PO5: Worst Pavement and Malkmus tracks

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1. Craw Song
2. Gold Soundz
3. Date w/Ikea
4. Black Book
5. Hit The Plane Down

I can already see this becoming a very contentious thread.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 14 September 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll agree with 'Black Book' and 'Hit the Plane Down', but "Craw Song" is great.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 14 September 2003 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

No way fella! Craw Song is the only bad song on Pig Lib. What do you like about it?

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 14 September 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

re: Gold Soundz and Date w/Ikea...fuck you.

I probably haven't even heard the worst ones cuz it's not like I've dug through b-sides and stuff.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Black Book is a valid contender though.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

How on earth is Gold Soundz a bad song?!

1. Fillmore jive
2. The second Malkmus record is growing on me now, I listened to it there recently (for the 1st time in ages) and I think I was overly harsh about it at first, it's pretty enjoyable....I'm just not too gone on his really proggy stuff like "Witch mountain bridge"
3. Dark Wave is annoying too
4. AT&T is bog-standard indie rock
5. Platform blues

― Michael B, Sunday, 14 September 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The worst song on Slanted & Enchanted: "Fame Throwa"
The worst song on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: "Heaven Is A Truck"
The worst song on Wowee Zowee: "Half A Canyon"
The worst song on Brighten the Corners: "Type Slowly"
The worst song on Terror Twilight: "Platform Blues"
The worst song on Stephen Malkmus: "Jo Jo's Jacket"
The worst song on Pig Lib: "Craw Song"

― Nick Mirov (nick), Sunday, 14 September 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Worst on Westing: Recorder Grot.

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Sunday, 14 September 2003 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I was glad to hear someone second me about the greatness of "Gold Soundz," but re: Fillmore Jive & AT&T...fuck you.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not gonna say fuck you about Half A Canyon and Type Slowly but there are definitely worse songs on those albums. We Are Underused? Extradition? Grave Architecure?

I forgot that I was a big Pavement fan. Carey's right.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't remember the song titles, but I have to assume one of the worst would be on Pacific Trim. That was fairly worthless.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

1. Fillmore jive

I keeeeeel you!

― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 14 September 2003 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

My picks were more like the tracks on which I felt Malkmus was at his absolute laziest, be it lyrically or musically or what have you. "Half A Canyon" always struck me as a track that started off as a lazy Grifters ripoff and then decided to switch to being a lazy Stereolab ripoff halfway through for no good reason. No riffs, no good lyrics, not much of anything in that one. "Extradition" is pretty lazy, yeah, but at least it sounds like a Pavement song.

I picked "Type Slowly" for my least favorite Brighten track because of the lyrics ("one of us is a cigar stand and one of us is a lovely blue incandescent guillotine"... uh, right, whatever, Steve). Although I freely admit that there are a number ocontenders for the lazy-songwriting crown on Brighten.

As for "Gold Soundz", "Fillmore Jive", "AT&T", and maybe "Date w/IKEA"... well, I have a feeling that I'm not going to be making any new friends in this thread.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Sunday, 14 September 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I never got the hate for Brighten The Corners. Granted, it was the first Pavement I heard, but I loved it instantly. And I love that line that Nick Mirov wrote from Type Slowly.
BTC had Infinite Spark, Shady Lane, Embassy Row, Starlings of the Slipstream and Stereo - all excellent Pavement songs.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 14 September 2003 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd argue "Half A Canyon" turns into a GREAT Stereolab song (with more rockin' twang guitar then the Labbers ever offered), which is way better than a lazy Pavement song (even if it's BY Pavement, as if that mattered...especially in 1995).

You hate pop, Nick Mirov. Or at least it doesn't fit in your definition of what Pavement SHOULD have been doing.

God I love those four songs. "Gold Soundz" SOLD me on the band.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

my attempt at this dilly-yo

Slanted And Enchanted: Fame Throwa
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: Hit The Plane Down
Wowee Zowee: Grave Architecture
Brighten The Corners: We Are Underused
Terror Twilight: hell if I can remember, probably "cream of gold" if it's the one I'm thinking of. There's one with this nagging stumbling fucked rhythm part. Hate it!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"one of us is a cigar stand and one of us is a lovely blue incandescent guillotine"...

Once I realized this lyric probably wasn't meant to be as nonsensical as it sounded, I grew to like it a lot.

― smoky topaz (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

mmm vagina dentata

― smoky topaz (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Malkmunologist!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

(JBR OtM.)

