Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll
Greer's celebration of Guided by Voices (and, therefore, of all things Robert Pollard) is an admirer's sincere, cocoonish labor of love, committed to telling how Pollard/GBV "came to be considered by some one of the truly great artists of our time." The keenness of Greer's interest ensures a detailed retelling of GBV history, from its start as a Dayton, Ohio, garage band (Pollard was then a fourth-grade teacher). Musicians have come and gone, but besides inspiring an impressive list of other acts, GBV has endured as one of the longest-running nineties indie-rock aggregations. Mainstream acceptance has been elusive, but reading Greer makes one think that overwhelming success could destroy the band's particular appeal. Of course, not a lot of discouraging words appear here, but those interested in maverick performers who fashion careers by persevering at rootsy, highly idiosyncratic music may consider the Pollard/GBV story hard to beat, especially when told as enthusiastically as Greer tells it.Mike TribbyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved