flappy bird - you listened to the last two albums? common opinion is all 'the early, cool, sloppy Pavement was great; the later stuff where they could play their instruments and got fancy producers to make them sound like Radiohead is dud' and I pretty much disagree with that. Much as I love Crooked Rain, I think there's just as much to be enjoyed about Terror Twilight and Brighten the Corners as there is from S&E, probably more. They weren't the same band, but who wants the same band?
― Badgers (dog latin), Thursday, 8 February 2018 13:37 (six years ago) link
but this is how literally every Pavement thread in the history of the Internet goes
― Badgers (dog latin), Thursday, 8 February 2018 14:05 (six years ago) link
I wasted all my 20s and a good chunk of my 30s too, and I didn't even have to get married to Spiral Stairs.
― pplains, Thursday, 8 February 2018 14:10 (six years ago) link
life is a waste of time. been a pavement fan since crooked rain -- saw the tour as a very young chap. first two malkmus solo albums are his peak imho
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 8 February 2018 14:46 (six years ago) link
Yeah not fighting against consensus at all but:
S/E - Fascinating debutCR/CR - Near perfect ideal of an indie-rock albumWZ - Their best albumBTC - Their most underrated albumTT - accurately rated mild disappointment
But I think Brighten The Corners is the one most overdue for a reappraisal. It's a fantastic late '90s rock album with a character all its own, even if it's not exactly what I come to a Pavement album looking for.
― Evan R, Thursday, 8 February 2018 17:59 (six years ago) link
Love love love Brighten the Corners
― It's not delivery, it's Adorno! (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:00 (six years ago) link
flappy IMO in order to "get" S&E you need to listen to Demolition Plot J-& and Perfect Sound Forever, both of which I prefer and both of which were a big factor in the massive hype for the debut album. then jam out to "No Life Singed Her" and see if it clicks.
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:01 (six years ago) link
co-sign that too- transport is arranged is one of my favorite pavement songs. the B-sides from around then are fun too
― global tetrahedron, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:05 (six years ago) link
Gonna descent b/c I think if Flappy doesn't get S&E he's absolutely going to HATE 90% of that early stuff, which is really disjointed and not at all the "Grounded"-y songwriting fix he's looking for.
My suggestion is check out the live 1992 concert on the second disc of the S&E reissue, which dresses up a lot of those rough early songs with some alt-rock showmanship. This version of "Home" is so completely my shit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgJ4SSbSJ6o
― Evan R, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:11 (six years ago) link
Stick your fingers in my mouth / Pull my lips back WATCH ME SMILE
― Evan R, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:14 (six years ago) link
hmph "Debris Slide" is far from disjointed (again, imo, but come on)
I found S&E and CRCR a total letdown after those glorious EPs, the only other record I like as much the early stuff is WZ.
― sleeve, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:20 (six years ago) link
will not dispute the glory of "Debris Slide"
― Evan R, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:27 (six years ago) link
If you love “Grounded,” Brighten the Corners is certainly the closest thing to a whole album of Groundeds, and the expanded edition has more good stuff along the same lines. It’s my favorite Pavement album, though the almost invariably slow tempo takes some getting used to.
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:52 (six years ago) link
I for one also adore Transport Is Arranged. Listened to it last week and I still can't get it out of my head.
With recent events, the lyrics have changed in my head to "Praise the GAMMON police..."
― kraudive, Thursday, 8 February 2018 18:54 (six years ago) link
What's weird is that I have internalized Standard Critical Discourse enough to think of S&E and Crooked as "the classic Pavement albums" but if I actually contemplate my listening habits, in the last 10 years I've played Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners 5x more than either of those. "Transport is Arranged," "Stereo," "We Are Underused" are three of their greatest songs.
But of course, yes, "Debris Slide," that is majesty.
(I don't care about "Box Elder" anymore though!)
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 8 February 2018 19:01 (six years ago) link
I was always a little sad they didn't ever try to go the Perfect Depth route / style ever again. Wonderful noise rock.
― kraudive, Thursday, 8 February 2018 19:04 (six years ago) link
I just find the early stuff a bit hard on the ears. I don't mind 'lo-fi' but I'm just not into harshness, and I just don't think the songs are as good. Crooked Rain has incredible songwriting, as does BTC. Might mean something that BTC was the first album I heard and the one that got me into them.
― Badgers (dog latin), Thursday, 8 February 2018 19:29 (six years ago) link
"Grounded" (in its original state) was left off of Crooked Rain, then rerecorded for BTC. There is nothing even close to it on BTC.
That said, I also think it's pretty overrated... 4+ minutes of 3 chords with a cool intro/outro and a weak chorus (?)... it's basically "Summer Babe pt. 2".
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 8 February 2018 19:53 (six years ago) link
^^^...then rerecorded for BTC WZ
that post started so well...
― Roberto Spiralli, Thursday, 8 February 2018 20:14 (six years ago) link
it's not overrated, you just don't like it
also, it's 'fight this generation' that's "summer babe pt 2"
― brimstead, Thursday, 8 February 2018 20:15 (six years ago) link
pavement threads on ILM are reliably weird.