― David. (Cozen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Prince ever use a cigar metaphor? If not, good for him.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"cigar stand" > "cigar"

― smoky topaz (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps, but sometimes a cigar stand is just a cigar stand. I hope.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

ts: noir vs sf

― smoky topaz (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

let's compromise: one of them smokes a lot and the other is beautiful but cutting.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

― smoky topaz (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 14 September 2003 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, Miccio, you got me all wrong, I LIKE those last four songs. I was just saying that people who mention those songs in a worst-of-Pavement thread probably aren't going to be my bestest buddies.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

oh! never mind! in that case you just made one! Those songs would probably be on my POX.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

POX of good Pavement, I mean.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:16 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought 'ikea' was a spiral stairs tune

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:26 (twenty-two years ago)

it is. as is "Hit The Plane Down." I think the thread title implies worst Pavement AND Malkmus tunes. Maybe we should include Preston School Of Industry though. And Gary Young.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:31 (twenty-two years ago)

gary young wins all 5

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 September 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

1. Stereo
2. Stereo
3. Stereo
4. Stereo
5. Stereo

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 15 September 2003 08:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Brinx Job
Serpentine Pad
Flux = Rad
AT&T
We Are Underused

There are so many boring songs on Terror Twilight that I would have to sit through it again to figure out the titles and that's just too damn depressing.

― Kent Burt (lingereffect), Monday, 15 September 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Off the top of my head:

Slanted+Enchanted: No really bad songs here.
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: Either Hit the Plane Down or Fillmore Jive
Wowee Zowee: I can't remember the titles but there are several weak numbers on this one, mainly in the second half
Brighten the Corners: None of these are really terrible, but the singing on Passat Dream almost ruins it.
Terror Twilight: Either Cream of Gold or Platform Blues.
Stephen Malkmus: Probably Black Book.
Pig Lib: Sheets

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 15 September 2003 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

On second thought, Cream of Gold is definitely the worst on Terror Twilight - Platform Blues is quite good in comparison.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 15 September 2003 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Sad, sad, sad, sad thread.

(The answer is "Range Life.")

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 15 September 2003 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry:

2. Range Life
3. Range Life
4. Range Life
5. Probably some solo Malkmus thing

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 15 September 2003 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Nah, Range Life is pretty good - tho it's not as good as Don't Go Back to Rockville.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 15 September 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I only really dislike Grave Architeture, as it's boring and sounds like Pulp. I have only listened to Pig Lib once.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 September 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Aw, I love Range Life AND Grave Architecture AND Filmore Jive. Also - TERROR TWILIGHT IS NOT BORING!!!!!!!!!!

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 15 September 2003 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

All of the BBC/Peel session stuff that is on the Slanted and Enchanted reissue from this year. Pretty much unlistenable.

Then pick any 5 from Terror Twilight. I am with the camp that can't sit through this, much less remember any songs or titles.

Oh, I was the biggest Pavement fan on the planet once.

Am I the only one who thinks Pig Lib is a massive step forward from the self-titled solo record?

― southern lights (southern lights), Monday, 15 September 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

everything after Wowee Zowee (though, admittedly, the seeds for later extreme terribleness lie within Wowee Zowee).

― jack cole (jackcole), Monday, 15 September 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I like Range Life and Grave Architecture and Cream of Gold and Serpentine Pad.. hmm, OK, Type Slowly is not a favorite.

― daria g (daria g), Monday, 15 September 2003 21:42 (twenty-two years ago)

1. Jo Jo's Jacket
2. Hit The Plane Down
3. Carrot Rope
4. Craw Song
5. You're Killing Me

― a, Monday, 15 September 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanna punch whoever started this thread!

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 16 September 2003 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Well thanks! I wanna punch you too!

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 16 September 2003 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

fite fite fite fite

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 16 September 2003 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...

Gold soundz is ab fab. Hit the plane Down, does, in fact, kinda suck.Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the best album. Grave architecture,bitches.

― samantha downey, Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

uuummm, word?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

jack cole OTM, what a fall from grace. i love both the malkmus records though.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

How can anyone who likes Pavement hate "Gold Soundz"? Makes no sense at all.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

God, where do I begin?

1. "Chesley's Little Wrists"
2. "No Life Singed Her"
3. "Conduit for Sale!"

Not only are those three the three worst Pavement songs ever, those are three of the WORST SONGS I'VE EVER HEARD BY ANYBODY. It's songs like those that just make me baffled why anybody would consider Pavement to be one of the all-time greats. Music can't get much more annoying than that, can it?

a distant fourth and fifth:
4 and 5. the one on Malky's first solo album where he talks about - HA HA HA HA! - the actor from Westworld and the one on Brighten the Corners where he makes fun of Geddy Lee!! HA HA! THAT'S SO FUCKING FUNNY!! Hahahahahahahahaha! Genius! You deluded fool! You're worse than those shitty Sonic Youth songs on Daydream Nation!!!!

