BTC --Does it rate?

[serpico]

Hi All,

Just curious to know what the general consensus is on Brighten the Corners. From my limited reading of this board and others it seems to be ranked as the worst of the bunch for Pavement. This is puzzling to me because I've felt it's their best since it was released. Graphing the quality of their releases looks like an arc upwards with BTC at the peak and then a moderate drop off to TT. (with a spike at Watery, Domestic.)

I may be off-base, but I'll throw it out there. If you think BTC isn't as good as the rest, why?

Serpico

[earl grey]

'BTC' is definitely not the worst, and it has the best lyrics of any pavement album hands down in my book.

[Susan Kirk]

BTC is up near the tip--#3 personally for me--and in an act of heresy I rate it above Wowee.

[tinobeat]

problem is, for me, there isn't a "worst" pavement album.

Wowee Zowee is my favorite, Crooked Rain is the best (chew on that seeming contradiction), and the other three are right up there, simply lacking the distinction of being best or favorite. I wouldn't want any of those five to be at the bottom of any list...

[winterversion]

I would definitely agree that Brighten the corners is the "worst" Pavement album. To me, it was around that time that Pavement started to sound a bit formulaic, in my opinion. The only songs I really enjoy from that one is Stereo and Transport is Arranged. Plus, you have to admit, Shady Lane is probably the gayest sounding pavement song ever.

[earl grey]

Originally posted by tinobeat
problem is, for me, there isn't a "worst" pavement album.


i'm with you on the WZ/CRCR contradiction but i put 'terror twilight' a notch below the first four. TT is a solid album no doubt and has some of my fave pavement songs, but it'd also be the first one i got rid of. for me, it was the first time when the quirky lyrics started to feel a little forced, and a few of the songs feel kinda blah to me ("major leagues" i'm looking at you).

losing "you are the light," "folk jam," "speak see remember," "carrot rope," etc etc would hurt though.

[george]

i like it as much as the others. it's got it's own thing going. it's sort of like "hey, come here, i wanna tell you something" and then you get real close and it pantses you, pushes you on the groung, and pees in your ear.

[Salman]

Originally posted by winterversion
I would definitely agree that Brighten the corners is the "worst" Pavement album. To me, it was around that time that Pavement started to sound a bit formulaic, in my opinion. The only songs I really enjoy from that one is Stereo and Transport is Arranged. Plus, you have to admit, Shady Lane is probably the gayest sounding pavement song ever.

I think "Transport is Arranged" and "Date W/IKEA" are thwe two most formulaic songs on the album. But anyway, Brighten the Corner is a top notch album, but compared to the three previous to it, it really doesn't hold up.

[winterversion]

I think "Transport is Arranged" and "Date W/IKEA" are thwe two most formulaic songs on the album.

Date with Ikea, for sure, but Transport is Arranged? Arguably. I was thinking more type slowly, starlings in the slipstream, embassy row....

And to clarify my post, when I say shady lane was gay, I don't mean that in a derogatory way, necessarily, but that it literally sounds gay. I don't know if there many other songs from ANY band that actually sound as gay as shady lane.

[misanthropope]

1 WOWEE ZOWEE (my favorite; a dark, cryptic, and cavernous sprawl )

2 CROOKED RAIN CROOKED RAIN (one could easily state that this is their best, most cohesive album, and i wouldnt argue)

3 SLANTED AND ENCHANTED (a classic, but not the first album i think of when i want to quell my pavement jones. perfect for certain moods, certain nights, certain long drives ... )

4 BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS (two good songs—"starlings" and "fin"—and several songs that hover in hailing distance of mediocre. the band sounds downright bored at best, uninspired at worst)

5 TERROR TWILIGHT (i revisit this every now and again, hoping somehow that my previous distaste for this record was born of a bad mood or other circumstances not conducive to "getting it." yet every listen only confirms my first impression—a band at the end of the line, going through the motions. The verses in "Billie" are cool, but the chorus is horrendous. The live version of "The Hexx" as seen on SLOW CENTURY kicks the living crap out of the studio version. " ... and Carrot Rope"? Embarrassing. It is painfully clear to these ears that the holy trinity of SE, CRCR, and WZ is in in another universe of sound and vision when compared to BTS and especially TT.)

[johansen smith]

I'd say that while it routinely finishes last or second to last behind Terror Twilight, remember that Pavement's worst album was still pretty goddamn great.

[tinobeat]

See, Terror Twilight is the oddball pavement album for me, but I would hardly call "carrot rope" or "billie" embarrassing or horrendous.

Malkmus' sense of melody is actually probably at its most advanced and intricate on that record. Really interesting melodic twists and turns...

[stevethehouse]

Brighten The Corners is severely under rated.

It has a distinct quality to it that no other pavement album seems to have, almost a "nocturnal" vibe if you will.

I think the album has Pavement's best and most wise-assed lyrics, and some of their catchiest songs.

In my opinion the only dud on the album is "We Are Under Used", which isn't really a bad song, it's just a little bit boring to me.

But come on! "Transport Is Arranged", "Old To Begin", "Embassy Row", "Passat Dream" and "Starlings of The Slipstream" are all classics in my book.

The album is just a fucking great listen.

[bones]

a pure classic!!!
featuring one of Pave's best songs...INFINITE SPARK(aka FIN).
which is a great song to start a PaVeMenT mix tape with.

[johansen smith]

Brighten the Corners was my first Pav album, so I can't even begin to be objective about it.

[Ladt]

I find Brighten the corners to be extermely dull apart from about 4 songs. But then again, I'm a pretty casual Pavement fan.

