. there was no construct or flow. Just a bunch of weird songs.
Wtf did I just listen to? A compilation of high school recordings? Some songs are actually not too bad with decent melodies and other songs are just atrocities to my ears. What the hell is with the choice to include snoring noises in Ex-Supermodel? Why does he sound like he’s under water in Chicken Blows. Not to mention the random volume in the backing vocals. How did these recordings pass QA? The few selection of good tunes saves this album from being a 1/5
А чего такие песни короткие? Этот альбом как будто писался для сдвгшников, которые больше минуты на одном предмете не могут внимание сконцентрировать. А у меня наоборот, я только начинаю въезжать в атмосферу песни и она вдруг заканчивается. Ну что за дела? Звучит это месиво как запись школьников в гараже о бытии своей нелёгкой жизни, и это одна из положительных сторон данного альбома. Саунд грязный, сырой, расслабленный и меланхоличный. Даже пара песен, например, последняя - Alright, Motor Away, Always Crush Me - довольно клёвые. Все бы было хорошо, не будь они такими короткими...
Please, I beg of you, come back and finish some of these songs off, they could be good! But they won't will they. Instead they'll write 28 sketches of songs that bring you right in and then leave you a bit dissatisfied. A shame.
made my head hurt
Not mine
Could hear Beatles influence, some Crowded House, bit of punk, but most of the time sounded like an out of tune garage band
Never heard of these . Ok though
# 🎸 In-Depth Review: Guided By Voices' *Alien Lanes* (1995) ## 📀 Introduction *Alien Lanes* is the eighth studio album by Guided By Voices (GBV), released in 1995 on Matador Records. Recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder with a reported production cost of just $10 (excluding beer), the album embodies the lo-fi ethos of the 1990s indie rock scene. With 28 tracks crammed into 41 minutes, it is a whirlwind of creative energy, blending punk spontaneity, power-pop hooks, and surreal lyricism. Below, we break down the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, followed by its pros and cons. --- ## 📝 Lyrics Robert Pollard’s lyrics on *Alien Lanes* are a mix of cryptic poetry, introspective confessionals, and surreal imagery. Themes range from personal anxiety and disillusionment to whimsical storytelling. For example: - **"Game of Pricks"** explores emotional vulnerability with lines like *"You could never be strong / You can only be free,"* reflecting Pollard’s struggles with authenticity and relationships. - **"Motor Away"** combines escapism with self-doubt, as Pollard sings, *"You can’t lie to yourself that it’s the chance of a lifetime,"* capturing the tension between ambition and reality. - **"As We Go Up, We Go Down"** addresses the band’s sudden fame and the pressure that accompanied it, with the defiant line, *"Leave my fucking life alone"*. Pollard’s writing style is often fragmented and open to interpretation, drawing comparisons to British Invasion pop and punk poets like Buzzcocks. His ability to blend humor, irony, and sincerity gives the lyrics a unique emotional weight. --- ## 🎶 Music Musically, *Alien Lanes* is a masterclass in lo-fi indie rock, featuring: - **Short, Punchy Songs**: Tracks like "Evil Speakers" (0:58) and "Hit" (0:30) are bursts of energy that never overstay their welcome. - **Melodic Hooks**: Songs like "Closer You Are" and "Watch Me Jumpstart" are infused with catchy, Beatles-esque melodies. - **Genre-Blending**: The album seamlessly shifts between power pop ("Game of Pricks"), garage rock ("Pimple Zoo"), and psychedelic fragments ("Cigarette Tricks"). The band’s performance is raw and energetic, with Tobin Sprout’s jangly guitars and Kevin Fennell’s propulsive drums providing a perfect backdrop for Pollard’s anthemic vocals. --- ## 🎛️ Production The production is deliberately lo-fi, recorded on a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder in basements. Key characteristics include: - **Minimalist Aesthetic**: The album prioritizes spontaneity over polish, with mistakes left intact (e.g., the guitar cutout in "Hardcore UFOs"). - **Tape Hiss and Distortion**: The pervasive hiss and muffled vocals create an intimate, DIY feel that aligns with the album’s themes of authenticity. - **Sequencing**: The album’s flow is carefully curated, with shorter tracks acting as transitions between more fully realized songs. This approach contrasts with the slick production of mainstream ’90s rock, making *Alien Lanes* a landmark of lo-fi aesthetics. --- ## 🧠 Themes *Alien Lanes* explores several recurring themes: 1. **Anxiety and Disillusionment**: Pollard grapples with the pressures of newfound fame and the fear of selling out. 2. **Escapism**: Tracks like "Motor Away" and "Watch Me Jumpstart" romanticize the idea of breaking free from constraints. 3. **Nostalgia and Identity**: Pollard reflects on his blue-collar Midwest roots while channeling British rock influences. 4. **Surrealism**: Lyrics often veer into absurdist territory (e.g., "Blimps Go 90"), adding a layer of playful mystery. --- ## 🏆 Influence *Alien Lanes* has had a lasting impact on: - **Lo-Fi and Indie Rock**: Bands like Car Seat Headrest and early Pavement drew inspiration from its DIY ethos. - **Power Pop**: The album’s concise, hook-driven songs influenced modern power pop acts. - **Creative Freedom**: Its rejection of studio gloss encouraged artists to prioritize creativity over budget constraints. --- ## ✔️ Pros and ❌ Cons | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | 🎵 Catchy, memorable hooks throughout. | 🎤 Some tracks feel underdeveloped or fragmentary (e.g., "Gold Hick"). | | 📀 Raw, authentic production enhances its charm. | 🔊 Lo-fi sound may be abrasive to some listeners. | | 📖 Lyrical depth blends humor and vulnerability. | 🎧 Sequencing can feel disjointed on first listen. | | 🏆 Influential in indie and lo-fi genres. | 🎸 Limited appeal for fans of polished production. | --- ## 💎 Conclusion *Alien Lanes* remains a landmark album in Guided By Voices’ discography and a touchstone of 1990s indie rock. Its combination of raw production, inventive songwriting, and emotional depth makes it a rewarding listen for those willing to embrace its imperfections. While not without flaws, its pros far outweigh its cons, solidifying its status as a classic.
