Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
1994
Album Summary
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the second studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 14, 1994 by Matador Records. The album saw the band move on towards a more accessible rock sound than that of their more lo-fi debut Slanted and Enchanted and achieve moderate success with the single "Cut Your Hair". The album also saw original drummer Gary Young replaced by Steve West. It was a UK Top 20 hit upon release, although it was not so successful in the US charts.
WikipediaEvery time I listen to Pavement I think “wow, I should listen to more Pavement.”
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!
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...
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.
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
I love this album. Pavement is such an important band that not enough people know about.
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.
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 don't know how I haven't heard this before. Amazing sound and songwriting.
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!
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.
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.
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.)
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!"
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.
Good album, can feel the influence. Big titus andronicus energy. Will continue exploring other Pavement albums following.
pavement should hold the spot in the cultural consciousness that nirvana does
"„I was 14 when Crooked Rain came out. And modern rock radio, at least in Philadelphia, was playing weirder, cooler ’90s stuff on the air, which is where I heard “Cut Your Hair” for the first time. I just thought that song was cool. It’s by no means my favorite song on the record, especially now. But the album as a whole didn’t hit me right away; with every listen, though, it got better and better. I was heavy into skateboarding at the time, and “Range Life” was my favorite song. And I should say before that point Smashing Pumpkins were one of my favorite bands, but when Malkmus name-checked them on that song, of course I switched over to their side. “Stop Breathin’” is another favorite of mine; it’s just so jangly and melodic. It truly was a classic rock record.“ Kurt Vile gibt wirklich genau auf den Punkt wieder, was 1994 meine Feelings und meine Auffindesituation waren: gekriegt haben sie mich zuerst mit der Single Cut Your Hair, die ich total catchy fand - die aber gefühlt in die falsche Richtung zeigte als ich zum ersten Mal ins instantly gekaufte Album reinhörte. Bei dem brauchte ich dann 2-3 Anläufe, bis plötzlich (vermutlich erst NACH dem Kalifornien-Urlaub im selben Jahr) "Range Life" einschlug wie selten was. Und dann war es große Liebe für diese perfektionierten Unperfektion, der ich bis heute treu bin. Malkmus' schiefer Gesang, das Leiern, der ständig verschleppte Beat (bei Konzerten kriegt der Drummer ja auch gerne mal ein Back-Up an die Seite bekommt) - hier haben wir Slackertum und Generation X noch viel greifbarer als Douglas Coupland es aufschreiben konnte. Range Life und Gold Soundz sind immer noch Lieblingssongs, aber Fillmore Jive die totale Geheimwaffe. Naja, so geheim natürlich gar nicht. I need to sleep - lasst euch das gesagt sein.
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
Yes this album rules. Listened to a bunch of the extended edition as well and even a lot of the outtakes are killer songs. It has been way too long since hearing this all the way through.
One of the best albums of the 90s. Slightly prefer Slanted and Enchanted. Indie perfection. 9-10/10 1. Gold Soundz 2. Elevate Me Later 3. Cut Your Hair
This is great. Funky sound, interesting instrumental sections. I didn't follow lyrics closely but greatly enjoyed the sound. Album art reminds me of Flying Dog beer art.
Despite bands such as Nirvana and Green Day, Pavement was one of the most important bands from the 90's. Crooked Rain is my favourite Pavement album and it confirms that Stephen Malkmus is one of the best songwriters of his generation. A classic record, definitely a must hear!
Amazing album by an amazing band. Probably not my favorite Pavement album cover to cover (that would be Wowie Zowie), but does have one of the best songs ever (Gold Soundz). Fillmore Jive, Silent Kid, Cut Your Hair...all amazing. 5/5
This was the first Pavement album I heard, when a friend lent me the expanded version and The Velvet Underground & Nico on the same day. I immediately loved this one and they've been one of my favourite bands since. 1969 Live ended up being the album that made me fall for VU, so I clearly have a thing for sloppily played country rock. The early versions of these songs in Gary Young's garage studio with him on drums aren't bad, but they show the band was right to hire a proper mixer (who could also play piano) and to bring in a drummer with a slow swinging style who didn't greet audiences on the door with free cabbages and abandon songs partway through to attempt cartwheels. The early versions of several Wowee Zowee songs show they were right to hold them back and they were thinking carefully about how to make the album flow well as a whole. The weak link is Hit the Plane Down, though it works as a short, sharp shock to take you from the delicate, yearning prettiness of the preceding songs to the mock-epic closer. I like having at least one of Scott's songs per album, but Coolin' By Sound is a better song and maybe it would have worked as well in that position. I love this record, but if I was going to recommend just one Pavement album that people should listen to, it would be Wowee Zowee.
