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Robert Pollard: Blazing Gentlemen - VINYL LPTitle: Blazing Gentlemen Artist: Robert Pollard Label: Guided By Voices Product Type: VINYL LP UPC: 655035083919 Genre: Alternative Rock Release Date: 2013 12 10 Number of Discs: 1 Blazing Gentlemen is the last Robert Pollard record. That will be released in 2013. It is also the finest Pollard related record to come out in this or several years, aural evidence of a rock mage reinvigorated by the fact, according to the man himself, that he's "finally
Title: Blazing GentlemenArtist: Robert Pollard
Label: Guided By Voices
Product Type: VINYL LP
UPC: 655035083919
Genre: Alternative Rock
Release Date: 2013-12-10
Number of Discs: 1
Blazing Gentlemen is the last Robert Pollard record. That will be released in 2013. It is also the finest Pollard-related record to come out in this or several years, aural evidence of a rock mage reinvigorated by the fact, according to the man himself, that he's "finally figured out how to write a song after 55 years." Which may come as a surprise even to casual fans of Pollard's thousands-strong catalog, and fair enough, Bob's certainly hip to the irony, but it's no joke. While he's explored pretty much every highway, toll road and dark alley of songcraft in his long career, including spontaneous "drum contests" where every member of Guided By Voices would be given the opportunity to come up with a drumbeat, over which he would then improvise a spontaneous melody based on semi-random lyrics from his ever-present notebook (for example), he's never before applied one consistent approach over the course of even one record. The new technique is considerably more disciplined: he first collects - in the (figuratively) selfsame notebook - phrases and titles, bits of overheard conversation, snatches of misheard movie dialogue, thus providing an assortment of lines all of which he considers strong enough to serve as potential song titles. He then assembles these song titles into lyrics, which because each line is strong enough to stand on it's own, contain neither bloat nor the least misstep. When he's happy with the lyrics, he writes a melody for each lyric. He then sits down with the guitar and figures out chords that fit the melodies. Sounds pretty straightforward, but for Pollard the result provides a structure uniquely suited to his muse. The proof is in the "excellent cake, so happily done, and quick to bake," as he sings (recalling to those with long memories the "freedom cake" of Propeller's classic "Weedking") on "Tea People," represented in sixteen exquisitely crafted slices on Blazing Gentlemen. from the rollicking Anglophilic "Extra Fool's Day" to the pithy, elegiac "This Place Has Everything," Blazing Gentlemen is no mere confectioner's conceit. Veiny with Pollard's signature depth-charged melodic inventiveness, multiple listens reveal multiple meanings, shape-shifting moods, and lyrical twists that will delight even the word-shyest rockphobe. The music itself is standard-issue Pollardian guitar wizardry, unusual chord progressions made up of unusual chords jutting against off-kilter rhythms in ways that shouldn't work but never do not, only to be overshadowed by another bravura vocal performance, occasionally larded with (unusual) harmonies or plain weird delay/reverb/compression effects that only ever add to the tremendous bustle of joy (see "Lips of Joy" for an on-the-nose demo) applied liberally like primer to the multi-hued tracks. Robert Pollard fans are fond of making extreme statements in support of their favorite songwriter. Let's pile on: With Blazing Gentlemen, one of America's greatest living artists has fairly reinvented himself. That is no little feat. That is a triumph, and deserves to be celebrated with the same zeal with which Pollard celebrates and honors his own gifts on this complex, architectonic wonder of an album. Drinks for everyone!
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4.7 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
Fun, enticing dog toy. As stated in description it won’t hold up for aggressive chewers
Color: Blue
Rating this based on description. My dog loved this toy. It was smaller than I had pictured in my head, but that was on me. I did read the description ahead of time, which clearly states this is not for aggressive chewers. My dog is trained not to rip toys apart so I wanted to give this a shot, but i guess just her jaw strength and teeth were too much. She carried it everywhere. I turned it on periodically. The movements are small, but enough for her to be captivated with the toy. It did mostly survive for about a day before I needed to take it away due to the Velcro opening. Once it started to pull apart she did chew a piece of the Velcro off. It might be helpful with a flap over design covering the Velcro. I have a singing Santa decoration like this where the Velcro is covered up and I have to pull it back a little to get to the Velcro opening. The gaps on the sides of the closure are a bit to large making it tempt my dog to pull and open it up.
