Bee Thousand

Bee Thousand is the seventh album by lo-fi group Guided by Voices, released on June 21, 1994. This album was recorded entirely on consumer-quality electronics, contributing to its low-quality sound. The album was intended to be the group's last album, but after the attention the group got from it, they were able to sign to Matador records and keep recording. The album was critically acclaimed for its songwriting and lyricism, and became one of the most influential indie rock albums of the decade. Pitchfork named it the 10th greatest album of the 1990s. The name "Bee Thousand" comes from a mispelling of Beethoven as "Beethouen," combined with a previous working title, "Zoo Thousand."

The album was re-released in 2004 as Bee Thousand: The Director's Cut. However, great criticism came to the altered track list, which featured a ton of new songs that were not on the original album, and did not feature the original, more concise track list at all, instead presenting the original songs out of order.

Original

 * Piero Scaruffi - 7/10
 * Allmusic - 4.5/5
 * RYM - 3.97/5

Director's Cut

 * Pitchfork - 8.4/10

Original

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

Director's Cut

 * 1) Demons Are Real - 0:49
 * 2) Deathtrot and Warlock Riding a Rooster - 1:12
 * 3) Postal Blowfish - 2:09
 * 4) The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory - 1:45
 * 5) At Odds with Dr. Genesis - 1:25
 * 6) Hot Freaks - 1:44
 * 7) Queen of Cans and Jars - 1:56
 * 8) Bite - 1:04
 * 9) It's Like Soul Man - 0:49
 * 10) Supermarket the Moon - 2:13
 * 11) Stabbing a Star - 1:46
 * 12) Esther's Day - 1:33
 * 13) Her Psychology Today - 2:05
 * 14) Good for a Few Laughs - 2:15
 * 15) Smothered in Hugs - 3:03
 * 16) What Are We Coming Up To? - 1:57
 * 17) Peep-Hole - 1:30
 * 18) Revolution Boy - 3:03
 * 19) Indian Was an Angel - 2:07
 * 20) Zoning the Planet - 2:25
 * 21) Scissors - 1:48
 * 22) Crayola - 1:17
 * 23) Kicker of Elves - 1:15
 * 24) 2nd Moves to Twin - 2:46
 * 25) I'll Buy You a Bird - 1:47
 * 26) Awful Bliss - 1:13
 * 27) Echos Myron - 2:19
 * 28) Why Did You Land? - 2:45
 * 29) You're Not an Airplane - 0:34
 * 30) Crunch Pillow - 2:46
 * 31) Rainbow Billy - 1:39
 * 32) Tractor Rape Chain - 2:47
 * 33) Crocker's Favorite Song - 2:16
 * 34) I Am a Scientist - 2:30
 * 35) Buzzards and Dreadful Crows - 1:43
 * 36) A Big Fan of the Pigpen - 2:09
 * 37) Mincer Ray - 2:21
 * 38) Way to a Man's Heart - 1:52
 * 39) Twig - 2:15
 * 40) Gold Star for Robot Boy - 1:39
 * 41) Hardcore UFOs - 1:54
 * 42) Yours to Keep - 1:15
 * 43) Shocker in Gloomtown - 1:05
 * 44) Break Even - 1:40
 * 45) I'll Get Over It - 0:39
 * 46) Shocker in Gloomtown - 1:25
 * 47) Alien Lanes - 2:32
 * 48) Off the Floor - 0:53
 * 49) Break Even - 2:28
 * 50) Bee Thousand - 1:30
 * 51) I Am a Scientist - 2:31
 * 52) Curse of the Black Ass Buffalo - 1:20
 * 53) Do the Earth - 2:42
 * 54) Planet's Own Brand - 1:15
 * 55) My Valuable Hunting Knife - 2:08