Pavement Discography Review
 

You saw this one coming, or maybe you didn't, but either way it's here: The Pavement Discography Review. Pavement is one of the most legendary and consistently classic bands to come out of the 90s. If you thinkt Radiohead has a tight 90s discography, just wait till you touch the records here.

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Lead genius Stephen Malkmus brought an instantly recognizable voice and attitude to a band that was more punk than anything else at the time, more rock than the grunge bands that passed themselves as such, and to top it all off with a cherry and sprinkles, the lyrics are often hilariously nonsensical and (in later efforts) even psychedelic. But no element that Pavement adopted ever out stayed its welcome, which is what makes each and everyone of their albums a favourite, especially their first three studio albums.

As usual, I'll focus on the studio albums because nobody cares about the live stuff. I will go out of my way to review live albums if they're requested here.

I'll start my review of Slanted & Enchanted tomorrow.

I look forward to this journal, as beyond Slanted & Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain I'm an idiot when it comes to Pavement. Though I hear those are the only two necessities, I suppose I'll find out with your journal :thumb:

I've got a copy of Slanted and Enchanted lying around somewhere, but apart from that I know virtually nowt about Pavement. They're definitely a band that intrigues me though, so I'll be keeping an eye on this one. Looking forward to some reviews man.

Awesome Roygbiv, Pavement never fail to entertain me. Even Terror Twilight.

I know nothing about Pavement though I have a brilliant version of The Verlaines Death And The Maiden being covered by Malkmus on a Flying Nun DVD I have.

I'm with Bulldog, looking forward to this and being educated.

I tried and tried to like Pavement. I just couldn't do it.

Pavement is probably my favorite 90's band. Their whole discography is great (except Terror Twilight), but nonetheless definately more consistent than the vast majority. Will you also be reviewing EP's and Compilations such as 'Watery, Domestic' or 'Westing (By Musket and Sextant)'?

I might have some trouble finding those in this city but if you own them already, or know anyone who does ;) then do hook me up.

Nice, I'm looking forward to this Roygbiv. I'm with 4ZZZ and Bulldog, I haven't ever tried to get into Pavement at all but I've heard so many good things about them.

The culmination of all their weird experimentation up to that point, Slanted & Enchanted is also heavily influenced by noise rock and the then niche lo-fi music scene (some may argue that ever since Slanted, lo-fi production skyrocketed from complete obscurity to underground darling). Realized by now indie rock legend Stephen Malkmus, guitarist Spiral Stairs (aka Scott Kannberg), bassist Mark Ibold, and one time drummer Gary Young (whose antics would inspire Pavement’s third album title, Wowee Zowee), Slanted’s success proved that lo-fi could step beyond its pre-conceived boundaries, that punk didn’t need to be derivative, and that one could be both cerebral and nonsensical at once. By not adhering to the dominant grunge scene that Nirvana accidentally up heaved, Pavement gave voice and shape to a generation of individuals who felt like they deserved more choices than their parent’s classic rock LPs or sharing the grunge sound with the jean jacket wearing meatheads.

Slanted & Enchanted was a punk geek’s dream. It’s piercing guitars and tight-as-hell rhythm section conjure an incredibly powerful platform for Stephen Malkmus to go vocally and lyrically bananas. The lyrics are catchy and singable, unforgettable from first listen, and the rhythms are jump in the air and bang your head danceable. Although the album is predominantly filled with charismatic bursts of energy, there’s some down time as well. “Zurich is Stained” and “Here,” are the two more relaxed and [fortunately] stronger tracks on the album, proving that Pavement had complete control of their craft even in their first full length outing. That’s the reason why Slanted & Enchanted isn’t a throwaway record, because the band never had more fun nor sounded as energetic without sacrificing density and purpose.

The band will later refine their sound, Stephen Malkmus will become more hilarious, and they’ll diversify, but while succeeding efforts are more ambitious, there’s not one album besides Slanted that the fans agree on Pavement having gotten everything right. Slanted & Enchanted provides a worthwhile and sometimes life changing listening experience for fans of jangle heavy music and those who want to be fans jangle heavy music. Pavement will never sound this unlidded ever again.

