The Pastels: Classis or Dud

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I've always had a high regard for Stephen but have thought he shoulda been a critic rather than an artiste. One or two singles stand out, I guess, but what's the ILM consensus on this band if such a thing exists?

― Venga, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 21:01 (twenty-three years ago)

We're still having to do New Answers, right?

― Venga, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 21:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Classic!! A band that just gets better and better. "Truck Train Tractor" is totally wonderful, as is many of their latter records.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Their Remixed album is fantastic, in my opinion... actually, i should say that about half the album is fantastic, and the rest is so-so. But it's definitely one to check out.

― Rahul Kamath (Rahul Kamath), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

They definitely hit their stride when that other girl joined (Katherine? I can't remember).. But other than the very very early stuff (such as the Songs For Children 7") I love them completely.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 22:55 (twenty-three years ago)

i was very curious about them and i bought a cd called 'truckload of trouble'. i really hated it, like almost unlistenable - the singing i think. but i'm sure they are actually great and i have horrible taste. anyways i got rid of it immediately so i can't double check my feelings about it just now...

― ron (ron), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 22:56 (twenty-three years ago)

you should have sold it to me!!!! dohh

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 5 September 2002 00:08 (twenty-three years ago)

truckload of trouble has their version of 'a different drum' on it, it should have been cherished. i agree that they have been getting better with each album, not as though their chops are getting better but they seem to remain forever charming and so does the music. much like the cannanes, perhaps it is not taking themsleves seriously as musicians they just play for the enjoyment for themselves and their fans. maybe i am overidealizing them.

― keith, Thursday, 5 September 2002 00:15 (twenty-three years ago)

well i'm trying to cue up 'different drum' to give it another go, but it looks like i've got quite a wait in store :-(

― ron (ron), Thursday, 5 September 2002 01:31 (twenty-three years ago)

ok, now i have it. it's not really treating me that right. oh well. i'm thinking that there must be some pastels fans who also like calvin johnson.

― ron (ron), Thursday, 5 September 2002 03:00 (twenty-three years ago)

'Nothing to be Done' is one of my top ten songs ever. Inalienably classic.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 5 September 2002 07:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd say classic but I can sure see how one might not like the singing.

― tigerclawskank, Thursday, 5 September 2002 07:31 (twenty-three years ago)

nothing to be done, heaven´s above and million tears and not much more.....

― Jens (brighter), Thursday, 5 September 2002 07:40 (twenty-three years ago)

a total classic!
not only because of the music, but also because of their influence on other great musicians.
about the music, though: i love the first records, with their velvet underground guitars and stephen's lazy vocals. actually, i can understand someone not liking stephen's singing, but that's one of the things i like the most about them! i really love the first albums, and the remixes album, "illuminati", is a delicious piece of music as well.
i've got the single with the version of "different drum" (out on k records), and i remember loving it from the first time i heard it. of course, the song is great. i also loved the lemonheads cover, and further investigations lead me to find other versions of this classic song.

― joan vich (joan vich), Thursday, 5 September 2002 08:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey Ron: look into Illumination. I'm actually a bit with you on their more shambly stuff -- I find it more enjoyable than you do, it seems, but don't pull it out all that frequently. The more recent records, though, have them developing a bit more polish, ambitious, sophistication, and nuance: Mobile Safari and then particularly Illumination are a completely different listening proposition than everything that comes before, and yet their great particular sound remains intact -- even better-served -- straight through.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 5 September 2002 12:03 (twenty-three years ago)

(Actually it's a bit like You Turn Me On versus the rest of the Beat Happening catalog, only more so.)

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 5 September 2002 12:04 (twenty-three years ago)

i'll give it a go!

― ron (ron), Thursday, 5 September 2002 12:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Cassis or dud? I prefer cassis.

I am nervous around Stephen Pastel. I had to hide from him when I went to Glasgow. I think I am now safe but haha I am not going to Glasgow so never mind. Of course I can't remember what they sounded like, I was MORE DRUNK THAN MAN COULD EVER BE.

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 5 September 2002 13:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I love their early stuff and theior more recent stuff. They have gradually developed their sound but as someone said before they haven't lost any of their charm. The sort of shambling sound of earlier LPs like "Up for a Bit" or "Sittin Pretty" is gone now but it has been replaced by a (seemingly) naive effortlessness for ex on the great song "Worlds of Possibility"

― g, Thursday, 5 September 2002 15:35 (twenty-three years ago)

What record is "Nothing to be done" on? Is it available on CD?

― Simon, Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:50 (twenty-three years ago)

It's not exactly rock'n'roll is it

― sonicred, Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:53 (twenty-three years ago)

What record is "Nothing to be done" on? Is it available on CD?

