Some recent writings from the pages of the glorious AU magazine. Here we go:

HISTORY LESSONS: PAVEMENT

Words_Ross Thompson

THE LOWDOWN
By all rights, Pavement should have, like, totally sucked. An indie rock band whose line-up comprised a stonemason (Steve West), a museum security guard (Bob Nastanovich), an aging hippy (Gary Young), a barman (Mark Ibold), and two nerdy slackers (Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg AKA ‘Spiral Stairs’), they were never going to top any coolest of the year lists. But suck they did not; Pavement lasted a decade, made five cracking albums, made fans of the likes of John Peel and Graham Coxon, then split acrimoniously, thanks largely to the venomous enmity between Malkmus and Kannberg.

Influenced in part by the records of noiseniks The Fall and The Replacements, and the do-it-yourself cover art of Sonic Youth, Pavement started out by recording lo-fi EPs whose contents sounded like a banshee trying to break out of a cutlery drawer. Their debut album ‘Slanted And Enchanted’ retained the same skew-whiff song dynamics, but was counterbalanced by a keen sense of melody. After jettisoning original member Young, due to his drug intake and a penchant for doing handstands when he should have been playing the drums, Pavement became more proficient, if not entirely professional. Their second long-player, the brilliant ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’, spawned what would be called “hits” in an alternate universe: the singles ‘Cut Your Hair’ and ‘Range Life’, both of which received heavy airplay on MTV. The latter’s lyrical content kickstarted a vitriolic feud with Billy Corgan: “Out on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins / Nature kids, but they don’t have a function”. This barbed aside was typical of the sense of humour that pervaded Malkmus’s writing.

The bipolar quality of Pavement’s music was stretched even further on their next record, ‘Wowee Zowee’, a gloriously eclectic mess which contained everything from ballsy punk to acoustic ballads to stoned country. Around this time, the band would drink heavily and smoke whole window-boxes of dope before going onstage. The resultant gigs could either be transcendent or tragically awful. Dispensing with the setlist, the guys indulged in hour-long jams. A jazz odyssey did not sit too well with fans who had paid to hear the singles.

Ironically, the things that made the band so alluring gradually began to pull them apart - the cracks in the Pavement, if you will. The tension between Malkmus and Kannberg that had once generated an awkward kind of chemistry revealed itself to be little more than jealousy and bile. After years of jostling for songwriting duties, Kannberg was largely excluded from contributing to the final albums ‘Brighten The Corners’ and ‘Terror Twilight’, relegated instead to b-sides on the accompanying singles. Once bookish and self-mocking, Malkmus became aloof towards audiences and dismissive of the band, going so far as to vocally lambast his fellow members during concerts.

In 1999, during a gig in London, Pavement announced that they were taking a break for a while. In truth, the band had broken up. The gold soundz, it seemed, had come to an end.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING

‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ (Big Cat, 1994)
Neatly described by the NME with the one-liner, “so good they named it twice”, Pavement’s second album is also their most accessible, featuring pop songs (kind of) like ‘Elevate Me Later’, ‘Unfair’ and ‘Cut Your Hair’, which became something of an anthem for those plaid-shirted college kids who didn’t listen to Nirvana or Pearl Jam. The one Pavement album that is truly indispensable.

‘Wowee Zowee’ (Big Cat, 1996)
Eighteen tracks strong, and covering almost as many genres, everything about this album is contrary, but deliberately so. The fact that they chose three of the slowest, weirdest songs as lead singles should indicate just how much weed the band were smoking in those days. Malkmus advised listeners, “Play it on random – it sounds good that way.” And you know what? It does.

‘Brighten The Corners’ (Domino, 1997)
Arguably the last great Pavement record. The stream of consciousness lyrics were just as nonsensical as ever, with references to Geddy Lee (of Rush fame), Ikea and malaria, and one of the best lines ever (“You’ve been chosen as an extra in the movie adaptation of the sequel to your life”), and the music was at once experimental and focused. At turns bookish, funny and melancholy, and ‘Infinite Spark’ is the nearest the band ever came to beautiful. Not just bright in the corners, but in the centre too.


