Pavement:Classic or Dud

I can sum up Pavement with a few words: run-on sentences, inside-jokes (which, unfortunately are never explained), sloppy jams hovering somewhere between self-mocking angst and slacker apathy culminating in complacency.

Something about them was unique at one time, but not terribly more unique than several other bands of the same era. And, is it just me, or does Steve have NO RANGE?!

That being said, I think Pavement are okay for summer music ("Summer babe"...) but Steve's starting to wear out his welcome in my eardrums.

I like the ballads, I think - "Here", "We Dance". Ask me in ten years.

I appreciate the Fall's virulence, to hark back to an obvious predecessor, to Pavement's mere quirkiness. Compared to the bile Mark E. can drop from his lips, the endlessly quoted putdowns from "Range Life" seem completely wimpy and pointless.

"Slanted.." is the only album that I play regularly, and I admit it's good, as is half of "Wowee Zowee". They CAN be almost great ("Summer Babe", "Here", "Father to a Sister of a Thought"), but seem content to pad out releases with half-arsed Pavement-by-numbers material. Or should that be Fall-by-numbers?

I lost interest by "Brighten the Corners" when it was clear that they could only do one thing, and we're probably going to do it for ever.

They make me bob my head and laugh and feel good - which is the whole of the point of Pavement (as far as I see it). And...job well-done.

'Crooked Rain, Crooken Rain' is simply brilliant in it's slackerisms. And is in my top 3 (maybe even THE) summer album list. Already have listened to it many times this very summer period and will surely listen to it many more times (as I have for past summers). It still hasn't lost it's charms on me (not come summer time, at least). Last summer, a younger cousin of mine got married. And...I played 'Crooked Rain' loud as I drove there and back as the perfect soundtrack to all that has been slacked in my young, but getting old, life. Worked perfectly for that "I'm 30. What do I have to show for it?" mood when you just want to say "Fuck it all. I'm going driving in search of some far off land of fairies and hot cocoa." (fine, maybe that's just me, but)

'Woowee Zowee' is good in many spots (nix the forced "punk" tracks). And Malkmus solo album is a solid summer album (for the most part). The rest...I don't care too much for, but. 'Crooked Rain' makes up for the rest alone.

It being Preston, Lancashire would have fitted Pavement's rather tiresome Anglophile image, I suppose.

well because your vitriol for the indie bands you don't like is so potent! but what people don't realize is that this is only because a True Indie Rock Player cannot tolerate impure visions, hangers-on, fake players in tha tr00 game! Why ride the Night Train to Butterglory when you can have the '97 California Cabernet of Trigger Cut! latecomers get a late pass, we been up in this game since the jump!

best song off S&E sounds least like the rest; i'd like them if all their songs sounded like that one.

With each Pavement album, there's like six good-to-great songs, and the rest is just absolute self-indulgent wankery garbage. It's shocking that their first couple records have achieved the status of Perfect Canonical Rock Classics That Everyone Should Buy. TRUST ME - THEY'RE NOT!

I completely agree with that, at least for S&E. I couldn't even listen to CRCR-- particularly that godawful single "Cut Your Hair"; Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners failed to make any impression on me whatsoever-- well, except that they seemed exceedingly mediocre. S&E has a few good songs, but "Here" is the standout tune, and it doesn't sound like the rest. I never feel inclined to listen to anything else by Pavement besides that song.

here?

also, classic!

xpost

the last song sounds a lot like "here." i'm blanking on the name. "i've been waiting. anticipating."

pavement are my favorite band ever. it makes me a little sad to know that some people don't like them; there's certainly some aspect of their music that everyone can love. a lot of people complain about malkmus' voice (especially early), but i think that he does some fantastic things with his voice that don't really fall under the "technical" category.
i've never really heard anyone say that the guy can't write a tune, mostly because that would be absurd to say. i can see why some people would be a bit put off by his (to them) excessive ennui and laid-back style, but for me that just enhanced what i loved about him. also, the more time you spend with the records, the more you can appreciate the songs which aren't as obvious at first. i know he first time i listened to S+E, i didnt really 'get' it besides "here", which i probably put on repeat for 5 hours straight. once you get adjusted to that particular style, the other stuff starts to make sense. what might ostensibly be "self-indulgent" are to me fruitful exercises in his singular, genius style. to each his own, though.

mr snrub, that's "our singer", S+E's closer

http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/2009/02/the_spin_pavement_reunion_at_t.php

four-fifths of Pavement reunites (not really) for Bob N.'s wedding

was spiral stairs not invited? harsh.
i certainly wouldn't mind seeing Pavement play live again, but all of the hubbub and hype that would accompany a potential reunion would be dreadful, I'm sure.

i like to imagine WZ as a continuation of CR with the ‘air’ at the start of ‘we dance’ finishing off ‘their throats are filled with’ on fillmore jive. but i do believe this is well trodden ground

Throw in W,D with these two albums and you have perfection (or imperfection, you know what I’m trying to say here)

Absolutely. And the truth is I love WZ but it feels like something else from that initial flowering of lo-fi scratchiness

4K: https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/pavements?_pos=2&_psq=pavem&_ss=e&_v=1.0

uh this movie

woof

I don't know who thought there needed to be a movie about Pavement, and they're my favorite band ever. The whole thing has seemed off.

