Brighten the Corners

Brighten the Corners
Studio album by Pavement
Released February 11, 1997
Recorded July 15-30, 1996, Piedmont Triad Studio[1]
Genre Indie rock
Length 46:10
Label Matador Records (1999-present)
Matador Records/Capitol Records (1997-1998)
Producer Pavement, Mitch Easter
Pavement chronology
Wowee Zowee
(1995)		 Brighten the Corners
(1997)		 Terror Twilight
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
Pitchfork Media (8.6/10) [3]
Robert Christgau (A) [4]
Rolling Stone (Very favorable) [5]

Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album released by Pavement. All songs were written by lead singer Stephen Malkmus, apart from "Date with Ikea" and "Passat Dream". The title is likely a reference to Ella Fitzgerald's Brighten the Corner, or its title track "Brighten the Corner Where You Are" which was a theme song for Billy Sunday. It is also the only Pavement album to feature a full lyric sheet.

Contents

Nicene Creedence Edition

Professional ratings
Nicene Creedence Edition
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Entertainment Weekly (A) link
Rolling Stone link
Pitchfork Media (8.7/10) link
The Phoenix link
PopMatters link

Matador Records released an expanded 2CD edition of this album under the title Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition on December 9, 2008.[6] It contains the band's fourth album, Brighten the Corners (1997) in its entirety, as well as 32 of the band's other songs from that era, 18 of which were previously unreleased. The initial pre-order offer from Matador Records also included the band's previously unreleased live album, Live Europaturnén MCMXCVII on 12" vinyl.

Track listing

All songs written by Stephen Malkmus, unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Stereo" - 3:07
  2. "Shady Lane / J vs. S" - 3:50
  3. "Transport Is Arranged" - 3:52
  4. "Date With IKEA" - 2:39 (Scott Kannberg)
  5. "Old to Begin" - 3:22
  6. "Type Slowly" - 5:20
  7. "Embassy Row" - 3:51
  8. "Blue Hawaiian" - 3:33
  9. "We Are Underused" - 4:12
  10. "Passat Dream" - 3:51 (Scott Kannberg)
  11. "Starlings of the Slipstream" - 3:08
  12. "Fin" - 5:24 (Listed as "Infinite Spark" on non-US pressings)

Track listing Nicene Creedence Edition

Disc One

Brighten the Corners
1. "Stereo"
2. "Shady Lane / J Vs. S"
3. "Transport Is Arranged"
4. "Date w/ IKEA"
5. "Old to Begin"
6. "Type Slowly"
7. "Embassy Row"
8. "Blue Hawaiian"
9. "We Are Underused"
10. "Passat Dream"
11. "Starlings of the Slipstream"
12. "Fin"
Brighten The Corners outtakes
13. "And Then (The Hexx)" (originally released as the B-side to Spit On A Stranger (OLE-384-7), May, 1999, but presented here is the unedited full version, as such previously unreleased. It was also originally planned to be the opening track to Brighten The Corners.)
14. "Beautiful as a Butterfly"
15. "Cataracts"
Stereo single
16. "Westie Can Drum"
17. "Winner of the"
18. "Birds in the Majic Industry" (previously unreleased full length vocal version)
Spit On A Stranger single (included here since both were recorded and mixed during Brighten The Corners sessions)
19. "Harness Your Hopes"
20. "Roll with the Wind"

Disc Two

Shady Lane single
1. "Slowly Typed"
2. "Cherry Area"
3. "Wanna Mess You Around"
4. "No Tan Lines"
BBC Radio One Evening Session, January 15, 1997
5. "And Then (The Hexx)" (previously unreleased)
6. "Harness Your Hopes" (previously unreleased)
7. "The Killing Moon" (released on Major Leagues EP)
8. "Winner of the" (previously unreleased)
Brighten The Corners outtakes
9. "Embassy Row Psych Intro" (previously unreleased)
10. "Nigel" (previously unreleased)
11. "Chevy (Old to Begin)" (previously unreleased mix)
12. "Roll with the Wind (Roxy)" (previously unreleased mix)
God Save The Clean: A Tribute to the Clean, Flying Nun Records compilation
13. "Oddity"
Tibetan Freedom Concert compilation
14. "Type Slowly" (live)
KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic, February 25, 1997
15. "Neil Hagerty Meets Jon Spencer in a Non-Alcoholic Bar" (previously unreleased)
16. "Destroy Mater Dei" (previously unreleased)
17. "It’s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl"
18. "Maybe Maybe"
BBC Radio One John Peel Live Session, August 21, 1997
19. "Date w/ IKEA" (previously unreleased)
20. "Fin" (previously unreleased)
21. "Grave Architecture" (previously unreleased)
22. "The Classical" (released on Major Leagues EP)
WFNX Studios, February 12, 1997
23. "Space Ghost Theme I" (previously unreleased)
24. "Space Ghost Theme II" (previously unreleased)

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Pavement – Brighten the Corners". discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Pavement-Brighten-The-Corners/release/1498749. Retrieved 3 September 2011. 
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pavement: Brighten the Corners > Review" at Allmusic. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  3. ^ Schreiber, Ryan. "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 24 December 2001. http://web.archive.org/web/20011224142045/pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pavement/brighten-the-corners.shtml. 
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Pavement". robertchristgau.com. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=pavement. Retrieved 3 September 2011. 
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan (20 February 1997). "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/brighten-the-corners-19970220. 
  6. ^ Thompson, Paul (23 October 2008). "Pavement's Brighten the Corners Reissue Delayed". Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081025102740/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/146741-pavements-brighten-the-corners-reissue-delayed. 
Pavement
Studio albums
Compilations and reissues
EPs
Singles
"Summer Babe" • "Trigger Cut" • "Cut Your Hair" • "Gold Soundz" • "Range Life" • "Rattled by the Rush" • "Dancing with the Elders/Chemical" • "Father to a Sister of Thought" • "Stereo" • "Shady Lane" • "Spit on a Stranger" • "Carrot Rope"
Video releases
Associated acts
Other