Perfect Sound Forever — The Story of Pavement by Rob Jovanovic

NMWYH Rating: out of five stars.

Rob Jovanovic first began listening to Pavement at about the same time that I did — after having heard "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" off the No Alternative compilation. But his biography of Pavement canvasses the band's nascent moments (including even a review of a 1986 live performance of the precursor to Pavement, Bag o' Bones) to the swan song with its aptly named final release, Terror Twilight.

In his 200-page book named after Pavement's second EP on Drag City Records, Jovanovic, known for biographies on John Lennon and Beck among others, captures the most significant times of the influential band's decade-long career. The author relies on first-hand accounts and features hordes of college radio station chart listings, clippings from indie 'zines — and Rolling Stone — and various band memorabilia (e.g., setlists, photos, band commentary, etc.).

Perfect Sound Forever, offers an enticing combination of facts, chronology and witty anecdotes that instill life into the author's succinct narration.  Screw footnotes, Jovanovic handwrites additional pertinent information in the book's margins. Whether he's explaining the importance of New York's Casablanca Records (which, btw, according to Jovanovic, is credited for popularizing the 12-inch single) or the influence of John Peel, the author foregoes the traditional approach of end- or footnotes and opts for a less traditional 'zine aesthetic.  The objective of this strategy is obviously to lend street cred to the narrative — and it succeeds in that respect.

The aspect of this book that will appeal the most to diehard (indie) rock fans, though, is the chronicling of the band's interpersonal relationships and their ultimate effect on the sound and direction of the band and each of the members as musicians.  One detail that particularly interested me is how co-founders Scott Kannberg and Stephen Malkmus, who lived across the country from each other, recorded in the early days (through Crooked Rain).  Each had his own preconceived (though still loose) ideas about the songs as they met to record — and both understood that improvisation would play a key role during the recording sessions. 

Article Author: Steve Sabo

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