I'll probably love it if I ever get to see it.

Pavements streaming on Mubi starting on 7/11.

^ I rarely think about Pavement (or look at threads) in the 21st century but they were definitely High School Me's favourite band for at least a year when S+E was released, and I found myself looking forward to the Mubi release.

It's frequently laugh-out-loud funny innit, though it arguably threatens to outstay its welcome at 2+ hours. Also perhaps a little more, well, 'nice' and plainly sentimental than chatter led me to expect, but thumbs up overall!

The movie was actually much better than I was expecting. It has a goofy sarcastic quality that kind of fits the band. The Wowee Zowee of music biopics.

It probably didn't need to be over 2 hours though.

lol I listened to that soundtrack version of Fillmore Jive and Malkmus changed “cause they don’t need you anymore” to “I don’t need to hear another Queen song for the rest of my life.”

This wasn't too bad, but I don't really know what it was trying to communicate, and whether it communicates anything at all to someone who doesn't know the band

They’re the new classic rock

lol I listened to that soundtrack version of Fillmore Jive and Malkmus changed “cause they don’t need you anymore” to “I don’t need to hear another Queen song for the rest of my life.”

Pavement represents one of the best things about being in a band, which is trying to crack your bandmates up.

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE ♾️ PAVEMENT MOVIES:

https://metrograph.com/film/?vista_film_id=9999004382

This felt more like a film about music biopics than a film about Pavement. I guess Slow Century already did a fine job of the latter. The filmmakers certainly weren't interested in introducing newcomers to the band, or appeasing fans who might want to hear more than five seconds of a Pavement song.

I enjoyed Joe Keery a lot though

Happily used the fast forward and rewind watching this. So many great archival clips and interesting recent rehearsal stuff. Too much unfunny meta nonsense and musical theatre.

Spiral is playing this weird micro-show this weekend at a screening of Pavements at this tiny theater in a remote SF suburb. Acoustic set with "special guests"? (Kelley Stoltz? Oranger lol?) followed by commentary and Q&A.

Tix were ~$35 but limited to 70 and sold out. Curious if anyone goes though.

Are Oranger playing again? Thought they’d called it a day after Matt passed away. Fantastic group at their peak (as is Kelley tbh)

“Embrace the senile genius / watch him reinvent the wheel” is about getting stoned and making music I just determined

could be. "Getting stoned and making music" is reflexively a blunt summarization of pavement's approach to recording & performing the album prior, a "summary act" if you will, that malkmus perhaps felt he no longer needed?

sorry i wasn't reflecting on pavement's career here at all. just struck me as funny when i was stoned and making music. i do think it's a good metaphor for the creative process when you're baked though

Yeah, I get it. I'm just not stoned (at work) right now and saw aopportunity to parse pavement lyrics instead of working. ;-)

Hm, another new single disc “hits” collection with 2025 remasters:

https://pavement.bandcamp.com/album/hecklers-choice-big-gums-and-heavy-lifters-a-pavement-collection"> https://pavement.bandcamp.com/album/hecklers-choice-big-gums-and-heavy-lifters-a-pavement-collection

Wonder if this hints at another reissue campaign or something. Was hoping it’d be for the doc soundtrack physical release.

wow what are they doing? crazy

they're doing a physical release for the soundtrack in november

A little baffled by how short (not to mention unnecessary) this is—only 12 tracks?

Arbitrary track choices too. A bunch of "Hits" but also sporadic deepish cuts like Date w/Ikea. What is the point?

the reasoning behind inclusion of "Ikea" is probably just "we should have a spiral song on here" ...

pretty pointless release, but I guess they just want some more product.

interested to see what the upcoming shows are like ... maybe just more of the same?

What's wrong with including "Ikea"? It's great.

uh

it is not good

Beggars/Matador probably realized having a greatest hits/best of collection that does not contain their ~biggest~ hit was a huge marketing miss...

so this short, attention-span-challenged collection fills in that gap.

if we're talking spiral songs, I'd take "kennel district" over "ikea"

but yes, this definitely feels like they're approaching the Hendrix-style legacy at this point, they should have named it "barrel scraping and depth-plumbing: strictly for the streamers" for more transparency

^^^ or western homes (or mussel rock)

I mean, yeah: it's basic ass greatest hits. Single disc vinyl for newcomers. I don't need it. You probably don't either. But someone does.

Western Homes would certainly be a flex.

Date With Ikea is great!

it's trash

okay, boo.

I like “IKEA” but 12 tracks is way too stingy regardless.

Agreed. Certainly sticks to their poppier side. Could use a scuzzier companion.

Westing!

I don't need it. You probably don't either. But someone does.

if the target demographic here is new, young fans--and I agree that it is--aren't the vast, vast majority of them listening to music via streaming? idgi

well it first showed up yesterday as a spotify playlist so yes, they know how there bread is buttered.

their*

Westing!

YUP!

They had to go with IKEA because using “Kennel D” would’ve violated this comp’s official “no Wowee Zowee songs at all” stance.

Well, that’s money I can spend elsewhere.

Seems like the main purpose is to have a single LP best-of that has "Harness Your Hopes" (and their other most-streamed songs) on it. I can imagine some newer fans buying it.

Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package!
Re-evaluate the songs
double-pack with a photograph 3
Extra Track (and a tacky badge)