In the mid-90s I would have happily have said this album as in the my Top 10 favourite albums. Not listened to it in ages, probably overplayed it a bit in the 90s. Probably not in my Top 10 All Time these days but still a pretty great album. More coherent and consistent than S&E. Saw them on this tour, bought a very poor quality bootleg maroon long sleeve t-shirt outside afterwards for a fiver.
This is the definitive Pavement album for me. I came to them a bit after the fact, as they were a bit early for me, but yeah, they helped reshaped the way I and I think a lot of the music scene, think about what "indie" music is. They brought that slacker jangle pop to the masses and really perfected that sound on this album, in particular.
The thing I like most about Pavement is that they are both intelligent and lighthearted at once. They make music that is mostly fun and carefree without being simplistic. They don't take themselves too seriously but they don't come across as a joke or a comedy act. I think it's because Stephen Malkmus uses a really down to earth form of stream of consciousness that is as conversational as it is surreal. I find their music completely relatable. Comfortable like a well worn pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
When I first heard "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain", I fell in love at precisely 0:40 into "Elevate Me Later". A chaotic drum fill leads into the chorus, another layer of squalling lead guitar joins and then the falsetto backing vocals drift in over the top. It's everything that makes Pavement great: sloppily precise, casually catchy and effortlessly cool. "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain"- Pavement's second of five albums that shaped the face of 90's alt-rock and "slacker culture"- is by far my favourite of theirs, condensing most of their hits into one tight yet oh-so-loose package. The uncharacteristic commercial success of "Cut Your Hair", the laid back country-fied daze of "Range Life", and one of my all-time favourite songs "Gold Soundz" are all here in their jangly beauty. Listen to any number of songs and it's as though the band- and Stephen Malkmus with his laconic vocals- are sleepwalking around, happening upon beautiful melodies like they're stumbling through dreams. It amounts to a desire for simplicity, a yearning for an easier and looser way of life. The lyrics express this too: they spill out over the songs like jottings from a frustrated poetry book, held together by a consistent desire to make sense: "stop breathing, breathe in for me now…" "go back to those gold sounds"… "if I could settle down, then I would settle down." It all finally culminates in the repeated insistence of "I need to sleep" in the transcendent closer "Fillmore Jive". The only duds are "Newark Wilder" and "Hit the Plane Down", for either feeling too nebulous or out-of-kilter with the rest of the album's flow. Still, they're not offensive enough to drop the album below five stars. It's an absolutely sensational, deliciously skewed take on the 90s' return to guitar rock.
Malkmus and the boys make more gold sounds on possibly Pavement’s best album. Quirky, idiosyncratic, Pavement do their own thing and bring others along for the ride. I really love the sound they make, the ambling lyrics, the switches in tempo, the evident ability to make great poppy tunes such as Cut Your Hair and Gold Sounds which they then undercut with shouting or discordant guitar stabs. It’s just them and god love them for that.
i thought wowee zowee was my favorite but upon revisiting this is by far my favorite pavement album it's so good
You can draw a straight line from R.E.M. to Pavement to Wilco. Or to be more specific, from Murmur to Crooked Rain to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. They're all classics. This is the Pavement album for those who like the Eagles and can appreciate bands like Stone Temple Pilots and the Smashing Pumpkins being taken down a peg. It's also a decent argument that Stephen Malkmus is the Donald Fagan of the indie-rock scene. Pavement's first two albums are both justifiably on this list, and this is the one that I prefer. Don't @ me.
Bought this LP after I was denied getting into a bar to see Yo La Tengo. Loved it. Was later denied getting into a bar to see Pavement. Effing Puritanical laws denied me many good shows as a teen. 5-4 = Unity is super fab.
One of my absolute favorites of the 90' indie boom, I also think it's pavements best, with classics like stop breathing, cut your hair, and of course Gold Soundz, Crooked Rain Crooked rain had Stephen Malkmus and gang capture lightning in a bottle.
