Originally released on April 4, 1995, Alien Lanes served as the first Guided by Voices album to be released on Matador Records. With 28 tracks spanning the course of 41 minutes, the album would fundamentally alter the concept of what a rock and roll record could be. Bursting at the seams with classic rock bravado (“Game of Pricks”, “Closer You Are”), anthemic power pop (“My Valuable Hunting Knife”, “Motor Away”), punk (“Pimple Zoo”, “My Son Cool”), psychedelic experimentalism (“Ex-Supermodel”, “Alright”), and tape-warped ballads ( “King And Caroline”, “Blimps Go 90”, “Chicken Blows”) Alien Lanes dips and dives between genres and moods with breakneck efficiency and a remarkable amount of intellect and emotion bolstered by the abstract poetry of songwriter and front-man Bob Pollard.
“A brilliant collection of songs whose importance feels predestined.” - Rolling Stone
“The gold standard in intoxicated-visionary psych-pop scrapbook-ing... your first exposure to this band changes you forever.” – Stereogum
“The greatest post-modern classic rock album ever made.” – Pitchfork
“Genius, loon or mystical union of both, Pollard’s consistent songsmith-ery and charisma are joys to behold.” - Magnet
- A Salty Salute
- Evil Speakers
- Watch Me Jumpstart
- They're Not Witches
- As We Go Up, We Go Down
- (I Wanna Be A) Dumbcharger
- Game Of Pricks
- The Ugly Vision
- A Good Flying Bird
- Cigarette Tricks
- Pimple Zoo
- Big Chief Chinese Restaurant
- Closer You Are
- Auditorium
- Motor Away
- Hit
- My Valuable Hunting Knife
- Gold Hick
- King And Caroline
- Striped White Jets
- Ex-Supermodel
- Blimps Go 90
- Strawdogs
- Chicken Blows
- Little Whirl
- My Son Cool
- Always Crush Me
- Alright