Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 44 – February 2023 /// Pavement – Wowee Zowee

TenderLovingKiller® said:
Sweet! which OGs do you have? I don’t own any original pressings. I have the RTI HQ180 pressings of Slanted… & Crooked Rain and the Brighten The Corners and Terror Twilight box sets.
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Brighten The Corners is my only true OG, though Crooked Rain is an early 1995 reissue. Slanted is a 2010 rti, so maybe the same as you have? Then Wowee Zowee is 2016, and I guess 2014 it looks like for the current standard Twilight.
 
Great choice.

I have a weird relationship with Pavement. I got given a copy of Crooked Rain by a friend from school and I liked bits of it, but it never truly clicked. Saw them live as well during their first reunion tour. Again, didn't click. Gave most of the albums a shot on the cheap CD days, so I'll have to revisit this one. It does have Serpentine Pad on it, which is my favourite Pavement song!
 
CrazyDiamond84 said:
Brighten The Corners is my only true OG, though Crooked Rain is an early 1995 reissue. Slanted is a 2010 rti, so maybe the same as you have? Then Wowee Zowee is 2016, and I guess 2014 it looks like for the current standard Twilight.
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That’s cool, I would probably pick up an OG if I stumbled across one in the wild. I have the 2007 RTI pressing of Slanted & Enchanted I’d imagine why are probably similar though. Also, I guess I do technically have originals of Slanted & Enchanted and Crooked Rain… if you count the cassette tapes.
 
Confession: I've never really gotten into Pavement. I'm aware of their status as a widely influential name in indie rock and I've heard some songs I enjoy, but as with many bands, I just never got around to digging into their discography as a whole. All that to say, this seems as good a place as any start!
 
gaporter said:
Confession: I've never really gotten into Pavement. I'm aware of their status as a widely influential name in indie rock and I've heard some songs I enjoy, but as with many bands, I just never got around to digging into their discography as a whole. All that to say, this seems as good a place as any start!
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As my eventual writeup will outline, Wowee Zowee may in fact not be the best place to start - though it may eventually become your favorite. If you are dipping your toe in for the first time, I might suggest Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Brighten the Corners and Terror Twilight are also good starting points. Enjoy!
 
Thackeraye said:
Great choice.

I have a weird relationship with Pavement. I got given a copy of Crooked Rain by a friend from school and I liked bits of it, but it never truly clicked. Saw them live as well during their first reunion tour. Again, didn't click. Gave most of the albums a shot on the cheap CD days, so I'll have to revisit this one. It does have Serpentine Pad on it, which is my favourite Pavement song!
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That reunion tour was great but also hilarious. Malkmus looked like a rock star, and the rest of the band looked like fat middle aged dads whose wives told them they could go play with their friends. I felt represented on stage, which rarely happens.
 
Full write-up (also added to first post):

Pavement - Wowee Zowee

Like many others, I fell hard for Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Pavement’s jangly and melodic follow up to the exhilarating lo-fi of debut Slanted and Enchanted. After moving out to the Pacific Northwest after college, I had been reveling in the sheer abundance and quality of indie bands on the west coast. As word of Pavement’s third album hit the streets in early 1995, Pavement was right on the cusp of mainstream success. It felt as though the entire music industry was eagerly waiting and watching, fully expecting them to lay claim to the “alternative nation” throne recently vacated with Kurt Cobain’s passing. Needless to say, Wowee Zowee fell short of living up to those lofty expectations.

When the album dropped, nearly everyone hated it. Pavement fans (including yours truly) were mystified. At first listen, it was hard to connect with this weird and disjointed mess of an album, which sounded like a few catchy tracks surrounded by unfinished demos. Critics reacted with confusion and bewilderment: “a great band trying hard to prove they can suck and half succeeding” (Details); “an album best enjoyed at a casual low volume, paying little attention to the effort and details” (Spin). Only Robert Christgau of The Village Voice defended it: “...if their vocation is beguiling song-music that doesn't sound like anything else or create its own rut, this reinforces one's gut feeling that they can do it forever.”

