The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

Joe Mac said:
I think they earned the ability to push their beliefs hard because they in general have lived them and backed them up. Zach in particular with some of the actions he’s taken with associating with certain rebel groups and political demonstrations in countries where the repercussions could be harsh.
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This has certainly played into me softening on them over the years. It’s funny though because Bono gets a lot of shit for being full of himself and also does a lot of activist work.
 
Lee Newman said:
This has certainly played into me softening on them over the years. It’s funny though because Bono gets a lot of shit for being full of himself and also does a lot of activist work.
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I think Bono’s personality plays into it. I also think that it can be easy from the hard left to sling shit because he’s a pragmatist who focuses on individual issues and is willing to work with whomever, even if they are unsavoury, to take action. I’m not, however, saying that’s always fair.

Plus the bastards paying their tax in the Netherlands rather than here. Although the irony of people in Ireland complaining about tax havens isn’t lost on me…
 
Lee Newman said:
3/5/24

View attachment 196857
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted



www.allmusic.com

Slanted and Enchanted - Pavement | Album | AllMusic

Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement released in 1992. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
www.allmusic.com www.allmusic.com
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Catching up. This is something that should definitely be in my wheelhouse: a landmark indie rock album fronted by Stephen Malkmus, whose solo stuff in the last several years has really resonated with me. Unfortunately this does almost nothing for me, not helped by the lo-fi recording and, especially, the guitars that sound like kazoos played through the cheapest Peavey amps they could find. I revisit this once or twice a year, but so far it's not for me.
 
Lee Newman said:
They were huge off the bat. I like Evil Empire better. I like the edge taken off a bit.
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In my experience at the time; which I was honestly surprised to learn that their debut was released in 1992, their debut was a slow roll of momentum. I was somewhat familiar with their early singles that would show up on 120 Minutes and Headbanger’s Ball but their first single that made it into regular rotation on MTV was “Freedom” which received a “Buzzworthy” designation. That, their final single off their debut, didn’t drop until 1994. They capitalized on the momentum they built from their debut album and I remember Evil Empire being a big deal immediately upon its release. Both “Bulls On Parade” and “People Of The Sun” were both in big on MTV straight out the gate.

The billboard chart does a good job illustrating my point.
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Their debut was on the Top 200 for 97 weeks total but only ever climbed to just inside the top 50. Whereas Evil Empire debuted at number 1 but fell off the charts sooner.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
Catching up. This is something that should definitely be in my wheelhouse: a landmark indie rock album fronted by Stephen Malkmus, whose solo stuff in the last several years has really resonated with me. Unfortunately this does almost nothing for me, not helped by the lo-fi recording and, especially, the guitars that sound like kazoos played through the cheapest Peavey amps they could find. I revisit this once or twice a year, but so far it's not for me.
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Are you a fan of lo-fi music in general? Also, have you listened to any other Pavement albums out side of S&E? My introduction to the band came with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain which for all intents and purposes is as close to a breakthrough album as Pavement ever made. With Slanted & Enchanted everything is a bit rougher and really the only album of theirs that I would even classify as Lo-Fi. If someone wasn’t already into the likes Sebadoh or Guided By Voices or The Microphones I would not recommend Slanted & Enchanted as a starting point. I would go with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain > Brighten The Edges > Terror Twilight > Slanted & Enchanted > Wowee Zowee.

Unless they were gigantic Radiohead fans, then I would start with Terror Twilight since it was produced by Nigel Godrich.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Are you a fan of lo-fi music in general? Also, have you listened to any other Pavement albums out side of S&E? My introduction to the band came with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain which for all intents and purposes is as close to a breakthrough album as Pavement ever made. With Slanted & Enchanted everything is a bit rougher and really the only album of theirs that I would even classify as Lo-Fi. If someone wasn’t already into the likes Sebadoh or Guided By Voices or The Microphones I would not recommend Slanted & Enchanted as a starting point. I would go with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain > Brighten The Edges > Terror Twilight > Slanted & Enchanted > Wowee Zowee.

Unless they were gigantic Radiohead fans, then I would start with Terror Twilight since it was produced by Nigel Godrich.
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Terror Twilight is by far the most sleek and well produced Pavement album and the closest they have to a mainstream rock album, but I would also suggest Crooked Rain or Brighten as a starting point. It took me quite a while to open up to Wowee Zowee, which is their least accesible by far, but now I rate it as one of their best albums.

Malkmus solo stuff is a bit hit or miss for me in general, but Face the Truth and Mirror Traffic (with The Jicks) are both pretty great IMO.
 
Rage Against the machine still rocks, by the way. Hard! Was also surprised it was released as early as '92 as I had vivid memories of seeing them at Roskilde in 94 (they were awesome live back then!), and the debut album was absolutely in the zeitgeist then. I don't think it actually broke here in Sweden/Europe until that summer of '94. They were definitely mainstream by the til Evil Empire was released though. I've only really got hooked by the debut for some reason. None of their later album quite lived up to this for me.

I've never really listened to either Robyn Hitchcock or The Soft Boys, but will listen tonight.
 
Whiteout75 said:
Terror Twilight is by far the most sleek and well produced Pavement album and the closest they have to a mainstream rock album, but I would also suggest Crooked Rain or Brighten as a starting point. It took me quite a while to open up to Wowee Zowee, which is their least accesible by far, but now I rate it as one of their best albums.

Malkmus solo stuff is a bit hit or miss for me in general, but Face the Truth and Mirror Traffic (with The Jicks) are both pretty great IMO.
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Yeah Mulkmus self titled Solo debut IMO is as good as anything he released with Pavement and I am big fan of Pavement.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Are you a fan of lo-fi music in general? Also, have you listened to any other Pavement albums out side of S&E? My introduction to the band came with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain which for all intents and purposes is as close to a breakthrough album as Pavement ever made. With Slanted & Enchanted everything is a bit rougher and really the only album of theirs that I would even classify as Lo-Fi. If someone wasn’t already into the likes Sebadoh or Guided By Voices or The Microphones I would not recommend Slanted & Enchanted as a starting point. I would go with Crooked Rain Crooked Rain > Brighten The Edges > Terror Twilight > Slanted & Enchanted > Wowee Zowee.

Unless they were gigantic Radiohead fans, then I would start with Terror Twilight since it was produced by Nigel Godrich.
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Yeah, some of my favourite albums are 4-track recordings made in bedrooms and basements, so the lo-fi-ness of it doesn't bother me per se. I've listened to each of those other two records once or twice over the years too, but will dig further into them.
 
I think people might debate what Johnny’s best album is. I know people debate what Waylon’s is. There isn’t any doubt in my mind what Kris’s is and I think it’s hard to make an argument for any Willie album being better than this one. It is a standout in a career full of iconic records. It’s the record
That sort of made Willie Willie. He did it his way from here on out. The concept album that incorporates standards of the genre along with originals is one thing people still do today. A lot of concept albums are all loosey goosey with the actual concept too. This one is so cinematic, he actually made a movie of it.
 
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