I actually really enjoyed sure, it was really awkward and even a little annoying but they had some really cool stuff in there and I loved those interesting time signatures they did on tracks 7 and 8 9/10
I was in college when this album came out, and I probably caught "Range Life" or "Cut Your Hair" on the radio at the time. But I never really took the time to get into Pavement's music. I'm happy to admit I was off the mark back then, because this album is pretty brilliant. It fits in perfectly with what was going on in music in 1994, but Pavement has a musical depth lacking in a lot of their peers. The album is musically much smarter than it pretends to be, kind of in the same vein as some of Alex Chilton and/or Big Star's work. There are some nice jangly country rock-ish sounds and hints of a melodic pop hook here and there. But it's layered under a prickly, noisy veneer with strategic uses of dissonance and quiet. Stephen Malkmus' laid back, slacker-y vocals belie some surprisingly poetic and affecting lyrics - musings on war, love, disaffection and self-doubt. This is the kind of album I just want to hear over in over because there's so much in there to hear. I really loved hearing it today. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Range Life, Stop Breathin, Silence Kid, Fillmore Jive, Newark Wilder, Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz, 5-4=Unity, Unfair, Heaven Is a Truck, Hit the Plane Down, Elevate Me Later
Here's a really nice album by a band I have never heard before. Pavement is an Indie Rock group from California, created in late 80s. They rose to fame as a completely underground band, refusing to give live shows at the beginning, which created a sort of legendary status. This, together with a rather experimental approach to the compositions on the album, was what most likely put it on the list of greatest albums ever. Is it enough? We have seen records here, that didn't even have half of those accolades, yet it is still surprising to see more 'just good' albums. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain has 12 songs, and most of them have a certain gimmick, or a style, by which they are composed. Each song starts as a typical pop/rock tune, that you could hear in a radio everyday, but by the midpoint of it, it turns into a very alternative, interesting and original sequence. As an example, first song of the album "Silence Kid", starts as a sort of soft rock with a cowbell, and then breaks the mold and decomposes itself, together with a vocalist, who clearly doesn't care about clean singing. Yet the song has its charm and stays with you for a while, similarly as the rest of the album. It is a very pleasant surprise and a big candidate for an album I will come back to again.
I just saw Pavement live in person three nights ago, so this has been very fresh in my mind. Great record, I go back and forth which album of theirs is my favorite, and this one is always middle of the pack. Great to listen to it again a few days after seeing so many of these songs live.
90s alt rock, kinda felt like a mix of Weezer and Pixies and a few others. Really enjoyed it
I like Pavement. The famous singles here are Cut Your Hair, Gold Sounds and Range Life, all of which are excellent: hooky and lyrically cool. The opener Silence Kid and closer Fillmore Jive bookend the album nicely - Silence Kid kicks the album off with high energy and a good guitar riff while Fillmore Jive wraps things up using a slower tempo and some droning jamming. Some of the lesser-known tracks don't really stand out too much as individual songs, but everything works well together in the context of an album, which is probably the only way I'd really like to listen to this - this is a much better experience as a whole album than if individual tracks popped up randomly on a playlist, which I suppose is the point of the listening project. Other standouts: Elevate Me Later, Stop Breathin, 5-4=Unity for its jazzbo riffing
I like it a lot. Every song is extraordinary and I like the whole album, it is nearly perfect.
So peculiar. I kept thinking that I didn't like it, but then I REALLY did like it. I will absolutely listen to it again. It took me somewhere else.
Got a Silver Jew's album yesterday and a Pavement album today, interesting...I've known and loved Pavement's singles for a long time but I don't remember listening to this album through many times. I definitely will be again, there's some great tracks on here, apart from the obvious 3. It goes to show that a band doesn't have to take themselves too seriously to produce great music.
More melodic and enjoyable than slanted and enchaned, and overall I like the songs better. Pretty great album.
I partially love this because I feel like I can hear the bands this inspired, and partially because it's a fun record. Jangly, lackadaisical, makes me want to smoke and lay in the sun. And dance like the singer from Cage the Elephant. Favorite tracks: "Unfair", "Gold Soundz"
Love the first track It's all pretty good, added a lot of the tracks to my regular playlist
mellow vibes, very indie rockie, some strokes, some straylight run, some modest mouse, overall recommend
I can hear the influence of this in other indie alternative bands, a fun listen and a new one for me.
