This is great Marc!
I absolutely adore Pavement, but like you I have not been entirely pleased with S.M. and Spiral's stuff that followed. This looks like a fantastic mix, though, and the cover art is spot-on!

I'm still waiting for Heather Lorimer's solo record. Great mix and cover (+did you shot that picture?).

One of those bands that passed me by I'm afraid...one day I'll catch up!

I think the Pavement break-up had to happen since Terror Twilight was essentially a Malkmus solo. Anyway, both projects are pretty good in my opinion. I like the country-tinge of Spiral Stairs and the heavy prog influence on the SM albums... both elements not as prevelant in Pavement. Malkmus said recently that the band will re-form but not anytime soon.

Nice.

Again with the McCartney comments... has anyone ever *really* evaluated the post-1st album (and half of the second) mediocrity of Lennon's solo career? ;-) I think that both of the Pavement boys have failed miserably as solo artists. Neither of them has made a horrific album, but neither of them has made anything remotely as good as Pavement (who are *my* favorite indie band of the '90s, having never fully embraced your beloved Yo La Tengo). Nice to see an attempt to put together their best solo moments, though.

Actually, Rob, I don't disagree with you -- I listen to Paul's post-Beatles work far more than John's. And while Paul's biggest sin was banality, John's was downright unlistenability (and you can't blame Yoko for all of that). On the flip side, I was more a fan of Paul's Beatles tracks (though it's a close call), so for me the fall from Abbey Road to what came later was more saddening. Plus (and this is admittedly a sick thing to say), the murder of John limited his mediocre solo work to a single decade or so, while Paul just kept going. All that said, Ram and Band on the Run (and maybe even Venus & Mars and London Town) are probably better than Malkmus' solo albums. Incidentally, having spent the weekend listening to this, I appreciate the Malkmus/Stairs solo work far more now -- definitely a case where their decent songs were dragged down by album filler, sounding much better in this context.

Well, perhaps you and I should swap for this one, then. I haven't even kept my CDR copies of their work thus far (although I haven't heard Malkmus' latest album). Re: the (oft-discussed by me and others on this site) John v. Paul thing, I'm with you on their Beatles work (preferring Paul as a whole, especially his instrumental and arranging contributions to the band, but loving John's songs as much or more, in some cases), I think there's an argument to be made that John's work after Some Time in New York City (which *is* more or less unlistenable, IMHO) is *more* banal than the majority of Paul's solo work from the same time period (I think it's only fair to limit the comparison to the first ten years, what with Lennon's death cutting off his career, as you said). For example, try stacking up the MOR sound of Mind Games, Walls & Bridges and (ick!!!) Double Fantasy next to the sheer offhanded oddball goofiness/audacity of McCartney, Wild Life, Ram (which you mentioned), McCartney II and most of Red Rose Speedway, along with parts of Band on the Run (again, which you also mentioned) and Back to the Egg, and I think it's pretty clear who the freaky, subversive one really was. Hell, even "Let 'Em In" is a bit strange for a #1 hit...

Love the mix. Love the banter. I'm short on the Pavement side, so I might like to hear this someday.