# 568 : Alien Lanes Alien Lanes - A lo-fi sprint through chaos. If Alien Lanes is a masterpiece, then I’m a cassette deck. This thing sounds like ADHD in real time—lo-fi, lo-effort, and lo-interest. It’s all over the place, jumping from one half-formed idea to the next like a kid with a sugar high and a four-track recorder. Apparently it cost $10 to make, and honestly, that feels generous. There’s potential buried in here somewhere, but it’s buried deep. The songs are short, scattered, and often feel like demos of demos. Less is not always more—sometimes less is just... less. The best part? It’s over quickly. It’s listenable enough, and occasionally interesting, but not something I’ll ever come back to. This isn’t an album—it’s a sketchbook of musical doodles. Verdict: A lo-fi sprint through chaos. Not an album—just a catalogue of song fragments. Best Track (if you must): As We Go Up, We Go Down – the one moment where the chaos briefly aligns into something resembling a song. Listened: 15/09/2025
I've never heard of this band before this album was assigned to me. I liked this but I think the songs were too short. I mean, I know it's kind of their thing like they don't want to overstay their welcome or something but this swings too far in the opposite direction to me. like, the cool guy you invite to the party but he has half of a drink and makes an Irish exit 30 min later. it doesn't make him cooler. it makes me think he has anxiety so I stop inviting him to the party
Wasn't really my thing. Not terrible per say, but didn't strike a chord with me and some of it was kinda annoying experiments.
Indie rock for those with ADHD
OOOO we got to see them live at Bellwether! Love this album, lots of short tunes, some grit mixed with pop
Partnered with Bee thousand, perhaps the quintessential lofi record of the 90’s, and filled with ideas, and some songs too. Motor Away is one of their very best.
Вмазанность и рваность альбома оправдана его концепцией, но оправдывает ли это его особенности? Если только отчасти, продакшен в целом представляет собой крайне изобретальный фьюз инди, пост-панка и слэкера, что слушается приятно. Да и лирические приколы so 90's, man, тоже не может не подкупить. 3.5 ouf of 5.
No for me, dawg
This definitely tries to be something. Very varied, disjointed, and still works together. Feels like it could be a slowburn album to come back to and like increasingly more.
The tracks might not always hit but they stayed interesting enough throughout
Different
I don’t know what to think. I actually think I like it, but it feels too much like a demo recording. They should have chosen the best “songs” and spent time working on them. I think the record has massive potential
This was not for me. Too many tracks, and none of them stand out. Made the album feel twice as long, and not in a good way. Sounded like a demo tape of unfinished songs
Not a GBV fan.
Watch Me Jumpstart // Game of Pricks // Chicken Blows // 3.5/5
Quantity over quality: every GBV album sounds like a set of unfinished demos to me.
Ok
Album's only 41 minutes long but contains 28 songs. I don't know, maybe if a song is 18 seconds long it's not a song? Songs come quick and fast which is good if you don't like one but they also don't necessarily flow together well. It's just not a cohesive book of work. The music is fine and probably paved the way for future artists (this came out in 1995) but there isn't much I'm looking to relisten to. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)
Familiar with name but not music. Alright kind of punk sounds. Reminded me of The Pixes in a way. Songs were all too short to really get into and remember anything specific
Don't get it.
I would have got into it if i were a teen as an adult it has a built in whinge under the music that rubs my taint. Listened to an earlier album 'sandbox' and that was okay. Who is picking these albums? AI or a first year art student?
Its like they kept changing the station midway through songs, except all the stations were the same mid-90s college station. 2/5
Fine but it didn't wow me
Never listened to them before and won’t listen to them again.
First time ever listening to a full GBV album. Which is wild, since they are chronologically and sonically right in my wheelhouse. I absolutely get the hype.
They really leaned into the lo-fi here. I agree with some who say this sounds like a demo tape, but I would bet that is exactly what they were going for. Thankfully some of the spaghetti sticks and this was not a bad listen.
