Human Amusements at Hourly Rates
Guided By Voices
Matador
Few former elementary school teachers and certifiable drunks can claim to have had as much of an effect upon independent music as Robert Pollard. As the one-man creative engine behind the indie rock legend Guided By Voices, Pollard has been one of the most prolific artists of the last fifteen years.
Human Amusements at Hourly Rates is Pollard’s compilation of the thirty-two best Guided by Voices tracks. It’s been released as a best-of collection and part of a six-CD box set commemorating the band’s legacy. For those who don’t want to invest in the box set, Human Amusements provides a far more affordable and, ultimately, far better alternative.
Pollard’s songwriting technique is essentially to spit out as many melodic ideas as possible, scribble down some non-sequiteurs to sing over them in his Roger Daltrey accent, and promptly release another album.
With Human Amusements at Hourly Rates, Pollard has finally decided to give his catalogue some liposuction. From straight-up, balls-out anthems that conjure up images of Pete Townshend’s energetic younger days to more subdued but equally inspired musings on cheerleaders and robot boys, each song is an outburst of rock and roll genius. The track sequencing is well planned, as each transition seems completely logical and every song is complemented beautifully by those surrounding it. The result is a phenomenal account of one man’s musical odyssey that towers above the sum of its parts.
In truth, Human Amusements at Hourly Rates is the only truly essential Guided By Voices CD. Every reader owes it to himself to pick it up. This collection should be sufficient to restore even the most stubborn classicist’s faith that rock and roll is indeed alive and kicking. Pollard’s creativity shows no signs of abating, but with a compilation like this, he could swear off songwriting forever and still be assured a permanent seat in the pantheon of guitar gods, regardless of how many people may realize it.
