Slanted and Enchanted

Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Perfect Sound Forever1991Watery, Domestic1992studioSlanted and EnchantedSlanted_and_Enchanted_album_cover.jpgPavementApril 20, 1992* December 24, 1990

• January 13–20, 1991*Louder Than You Think, Stockton, California
• South Makepeace, Brooklyn, New York* Indie rock
• lo-fi
• noise pop<ref name="allmusic"/>39:01MatadorPavementx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}

Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992 by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.

The title Slanted and Enchanted is taken from the title of a cartoon made by Silver Jews frontman David Berman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its cover art was created by appropriating that of an existing album, Ferrante & Teicher's Keyboard Kapers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The album received critical acclaim and is seen as a landmark for indie rock, with Rolling Stone ranking it 199th on its 2020 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. As of 2007, the album had sold 150,000 copies. In 2022, Alex Ross Perry adapted the album into a rock opera titled Slanted! Enchanted!<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Background and recording

The album was recorded at the home recording studio of Pavement drummer Gary Young's on what was described as a "tight budget" over a span of ten days. The process was said to have been "relaxed."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Malkmus recorded playing a Fender Stratocaster, and Kannberg recorded with a Fender Mustang and a Gibson SG. Kannberg played through a Fender Silverface Twin Reverb amplifier, and Malkmus played through a small boutique Epiphone amplifier that was borrowed the father of one of his friends. They used ProCo TurboRat and Boss DS-1 distortion pedals.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Slanted and Enchanted was distributed to critics as early as 1991, months before its official release; the original distribution did not feature the entire band, as several members joined during its production.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The recording sessions were split between South Makepeace Studios in Brooklyn, New York (recorded December 24, 1990) and Louder Than You Think Studios in Stockton, California (recorded January 13–20, 1991).<ref>https://www.spin.com/2022/07/big-slack-attack-jim-greers-1994-interview-with-pavement-for-spin/</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Release history

The album’s first single, "Summer Babe", appeared in August 1991.<ref name="allmusic2" /><ref name="dragcity" /> It was Pavement’s last release of new material for the Chicago-based Drag City label before the band moved to Matador Records. The single contained the B-sides "Mercy Snack (The Laundromat)" and "Baptist Blacktick" that were included on Japanese versions in the CD, and later on the deluxe version of the album. A different mix of "Summer Babe," entitled "Summer Babe (Winter Version)," became the first track on the album. The song would go on to be ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as number 286 in its 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and as number 292 in the 2011 update of the list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The album’s second single, "Trigger Cut", was first released in the UK by Big Cat Records on July 13, 1992, before appearing in the US market through Matador the following month.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Slanted and Enchanted was officially released on April 20, 1992, to critical acclaim, originally reaching a peak of number 72 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 2007, the album had sold 150,000 copies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2002, Matador released Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe, a compilation containing Slanted and Enchanted in its entirety, as well outtakes and other rarities from the same era.<ref name="AVClub article">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Matador Records released Luxe & Reduxe on October 20, 2002,<ref name="Matador Pavement">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> alongside the Slow Century DVD.<ref name="AVClub article"/> It features 48 songs, including the entire original disc and, in addition, 3 outtakes of which one is an unreleased song and the other two are alternate takes, plus the B-sides from the "Summer Babe" and "Trigger Cut" singles, 5 songs from two different John Peel sessions, the 4-track EP Watery, Domestic, and 13 tracks of a live performance of the band held at the Brixton Academy in London on December 14, 1992.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Discogs release. Retrieved October 28, 2018.</ref>

Luxe & Reduxe reached number 5 in the US Billboard Top Independent Albums<ref name="Allmusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Billboard1" >{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and number 152 in the US Billboard 200 charts.<ref name="Allmusic" /><ref name="Billboard2" >Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Composition and music

Template:Quotebox The album is noted for its "stripped down" sound and heavy use of distortion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Andy Price of Guitar.com described the sound as an "aural mess of dishevelled guitar noise, balanced by infectious hooks and a homemade aesthetic," and as a "combination of unkempt, dissonant chord structures, tangled, grubby riffs, tuneful, vibrant melodies and coolly delivered (but earnestly intelligent) lyrics."<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Erik Davis of Spin wrote, "the distortion doesn’t come from a can, nor is it “texture” or “noise.” It’s a living thing, snaking through the strumming guitars."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The original Pavement EPs were recorded without the presence of bass guitar. Some tracks on Slanted and Enchanted, such as "Summer Babe" were recorded with bass, while others, such as "Fame Throwa" have detuned guitars substituting for bass guitar. Songs such as "Here" are said to be "entirely bass-free."<ref name=":1" />