I wish there was a more durable option that could hold up to aggressive chewers, but this product was clear about that in the description. I think the opening to the batteries could use some improvement. Granted I do not have the perfect answer to fix this, but I am also not a toy designer.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026
★★★★★ 5
My Dog Went Crazy Over This Electric Octopus Toy!
Color: Blue
I was worried sick my fur kid would be super bored home alone while I work, so when I stumbled on this electric octopus toy, I grabbed it right away—and it’s way better than I expected! Let’s start with the quality: the plush fabric feels soft and squishy but so sturdy. It’s not the cheap kind that sheds fur if you tug it, and the stitches are nice and neat. My dog loves chewing on toys, and he’s been playing with this for almost two weeks now—no pilling, no fraying. The durability’s seriously on point.
Using it is totally hassle-free, too. It was already charged right out of the box—I just pressed the little button on the side, and it started moving. It has two modes: slow mode makes the octopus wiggle gently, like it’s crawling slowly. Fast mode? It wiggles and scurries around, and the speed’s perfect—my dog can keep up but still has to work a little. When he first saw it, he circled it three times, sniffed it, then backed up right away. He stared at it all cautious, even hid under the couch to spy on it for a bit. That little look was so funny and cute, I couldn’t stop laughing.
Now they’re total best buds! Every morning, as soon as I turn the toy on, he runs over with his little bed in his mouth and plops down next to it, waiting for it to move. Sometimes the octopus crawls under the table, and he’ll paw at it for ages. If he can’t reach it, he’ll look up and bark at me like, “Hey, help me get it!” Watching him chase it around, jumping to pounce—his tail wags like a little flag the whole time. It makes the house feel so much livelier, and I don’t have to stress about him being lonely when he’s home alone anymore.
Quick tips for all you fellow pet parents: First, the toy makes a tiny motor hum when it moves. It’s not loud, but if your dog’s super skittish or scared of small noises, give him a few days to get used to it. Second, always keep an eye on him while he plays. Mine tried to bite off one of the octopus’s tentacles once—I stopped him just in time. The toy has a motor inside, so you gotta make sure he doesn’t swallow any small parts. Oh, and the plush cover zips off! If it gets dirty, just throw it in warm water, wash it, and once it’s dry, it looks good as new. Super easy to clean.
Overall, this electric octopus toy’s the best pet buy I’ve made lately. Great quality, no hassle to use, and it keeps my dog entertained for hours. Every time I see my fur kid’s happy little face while he plays, I think, “Man, this was totally worth the money.” Def recommend it to anyone who wants a fun little buddy for their dog!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Good quality and safe for my pet! Lots of fun to play with!
Color: Blue
Worth buying for your pet! My American Bulldog wouldn’t leave it alone !
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Super fun but fabric not durable for rough play.
Color: Blue
My dog absolutely love this, but the octopus cloth fell apart within the first day. He doesn’t usually play rough with his toys, but he was able to shred this octopus fabric very easily. He was very passionate in his playfulness and he’s a big dog, but he was able to put massive holes in the fabric within the first hour of play. The Ball still works, however so hopefully we can find another toy to stick it in.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026
★★★★★ 5
My dog's favorite toy to date
Color: Blue
Heavy duty material that my dog has not destroyed. The vibrating ball inside is made of hard plastic, so beware if your dog likes to shake their toys, it definitely hurts to get whacked by this. The velcro keeping the ball inside is also heavy duty and takes a lot of strength to open. All in all, its a great toy and one of my dog's favorites.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026