Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Reduxe
(Matador)
This is it—one of the past decade's crowning moments revisited with the proper degree of reverence. Upon its first release in 1992, Slanted and Enchanted was the full-length debut of a rather cryptic band that had little more than a handful of 7" and 10" vinyl appearances to their name. Even with their shadowy pseudonyms and record covers that ripped off the Fall, Pavement was a band that demanded notice for their music over their style. Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Reduxe marks ten years since the album's first release and celebrates the sound and spirit of the release in grand fashion.
The centerpiece that these two discs glorify is Slanted and Enchanted itself. If you are not familiar with the album, it can quickly be summed up in a succession of phrases: high amounts of youthful punk energy; the willingness to wear one's influences (Sonic Youth, the Fall, Dinosaur Jr.) on their sleeves while transforming that material into something new; the first full hint at the work of one of the most playful users of word-association since Dylan; somewhat low-fidelity gems that are purely infectious and leap straight out of the clutter. Whether it is the sedated yet anthemic "Here," the frantic "Conduit for Sale!," or the borderline-pop hints of "Trigger Cut," this album has earned its reputation wholeheartedly and with material that shows no sign of age. With this tenth anniversary repackaging and after undergoing remastering, Slanted and Enchanted has never sounded better. Greg Calbi's new work on the original masters has created a much fuller sound than the record boasted in 1992, adding a nice bump in bass over the original. Most importantly, this balancing act does not take anything away from the album's decidedly lo-fi aesthetic. A careful listen on headphones provides the listener with a chance to be fully immersed in this enhanced sound, but it's definitely just as detectable over speakers. Even without all of the marvelous extras that come in this handsome slipcase, the new work on this disc would alone merit purchase as a replacement to the old version.
In addition to all of the wonderful work that was done on the album itself, the rest of this two-disc set contains 34 additional tracks. Disc One follows the album itself with six additional tracks from the Slanted sessions. The first three tracks present the band's "Summer Babe" 7" that was released on Drag City containing "Summer Baby (7" version)," "Mercy Snack: The Laundromat" and "Baptist Blacktick." All of these tracks have appeared on disc before, namely Drag City's Westing (By Musket and Sextant), but it's nice to have them located so close to the rest of session that they came from (and especially since "Baptist Blacktick" is such a damn fast classic). "My First Mine" from an Ablaze Magazine flexi-disc follows and benefits from this proximity as well. The final two inclusions from the Slanted sessions are the only truly "previously unreleased" tracks from this collection. First is an alternate mix of "Here," which sounds somewhat more upbeat than the version that appeared on the finished album. While it is not anything remarkably new, it is definitely a nice addition to this set. The other new track is an outtake called "Nothing Ever Happens." This Spiral tune features an overall song structure which is taken straight from the "Wounded-Kite at :17" fragment which follows "Trigger Cut" on the album and provides for a very nice treat. Disc One closes with four phenomenal tracks: the band's first John Peel BBC1 session from 1992. This session (as well as the second session present on Disc Two) has long been included on the classic Pavement bootleg CD Stuff Up the Cracks but it has never been so clear. Gone are the chatter of John Peel and the little bit of radio static that was present on those old recordings.
What the listener is left with are four amazing recordings that stack up with the Watery, Domestic EP as one of the band's most concise and accurate statements. While many love this session's rock version of "Here." which is similar to the song's live performances, the standout to this session is the rocker "Kentucky Cocktail." A staple of the band's 1992 performances, it showcases all of the wit and energy that defines the band. Efforts were later made to record this song for release, but they never went anywhere due to the efficacy of this version. "Circa 1762" and the Pavement-ized Silver Jews cover "Secret Knowledge of Backroads" round this session out, sounding spectacular here in their clarity.
The collection's second disc is just as lively as the first. Whereas the first one started off with the classic Slanted, Disc Two begins with what is cited by most die-hard Pavement fans as their favorite of the band's releases, the Watery, Domestic EP. Marking the band's last real release of material featuring original drummer Gary Young, the four songs on the EP are effortless and a wonderful use of 12 minutes. The material on this EP is carefree and immediate and represents a time when all of the members of the band were truly on the same page and simply clicking. After this, Disc Two continues on with three additional tracks from the Watery sessions. First up are the additional tracks from the "Trigger Cut" single, "Sue Me Jack" and "So Stark (You're a Skyscraper." Both of these tracks and especially "Sue Me Jack," the upbeat and frantic rock song in the vein of "Perfume-V," share the sound and feel of all of the other songs from this period and definitely fit in alongside the rest of the material in this collection. The other Watery outtake included here is "Greenlander," the band's contribution to the 1992 Born to Choose compilation. "Greenlander" sports a slowed down style, which seems like a bit of a sister track to the album version of "Here." The band's second John Peel BBC1 session from late 1992 is up next. Like the first Peel, this session has long been available to the hardcore Pavement fan from its less-than-perfect quality appearance on the Stuff up the Cracks bootleg. As it is presented here, this material has never sounded better. This session is much mellower than the band's first foray to the Maida Vale studios and features laid back numbers such as "Rain Ammunition" and "Ed Ames" in addition to the delicate "Drunks with Guns" and somewhat twisted "The List of Dorms."
The clarity of both of these sessions is fantastic and they are the biggest treat associated with this set. Completing Disc Two and this enhanced version of Slanted and Enchanted is one of the band's complete live sets from 1992. Originally broadcast on the BBC (and featured on the bootleg CD/LP Stray Slack), the performance from Brixton Academy in London showcases the material otherwise contained on these discs in a live setting. For as good as a studio band as Pavement was, they always excelled as a live band. For proof of this, look no further than the power present in the first track from this show, "Conduit for Sale!" Drums crack, Bob Nastanovich screams as if his life depends on it, and both Malkmus' and Kannberg's guitars shred everything left in their path. Everything in this set shares that sort of spirit, including the 1992 live staple "Baby Yeah" which is now released for the first time.
While the band later matured and underwent personnel changes, the unbridled energy and enthusiasm present in the studio and live work from this period marks the true high water mark that Pavement was left to chase for the rest of their days. All together, Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Reduxe compiles a healthy number of high quality extra materials from this vital period in the band's development into a massive and fluid collection. These discs are also housed in a lovely embossed slipcase with an extensive and entertaining booklet. Indeed, this is perfect sound forever.
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