Jellyfish Reflector
While live records are often little more than a way for artists to fulfill their contract obligations, Guided By Voices' 1996 semi-bootleg release Jellyfish Reflector is as well played and powerful as any of the band's other work. Recorded at the Patio Club in Indianapolis, IN, Jellyfish Reflector is comprised of 30 songs, a relatively short set list considering the epic shows the Dayton, OH, act is known for. Drawn heavily from classic Guided By Voices records like Propellor, Under the Bushes Under the Stars, and Bee Thousand, Jellyfish Reflector finds Robert Pollard and an incarnation of Guided By Voices that includes Mitch Mitchell dishing out staples like "Game of Pricks," "Pimple Zoo," "Gold Star for Robot Boy," "Motor Away," and, of course, "Hot Freaks." By covering material from so many of the band's albums, Jellyfish Reflector serves as an excellent starting point for those new to the world of Guided By Voices. In true Guided By Voices fashion, frontman/pop genius/avid beer-drinker Robert Pollard can be heard becoming progressively intoxicated as the show wears on, with his speech slurring as he tries to introduce the song "Striped White Jets." Whereas live albums tend to be either over-produced and sterile, or noisy and unlistenable, Jellyfish Reflector is one of the most coherent and enjoyable records, live or otherwise, you'll likely ever encounter.