I know we did the thread were we ranked albums by our favorite bands etc. What's weird is that with regard to The Pixies and Pavement (two of my honest to god favorite bands of all time), I like their later albums later. Maybe, they are not as raw, more produced, I dunno.(?) For the most part, I just like the songs better......And its not to disparage the earlier albums ( the exception here being Westing---i think its pretty unlistenable) For example, my rankings of these bands albums:

The Pixies
1. Bossanova
2. Trompe Le Monde
3. Dolittle
4. Surfer Rosa
5. Come On Pilgrim

Pavement
1. Brighten the Corners
2. Terror Twilight
3. Crooked Rain
4. S&E
5. Wowee Zowee
6. Westing (by Musket and Sextant)

np: OK Computer

i just listened to crooked rain today for the first time in ages and was blown away. it was like the first time i heard it.

I like the later Pavement albums too, particularly Brighten the Corners, although I've never truly got into the last two Pixies albums as much.

it'll get you.

Dalen, have you given Terror Twilight a good listen recently? It has this something that is really special.

Can't explain, I'm having a similiar experience with ok Computer right now (haven't listened to it in probly a year) more later.

gonna put it on now.

i listened to it recently, i still haven't found that something special to latch onto. Did you get into pavement chronologically? i find with certain bands i often like whatever album i heard first the most.

For me:

Pixies
1 trompe le monde
2 surfer rosa
3 come on pilgrim
4 bossanova
5 dolittle

Pavement
1 crooked rain
2 brighten the corners
3 wowee zowee
4 slanted and enchanted
5 terror twilight

With the pixies, it's similar to the order in which I got the albums. Not so much with pavement, but brighten the corners is up there because there are a couple of songs (shady lane, starlings of the slipstream, stereo) that I love.

I've never understood the high rating people give dolittle. It's by far my least favorite pixies album (which is not to say I don't like it, just not as much as their other stuff).

Trompe le monde and crooked rain might be my two most-listened-to albums.

brighten the corners was the first pavement cd i heard and it led me to believe that it was my favorite, although i'm not so sure any more.

doolittle is still an absolutely flawless album.

Pixies

1. Surfer Rosa
2. Trompe Le Monde
3. Doolittle
4. Come On Pilgrim
5. Bossanova

(all of them are incredible though)


Pavement

1. Slanted and Enchanted
2. Terror Twilight
3. Brighten the Corners
4. Wowee Zowee
5. Crooked Rain


I too love Terror Twilight, and I never understand why it is the least favorite Pavement album for so many.

I've tried and tried and yet DO NOT like Pavement. I assume it's my problem because loads of people who's taste in music I respect love 'em. I do love The Fall, btw-go figure.

As for the Pixies, I think all their albums are worthwhile and would be hard pressed to make a ranking.

Steve

PIXIES

1 - Surfer Rosa
2 - Trompe Le Monde
3 - Doolittle
4 - Bosanova

PAVEMENT

1 - Slanted and Enchanted
2 - Brighten The Corners
3 - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
4 - Wowee Zowee
5 - Terror Twilight

I do like Trompe Le Monde a lot, way more than Bossanova, but not as much as the first few Pixies things.

I liked Terror Twilight initially, but have since found it to be only slightly better than Malkmus's solo stuff, most of which I don't like at all.

Brighten the Corners was the first Pavement album I ever heard, and I do have a soft spot for it. I still like their first 3 the best, and I don't consider Westing among those since it's a comp. I agree that it's not very good, and I'd probably rather put on Terror Twilight than that one.

I never thought I would see the day when a big fan of Pavement call the classic rock influenced Brighten the Corners it’s best album. Not that there is anything wrong with that because I love every album they have done, it’s just strange. My favorite is Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and might be influenced by the very fact of what Jewels Santana was talking about. It was my gateway album, like SeBADoh's Bakesale, so its placement as its best album is influenced by that fact somewhat.

I do latch on to different albums than the more acclaimed ones often. I think Jesus and Mary Chain’s Darklands is their best while its Psychocandy is considered their classic. Not to be misunderstood, I do realize that Psychocandy and Slanted and Enchanted are revolutionary and therefore are considered classics for that reason.

It’s funny how a board can influence your decision on what albums you play. I have been playing a lot of Super Furry Animals and Pulp lately. I wanted to hear something with some teeth on CD and not on MP3 so I reached for Constantines Shine A Light because of a thread that ran a few days ago. That album kicks ass, was perfect for the mood, and now can’t wait for the new one.

Edit: Well a bunch of people like Brighten the Corners a lot, still strange to me though.

np: Bravecaptain - alloneworldsmallbee

1. Trompe Le Monde
2. Surfer Rosa
3. Doolittle
4. Bossanova

1. Wowee Zowee
2. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
3. Brighten the Corners
4. Slanted and Enchanted
5. Terror Twilight


I think TLM and Wowee Zowee are clearly each band's best (well, for Pixies #1 and #2 are pretty close, but still). This obviously puts me out of step with common opinion for both bands...

I like your penchant for drug use; seriously, wowee is th pavements attempt at Surfers-esque drug music-----not a bad thing.



Aero, you are not out of step at all brother: The purpose of this thread was to dispell what I felt where longstanding critical innaccuracies (sp? fuck) regarding these two bands catalogues. I think the point is that Slanted/and/or Crooked is/are not the definitive Pavement and Surfer/Dolittle are not the definitive Pixies

Charles/Frank/Black, if you are reading, please keep this in mind: Lotsa people would rather hear "Palace of the Brine/Letter To Memphis" or "All Over The World" than a fucking wanked out "Vamos"

I'm just sayin'.

i'd just like to point out that watery domestic has my favorite pavent song ever, "shoot the singer"