Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Every time I listen to Pavement I think “wow, I should listen to more Pavement.”

I love this album. Pavement is such an important band that not enough people know about.

What’s not to like? I mean this is probably the ultimate “indie” record. Slacker vibes galore, messy guitars that always somehow end up on beat, bursts of noise and energy followed by moments of calmness. I really like this record a lot. One of my favorites. Favorite song: Range Life Least favorite song: There ain’t one

Grunge was a reaction against stadium rock, and this is a reaction against grunge: small-scale, personal, lo-fi; with an air of reluctant self-pity replacing anger.

This is an odd one - while it was playing I was thinking this is brilliant. But after it I realised I can't actually pick out any of the tracks. It was sort of one massive amorphous blob of California stoner shoegaze indie that I really enjoyed as a unit, but don't think I'll ever just put a track from it on to listen to. The whole thing start to finish or gtfo. I can hear a bit of Suede, a bit of Beck, Blind Melon, Sonic Youth and The Thrills in there. Lovely stuff.

I didn't expect to like this but I ended up quite enjoying it. It's lo-fi, post-punk, idie rock and the vocals are sketchy but... it has... something. It feels like these guys were legitimately into this and enjoying themselves. It reminds me a lot of some of my favorite indie bands and artists (Gasoline Heart comes to mind) and I'm into this. The sparse instrumentation lends an opennes to the mix that makes the whole album feel like it's breathing. It's so different from the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" mix style that's so popular these days and it's refreshing...

Day 23 of Albums You Must Hear… 1994 was the peak of alternative rock music in some ways, and the beginning of the end in others. Kurt Cobain would lose his life and bring an end to Nirvana, the greatest band of the 90’s. (Solely my opinion). Other mega acts, though, would break into the mainstream around this time, such as The Foo Fighters, Weezer, Green Day, and Smashing Pumpkins, to name a few. Those are all tough acts to follow, however, a band called Pavement would release their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in 1994. Full disclosure here, I never knew the band Pavement before receiving this album, though it seems through their indie rock band accomplishments over a few years, they accumulated a decent cult following in the U.S. and U.K. Pavement would never sign a major label deal. The only song familiar to me on Crooked Rain is the single Cut your Hair. I remember seeing a clip of the video on Beavis & Butthead way back when, in which they referred to Pavement as ‘Buttwipe Music’. While I know that was said in the context of a joke, I mean it is Beavis & Butthead, another comment made by the cartoon duo was to ‘try harder’. Thats a statement I can’t get behind when it comes to the music from this band, though. While Cut Your Hair has a catchy tune right out the gate, the rest of the album is totally lackluster. The band is totally talented, just not memorable to me. If you ask me, the thing that made Nirvana the best alternative band of the 90’s is the simplicity of the melodies. I still don’t understand all of Cobain’s lyrics but I damn sure know the melodies of the hooks, drum patterns and chords. I get the feeling that Pavement is trying too hard be complex and not to “sell out” that they avoid making catchy tunes. On the song Range Life, they poke fun at Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots, which is fair, but those bands were able to have cross-over success without watering down their brand. They made catchy songs. The only other song to catch my attention was 5-4=Unity, a fully instrumental jam session that showcases the band’s undeniable musical talent. I just wish the songs on this album had more re-playability. The music video for Cut Your Hair has the perfect low budget, nonsensical vibe of the mid 90’s, though, and was fun to watch 27 years later. Please share your thoughts, memories and opinions!

This afternoon I read a line by Penelope Fitzgerald, describing one of her tragicomic protagonists, that feels right for a vital and deliberate attribute of this record: “Her reach exceeded her grasp”. These songs are perfect collapses, their loftiness richer for how their exquisite compositions trip over into a gorgeous, noisy heap, disarming me - life is serious, but it is also absurd, and we should laugh. This was almost the first record I bought on release that I love without reservation, pipped the year before by Rid of Me. My brother Will and I went to see them in Manchester when they toured this album, and they were glorious. Such fun. Simon, I leave the floor to you, mon ami.

Not a perfect album, but close. I'd never noticed before how much Malkmus sounds like Tweedy and Wilco here. Never been a huge fan of Cut Your Hair, but Fillmore Jive is a classic tune to end it. Essential album.

