Terror Twilight

Terror Twilight
Studio album by Pavement
Released	June 8, 1999
Recorded	June–December 1998 in New York and London[1]
Genre	Indie rock
Length	44:08
Label	Matador (USA) Domino (UK) Flying Nun (New Zealand)
Producer	Nigel Godrich
Pavement chronology
Brighten the Corners (1997) Terror Twilight (1999)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Pitchfork Media	(9.2/10)[3]
Q	[4]
Robert Christgau	A−[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]

Terror Twilight is the fifth and final studio album released by American indie rock band Pavement, released on June 8, 1999 on Matador Records in the US and Domino Records in the UK. It was produced by Nigel Godrich.

Title

Pavement percussionist Bob Nastanovich came up with the title, and has described its meaning in an interview: "Terror Twilight is the short span between sunset and dusk; this is considered the most dangerous time in traffic, because half of the people switch on the headlights, and the other half doesn't. It's when most accidents happen."^[7][8]

Nastanovich explained that his original idea for the title of the album was Farewell Horizontal but that he eventually dismissed the idea because "there was no way I was going to be on the Farewell Horizontal tour for the next year."

Track listing

All songs written by Stephen Malkmus.

1. "Spit on a Stranger" – 3:04
2. "Folk Jam" – 3:34
3. "You Are a Light" – 3:54
4. "Cream of Gold" – 3:47
5. "Major Leagues" – 3:24
6. "Platform Blues" – 4:42
7. "Ann Don't Cry" – 4:09
8. "Billie" – 3:44
9. "Speak, See, Remember" – 4:19
10. "The Hexx" – 5:39
11. "Carrot Rope" – 3:52

Initial UK copies of the album came with a bonus CD-ROM which contained the whole album with a brief track-by-track commentary; film of Stephen Malkmus writing this - and calling for the help of his fellow bandmembers in doing so - can be seen on the Slow Century DVD. The disc also contained the videos for "Stereo" and "Shady Lane" from their previous album Brighten the Corners and a home movie segment containing some footage also seen in the Slow Century DVD.

Many of the tracks on Terror Twilight were previewed at a pair of solo Stephen Malkmus shows in California on August 12–13, 1998. These included "Ann Don't Cry," "Carrot Rope," "Spit On A Stranger," "Platform Blues," "You Are The Light," "Folk Jam," and two others that remain unreleased to this day ("Civilized Satanist," which utilized a Moby Grape sample, and "Dot Days").

At these shows, Malkmus played electric guitar and sang along with home demo recordings of the songs. The style of the recordings was similar to those found on the compilation At Home With The Groovebox ("Robyn Turns 26" and "Watch Out!"), the B-sides of the Spit on a Stranger single ("Rooftop Gambler" and "The Porpoise And The Hand Grenade"), and the demo version of "Major Leagues" found on the Major Leagues EP.

"The Hexx" was a quieter, slowed-down version of a discordant jam that was played extensively on the Brighten The Corners tour. Pavement had recorded a faster, louder version during the Brighten sessions—in fact, at one point "The Hexx" was to have been the opening track on that album. This recording was edited, retitled "...And Then" and issued as the vinyl B-side to Spit on a Stranger. The original, full-length recording can be found on Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition. The single edit also appears among eight bonus tracks on the vinyl incarnation of the Creedence edition.

The original cover art for Terror Twilight lists the final track, "Carrot Rope," as "...And Carrot Rope." This alternate song title was revived for the 2010 Record Store Day version of Quarantine the Past, even though the song was the fifth track on side one.

In popular culture

• The progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek covered Terror Twilight's first single, "Spit on a Stranger" on their 2002 album, This Side.
• English singer Kathryn Williams covered "Spit on a Stranger" on her 2004 album Relations.
• On the TV show How I Met Your Mother, "Spit on a Stranger" was featured in the episode Drumroll, Please, while the Williams cover was featured in the episode Ducky Tie. "Major Leagues" was featured in the episode The Limo.
• On the TV show Mission Hill, "Major Leagues" was featured in the original airing of the episode Andy Joins the PTA (or Great Sexpectations).

Singles/EPs

• "Spit on a Stranger"
• Major Leagues EP
• "Carrot Rope" (UK)

Personnel

• Stephen Malkmus: Vocals, Guitar
• Bob Nastanovich: Percussion, Keyboards
• Scott Kannberg: Vocals, Guitar
• Steve West: Drums, Percussion
• Mark Ibold: Bass, Vocals
• Dominic Mercott: Drums on "Major Leagues" and "Carrot Rope"^[1]
• Jonny Greenwood: Harmonica on "Platform Blues" and "Billie"^[1]
• Produced and mixed by Nigel Godrich^[1]

References