Stephen Malkmus, much like Sonic Youth before him, is not funny. Malky, STOP trying to be a smarmy indier-than-thou irreverent funnyboy Beck-esque jackass because you have absolutely NO idea what the fuck you're doing!! Rant over, thankyougoodbye

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Terror Twilight is the best Pavement album 'cause it's the only one where there's no annoying noisy bits.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Terror Twilight is the worst Pavement album 'cause there's hardly anything good on it.

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Matos OTM. Though I think the indie rocker died in me when "Spit On A Stranger" didn't fufill the REM parallel by becoming a "The One I Love" size hit.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Was Terror Twilight supposed to be their sellout album? Their Big Pop Breakthrough? Like Tim or Document or Liz Phair or Dirty? I didn't know that.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think anyone knew what it was supposed to be, or even what it was.

More than a few people knew it was bad, though.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

My friends who smoke more pot than me dig Twilight more than I do.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

They should use that in the next anti-drug campaign.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Is there much point to listing your very own 5 Worst Pavement Songs Ever when it's clear that you aren't a Pavement fan?

― dean gulberry (deangulberry), Wednesday, 31 December 2003 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 1 January 2004 07:41 (twenty-two years ago)

How can you not like "No Life Singed Her", its quintessential Pavement!? Well, unless you dont like Pavement, in which case...

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 1 January 2004 07:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Because the vocals are SO DAMN ANNOYING!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 1 January 2004 07:51 (twenty-two years ago)

The shouty shouty? Or the singing?

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 1 January 2004 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The shouty shouty of course!! I have no problem at all with the groovy melodic verses and Stephen yammering on about "Take me down from the ridge where the summer ends." and so forth. Good song!

UNTIL THE GODDAMN SHOUTY PART COMES IN AND SCREAMS IN YOUR FUCKING EARS AND GIVES YOU A FUCKING HEADACHE LIKE YOU WERE LISTENING TO METAL FUCKING MACHINE MUSIC OR SOMETHING!!!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 1 January 2004 08:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 1 January 2004 08:08 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

Hit the Plane Down is pretty grotesque, I must say. There you actually have a song with bad lyrics, dreadful singing, no tune at all, no rhythm, and horrible guitar playing - a blind foircefed bat with its nose trapped in a Jew's Harp could probably make a better sound by accident. And it doesn't have the virtue of being consciously abstract, like, say, a Berio Sequenza, because its vestigial links to normal songmaking are too apparent. At the end Malkmus says "There's No Survivors". Of listening to that track, I presume.

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hit The Plane Down" is a Spiral song, buddy. Aren't we just gunning for the Malk songs here?

My bottom five (and I'm the world's biggest Malk fanboy - I think everyone who is dissing Terror Twilight is nuts)

Brink Of The Clouds
Kneeling Bus
Recorder Grot (Rally)
Krell Vid-User
Drive By Fader

Also: I'm not crazy about the alternate version of "Type Slowly" which is called "Slowly Typed." The weakest songs to ever be on a proper Malkmus/Pavement album are "Black Book" and "Cream Of Gold."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

B-sides and rarities are easy targets. Terror Twilight is worthless. PO5 from the five albums worth owning:

Westing: "Price Yeah!"
Slanted: "Jackals, False Grails - The Lonesome Era"
Crooked: "Hit the Plane Down"
Wowee: "Extradition"
Brighten: "Passat Dream"

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Thursday, 18 March 2004 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

In my lowly opinion, "Jackals, False Grails - The Lonesome Era" may very well be the finest song ever recorded by pavement!

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 18 March 2004 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)

1. date with ikea
2. passat dream
3. hit the plane down
4. kennel district
5. western homes

― angel duster, Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

hey. That's cute, angel duster. Say what you want about SS, but everyone knows kennel District and Passat Dream are two of Paves very best tracks.

even the blind man makes a basket every now and again

― Cab Vid (will), Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

and by "Passat Dream" I mean "Date w/ Ikea"

― Cab Vid (will), Thursday, 18 March 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I've just been listening to "Do not feed the oyster underground", or whatever the lyrics are. Very annoying. Sophie Ellis Bextor has been ridiculed for better - well, certainly no worse - lyrics than that.

I quite like parts of Pig Lib, nonetheless. I don't mind Craw Song, though I'm not well-enough informed to know whether the sexual politics in it are what irks the above critics. I do tend to prefer it when Malmus sings nonsense, rather than all this up-to-the minute stuff about sexuality or oysters.

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 18 March 2004 17:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Malkmus, I meant. I was getting muddled up with Momus.

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Thursday, 18 March 2004 17:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey Cab Vid, chill the fuck out. I really do think Spiral's songs have marred every Pavement album they're on. Kiss my ass.

