In two days, Guided By Voices will issue Thick Rich And Delicious, its second album of the year and 43rd overall. October 31 also happens to be frontman Robert Pollard’s birthday. While we’re sure Uncle Bob will receive lot of nice presents for his 68th, GBV fans will be getting quite the Halloween treat as well, since Thick Rich And Delicious is the band’s best album in more than two decades.
The 15-track LP is a power-pop masterpiece, one insanely catchy number after another, most running in the vicinity of two to three minutes, just like GBV devotees like ’em. The final single before Thick Rich And Delicious is released is “Our Man Syracuse.”
“It’s actually a composite of a bunch of different songs from the last 40 years that may or may not have appeared on various records like Suitcase or Acid Ranch or something,” says Pollard of “Syracuse.” “I assembled it to its current form in the van headed out to our last shows on the West Coast … I was finally able to put it together coupled with a lyric that I felt suited its structure perfectly, and so I decided it was ready to go.”
“Syracuse” is one of many songs on Thick Rich And Delicious that showcases just how tight and perfectly suited guitarist Doug Gillard, drummer Kevin March and bassist Mark Shue are to Pollard’s poppier productions. (Guitarist Bobby Bare Jr. provides backing vocals on the LP.)
“They really clicked on the entire album,” says Pollard.
But one question remains: Who, then, is “Our Man Syracuse”? Is it Jim Brown? Lou Reed? Carmelo Anthony? Jerry Stiller? Larry Csonka? Pete Yorn? Joe Biden? Peter Falk?
“Your guesses are excellent, and any of those fine individuals could fit the description,” says Pollard. “But it’s actually based on a guy I knew during my college years at Wright State. He was a big, somewhat heavyset, but very athletic dude with long hair. I think he may have actually played on the varsity volleyball team. He was cool, and they called him ‘Syracuse’ because that’s where he was from. I thought he would make a fine subject for an upbeat pop song about a very popular man with the ladies.”
We’re proud to premiere Guided By Voices’ “Our Man Syracuse.”
