Search - Stephen Malkmus :: Stephen Malkmus

Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Malkmus
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

"In a funny way, the shaving of my head has been a liberation," announces a voice on "Jo Jo's Jacket." "It has simplified everything for me, and it has opened a lot of doors." It doesn't take a detective to crack this thin...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Stephen Malkmus
Title: Stephen Malkmus
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Matador Records
Original Release Date: 1/1/2000
Re-Release Date: 2/13/2001
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Style: Indie & Lo-Fi
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 744861044420

Synopsis

Amazon.com
"In a funny way, the shaving of my head has been a liberation," announces a voice on "Jo Jo's Jacket." "It has simplified everything for me, and it has opened a lot of doors." It doesn't take a detective to crack this thinly veiled statement of intent; when Steve Malkmus, boyish frontman of lo-fi trailblazers Pavement finally jumped ship from his mother-band in 2000, reasons were thin on the ground. Perhaps, then, this is the spirit of Stephen Malkmus: the king of the cryptic couplet freed from his 11-year yoke and embarking on an ultimate loosening-up exercise--the eponymous debut solo album. Odd, though, that it should sound exactly like Pavement. Stephen Malkmus is a close relative of Terror Twilight--a neatly polished showcase of shambolic art-pop, with a grinning, brotherly Malkmus dropping wisecracks every inch of the way. It sure sounds like he is having fun, indulging in vicious pirate fantasies on "The Hook," claiming to be "the king of Siam" on "Jo Jo's Jacket"--and isn't that him yodelling in the background on "Phantasies"? The only problem is, there is precious little of the disarming tenderness that once made Pavement's quirkier rough edges so endearing. If this is the sound of a man liberated, it's a shame he sounds so reluctant to be straight with us, just this once. --Louis Pattison

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Member CD Reviews

Andy C. (acdeasy) from LOS ANGELES, CA
Reviewed on 3/24/2012...
I didn't know what to expect with this record. What would the brain trust of Pavement sound like without his band behind him? The answer is, very much like Pavement. This record sounds a bit like the natural successor to "Brighten the Corners", treating "Terror Twilight" (the final Pavement record) as a brief detour. There is slightly less guitar interplay, which is missed, but Malkmus is in top form, coming up with an abundance of great riffs, humor, and melodies.

I'm afraid the fact that this record is so good, and so Pavement-like, suggests that the brilliance of Pavement can be credited almost entirely to Malkmus, which is a little disappointing to this Pavement fan.

Anyway, it's a great record.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

CD Reviews

Loosen up and you'll see
Brent Chapman | indianapolis, in United States | 10/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this album. Absolutely love it. That said, it doesn't hold a candle to the "good" Pavement records. S&E, CRCR, Wowee Zowee can't be touched. But I do like it better than Terror Twilight and BTC. You knew where Pavement and Malkmus were going. They steadily ironed out all the rough edges and dissonance by their fourth album. Malkmus' solo debut is the culmination of that process, being really, really poppy. The complexity of early Pavement is pretty much gone, and the joker personality of SM is in full effect here. But there are some achingly beautiful songs here, like Trojan Curfew, Church on White, Pink India, Deado... Then there's the goofy, fun stuff, like the sound effects in Troubble, the steel drum in Vague Space and the lyrics of the pirate tale, The Hook. Oh, and Jenny and the Ess-dog sounds just like Spit on a Stranger. But who cares? Lighten up and listen to it again. You'll like it. Trust me."
BUBBBLE
xman | south | 04/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lets just make this really simple. There are two SM camps, those who like the more structured stuff, starting mostly with Brighten The Corners, and ending with his solo career. The others prefer the jangly loose structures of the early albums, Enchanted and Crooked Rain. So, if Terror Twilight was your favorite Pavement album, you'll be happy to know that this first solo album is very much in that vein. If you thought Terror Twilight was boring, you'll think this is boring as hell."