Propeller in Bloomington, MN

1992's
Propeller
was an album that
Guided by Voices
originally released themselves; it was eventually reissued on the
Scat
label one year later. All of the ingredients that make the group totally original are present -- rough production, strong melodies courtesy of
Robert Pollard
, and an overall sound straight out of the British clubs back in the mid-'60s. The opening epic,
"Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox,"
is two different songs sewn together (similar to
T. Rex
's
"Tenement Lady"
off their classic
Tanx
album). It starts off as a rock & roller and later changes into
space rock
, while
"Quality of Armor"
starts off as a cross between
the Beatles
and
Elvis Costello
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding?"
But
have a style all their own, evidenced by the irresistible combination of chromatic guitar riffs and anthemic choruses contained in
"Exit Flagger,"
and in the
experimental
song splices throughout
"Back to Saturn X Radio Report."
"Circus World"
is pure
guitar pop
, as is the now-classic
"Weedking."
proved to be an important stepping stone for the group, helping to set the stage for such later triumphs as
Bee Thousand
Alien Lanes
. ~ Greg Prato