Sometimes without realizing it, you end up taking a holiday from your favourite bands. This happened to me with Pavement. They are a band that nestle somewhere between Guided by Voices and Built to Spill in a fuzzy corner of my affections, but who haven't been on my mind for months. Not since I started this blog anyway. Weird. I've managed to write reams of rambling shite about music for 6 months, yet have drawn a big Pavement shaped blank. Its time to set the world to right. My holiday from Pavement is over, and its fuckin good to be reunited with them. I took a lot of buses today, so I had a chance to binge on Pavement. Swords-Belfield-Chapelizod, a commuting nightmare ameliorated by the big three albums, Slanted, Crooked Rain and Wowee. Holy fuck, when you listen to that stuff back to back its nigh on overwhelming. Pavement were magnificent. They turned so many conventions of alternative music inside out. Their music was a bookish, obtuse, insanely melodic and a less likely to induce suicide yet still sometimes a-bit-sad alternative to the clichéd grunge gruel of their yank contemporaries. And they made it sound so natural. Malkmus literally breathed some sort of inhuman genius for a while. They also had a profound influence on alternative music on both sides of the Atlantic. In fact about half of what makes one of the most English-sounding albums of all time so great is the fact that a certain guitarist was skateboard flipping past a Californian sunset in his head when he was in the recording studio. Blur would not have been Blur without the influence of Pavement. They would have been a contrived pastoral 60s tribute band with nice songs. People say that 'Blur' is Coxon's album because its the one that holds the brightest candle to his idols Pavement. I say hold up a minute folks, listen to much of what makes 'Parklife' interesting. Its invariably the dichotomy between Albarn's polished melodies and some thrillingly idiosyncratic guitar squiggles that really shouldn't work with that sort of material.
Anyway, enough of that, Pavement crashed back into my life in a big way last night when an old clip for "father to a sister of thought" turned up on the '120 minutes' slot on MTV2. Two bands had the misfortune to be shown either side of it, Okkervil River and Foals. I think both of these bands are decent, but either side of Pavement? The poor fuckers wilted against the blinding brilliance. I'm glad in a way that it was that song that turned me back on. Because there is a certain type of Pavement song that is my favourite type of Pavement song. Its the one that's so pregnant with melancholy I'm almost too frightened to listen to it. Many of Pavement's best tracks are shot through the tummy with a sad bullet of some sort, but some are so raggedly heatbroken the very opening note makes you gasp. Here, in no particular order, are my favourite three downbeat Pavement tunes. Maybe you have never heard Pavement before? If you haven't, I'm jealous.
Actually, wait, I said the MP3s were in no particular order. I lie. "Here" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Ever.
MP3: Pavement-
HereMP3: Pavement-
Father to a sister of thoughtMP3: Pavement-
Major LeaguesTo end, there is a persistently growing rumour that pavement might reform. WHY? WHY would this be a good idea? Pavement exist, hair-raising songs intact, suspended untouched in mid-90s amber. Perfect. You can't fuck around with that. Don't reform lads. Please. Don't. Reform.
22 comments:
You have absolutely and utterly convinced me.
As a teenager I was way too caught up in the britpop scene, what was going on in the states totaly passed me by.
I'm going to get myself some pavement this weekend and give it a listen on my way to work next week.
Great post.
How are you gonna top the drama of this post when you get round to your 5 page treatise on GBV?
I too recently binged on pavement after a long break. So so good. Listened to 'Live at Brixton Academy in 92', it's class. I'd actually love to see them reform. It was cool seeing Mark Ibold up on stage with Sonic Youth at EP last year.
You were in bed so missed me forgetting a third of the words to "Here" while I teased it out of Coilte's untuned guitar in your living room the night of the Casiotone gig.
I think I made the Nev weep.
Red-now i feel like a pavement missionary
Bren-no they shouldn't reform, dude it would just be wrong
Ian-how about ya give 'here' a go when you support man man?
I am planning on doing a cover of some sort. It's one that I've already been considering as it happens.
stephen malkamus should be a good 'un in june
yes i've made the move
http://thedarkislightenough.wordpress.com
you may notice the old url laden with porn sites. i don't really know how that happened.
One of th greats - that Brixton gig in 92 supporting Sonic Youth was where I first heard em and was blown away, like nothing I'd ever heard before....unusual for a band to out perform th Youth
Padre Cruz
Th Coxon guitar comparison to Pavement is wrong though, its a very guitar geeky thing to say but, Pavement would have more in common with bands like sonic youth and the like than Blur, tunings and harmonics, different stlye of playing etc....
I remember in those pre net days sending a postal order to Fat Cat Records pleading with them to send me the 'Gold Soundz' EP. Backward times but somehow more cherisable.
I wouldn't like to see Pavement reform, and I don't think I'd go. Apart from the inherent naffness of any reunion, the time since they've split up would make it weird.
It'd be like the Smiths reuniting - two guys who've done okay for themselves, and then a back-line who are desperate to remember that they were in a good band once.
"strings of nashville" is such a beautiful song too..
Well said Karl!!
Yeah Gold Soundz, Strings of Nashville, all feckin great tracks!
Jiffy, you are a geek alright
He's right though. I was listening to Wowee Zowee this morning and there were a couple of times when I thought to myself "this really sounds like Sonic Youth".
Yeah, yis are right, question, wonder what amps the guys used?
Dunno about amps but ...
Stephen [Malkmus] is most noted for his "jangly" single coil sound. This is most attributed to his guitars and playing style. He uses predominantely a Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Jazzmaster and a Gibson Les Paul "Goldtop".
Bingo: Steve Malkmus currently uses an Orange Amp along with a Marshall cab.
As a frequent Pavement binger, I have to say I'm all for a reunion. I'd even travel to see it.
The current glut of cash-in reunion tours is quite lamentable, but, as was the case with Zeppelin, I'd make an exception to see these guys, and I doubt I'd be disappointed.
Trying to keep them sacred is just nostalgic wankery. Are you saying you wouldn't go to the reunion gig? Course you would.
Jusk, I don't think its nostalgic wankery. Its just that with these things, its a moment long past and when the band reforms and the crowd have gotten older it often feels a bit sad and empty and potentially colours the music for you.
I would very happily see a reunited Pavement!
About the Blur thing.. checko http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_2
"Malkmus literally breathed some sort of inhuman genius for a while."
Yep - I agree. I found myself searching for Trigger Cut on Youtube earlier today after not hearing for 6 years or so... I had it on 7" vinyl. I'd forgotten how great they were... even Carrot Rope sound good now. Maybe I am just being nostalgic... but I was wondering why they split - which took me to your blog.
They should reform just for me - I never saw them live. I think they could still be a little magical.
Anyway - thank you for writing your blog - I liked listening to Major Leagues.
I look forward to your Guided by Voices by post - also - what about Superchunk?
Bye
Post a Comment