I can only imagine that this made it into the list of albums you must listen to before you die as an example of terrible 90s music. By the end of the album, I feel utterly trolled with how bad it is. The guitar work around minute 3 of Stop Breathin is very nice, but that's the only redeeming quality about this album. If I could rate it negatively, I would. Unfortunately, the lowest I can give is a 1.

By the end of Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, if you’re not thinking to yourself “I should start a band and try to make a record as great as this”… well, maybe we should just give up hope for the future and call it a day. It’s inclusion on this list is not only warranted, it is essential.

A girl who I had a big crush on gave me a pirated tape of this in 1995. I didn’t know it was pavement but I listed to it a lot. It was a nice blast from the past!

pavement should hold the spot in the cultural consciousness that nirvana does

What is indie rock? Someone not signed to a major label? (I'm not signed to a major label, Greg. Am I indie rock?) Today the term indie rock seems to have no meaning. It isn't exclusively used for independent label bands, and it doesn't refer to a specific musical style. I could tell you I like indie rock, but really that doesn't tell you much, and while I like many bands that would be classified as indie rock, I also dislike plenty of indie rock. But Pavement is (was?) indie rock. When bands maintained that anti-major label thing for their whole career. (Tangent to the tangent - I heard a story on the radio yesterday about a new book called "Sellout" by Dan Ozzi - "A raucous history of punk, emo, and hardcore’s growing pains during the commercial boom of the early 90s and mid-aughts, following eleven bands as they “sell out” and find mainstream fame, or break beneath the weight of it all." Sounds super interesting.) So, anyways, Pavement stayed indie. And in the 90s I wasn't cool enough to be indie. (All mainstream grunge, flannel, and undercuts.) I've always meant to go back and listen to more Pavement. They're a band I thought I would enjoy, but never sought out. I know "Cut Your Hair" pretty well, and still think it's great. But the rest of this album was enjoyable too. I hear Built to Spill a lot in Pavement's sound - they came in at the tail end of Pavement's run, and I got into Built to Spill as I was trying to figure out indie rock in the mid-aughts. I think I prefer Built to Spill, but I enjoyed "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain." (Built to Spill is not on the list. They're not British enough. Well, not that Pavement is at all British, but... whatever.)

Oooh what a joy to listen to this all day! Have loved Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain since I first bought the CD in a basement store on St Marks Place in summer '94 (god, I must have been insufferable). Crystallizes everything I want in guitar music, riffs a go-go, oblique but clever, accessible lyrics, half-arsed chaotic delivery that is really well practiced, a dash of Buddy Holly and Dave Brubeck, screaming "career/Korea" and slagging off the Smashing Pumpkins. This review cannot do the album justice. Gold Soundz. Elevate Me Later. Unfair. Fillmore Jive. The whole thing from beginning to end. My favorite album from my favorite band? Sometimes. Start it over and this time try!

Sometimes you find an album at just the right time you were looking for it. I've been getting more and more into my 90s music this last year, and something about grungy America bands are really appealing to me more. I didn't realise I actually knew some songs on this album, and the ones I didn't I was really into too. Honestly, loved this, would definitely listen again.

Had to listen to this twice, as it came up on a day when I was very distracted with work, etc. I didn't like it as much as the first Pavement album, but it's still an easy 5 stars from me. I liked the easy to listen to vocal delivery and the general cosy feeling I got from listening to this. I can imagine enjoying this even more on repeat listens. It's like a dialled-down Pixies/ Sonic Youth experience, with some influences from The Fall here and there. Maybe a little bit of early R.E.M., but without the slightly grating vocals.

It’s a 4.5 that I’ll round up to a 5. Other than the extreme dissonance of Hit the Plane Down, I really don’t think there’s a bad track on this album; there’s a lot of Nirvana to this at the start, but it slowly blends in a bit of R.E.M. as well, and that general soundscape just worked really well for me. I think this album shines best in its guitar and percussion work, but the vocals hold up pretty well against them, as do the lyrics for a good chunk of the album. Just a really strong listen for me; glad we got this one, and I feel good with a 5.

this album was pretty cool. i knew a couple of songs off of this one beforehand, but have never listened to the album in full. pavement is a band i've heard a lot about but never fully experienced, and i can say that i am looking forward to my next experience with them. normally, i am a bit iffy on slacker vocals, but they work really well here, especially in juxtaposition with the more upbeat, raucous sounds. my favorite track on this one was "cut your hair" which is a perfect example of this. i would say the strength of this album is not necessarily in the musicianship, but the crafting of a sound. and i really enjoyed the sound!