This ain’t it for me. It feels unfinished, muddy, and messy. Not in a fun way either. It’s a snooze fest with crappy mixing that gets all mixed up. I think this has the beginning of something good, which is probably what draws people to it. There are a few little gems that are fun and as soon as they come they are gone, I’d much rather listen to a 30 min cut down fleshed out and finished version of this album.
Listened as I was walking in the the reservation with my mom and midnight! Different than what I normally listen to but it reminds me of oasis so ofc I prefer oasis
A sign of its time. It comes and goes, doesn’t take much of your time.
OK vibes, 7/10
It's great. It was a very necessary piece of music.
Really good album, although I feel like they could have left out some tracks and made others longer.
LOV THIS! Thank you!! This was my first album I listened to on here. Ever! I immediately listened to the whole thing. I loved the entire thing. What a time to be alive.
Unapologetic Guided by Voices fan that celebrates their entire catalog, the celebration is long and I'm a complete mess at the end, sort of like a lot of GBV songs!
I just didn't see anything novel or particularly good about it. Sorry. I wonder whether, if this had been my, say, third album generated, rather than my four hundred and forty-somethingth, I would have found more in it. But we've had such a *lot* of noisy blokes with guitars that my enthusiasm for analysing why particular chord choices, production choices, lyrics, etc might be more meritorious than others has waned. It was lo-fi. It was quite noisy. It didn't really add anything to the music scene in 1995, as far as I can be bothered to think about it. Sorry again.
I’d rather have had half the number of tracks that at least felt complete. Did they just bore easily?
Pretty good. I enjoyed the music and the vibe of this album.
Alien Lanes is full of short, lo-fi songs that are fun at first, but by the time you start getting into one, it’s already over. Still, not without its catchy charm
This is probably the perfect album for anyone with ADHD - 28 songs, 41 minutes. For me, it was kind of hard to find anything that really stood out, but I really liked the overall vibe. I definitely haven't spent enough time listening to Guided by Voices in my lifetime!
Lots of really short songs. Better than expected. 3.35
I'm not sure why but I really enjoyed this.
What a stange album... this was at once enjoyable and boring
Really enjoyed, loved the way it was like 28 mini songs. Sounds quite raw and almost homemade in a really nice way, will definitely listen again
Not for me today. It's a trashy, noisy cacophony.
Lots of talk about how prolific the songwriter is and how inexpensive it was to record this album. There doesn't seem to be any actual songcraft involved here. Every track is too (mercifully) short for any thematic development or any contrast or really anything. This is the musical equivalent of the guy who walks around with a handheld mini-cassette recorder so he can record all his "profound" thoughts. Comedic gold, especially when the character is as earnest as this album comes across. It's laughably bad. Would that I could give it 0 stars. 1 star.
Strong Beatles influence but not my thing. Sloppy garage sound doesn't do it for me.
Kyllähän tämä on solid musaa! Hyvä! 3/5
Hyviä lyhyitä suupaloja! 4/5
Eh, had like 20 songs at 90 seconds a piece. Interesting but not something I wanted to listen to all the way through.
I think this is what ADHD sounds like in real time. Its all over the place, its Dinosaur Jr and then The Beatles and then Pink Floyd, but every song is only 60ish seconds so you never really get all the way into it. It reminds me of someone just flipping through channels on the radio but all of the channels are of a similar genre and taste.
Music for people with short attention spans
Goofy album full of 1-2 min songs. But otherwise is listenable enough.
pretty good punk style
Always crush me is pretty cool
Feels very unfinished, but I guess that's the point... or something. Could have been so much better.
This was A Salty Salute to the Strawdogs. When you listen to this it will Motor Away your mind to the Pimple Zoo.
Nothing really for me here
LOL what a fucking joke this album was. Songs so short you don’t even have time to get into them. Just a waste of time for anyone doing this challenge
I did not like this one. I hate the dudes voice. Every so often there would be something I liked, but then the song was a minute long and it ended. Not for me
28 snippets of great melodic rock songs. i understand not liking this, but there's a clear songwriting skill here presented in a pure raw form. never boring. love it.
If you like Guided by Voices songs then I have good news for you: there are a lot of ‘em. Like, A LOT a lot. No, more than that. I’ve heard some GbV songs that were good to great but for some reason the band never grabbed me.
G!B!V! G!B!V!
I liked this. 28 very short good songs.
I have long maintained that the 90s is the best era of music. Even the best have their occasional slip-ups. This album started out sounding like a Beatles tribute band, and morphed into the illegitimate love child of a Beatles tribute band and a Lemonheads tribute band. Then it went downhill from there. A lowlight was the song I couldn’t really make out the lyrics because there was some very loud snoring. I had heard of Guided by Voices but for some reason I thought they were an American Christian band. After listening to 28 songs of this mess, I don’t think an American Christian band could have been worse.
weird af, hat extrem kurze songs, haben aber nen coolen groovy vibe, definitiv worth listening aber remembering? idk. fav: auditorium
I didnt like it rven though it seems up my alley. didnt like it ar all
Not my style. Sounded a little monotonous in tone which did not make me want to lean into what the lyrics were saying but I’m gonna listen to a couple songs over and maybe change my opinion. Since it’s my first album I’ve listened to I think in the future it would be helpful to learn more About the band and the era of music. Next time.
not a fan of the production and recording quality. i get what they're going for but it just doesn't do it for me. songs are too short and lots feel out of place, the album doesn't seem to make much sense and feels like it was thrown together too fast.