Really enjoyed this! A song added to my regular playlist too. Great music to work to. Look forward to hearing more from them.
An album I was already familiar with. One of the most underrated bands and here they are in great form with great song after great sonng
Pavement is right up my street. No Pavement on the street I live on though :/ Maybe someone should look into that
This was like teleporting back to the 90s. It's full of energy and classic indie rock. Nothing too fancy but very fun and enjoyable.
Very nice, but I feel like I need a little more time to chew on it. It could either end up a major grower, or lose its luster fast for me.
A friend turned me onto "Range Life" a few years ago and I was immediately in love. Hadn't really explored more of their work until now but that same feeling rings true for the album.
Eyyy it's one I know! Good little album. A little edgy but mostly just fun. Need to listen to more of this band
I like Pavement! Their songs have a creative sound and the singers voice is unique which I really like.
I liked the crunchy guitar tone and the singer's voice. There was also some cool intentional out-of-tuneness in Stop Breathin... rather creative.
Absolutely gorgeous, moving indie rock. For some reason, I didn't like it on my first listen, but now I really like it!
Great album, great band. Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz & Range Life are standout tracks but the album has a great flow and is eccentric and interesting. Up alongside Brighten The Corners as my favourite Pavement album.
It started out with some songs that I really didnt like but then the album grew on me as we progressed through the tracks
I've never quite understood the incredible hype Pavement, and especially this album gets. It's a good, at points great indie record, but the whole Pitchforkian 10/10 Gold Soundz is the best song of the 90s vibe just doesn't make sense to me.
Real great indie rock. Standout Tracks: Elevate Me Later, Newark Wilder, 5-4=Unity, Hit the Plane Down
I didn't get into any of this until the Stephen Malkmus - Stephen Malkmus album, and then I circled back. I like so much of this, but sometimes it kind of works itself down into an eddy and I lose interest. But a lot of good stuff here.
Alternative classic, that I never had time to listen to. Would've fit much better if I'd listen to it first in 90s, but, glad I finally made it
One of the best low-fi bands and one of their best albums, Malkmus is a genius with the guitar. Range Life, Cut Your Hair & Gold Soundz all superb tracks
Creo que si hubiera conicido a Pavement en su época de auge me hubieran gustado. Hay un algo en la forma de cantar ligeramente desafinada pero cuidada que me gusta. Las canciones son el típico sonido del alternativo noventero.
Animated Pixies-esque singing and emotional playing. This album sometimes rides the grunge wave, but when it does, it does so creatively and refreshingly. It blends personal and meaningfull with fun and lightheartedness. Very nice album that I will definitely check out again.
Impressive mood/instrumental with a less impressive vocalist. Sounds like grunge's little less angsty and noisy brother.
I was familiar with this album before this adventure, but I'm glad I got a chance to listen to it. An indie rock classic! Favorites: Silence Kid, Gold Soundz, Fillmore Jive
Surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Not to judge a book by its cover, but I didn't think I'd like this album, having never heard of this group. Definitely sounds like a 90's album, giving me Green Day or Weezer vibes. Giving it 4 stars, the second side was a little more lackluster compared to the first, and the album as a whole did blur together. Favorite Songs: Cut Your Hair, Unfair, Silence Kid, Gold Soundz
Fuck yeah. I LOVE the ragged edges on this album, mess = magic here. The dude's attitude is <kisses fingers Italian style>
I used to listen to this album a lot, but it fell off my radar after University. Nice to have this come back into my life Is it a 5? Probably not. But I'll let it loop a few times before I move to the next CD, if only for nostalgia's sake. 🍺 5-4=Unity's sampling of "Take Five" -> Feels good.
Me ha gustado bastante este disco. Solo conocía la canción Range Life, asi que me imaginaba que me enco traría música parecida a la de esa canción. Por una parte tenía razón, pero por otra Crooked Rain es un disco muy variado que además prueba que cualquiera puede cantar si quiere, sin ninguna ironía. Newark Wilder y 5-4=Unity son algunas de mis canciones favoritas.
