Pavement: Quarantine the Past 1989-1999

[Rae]

Soooo... in synergy with the recent Pavement reunion tour, there's this "Greatest Hits" thing coming out. Selected and sequenced by the band, it includes all of their singles plus several album tracks (and a cut from the No Alternative comp that's puzzlingly referred to in promotional materials as "super obscure"). The price is right ($8.50 CD, $10 FLAC, $12 double LP), but I'm not so sure there was a niche screaming out to be filled by this thing. Like fellow lo-fiers Guided by Voices, Pavement was a band that made relatively cohesive and even albums, making specific track selections seem arbitrary. Add to that the fact that they only cut 5 proper LPs, and I'm not sure they're begging to be anthologized. All of those albums are still in print, cheap, and recently remastered, and it seems to me that those predisposed to like the band will likely have them already. On the other hand, this is a pretty decent tracklisting (although I don't know how you don't start a Pavement retrospective with "Trigger Cut/Wounded Kite at :17"... and no "Rattled by the Rush"?) and some of the EP tracks might be harder to track down, on vinyl at least. What do you guys think? Anyone planning on picking this one up?

1. Gold Soundz (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
2. Frontwards (off of the Watery, Domestic EP)
3. Mellow Jazz Docent (off of the Perfect Sound Forever EP)
4. Stereo (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
5. In The Mouth A Desert (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
6. Two States (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
7. Cut Your Hair (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
8. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
9. Here (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
10. Unfair (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
11. Grounded (off of the Wowee Zowee)
12. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
13. Range Life (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
14. Date w/ IKEA (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
15. Debris Slide (off of the Perfect Sound Forever EP)
16. Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse) (off of the Watery, Domestic EP)
17. Spit On A Stranger (off of the Terror Twilight LP)
18. Heaven Is a Truck (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
19. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
20. Embassy Row (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
21. Box Elder (off of the Slay Tracks 1933-1969 EP)
22. Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence (from the No Alternative compilation)
23. Fight This Generation (off of the Wowee Zowee)



~Rae

[Slosh]

There's nothing on there that I don't already have. I'm pretty sure Westing (By Musket & Sextant) covers everything from the first three EPs and I also already have Watery, Domestic (and No Alternative).

[Finch Platte]

Pavement.

Worst. Band. Ever. I would listen to Foreigner before I listened to Pavement, and that's sayin' something.

[Stone]

You need to stop smoking/injecting/popping whatever it is you're ingesting, Finchy.

[Finch Platte]

You need to stop smoking/injecting/popping whatever it is you're ingesting, Finchy.

la la la I can't hear you la la la

[3LB]

I think all 5 of the Pavement CDs can be had used for dirt cheap at Amazon. Same with a lot of the hipster "it" bands.

What is the essential album to have?

I must have 10 songs by these guys thru comps already.

[Swish]

Pavement.

Worst. Band. Ever. I would listen to Foreigner before I listened to Pavement, and that's sayin' something.

Foreigner? Before Pavement? You are on the pipe.

[Swish]

I think all 5 of the Pavement CDs can be had used for dirt cheap at Amazon. Same with a lot of the hipster "it" bands.

What is the essential album to have?

I must have 10 songs by these guys thru comps already.

...to be their best, including me. I have the remastered version of it, and the remastered version of Slanted and Enchanted, which has some great stuff as well.

[Swish]

Soooo... in synergy with the recent Pavement reunion tour, there's this "Greatest Hits" thing coming out. Selected and sequenced by the band, it includes all of their singles plus several album tracks (and a cut from the No Alternative comp that's puzzlingly referred to in promotional materials as "super obscure"). The price is right ($8.50 CD, $10 FLAC, $12 double LP), but I'm not so sure there was a niche screaming out to be filled by this thing. Like fellow lo-fiers Guided by Voices, Pavement was a band that made relatively cohesive and even albums, making specific track selections seem arbitrary. Add to that the fact that they only cut 5 proper LPs, and I'm not sure they're begging to be anthologized. All of those albums are still in print, cheap, and recently remastered, and it seems to me that those predisposed to like the band will likely have them already. On the other hand, this is a pretty decent tracklisting (although I don't know how you don't start a Pavement retrospective with "Trigger Cut/Wounded Kite at :17"... and no "Rattled by the Rush"?) and some of the EP tracks might be harder to track down, on vinyl at least. What do you guys think? Anyone planning on picking this one up?

