CROOKED RAIN CROOKED POLL

after much deliberation it's 'unfair':

1. the hills of beverly
2. walk with your credit card in the air
3. (best) this is the slow sick sucking part of me

honourable mention to 'stop breathin' for 'dad they broke me' and the long guitar ending.

what a great album. totally gives the lie to the idea of a 'difficult' second album: after S&E's eager to please edginess, CRCR sounded so damned relaxed and easy that I couldn't help but let it take over my listening life. the songs were great live too. loved when they did 5-4 note for note. but 'cut your hair' was worst choice for a first off single.

I always wondered if, when Matador recieved the master tape, did they KNOW it was gonna be a huge indie classic / rite of passage kinda album? Or was it business as usual?

Man I love this album, it's everything I once loved and eventually grew to hate about this band.

but 'cut your hair' was worst choice for a first off single.

Are you serious? It's the most obvious single in the band's entire discography! It actually WAS a hit!

"Raynge Lyffe" for me. But ya know, "5-4=Unity" is that outré of a choice. It's easy the most polychromatic thing on the record - Capt. Beefheart's "Sue Egypt" as performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Fitting, then, that James Carter et al. felt compelled to jazz up their songbook.

"Elevate Me Later" is a great name for a song. I love how it sounds like one massive raised eyebrow.

"5-4=Unity" ISN'T that outré of a choice.

i voted for 'gold soundz'
really lush sounding as far as pavement goes
fantastic record this one. doesn't really strike a dull chord

but 'cut your hair' was worst choice for a first off single.

Are you serious? It's the most obvious single in the band's entire discography! It actually WAS a hit!

-- Mr. Perpetua, Tuesday, 4 September 2007 12:00 (4 hours ago) Link

yes i'm serious. we must disagree on what makes a single obvious because i'd have picked any of the other tracks on the album as a single before that one.....

well, maybe not 5-4

stop breathin.

used to be elev8 but now its plain ol gold soundaz

just put this on ITunes, and while its nice to hear it again after many many years, I'm struck by how old Steve West is so fond of that lil shuffle he does it nearly every tune (the upbeat ones). and my gawd, is he ever sluggish!

as much as I like the songs on CRCR more than any other they done, its had a pernicious affect on indie rock, vis-a-vis most bands don't have groovin' drummers. But then, I'm kinda a single issue voter with drummers…

yes i'm serious. we must disagree on what makes a single obvious because i'd have picked any of the other tracks on the album as a single before that one.....

None of the other tracks have an "ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh" hook, and a hook like that = single.

Malky's tear in the film clip cracks me up. Tried to find a jpg, but couldn't ;_;

It took me a long time to get into Gold Soundz to be honest. I found it a bit cheesy at first, and I hate it when the title of a song is sung within its first line.

it's all good (except for hit the plane down), but i'd like to invite you to a taste of my chalice--it's a special one, it's made of gold

Elevate me Later.

I loved this album to death. I still think it's great.

None of the other tracks have an "ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh" hook, and a hook like that = single.

Yeah, I agree. I'm really baffled as to why someone would pick ALL other CRCR songs (save for "5-4=Unity") for a first single before "Cut Your Hair." If the point of a single is to promote the album with the catchiest cut or to choose a song amenable for a (great) video and for radio, then the only other contender is "Range Life." And it's still not as good a choice as "Cut Your Hair." It may not be the best song on the album. It may not even be a good song at all (though I'm not saying that). But it made perfect sense as first single.

I'd like to hear how the other songs are more singley (and FIRST singley at that) than "Cut Your Hair."

Newark Wilder

followed by Stop Breathing... but that rad outro y'all are referring to is a direct lift from Can's "Sing Swan Song" off Ege Bemyasi.

also Mr. Perpetua, your OCD penchant for singles choices and song names is still rather annoying even after all this time.

those 'oohs' are shite

You still don't get it.

i get the point, thanks. i just still don't like the fckg song all that much.

Will anyone make a case for "Heaven Is A Truck?"

I always thought this woulda fit right in on Wowee Zowee. It sorta pre-empts "Grounded," to my ears...

i just still don't like the fckg song all that much.

Ah ok, that's what it was. Well, fortunately for Pavement, you weren't working for Matador at the time.