No me gusto mucho, me gusto solo 1 canción
1995 first for Matador records!
I love R.E.M. and the Flaming Lips so GBV should be right up my strasse, but with a discography like theirs it's hard to know where to possibly begin. I've heard the song As We Go Up, We Go Down before but this was the first time I've ever listened to a full album. I really enjoyed it, sure it's lo-fi and chaotic and some songs are too short but I'll be checking out more of their stuff.
One of those bands that seems universally beloved by people who have similar musical tastes as me, but I just CANNOT get into them. I cannot understand their appeal whatsoever. The only decent song here is "Watch Me Jumpstart" because it's the only one that is given space to develop. The rest is, to put it nicely, undercooked to the point of being raw and inedible. For my tastes, at least. I just don't get it.
I’ve always loved this period of GBV albums (familiarity seems to definitely impact my ratings - although it can also breed contempt haha), but the best one is Bee Thousand. That should be on the list and sadly is not.
I couldn’t get into it. Sounds like demo tapes to me. I’m learning lowfi production isn’t really my thing.
It started off somewhat boring, imo, and then got worse in the middle. Some good riffs here and there, but at what cost?
Quite frustrating. I really like parts of this album but nothing lasts more than a minute or two so it's hard to find your footing while listening. Lots of cool Beatles inspired vocal harmonies and melodies, but they went a bit overkill on the lofi sound in my opinion. There is potential for this to grow on me over time but as of now I can't give it a high rating.
Not sure how I feel about this one. I like the vibe of the first song but then nothing else really caught my ear. Interesting that the songs are so short.
I don’t really know what I think of this album as it’s a lot to take in. 28 songs in 41 minutes! So each song is under a minute and a half. It’s like it’s for someone who has very short attention span. I find it a bit disorientating. I think I like the music (indie rock being my thing) but I wish the songs had more time to breathe. I’ll need to investigate further.
Interesting low fi sound.
"Wow... every once in a while you get a pleasant surprise... my first time hearing this act was this morning... and i really like this record... 28 songs! lol... but... the good news... they average less than 2 minutes long... the obvious comparison is early REM... but these guys have HOOKS GALORE... and they get the idea over... in under two minutes... that is amazing... the closer you are the quicker it hits ya... lol... as they sing in "Closer You Are"... one of longer songs at one minute, 56 seconds... "My Valuable Hunting Knife" is a two minute pop gem... etc... "Blimps Go 90" is also a highlight... The album closes with the longest song, almost THREE minutes! lol.. "Alright" is and EPIC closer... applying the theory of relativity... lol... also, i love this record because it was recorded like i record... in a home studio... some genres, artists, etc sound better when recorded and produced with the maximum amount of cleanliness... this record is raw... like RnR should be... it's politically incorrect... it's punk... but it's pop... and it's 100% RnR... Robert Pollard is the singer, and songwriter... FIVE STARS."
Not my vibe but it’s fine
Decent album, not my favorite.
Como una radio, bastante interesante con algún tema guapo. Sonido de guitarras guapos y estribillos pegadizos. Me mola la idea de que sean como sketches de radio. Pero hay canciones que son infumables…. 2/5
Boring indie rock. They can both play well and sing well, but it didn’t catch a slight interest for me. Good recording.
I don't get the appeal. I mean, they're fine, but I don't understand the cult following.
1 star. Started out strong then they said the f slur then they started getting samey with it. Booooo
BANGER!
Fine. Nothing stood out as great or awful
Reminded me what I don't like about slacker rock.
lots of short songs, which feel like sketches, or seeing inside an artist's notebook - packed with ideas - weirdly mixed with rattly drums that hide behind the guitars, Beatle-esque melodies over Husker Du guitars, sprinklings of Big Star and Sonic Youth, too. an interesting listen
About what I expected from a 28 song 90's rock album. Some good, some bad, and a lot of genre mashing.
2.75 Uh huh
2.7 A lot of interesting stuff there but game of pricks is one of my favorites.
Muitas músicas com batidas parecidas, difícil de diferenciar algumas, mas muitas músicas muito fortes!
Ruim, tenta ser muita coisa e erra em tudo
Ziemlich zurück gebeamt in meine Jugend!
Interesting approach to the making of songs.
TikTok versions of songs that are only slightly longer than most contemporary TV show theme songs. Not for me.
A bunch of song ideas and demos disguised as an album
One of those albums that I'm sure would be my favourite if I grew up with it. Really enjoy the quick hits; in and our before a song gets stale. I had listened to Bee Thousand a few times before but this one was never on my radar. Really need to spend more time with GBV.
Ces dernières années j'essaye de découvrir un peu plus Guided By Voices mais je trouve qu'il manque toujours de quoi si je compare à d'autres groupes du genre que j'écoute souvent genre Pavement, Sebadoh ou même Hüsker Dü ou The Replacements.
Neutral Milk Hotel pour les pauvres?
