(Matador)
As they did with Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe, a reissue of Pavement's seminal debut LP, the guys at Matador Records have shown how to properly reissue an already classic album. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.'s Desert Origins is packed full of bonus material. In addition to the original 12 tracks, this double-CD expanded edition boasts a dozen previously released b-sides and compilations from the period, an entire CD (25 tracks) of unreleased material, and a 62-page booklet.
Leaving behind the lo-fi glory of Slanted & Enchanted, Pavement became a real band with the release of Crooked Rain in 1994. Until that point, Pavement was just a recording experiment between guitarist/singer Stephen Malkmus and guitarist \Spiral Stairs"" (aka Scott Kannberg); there was no touring, no promoting, no scene. With new drummer Steve West and additions Mark Ibold and Bob Nastanovich, Pavement recorded an album that was cleaned-up, yet still characteristically rough around the edges; it was the sound they would attempt to reproduce until disbanding in 1999.
The original 12 tracks are as rock solid now as they were 10 years ago. ""Silence Kit"" is perhaps the best use of a cowbell in rock history. The charming fun of ""Cut Your Hair"" almost brought Pavement mainstream success, but Malkmus and the gang never really cared about that anyway. The self-conscious introspection of ""Gold Soundz"" reveals a darker, brooding side of Malkmus. The centerpiece, however, has to be ""Range Life""- in addition to being one of the prettier songs in the band's catalog, it is also funny as hell. It's hard not to smile every time Malkmus sings, ""Out on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins, nature kids, I / They don't have no function.""
The rest of the first disc consists of b-sides and compilations from the period. Most of these songs deserve their back catalog status, but there are a few exceptions. ""Raft"" and ""Nail Clinic"" stand alongside any track from Crooked Rain. ""Strings of Nashville"" is the real gem here; its gentle strumming and soft drum are almost on par with ""Here,"" one of the most beloved Pavement songs on record. And if you want to hear a hilarious R.E.M. ""tribute song,"" listen to ""Unseen Power of the Picket Fence.""
The most notable and anticipated tracks on the second disc are the first eight. These tracks, recorded with original drummer Gary Young, include interesting early takes of Crooked Rain tracks ""Range Life"", ""Stop Breathing,"" and ""Ell Ess Two."" The version of ""Heaven is a Truck"" actually eclipses the one on the album, as the delicate piano lines move to the forefront, giving the song a more graceful sound.
Pavement was the indie rock band of the 1990s. This expanded reissue of Crooked Rain is a chance for both newbies and old-timers to get a glimpse of the band in its prime.
