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A review by _b_t_h_
Closer You Are: The Story of Robert Pollard and Guided By Voices by Matthew Cutter
2.0
Silly lyric quotes used in the narrative as easter eggs aside it‰ЫЄs a mostly solid rock bio, and certainly a must-read for recovering (like myself) or current Pollard obsessive compulsives. Most of the backstory will be familiar to those described above, so I was mostly curious to read about the lead up to, and subsequent ending of, the ‰Ычclassic lineup‰ЫЄ, which is only given a cursory handful of pages. And for all the nitty-gritty given to interpersonal relationships between band members from GBV‰ЫЄs conception up until ‰ЫПMag Earwhig!‰Ыќ why does the author then drop that aspect of the story entirely by the time we get to the quote, un-quote last album?
From page 302 (17 pages before the book ends):
‰ЫПThe band itself seethed with innumerable petty resentments and unresolved conflicts.‰Ыќ
We are never told what those conflicts were, or why Chris Susarenko‰ЫЄs admittance to the band caused so much alleged discord. Or why Todd Tobias ‰ЫПvanished‰Ыќ from the band, which is why Susarenko ended up there in the first place. Or why in 2016 a guitar player was fired on stage during a show. We get deep details on some things (mostly pre-reunion), then scant details on others, which are glossed over using juicy quotes like the one above.
And the shoehorned Robert Pollard/Geppetto, his songs/Pinocchio metaphor sprinkled throughout felt like some sophomore English Major trying to be literary.
So, yeah, I don‰ЫЄt know. It‰ЫЄs fine. The subject matter makes up for the author‰ЫЄs shortcomings.
From page 302 (17 pages before the book ends):
‰ЫПThe band itself seethed with innumerable petty resentments and unresolved conflicts.‰Ыќ
We are never told what those conflicts were, or why Chris Susarenko‰ЫЄs admittance to the band caused so much alleged discord. Or why Todd Tobias ‰ЫПvanished‰Ыќ from the band, which is why Susarenko ended up there in the first place. Or why in 2016 a guitar player was fired on stage during a show. We get deep details on some things (mostly pre-reunion), then scant details on others, which are glossed over using juicy quotes like the one above.
And the shoehorned Robert Pollard/Geppetto, his songs/Pinocchio metaphor sprinkled throughout felt like some sophomore English Major trying to be literary.
So, yeah, I don‰ЫЄt know. It‰ЫЄs fine. The subject matter makes up for the author‰ЫЄs shortcomings.