― angel duster, Thursday, 18 March 2004 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

angel duster otm

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 18 March 2004 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah Spiral was good at reigning in Malkie, but most of his own tunes are pretty weak. As is his label and his favorite band, Oranger. I believe "pedestrian" is the most accurate descriptor.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 18 March 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Aw, I listened to Pig Lib again today - even Craw Song is ace to me now! I honestly honestly think this is the best thing Malkmus has ever done. It takes many listens but it's awesome.

I think I like Passat Dream - I always equate it with Blur's "London Loves" for some reason as one of the few mid-90s indie tracks that took major hommage from the 80s.

I wanted to start a thread about Malkmus's obsession with Revolver and Sweet Child'o' Mine. Anyone else hearing these in a lot of his stuff (especially Pig Lib but a few Pave albums rip riffs right out of these).

/drunk

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 19 March 2004 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I love Pig Lib, too, though it's too wilfully uncool to ever be ranked as a classic. It works at a very simple level of being an entertaing record to listen to.

I find the strange mix of Pentangular songy bits with Robin Trower guitar solos irresistible. And the attempts to do Fairport Convention type ensembles are charming just for the effrontery - I mean, the dear Jicks can only dream of the instrumental mastery required to pull that off. But I like the irony of an American using British folk rhythms, because the opposite has always been the case - Brits heliotropically playing music based on American blues traditions.

― Bunged Out (Jake Proudlock), Friday, 19 March 2004 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

fuck you idiots for starting the thread.

― mitch mitchell, Friday, 15 October 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "Terror" is actually my second-favorite Pavement record, after the obvious "Crooked Rain." What's not to like about it?
"Wowee Zowee" contains my favorite Pavement songs, "Rattled y the Rush" and a couple others, but it's not consistently great. Good, I give them points for trying hard on that one.

I never liked "Raft" too much. "Shady Lane" is another one I don't care for too much. "Type Slowly" and "We Are Underused" are pretty grotesque, in my opinion. "Hit the Plane Down" I think works all right in the context of "Crooked Rain"--as an old-fashioned album track--but yeah, it's kind of lame actually when you think about it. Over the years, I've come to dislike "Brighten the Corners" more and more, apart from a few great moments like "Transport" and "No Tan Lines" and "Starlings of the Slipstream." "Major Leagues" is another kind of obvious one but I actually think it's just a good pop song of the kind Malkmus was always trying to stick on those later albums, there's a depth there that "Shady Lane" seems to lack. I only have the first Malkmus solo thing and to tell the truth, I like it just fine--it's not great but so what, I find it pretty entertaining and pleasantly out-of-it.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 16 October 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

We Are Underused could possibly be the worst Pavement track by Malkmus, yes. Hit the Plane Down definitely worst by Spiral.

― strom (strom), Saturday, 16 October 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

"Hit the Plane Down"

― dave q, Saturday, 16 October 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks to all the Pavement fanboys for this thread. I just deleted 25 songs off my hard drive (more room for grandma porn and microhouse remixes)

― Good Dog, Saturday, 16 October 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Hit the Plane Down is Spiral's only decent song. I like how it fits in with Crooked Rain.
But I agree with angel duster. A list of the 5 worst Pavement songs would be all Spiral all the time.
Terror Twilight has it's moments and is better than Brighten the Corners which is just boring to me.

― Magic City (ano ano), Saturday, 16 October 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

so much crack, so little time to smoke it all...

if we're just pavement try-

1-saganaw (c'mon, this one so obvious!!)
2-bille
3--cream of gold
4-we are underused (shit, just put all of TT on here, sans ..and the)
5-pig lib (the album)

― eedd, Saturday, 16 October 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

come on mate gold soundz and hit the plane down bad songs?wot r u on.
I believe that pavement r one of them special bands that dont have any bad songs,but its a matter of the individuals point of view.
as for the jicks,well i went to see them in manchester and was very dissapointed.why on earth steve broke pavement up ill never know..........sadly missed.

― carl lonsdale, Sunday, 31 October 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I swap Gold Soundz for Saganaw please - god what an awful song! Gold Soundz has totally grown on me but I used to skip it every time the intro kicked in.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 31 October 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

what's with all the "cream of gold" hate? that's one of my favorite pavement tracks. if you'd said "ann don't cry" i would totally understand.

as for least favorite, there's a lot on slanted & enchanted i could do without.

― results not typical (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 31 October 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeh, I always thought Cream Of Gold was very entertaining. Can't remember it right now though - which one was the "Serengetti nightmare for the eco-tour" track?

