I think something that we can all agree on is that Robert Pollard is prolific. So, content with three releases in the past year, Guided By Voices now have an Alter Ego as Cub Scout Bowling Pins to reduce your bank balance that bit more.
Clang Clang Ho is an absolute hoot. To say it is left field is an understatement, it really is all over the place. Psych Pop, Rock And Roll, Bubblegum, Glam Rock and even crooning all get a look in. Imagine that you have just bought an AM Radio and you somewhere near the right area.
From the Toytown of Eggs, Mother? to the Elvis like impression on Nova Mona, you are in for a strange splendid ride. @123 is all jangle and She Cannot Know is a top notch Pop Song. Roll Up Your Nose even sounds all early Cat Stevens.
What Crawls Also Flies Over sounds all "Who Killed Bambi" and still includes a fine Duane Eddy-ish solo. Magic Taxi is the stand out here, a classic slab of 60's Psych Pop, it is simply enchanting. The constant Pollard problem remains though.
The man is a genius, but he splurts out so much music that it is hard to keep up. With 20 songs in 39 minutes, there are times that the impression given is that he got bored with the song and moved on to the next one.
There are so many great ideas here, probably too many, but that doesn't negate what a talent that Pollard is. There are few like him and he has a fan base that will listen. The only artist that I can think of in similar terms is Bill Nelson. Clang Clang Ho is superb, but it will bend your mind. The album is available everywhere.
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