Y’a des bonnes mélodies mais on a oas le temps de s’investir qu’on passe à la prochaine! De plus, un peu trop lo-fi à mon goût. Surtout que l’intensité du son de cacanne change d’une chanson à l’autre.
4/5
These songs aren't unfinished, they're barely started.
++: Evil Speakers, They're Not Witches, (I Wanna Be a) Dumbcharger, The Ugly Vision, Auditorium, My Valuable Hunting Knife, Ex-Supermodel, Chicken Blows, Always Crush Me +: A Salty Salute, Watch Me Jumpstart, Big Chief Chinese Restaurant, Striped White Jets, Strawdogs, Little Whirl, Alright +-: As We Go Up, We Go Down, Game of Pricks, Cigarette Tricks, Closer You Are, Motor Away, Hit, Gold Hick, King and Caroline, Blimps Go 90, My Son Cool -: Pimple Zoo --: A Good Flying Bird 4,9/10
think I would really like this record and band, need to give it a few more listens. A 3.5, but leaning towards a 4
Already didn't rate it but questionable lyrics brings this down to a 1
I didn't like this.
Really weird album, loads of extremely short songs that largely sound unfinished
I like indie rock
This album feels like a bit of a demo tape and that's no just because of the 28 tracks or because it was recorded on a 4 track tape but if just because if seems full of some pop/rock hits and misses. I actually like the short format songs that GBV are famed for and this is probably one of their better albums. Work going along for the ride.
I quite liked this.
Really enjoyed this
There's nothing about my music preferences that suggest I should like this group. But I find myself liking the vocals and a few of the songs.
This was good
After the release of Bee Thousand, Guided by Voices (GBV), helmed by Robert Pollard a 37-year-old elementary teacher from the Midwest, broke into the underground indie scene. Alien Lanes was their follow-up, that despite the $100,000 pre-production from Matador the band still managed to cling to its lo-fi roots. That decision to, sometimes oddly, stick to lo-fi will almost certainly alienate many listener. I haven't looked but suspect that the standard deviation on reviews for this record is pretty high. To me though the recordning decision contributes to the raw energy and unique sounscape that makes this album a fun experience. This was even more apparent to me through my critical listens for this project than it was when I first heard it many years ago, but maybe that is just how memory works? A garage album, literally in place and in sonically in spirit, the album was mostly recorded in Pollard’s garage and basement on a four track. There was plenty of tom foolery too, with songs recorded using cheap microphones spread throughout the room, or others with tremble cranked all the way up and bass all the way down. Editing decisions that Hyden at Pitchfork hilarious called “self-deprecating sonic fuckery”. Bands like this are fun to listen to because they are not afraid to experiement with new sounds. Sometimes this falls flat, like the annoying snoring on in the background in“Ex-Supermodel”. Yet, on Alen Lanes it works more often than not, taking tunes often inspired by classic rock to unique places. In terms of structure the album reminded me of a rock-inspired version of a similar punk-inspired thing that the Minutemen did on Double Nickels on the Dime. All of the songs are short, yet many are memorable and catchy. The songs grab you quick and then just as quickly let you go, making you feel like you are riding a sonic roller coaster. Like much great rock and roll it is the energy that manages to pull the snippets together into a cohesive record. I enjoyed this record, so much so that despite not having listened to GBV for several years I spent my afternoon going through their most recent discography. Given the sheet volume of records recorded in the time since Alien Lanes was recorded, there are enough of us who can appreciate music like this to keep a band like this going. It is easy to see why GBV would go on to become so iconic and influential in indie circles. As I've noted previously, the beauty of this project is that it keeps reminding me of bands that for no damn good reason I have moved on from. Fortunatey for me, in the case of GBV, I've got a lot more to explore.
When you see 28 songs, rarely reaching 2 minutes and expect another DRI or Napalm Death going fast and hard, then it turns out it's riffing more on psychedelia, and garage rock. This album slaps and is interesting from a band with 40+ albums that scared me to try and figure out which one to introduce myself with.
Favorite Track: As We Go Up, We Go Down
Some of the 28 tracks on this are quite decent. As an aspiring musician, it is good to hear different ways of making albums and this is a good example of something I wouldn't have thought of doing and never want to do, but not totally terrible!
Los locos estaban aburridos sacando temitas y dijeron: y si metemos estos 97 temas que hicimos en un disco solo? Me gustó el estilo de todas formas, no aburre escucharlo.
Me embolo: si bien trata de innovar en el sonido siento, como que no está bien definido y tira a ser aburrido además de que el álbum es ETERNO, no terminaba más. Le doy un 3 porque siento que le falta alguito nomas y sería un buen disco.
Me gusto bastante, no los conocía y el estilo me llamó la atención, a veces cortito y enquilombado, pero bueno en fin
Es como un enganchado de temas que grabaron, lo mezclaron al azar en un disco y asi salió a la venta.
A garage rock staple.
These are some great demos. I definitely think Matador Records should sign these guys and work this into an album.
Fantastic. Short, strong, hooky, alternative rock tracks that sound great! 28 songs in 41 minutes, and I want more. I had not heard of them prior to the list, and if you haven't either, be prepared to go on a tour of great tracks. I'm tempted to think that they end the songs so quickly based on showmanship. However, they sound solid and could go on with acclaim.
