Was it necessary to put out yet another collection of old Pavement songs, this time from the early Slanted & Enchanted days? Well, Pavement was an amazing band and there are some amazing pieces on The Secret History, Vol. 1. And all of the two-disc vinyl-only collection has been previously released.
Vol. 1 naturally comes from the band’s first years, with original drummer Gary Young, around the time of the release of seminal debut full-length Slanted & Enchanted. This means that one gets a lot of the meandering Pavement, particularly on the first record. “Trigger Cut” b-sides “Sue Me Jack” and “So Stark (You’re a Skyscraper)” introduce the wandering band, along with “Mercy: The Laundromat”, “Baptist Blacktick”, and “My First Mine” from Westing (By Musket and Sextant), with “Stark” and aggressive jangle “Baptist” the highlights (plus the seven-inch version of classic single “Summer Babe”). The non-album “Nothing Ever Happens” and “Greenlander” prove why they weren’t on any record, kind of uninspired, but there’s a great alternate mix of the great “Here”. And because this is a collection from a nineties alternative band, there’s of course BBC Radio sessions with the late great DJ, John Peel. Unfortunately, the live session nature lets the band meander even more, stretching out too much on songs like “Here”.
The real best part of Secret History is the live set from London’s Brixton in 1992. From The Fall tribute opener “Conduit For Sale!” to classic closer “In the Mouth of a Desert”, the record captures the great mix of wild and skilled that particularly was early Pavement. Other live standouts include “Summer Babe”, “Two States”, “No Life Singed Her”, “Box Elder”, and “Perfume-V”, which is superior to the album version – and makes me feel okay (I don’t feel okay).
All of The Secret History, Vol. 1 was released on the 2002 double-disc Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe, so this release is basically just for those who either don’t have that, or want the material on vinyl. But it’s still got some great songs.
Pavement – Perfume–V (Live)