9.7/10

I had nothing better to do. I didn't see why I should wait till tomorrow : P

Slanted and Enhanced is probably their most praised album, and one of my favorites. A lot of people didn't like Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain because I think they believe it was too different from Slanted and Enhanced and they did lose a lot of their lo-fi sound. However, when I think of these two albums I chose not to compare them to each other like I believe so many people do, and respect them both in different ways. I'm happy you talked about "cut your hair" that being my favorite song on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, but I don't really know how I feel about it that musically and how much musical merit that song actually has. What is your opinion?

I look forward to what you are going to say about terror twilight.

"Cut Your Hair" is a fun song to listen to and a perfect song to introduce your friends to. No matter how great Pavement were they wouldn't have a definitive hit if it weren't for "Cut Your Hair," and as a song that blends the past with their sound at the time it's not just a throwaway hit, either, so I like it. I love it, I think it's necessary.

That's my thought on Cut Your Hair.

I have plenty of good things lined up for Terror Twilight. Hold on tight : )

good call on CR, especially the last paragraph. Wowee Zowee lived up to the debut's promise most IMO, i have no more opinions on Pavement for now lol

I think credence should be paid to the way they have handled the reissues of their albums as well, I think they are up to Terror Twilight now... you get a fat booklet of art (you know, Malkmus ripping off early Fall album covers), interviews and self-congratulatory Malky liner notes and sh*t ... plus a second disc with Peel Sessions/b-sides/live/outtakes etc... actually the extra disc of Crooked Rain is probably better than the album :p:

edit: i don't work for matador

Keyword is good I'm hoping. That album gets a lot of flack, but it's still a great listen.

Edit: I love the reissues Molecules! It fills the gaps in my Pavement collection quite nicely.

When i got the reissues of Wowee Zowee and Slanted and Enchanted i almost didn't open the packaging because they looked too nice. I did though and the extra discs are great, especially for Slanted.

Wowee Zowee is my fave, due to it's length and and the fact its all over the place i just can't get bored of it. Also has their undisputably best song, Grounded. Followed by Flux=Rad, which is just mad.

great minds think alike :beer: Although the reissue of Wowee still eludes me *insert pic of baby clenching fist here*

I don't know about everyone else but I can see this band reforming to play 'Slanted...' in it's entirety at All Tomorrow's Parties at some point. It's just a statistical certainty.

I do hope so. That album is epic great. Also, I agree with molly about the extra tracks of Wowee :usehead: It's my fave pavement album so I've only bought Wowee's reissue so far, but I'll judge once I've listened to all the reissued stuffs.

Pavement’s most challenged, ambitious, hilarious, and worthwhile album reflects the band’s past antics while hinting at their future sound, the spawn of which are 18 eccentric tracks and the band’s absolute musical pinnacle. They will never write anything wilder and weirder than Wowee Zowee.

A number of great things happened whilst recording Wowee Zowee: Stephen Malkmus aged and decided it was time to be spontaneous, trading an immediate musical follow-up to their successful Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain with something “less bass heavy, compared to CR, CR, for the sake of variety” (Malkmus himself). The result iss one of the best guitar albums of the 90s – no kidding. Songs like “Rattled By The Rush,” “Grounded” and “AT & T” have some of the most perfect licks of the era, while grungier, punkier numbers “Serpentine Pad” and “Flux = Rad” exemplify the power of a bone crunching guitar. In between you have sombre tracks “We Dance,” “Black Out,” and “Motion Suggests Itself” – altogether you get a pretty random playlist of tracks, and a first listen could be frustrating.

Its seeming randomness is why some fans and critics discarded the album, but those fans weren’t listening closely. The song progression is, in fact, perfect for this reason: Every track carries the weight of the former and the following, building momentum. They play off each-other, making for a much more engaging listen. That’s the reason why Wowee Zowee is their best album, because it exemplifies everything that Pavement was at the time and what they would sound like afterward. It does so with some excellent pacing, plenty of eccentricity and hilarity that make for an engaging experience.

