Zeppelin Over Dayton: Guided By Voices Album By Album

by Jeff Gomez

Led by indefatigable singer and songwriter Robert Pollard, Guided By Voices have been one of the most important rock groups of the past thirty years. After toiling for a decade in obscurity, they broke onto the scene in the early 90s by delivering generation- and genre-defining records such as 1994’s Bee Thousand and 1995’s Alien Lanes . Pollard and a rotating cast of musicians have kept at it ever since, releasing LP after LP of stadium-worthy rock’n’roll. Zeppelin Over Guided By Voices Album By Album is the first serious and comprehensive look at the band’s work. Based on the popular GBV podcast Self-Inflicted Aural Nostalgia, Zeppelin Over Dayton takes an in-depth look at each one of the group’s records, looking at who was in the band at the time and how the LP fits into the band’s discography, and providing commentary and analysis of every song. Drawing on new interviews and extensive research, Zeppelin Over Dayton offers an honest and thorough assessment of GBV’s amazingly sprawling discography, providing ardent admirers with tons of fresh anecdotes and insight, and new fans a way to successfully navigate the group’s dozens of LPs.

Genres: Music

352 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2020

Reviews

[Caleb Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’d really love to give this a higher rating as i think the in between segments reviewing the history of the band are great. however, the track breakdowns get repetitive and the battering that Alien Lanes takes is abhorrent. also, why is Wowee Zowee taking strays? do you understand the bands you’re talking about? go listen to The Who, boomer.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the podcast first started, I wasn’t really into it, but each episode was about the length of my commute home, so I kept at it, and was eventually won over. The book is very much like the podcast.

If you’re not a big GBV fan and are just Bob-curious, I’d stick to the Greer or Cutter bios. If you are a big fan, though, this is kind of a cool book, and will get you to go look back at songs or records you hadn’t thought about in a long time.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

GBV’s records. That’s it. That’s the book. You can argue with him, the writer: he doesn’t really like alien lanes (what the fuck?) and loves space gun. And looks like he never high kicked whilst holding a miller in his hand. And if he did, he’s have spilled the beer all over his khakis. But that’s neither here or there because he cares and passion goes a long way and I can’t deny this book THAT. He’s a good enough writer to argue with; there are plenty of fanboys that don’t leave room for disagreement…and what’s the fun in that? 3 stars because it’s informational and that’s all it asks to be. Success, I think.

A book to dip into here and there when you’re wondering about bears for lunch and want to hear how the songs were made and if Kim Deal liked them or not (she didn’t like Under the Bushes…but that could be a long story!). Puns for lunch. I’ll take this Bob.

[Red Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very useful guide to the band's history and albums. It gives a lot of backstory to the band's progression and how each album came to be. While there are some good insights to various songs here and there, the track by track reviews are often repetitive and lacking in substance. Granted, that critique applies to some of the songs themselves, but if you came in expecting a detailed analysis of each track (and therefore a 1,000 page tome) you will be disappointed. But still 4 stars for a trip down memory lane with one of my favorite bands and for portraying Bob as someone who wanted to achieve greatness yet when he got close, realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. We've pretty much all been there.

[Bobby Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic look at a fantastic band. Makes me want to go back and listen to their entire catalog in order.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you heard Mr Gomez' podcast, Self-Inflicted Aural Nostalgia, you know what to expect. What makes the book just as enjoyable as the podcast, however, is how well the book flows from early band chronology to later-era as smooth as butter. As a reader, I really got the sense that I knew who GBV were just by the music they were making. Also, I love the little details that get tossed in about a guitar sound here or who was in the room. A fan's paradise of GBV!