Bee Thousand

Bee Thousand is the 7th album by indie rock group Guided By Voices, from Dayton, Ohio. It is widely considered to be the band's magnum opus, and is very much the album that put Guided by Voices 'on the map' as recording artists of note. For example, it is about the time of this album's release that Robert Pollard was able to give up his job as a schoolteacher.

It is also frequently cited by the indie rock press (e.g. Pitchfork Media), and by fans of independent music in general, as one of the best albums of the 90s (Pitchfork, for example, have placed it at 4 and 10 respectively in the two polls they have conducted to list the best albums of the decade). Along with Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement, it is often regarded as lo-fi's defining album. Despite this, it has never charted.

It was released on Scat Records and was reissued in a triple LP "Director's Cut" edition in 2004.

Robert Pollard has stated that the title is taken from an Ohio drive-in movie theater's misspelling of the movie title "Beethoven" on its marquee. Additionally, Pollard has said that if you say "Pete Townshend" while holding your tongue it sounds like "Bee Thousand."

Track Listing

 * 1) "Hardcore UFOs" (Robert Pollard) – 1:54
 * 2) "Buzzards and Dreadful Crows" (Jim Pollard, R. Pollard) – 1:43
 * 3) "Tractor Rape Chain" (Pollard) – 3:04
 * 4) "The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory" (Pollard) – 1:45
 * 5) "Hot Freaks" (Pollard, Tobin Sprout) – 1:42
 * 6) "Smothered in Hugs" (Mitch Mitchell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:59
 * 7) "Yours to Keep" (Pollard) – 1:15
 * 8) "Echos Myron" (Pollard) – 2:42
 * 9) "Gold Star for Robot Boy" (Pollard) – 1:39
 * 10) "Awful Bliss" (Sprout) – 1:12
 * 11) "Mincer Ray" (Sprout) – 2:21
 * 12) "A Big Fan of the Pigpen" (Campbell, J. Pollard, R. Pollard) – 2:09
 * 13) "Queen of Cans and Jars" (Pollard) – 1:55
 * 14) "Her Psychology Today" (Guided by Voices) – 2:04
 * 15) "Kicker of Elves" (Pollard) – 1:04
 * 16) "Ester's Day" (Sprout) – 1:51
 * 17) "Demons Are Real" (Guided by Voices) – 0:48
 * 18) "I Am a Scientist" (Pollard) – 2:30
 * 19) "Peep-Hole" (Pollard) – 1:25
 * 20) "You're Not an Airplane" (Sprout) – 0:33