Pavement:Classic or Dud

super interesting revive

this band parallels some of my life experiences I guess, I grew up in the same town where Maklmus DJd in college, but I went to college elsewhere (he's just over 3 months older than me). post-college a mutual friend of ours told me to get Slay Tracks so I did, kept up with them through Slanted and then lost interest a bit until hearing Wowee Zowee (which imo is their best LP proper). Then I lost track again. But the run from Demolition Plot through the post-Slanted singles was one of the defining musical things of the early 90's to me. Crooked Rain seemed like a retread at the time, now I like it just fine. Still haven't heard the later ones although I have heard bits of Malkmus and Spiral over the years. The music feels like an old friend, yeah summer of '91 was a good time.

it's nice that they've stayed relevant. I think their unpredictable stylistic shifts and generally solid lyrics make up for the at times transparent influence-copping. when I used to throw Slanted on after its release, my GF would say "everything sounds like The Fall or The Velvet Underground" which might not be totally fair but was not an unheard criticism at the time iirc.

my personal indie pantheon of the early 90's would be these guys, Unrest, Sebadoh, and the Xpressway stuff.

I've never quite understood the comparison between Slanted and the Fall. And people make it so emphatically, like it's (or parts of it are) the most obvious Fall rip imaginable. Weird, since I like both bands.

they only really got good on CRCR in my book. before that it was just a mess.

xpost. It doesn't sound much like The Fall, but the cover art is Fall inspired, one song *is* a straight up Fall rip off (Conduit for Sale), and another takes the drums from Hip Priest (Our Singer). Two States is pretty Fall like. That's probably enough to justify the comparison. I also liked Archers of Loaf/Grifters/Unrest better than Pavement, but Pavement had a more wide-ranging set of influences so I think it's easier for people to find something to like.

I first heard about Pavement senior of high school in 1999, and I must admit Terror Twilight was the first thing I heard from them, and I loved it. I actually listened to it the other day and still enjoyed it, although I can't tell if it's just nostalgia. It's not my favorite Pavement record (probably Crooked Rain), but I feel Malmus' guitar is pretty on point throughout. Maybe it's better imagining it as a Malkmus solo record? that's all I got.

It's funny hearing about these 90s indie bands that feel through the cracks for me during that time, like Grifters, Unrest, Palace etc. I remember reading Spin frequently in the late 90s and getting a sense that the only indie bands that "mattered" according to them were Pavement, Sebadoh, and GBV.

The Pavement show I saw was the start of a tour and it was clear they didn't know the songs and Malkmus was being very Malkmus-y and I just walked out and ignored their music for a long time.

Billy Corgan at least provoked some ice throwing ("Hey the next person who throws ice and we'll leave!" cue the entire room throwing everything that wasn't nailed down at them)

― chr1sb3singer, Tuesday, April 14, 2015 8:53 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha where were the shows?

that was my bloodline through high school and college -- i'm the older brother only i don't have any younger siblings and i'm not a man.
i liked pavement back in the day -- they didn't write stupid love songs and were kinda funny and i liked how noisy they were. i barely remember caring about terror twilight but they were there for me when i needed them.

I remember looking forward to buying TT on the day of release. In the 2000s though technical and vocal prowess started interesting me, so of course my affections was worn down. But I don't want Booker T and the MGs from them either..

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 April 2015 18:11 (Yesterday) Permalink

Alfred, me too - I even remember the store, and who I was there with.

Franklin, thanks for that post.

thanks for the tip kornrulez I will give WZ a real chance, and I missed Watery Domestic altogether

With Pavement, I'd say some of the sensibility, humour, irony and so on is specifically 90s, but their best work transcends that. I think their appeal is probably less dependent on context than, say, Nirvana's is.

ehh i feel like they embody a really specific hot central valley california delta vibe but i have a hard time articulating why.

musically, anyway

feel like pavement also communicated some of the simple pleasures of being in a band w/ your friends. what does it mean, a mistake or two?

This needs to be quoted for emphasis. So true. A lack of interest in careerism endlessly mistaken for "slacker"-ness.

What a brilliant, one-of-a-kind band.

"Grounded" is the definitely the one song to me that elicits the strongest image of being stoned on a porch at 14 in love/hate with the world

it was more a romantic vision of suburbia then something tied specifically to California

They sold enough records and developed enough of a rep (and were forced onto many second-generation listeners) that they will likely always have a certain cache for uninitiated listeners. You might say the same thing About The Fall in that while "of" a particular generation they are arguably a far less accessible band. Like it or not, Pavement are a musical touchstone, and will likely remain so for several more decades. The did the noise and tip his shit but also some of the sweetest of melodies. Also, like Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli said above, Malkmus is still making records, and he remains a reliable and gratifying source of music.