Both Sittin' Pretty and the singles comp Truckload Of Trouble. I'm pretty sure that Truckload Of Trouble is still in print.

― Miranda, Thursday, 5 September 2002 22:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Certainly is. I think it was recently repressed too.

It's not exactly rock'n'roll is it

Thank god for that.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 5 September 2002 22:06 (twenty-three years ago)

The singing is indeed an aquired taste. Ah, there was a time when shambling indie-pop ruled my stereo. I was a lot less happier then. My first foray into the Pastels sound (as others) was the Truckload of Trouble comp. Favorites are Truck Train Tractor, Nothing To Be Done, Sometimes I Think About You, and Different Drum. and even though I'm a flamming queer I still had a crush on Aggi. Throw Stephan off the bridge?

― JC (JC A.), Thursday, 5 September 2002 22:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks loads! I must get this for my indie cred to remain intact ; )

― Simon, Thursday, 5 September 2002 23:46 (twenty-three years ago)

always loved "mobile safari", but never forced it on friends for fear of appearing too precious.

― dn, Sunday, 8 September 2002 13:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I had Sittin' Pretty and liked it - I think I liked 'Nothing to be Done' at first but now I mainly remember and like best 'Ditch the Fool,' the song at the end. Is that an aberrant song for them?

― maryann, Monday, 9 September 2002 09:36 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I first heard the Pastels when I owned "Illuminati" and I kinda liked it, but not too much (which I guess is understandable given the nature of remix albums in general). Some time later, I purchased the Acid House soundtrack and "Nothing To Be Done" was on it. It became one of my favourite songs.

I like the little I heard of "Mobile Safari" and I'm surprised that no one has weighed in with their views on "The Last Great Wilderness" soundtrack, which I think is also great. I just got the Truckload compilation and to tell the truth, I'm a little underwhelmed. "Different Drum" is a fantastic song, but overall it's kinda hard to take in so much Pastels in a short period of time. It sounds just a bit "off", which is something a lot of people appreciate about them. For me, I think they'll remain at the current level of appreciation, but will never pierce through to become one of my favourites.

― alex in montreal, Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

i love the pastels but i do think it telling that i own none of their albums - just all the singles. i don't know if i'd even want to sit through a whole album of stephen pastel's voice

― the surface noise and the analogue warmth (electricsound), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"A Million Tears" and "Crawl Babies" are great singles too.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

who was the young lady (katrina) they had singing for them toward the end there...? where did she come from? i could listen to her all day/night long.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

she was from melody dog, i don't know if that was before or after she was in the pastels.

― the surface noise and the analogue warmth (electricsound), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:32 (twenty-one years ago)

before or during i mean

― the surface noise and the analogue warmth (electricsound), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:32 (twenty-one years ago)

ah, thanks esoj.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:38 (twenty-one years ago)

esoj || jose

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 16 June 2004 23:38 (twenty-one years ago)

i really like "suck on" and much of what's on "truckload of trouble." the last 10 years...less so.

wait, did i post to this thread already?

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 17 June 2004 07:00 (twenty-one years ago)

> who was the young lady (katrina)

katrina mitchell. yes, melody dog. but also vocals on a few kid loco things.

of course it was all downhill after tea time tales... 8)

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

OH YEAH YOU CAN!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

GET AROUND TOWN IN A CAR!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

YOU CAN GET AROUND TOWN IN A PLANE!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

YOU CAN GET AROUND TOWN IN A TAXI!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

BUT YOU CAN'T GET AROUND IN AN AEROPLANE thank you.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 09:35 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Have you got hundreds of photos of Stephen Pastel
lying around in your drawers? If so, you can join an
exciting project to create the world's most
comprehensive archive of Stephen Pastel photos on the
visually exhilirating Flickr web community:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/stephenpastel/

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

i ended up getting a sweet deal on almost their entire album catalogue. the later stuff is definitely more up my alley, album-wise

― jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:34 (twenty years ago)

http://static.flickr.com/34/73285998_d4b04836f8.jpg?v=0

what's this about photos of stephen pastel lying around in his drawers?

― Penis, NV (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

Nothing To Be Done is one of my favourite songs of all time. Another fave is Breaking Lines, the C86 version, I don't like the version on Truck Train Tractor 12" quite as much.

Up For A Bit is a pretty patchy album, they were much more of a singles band then, but Sittin' Pretty is better. Their 90s stuff is also good but it's more mature, it does lack some of the charm of their early stuff (I still like Mobile Safari & Illumination though).

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 17 December 2005 02:00 (twenty years ago)

A Pastels thread! How lovely! Yes they had a few real nice moments back in the indie days, but overall...they paled in comparison to so many other bands that I consider them nearly on mosquito level. Though as I said, they did have a few great moments.