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 31 October 2004 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Fucking "Gold Soundz"? Anyone who voted for that needs a frontal lobotomy.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Sunday, 31 October 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

1. "Cut Your Hair" This was the first Pavement song I heard. Glad I didn't give up.
2. "Here," the single bruise on the otherwise perfect S&E
3. "Craw Song." Really-- what is there to like?
4. "Elevate me Later," esp. for those little moans in the background
5. I can't choose-- "Sheets" and "Craw Song" are worthless, and the first half of "Us" is really annoying. "Black Book" is so dumb, though.

Pig Lib is OK, but the many of the songs are individually just awful. I think the first Malkmus record is a lot more interesting. I don't get the hate for "Range Life." It's a little corny , but isn't hating it kind of like hating a three-legged kitten or something? Not that i feel sorry for it-- i think it's a good song-- but how can you HATE something so endearing and three-legged?

― rebecca s (rebecca S), Sunday, 31 October 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

3. "Craw Song." Really-- what is there to like?

i think i just really like the way he boasts "stick that in yr CRAW!"

― results not typical (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 31 October 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"Elevate Me Later" and "Here"??!!?!?!? CONTROVERSIAL!!

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 31 October 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"Craw Song" is fun. I don't understand the hate.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 31 October 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

gold soundz?

ah shit no god

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 05:19 (nineteen years ago)

Pavement only:

1. Hit the Plane Down
2. Cream of Gold
3. Fight this Generation
4. Half a Canyon
5. Platform Blues

― o. nate, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 16:31 (nineteen years ago)

"3. Fight this Generation "

no way.

― Zeno, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

Saginaw is great! Malkmus impersonating/parodying Will Oldham.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

saganaw?! hank williams sr. tribute vocal! if there's any duds on pacific trim, its gotta be all 65 seconds of 'i love perth'

5. western homes
4. platform blues
3. ann don't cry
2. speak, see, remember
1. THE HEXX

― 6335, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

how about the long, boring jams that consitute about half a jicks show? those are terrible.

― davie, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

I fucking hate Silenee Kit. Its a horrible "Rollercoaster" rip-off, and it ruins the great opener that Elevate Me Later woulda been. Shit.

― I know, right?, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

I mean Silence Kit,

― I know, right?, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 22:50 (nineteen years ago)

oh hey sorry angel duster whoever/ wherever you may be. "Cab Vid" would've been my surly (but ultimately harmless) roomate from '04 that would occasionally post here without logging me out.
I saw him being snotty on a Jim Dickinson thread, too.

worst SM tracks? that "slowly typed" turd that MAtthew mentions upthread, and then about 50% of every record starting with BTC. "Black Book"? Gah.

I never cared for the Spiral tracks, save for "Kennel District".

― will, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 22:51 (nineteen years ago)

I never cared for the Spiral tracks, save for "Kennel District".

yesssss or OTM as we used to say. Also anyone who suggested Gold Soundz as a worst pavemetn track should be killed.

Its a horrible "Rollercoaster" rip-off

waht is rollercoaster pleaz? Silence Kit is a lovely track that shows of Malkmus' brand new tuneful and empathetic voice to the best of its abilities and is a great opener to a virtually perfect seven track sequence on an album that is then sadly let down by some instrumetnal jazz rubbish, one malkmus misfire and perhaps the worst spiral dirge in their oeuvre.

― ledge, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:47 (nineteen years ago)

BUDDY HOLLY

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

every day
its a gettin closer
goin faster than a rollercoaster
a love like yours will
surely come my way
a-hey
a-hey
a-hey hey

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

that's what i thought from long ago reading of pavement interviews but i am not familiar with much mf mr holly's work, 5l5k here i come.

― ledge, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:49 (nineteen years ago)

you may have also heard of this Fall song SM lifted...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

influence is often in the ear of the beholder i think. never heard the fall/pavement connexion too strongly meself.

― ledge, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:52 (nineteen years ago)

do you mean "Everyday it's a-gettin' closer Goin' faster than a roller coaster" - i know that one! yeah i can see the similarity but it's not as if they didn't make something new out of it.

― ledge, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:55 (nineteen years ago)

Malkmus:

"(Do Not Feed) The Oyster"
"Witch Mountain Bridge"
"Pink India"
"Animal Midnight"
"No More Shoes"

(god, I hate Pig Lib...it was like he'd fucked my father or something)

Pavement:

"We Are Underused"
"Platform Blues"
"AT & T"
"False Skorpion"
a couple of those grotty early tunes collected on Westing...

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not sayin they didn't make something new out of it, they did. But the reference is pretty clear.

