Forever Since Breakfast, the bands debut release, saw them playing American college rock in the vein of early R.E.M. After Devil Between My Toes was released Guided By Voices stopped playing live, due in part to their albums failing to catch on locally as well as the members responsibilities to their families and various day jobs (most famously Robert Pollard who was a fourth grade teacher). The next series of albums were all self financed/released by the band in limited numbers, recorded in the garage 8-track studio of a Dayton friend. During this time the core was Robert, his brother Jim (who never fully joined the band due to his working the second shift at the local GM plant) and Mitch Mitchell. Propeller was supposed to be the bands farewell, however, a friend of the band sent it out to publications and they gained national exposure in the pages of Alternative Press and most notably in Spin magazine. This resulted in several celebrated live performances in Philly and New York, where Mitch Mitchell jumped and windmilled like the bastard child of Pete Townsend, and Robert did microphone twirls and high kicks with beer and cigarette in hand. Every album has its high points (and very few lows), Propeller stands up the best today, but they all fucking slay. Thank Jah they never quit after Propeller.
