Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Ed. - 10.0
Finally, I get to do a review of my all-time favorite band. It should also be noted that Brighten the Corners is one of my two favorite albums, the other being Wowee Zowee, also by Pavement.
When it first came out on CD I pre-ordered this reissue. I was thrilled with the quality of the B-Sides that somehow never made it to a proper Pavement record. Now that I have the vinyl version, I have to say, it is quite an impressive package: 4 vinyl LPs in a boxset-type presentation. It opens like a book, each page containing another record. Also inside is a 16-page book of photos and an essay talking about the writing of Stephen Malkmus' writing. The essay, by the way, is worth a read, but you will definitely not want to read it twice.
I won't say too much here about the original album (which is housed completely in the first record) except this: it was transcendent. If you haven't heard it before it is required listening. The lyrics and the soundscapes are both at the top of the list. Highlights include "Transport is Arranged," "Old to Begin," "Type Slowly," "We are Underused," and album closer "Fin."
The real reason for getting this album are the extras included here. A lot of these songs that I hadn't heard before have come to be mentioned in the same breath as the most classic of Pavement tunes. "Westie Can Drum," "Birds in the Majic Industry," "Harness Your Hopes," and "Winner of the" are all great. "Roll With the Wind," despite being incredibly cheesy, seems like a tongue in cheek homage to one of Malkmus' biggest influences, Creedence Clearwater Revival, who appear to be name-checked in the album's title.
Explore further and more gems are uncovered. Several versions of Terror Twilight's "The Hexx" are featured here, as it was originally planned to be Brighten the Corner's album opener. My favorite version is the wah-drenched interpretation found at the beginning of Side 7. And if you didn't know, Pavement appeared on an episode of Space Ghost, providing two versions of a theme here. Theme I is laughable (here is a great clip of them on the show) but Theme II actually provides a pretty slick riff and appropriate album closer. Live versions of other songs are also here, highlights being "Painted Soldiers," "Type Slowly," and Wowee Zowee's "Grave Architecture."
Nicene Creedence is certainly quite an undertaking, but for a dedicated fan there are more than enough rewards to make this worth the (VERY) steep purchase price of $79.99. I was lucky enough to get it for significantly less. This album has so much to offer it is a shame for any fan of Pavement to not hear it in its entirety.
