So Much Poll That It's Wasted: Dig the Pavement Watery, Domestic Poll

all four songs are so outrageously classic, impossible

most days it's "frontwards", which is just perfect and has some of malkmus' best lyrics. "shoot the singer" is also one of their best songs and has one of the best fading codas ever. "texas never whispers" has that awesome blast of noise opening which sets up the rest of the song's open space so perfectly. "lions (linden)" is short but is probably my favorite song about high school football. song for song, this is the best thing they ever did.

Yeah agreed, the one Pavement rec I really regret not having anymore. Um have said before but TNW intro is really easy! 80s Casio thru (as I recall) a Big Muff or a Boss superdistortion pedal, we did it thru a bassamp but that might not be crucial, go.

Frontwards, but it's a tight 4-way race.

I can never tell which song is which, except "Frontwards," so I voted for that.

shoot the singer for me tho it's a tough call. this rec is easily my favorite thing they did. i think i dig the triumphant vibe to this song to close out a solid 4 songs

"one of their best songs and has one of the best fading codas ever"
OTM

"Frontwards," but boy, this is one of the few records I own where any song could really win.

Best indie rock EP of all time?

Shoot the Singer--which is the best Pavement song BTW

Was "Greenlander" from the same sessions, or just from around the same time?

That song plus the 4 on the EP, if they are "of a piece", are Pavement's finest (one-third-of-an) hour. Great all the way through. Can't choose. Elevating one 3 or 4 minute period above the rest of it would be an insult, an injustice, a crime.

Frontwards, surely one of their best songs. they all are, but Frontwards wins this.

Shoot the Singer--which is the best Pavement song BTW

Yup, easy choice for me.

Shoot the Singer--which is the best Pavement song BTW

― President Keyes, Sunday, May 17, 2009 3:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Lions (Linden)

Shoot the Singer

Best indie rock EP of all time?

Uhhhh . . . no.

This is Pavement at the peak of their powers. I voted for Shoot the Singer.

Fuck I know I loved this EP but I no longer have it and cant remember how the songs went anymore! I seem to recall I liked Texas Never Whispers the most.

"the way a river bends
this woman's bending over me"

awesome

texas vs. singer is killing me

going with texas cuz its my favorite pavement album/ep/whatever opener, while I'd take "Fillmore Jive" over Shoot The Singer if I had to

lions (linden) don't do much for me tbh; the rest are gold but i can still rank 'em pretty easily, singer > texas > frontwards.

Uhhhh . . . no.

Not to derail this but as the guy who's constantly REM-boosting on this board, let me say that even I recognize that Watery, Domestic is better than Chronic Town.

frontwards was one of the first pavement songs i heard and loved, but i could really go with any one of the four. pretty near perfect, this.

whoa chronic town vs. watery domestic cage match!!

so tough

texas vs. singer is killing me

and this kills chronic town

overrated!!!

^^^ pssh

love Greenlander though. I never quite got on with tinny, trebly-era Pavement though to be fair.

i guess you don't like pavement then

and in the morning light.. you hold that ashtray !tight!

i'm one of those people who dodesn't think they went shit after the first album.

i liked the los campesinos version of frontward fwiw.

it's worth nothing.

"this song is called frontwards. it's about moving forward. obviously."

^^^^^ lol. I have that bootleg on vinyl

open up the purses for the boys who reimburse us

hahaha me too! high fives

voted for texas. a song i've only seen on a bootleg once, someone (prob. Bob) chanting "Texas" the whole time.

props for the summer babe version of lions

Gary: "I don't remember how the song goes."
SM: "Every street a straight. . . Bomp-bom-ba-bom-ba-bom-ba-bom-bom. . . You'll know it."
Gary: (drumming) Bomp-bom-ba-bom-ba-bom-ba-bom-bom

SM: "Every street a straight line. . ."

one of my favorite bootleg moments ever

Bob is doing some stringer/freelance writing lately for D41Ly R4c1ng F0rm (where I work)

It was weird trying to explain to people at work that our Prairie Mead0ws correspondent (tiny racetrack in Iowa) was in the best band of the '90s

glad this thread has taken off. i think i'll go with "frontwards", though this is really like picking a favorite child. wowee zowee is definitely my favorite pavement album but like i said, this is the best thing they ever did, song-for-song

the hell is it about KC0U alum and that periodical.... !

i went with "texas never whispers" but they're all worthy, of course

I just recently discovered that Placebo samples Texas never whispers in some song. that's kinda weird.

Was pretty weird when I first heard it, for sure. I should probably apologise for putting this in the thread, even though I don't hate them.

Frontwards takes the cake. although Texas intro fills me with such excitement, especially if i know for sure that someone is playing the whole EP start to finish.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Was "Greenlander" from the same sessions, or just from around the same time?

Same sessions, as far as I know! As were the great "Sue Me Jack" and "So Stark (You're a Skyscraper)."

This poll is impossible.

Yeah, that seven-song session may have been the peak of something. Western civilization, possibly.

and this kills chronic town

So wrong. And -- as good as Pavement's EP is -- not even a close call. But, de gustibus not est disputadum.

it is interesting that there's a whole classic pavement album in between S&E and CRCR

1. Texas Never Whispers
2. Frontwards
3. (Feed Them To The) Lions
4. Shoot the Singer
5. Greenlander
6. Sue Me Jack
7. So Stark
8. Kentucky Cocktail
9. Circa 1762
10. Secret Knowledge of the Backroads

I mean, that lineup of songs is as good as any record they ever released ...

the band has to call a collection of songs an album for it to be an album

you're right

i'm just saying that they could've released an amazing follow up much sooner than they did

If they would have released all that as an EP, it would have competed with Come On Pilgrim for greatest EP ever.

pavement in having ridiculously classic b-sides/unreleased songs shocker

i'll have to check 'em out - never got around to getting any of the expanded reissues.

earlier poll:

WATERY, DOMESTIC while we're at it

how hard is it to search the words watery, domestic

THIS:

"Dont hold your breath too long
This tunnel is a Texas mile

Callow teasing yellow eyes
Bleacher dates the second prize
Cherry pickin' favorites
My dashboard's locked
I guess I feel fine

The way the river bends
The woman's bending over me"

IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT

― ▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒ (Steve Shasta), Friday, October 17, 2008 1:39 PM

PEDANT ALERT: #s 6-7

also intro Oberheim OB-8 squelch forever.

― ▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒▓▓████▓▓▒▒ (Steve Shasta), Friday, October 17, 2008 1:39 PM (7 months ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

word

I know it's from Thom Wilson's Ambergris - "Ambergris" LP cover but check out Hodgy's shirt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcHxiWwubnk