Title: Crooked rain, crooked rain
Artiste: Pavement
Year: 1994
Chronological position: Second album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Zero
Why is this considered a classic? Cos Surell says so!
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good
One track in --- Good
Halfway through --- Good
Finished --- Good
Comments: There’s been some recent discussion as to which of Pavement’s albums I should listen to, and I can’t say as I have never even heard of them before. But Surell asked me to listen to this one, so I’m honouring that request despite some attempts to change my mind. Nice driving rhythm to start us off with a heavy striding guitar, and the vocal then reminds me of early Bono (shut up) … which gets a little on my nerves rather quickly I must admit. I don’t like “Stop breathin’” much; the sort of off-tune guitar is a little annoying. Mind you, the guitar interlude in the middle is quite nice, and sort of makes up for it. Yeah but then it goes out of tune again. Teeth grinding.
“Newark wilder” is a nice tune, low-key, laidback, sort of like something the Eagles would do in their bluesier moments maybe, nice keys on it. “Unfair”’s good too, lot more energy to it, good riffs, but I don’t know; maybe I’m just getting harder to please. I’m not feeling it here at all. The jazzy Waits-style piano instrumental doesn’t help, though “Range life” does. I really like this one. Definitely my favourite so far. “Heaven is a truck” is pretty good too. Looks like they saved the better material for nearer the end of the album.
Ah, but then “Hit the plane down” is another teeth-grinder, bloody hate it, which leaves us with one more track, thankfully finishing on a high note with a nice lazy almost acoustic ballad.
Favourite track(s): Silence kid, Newark wilder, Range life, Heaven is a truck, Fillmore jive
Least favourite track(s): 5-4=Unity, Gold soundz, Cut your hair, Hit the plane down
Final impression --- At times I didn’t care, at other times it was an ordeal. There were some bright spots but not enough for me to have considered this a positive experience. I wouldn’t say I hated it but I certainly did not love it.
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it
I think I would have to say E at this point.