Listening to this album put me in the shoes of a college student blasting this on cd while sipping beer in a crusty lounge chair on a warm Sunday afternoon. 8/10
8/10. The morose singing was kinda just meh, but the lyrics and instrumentals were quite nice
pretty good, deserves another listen probably but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations of such an iconic indie band bc it felt pretty disjointed :/ the singles are rock solid though 7/10
Only recently discovering Pavement. Their stuff is samey but right in my grungy sweet spot
I haven't heard a lot of Pavement but I love, love, Range Life. There are a bunch of other good ones on here, a few take-it-or-leave it ones for me, but overall very good stuff. This sounds like modern indie but this was 1994! I enjoy the vocal style but I can imagine a lot of people wouldn't, it's a perfectly relatable cadence that almost anyone can sing along with. 4.5 to 4.
I really struggle with how to rate these guys. Steven Malkmus's whiny vocals sometimes annoy the shit out of me and his guitar work often sounds too jangly and off key. But on the flip side there are some great songs on this album and I find myself toe tapping throughout. So... 3.5 leaning toward 4 I guess.
Pretty good grunge album. Didn't dig every track, but over all enjoyable.
For some reason I've never listened to Pavement before, although obviously I was aware of them. Strange really, as they're certainly the sort of band I like. Great album, wonder why it took so long to get around to hearing it...
It's a decent album, I suppose, but its glorification is a mystery to me.
When I think of indie rock, Pavement is usually one of the first to come to mind. Compared to the indie rock that came before then (i.e. the jangles of REM and Smiths, or the noisiness of Sonic Youth and Pixies), these guys are clean and melodic yet lofi and honest, like a less grungey and polished Nirvana. Even the opening gives off Radiohead vibes before The Bends. It's introspective and unique. There are moments like the post-rock solo in "Stop Breathin" that are years ahead of their time. Yet, it's also super accessible. Arguably, their three most popular songs are here. "Cut Your Hair" is happy, energetic, and catchy, with plenty of memorable moments, from the vocal overlays to the random punk belts. "Gold Soundz" is the most melodic song on the album and the one that stood out to me during my first listen. Gives me goosebumps with those buildups. "Range Life" is my favorite of the hits. Lyrics are my favorite, as well as that country-like melody. As a huge fan of STP (those foxy elegant bastards), I got a laugh out of their Smashing Pumpkins diss, and I can't believe they got kicked out of Lollapalooza. "Newark Wilder" is my personal favorite. I really love the mysterious vibe and yearnful vocals... vastly underrated. The song starts and ends super strong, although I admit the middle is lacking. "Unfair" is a raw punk song with chaotic instrumentals that reminds me of Nirvana's In Utero. "5-4=Unity" is our avant-garde jazzy instrumental, a nice interlude between two highlights. Personally, I lose attention in the last three songs following "Range Life." "Heaven Is a Truck" is solid but forgettable; "Hit the Plane Down" is comedy punk; and "Fillmore Jive" is twice as long as it should be but is a fitting dramatic closer. Favorites: Stop Breathin, Cut Your Hair, Newark Wilder, Gold Soundz, Range Life
Music the weird kid in your class that never talks and you're worried one day will sh**t everyone up makes. 7/10 F.t.: Unfair
Likably (if intentionally) ragged and discordant. Same with the strained vocals, which are obviously (and perhaps excessively) affected, as nearly everything is with Malkmus. “Cut Your Hair” is a stone-cold classic (and not just for stoners) and “Range Life” is excellent. I think this band has an understandably split personality based on being underrated by half of the listening public and overrated by the other half. I’ve never been entirely sure how seriously they want to be taken. The all-pervasive ironies, the constant smugness, the off-key singing, the lo-fi “whatever” vibe – they don’t want to make it easy for you to like them, though Malkmus wont’ fully commit to the tortured artist act, either. All of which tells us … what, exactly? Again, I’ve never been sure about this band. I might be overthinking it, the kind of thing I suspect Malkmus would both do and make fun of others for doing. The only thing that’s clear is that this is a very good record
There is some nirvana feel at places. I like this album the more I hear it. Glad to know pavement.