Just a little indie classic for a sunday night. Love this and their first album, laid back and just simple great songwriting. 'Gold Soundz' has such a strong nostalgic feeling to it, love the climax at the end of 'Elevate Me Later', and 'Unfair' melts my face everytime.

Pavement is the best. Classic album. This one has some great songs on it. Stephen Malkmus' lazy voice is great. Silence Kid is a good opening track, that guitar riff with all the fuzz sounds awesome. Range Life and Gold Soundz are quintessential Pavement songs. The perfect balance of heaviness while still being fun and catchy to listen to. In the midst of hair and grunge bands, this album came and set the tone for modern indie music.

Just love the whole Pavement sound. Also love their Anglophile leanings (otherwise they'd be called Sidewalk)- inventors of what we now consider to be "indie". Absolutely love the inpenetrability of the lyrics. On this album, the lyrics to the final verse of Range Life are my favourites. Particularly starting Beef with Billy Corgan (something Corgan is still bitter about today) and Malkmus announcing he's hot for the Stone Temple Pilots. Genius. Just noticed they're doing a reunion tour of the UK next year.....time to get my tickets!

I don't know how I haven't heard this before. Amazing sound and songwriting.

Peak 90's Indie/Alt rock. I've always preferred 'Slanted and Enchanted', as I find some of the tracks on here, like 5-4=Unity or Hit the Plane Down, as rather jarring, but I suppose they ultimately help make this album unique. Regardless, this is still a 5 star.

I love Pavement. Listening to them never fails to take me back to a time and place when they were probably my favorite band. I prefer Slanted and Enchanted to this one, but they are both incredible albums. I wish grunge had never happened and Pavement/Sebadoh/Dinosaur Jr. had been the sound of the 90’s. Then maybe the Goo Goo Dolls and Limp Bizkit and Korn and the boy bands and Brittney’s and Christina’s wouldn’t have taken over and there would have been no Woodstock ‘99 or 9/11 or War on Terror and Gore would have won in 2000 and there wouldn’t have been a writer’s strike and The Apprentice would have never made it to air and Trump would have died in semi-obscurity and COVID-19 would have been stopped early by an efficient presidential administration. But it was not to be. Thanks Kurt.

Implacably disaffected noise-mess by smarty-pants brats who work every angle--infectious melody, discord, suburban rebellion, the range life--but refuse to commit to any. Perhaps the only thing that speaks to the politics of their music louder than that mix is [screamed]: "NO LONG HAIR!"

4.1 + I was an early teen when these guys hit the scene. At the time, I was a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan. I had a buddy who was a Pavement fan. Somehow we always argued about which band was better - the two fanbases felt diametrically opposed, and some vague beef between them further drove a wedge. The fact that Pavement called out SP specifically in "Range Life" feels like a petty dick move. To me the rift feels like the cool kids (Pavement) ragging on the spastic drama kids (SP). The cool kids are all about not trying too hard, while the drama kids suffer, often pretentiously and publicly, for their art. On hindsight, both camps seem insufferable. Setting all of this "who's-in-who's-out" nonsense aside, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a cool (again with that word) and composed with interesting guitar textures, poetic lyrics and slack vocals. I understand and appreciate their venerated status in 90s indie rock.

Generic early 90s rock. Has a bit of a Weezer edge to them, but I think early Weezer was better. Nothing too memorable or catchy here. I sort of liked Cut Your Hair.

Pavement was that band you heard about in the 90's but no one was a diehard fan of. They were on a compilation disc or two I purchased over the years but the material didn't interest me enough to dig deeper. "Cut Your Hair" was the tune. This album solidifies that initial perception - loose sound, weak vocals, vanilla songs, no real hook or groove to gravitate to. I can think of 20+ bands from 1994 that I'd prefer to listen to. "Average" is the first word that comes to mind after persevering through that entire album. It's quite possibly one of the most boring albums I've ever heard. Influential, no. Full of great songs or hits, no. Encapsulation of the times, no. I have NO idea how this makes anyone's Top 1001. I almost went with 1 star!