The Fall/Conduit for Sale thing is beyond blatant.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 23:59 (nineteen years ago)

what fall album or track sounds most like conduit for sale (this is an rfi not a snarky rejoinder)?

i think if u have a deep love for band y and/or heard band y before band x then you're less likely to hear an influence from band x to band y. And vice versa. Cases in point: Gene do not sound to me like The Smiths. Urusei Yatsura do not sound to me like Pavement. Every guitar band from about 2000 like Hives Vines Strokes sounds to me like a blatant Pixies rip off.

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:13 (nineteen years ago)

also AT&T is great - "maybe, someone's gonna save me, my heart is made of gravy" - killer opening lines! And then it goes all out of kilter and wacky - almost as wacky as Pavement get in fact, which you could see as a betrayal of such a great opening, but I think it fits in really well in an album of such stylistic scope and ambition as Wowee Zowee.

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:18 (nineteen years ago)

You're right, ledge. I remembered the song as soon as you quoted the line (the problem: the last third of WZ is soup; a lot of those songs blur). Those lines were the perfect palliative for Oasis' "Wonderwall" (note how it's a lot like "Wonderwall"'s chorus), which was pounded into me around the time I bought WZ.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:21 (nineteen years ago)

New Face in Hell = Conduit for Sale.

This is not some "band y sounds like band x" thing, its something Malkmus has freely admitted to in interviews, and the songs contain identical chord structures, tempos, and instrumentation, with the spoken vocals clearly approximating ME Smith's "white rapper" schtick.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

(and I'm not knocking Pavement for doing so at all btw!! Tracing reference points is just one of the many fun elements of pop music)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

"AT&T" is one of the best songs on WZ.

"Here," the single bruise on the otherwise perfect S&E

Yay, a woman after my own heart.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:27 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, absolutely. And thinking about the silence kit/buddy holly connection - I know some people worry that someday the mathematical permutations of melody may run out, and from then on everything will be repetition. Well even if such a thing were possible (and I'm not sure it is), those two songs are surely enough to show that identical (or damn similar) melodies can lead to pretty different results.

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:31 (nineteen years ago)

its probably already happened! who gives a shit

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

(xp to shakey)

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

grr!

― ledge, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

Malkmus:

"(Do Not Feed) The Oyster"
"Witch Mountain Bridge"
"Pink India"
"Animal Midnight"
"No More Shoes"

These are all great!

― o. nate, Thursday, 1 March 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

"...Oyster" epitomizes why a lot of my friends dislike him.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 1 March 2007 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Why?? Cause it's goofy?

― o. nate, Thursday, 1 March 2007 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

I thought Us was the best solo Malkmus track.

― I know, right?, Thursday, 1 March 2007 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

I re-heard Pig Lib on Monday after a year's distance and it sounded great! Although he's regained his knack for dissonance, he still does those woozy literate ballads (like "Us," "Freeze the Saints," and my beloved "Church on White").

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 1 March 2007 20:48 (nineteen years ago)

Jacob, Jacob Javitz, I'd like to thank you for everything,
primarily your glass house.

― nabisco, Thursday, 1 March 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

man, i miss being able to access this site from work!

it's hard to think of any serious malk duds, really - even the lesser ones are at least pretty good.

hmmm.

"shady lane"
"winner of the"

― Beatrix Kiddo, Thursday, 1 March 2007 22:48 (nineteen years ago)

Jacob, Jacob Javitz, I'd like to thank you for everything,
primarily your glass house.

It struck me at some point that these lines (ok sm's delivery of same) birthed julian casablanca's whole schtick.

― G00blar, Thursday, 1 March 2007 23:00 (nineteen years ago)

That should be Javits, actually.

The line pops into my head nearly every time I hear about / see the Javits Center, which is really quite often.

― nabisco, Thursday, 1 March 2007 23:39 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

saganaw
saganaw
the hexx
saganaw
saganaw

― k3vin k., Monday, 24 November 2008 08:39 (seventeen years ago)

nb my favorute band evr

― k3vin k., Monday, 24 November 2008 08:54 (seventeen years ago)

hexx is gr8 u idiott.

― ▧_▨ (wilter), Monday, 24 November 2008 22:18 (seventeen years ago)

wrong. plus thye should have stayed with the original

― k3vin k., Monday, 24 November 2008 22:25 (seventeen years ago)

still ur a fucking idiot

― ▧_▨ (wilter), Monday, 24 November 2008 22:27 (seventeen years ago)

compelling

― k3vin k., Monday, 24 November 2008 22:31 (seventeen years ago)

not as compelling as

saganaw
saganaw
the hexx
saganaw
saganaw

though big fella.

