Pavement, "Gold Soundz"

[Deleted]

One of my favorite songs of all time. It was released in 1994.

You can download the new remastered version from their upcoming Best of Collection "Quarantine The Past" for free:

downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Pavement%20-%20Gold%20Soundz.mp3

[backintime]

Love it.

[Deleted]

HELL YES. Pitchfork's number 1 song of the 90's.

1. Pavement
"Gold Soundz"
[Matador; 1994]

Thing about Pavement is they never made it easy. That was part of their M.O. when they were defining themselves against the alt-rock moment. Where the big bands of the mid-90s were filling theaters and copping the arena-rock moves that had ossified somewhere back in the 70s, Pavement went around like regular schlubs and played messy shows with songs that took strange turns and didn't quite sound like guitar rock songs are supposed to sound. The Red Hot Chili Peppers said "Give it away now!" and stripped to the waist and jumped around and wanted desperately for you to notice them; Pavement always seemed to be holding something back, and they weren't about to give it away. "Gold Soundz" is as close as they ever got.

It was the second single from their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. The first, "Cut Your Hair", was a surprise hit, going to #10 on the modern rock chart in a time when that meant something. "Cut Your Hair" was the indie rock "Smells Like Teen Spirit", to an extent: It was topical and had a sneer, but it was also melodic and you pretty much knew how you felt about Pavement from the first time you heard it. Also like "Smells Like", after you heard "Cut Your Hair" a million times you were ready to put it away for a while. But "Gold Soundz" was different. It sounded like a memory in the best possible way. The first two words are "go back," and that's exactly what it does: It was easy, light, and tinged with nostalgia, with a radiant guitar tone and drums that float along, joyously uncommitted. Some of the lyrics match the music's wistfulness ("so drunk in the August sun" is the one many remember, because it sounds like the first line of good yarn), but Stephen Malkmus always did like a good puzzle, so there are cryptic lines that hint at uncertainty, confusion, and doubt, too. But this song feels especially hard to pull apart; everything seems to fuse together into one thing. And damn, it is ever short-- verses and choruses and a super nice guitar break all in 2:40.

There are a lot of ways to think about the music of a decade. Sometimes when you sit down to make a list like this, you think about songs that seemed important-- maybe they changed music or were emblematic of prevailing trends in culture. And then sometimes you think about songs that make you feel good whenever they come on. You hear the first few notes, remember how much the song does for you, the excitement builds, you want to sing along, and hey-- they're coming to the chorus now... --Mark Richardson

[Hallows]

Wow I really like this but I'm surprised Pitchfork had it at #1. Though I was surprised by much of their list.