For All Good Kids

AMG Review of For All Good Kids

Karen E. Graves
All Music Guide

Opening with Robert Pollard introducing his band as "Guided by Choices, from the mythological land of Dayton, OH," For All Good Kids is one of many worthy entries in the ever-expanding live catalog of Guided by Voices. While it may be considered a bootleg, one could hardly tell by listening to it. Whereas many muddily mixed live records sound as though they've been recorded with a dictaphone, For All Good Kids sounds as though it may have been recorded from the venue's sound board. Individual instruments are easily deciphered, the drums are not overpowering, and Pollard's Brit-inflected vocals, sitting comfortably at the top of the mix, are in strong form -- unlike on some of the band's other live records that were recorded near the end of long tours, when Pollard's voice was sounding scratchy and worn, though understandably so. Although some live records tend to have a faraway, removed-from-the-action feel about them, as though the listener is standing in parking lot eavesdropping, the intimacy and intense sound of For All Good Kids makes it feel more like standing in the front row, or hanging out with the guys in their rehearsal space. With the sound in good shape here, the next most important thing is how well the band is actually playing. In this case, they're having an especially good night, which shows through in Pollard's between-song jokes and the relaxed atmosphere of the show. Following the third song, Pollard merrily announces that they do not have a set list this evening, which opens up the flood gates for enthusiastic fans to request their favorites, many of which the band happily obliges. Summing up the joyous attitude of a Guided by Voices live show was one fan's simple request: "Play more songs -- we like Guided by Voices." Since there is no printed material included with this 17-song album, it is difficult to say exactly when or where this concert took place, and who was part of the band's always-changing lineup at the moment. However, from the inclusion of songs -- primarily from the classic 1994 release Bee Thousand and the inclusion of only two songs from Under the Bushes Under the Stars -- one can reasonably assume the show took place in 1995 and featured the classic Guided by Voices lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Greg Demos, and Mitch Mitchell.