The best of Pavement

FAV!

Immediate oh shit hell yes followed by good vibes

Show me a word that rhymes with pavement and i wont kill your parents and roast them on a spit. I know its a different album but fuck it

A perfect indie album that captures a vibe with clever lyrics.

Solid grunge rock, singer needs to protect his vocal health

Need to give this another listen but enjoyed it

This was so good. It's not the greatest album but I could definitely see myself coming back to this over and over again in the future

solid i like

Cut Your Hair Gold Soundz Range Life

Thought this was quite good, listenable, indie rock. Sounds like it could have come out this year.

An indie rock classic. A shambling mess of an album. Excellent.

Heavier than I was expecting- for some reason I thought Pavement were like shoe gazing indie blah peddlars. 2 tracks in and they’re ok I guess... I could imagine these tracks on an indie movie soundtrack. Oh! I know this song! Cut your hair. I don’t know where from but I’ve absolutely heard this before. Very Dandy Warhols. Really enjoying this actually- grown into it a lot. “And we’re coming to the chorus now” at the end of the first verse of Gold soundz 😂 I like a quirky weird instrumental track too.

I think I like the idea of this better than the actual album 6/10

The Good: 90’s alternative music! The Bad: not understanding what crooked rain actually is The Ugly: the band finding crooked rain important enough to repeat it in the title… What in the actual fuck? I am seriously starting to doubt my taste in music, or, trying to understand the rationality being applied when “those in the know” create a Top x album list and add mundane stuff like this to it. Don’t get me wrong, the album is palatable for sure, however, I checked out of curiosity if Kerosene Hat by the band Cracker is included in the list, which it isn’t, and that is just stupid as it was key in mainstreaming the indie/alt rock wave of the ‘90s I can remember people on campus walking around with Pavement T-shirts, yet I couldn’t recall if I had listened to their music at the time, so I was excited to give this album a spin… call me disappointed as I am starting to really dislike anything “lo-fi”, or where the singer of a band feels it is important to do their best to emulate a period of their life when their voice was shifting from child to man… 2* for not hating this album… however, if I would have to listen to the nasally whining lyrics again, I might just drop the rating down to 1*

I had never heard of pavement before! My first thought is very generic 90s alt rock and indie. It was a nice album but nothing stuck out. It reminded me of American Pie and music from that era of american comedy. Favourite song: Newark Wilder and cut your hair Least favourite: the rest of the album is very meh. Album artwork: Cool cover if not a little messy.

First track seems like a weird mashup between Jane's Addiction and Buddy Holly. By end of this album, I felt a palpable sense of relief that it had finished.

started and thought - decent, but then it just sounded samey and then it just stopped. Meh.

Ah yes, the godfathers of incredibly boring indie rock. I've tried so many times to get into these guys, and now, upon this most recent listen, I can safely say it's never going to happen.

classic 90s whiny indie music. Basically average to bad, not interesting.

that was ok. none of that is stuck in my memory. it's got a really good sound, the levels and tones of all the instruments and singing all work well, but there's a lack of any actual tunes. its like these and weezer started out at the same place and weezer decided to go with catchy hooklines and pavement went the opposite way to whatever this is. bit of a shame really, cultivate a nice thing and then not back it up with any substance.

Not the kind of music I like. Lacks polish, the guitars are all over the place, the rhythm is boring, the vocals raw, the overall structure feels very simplistic.

I really don’t think this is required listening. At times painful.

I get why this album would be on the list, underground indie rock with (IMO) strong punk leanings but vocally and lyrically …. Not my cup of tea … Probs wound’ve been a lot of fun in concert but outside of the experience of them live …. Not so interested …. Gives me a vibe of what Elbow would’ve been playing in high school when they were trashed in a garage before they cut the lead singer/guitar player who was on an ego trip ….

US Indie Garage rock, was never going to enjoy, put on that angsty whiney vocals "oh no someone told me to cut my hair" then it's a super no, music should be fun, just a nothing album.

