Girls of Wild Strawberries
Reminded by the Guided by Voices Database site, I realized that I saw Guided by Voices for the last time five years ago today when the band played at Gabe's Oasis in Iowa City. I knew at the time that, barring some unforeseen circumstance, it would be the last time. Robert Pollard already had announced the break-up, and the New Year's Eve show at the Metro in Chicago already had been booked. I was pretty sure that life would get in the way of making it to that one, so this was my last chance.
As I recall through the fog of memory (and beer), it was a typically great show. Pollard was in fine form, punctuating the set with long discourses about the state of indie rock and the band's place in it. He was clearly disillusioned and disappointed with the band's lack of commercial success. If I had written even a handful of Pollard's best songs, I'd be willing to chuck it all, too.
Songs like "Girls of Wild Strawberries" are a fine example. Though still two months from release on the band's swansong, Half-Smiles of the Decomposed, it sounds like a cover of some old psych-pop chestnut, testament to the timeless quality of Pollard's best work. As with the occasionally maligned "Glad Girls," Pollard has crafted a catchy song from a very basic, repetitive riff. I have no idea what the lyric is meant to convey; I assume it has something to do with the Ingmar Bergman film "Wild Strawberries," but having never seen it I can't say. Regardless, they are married to a gorgeous melody sung by Pollard with conviction. Add Doug Gillard's note-perfect guitar solo, which sounds like it could have been lifted from a volume of Nuggets, and you have key evidence in the case of Guided by Voices v. The Taste of the American Consumer.
I don't remember hearing the song at that show five years ago, though I know it was played. the GBV database set list reports that it was played 10th on a 48-song set, meaning Pollard was probably only two beers into his on-stage consumption and therefore fairly coherent. Pollard said often at that time that he knew it was time to quit because the band had made the perfect GBV record. That's not exactly true, of course, but it is a solid album, more solid than any other 15th album in the 18th year of a band that I know of (that's a joke, folks). Pollard has written dozens of songs the equal of "Girls of Wild Strawberries" since, but few have captured what makes the song so special, and chain of evidence leads right back to GBV. It may seem strange to say so of an entity that changed so much over the years, but I really, really miss this band.
As I recall through the fog of memory (and beer), it was a typically great show. Pollard was in fine form, punctuating the set with long discourses about the state of indie rock and the band's place in it. He was clearly disillusioned and disappointed with the band's lack of commercial success. If I had written even a handful of Pollard's best songs, I'd be willing to chuck it all, too.
Songs like "Girls of Wild Strawberries" are a fine example. Though still two months from release on the band's swansong, Half-Smiles of the Decomposed, it sounds like a cover of some old psych-pop chestnut, testament to the timeless quality of Pollard's best work. As with the occasionally maligned "Glad Girls," Pollard has crafted a catchy song from a very basic, repetitive riff. I have no idea what the lyric is meant to convey; I assume it has something to do with the Ingmar Bergman film "Wild Strawberries," but having never seen it I can't say. Regardless, they are married to a gorgeous melody sung by Pollard with conviction. Add Doug Gillard's note-perfect guitar solo, which sounds like it could have been lifted from a volume of Nuggets, and you have key evidence in the case of Guided by Voices v. The Taste of the American Consumer.
I don't remember hearing the song at that show five years ago, though I know it was played. the GBV database set list reports that it was played 10th on a 48-song set, meaning Pollard was probably only two beers into his on-stage consumption and therefore fairly coherent. Pollard said often at that time that he knew it was time to quit because the band had made the perfect GBV record. That's not exactly true, of course, but it is a solid album, more solid than any other 15th album in the 18th year of a band that I know of (that's a joke, folks). Pollard has written dozens of songs the equal of "Girls of Wild Strawberries" since, but few have captured what makes the song so special, and chain of evidence leads right back to GBV. It may seem strange to say so of an entity that changed so much over the years, but I really, really miss this band.
Labels: Half Smiles of the Decomposed
posted by John Kenyon at 8:54 AM
2 Comments:
I might be wrong, but I think Tobin Sprout contributed the solo to this song. It is quite Tobinesque!
well said. one of your strongest entries.
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