At the time the Pavement appeared they felt like a nice break from the testosterone driven grunge clones that dominated the scene. Too bad they turned out to be a bunch of smug jerks at times, too clever for other people's good and platitudes about what is cool. Musically I still love this but it was the last Pavement album I enjoyed. Go listen to Slanted and Encanted to hear what the band could've been
Довольно необычная рок-группа для 1994-ого года. Есть как нотки влияния джаза, так и интересная игра с ритмом и нечто похожее на будущий стоунер. За оригинальность 7 из 10
Wasn't sure what to think going in to this. It was not bad. I could see this band going on my shuffle. Without knowing any musical terms (im learning) I would describe this as upbeat but slightly angry rock. Sounds kind of familiar but at the same time foreign. 4/5
The lo-fi approach almost feels like a direct attack on the growing grunge sound of the same era. Still noisy as hell, but with absolutely no obvious attempt at writing something even resembling a hit. Also the fact that Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins was genuinely furious at the band for referencing them in Range Life is hilarious!
Perhaps the most important underground band since the velvet kind? I believe the Onion was right when they wrote that Pitchfork wrote “In the end, though music can be brilliant at times, the whole medium comes off as derivative of Pavement.” 'Gold Soundz' really is a terrific track.
Was unaware of how influential this band is. A great song on the album talking the nonsense of the 90s band. Also very long album which I wasn’t prepared for but a nice change
Did I like this? Not expecting too, with their wacky vibe and 'American Fall' billing. But it was full of melody and well-built songs. Maybe one of the very select albums I buy following hearing it here, but need to give it a couple more listens.
Sounds exactly like its time - mid 90s. Reminds me of Goldhawk Road, bongs and the Shepherd's Bush Empire.
I get some Siamese Dream vibes, self-title Foo Fighters as well. Vocals sound like Rivers Cuomo out of breath. That's not a compliment. It feels like something I could've created on my own. I guess that's the point though.
Fun album! I like the variety and the album as a whole, some parts were pretty unmemorable though
Though they may not play fast and loose with song structures like the Grateful Dead or Phish, Pavement has the soul of a jam band. One of those rare albums where the back half is livelier than the front.
Pas mauvais! Par contre, j'ai la même impression avec ça qu'avec les vieux groupes punk que j'écoutais quand j'étais jeune, c'est à dire que j'ai vieilli et que je me retrouve pu tant dans le style musical. Ça reste de la qualité pareil.
Firstly, very much in this album's favour, it slags off the Smashing Pumpkins, and my kiddiwinks, you should all have realised by now that the Smashing Pumkpins are perhaps the worst band of all. The saluteworthy lyrics run: Out on tour with The Smashing Pumpkins Nature kids I, they don't have no function I don't understand what they mean And I could really give a fuck Billy Corgan, walking evidence that some kids really shouldn't be told they're special, got so blubby over these lines that he had Pavement dropped from that year's Lollapalooza and claimed Pavement were jealous of his Cure-knock-off, high-school-D&D-Wicca, self-pitying, self-important tripe. Pavement were clearly the heroes of that situation, and Billy Corgan acting so characteristically just makes one mock him all the fiercer. But what about the album itself? It can't depend solely on the goodwill attained by striking a deserved target. And it's an okay album. It's decent, enjoyable, acceptable, fine. This is in part because on Crooked Rain Crooked Rain they largely, but not wholly, forgo aping the Fall, an impersonation that ruined their previous album Slanted and Enchanted (you know, Mark E. Smith was still going in 1994, and he kept at his singular coalface until he dropped in 2018, so what was the point in mimicking him?). Rather, the style employed on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain lies steadfast within the American college rock Weltenshauung, all quirky hooks, tasteful use of fuzz guitar and mildly absurdist lyrics that purport to convey greater meaning by being meaningless. I've always felt a bit of a chilly wind from college rock, as it seems to focus more on being clever than good. Of course, cleverness and quality are in no way mutually exclusive, but likewise they are in no way mutually inclusive: cleverness too often leads to that vile enemy of art, good taste. Yeah, it's that tastefulness that prevents this from being a great album. It's a fun journey while it's ticking along, but for all the overt oddness dotted throughout the album, it comes across as ultimately conservative. Its weirdness is not the kind of weirdness that'd alienate a girl you'd brought back to your room who preferred Mariah Carey, and thus its weirdness sounds shallow and untrustworthy ("Yeah, I'm, like, interesting and uncompromising in my music, but I ain't scaring off the PUSS-AY!"). Still, a high three, along with a bonus star for pissing off Billy Corgan.