Can't find a better word than ugly

The opening sounds like someone trying to play 'Alright Now' from memory but forgetting how it goes and coming up with something else by mistake. I couldn't take more than a minute of it before moving on. Same on subsequent tracks - eventually, I just hated it.

Remember that day your mom told you to stop singing? Yeah, well. Then why did you release an album?!

Did not enjoy this discordant album.

OK. So somehow this is considered essential? This is considered to be outstanding to the point that it is considered an album that everyone should listen to prior to their eternal passing? You know, there are albums already that I have listened to on this project that I've thought... well, you know, it isn't my style at all, but I can see why there is merits in it, that it contains something that could be considered as ground breaking or ahead of its time or even passable. What I hear when I listened to this album was... boredom. I heard a style of alt rock that was prolific in the era, I heard some vocals that really only made themselves known to me because they seemed less than average, and I was far from enamored. In fact, when the album finished, a song from the Jesus and Mary Chain came on that was far superior to anything I heard on this album. No thanks.

I wish I could give this zero Stars. I I feel like they are trying to rip off The flaming lips and Jay from dinosaur Jr. That one song grabbed me. I found the whole thing to be trash and nearly unlistenable. I hope this is the worst that we get.

They did more of what worked on the debut. This is fantastic. Appropriately named band, this DOES sounds like pavement. The four track run to start the album is just “chefs kiss”.

a classic indie band album. I love this album. And of course it's hilarious too.

one of the greats

Having spent the last 30 years putting Cut Your Hair and Range Life on just about every mix tape and playlist I’ve made, it was nice to hear these songs in their natural habitat again. Slanted and Enchanted cropped up on this list the other day - both albums have served to remind me just how much I like Pavement.

Excellent album!

Pavement are one of the most consistent bands out there. If you love this album you will probably love their whole discography. Personally my favorite album by them is Brighten the Corners, so it is a little sad that one didn't make the list, but their early records are the most important so I understand why it was cut. There is something that is just so perfect with the simplicity of their music. High 5.

A masterpiece

I only knew one Pavement song before this so I was pretty happy with today’s pull. True indie rock here for the slacker generation. Seemingly all over the place, but they have a lot more skill than they seem to let on.

range life

Very weird, but in a good way.

Solid lo-fi album. This is a good combination of hooks and weird. I like it.

Loved it.

this is a cool album and i feel cooler for having listened to it. B) it's effortless, quintessential indie rock that rewards repeated listening and new discoveries. the lyrics are baffling in the best way. and unlike their contemporaries weezer, these guys HATE beverly hills. what a breath of fresh air! favorites: silence kid, elevate me later, stop breathin, cut your hair, gold soundz, range life

Top 5 from the 90s… Not everyone’s cuppa but works perfectly for my brain.

Such a great record, probably one I'll go back to over and over but somehow not their best, although their best changes from day to day or hour to hour

Another classic of indie rock. Pavement really have a remarkably consistent discography.

Somewhere between dinosaur jr and the replacements. Melancholy melody.

Very compelling album. I wish I never overlooked this one when I firdt listened to it ages ago.

Probably their best, at least, the most singular in its vision. A jazz album, almost, an alt country album, almost. An slacker anthem and defining message of its time. Utterly brilliant. Goodnight, to the rock and roll era.

I don't know why, but I associate Pavement with springtime. Perfect album for today.

Nirvana if they were chill

When I first heard this album years ago I think I hated it except for Cut Your Hair and Unfair. And now I think it’s a masterpiece.

One of those albums that you get prompted with and say to yourself “this looks like shit and so its going to sound like shit” After Silent kid and Elevate Me later, I thought this was Dinosaur Jr. By track 3 (Stop Breathing) I was hooked. By track 4 (Cut Your Hair), I thought I was deep in a Wilco album (how didnt that song top the alt charts back in 94?) 5-4Unity kind of pushed me over the edge with this stuff - out of nowhere we get jazz alt rock 😂 Range Life solidified it with a solid country twang tune How the heck did I miss these guys? This is up there with Nirvana/Meat puppets stuff for me (theres some Cobain squeaking that comes out of nowhere). And theyre some Stockton boys? Get the fuck outta here 😆 4.5 stars and rounding up. My one gripe is with Hit The Plane Down - 🤮

This is one of my favorites of all time, one of those albums that I can hear the next song in my head before it starts. Reminds me of post-college days living in Chicago, working my first real job, discovering new music and venues around the city. There was probably a several month stretch where I was listening to this album every day, these days probably only once a year, but I love it every time.