Push the instruments over a cliff and do not let this band play again.
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Weird, aber ganz nice.
OK. Would have preferred they take the 10 best snippets and make full-length songs.
It's like being in a schizophrenic brain also added woth ADHD. 28 very short tracks. One track has someone snoring. I'm not sure the guitarist or vocalist understand what a tune is. I'm sure it's a UK band, they use a sspecific slur a lot, but it means cigarette to them. Still it's jarring. Oh there is a violin. Trying to sound like they are underwater ? Or like the old surfer bands gri the 60s? Terrible. It's all terrible. Except the drummer is ok. Is this a final for a high-school music class maybe? So much cringe
Some skips, but overall a fun sounding album with some really good songs on it
This scores points for taking a different creative path - They kind of took the idea of the album and bent it to the band's own vision. Still, the demo-like feel to all the songs really does detract from the album (in my opinion). Also, the music itself isn't all that good, although the constant change in sound due to the many very short tracks makes it enjoyable for the most part. Finally, that album cover is just so so so so bad. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
this is exactly the type of thing that i dont mind for a bit but starts to wear on my nerves after a bit. the good news is that the songs are short enough to stay interesting most of the way through.
Ok, so gonna be honest, this didn’t do much for me
I get half-baked is kind of the charm and it is a fun change of pace to have sub-minute songs but it just skipped from one idea I didn't like to the next. Rating: 2.3
I know a little of Guided By Voices, but I've liked what I've heard. This particular album is admittedly a bit odd from a structural sense, as it sounds like a collage of short lo-fi rock recordings in no particular order. Not poor by any means, the lyrics are a bit eccentric but the melodies are quite nice. Everything just comes at you quickly and changes gears just as you're getting settled in. I believe this is the group's schtick, though.
I don't really understand why they only finished about 3 of these songs. They all start and then they all finish. I feel like there was potential to this. Quite Shins-y at times. But, just, like... finish a song!!
One of my favorite albums of all time. 5 stars. No notes.
2 plus Why are the tracks so short?
Interesting
Just awful
2.5
Indie rock, diverse and high quality songwriting, many different guitar sounds, good album in a genre that I don’t know much about.
Some cool quick hitters.
I appreciate this record and this band a lot. Pollard is such an incredibly prolific songwriter. The lo-fi production I could do without though it is a cool vibe.
Really didn't impress me. Felt a lot like Sonic Youth or the like.
Not for me
i don’t understand the point of this but it’s like listening to a very long collection of demo tapes. most are just really short and unfinished and today this has bugged me xD it gets a 2/5. would’ve been a 1 but the music itself isn’t bad. it’s just annoying to listen to this entire thing.
Not much to say frome on this one. I thought it was good
I quite liked this one, bit of an Incubus vibe, quite interesting lyrics and nice tune to the songs
I struggled rating this one, the music was great but I wasn't a fan of the short army of songs. I think if they had around 9 Bohemian Rhapsody style songs It would have been much more enjoyable
This is my first GBV album and while I like tracks from it they are way too short to make a lasting impact. Why wouldn't you pick like the 10 best ideas and develop them further, or if you want to make medleys just do that, but not put tracks on a row without purpose. This project needed a producer that helps the songwriter make the best possible version of every track
Is there such a thing as too lo-fi for its own good? Probably not; I just don't think I cared for the songwriting here. Probably will grow on me though.
Not into this at all, sounds unfinished, like if you and your buddies were just recording in a garage or something.
Reminiscent of the Clash and other early 80s rock. Slightly weird. Very short songs and plenty of them. Musically quite accomplished but not something I'd go back to.
2.3 Don’t rate his voice find the music so so
My major problem with this album is the length of the tracks. I prefer songs that give you space, where they are long enough that you can breathe and live in them for a while. I enjoyed these songs, but they are claustrophobic in their brevity. Just as soon as I start to get into the song, it's over and the next track is almost done as well.
this was really good, at the start it opened with this killer bass, and the echo on the vocals were both awesome. its some really good indie rock, and i think if i got more acquainted with it (im gonna have to, its 30 songs) it could be my album of the year for '95. A lot of the transitions between songs are really smooth, it reminds me of since i left you in that way. It is really good, it reminds me a lot of surf curse, i should really check out a full album of theirs at some point. A lot of these songs are incredibly short (1-2 minutes), and god dammit! ive already made that exact blid joke about love at the bottom of the sea bro. This album does share a lot of genetics with love at the bottom of the sea, it has similar vocals, similar guitar. I think thats the only features ive been noticing which is odd given theres a drum on the cover.
half-songs :/
It was a pleasant listen
I’m a huge Modest Mouse fan, and this reminded me of Sad Sappy Sucker in a lot of ways. It’s even comparable in tracks-to-runtime ratio (SSS has 24 in 31 minutes, Alien Lanes has 28 in 41.) The lo-fi production and raw energy is great! There are some incredible pieces here, and I’m glad GBV has become more than a band on my list of bands to eventually get to. All that said, it’s not an album I feel the need to go back to in full, but that could change.
