Pavement – Slanted And Enchanted

I can see why people compared them to The Fall a lot, because they can only make the best song you ever heard or unlistenable garbage and nothing in between

How do you tell if it’s a first press? Matrix info seems to be same in later presses

So good. I’ve loved Pavement from the beginning. This is a great version and I assume pretty close to what a first edition sounds like (since the mastering and pressing are the same). Back in the day words like “lo fi” and “slacker” were used to describe the band and sound. Now I realize those were just lazy ways of trying to describe something that sounded a little different and was new-ish. It might also have had something to do with the original cassette and CD, both of which I had, and which (in my opinion) weren’t really bettered by remastering (of either the CD or record). But this early repress seems to let the light in and around the instruments. Clearly they were after a certain sound. They were, I think, working the studio and trying to transfer their energy to the LP. They succeeded. Aaah, the drumming. Those guitars and bass. Topped off by S.M’s often abstract lyrics. Wonderful.

A pretty good pressing. Not as lively as the OG, but it is a newer pressng. Still pretty good, no pops and crackles (did clean it with my VC first) and pretty quiet between tracks.

Two songs on this tape, "My First Mine" and "Baptist Blackticks," don't appear on the original album. They were recorded during the same sessions in Stockton, CA in 1991 and subsequently appeared on Westing (by Musket and Sextant). Also, this cassette release doesn't include "Conduit For Sale!" or "Zurich Is Stained."
This a unique version of the album. Yes, it's an easy to re-create one, using tracks already available elsewhere, but it's not merely a re-sequencing of what ended up being released as Slanted And Enchanted.

Some song title notes, many of which are obvious.
"Chesley's Lil' Wrists" = "Chesley's Little Wrists"
"Jackals Of The Lonesome Era" = "Jackals, False Grails: The Lonesome Era"
"Trigger Cut" and "The Wounded Kite" are split apart instead of appearing together as "Trigger Cut / Wounded-Kite At :17"
"Fame Thrower" = "Fame Throwa"
"Pain Smiles" = "In The Mouth A Desert"
"Perfume Veins, Etc" = "Perfume-V"
"Loretta's Scars" time is incorrectly listed as 2:00. I timed it at 2:47 on my machine, much closer to the original release.
"Pillowjack" = "Our Singer"

Disc 2 and the included booklet makes this deluxe edition worth owning. Disc 2 has an additional set of watery tracks which are quite good, including So Stark. Disc 2 also has a live set from 1992 with unreleased tracks that really captures them at this time, early, not too polished, perhaps nervous, and some unheard of gems. Disc 1 has a few additional tracks from John Peel which are good, but in my opinion are overshadowed by the highlights of Disc 2.

This is a great pressing. My copy borders on dead silent between tracks. A couple minor pops/clicks/rumbles total per side if I am being extremely nitpicky. Mine is very slightly dish warped, almost not worth even mentioning. The color/splatter looks great. This blows away the 2015 re-issue I had.

I highly recommend this.

Sounds great outside of some pops and surface noise. One of the cooler looking records I own.

Also came with a UK price sheet for mail order of other Pavement releases.

Perfectly fine way to listen to the album. The record itself looks amazing but there is some surface noise.