Guided By Robert Pollard
Robert Pollard Solo

Robert Pollard
Relaxation Of The Asshole
(LP)
(2005)

  Side A
1
 Do You Like Rim Rock?
2
 They Call Me The Kid
3
 The Answer
4
 We Don't Do Technology
5
 Hopeless, Pathetic Alcoholics
6
 What A Mother Does For Her Son
7
 Funk Zeus
8
 Whiskey Shits
9
 Bozo The Fucking Clown
10
 Cocker, Meatloaf And Daltry
11
 Brownie Cop
12
 What Is Tricky Woo?
13
 Space Tractor
Side B
1
 The "Are You Old Enough To Get Beer" Game Part I
2
 The "Are You Old Enough To Get Beer" Game Part II
3
 Where The Beer Flows Like Wine/8 to 5
4
 They Might Look Good But They Ain't Good
5
 Money
6
 Another Dead Soldier
7
 In Rock 'n' Roll You Never Lose
8
 Thank You
9
 We're The Rock 'n' Roll Petrified Forest/The Freaks vs. The Jocks
10
 Is There A Grandfather Clause For People Who Need A Cigarette Really Bad?
11
 My Brother’s A Better Guitar Player Then Joan Jett
12
 Here's The Plan: Encore
   
   
   

Robert Pollard - Relaxation Of The Asshole

2005
by Propellerless

If, like me, you are a huge Robert Pollard fan,
who must have everything he does,
then “Relaxation Of The Asshole”, is required listening.
But the others out there, may just scratch their heads wonder,
“What the Fuck am I listening to?”

“Relaxation Of The Asshole” is Bob’s between song banter and rants,
recorded live with Guided By Voices throughout the years.

If you have ever attended a Guided By Voices show,
You’d know the Bob has most likely had a few beers leading up to the show,
and gets progressively drunker as the show goes on.

So while listening to the album,
you can basically guess at what point of the show, these rants were recorded.
My guess is the longer, rambling, more incoherent ones were late in the show.

As Bob says here,
“You guys like to see us get up here and deteriorate before your eyes.”

I can’t think of anyone who’s brought out an album of on-stage banter,
except Elvis Presley’s “Having Fun with Elvis on Stage” which was compiled
and released by his manager Colonel Tom Parker,
but deleted at Elvis’ request.

The album was called the worse Rock n’ Roll album ever,
I guess they haven’t heard John and Yoko’s “Two Virgins”
or Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music.”

And I wouldn’t consider “Relaxation Of The Asshole” bad,
some might who thought they were buying a live GBV album.

The difference between “Relaxation Of The Asshole” and Elvis’ album is,
In Bob’s state you never really know what he’s going to say
and who will be a victim of his rants.
Which I find very entertaining.

Bob gives out beer to the audience, while avoiding handing it out to minors.
Talks about his mom and her fight with the neighbor, Crabby.
Famous Daytonians and Why Bob went from Sports to Rock.

He even performs a song with the band, “Freaks vs the Jocks.”

So grab a Beer or a Doobie, you may enjoy it more.

I really enjoyed this album and its sequel,
“Meet The King: Asshole 2” 2007,
which is pretty much more of the same.

Can we expect Volume 3, Bob?
Elvis fans produced and bootlegged four more volumes of his Stage Banter