1. Gold Soundz (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
2. Frontwards (off of the Watery, Domestic EP)
3. Mellow Jazz Docent (off of the Perfect Sound Forever EP)
4. Stereo (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
5. In The Mouth A Desert (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
6. Two States (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
7. Cut Your Hair (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
8. Shady Lane / J Vs. S (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
9. Here (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
10. Unfair (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
11. Grounded (off of the Wowee Zowee)
12. Summer Babe (Winter Version) (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
13. Range Life (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
14. Date w/ IKEA (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
15. Debris Slide (off of the Perfect Sound Forever EP)
16. Shoot The Singer (1 Sick Verse) (off of the Watery, Domestic EP)
17. Spit On A Stranger (off of the Terror Twilight LP)
18. Heaven Is a Truck (off of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain LP)
19. Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17 (off of the Slanted & Enchanted LP)
20. Embassy Row (off of the Brighten the Corners LP)
21. Box Elder (off of the Slay Tracks 1933-1969 EP)
22. Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence (from the No Alternative compilation)
23. Fight This Generation (off of the Wowee Zowee)



~Rae

Well, I'm sure they could use some $, but releasing this now seems so anti-climactic with their last cd release about 11 years ago. Well, I guess other bands do much the same in trying to recapture their glory days. I only hope I can get some tickets when they play in the US. I haven't seen anything about those dates as yet, except the sold out shows in Central Park. It appears they will only be playing in some major cities in the states, which really sucks since the closest may be NYC. Philly would be doable, but getting tickets?

I just saw the set list from their first reunion show in, of all places, New Zealand. Check it out.

[Finch Platte]

Of course they need the money! Their records didn't sell for sh!t.

Wonder why?

[Swish]

Of course they need the money! Their records didn't sell for sh!t.

Wonder why?

They sold a heckuva lot more than many indie bands, and deservedly so. There some EPs, videos and singles with lower numbers, but thse are the biggest sellers. Not too shabby.

PAVEMENT BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS MAT Album 1997-02-11 141127
PAVEMENT CROOKED RAIN CROOKED RAIN MAT Album 1996-07-26 236556
PAVEMENT CROOKED RAIN CROOKED RAIN: L.A OLE Album 2004-10-26 44007
PAVEMENT SLANTED & ENCHANTED ATLG Album 1992-04-28 143979
PAVEMENT SLANTED & ENCHANTED LUXE & RED OLE Album 2002-10-22 79857
PAVEMENT TERROR TWILIGHT MAT Album 1999-06-08 95785
PAVEMENT WATERY DOMESTIC EP ATLG Album 1992-12-15 32510
PAVEMENT WESTING (BY MUSKET & SEXTANT) DRAG Album 1993-03-23 62983
PAVEMENT WOWEE ZOWEE MAT Album 1995-04-11 117341

[Finch Platte]

They sold a heckuva lot more than many indie bands, and deservedly so. There some EPs, videos and singles with lower numbers, but thse are the biggest sellers. Not too shabby.

PAVEMENT BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS MAT Album 1997-02-11 141127
PAVEMENT CROOKED RAIN CROOKED RAIN MAT Album 1996-07-26 236556
PAVEMENT CROOKED RAIN CROOKED RAIN: L.A OLE Album 2004-10-26 44007
PAVEMENT SLANTED & ENCHANTED ATLG Album 1992-04-28 143979
PAVEMENT SLANTED & ENCHANTED LUXE & RED OLE Album 2002-10-22 79857
PAVEMENT TERROR TWILIGHT MAT Album 1999-06-08 95785
PAVEMENT WATERY DOMESTIC EP ATLG Album 1992-12-15 32510
PAVEMENT WESTING (BY MUSKET & SEXTANT) DRAG Album 1993-03-23 62983
PAVEMENT WOWEE ZOWEE MAT Album 1995-04-11 117341

Damn, I take it back, they ARE good!