Malkumus began to explore alternate guitar tunings, including different variations of Open D and Open G, which have since been dubbed "slacker tunings" due to their appearance on the album. Malkmus explained, "We didn’t have a bass guitar on the early recordings. So tuning down gave us a lower sound but also a fullness to the sound. That’s where I started. Then I simplified even more by bringing my G string up to A. I did a lot of things like that." The tracks "The Mouth a Desert", "Loretta’s Scars and Jackals" and "False Grails: The Lonesome Era" are played in CGDGBE tuning. The tracks "Perfume-V", "Summer Babe" and "Conduit For Sale!" use DADABE tuning.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In addition to guitar distortion, feedback and noise, the album makes use of hooks that are consistent with those heard in pop songs. According to Andy Price of Guitar.com, "Though uninhibited experimentation was central to Pavement, the bubbling pop hooks that flowed throughout the record’s run-time served to anchor the ears. The dissonant chords which shape the captivating 'In The Mouth a Desert' lead us into a fine example, as growling distortion hovers over the verse, snakey hooks periodically rise to have their moment in the sun, before receding into a wash of sound."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, "Listening to Slanted & Enchanted is like listening to a college radio station that you can barely tune in -- melodies are interrupted by shards of white noise, only to have a simple hook pull everything back into focus." Davis assessed, "There’s something like the interstellar space noise picked up on shortwave radios. Some songs start off dope, then get raw power, while others open like thunder and then slip down a velvety slide." The sounds of the guitars have been described as "fuzzy [and] noisy". The album's opening track "Summer Babe (Winter Version)" has been stylistically described as dream pop. Steve Malkmus' vocals are described as "languid".<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Davis described the album's sound as consisting of "slapdash drums, bells, catchy choruses, sha-la-la-las, guitars played so loose and confident they’re almost smiling at you."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album has been noted for its stream of consciousness lyrical style.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical reception

Slanted and Enchanted received critical acclaim. In a contemporary review of the album, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice was highly positive, writing that Pavement are "always good at both tune and noise" and that the music on Slanted and Enchanted yields "a message complex enough to offer hope ... that the lyrics will catch up".<ref name="Village Voice"/> Erik Davis of Spin designated Slanted and Enchanted as the magazine's "Platter du Jour" for March 1992, describing the album as "so fine it occasionally seems too perfect."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the album's songwriting, and closed his retrospective review saying: "Some listeners may initially find the lo-fi sound of the record inaccessible, but the sheer strength of Pavement's songs settles in after a few plays."<ref name=":0" />

Legacy

I think Slanted and Enchanted probably is the best record we made, only because it's less self-conscious and has an unrepeatable energy about it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>{{#if:Stephen Malkmus|{{#if:|}}

— {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries

}}

{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Blockquote with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | author | by | char | character | cite | class | content | multiline | personquoted | publication | quote | quotesource | quotetext | sign | source | style | text | title | ts }}Since its release Slanted and Enchanted has appeared on many critics' best-of lists and is frequently cited as being among the most influential indie rock albums of the 1990s. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited the album as "a left-field classic" and "one of the most influential records of the '90s".<ref name="allmusic" /> In 2002, Pitchfork awarded the album their maximum grade of 10.0/10.0 in a review of the album's reissue<ref name="pitchfork.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> and ranked it as the fifth greatest album of the 1990s in 2003.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rolling Stone called Slanted and Enchanted "the quintessential indie rock album" and placed it on the magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time<ref name="RS2012">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="RS best debuts">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2017, Billboard called it a "slacker masterpiece" and "the definitive indie rock album".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Andy Price of Guitar.com wrote, "Slanted and Enchanted was a felicitous moment-seizer. And one which prescribed the DIY ethos of independent music for decades to come."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Blender	US	The 100 Greatest American Albums of All timeTemplate:CN	2002	67
		500 CDs You Must Own Before You DieTemplate:CN	2003	*
		The 10 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2007	1
Pitchfork	US	Top 100 Albums of the 1990sTemplate:CN	1999	3
		Top 100 Albums of the 1990s<ref name="ReferenceA" />	2003	5
		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2022	70
Rolling Stone	US	The Essential 200 Rock RecordsTemplate:CN	1997	*
		The Essential Recordings of the '90sTemplate:CN	1999	*
		The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time	2012	135<ref name="RS2012" />
			2020	199<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
		The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time	2013	25<ref name="RS best debuts" />
		100 Best Albums of the Nineties<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	2010	24
Slant Magazine	US	Best Albums of the '90s<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	2011	40
Spin	US	Top 100 Alternative Albums<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	1995	16
		The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1999	5
		Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	2005	4
		125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	2010	9

Personnel

Pavement

• Stephen Malkmus – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
• Scott Kannberg – bass guitar, lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (tracks 1–2, 4–5), lead vocals (track 10)
• Gary Young – drums

Additional Personnel

• Cy Jameson – engineer (track 9)

Charts

Template:Album chart

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref name="ARIA history pages">{{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref>	178

External links

• Template:Discogs master