From the melodic lift of Buddy Holly's "Everyday" on the opening track to "Silence Kid" to the Smashing Pumpkins dis on "Range Life," the album is a guided tour of everything great about rock 'n' roll and the American experience, filtered through the lenses of dudes who dig Creedence and Sonic Youth in equal measure. The catchiest song on the album--the near-hit "Cut Your Hair"--is a feminist anthem in disguise: "Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair / Do you think it's gonna make him change?" Elsewhere, Dave Brubeck's West Coast cool-jazz anthem "Take Five" and a section of the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" are assimilated in "5-4 = Unity."
Now comes the inevitable two-disc deluxe re-release treatment. When Slanted got similar treatment in 2002, collectors reacted by saying, "Cool, now I've got this stuff in a handy, remastered, easy-to-transport form." This time they'll say, "I had no idea this much great stuff was out there."
Whether you've never heard of the band or you're a Pavement completist, you won't be disappointed.
