Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)

Confession: For years, I've made the comment that I went to a Pavement show instead of going to prom. While technically true, I said it to sound cool, the ultimate example of slacker rock cred while the actual truth, of course, was that I couldn't get a date for the prom. Still, it was a fun time. I went with the same group of indie rock friends that I'd gone to Pavement's previous local date, a show I remember vividly. At that first show, we were up close, rabid fans, and the moment "Summer Babe" started,* the entire crowd jumped up as one in a wave of dancing. A friend turned to me, wild-eyed, wide-grinned. It was magical. I remember less about the Wowee Zowee show on prom night.

When I talked about Slint's Spiderland, I mentioned my exposure to that band came from a very influential mixtape made by a cool high school friend named Steve. If my memory serves, the very first song on that tape was Pavement's indie pop masterpiece "Summer Babe (Winter Version)" from Slanted & Enchanted. That might have been the first album I bought based on that mixtape. That song struck me with its marriage of strange tunings and sonic experimentation wrapped in a catchy hook. I didn't quite realize it at the time, but that's certainly Neil Young's M.O. too.

The recording of this album took about 10 days. In that time, they recorded more than just the 18 songs that were released. So there was not a lot of overworking of the material, resulting in a take-it-as-it-is feel, not unlike Neil and David Briggs' "audio vérité" aspirations. That said, I wouldn't claim that Neil Young is a massive influence on the band. Sure, songs like "We Dance" recall some of Neil's prettier songs, "Rattled by the Rush" has that country rock bounce, and Spiral Stairs' drop-D tuning on "Kennel District" sounds like Old Black, but Pavement's influences are clearly rooted in R.E.M., The Fall, Pixies, Sonic Youth, etc. Malkmus has been known to cover "Barstool Blues" and clearly likes Neil (especially Zuma), but it's not the reason why I wanted to talk about Wowee Zowee.

There's a theory that Wowee Zowee's anti-commercial structure is a reaction to the popularity of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain's success. That sounds a lot like what happened with Harvest, doesn't it? Band makes a hit, gets spooked by the fame, and actively works against it, releasing a difficult album next. And just like how Neil's post-Harvest albums, the famed "Ditch trilogy," are regarded as some of his best, Wowee Zowee has become the fan favorite masterpiece. However, in Pavement's case, that's not really the case. It wasn't a conscious pushback, but rather just a part of their general attitude.

There was always just that feeling that if Stephen [Malkmus] would have changed that lyric around a little bit...He would always throw that wrench into the song that would be something goofy, an in-joke for him or somebody else in the band or a slag on something that ultimately was kind of the curveball that kept them from knocking it out of the park. (Matador Records founder Chris Lombardi, 33 1/3: Wowee Zowee by Bryan Charles)

This quote is ostensibly referencing friction with Smashing Pumpkins after Malkmus cited them derisively on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain's "Range Life," ultimately costing them a prominent spot at Lollapalooza ('94; they ended up playing the following year and getting pelted with mud in West Virginia). However, I think it also describes the way Neil has always thrown his own curveballs that have kept him just out of the mainstream (aside from a few hits). Respected by fans and the press, a success to be sure, but not a commercial juggernaut like The Rolling Stones. That 33 1/3 book reveals the factoid that Malkmus wanted to axe "Summer Babe" from Slanted & Enchanted, which just reminds me of the many staggering masterpieces Neil left off albums for years (for fuck's sake, just listen to "Stringman" or "Sad Movies").

The "slacker" attitude is where I think Pavement/Wowee Zowee remind me most of Neil. They just wanted to play music that made them feel something, and didn't exactly care about the success. They did care about control, though, and it's one reason why Pavement pushed back against consciously seeking a higher level of fame. That higher level comes with strings, record executives weighing on your music, producers molding you into what sells, interviews, media appearances. Pavement made two more albums after Wowee Zowee that were more straightforward, more immaculately produced. But the general satisfaction started to wane and they ultimately broke up. I can't definitively say if one had to do with the other, but Wowee Zowee is the album of Pavement's that has gone through the most post-career reappraisal. In that way, it matches up pretty well with Neil's Ditch trilogy in terms of modern day appreciation.

*Interestingly, the first song of that 1994 show was "Black Out," which wouldn't be released until Wowee Zowee came out a year later. Neil, they stole your trick.