Do the Collapse
The glossy Ric Ocasek record, meant as the major-label debut.
Guided by Voices, 1999
- Released
- 3 August 1999
- Studio
- Electric Lady Studios, New York
- Label
- TVT
- Producer
- Ric Ocasek
- Length
- 43:45
Do the Collapse is the eleventh Guided by Voices album and was intended as their major-label debut. It was first produced for Capitol Records, delayed repeatedly and finally released in mid-1999 on TVT, and on Creation in the UK. Ric Ocasek produced, mixed and engineered it at Electric Lady Studios in New York. The glossy production drew a mixed reception, and the album got little radio airplay.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic criticized the album for compositions similar to earlier releases and an overblown sound. NME called it "timeless, seamless, psychedelic folk-rock soul-quaver perfection to fall in love with life to." Steven Soderbergh wrote in his introduction to James Greer's book that "that album Ric Ocasek produced was terrific." Teenage FBI was ranked 160th in 97X's 500 Greatest Modern Rock Songs in 2006. Glen Campbell covered Hold On Hope on his 2011 album Ghost on the Canvas, and Pollard has named it his favorite cover of his own work.
Track listing
- Teenage FBI02:53
- Zoo Pie02:18
- Things I Will Keep02:25
- Hold On Hope03:31
- In Stitches03:39
- Dragons Awake!02:08
- Surgical Focus03:48
- Optical Hopscotch03:01
- Mushroom Art01:47
- Much Better Mr. Buckles02:24
- Wormhole02:33
- Strumpet Eye01:58
- Liquid Indian03:38
- Wrecking Now02:33
- Picture Me Big Time04:01
- An Unmarketed Product01:08
Personnel
- Robert Pollard lead vocals, guitar
- Doug Gillard guitar, keyboard, backing vocals
- Greg Demos bass
- Jim Macpherson drums
- Ariane Lallemand cello
- Dylan Williams viola
- David Soldier string arrangements, violin
- Ric Ocasek producer, mixing, engineering, keyboards
- Brian Sperber engineer, mixing, keyboards
- George Marino mastering
More from Guided by Voices
Propeller (1992), Bee Thousand (1994), Alien Lanes (1995), Under the Bushes Under the Stars (1996), Mag Earwhig! (1997), Isolation Drills (2001), Live From Austin TX (2007), I Am a Scientist / Tractor Rape Chain (30th Anniversary Versions) (2024)
Sources
- Do the Collapse, Wikipedia
- Do the Collapse, GBVDB
- Best magazine reads: Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices, Pop Culture Lunchbox