I can sense that I'm supposed to like this a lot more than I currently do on first listen, and I already dig it well enough. Once I have my true GBV breakthrough, I will revisit. 3.5/5
Songs are nice and short, but there's too many of them. I don't hate them. The singing could have been better, but it's fine. It doesn't seem essential to me. Favorite song: dumbcharger.
It’s kind of weird to have a 42 minute album consisting of 28 very short songs, but that’s what we have here. I for the most part enjoyed this, but there is a lot of junk in here and as is, it is a 3 star album at best. If I could magically edit it down to 10 or 12 songs, and lengthen the survivors a bit, this could be a 4 star album for me.
This was okay. Good background music while I was driving.
In terms of using lo-fi as a creative effect, I think this is quite ahead of its time, even though I do think some of the effects are more destructive to the song, rather than making it better, but I think it generally works. There seems to be some kind of alternating more acoustic/more built up pattern at the start, but it seems to stop a when you get further in. There's kind of so much stuff going on, that its hard to say what musically qualities this has as a whole - just well-written songs, with interesting guitar tones, and mixes and timbres. Also a LOT of variety. Favourite songs: pretty much most of them. Overall around 8/10
Never heard of this band, but I like their sound and style. I would like the album a lot more if there were fewer songs that were developed more - as is, they're all too abbreviated, like they're just preliminary demos; and they stuck to a single genre-sound throughout.
Muito chato, meu deus, banda de garagem total
Interesting one, had heard of Guided By Voices but hadn't listened to their music before. Really lo-fi, post punk energy with very short tracks that make an impression then end before they overstay their welcome. Music with a cool vibe, but not sure I connected enough with it to return to this album.
Garage band sound, with some good ideas.
Not really
So for thirty years I thought this was an r’n’b group with gospel vocals because of the name. Uh, hello, 90s lo-fi indie rock? I appreciate the creativity of this record, the dozen+ snippets where you’re dropped into what feels like a full-fledged song for a minute or two, then bang, into the next one. Very Abbey Road medley. It sounded pretty good, but I wasn’t especially taken with it.
Yeah...pretty cool
A lot going on in this album. 28 songs in 41 minutes with some tonal changes throughout. Nothing bad, but hard to get ahold of any consistent theme. This is music I like, but in a weird style
Interesting band. Very short catchy songs. Kind of like an indie mix of neutral milk hotel with a bit more psychedelic. Not bad, but not super memorable.
A collection of short lo-fi indie tunes. Occasionally flirts with a Flaming Lips sound. 'As We Go Up, We Go Down' is my favourite, by some distance. That's it. Not enough here to make the list.
It’s a bit Beatles, it’s a bit proto-Strokes; some nice ideas here and there but it sounds unfinished, like a demo album. Could’ve done with more time in the oven. The more I listened the more I disliked it. 41 minutes that never seemed to end. Rubbish singing, rubbish lyrics, rubbish recording, rubbish songs. Some of it is impressively bad - ‘Ex-Supermodel’ has this horrible sample the whole way through of what I can only imagine is someone snoring? Who likes listening to that?
I love the idea of these little snippets of songs in a way, was engaging and a cool approach to the album. At the end of day there wasn't a ton that stood out for me but the concept is good and it was fun
maioria das músicas curtinhas. algumas quase vinhetas. (28 musicas = 41 minutos) tem muita coisa muito boa e muita doideira que não é meu gosto. entendo o pq é influente, mas é um disco DIFÍCIL de ouvir.
This is hard to judge - the songs that I liked I found too short to fully enjoy, but the ones I hated at least were over very quickly.
I've got to join in with everyone saying this feels more like a demo tape than an album. Not bad, has a good spirit, but didn't move me. Sounds like it could turn into something more but the style they're going for doesn't want to, and that's fine. Always Crush Me had my interest.
There are moments that sound like a Beatles cover band recorded in the garage. Some Lou Barlow vibes I'm not sure what I'm supposed to get from this. There was a glut of bands that sounded like this.
There are a couple of really good tracks here, like "Game of Pricks" and "Motor Away," but most are just sketches or demos. As the album progresses it becomes increasingly distorted, and trebly, which is not an inherently bad thing. A fair amount of potential, but most of it is not worth returning to.
Veldig rockmusikk anno 1995, det va fint, æ blei litt nostalgisk for en tidsperiode æ ikke va del av. Eller så fikk æ lyst til å se Empire Records, en av to.
138/1089 - Based on my experiences with lo-fi hip hop and rock, "lo-fi" seems to be a code word for bad. But in this case, the lo-fi production is the most interesting part of the album. Kinda reminded me of some indie tracks on the Newgrounds audio portal. Overall an adequate album.
Top tier GBV
Low production quality and some fun (if not simple) songs. I enjoyed this one. Something I really love about a 28 track album that's under an hour.