The observation that Pavement were never really mainstream is only another bonus; not only do i NOT want to hear "Cut Your Hair" on the radio, his lack of mass appeal may force him to keep making fresh material just to pay the bills (as it were) - and i'll take that any day of the week.

Random thought: If anybody out there knows of or is a youngster who is getting into Radiohead for the first time, explore a bit of the impact of a producer and take a listen to what Nigel Godrich did with "The Hexx" --- more moodiness, less whinniness.

Used to wash dishes at the pizza place I worked in high school while listening to CRCR, and then later rollerbladed with my friends in the parking lot of the pizza place I worked in high school while listening to Wowee Zowee. Later albums lacked the immediacy of those two, presumably because I was no longer working at the pizza place I worked in high school, which felt like the ideal backdrop for Pavement songs.

first listen on npr, the early stuff, 30 absolutely gorgeous songs from before "cut your hair". this very secial band was really ingenious. how they melded abrasive guitars with meandering songs, brittle tunes and a great vocal delivery still leaves me speechless.
The Secret History Vol 1

This is super lazy of me but is there anything on there that isn't on Luxe & Redux?

nope it's all just the bonus stuff from that reish.

ty Tyler!

http://www.vulture.com/2015/08/kannberg-favorite-pavement-songs.html

Spiral picks his 10 favorites.

yeah i don't understand this reissue at all besides ~VINYL~ which i mean hey if it's an excuse for ppl to hear this for the first time, awesome!

I might get the Crooked Rain era one tbh - no way was I ever going to buy the reissues on CD cuz fuck CDs but it'd be nice to have the extras and on vinyl too. the only Pavement vinyl I have is Brighten the Corners and Terror Twilight.

dunno, those pavement CD reissues were great -- not super expensive and loaded w/ good-to-great bonus stuff.

I'm not buying albums I already own on CD again

but an album of extras that I don't own on vinyl, sure

tylerw otm. "CRCR" is, imo, the best of the lot. There's an unreleased track called "All My Friends" that's prob my #1 Pavement song of all time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6JK4p_vnqo

I'm not buying albums I already own on CD again
would generally agree, but paying $12 for almost 2 hrs of bonus material seemed worth the cash.

"All My Friends" is unusual in the sense that a snipped edit of the instrumental ending of it was released as a b-side to "Gold Soundz" as "Exit Theory (edit)"... I wonder why the full track was never released until the reissue?

I kind of like the idea of having this on one collection separated from another album

yeah it makes sense -- though i always thought they should do a complete BBC sessions double LP or something. those things are so fun.
friend just sent me a tape of this summer of 96 show they did during the brighten the corners sessions, where malkmus is just making up lyrics for all of their new songs. a total blast.

x-post

Exit Theory (Edit) is on the same single as my all time favourite Pavement song, Strings of Nashville.

that's a really good list that spiral chose. some of my very faves in there.

hmmm few too many spiral songs though

i'm aok with this existing and would def consider buying vol. 2 if vinyl was my primary mode of listening, but it's weird they're promoting this as a new album named THE SECRET HISTORY when its a reissue of widely available stuff

No reason to buy this, but man these are some great songs. Song for song, this band's B sides were almost as good as their album tracks

100% dud

This tweet from a couple of months ago hit too close to home.

http://i.imgur.com/o9tXyLo.png

O_____O

Fuk

Haha 13 yrs is what I think of the original "S & E" coming out

"Yeah came out in the early 90s dude, that was like, I dunno 13 yrs ago right?"

Knew most of these, and leaves some out, but pretty cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaR6ljTK6c

Huh never noticed the croce or sly bits before lol

where's that video of Mark "E" Smith pissing his pants

Off the top of my head, missing are Raspberry Beret/Cut Your Hair and Hip Priest/Our Singer, but I'm curious about other ones....

Also, I'm guessing that "nyah nyah nya nya nya" predates the sly bit?

Ring around the rosie

Stop Breathin' =
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VmM8qRRLwU

No Tan Lines = And Your Bird Can Sing

Buddy Holly one is a stretch

the silence kit melody is almost note for note "Everyday," I thought everybody knew that