PERFECT SOUND FOREVER: SELECTED PAVEMENT TRIVIA

SNACKS!
At early Pavement gigs, original drummer Gary Young used to hand out mashed potato and rounds of toast to members of the audience. Occasionally, he played a song or two.

SMACK!
Whilst appearing on the bill for the infamous Lollapalooza festival, the band was welcomed by a steady shower of clods of mud. After being clonked in the face, and the rest of the band had exited stage right, Kannberg stood at the edge of the stage, flicking both birds at the knuckleheaded audience. Kind of like Custer’s Last Stand, but with a slacker and a whole lot of rednecks.

RIP-OFF!
A riff plagiarising ‘Rattled By The Rush’ was frequently used as cutscene music in bland sitcom Friends. Could it be any more indie?

FOLK!
Weirdly, ‘Spit On A Stranger’ seems to be popular with folkies: it has been recorded by both Kathryn Williams and Nickel Creek.

CONFUSION!
Much to the chagrin of producers everywhere, Stephen Malkmus rarely sang the same lyrics twice, often changing the words completely between takes. Depending on which edition of ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ you have, you will have a track called ‘Silence Kit’ or ‘Silent Kid’; ‘Rattled By The Rush’ is also known as ‘Rattled By La Rush’; and ‘We Dance’ is occasionally referred to as ‘Dancing With The Elders’.

WORD!
One of Malkmus’s finest lyrics is the genius putdown, “Show me a word that rhymes with ‘Pavement’ / And I will take your parents / And roast them on a spit”.

FANBOYS!
According to music business lore, one of the driving forces behind Graham Coxon leaving Blur was that he wanted to make music that sounded more like Pavement. Note any similarity between the Pavement track ‘Starlings In The Slipstream’ and the Blur b-side ‘Swallows In A Heatwave’?

BOYFANS!
On ‘Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence’, their contribution to the AIDS charity album ‘No Alternative’, Pavement profess their love for R.E.M.. After praising some of the band’s earlier compositions, Stephen Malkmus informs the listener, “‘Time After Time’ was my least favourite song.


GO BACK TO THOSE GOLD SOUNDZ: A PAVEMENT MIXTAPE

1. ‘Trigger Cut’, (‘Slanted And Enchanted’, 1992)
2. ‘In The Mouth A Desert’, (‘Slanted And Enchanted’, 1992)
3. ‘Here’, (‘Slanted And Enchanted’, 1992)
4. ‘Summer Babe’, (‘Slanted And Enchanted’, 1992)
5. ‘Shoot The Singer’, (‘Watery, Domestic’ EP, 1992)
6. ‘Frontwards’, (‘Watery, Domestic’ EP, 1992)
7. ‘Greenlander’, (‘Volume 4’ Compilation, 1992)
8. ‘Cut Your Hair’, (‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’, 1994)
9. ‘Gold Soundz’, (‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’, 1994)
10. ‘Range Life’, (‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’, 1994)
11. ‘Rattled By The Rush’, (‘Wowee Zowee’, 1995)
12. ‘Grounded’, (‘Wowee Zowee’, 1995)
13. ‘Fight This Generation’, (‘Wowee Zowee’, 1995)
14. ‘Give It A Day’, (‘Pacific Trim’ EP, 1996)
15. ‘Shady Lane’, (‘Brighten The Corners’, 1997)
16. ‘Infinite Spark’, (‘Brighten The Corners’, 1997)
17. ‘Winner Of The…’, (‘Stereo’ Single, 1997)
18. ‘Spit On A Stranger’, (‘Terror Twilight’, 1999)
19. ‘Major Leagues’, (‘Terror Twilight’, 1999)
20. Carrot Rope, (‘Terror Twilight’, 1999)