S’ok
If The Beatles were born 25 years later with 1/5 the talent they would be Guided By Voices. There is nothing intrinsically bad about this album, there’s nothing that holds me to want to give this another go. The songs are under developed, the production style of having it sound like it was recorded on $20 microphones during an electric storm in an echoey warehouse was an interesting choice. The instrumentation was solid, the vocals and melody were catchy but nothing revolutionary. I listen to this list with an open mind and keen ear to try and understand why it’s considered 1 of 1001 albums you need to hear. I feel that if it is something that is genre changing, genre creating, trend setting, the peak of decade, peak of a career, a magnum opus, boundary pushing or just a plain masterpiece, that’s what should be on this list - not some haphazardly crafted pop alt-rock creation by a person clearly suffering from ADHD. 41 minutes is a sweat spot for album length, but dividing that into 28 songs is a weird mind fuck that makes the album seem a lot longer than it is. 3.5/10 #66/1001
The energy is good on most of these tracks, but some are severely underdeveloped. More snippets than songs. Overall easy to listen to but not very inspired.
Kinda sounds like a grunge Beatles with swearing
Interesting
Raw, kooky indy.
I'm so indie rock I rocked before indie rock was mainstream... Fun to listen, kind of Dinosaur Jr. except... later
28 short snippets of songs in 41 minutes. I haven't really heard lo-fi albums before so this was my first listen. It's a bit too underproduced and it sounds more a like a demo, but it wasn't a bad listen, though not sure I'll listen to it again.
A half-baked record from a fully baked band.
Album 788 of 1089 Guided By Voices-Alien Lanes (1995) Rating : 3 / 5 28 short songs in 41 minutes. Some good melodies that end as soon as they begin. No wasted time here. Worthy of another listen.
Review four of the Easter blitz, Guided by Voices. It’s been a year, give or take, since this album came into my life and hardly a week has passed since then without me fist pumping – literally, though always privately – to “Striped White Jets”. It’s a big old avalanche of fuzzy guitars and crash cymbals that always, for whatever special metaphysical feeling kind of reason, threatens to entirely overwhelm me. A whole year and no review – and now I have to rush it. (It’s while realising that that the kitchen radio disconnects; “Evil Speakers”, a knowing protest.) There will be no time to reflect on “Pimple Zoo”’s simple genius, to celebrate the riff of “Watch me Jumpstart”, or to extemporate on the weirdo wonder of “Always Crush Me”. No matter, brevity is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the record – which often sounds more like a Top of the Pops countdown than a traditional album. So here we go: This is the White Almbum of lo-fi, bedroom indie. It is perfect. It makes me want to quit my job and pollute the world with similarly smartarsed songs made out of choruses. I could barely love it any more if I tried. “Striped White Jets”, yee-fuckin’-haw.
Not for me
Pretty good
Fun, but I don’t see how it’s influential enough to be included on this list. A couple songs I’d come back to but most was just forgettable garage rock.
Good stuff, nice album to just have on
I was unsure the first few songs but then as I kept going I found a few I really enjoyed and saved to my playlist! (Game of Pricks, Pimple Zoo, Chicken Blows) This album was a surprise, liked it way more than I thought I would!
Before listening to this my thoughts were that I liked the cover and I may or may not have heard of this band. After listening, my life may have been changed. This band has how many albums?!?!? I’m going to be busy for a while. These are more fragments than full songs, but they are all so interesting.
Maybe a 4
this album wasn’t even mid. do you know how awful it is to listen to a plain, boring, 28 track album? it made it feel so much longer (despite being under 45 minutes). zero sense of cohesion. 1/5.
I had never listened to anything by Guided by Voices, but the first time I’d heard of them was when I went to a live show in Tokyo with a cover band called “Voided by Geysers.” That’s what I think of whenever their name pops up. Anyway, they were pretty good, and so was this. It made me nostalgic for that time. This album has 28 bite-sized songs - I liked the idea at first, but sometimes it felt like they ended too soon. 3.5
Robert Pollard has to be the most prolific modern songwriter of our time. Not only has his band, Guided By Voices released at least 41 full length albums (...and still growing), as a solo artist add in another 22. The song output is so huge, it feels at times it's that " throw all the shit against the wall, and see what sticks" approach for what is actually recorded and released on record. Alien Lanes would probably be considered an "early" release, even though it was their eighth album already, it was their first on Merge records as the previous releases were smaller indie labels. The lo-fi sound is still prominent and the fact there are 28 songs packed into 41 minutes (most songs under 2 minutes), means a lot of the songs come across as sound samples or unfinished pieces. For some people that would be a negative, but the beauty of this record is that it doesn't stand still and the tracks don't get too stale and the shear audacity of Pollard to write so many brilliant pop songs is hard to rap your head around. Sometimes too much of anything can be too much, but sometimes it can all come together and produce something exceptional. Truthfully, GBV released only a handful of truly amazing records. I would place Alien Lanes in their top 3, at least and even if there is a lot of shit on here, there's still more great songs here than most albums today.
Maso
28 musical thoughts crammed into 41 minutes with a song sprinkled here or there.
There's some good stuff here but also a lot of bad stuff that doesn't feel particularly artful or interesting in why it's noisy and short and weird especially in contrast to the more fleshed out songs. It just feels confused. There's a version of this album I'd give a 3 but I never want to listen to it all the way through ever again so it gets a 2.