Guided By Voices – Alien Lanes

quite possibly the best record ever released. definitely in the top 100 GBV records in my book (and near the top even then)

First, I love the band name, Guided by Voices simply sparks so many enticing images, though sadly the music does not. Others heap so much praise on this band that I often wonder what’s wrong with my ears, my heard, my state of mind, as (laughing) GBV never lives up to it’s monicker for me.

While I’m not one to make band comparisons, each time I hear a GBV’ song I want to shout, “But I don’t need another Talking Heads, there’s already been one in my life and GBV are not half as good,” or more notably, aspiring to the Moby Grape from the late 60’s, another band and time I knew well. Though again, perhaps that’s just me, yet still, I find the music to be piercing, unmemorable in the aspect that I can’t hum a single song out of the blue, yet alone care about the music. Without casting about disparaging remarks, I can only think that there are a special sort of ADD listeners who appreciate and instantly gravitate to this sound, this expression, finding that ever present repetitive drumming both soothing and intoxicating in the same breath … and again, none of it dose anything for me. Still, with all of that in mind, I do believe I could actually appreciate GBV as an opening band, a hyper thirty minute event to warm up nearly any act. Though I know that somewhere in the back of my demented head, that should I pick up any of their albums at the merchandise table, I’m going to feel like I got picked up and slept with someone I didn’t know from the night before, having had a grand time, yet never able to sincerely scrub myself clean in the morning.

So maybe I’m the odd woman out, unable to appreciate what so many others love and hold dear, it’s just that I don’t avail my self of amphetamines, nor does my head move comfortably down that path. But by all means, enjoy, and should you drop by my listening space, I’ll be more than happy to over this full band autographed album to you.

*** The Fun Facts: Initially, the band went through a variety of other names first, notably Instant Lovelies, then Beethoven and even American Flag, with Pollard saying “Guided by Voices was a name I’d written in a notebook and thought was cool.”

My version has exact same runout as listed above EXCEPT side A has a scratch out between 1-A and RE, and side B includes the DMM SP1-1 after OLE-123-1-B-RE

As heavenlycreatues notes below, my copy has the following info on the back cover and the labels: " 1995 matador records 676 broadway nyc 10012" and there is no barcode anywhere to be found (must have been on the shrink wrap).

SO much better than the reissues, best $60 I've spent in a while

probably the best album ever (probably the best album ever)

https://store.matadorrecords.com/alien-lanes-25th-anniversary-edition

new 25th anniversary reissue! must enter at least 10 words

I just noticed that my Side 2 label has Auditorium/Motor Away after Alright..Anyone else have that?

This is the best pressing of this classic! I did several comparisons to the repressed lps and found that this original master is the truest to the og tapes which is very important when it comes to this particular lp. No fiddling with the eq or tampering with the mix etc. This is by far the best press.

The first US vinyl press from 1995 has the following info on the back cover and the labels:

" 1995 matador records 676 broadway nyc 10012"

There's a a barcode sticker on back of the shrink-wrap (no barcode printed on the jacket).
The back cover of the 2009 reissue looks exactly the same but the vinyl weighs 180 gram (without the cover).
The 1995 first press of Alien Lanes (vinyl,cover,shrink wrap) weighs about 267 gram.

My copy has the runout matrix listed in this entry but the inner sleeve reads “made in great britain”. Could have been exchanged by previous owner, I don’t know. Does anyone have the same?