Nice album, I somehow never listened to the whole thing before! Saved tracks: Elevate Me Later, Unfair, Range Life
It was fine. Just an average alternative rock album with some touch of indie rock.
Good alternative album, I liked it a lot. I don't really know why it's on the top 1001 list though. Favorite song: Filmore Jive, least favorite: Hit the plane down. Sound was pretty generic and predictable but the project was still enjoyable, 6/8.
Ça pue le rock experimental dès les premières secondes, parfois au bord de la justesse, voire dissonant.
An unknown band for me. I could listen to them, as I kept on thinking I would be surprised having read WIKI on them. But I don't think they will get a revisit from me. It is not my type of music. As the English language is not my first language, music first speaks to me followed by the lyrics. But I could appreciate different styles of songs going from rock to melodious.
Começou bem mais ou menos mas na segunda música eu já fiquei mais interessado 5-4=unity tem parte q me lembrou she's so heavy dos beatles; melhor música na primeira impressão. Músicas em geral bem pleb, não que isso seja ruim... Nothing really stood out tho. Vou dar nota 3 mas o anterior do supertramp q dei nota 3 tbm eh mto melhor.
I was expecting to hate this, but it was actually pretty good. 3 stars.
A couple way out there songs, but otherwise a strong alternative set. A bit less melodic, but still strongly written and interesting.
I haven't listened to this album much, but some of Pavement's later albums are among my faves. The version I have is a 2 disc set, which apparently includes 3 EPs and a bunch of early versions of tracks that appear on Wowee Zowee, so I had to re-listen just to the original album tracks to pick out a qualifying fave - "Fillmore Jive"
Quite a record--I enjoy the vibe of Pavement, though I don't understand how they deserve all the obsessive praise.
weirdly, the first thing that comes to mind is Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds? I was afraid this would be a post-punk atrocity, but ended up being a solid jam. I can't justify a four because it's not something I'd seek out, but feels like a strong 3.5 because of the general groove.
Has very mid 2000's vibes in my opinion. Somewhat nostalgic to BNL and cohort era.
Not the fault of the album, but the 90s just are not my favorite era of music. That being said, there was a lot of great electric guitar playing on this album.
Always shows up in lists. Never really checked them out. Standouts: elevate me later, cut your hair (I've heard this for sure). Solid album. I imagine it gets better with repeat listens.
My kid brother is huge Pavement fan, but I could never catch the contagion like him. Pavement's jangly guitar and jerky vocals have some charming appeal though. I found 5-4 Unity to be the most interesting song with its Brubeck-esque tempo, Range life, Gold songs and Silence Kid are also good.
L’album me faisait penser à du Weezer par son style de guitare et de lyrics, faut croire que weezer a dépasser le maître parce que je connais pas ce band. Pourtant je trouve la qualité de la musique bien meilleur !! Ça s’écoutait bien Je l’evite la dernière mais dans l’ensemble ça s’écoule bien Je lévite cut your hair, gold sundz et 5-4: unity (la toune sans parole)
Hmmmm, wieder so ein Fall von: würde ich in der Gänze gerne lieber mögen, jedoch ist das Dreigestirn aus „Cut your Hair/Gold Soundz/Range Life“ derart abgehoben gut drauf, dass mir die restlichen Tracks wie deren programmatisches Publikum vorkommen; anwesend, wichtig für die Atmo, ohne wärs auch traurig und dünn, gut tragende Grundlage für den harten Stoff. Schnapszahlige 3.333333333333333333...
The lo-fi sound and singer's voice make it pretty easy to dismiss but underneath the song-writing is good and it gets better with repeat listening. Some of the mellower, less played songs have a Lou Reed feel. I could do without the intermittent screaming.
Heard so much about this band over the years and expected to love it. Very one paced but had enough to make me want to spend a bit more time on it
Nice enough, but not particularly interesting musically. I know this isn't an exercise in technically proficient musicianship but the lead singer can't really sing. 5.5/10
I think I only knew one Pavement track before this. Glad I listened to it, some nice sounds in there that reminded me of quite a few other bands that I like. Wouldn’t rush to listen to it again, but at least I now know what their vibe is.