― Halloween Spooky Party Hints! (Bimble...), Saturday, 17 December 2005 04:04 (twenty years ago)

I really love The Pastels, one of my favourite bands. I think Illumination and Illuminati are better than firsts albums except Comin' Trough EP (87). Some posts up i read that there are a Lemonheads cover by the Pastels but i think that's not possible, i don't know it. All The Pastels covers i know are: The Hallellujahs, Sly Stone, Ramones, Van Morrison, Daniel Jonhston, Teenage Fanclub, Silver Jews, Red Krayola, Stone Ponys (Different Drum one), The Groove, Half Japanese, Jonathan Richman & Modern Lovers.

Songs i love not appeared in Illuminati/on: Throug Your Heart, Heavens Above, I Wonder Why, Supposed To Understand, Baby, you're just you, Million Tears, Yoga, Worlds of Possibility, Silver Jew, Anne Boleyn, For What is Worth, etc, etc.

― antonio, Saturday, 17 December 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

Both the Pastels and the Lemonheads do "Different Drum".

― everything, Sunday, 18 December 2005 02:36 (twenty years ago)

i love scrappy little bands that think big -- exactly what's great about the pastels.

"automatically yours" came on random play yesterday and i was marveling at all the little spectorisms, while at the same time being really glad they didn't give too much of a shit about making the production sound accurate or anything.

― the people are such untight s wads (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 December 2005 02:46 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

Still <3 this band

― Mogwai Fear Stan Brakhage (admrl), Saturday, 2 October 2010 17:07 (fifteen years ago)

Scottish things!

― Mogwai Fear Stan Brakhage (admrl), Saturday, 2 October 2010 17:07 (fifteen years ago)

They've got a greatest hits coming out on Fire Records soon. Great fucking band that spawned a load of terrible faux-untutored twee rubbish in their wake. Which is not their fault, natch.

― Duran (Doran), Saturday, 2 October 2010 17:27 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

has this been mentioned?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF95PkHL82k

1 Secret Music
2 Night Time Made Us
3 Check My Heart
4 Summer Rain
5 After Image
6 Kicking Leaves
7 Wrong Light
8 Slow Summits
9 Come to the Dance

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 10:06 (twelve years ago)

I love the fact that The Pastels number among someone's favourite bands. They are lovely people but I never got the music somehow.

― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:36 (twelve years ago)

SP has done a hell of lot for music in Glasgow over the years.

― OG requiem head (Call the Cops), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:37 (twelve years ago)

He used to sell it in a shop on Byres Road, is my main memory of that!

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 12:45 (twelve years ago)

I really like The Pastels and have been anticipating this album for who knows how long, but ya their importance to me pales in comparison to that of Monorail and everything surrounding it.

― hot young stalin (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 14:13 (twelve years ago)

The Illumination remixes album never fails to take me back to 2000. I could probably write something sad and wistful for Slocki's sad youtube website about it. But I won't.

― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 20:20 (twelve years ago)

http://thequietus.com/articles/11521-stephen-pastel-the-pastels-interviewed

― hot young stalin (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 28 February 2013 15:07 (twelve years ago)

I'm quietly excited by this, though i haven't been that struck by anything since illumination, it sounds like some of the twinkly magic may have returned.

― cw, Friday, 1 March 2013 20:40 (twelve years ago)

also, topically, does anyone remember the mbv, dum'n'bass informed remix of cycle? i seem to remember it being pretty great.

― cw, Friday, 1 March 2013 20:49 (twelve years ago)

Yes it was on the remixes album. Pretty good but I would not have guessed it had anything to do with mbv.

― Poliopolice, Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:34 (twelve years ago)

shove it up your hole nothing to be done

― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:56 (twelve years ago)

why?

― Mark G, Saturday, 2 March 2013 21:45 (twelve years ago)

two months pass...

new album as laidback as expected but sits pretty nicely amongst the rest of their catalogue imo. lovely recording.

― grange hermit crab (electricsound), Monday, 27 May 2013 00:42 (twelve years ago)

One of my favourite doo-wop songs ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlhHLiV0wqA

Proceed apace.

― clemenza, Monday, 27 May 2013 01:25 (twelve years ago)

i should give this a listen, even though i kind of got off the bus with mobile safari, lo these many years ago.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Monday, 27 May 2013 04:44 (twelve years ago)

the thing about legendary twee scottish indie bands is that they're all great.

― Treeship, Monday, 27 May 2013 04:50 (twelve years ago)

I have only had a cursory listen so far but it does sound chilled and beautifully recorded, not the kind of grating tweeness either.

― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Thursday, 30 May 2013 13:11 (twelve years ago)

yeah i think this is a quiet stunner, their best since mobile safari

― cw, Friday, 31 May 2013 20:52 (twelve years ago)

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