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/Capitol Records (original 1997 US release) Matador Records (1999 US reissue) Domino Records (UK) Rough Trade Records (Germany) Flying Nun Records (New Zealand) | |||
Producer |
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Pavement chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Chicago Tribune | [3] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | A[4] |
Entertainment Weekly | B[5] |
Los Angeles Times | [6] |
NME | 6/10[7] |
Pitchfork Media | 8.6/10[8] |
Rolling Stone | [9] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
Spin | 8/10[11] |
Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, recorded in 1996 and released the following year. All songs were written by lead singer Stephen Malkmus, apart from Scott Kannberg's "Date with Ikea" and "Passat Dream". The title is likely a reference to Ella Fitzgerald's 1967 album Brighten the Corner, or to the 1957 Thelonious Monk album Brilliant Corners. It is also the only Pavement album to feature a full lyric sheet.
Track listing
All tracks written by Stephen Malkmus, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Stereo" | 3:07 | |
2. | "Shady Lane / J vs. S" | 3:50 | |
3. | "Transport Is Arranged" | 3:52 | |
4. | "Date w/ IKEA" | Scott Kannberg | 2:39 |
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" | Kannberg | 3:51 |
11. | "Starlings of the Slipstream" | 3:08 | |
12. | "Fin" (Listed as "Infinite Spark" on non-US pressings) | 5:24 | |
Total length: | 46:10 |
Personnel
- Stephen Malkmus – vocals, guitar
- Bob Nastanovich – percussion, vocals
- Scott Kannberg – vocals, guitar
- Steve West – drums, percussion
- Mark Ibold – bass
- Mitch Easter – engineer, mixing
- Bryce Goggin – engineer, mixing
Chart positions
Chart (1997) | Peak position |
---|---|
New Zealand RIANZ Top 40[12] | 50 |
Norwegian Albums Chart[13] | 38 |
Swedish Albums Chart[14] | 56 |
UK Albums Chart[15] | 27 |
US Billboard 200[16] | 70 |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
UK [15] | |||
1997 | "Stereo" | 48 | |
"Shady Lane" | 40 |
Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition
Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition | ||||
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Compilation album by Pavement | ||||
Released | December 9, 2008 | |||
Recorded |
July 15, 1996 to August 21, 1997 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 154:37 | |||
Label | Matador Records | |||
Pavement chronology | ||||
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Matador Records released an expanded two-CD edition of this album under the title Brighten the Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition on December 9, 2008.[17] 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.
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 |
Track listing
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) in May 1999, but presented here is the unedited full version, previously unreleased. It was initially 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. "Odditty"
- 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)
References
- ↑ "Pavement – Brighten the Corners". discogs.com. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brighten the Corners – Pavement". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (February 14, 1997). "Pavement: Brighten the Corners (Matador)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ Browne, David (February 21, 1997). "Brighten the Corners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ Cromelin, Richard (February 9, 1997). "Pavement 'Brighten the Corners,' Matador/Capitol". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ Moody, Paul (February 8, 1997). "Pavement – Brighten The Corners". NME. Archived from the original on October 12, 2000. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ Schreiber, Ryan. "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on December 24, 2001. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan (February 20, 1997). "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Rolling Stone: 68.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 624–25. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ↑ Sutton, Terri (March 1997). "Pavement: Brighten the Corners". Spin. 12 (12): 99. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Pavement – Brighten The Corners". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ↑ "Pavement – Brighten The Corners". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ↑ "Pavement – Brighten The Corners". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- 1 2 "Pavement | Artist | Official Charts". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ↑ Brighten the Corners – Pavement: Awards at AllMusic. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ↑ Thompson, Paul (23 October 2008). "Pavement's Brighten the Corners Reissue Delayed". Archived from the original on 2008-10-25.