As for the outtakes and EP tracks released with the reissue, it's an interesting listen. You can see just how wrong everything could have gone if the band had not revised the song progression over and over again. It's amazing to see how disastrous Wowee Zowee could have turned out, and how volatile - and thus exciting - the album really is.

:tramp:
Great review, you actually hit the nail on the head - a record that only makes sense in it's own wonky reality, made to be heard in one sitting. How can a band sound so off-balance and out of time whilst being tight and professional?
I have no idea but the clean production on this enhances the songwriting more so than CR,CR, IMO.
I have really fond memories of this album, not exciting enough to recount for strangers but significant to me. Happy songs.

Used to think the artwork was waste but I'm really fond of it now. Pavement?

Wowee Zowee should have had one more point than Slanted & Enchanted.

Rating them the same to me is a bit of a cop out in my own twisted logic ;)

Y'know, I thought that too, and then I realized that they both do the exact same thing - they define the band at two opposite points in their careers. One of them is flawless in its cohesive, punky statement and the other is flawless in its absurdity. Both Slanted and Wowee are equally great points to start from if you haven't heard anything by Pavement prior :)

I'm especially liking this discography review you have going so far, Roygbiv. I'm actually looking into Pavement's first album right this moment.

I'm honoured you found my review helpful. Give Slanted some time - it's not the most accessible album of all time, but there's incredible depth to discover.

The pattern so far: Pavement’s second album sounded nothing like their debut, and their third album sounded nothing like their second album, instead sharing the same philosophy and energy as their debut. Brighten The Corners, Pavement’s most underrated album, once again skips influences to sound as refined as their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain as opposed to its predecessor, Wowee Zowee. This makes the album more accessible, but less dense than Slanted & Enchanted and Wowee Zowee.

The reason why it’s so underrated is due to its derivative approach and mostly predictable moments. I say mostly because nobody will see some of the album’s jokes coming, especially in album opener “Stereo,” hands down Pavement’s most hilarious track, ever. But while Wowee Zowee would consistently keep a smile on your face, slowly unravelling its madness as the years go by, the fun moments in Brighten The Corners are few and far between and insubstantial, making for a very funny first few listens but it just doesn’t hold a candle of longetivity.

Anyways, here’s why I think it’s an underrated album: despite its generally derivative nature, the album is filled with hooks and singable verses the same way Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was, albeit more prominently, but unlike CR, CR, Brighten the Corners is much, much more cohesive, making for an easier listen-through.

It doesn’t have the lasting appeal that Wowee Zowee has, nor does it have the immediate hooks that Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain has, and it doesn’t sound like Slanted & Enchanted both in terms of production and attitude, so Brighten The Corners sits comfortably in a grey area, allowing the listener to shape-shift it to their liking, thinking whatever they of from it. If it I was a kid in high school it would be a subtly hilarious but mostly shy freshman that is just too nice to fight back the school bullies. It’s a sweet album, but it gets lost within Pavement’s more confident musical statements.

I went through the album twice and still feel I've barely touched the surface of Slanted, there's definitely alot going for it. I was meaning to check Pavement out years ago, but that meaning had been rusted in the back of my head. @_@

If you need any of the albums I can sort that out for ya.:beer:

I listened to Slanted & Enchanted a couple times today. I like what I heard but it didn't necessarily blow me away and I'm not sure if it will grow on me. I'm going to give Crooked Rain a try in a few days, which will hopefully give me a better idea of them.

Trust me, that's what happened to me when I started listening to it. Then it became my favourite album until the same thing happened to me with Wowee Zowee. Pavement is just that kind of band. Give it weeks when songs start popping into your head randomly.

I wouldn't mind, but by what means are we talking here?

I already own the albums, so I would send them to you.

eh, I see why you are trying to justify this album being rated higher than it is, and I went and gave it a re-listen attempting to see it from your point. I still feel that this album compared to other ones falls flat. And I think it is the predictability that you pointed out. I appreciate this album for the fact that it helps people who otherwise could not get into pavement get into the magic of their songs. And I do like listening to this album, the song Date with Ikea comes to mind. But I just don't feel like it is deserving of a 9.2 when being compared to their other albums.


