Pavement's "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain," re-mastered
| Published 11/19/04

Graphic by: Doni Neel

Fortunately five guys, collectively called "Pavement" from all around the country, had just released their follow up called "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain" to their first album "Slanted and Enchanted". The word "slack" never seem to fit anything so well before. Listening to the album now and thinking of it in the year 1994, it is very awe inspiring. It wasn't a big hit; it really wasn't meant to be anything but an enjoyable listen for whoever got to hear it. The disjointed guitars and apathetic singing was about the perfect sentiment for what the 90s grunge movement was. It's almost as if lead singer Stephen Malkmus is saying, "Yeah, Seattle. Whatever. Who cares?"

On their debut album, Pavement were something of an unknown entity. On the album, there were credits only to three guys and they had names like "SM" and "Spiral Stairs" which left a huge question mark on what exactly this band was all about. Their music sounded like it had been recorded in someone's laundry room (which coincidentally it had), and it was presented as if the guys in the band were really tired but also were really passionate at the same time.

After getting some exposure in the underground, they recorded their follow up. This time around, Pavement held it together a bit more with more accessible songs and new band members. That was a big thing as well, what once really just existed as three guys was now a complete band. In the liner notes, the members of the band talk about this being a strange experience.

Now in this two CD package of out takes and unreleased songs, we see Pavement and the songs that lead up to the making of "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain." On disc two, you can still hear remnants of the more raucousness of their debut album on "Brink of the Clouds." You can also hear early takes of songs that would be on their next album "Wowee Zowee" like "Kennel District" and "Grounded".