Universal Truths and Cycles

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Dusted Magazine
Pitchfork Media	7.6/10
Popmatters	favorable
Rolling Stone
The A.V. Club	favorable

Universal Truths and Cycles is the thirteenth (official) album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. After releasing their previous two albums on TVT Records, Guided by Voices returned to Matador Records.

This was the highest charting Guided by Voices album at the time of release. It peaked at #160 on the Billboard Top 200, #10 on the Independent Albums list, and in the best chart performance of their career, #3 on the Top Heatseekers chart [1].

Track listing

All songs written by Robert Pollard.

Side A

1. "Wire Greyhounds" – 0:35
2. "Skin Parade" – 2:57
3. "Zap" – 1:14
4. "Christian Animation Torch Carriers" – 3:54
5. "Cheyenne" – 2:58
6. "The Weeping Bogeyman" – 1:35
7. "Back to the Lake" – 2:33
8. "Love 1" – 0:54
9. "Storm Vibrations" – 4:59
10. "Factory of Raw Essentials" – 1:25

Side B

11. "Everywhere with Helicopter" – 2:36
12. "Pretty Bombs" – 3:06
13. "Eureka Signs" – 3:06
14. "Wings of Thorn" – 2:10
15. "Car Language" – 4:44
16. "From a Voice Plantation" – 2:06
17. "The Ids Are Alright" – 1:10
18. "Universal Truths and Cycles" – 2:19
19. "Father Sgt. Christmas Card" – 2:04

In the media

• In the television series The IT Crowd episode Red Door, Roy hides stolen computer equipment under a Universal Truths and Cycles T-shirt. There is a poster of the same on a wall in Roy and Maurice's office.
• In the television series The Wire Nick Sobotka has a Universal Truths and Cycles poster on his wall.
• Guided by Voices performed "Everywhere With Helicopter" live on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn on June 17, 2002.