[serpico]

Pavement was an outlier or I can't rationally judge their career. John Peel said he couldn't reasonably rely on his feelings about The Fall because they were just so great to him that objectivity about anything they did went out the window. I think that might be true of Pavement as well, for me. They stand right there with the Beatles, Dylan, Sabbath, Hendrix, Nirvana, etc. Their output was just as rich as any of them.

[Artgeek]

For me, Brighten the Corners took me quite a few listens to really get it, but that's the case for the previous 3 too. Each one was a kind of mystery to me, sounding good but not fantastic. The more I listened to each, the more I liked them, and Pavement albums have more staying power than just about any other group for me.

For me, Date with Ikea is the weak link on Brighten the Corners, but only 'cause I feel that they had already explored that sound (and much better) with Kennel District on WZ. And, Brighten the Corners is probably the best album in terms of vocals and lyrics, the song writing is a little more self-assured than previous albums too, though that may be why some think it's a little more formulaic than earlier efforts too.

[S M @]

My .02:

1. WZ: No explanation necessary, been covered by others.
2. BTC: Fantastic album. When I first got it I did think it sounded a bit bland throughout, I was disappointed. But it just took time to catch up to the intricacies of the songs. Some of my favourite Pavement songs are there, particularly the last three and 'shady lane'. Maybe that means I'm secretly gay.
3. CRCR: Their most conventional sounding album, and all the better for it, especially in the context of the time it was released (which doesn't mean much 10 years after, but something at least). Sounds as good today as the day it was released.
4. S&E: My 4th fave by Pavement would probably be my favourite by most other bands, and that's pretty scary.
5. TT: Unfortunately this is where it ends, I really don't like this album at all. It sounds like they're mailing it in, can't really elaborate as I haven't listened to it in a couple years, I stopped torturing myself.

r

[tinobeat]

Originally posted by S M @
5. TT: Unfortunately this is where it ends, I really don't like this album at all. It sounds like they're mailing it in, can't really elaborate as I haven't listened to it in a couple years, I stopped torturing myself.

I had the same initial response with the same self-imposed exile from the record. I love love love it now. But I urge you to listen to it again, especially in light of the SM material that's come out recently. In my mind its like a better version of SM's self-titled record. Its a late bloomer, that Terror Twilight, and its a bummer it gets a bad rap so easily...

[mglitterati]

Spit on A Stranger
You are a light
Cream Of Gold
Major Leagues
Ann
Hexx
Carrot Rope

Seven great songs at least. At first i was bummed that the version of the Hexx was so different than the one played on the BTC tour. But now I like it just as much.

[cheesetea]

I really like TT a lot. I like all of Pavement's work, which is why they are my absolute fav band. TT is just much more focused and not as all over the place as other albums were. Which is good, because you want each album to sound different, just not too different.

[calhoune]

Terror Twilight ranks with the best stuff they ever did, IMO the reson people are resistant to it and BTC is that it's a much more mature Pavement. The albums are more polished and the overall feeling is that of the band/Malkmus taking it more seriously.

The best guitar solo Pavement ever recorderd is on the Hexx (it clocks in at 3.34)

Speak,See, Remember is one of the best they ever recorded

The first 30 seconds of Carrot Rope is a fantastic goodbye to the fans considering its the last song on the last album

And nearly every song has that sort of schizophrenic feeling where the song fades in and out of different styles.

To me it's not a question of which album is the best. They all have their brilliant moments and different style its like five different musical genres from one band.

[cheesetea]

gree

[Patrick]

"The Hexx" is another version of the song released as "And Then", is it not? Definitely one of Pavement's greatest moments - in either version. But for what it's worth I think they were playing it live years before 'Terror Twilight' - maybe as early as Lollapalooza 1995 ('Wowee Zowee' era).

Patrick

[eric429]

"The Hexx" was a lot better when it was "And Then." Listen to the version on the Spit 7" or anytime live in 97. The lyrics are more interesting and the song is just amazing. "And Then" is actually my favorite pave song.

But speaking of BTC, I noticed no one mentioned the early pave/the westing reissuse.
I would rate them:
1. Wowee Zowee (this was the last pave record i bought and i didn't like it all at first--after 20+ listens i knew it was genius)
2. Early Pave/Westing... (all this stuff sounds so much better on vinyl)
3. CRCR
4. Slanted
5. BTC (when i first got it this was my fave...)
6. TT

[cheesetea]

a lot of the old stuff was already on S&E Luxe, and westing was a compilation not an actual album. I think they put all the songs they had at the time on that one. It would be cool to put it in a new packaging and improve the sound quality, but ofcourse this all has to be done by Drag City unless you guys at Matador decide to buy the rights to it...wink.

[winterversion]

Originally posted by eric429
[B1. Wowee Zowee (this was the last pave record i bought and i didn't like it all at first--after 20+ listens i knew it was genius)

6. TT [/B]

I had the exact same reaction when I first heard wowee zowee. I was so disappointed that I considered trying to return the CD to the record store. But I wised up after a few listens. It's now my favorite pavement album by far.

[R.Wilder]

I remember buying Wowee Zowee the day it was released at Music X in downtown Grand Rapids. I was apartment sitting for a friend and walked from the store to his pad and cranked it up on his massive stereo. I loved it instantly, the fact that it was weirder and sprawling in comparison to CR, CR. In fact, I loved all the Pavement releases, each of which after S&E I had in my mits the day of release, except for Brighten the Corners. For some reason that was the only Pave record that had to grow on me. Now I lurv it.

[cheesetea]

Originally posted by eric429
Wowee Zowee (this was the last pave record i bought and i didn't like it all at first--after 20+ listens i knew it was genius)

The same thing is for Pig Lib, and both albums in a couple of decades or so will be widly regarded as "genius".