Robert Pollard

See also: Airport 5, Guided By Voices, Lifeguards

Robert Pollard is principally known as the frontman and leader of indie rock juggernaut Guided By Voices. But his recording career extends beyond GBV, with a series of albums released eponymously and pseudonomysly fulfilling his extracurricular creative urge.

Pollard formed GBV in 1985, but it wasn't until 1996 when he took the step beyond with the Matador release of Not In My Airforce, accompanied on the same day by a solo album from fellow GBV songwriter Tobin Sprout. The aquatic-themed Waved Out followed in 1998, but it wasn't until the following year's Kid Marine when Pollard decided to subtitle it "No. 1 in the Fading Captain Series." And the rest was history.

If you dozed through your history classes, though, the short story is that Pollard has exploited the Fading Captain moniker in the years since, often releasing three or four albums a year -- plus assorted compilations -- on local Dayton, Ohio label Rockathon. The man is a rock and roll genius, although subpar songs are a matter of course. It's hard to sum his work up in a few scant paragraphs, so instead I offer a Fading Captain salute: Bottoms Up, You Fantastic Bastard!

Album reviews

From A Compound Eye
Merge (2006)
Captain Bob forges ahead with a double album for the kids who are still at the party.

Zoom 7"
Fading Captain Series #31 (2005)
Short, focused and immensely gratifying, Zoom adds another punctuation mark to the long story of Pollard's unlikely career as an indie rock hero.

Relaxation of the Asshole
Yuk Yuk Motherfucker (2005)
Do you want to hang out with Bob Pollard while he’s drunk, rambling, hoarse-voiced and misanthropic? Here's your chance!

Music For Bubble EP
Revolver USA (2005)
The Ohio indie-rock godfather is plunging headlong into the post-GBV era of his solo career.

Motel of Fools
Fading Captain Series (2003)
Mr. Pollard, why must you taunt us with half-assed crap, then bitch slap us a few months later with the most brilliant song we've never heard?

Choreographed Man Of War
Rockathon (2001)
Bob Pollard has become somewhat of a one-man indie Wu-Tang Clan.

Speak Kindly Of Your Local Volunteer Fire Department (Recommended)
Rockathon (1999)
A while ago, I just gave up trying to control my Guided By Voices spending.

Kid Marine
Fading Captain Series #1 (1999)
Pollard pulls out of his reliance on '60s pop structures and verse/chorus/verse progressions to create a befuddling, but ultimately satisfying, listen.

Waved Out
Matador (1998)
Pollard's second strongest solo effort; darker and more concise than his usual whimsical songwriting, but just as satisfying.

Not In My Airforce
Matador (1996)
Robert Pollard's first solo album, Not In My Airforce was the first project to differentiate between his main song vehicle, Guided By Voices, and any other output by the Dayton, Ohio, rocksmith.