HISTORY LESSONS: BECK

Words_Ross Thompson

THE LOWDOWN
Twelve years ago, an unknown high school dropout simply known as “Beck” (born Bek David Campbell) dropped the track ‘Loser’, a stone-cold sound-clash of fuzzy distortion, sampled beats and stream of consciousness lyrics. Though it sounded as if it was made for two dollars plus change, it was the most exciting thing to happen to music since The Pixies’ debut six years earlier. Remember that this was 1993, a year where the charts were dominated by the likes of Ace Of Base, Gabrielle and (the horror, the horror) Ugly Kid Joe. Taking all of that into consideration, you can imagine the collective relief of music fans at the prospect that least somebody had at least an ounce of talent.

Thanks to heavy rotation on MTV, ‘Loser’ became a sleeper success. At first, Beck was largely dismissed as a one hit wonder, a stoner who had somehow inveigled his way into the affections of the Geffen record label. With its cheap as chips, art school video, and tongue-in-cheek lyrical references to Cheez Whizz, chimps and termites, ‘Loser’ was denigrated as a novelty record. When the fuss died down, Beck would no doubt sally off to the same retirement home inhabited by Babylon Zoo, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Baby Bird and The Reynolds Girls, with his beat-box tucked firmly between his legs.

But Beck refused to let sleeping stoners lie. The album that followed, ‘Mellow Gold’, could vie for the title of the oddest major label release ever. Influenced in equal measures by Willie Nelson, Captain Beefheart and magic mushrooms, Beck mix-and-matched styles in a fashion that recalled The Beastie Boys on ‘Paul’s Boutique’. If that wasn’t enough to secure his indie rock scout badge, the buzz surrounding Beck was such that he was allowed to wangle a deal where he could simultaneously put out albums on different independent labels: the country-tinged ‘One Foot In The Grave’ and the sprawling, very weird ‘Stereopathic Soul Manure’ were both released at the same time as ‘Mellow Gold’. Even though he was playing with the big boys, it was pretty clear that Beck had not cashed in his chips.

A few years later, something wicky wicky wah this way came in the form of ‘Odelay’, the album on which Beck further honed his individualistic sound. Better produced than ‘Mellow Gold’, but just as loaded with junk culture imagery, ‘Odelay’ scorched and buried any notion that he was a one trick pony. Packed to the gills with hit singles, it bagged Beck a clutch of five star reviews, not to mention a handful of illustrious Grammy awards, thus permitting the self-confessed “Loser” to graduate to the major league. All the same, he remained both within and without the mainstream.

It is a dextrous balancing act that Beck has been performing ever since. How can you explain the fact that he followed ‘Sea Change’, a lovelorn, acoustic-based affair in the style of Nick Drake, with the hip-hop shenanigans of ‘Guero’? The answer is pretty simple: you can’t. But then, when the music is this cool, why would you want to?




ESSENTIAL LISTENING

‘Mellow Gold’ (Geffen, 1993)
With the world still reeling from the aftermath of the Gulf War, Beck responded with a gloriously silly, 100% FUN blend of witty lyrics, infectious tunes and insane noise. Poking fun at rednecks and hippy girls, and featuring a chorus that aped the long-haired moping of the plaid brigade (“I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me?”), Beck arrived with a bang – and a bong.

‘Sea Change’
And so to the winter of Beck’s discontent… this is a largely sombre affair in which Beck documents in full the break-up of a long-term relationship. Though it lacks the scattergun approach of previous efforts, and certainly does not make for comfortable listening, this is a mature, deeply absorbing album awash with acoustic guitars and swirling strings. Interesting for the fact that it shows a tender, less knowing side of Beck’s songwriting, you don’t so much listen to ‘Sea Change’ as bathe in its waters.