― ▧_▨ (wilter), Monday, 24 November 2008 22:38 (seventeen years ago)

srsly tho, off the top of my head, i don't love Stereo, Ann Don't Cry, Carrot Rope

― ▧_▨ (wilter), Monday, 24 November 2008 22:40 (seventeen years ago)

philip johnson, i'd like to thank you for everything,
primarily your glass house

http://www.matthewlangley.com/blog/uploaded_images/glass_house-709728.jpg

― cool ranch dressing (get bent), Tuesday, 25 November 2008 04:51 (seventeen years ago)

this is for BAD songs!

― k3vin k., Tuesday, 25 November 2008 06:11 (seventeen years ago)

lol xp

― ▧_▨ (wilter), Tuesday, 25 November 2008 06:22 (seventeen years ago)

two years pass...

I fucking love Craw Song...

― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 13 May 2011 13:57 (fifteen years ago)

iirc mods sometimes check suggest bans to see if the post 'merited' the ban. im not sure under which kevin k post i pushed the button, but it was for this comment:

nb my favorute band evr
― k3vin k., Monday, November 24, 2008 8:54 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark

― underrated homophobic raps i have dropped (history mayne), Friday, 13 May 2011 13:59 (fifteen years ago)

malkmus/jicks > malkmus/pavements

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 13 May 2011 14:04 (fifteen years ago)

I don't know who Anthony Miccio is but seems to me if you don't like extradition you're kind missing the whole point of pavement.

This is my annual ILM post.

― Serial Chiller (sunny successor), Friday, 13 May 2011 16:29 (fifteen years ago)

"Major Leagues" is the worst Pavement album track jmho

― that whore of your grandfather's (rip van wanko), Friday, 13 May 2011 16:45 (fifteen years ago)

you're killing me!

― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 13 May 2011 16:46 (fifteen years ago)

"camera" is the best/worst pavement cover

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 13 May 2011 16:52 (fifteen years ago)

you're killing me

the song? becaus that's not a bad vote either!

― that whore of your grandfather's (rip van wanko), Friday, 13 May 2011 16:56 (fifteen years ago)

haha it was a joke

― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 13 May 2011 17:12 (fifteen years ago)

I'm kind of curious what the point of Pavement is

― da croupier, Friday, 13 May 2011 17:19 (fifteen years ago)

Of course, I'll be happy to share with you my least 5 favorite Pavements songs. No Westing, B-sides or anything from the deluxe reissues.

Type Slowly
Hit The Plane Down
Speak, See, Remember
Platform Blues
We Are Underused

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 13 May 2011 17:57 (fifteen years ago)

what fall album or track sounds most like conduit for sale (this is an rfi not a snarky rejoinder)?

no xmas for john quays

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 13 May 2011 18:15 (fifteen years ago)

i think it sounds more like "new face in hell"

― Michael B, Friday, 13 May 2011 18:18 (fifteen years ago)

Hit The Plane Down
Date With Ikea
Passat Dream
Kennel District
Major Leagues

― Trill Jockey (lpz), Friday, 13 May 2011 18:34 (fifteen years ago)

you're right, mike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eckzjxXvcQ4
i guess i was thinking more "fame throwa"

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 13 May 2011 18:34 (fifteen years ago)

lpz just wrote my 5 except i might replace major leagues with western homes. maybe. Ugh they both suck.

― Serial Chiller (sunny successor), Friday, 13 May 2011 19:28 (fifteen years ago)

"hopscotch willie" x 5

― Nardil the Human MAOI (get bent), Friday, 13 May 2011 19:43 (fifteen years ago)

I just don't like Shady Lane.

― billstevejim, Friday, 13 May 2011 20:52 (fifteen years ago)

Neptune Avenue

― Beggar On A Beach Of Shite. (PaulTMA), Saturday, 14 May 2011 02:47 (fifteen years ago)

whichever one that has the line "never looked hard at a foetus in a jar"

― cuddles (the kid), Saturday, 14 May 2011 06:21 (fifteen years ago)

seven years pass...

Saginaw is great! Malkmus impersonating/parodying Will Oldham.
― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, February 27, 2007 9:52 AM (eleven years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The "liberaaaaals" vocal in Type Slowly is clearly a Will Oldham pastiche as well.