― tylerw, Thursday, 8 February 2018 20:46 (six years ago) link
whether or not you dig WZ (I also think it's their best) the whole thing just SOUNDS so good
― Entrepreneurial Jism Unshackler (Hadrian VIII), Thursday, 8 February 2018 21:20 (six years ago) link
sounds like fondue or an electric blanket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azEy4OUeZs4
the Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode where Pavement is introduced as The Beatles is pretty classic
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 8 February 2018 23:02 (six years ago) link
hell yeaThe jam they do at the end is a bonus cut on the BTC reissue
― brimstead, Friday, 9 February 2018 00:19 (six years ago) link
Yeah not fighting against consensus at all but:S/E - Fascinating debutCR/CR - Near perfect ideal of an indie-rock albumWZ - Their best albumBTC - Their most underrated albumTT - accurately rated mild disappointmentBut I think Brighten The Corners is the one most overdue for a reappraisal. It's a fantastic late '90s rock album with a character all its own, even if it's not exactly what I come to a Pavement album looking for.― Evan R, Thursday, February 8, 2018 5:59 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Evan R, Thursday, February 8, 2018 5:59 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^^ This
― Steve Reich In The Afternoon (Against The 80s), Friday, 9 February 2018 09:50 (six years ago) link
New Malkmus & Jicks track sounds like a lovely lost Pavement B-side
https://open.spotify.com/album/2NSpjbEnOdNMJU9F2ELEgF
Just came here to post that. Think it's the best (or at least most acceptable) thing he's released in a very long time. Reminds me of Major Leagues, one of my favourite Pave ballads
― Badgers (dog latin), Friday, 9 February 2018 10:08 (six years ago) link
I like Brighten The Corners, not really a TT fan though. Transport is Arranged is one of my favourite Pavement songs. I really don't like Shady Lane though which seems to be a fan favourite.
― Colonel Poo, Friday, 9 February 2018 10:31 (six years ago) link
dang going through my old bookmarks has inspired me to listen to "Brighten the Corners" today. I always think of it as one of the albums I'm not as familiar with but then I put it on and know every song inside and out. I also COMPLETELY forgot how fucking good "Old To Begin" is.
― the masseduction of lauryn hill (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 8 March 2018 14:39 (six years ago) link
Classic top to bottom
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 8 March 2018 15:21 (six years ago) link
Brighten The Corners is probably my favourite Pavement album, its one of those albums that instantly reminds me of a specific time of my life. My girlfriend at the time had parents who owned an independent record store, so I got to tape a copy a few weeks pre-release and played it to death. Pavement did a UK tour about a week before the album actually came out and (being a cheeky twat) I took it with me and the whole band were happy to sign it, top geezers.
― raise my chicken finger (Willl), Thursday, 8 March 2018 15:34 (six years ago) link
I was so underwhelmed by Brighten the Corners that I sold it—not usual, being a broke kid in the '90s meant constantly selling old CDs to buy new ones—but like half a year later I bought it back and it was one of my favs for years afterward. Been ages since I've listened to it start to finish though.
― Evan R, Thursday, 8 March 2018 16:30 (six years ago) link
lol i have basically the same history with BTC. bought it around 98, listened to it several times and was bored.slapped it on a couple years later and was like "ok wtf every song here is great"
― brimstead, Thursday, 8 March 2018 17:54 (six years ago) link
Was my first Pavement album but would suggest it as an entry point due it's slow-medium tempos for much of it. Was there a reason given for Harness Your Hopes being a b-side? And even then, why did it wait until the following album releases for it to come out?
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 8 March 2018 19:18 (six years ago) link
Now here are the best albums, ranked.
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 August 2018 01:32 (five years ago) link
brighten the corners is fine. it's fine! it is not better than crooked rain
― mookieproof, Monday, 27 August 2018 01:50 (five years ago) link
LOL – I’m not even clicking
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Monday, 27 August 2018 01:53 (five years ago) link
me neither, not after mookie's comment
― alpine static, Monday, 27 August 2018 02:04 (five years ago) link
It's all the same album, dudes.
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 August 2018 02:05 (five years ago) link
lol what
― k3vin k., Monday, 27 August 2018 02:17 (five years ago) link
the #1 is otm though
― k3vin k., Monday, 27 August 2018 02:19 (five years ago) link
great TT blurb
― k3vin k., Monday, 27 August 2018 02:22 (five years ago) link
thanks
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 August 2018 02:32 (five years ago) link
tough to get worked up about a ranking of.....five albums
― call all destroyer, Monday, 27 August 2018 02:33 (five years ago) link
That's the fun part. It's like arguing about Joy Division.
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 August 2018 02:36 (five years ago) link
I wonder if someday I'll go back to Terror Twilight and really *feel* it the way I do the other four records.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 27 August 2018 03:22 (five years ago) link
BTC gone down and TT gone up in my estimation throughout the years.
Too much mid-paced torpor on BTC and I really like the shiny Godrich production on TT now.
― . (Michael B), Monday, 27 August 2018 08:09 (five years ago) link
Don't agree Alfred re your low ranking of Crooked Rain, nor your take on "Cut Your Hair."
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 August 2018 14:44 (five years ago) link