trying to sort my rankings out now so itās easier to add as we go, and I keep disagreeing with myself 
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Reckon surrender your poppy field is just about my favourite new GBV album after a good few listens.
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Listened 3 times in the last 24 hours, āYear of the Hard Hitterā, āMan Called Blunderā and āAlways Goneā particular highlights for me. TBC but edging towards an 8/10 for me.
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Yep, I really really love Poppy Field 
It mustāve been at least a year since I last gave it a proper listen, and itās been like greeting an old friend. Plenty of great songs, some of which I would regard as being amongst the strongest from the current lineup. Thereās only really a couple of songs I could perhaps do without, but in true GBV fashion theyāre gone in a flash anyway.
IMO Poppy Field gets off to one of the strongest starts of any GBV album (from any period), with that opening salvo of Hard Hitter/Volcano/QPL getting things off to a storming start.
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From the perspective of a newcomer to the current lineup, I reckon Poppy Field would act as the perfect intro as it covers pretty much every āversionā of the band, including of course the poppy 90s lofi stuff (Queen Parking Lot and especially Always Gone). There are catchy rockers, some proggy stuff, plenty of psych - the only thing missing perhaps is a faster, punkier number. Thereās even a waltz!
Itās a real grab-bag of an album, maybe not the most cohesive of listens but loads of fun nonetheless.
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even from the first notes Bob just sounds better rested and punchier than he has for a while
thereās still weaker moments and I like his vocals on plenty of other great reunion albums (ABC etc) but just those very first notes scream Bob in full flow - a glorious thing
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gonna have to do some back-to-backs when this is all done, see how e.g. Motivational Jumpsuit really compares next to Same Place
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This one really is actually good, best since Please Be Honest even. Once or twice I wished it was younger Bob singing. Could do without Stone Cold Moron. Not entirely sure Year of the Hard Hitter quite works but it manages to be charming anyway. Always Gone hadnāt stood out to me before but did this time.
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Finished Zeppelin , enjoyed it a lot, especially Suicide Squad, Barcelona and Vertiginous Raft (what a strange title!)
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So then, Poppy Field highlights! Plenty to pick from, but these were the ones I plumped for in the end:
Year of the Hard Hitter - what a way to start an album! An immense, multisectioned monster of a tune which cycles through at least half a dozen different styles within its 4:00 duration. Worth hearing just for their amusing interpretation of apocalyptic Doom Metal at the close of the song.
Volcano - ahhh, my first ever GBV song Reportedly the most-streamed song from the current lineup, and its easy to hear why. Sounds like the band are covering a cool Pixies quiet-LOUD-quiet deepcut. Absolutely majestic lyrics too, āRed are the tail lights in your eyes, Said what I needed now itās trueā¦ā
Physician - I know Man Called Blunder is probably the stronger song, but Iāve always loved this one to bits. Another one of those killer Bob choruses which refuses to leave my head for days afterwards, plus a great Doug solo near the end.
Always Gone - was torn between this and Queen Parking Lot, which I also love. A joyous little pop nugget cloaked within a welcoming lo-fi fuzz. Another one of those ninety second epics which sounds like it was recorded during the UTBUTS sessions.
I reckon Poppy Field is probably going to end up above Space Gun in my rankings 
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Yeah this one has some of my favorite and least favorite GBV songs.
Year of the hard hitter is one of their mulitpart songs I think actually works well. Volcano probably the best single from the current line up. Queen parking a lot , great little classic GBV nugget, file Always Gone there to. Arthur and Cul-de-sac both fun songs.
Then thereās just some nothing songs. I remember the run of Cats Beats a Drum- Windjammer - Steely Dodger makes the moment that ended my āimperialā GBV fandom phase. From when I first heard them in 2012 to this point , I would pre-order every album the day it was announced , go to shows when they were in town, read books about them. But this album kind of marked the end of that. still a fan and will always check out the albums ,buy some of them. But have yet to get back to that time where I would be really looking forward to a new GBV album.
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you got through some of the doldrums of Zeppelin and thats the run that broken you??
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Lol yeah seems a bit odd in retrospect , but at the time I liked Zeppelin (still do, although definitely acknowledge itās a slog). I think with that I saw the songs as part of the mood of the album , thatās what they were going for. Where as say Andre the Hawk is just a boring song that doesnāt really fit either.
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Warp a strange album, so mixed. Photo range is very sweet
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pop on down to vote for Surrender Your Poppy Field
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voters
- Year Of The Hard Hitter
- Volcano
- Queen Parking Lot
- Arthur Has Business Elsewhere
- Cul De Sac Kids
- Cat Beats a Drum
- Windjammer
- Steely Dodger
- Stone Cold Moron
- Physician
- Man Called Blunder
- Woah Nelly
- Andre the Hawk
- Always Gone
- Next Sea Level
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voters
Post-reunion-1 rankings so far
Please Be Honest (I am!)
Surrender Your Poppy Field
Zeppelin etc
Sweating the Plague
August By Cake
Warp and Woof
Space Gun
Canāt remember: How Do You Spell Heaven
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Could almost reverse that for me
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time to reflect on MIRRORED AZTEC
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no idea about this one, minus what I can see is a Bunco Men remake
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