― wmlynch, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 01:59 (seven years ago)

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 02:57 (seven years ago)

"Fame Throwa"? Seriously? While "Chesley's Little Wrists" is a thing that exists? High school me is terribly upset by some 2003 posters.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 06:50 (seven years ago)

2003 posters generally think everything is shit and has gone to shit

― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 17 July 2018 10:09 (seven years ago)

Here are my least-fave Malkmus-penned Pavement songs:

Range Life
My First Mine
Shady Lane
Embassy Row
Ann Don’t Cry

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 13:35 (seven years ago)

(Im not too familiar w/solo Malk; and including Spiral songs in a “worst-of” list doesn’t seem fair 😜)

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Tuesday, 17 July 2018 13:37 (seven years ago)

worst SM Pavement song is Saganaw

― alpine static, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 04:06 (seven years ago)

Pacific Trim is all pretty good IMHO. There's a whole bunch of other B-sides from the second half of Pavement's discography I can't even bring myself to check now. Most tracks that aren't named 'Harness Your Hopes', probably. Any thoroughly researched PO5 of mine would surely be dominated by that stuff.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 04:39 (seven years ago)

Yeah I dig Pacific Trim... was just thinking the other day how cool it was when it came out, as kind of a chaser to Wowee Zowee. The songs on the EP are all unique and distinctive — fully realized, yet not really like any other songs in the band’s repertoire.

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 05:42 (seven years ago)

(I remember a guy in a class of mine declaring that Pacific Trim was “a mini Beatles album”... like he had discovered a skeleton key. I was like, OK...)

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 05:45 (seven years ago)

Embassy Row and Range Life are among my top favourite Pavement songs, morrisp

― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 09:41 (seven years ago)

I like those 2, but I hate Shady Lane and loads of people love that one.

― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 09:52 (seven years ago)

Shady Lane was my intro to them I think? I have a hard time listneing to it objectively

― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 11:04 (seven years ago)

This thread has inspired me to do a deep dive into the Pavement catalog. I was never all that into them.

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 11:12 (seven years ago)

Embassy Row and Range Life are among my top favourite Pavement songs, morrisp

You must like that album, then! I’ve always liked it... I would probably skip those songs if I played it today, though.

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 13:38 (seven years ago)

they're on different albums though?

― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 13:57 (seven years ago)

Embassy Row is definitely a highlight on BTC. One of the only fast ones

― Gâteau Superstar (dog latin), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 13:58 (seven years ago)

agreed ^^

and Range Life is a highlight on one of the best rock albums ever

― alpine static, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 15:40 (seven years ago)

and i agree with everyone that Pacific Trim is good (including I Love Perth) EXCEPT Saganaw, which is a DIRGE

― alpine static, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 15:42 (seven years ago)

xxp
Haha, sorry — somehow I thought you said “Shady Lane”!

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 15:47 (seven years ago)

“Saginaw” is a dirge, but dirges aren’t necessarily bad (and uptempo tracks aren’t necessarily good)...

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 16:26 (seven years ago)

Otm Some crazy fuck above mentioned Fillmore Jive. That's a dirge but it's beautiful.

Ok. Here's my challop I've never enjoyed Cut Your Hair. I always skip it on one my favourite albums.

― kraudive, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 20:49 (seven years ago)

you and every indie dude in the 90s lol. I go back and forth on it and right now I like it

― k3vin k., Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:06 (seven years ago)

Whenever I ask Alexa to "play Pavement," it invariably starts off with their cover of the Descendents' "It's a Hectic World" -- which may be the least Pavement-sounding Pavement recording (and probably the last one I'd ever want to hear).

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:12 (seven years ago)

Xp sure yeah. But it was such a disappointment after Watery Domestic.

I did however fully embrace and still adore Stereo, which I guess was their nearest equivalent. And a great tune.

― kraudive, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:27 (seven years ago)

I guess this isn't that thread though.

Just Scott's songs right?

― kraudive, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:28 (seven years ago)

revived because i was listening to btc for the first time in ages and i heard that line and it struck me immediately as a will oldham take. that said slowly typed is one of the worst ever pavement songs.

― wmlynch, Wednesday, 18 July 2018 21:42 (seven years ago)

Shady Lane is p good but would be p great if second half was chopped off

― Minister of the Pillow (fionnland), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 22:18 (seven years ago)

The spacey outro? That part's good!

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 18 July 2018 22:39 (seven years ago)

Listening to "TT" now (Godrich track order) -- I'm gonna take "Ann Don't Cry" off my list, and sub in "Major Leagues." I know this is really important stuff!

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 19 July 2018 17:25 (seven years ago)

For a long time I would have told you that "TT" is a weaker album than "BTC," but I now hold the opposite p.o.v. (also really important for you to know)

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 19 July 2018 17:27 (seven years ago)

yeah I think that's become the more accepted view & I agree

― k3vin k., Thursday, 19 July 2018 17:38 (seven years ago)

Gotta make another revision to my list above -- I realized that "Mercy: The Laundromat" is the track I dislike most at the end of Westing (...not "My First Mine").

the foregoing has been another quality thread revive by morrisp

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Wednesday, 1 August 2018 23:27 (seven years ago)

two years pass...

Least favorite, eh? *cracks knuckles gamely*

― We’re Up All Night To Get Lochte (Raymond Cummings), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:28 (five years ago)

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