Robert Pollard - Not in My Airforce (22 tracks) +Album Reviews

Not to be missed

04/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"let's forget about GBV for a moment and just pick this one up. Bob's label (Needmore songs) pretty much says it all- he did not need to release this but what the hell! This one has the feel of Bob getting up the day after a great show, stretching and drinking coffee and casually ripping through some of the best pop songs to date. 'Get Under It', 'Flat Beauty' and 'Girl Named Captain' will consumre your waking hours. The album takes longer to digest than most, so your coworkers will hate it. Dig it! If you like this album, seek out the Box, the elusive 5 CD set of early GBV material. smokin...."

The essence of the spirit of the spectre of a miracle worker

dell.6@osu.edu | columbus, oh | 02/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"forget all the hype (for the good and for bad) that has drowned gbv in their own ocean - this album stands above all the droning sounds of "i knew them when..." and shines as brightly as albums like 'devil between my toes', and 'self inflicted aerial nostalgia' - if you like(d) gbv for what made them different, not just because they were different - you will like (love) this album. that's it."

At his glorious best

scot lade | fort myers | 07/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"pollard solo albums used to be guided by voices records in thin disguise. GbV would dip liberally into them on their setlists and current and former bandmates stream through them, lending their skills to further promote the trademark sound. nowhere is this more the case then on this, the first solo effort. it is filled with ridiculously great pop songs: psychic pilot clocks out, flat beauty, get under it, maggie turns to flies, girl named captain. it has some song snippets that one wonders how they would have turned out if fully materialized. and ends with a barrage of short acoustic numbers that won't leave your head. some have commented on this song sequencing and how the flow of the record is negatively affected by this front loading of traditional pop/rock tracks. i for one love it. pollard puts much effort into this process. he says it's one of the things he enjoys most about his job, diddling with song order. and don't you do the same thing when burning a CD for your girlfriend or some guy who's never heard real (indie) music before?

this may be the crowning achievement in robert pollard's amazing career. highly recommended."

First Solo=Classic

Michael J. White | Cincinnati, OH USA | 03/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The most important thing to note about this record is that it has several absolute classic songs on it. They are being played live on the current 2006 solo(post GBV)tour and they are outstanding pop classics. Pollard's music can only be appreciated through thoughtful listening over time and one must be patient. I was recently drawn back to this record and astounded by how low-fi it really is, compared to the last 5 GBV efforts. It really is important to note that it was rushed out to be in time with Tobin Sprout's solo Carnival Boy. Not as a comparison, but as an effort to show what Bob wanted to showcase as a solo effort. Now stayed tuned for "Normal Happiness" as the follow up to one of the greatest song writer efforts of the new Century "From a Compound Eye."

I would stack Bob up against anyone as a touring artist-songwriter and a dues paying member of the music industry that has driven many like him from the business. What happend to the labels man, Uncle Bob said "Free Beer"."

The fragmented mind is reassembled

W. M. Davidson | St. Louis, MO | 07/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you know Guided by Voices, you know what to expect from this: one more version of Robert Pollard's own personal White Album, with equal time for fleshed-out 3-minute epics, haunting acoustic snippets, and lo-fi experimentation. This being a solo album, it's looser and more free-flowing than any proper GBV release except perhaps "Alien Lanes."

Pollard's gifts for beautiful melodies and ingenious arrangements are in full effect throughout. "Quicksilver," "Girl Named Captain," "Get Under It," "Release the Sunbird," "The Ash Gray Proclamation," and "Psychic Pilot Clocks Out" are standouts that would fit snugly on the best GBV records, and "Good Luck Sailor" is a pretty, touching closer.

Then, of course, you have fragments like "One Clear Minute" and "Double Standards Inc." that could be called throwaways in and of themselves, but as a whole they contribute to the unique Pollard atmosphere, don't they? It wouldn't be the same without the half-baked, 45-second filler tracks, would it? No, it wouldn't. Viva Pollard!"

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