Pavement – Brighten The Corners

Stereo Studio Århus

Albumdata

Rating

Denmark

While on holiday in enchanting Denmark I ran into the Nicene Creedence Ed. of the fourth Pavement album Brighten the Corners (which turns 20 years old today). Because I enjoy buying a cd (or some other music related item) in every town I visit, that has a (good) record store, I bought this remaster including bonus cd, at, the very well equipped, Stereo Studio in Århus on the 29th of April, 2013, for DK 229.95.

Pavement – Slanted And Enchanted & Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain & Wowee Zowee

Pavement – The first three

The first two Pavement albums, Slanted And Enchanted (1992) and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994), were praised by the (international) press. The third album would most certainly mean international stardom. Nothing would be further from the truth. The band released Wowee Zowee in 1995, a misunderstood record. Too eclectic, aimless, no (or very little) structure. The record was constantly compared to the first two records, which were deemed superior. In short: Wowee Zowee was a failure, according to the press and a large part of the fanbase.

Pavement – Terror Twilight

Pavement – The last

Pavement never got big and disbanded after their fifth album Terror Twilight, released in 1999.

Brighten The Corners

The momentum (the next big thing) which Pavement had been building on the strength of their first two albums, was destroyed with the release of Wowee Zowee. Many people think that if Brighten The Corners was released as album number 3, Pavement would have delivered on their promise and would have become huge. We’ll never know. But is the assumption about Brighten The Corners correct?

Pavement – Brighten The Corners

In my opinion: yes! It is a overwhelmingly beautiful album, better that the 3 previous albums. Stephen Malkmus is the main songwriter on the album.

The album starts off fantastically with Stereo. The lyrics are funny; Stephen Malkmus who proclaims seemingly bored/suprised: Listen to me! I’m on the stereo stereo.

Date With IKEA is the next highlight. Great song! Other highlights are Starlings Of The Slipstream and the beautiful closer Fin.

De special edition Nicene Creedence Ed., that I bought in Denmark, contains a true treasure of extra material: 32 songs, many of them B-sides, live radio and concert recordings, of which many were never released before. The first of the extra’s, And then (The Hexx), is the best song Pavement ever recorded. This song was considered to be the opening song to Brighten The Corners and was ultimately placed on the last Pavement album Terror Twilight. In this song, just as in many of the extra songs, Malkmus can be clearly heard as bandleader, giving the band instructions.

Should you run into this album, make sure you get this edition. It is truly magnificent. The booklet accompanying the release is also stunningly complete and beautiful.

Songs (regular album)

• Stereo
• Shady Lane / J vs. S
• Transport Is Arranged
• Date with IKEA
• Old to Begin
• Type Slowly
• Embassy Row
• Blue Hawaiian
• We Are Underused
• Passat Dream
• Starlings of the Slipstream
• Fin

Pavement live

Complementary songs Nicene Creedence Ed.

• And Then (The Hexx)
• Beautiful as a Butterfly
• Cataracts
• Westie Can Drum
• Winner of the
• Birds in the Majic Industry
• Harness Your Hopesy
• Roll with the Wind
• Slowly Typed
• Cherry Area
• Wanna Mess You Around
• No Tan Lines
• And Then (The Hexx)
• Harness Your Hopes
• The Killing Moon
• Winner of the
• Embassy Row Psych Intro
• Nigel
• Chevy (Old to Begin)
• Roll with the Wind (Roxy)
• Odditty
• Type Slowly
• Neil Hagerty Meets Jon Spencer in a Non-Alcoholic Bar
• Destroy Mater Dei
• It’s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl
• Maybe Maybe
• Date w/ IKEA)
• Fin
• Grave Architecture
• The Classical
• Space Ghost Theme I
• Space Ghost Theme II

In closing

What do you think of Pavement? And the album Brighten The Corners? Do you think it’s their best, like I do? Or do you prefer Slanted And Enchanted or Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain? Let me know!