Not surprisingly, Wowee Zowee is the sound of Pavement eschewing mainstream success and forging their own path. In retrospect, it was the most Pavement thing ever. As Rolling Stone observed nearly 20 years later: in 1995, “so many bands were trying to make their own Crooked Rain. But Pavement had already made theirs, and were off trying something different.” Pivoting away from the commercial success of previous singles “Gold Soundz” and “Cut Your Hair” enabled Pavement to rediscover their own identify. In the process, they forged their most iconic and enduring album, one that encapsulates all the elements that made them such a unique and influential band (sorry, it would take a separate essay to go into all those details).

As with all great albums, it takes repeated listens to uncover what makes this one special. Context in regard to the weighty expectations helps, along with how it fits in with the rest of their discography. These days, revisionist history has been very kind to Wowee Zowee. In most circles, it is widely regarded as Pavement’s masterpiece, their White Album if you will. While I love each of their five albums (and various EPs), Wowee Zowee is easily the one I have listened to the most, and the album I typically reach for first.

All of that said…if you’ve never listened to Pavement, this may not be the right place to start. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain may be one to reel you in – it certainly did for me. Their final two albums, Terror Twilight and Brighten the Corners, are more conventional albums with plenty of melodic hooks. All good starting points. And don't miss Slanted and Enchanted. If any of these resonate, it's time to give Wowee Zowee another chance.



 
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gaporter said:
Confession: I've never really gotten into Pavement. I'm aware of their status as a widely influential name in indie rock and I've heard some songs I enjoy, but as with many bands, I just never got around to digging into their discography as a whole. All that to say, this seems as good a place as any start!
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Awesome! For most folks, I would say Wowee Zowee is the last place to start but knowing your love for Avant garde I could see Wowee Zowee being your favorite once all said and done. Not saying that Wowee Zowee isn’t amazing, it’s just a little less accessible than what came before and after. I would also wanna recommend their final album for your first, Terror Twilight due to Nigel Godrich’s involvement.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Pavements Studio Discography Ranked

01. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
02. Slanted & Enchanted
03. Brighten The Corners
04. Wowee Zowee
05. Terror Twilight

For me, Crooked Rain and S&E are all time favorites. I love all their albums but if I had to choose those two would be the two I would use to sell the band to those that were curious.
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This is my ranking too. Love them all though.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Pavements Studio Discography Ranked

01. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
02. Slanted & Enchanted
03. Brighten The Corners
04. Wowee Zowee
05. Terror Twilight

For me, Crooked Rain and S&E are all time favorites. I love all their albums but if I had to choose those two would be the two I would use to sell the band to those that were curious.
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My ranking, though I could get behind the top 3 being in any order. #4/5 are locked.

1) Wowee Zowee
2) Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
3) Slanted & Enchanted
4) Brighten the Corners
5) Terror Twilight
 
hatfieldpdx said:
My ranking, though I could get behind the top 3 being in any order. #4/5 are locked.

1) Wowee Zowee
2) Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
3) Slanted & Enchanted
4) Brighten the Corners
5) Terror Twilight
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Brighten was has been the biggest riser over my fandom. Initially I was my least favorite, I found it too low key and was too impatient in my youth to fully appreciate it. but it has slowly climbed up my list as I have grown older.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Brighten was has been the biggest riser over my fandom. Initially I was my least favorite, I found it too low key and was too impatient in my youth to fully appreciate it. but it has slowly climbed up my list as I have grown older.
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I loved Brighten the Corners when it came out (still, no chance it rises above #4 at this point). Terror Twilight was the one that really underwhelmed me upon release. But much like you with BTC, it has continued to grow on me, even in recent years. All five albums are great, perfect in their own way.
 
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Steven Mulkmas solo/The Jicks is all worth checking out too.

…and if folks are looking to really get into the weeds of The Pavement Universe, check out Scott Kannberg AKA Spiral Stairs post Pavement project Preston School of Industry and Silver Jews which started out as a bit of a side project for college buds Dave Berman (RIP) and Stephen Malkmus while they were working as security guards at the Whitney Museum in NYC. I think Malkmus was only involved to a varying degree with the first and third Silver Jews albums but that’s another excellent project worth exploring if you are jumping down the Pavement rabbit hole.
 
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