I believe this album was originally entitled What some people won't do do become the next Guided By Voices. Boss Disque isn't really a horrible album; there are a few gems scattered about the 22 song surface. On the other hand, there's nary a track on here that doesn't sound as if it slipped through the hands of Robert Pollard on its way to a b-side. The cagey basement sounds (and titles) of "Hairstyle of a Smug Bastard," "Free Hearing Aids For The Blind" and "Chicago Road Repairs" beg careful comparison to Mr. Math Teacher and I'd like to think the band knew it. But wouldn't it suck if they didn't? "Hey, guys," one of them would say. "I think we're on to something. This could change the face of rock and roll."

It reminds me of a story I've told you before, but one that couldn't be used at a more appropos time such as this: I was at a party where several musicians were on acid and one of them told me "Richard's downstairs with some guys trying to form the Doors, but nobody told him that the Doors already did it thirty years ago."

"Are you going to tell him?" I asked.

"No way! We're gonna see if it's better than the first one!"

Hey, I love Guided By Voices. And while most of what's lifted by the Beatnik Filmstars is lifted with care, for some reason it just fails to excite me. This time, it was done better the first time around (and, if you care, so were the Doors.)

-Jason Josephes