Back to Pavement today and their 1994 beauty Range Life- country stylings, half arsed vocal, Malkmus taking potshots at Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots and some killer lines based on life on the road- 'you gotta pay your dues before you pay the rent'.
I think it's quite funny too that the video bleeps out the word 'fuck'.
I love this fantastic comment at Youtube, someone missing the point ever so slightly...
'I had never heard this song before but it honestly the vocals sound out of key and along with some of the chords. The vocals sound like a dying cat when he try's to hit the high notes. It is what it is and maybe they have better songs but the musicianship on this is terrible.'
Your mention of missing the point reminds me of the time I was playing a live version of 'Shoot Out the Lights' by Richard Thompson in the shop. It concluded with a long, incredible, extemporised guitar solo, which was just mind-blowingly good. A customer came up to the counter to ask what was playing and I happily told him, thinking I'd created a new fan. Sadly not. 'It's terrible,' he said '..he's playing all the wrong notes'. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteThe Pavement tune is great of course - hadn't seen this clip before.
I had never heard this song before either. But honestly I like that the vocals sound out of key.
ReplyDeleteWith a pair of headphones, you can hear somebody in the back having a good laugh as the song trails off and stops.
ReplyDeleteCrooked Rain is as close as they ever came to a consistent statement. It's a bookend for Nevermind...a withering critique of the grotesque Part-Time Punkish world it created. Elevate Me Later, Cut Your Hair...Filmore Jive just burns the whole thing down.
At other times it's the essence of what it was like, in the early 90's, to be in the sweet spot between leaving home and the responsibilities of adulthood.
I don't know if it's my favorite Pavement record but it's certainly they're best...and easily the best album of the 90's.
As for the haters....I'm trying to finish a post on this very subject...for Like Flies on Sherbert.
It's great that a band can have an album which is you can consider their best and another that can be the favourite. Might be worth exploring.
ReplyDeleteI am going to buy this album.
ReplyDeleteJust bought it
ReplyDeleteGroovy. Stoners!
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