Just as a side note, all your reviews have been very interesting to read.

The reason I rated it higher than 9 is because it's not a complete compromise in their sound. It's an album of subtleties as opposed to surprises (Wowee Zowee), hooks (Crooked Rain) or energy (Slanted). Pavement without Brighten The Corners just wouldn't feel as well rounded a band, not as diverse, as they do with it. Somewhere along the 8 scale would have been more fitting in retrospect, but I think it deserves a 9.2. I think people should consider it more seriously.

After Terror Twilight, I'll adjust the scores when comparing each album with the other. You'll see the scores change drastically.

Pavement have never made the exact same statement twice. That’s the biggest problem with Terror Twilight. It’s not a departure from Brighten The Corner’s subtle and derivative indie rock, it’s a refinement, a continuation of its ideas. As such it feels like a redundant, unnecessary album. But Terror Twilight does have a few saving features.

First, despite losing Spiral Stairs’s guitar, Pavement haven’t entirely lost their guitar-driven sound, but they have lost their attitude. No longer are wonky, zany heavy hitters like Stereo and Brinx Job part of the itinierary, and with them gone is the usual wordplay hilarity that accompany them. Terror Twilight does have “Carrot Rope,” but the more the listener tries to pass it off as a Pavement song, the more it sounds like a medley of forgettable Saturday morning radio hits that could have been sung by almost any other. Despite this, it’s the perfect album closer, the perfect period to one of the most intriguing discographies of the era. There are some memorable tracks, most notably the opener “Spit On A Stranger” and its somnambulant chorus, “You Are A Light” and the aforementioned “Carrot Rope,” the latter an essential listen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter whether we compare Terror Twilight to all other Pavement releases or let it stand on its own. It will still be a forgettable album. Here's an interesting note: Johnny Greenwood, genius behind Radiohead's constant depth, appears in two of the tracks, "Platform Blues" and "Billie," which is interesting since Nigel Godrich helped produce the album (he would later help produce Radiohead's Kid A). You can hear an unmistakibly similar static burst at the beginning of both Pavement's "You Are A Light" and Radiohead's "The National Anthem."

Truth is, though the album gives an impression of general exhaustion, it’s still a nice goodbye, a “thanks-for-all-the-memories” kind of departure. What Terror Twilight says in Pavement’s behalf is that the band has given up, and that they have explored every sonic landscape that makes sense to a band of their caliber. If there’s one thing you must absolutely do with this album is to not discard it until you’ve listened to it while driving within the “short span between sunset and dusk; this is considered the most dangerous time in traffic, because half of the people switch on the headlights, and the other half doesn't. It's when most accidents happen" (Bob Nastanovich), also known as Terror Twilight. Maybe that will make Pavement exciting again.

Pavement is coming up close on my list of bands to get the discography of, which is why I love discography reviews. This is really going to help me look out for aspects I may have not noticed before, and kudos for all the hard work you've done. Very much appreciated. I'll definitely be back often.

Thanks ^_^
It actually means a million to me. Download the Greatest Hits package I've compiled and see what sound you prefer, and then read the actual review of the album to see if you'd like to take the time to listen to it. I can help you get a hold of any of the albums if you want.

Well, lately I've had to focus mostly on schoolwork (I'm on home-study basically and am determined to graduate before the middle of April) and in my free time mostly I've been listening to PJ Harvey preparing for my first concert, today actually. BUT I worked my ass off yesterday to have this morning off, so I'm going to download your greatest hits package right now, just to get a taste. And then I can spend time after the concert focusing on Pavement (I'll have em by tomorrow) like I was with Harvey.

Actually, I'd love to hear some PJ Harvey. Where should I start? Maybe we can work on a discography review together.

In the meantime, enjoy the greatest hits! And have fun in your first concert, seriously. I remember my first concert, aaaah. :wavey: