If mainstream rock is the shape of the city, Pavement is the sound of the urban sprawl. The music could be planned more precisely, played with more discipline and edited more ruthlessly but then the kinetic energy which is its main appeal would be entirely lost. They don't want to play by the rules but they're also too smart to romanticise the drop out status. Rockscribe Ben Thompson nailed them perfectly when he described their music as "suavely detached and thrillingly committed".
The detachment is much in evidence in this much expanded & fully re-mastered album originally released by Matador in April 1995. First time around, Wowee Zowee was widely accused of crossing over the fine line separating experimentation and self indulgence. The criticism largely stemmed from the fact that it lacked the directness and pop-friendly immediacy of 'Slanted & Enchanted' and 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain' , albums originally released in 1992 and 1994 respectively. Both of those undoubtedly merited the super deluxe Pavement makeover treatment but what are we to make of its poorer relation?
A clue to what to expect comes from the fact that the title is taken from a Mother of Invention track on their astonishing 1966 debut album 'Freak Out'. Wowee Zowee, the song, sends up the lovey dovey clichés of pop songs with deliciously inappropriate lines like " I don't even care if you brush your teeth". The tracks on Wowee Zowee, the album, do not emulate Zappa's parodies but they definitely enthuse to the idea of the freak out. They play lip service to rock conventions hopping between blues to stoner to punk to grunge, sometimes all in the same song. There's even a nod towards folk-roots with an incongruous slide guitar on one of the standout tracks - 'Father to a sister of thought'.
In its original 1985 form the album had 18 tracks but this has now mutated into a two-cd 50 track monster - each disc packed to the brim with 80 minutes apiece. There are 18 unreleased recordings, a Mark Lamarq BBC session , outtakes , alternative versions and more than a smattering of fillers. It makes for a bumpy roller coaster ride but an invigorating one all the same. For your hard earned cash you will also gain a 64 page booklet although this is not exactly a mine of information, consisting mainly of artwork and photos. The scanty liner notes inform us that the recording sessions were very loose in feel , not exactly a revelation to anyone who has sat down and listened to the album. Had we been told that the band were highly focused with very definite ideas of what they wanted to achieve, now , that would have been news!
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A full immersion of the complete 2 hours in one setting is not recommended; better to savour it in bite size chunks. Pavement are one of those bands for whom the shuffle button was invented. In this spirit , my own sampled highlights would have to start with the arresting opening line - "There is no castration fear" - from the deceptively melodic We Dance. Elsewhere there's The Fall-like pop decadence of 'Grave Architecture' and two great versions Fight The Generation where Stephen Markus' drowsy Lou Reed impersonation is used to fine effect. I also like the gibberish vocals on 'at & I' , the way the words "fuck your television" scream out from 'Serpentine Pad' and how the line "I don't wanna let you go" is repeated like a maniac on 'flux=rad' . Another random play would throw up more gems.
All in all, you have to concede that the harsh criticism previously directed at this album was misjudged. Certainly it has stood the test of time very well; what sounded odd 20 years ago seems almost old hat now. It is unquestionably a sprawling, uneven piece of work but a fascinating one too with the feeling still that you are eavesdropping on the drama of a work in progress. A large percentage of the tracks sound as if they stem from fragments of ideas and by no means all work as fully formed songs.
For some this lack of more rigorous editing will be infuriating but one of the main appeals of Pavement has always been in their random eccentricity. If you want slick , look elsewhere. If you've got their revamped earlier albums and are wondering if you also need Wowee Zowee, I would say that the question is a no-brainer.
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