Man, you know it's not even the "oooh oooh oooh oooh" hook -- the very first time I heard the song, it was a tiny clip on MTV of just the "I remember lying, I don't remember a line, I don't remember a word, but I don't care, I care, I really don't care" part and I was hooked in immediately.

And also "career-yuh! Korea!" Hook begat hook begat hook. No brainer single choice or no, it's a great song. Even greater video (maybe best ever).

Write it on a postcard...

tough one, but i went range life.
they're foxy to me, are they foxy to you?

this album was my introduction to Pavement, still love it. i was driving back to Los Angeles from San Francisco with five other friends. we were all into music so we each picked a CD (or two) for the ride home. my friend Mike pulls out a cassette, tells us that he just got this album and that we will probably all hate it. it was only about an hour into our ride home but after awhile we stopped talking and just listened, then we played it again.

went with "Range Life"

I had to listen to this album on the way to work today to be able to vote. So so many great songs. It's not an original choice but I gotta go with Cut Yr Hair.

Elevate Me Later

i just still don't like the fckg song all that much.

Ah ok, that's what it was. Well, fortunately for Pavement, you weren't working for Matador at the time.

-- Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 09:59 (Yesterday) Link

yeah, like i was saying i wished i'd been there choosing the first single off the album........you patronising tosser. fortunately for pavement i still bought their singles even if the a-side was lame, cos i was a fan and i liked their music.

a song's hook alone (e.g. ooh) doesn't make it a good song, let alone a good single.

I voted for hit the plane down just because I never really thought of the song too much until I saw all of the insane irrational hate for it here.

I have insane irrational hate for Silence Kit

whatever, "Cut Your Hair" was THE song that got me into Pavement in the first place. Whether you think its good or not, it did just what it was intended to do. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

It must be such a burden to have more refined tastes than everyone else.

It's not the fucking ooohs-- it's the lyrics, it's the way they make it work despite never changing the chord progression, it's that it's the best example of the mocking seriousness about rock that makes this album so goddamn wonderful.

a song's hook alone (e.g. ooh) doesn't make it a good song, let alone a good single.

I never said a hook alone makes a good single (and I was never talking about "Cut Your Hair" as a song, good or bad). But once you unruffle your feathers, please let us know what you think makes a good single. Seriously. I want to know.

arrrgggghhhhh

Newark Wilder is my fave Pavement song ever, OK tied with "We Dance"

that last "stuff me" is like all of INDIE stuufed into one second of song

whatever, "Cut Your Hair" was THE song that got me into Pavement in the first place. Whether you think its good or not, it did just what it was intended to do. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

It must be such a burden to have more refined tastes than everyone else.

Johnny Fever, great you love the song and it got you into the band, but you're misreading me if you think i'm trying to say my taste in pavement is "more refined" than "everyone else"'s. i love(d) the band and (especially) this album, but out of the 12 tracks on it I'd take 11 of them before 'cut your hair'. it's personal preference, not point-scoring.

I never said a hook alone makes a good single (and I was never talking about "Cut Your Hair" as a song, good or bad). But once you unruffle your feathers, please let us know what you think makes a good single. Seriously. I want to know.

-- Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, September 6, 2007 11:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

kevin, i've no idea what makes a good single per se. popular ones apparently sell well. the ones that sell well are apparently popular.

laurie anderson - o superman; bob dylan - like a rolling stone;
elvis presley - hound dog; althea & donna - uptown top ranking. all popular singles, but what is the point in trying to work out what common ground they share other than acknowledging their chart success?

music isn't maths. duke ellington said "if it sounds good it is good", and only half of that is right.

why did i make this poll so long

anyway, I went with elevate

Will anyone make a case for "Heaven Is A Truck?"

I always thought this woulda fit right in on Wowee Zowee. It sorta pre-empts "Grounded," to my ears...

I thought this too as Wowee Zowee has so much half-done mediocrity on it.

I'm seriously torn... nah I'll just have to skip this one, every single track on CR, CR is beyond perfect so it would be a total waste of my breath

페이브먼트짱!!!!

This is incredibly difficult.

Two weeks ago I listened to this for the first time in a year and have probably listened to it ten times since.

Eh fuck it, Gold Soundz it is.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

im tired of all the POLLS

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

Wow! I didn't see this coming.

inneresting results, laidbacktrax have it