The greatest American band of the 90s and this is their best album. Brilliant start to finish. Fav tracks: Range Life, Gold Soundz, Silence Kit

Celebrating underachievement, but this gets an A+ from me: "Out on my skateboard, the night is just humming/And the gum smacks are the pulse I'll follow if my Walkman fades." I've never even been on a bloody skateboard but this conveys the vibe so well. (Also, I miss my Walkman.)

I only knew 'Cut Your Hair' and 'Range Life' before going into this one, but I have to say, I fucking loved it. Poppier and more laid back than its (enjoyable) predecessor, beneath the slacker vibe is some razor-sharp and at times unpredictable songwriting. I definitely think it's time for me to re-evaluate Pavement's catalogue.

This is #day196 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's a sunny February afternoon here in my hometown Lviv, the world is crashing down, but at least there's good music out there. Now, give me '90s American indie rock any day. Pavement... they must be one of the most entertaining bands in the genre: unconventional guitar play, offbeat melodies, and totally bizarre lyrics and songwriting all around. I’ve been aware of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain since when I ran an indie music blog with a friend (which I mentioned in my Orange Juice review), but I’d never actually listened to it until today. Having done so, I can only say: yes, it's absolutely enjoyable. Guess I'll go crazy and give this a 5 out of 5. Can’t wait to revisit Slanted and Enchanted next (because I’m familiar with that one and know it's on the list). Looking forward to #day197.

One of best

A guitar album for people who hate guitar albums, and a whole bunch of nonsensical lyrics that remind me of driving around aimlessly in high school listening to this album.

This is an album and band I’ve listened to occasionally for a long time now, probably 15 years or so (didn’t know them as a kid in the 90’s). Crooked Rain and Slanted and Enchanted always found their ways to lists of albums I’d probably like, and the lists weren’t wrong. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a fantastic listen. It’s unmistakably Pavement, unmistakably 90’s indie rock. The jangly guitars leading the way on most tracks is a sound I’ve always been attracted to. Cut Your Hair is the band’s biggest single, and it’s always a catchy fun song. Gold Soundz and Range Life are the other two can’t miss highlights for me. I particularly love the latter: “if I could settle down then I would settle down” is such a great evocative line. So much to love on this odd little album.

As another rater noted, "Every time I listen to Pavement I think 'wow, I should listen to more Pavement.'”

Amazingly for me Pavement and Wilco appeared on this list within a week of eachother, as they were for a short while two of my favourite bands. In fact I’m pretty sure it’s because they both played Primavera one year and I became obsessed. Pavement are the best US indie/lofi/slacker/whatever you want to label them as band. I think they are probably like Velvet Underground in that whole thing of not everyone bought their records straight away, but those that did formed numerous bands. Hugely influential. Even listening to this now it’s mental to think it’s 31 year old. Totally timeless, total classic.

Been aware of pavement for ages but the few tracks id heard didn't land for me, think because it's not the sort of music that is made for immediate attention. Enjoyed this more and more as the album went on, it's sort of like the pixies in the sort of ramshackle DIY sounding indie sense but was a bit more eclectic/post rocky. Will definitely repeat this and almost certainly enjoy it more the next time. 4.5

Was looking forward to this when I saw it come up after their last album we've had. I think I enjoyed this more than the last. On paper this should be completely for me, but there is something that is stopping it clicking fully and I'm not quite sure what. Still very good though. Ignore that I've changed my mind.... It's a 4.5 but getting a 5 Highlights: Stop breathing Cut your hair Unfair Gold sounds Range life

An alt-rock indie classic. Angular, odd, white noise splashes, melodies, pop pretentions, funny and strange. Pavement were an important band in the 90s. I can see why people may not like them, but they're wrong. This is definitely an album to hear before you die. Best Tracks: Silence Kit; Cut Your Hair; Gold Soundz

i cravement the pavement

This is a really nice indie rock album. It feels mellow. A lot of music from today seems to feature a similar vibe to this album.

I see now where mj lenderman got it from

Great init