‘The Information’
Largely written and recorded in tandem with ‘Guero’, Beck’s latest release is a riot of invention, and is in part a return to the unhinged chaos of his early material. From the bluesy, rocking ‘Nausea’ to the sinister title track, this is this is an all-you-can-eat banquet of great songs.

HIDDEN TRACKS: FOR COLLECTORS ONLY
Beck was gyping about with recording songs long before he got signed, and there is a shedload of rare material to hunt out for those who are so inclined. Along with vinyl only releases such as the EP ‘A Western Harvest Field By Moonlight’ (1994) and contributions to compilations and soundtracks, there are early demos such as ‘The Banjo Story’ (1988), ‘Golden Feelings’ (1993) and ‘Fresh Meat And Old Slabs’ (1993). While far from top notch in the quality stakes, these lo-fi efforts offer an early glimpse of Beck’s talent for wrecking the mic.

WEIRDNESS FOLLOWS: SELECTED BECK TRIVIA

FOGEYS!
For no apparent reason, Beck promoted ‘Loser’ by appearing on Top Of The Pops with a bunch of old folks standing in as his backing band. The funny thing is that many viewers at home believed that it actually was his backing band.

FUTURAMA!
Beck guest-starred in an episode of Matt Groening’s brilliant but short-lived cartoon. Displaying a total lack of ego, he parodied his public persona with the genius line, “‘Odelay’ is just a word. Look it up in the Beck-tionary.”

GAMEBOYS!
For the ‘Hell Yes EP’, tracks from ‘Guero’ were remixed using, amongst other things, Nintendo’s brick-sized, portable gaming gadget. The results are much better than you might expect.

GRINGO!
An alternate version of ‘Jackass’ features Beck singing the entire song in Spanish, backed by a full Mariachi band.

GROOVY!
On ‘MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack’, a b-side to ‘Loser’, Beck scats in a lounge jazz style about the brain-draining effect of watching the music channel that made his name.

STICKERS!
‘The Information’ comes equipped with a blank front cover and a sheet of dinky stickers so listeners can design their own sleeve. Thanks to ridiculously stringent rules in the UK, this disqualifies the album from a chart entry. Party poopers.

PUPPETS!
Recent Beck shows star a troupe of cute but creepy puppets made in the likeness of every member of his band. Each mini-me is designed to look exactly like its counterpart, complete with identical haircuts, clothes, hats, beards and instruments.


HAPPINESS GROWS IN YOUR BACK YARD: A BECK MIXTAPE
1. ‘Loser’ (‘Mellow Gold’, 1994)
2. ‘Totally Confused’ (B-Side to ‘Loser’, 1993)
3. ‘Steve Threw Up’ (7” Single, 1994)
4. ‘Satan Gave Me A Taco’ (‘Stereopathic Soul Manure’, 1994)
5. ‘Girl Dreams’ (‘One Foot In The Grave’, 1994)
6. ‘Got No Mind’ (‘Beercan EP’, 1994)
7. ‘Where It’s At’ (‘Odelay’, 1996)
8. ‘Jackass’ (‘Odelay’, 1996)
9. ‘Deadweight’ (‘A Life Less Ordinary Soundtrack’, 1997)
10. ‘Tropicalia’ (‘Mutations’, 1998)
11. ‘Sexx Laws’ (‘Midnite Vultures’, 1999)
12. ‘True Love Will Find You In The End’ (‘Daniel Johnston Tribute’, 2004)
13. ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ (‘Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Soundtrack’, 2004)
14. ‘The Golden Age’ (‘Sea Change’, 2002)
15. ‘Lost Cause’ (‘Sea Change’, 2002)
16. ‘E-Pro’ (‘Guero’, 2005)
17. ‘Bit Rate Variations In B Flat (Girl)’ (‘Hell Yes EP’, 2005)
18. ‘Cellphone’s Dead’ (‘The Information’, 2006)
19. Nausea (‘The Information, 2006)
20. ‘New Round’ (‘The Information’, 2006)