"Silence Kit," the first song on Pavement's second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, begins with a blast of feedback and an assortment of drum breakdowns, some wah-wah guitar and rough bass noodlings; it is, overall, a meandering that gives the impression that the band had no idea what song they were trying to play. It's like the most exciting first rehearsal ever. All of a sudden, a voice mumbles something vague in the background, and the real song starts: cow bell, classic rock riff, tight drums, dynamic playing, shuffling chords, a certain swagger. Is Pavement really the post-modern Allman Brothers? Not even. As much as Pavement wished to synthesize its love of such classic rockers as Creedence Clearwater Revival and post-punk faves like The Fall with its ironic collegiate sensibilities, it was always better and more creative, than just a retrograde group. It is one of few bands of the nineties to successfully integrate all of their influences and produce music that is wholly original and exciting in its own right. As one weaves their way throughout the 49 songs on the newly reissued and updated Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins, the sound that is Pavement takes full form, and overpowers the listener with sassy melodies and guitar lines that stick with joyful resonance.

Disc two of the reissue, subtitled After the Glow (Where Eagles Dare) consists of previously unreleased demos, outtakes and radio sessions from the Crooked Rain sessions. It is the main interest for fans of the band who already have what is on disc one. The first eight songs are of particular interest, since they feature original drummer Gary Young, and include many unreleased tunes. They also incorporate early, radically different versions of three songs: "Range Life," "Stop Breathing" and "Ell Ess Two" (aka "Elevate Me Later"). Most of the songs on this disc sound as if Malkmus is still reaching for their melodies, but they also communicate a sense of excitement the band had from the quality of the material they learned.

Highlights on disc two include the masterful "All My Friends," a three-part song that sounds similar to the previous years perfect Watery, Dometic EP; an early version of "Flux=Rad" that is much more rocking and solid than the one later released on Wowee Zowee; "Same Way of Saying" is one of those dirge like rants that only Malkmus can pull off, with hilarious throwaway lyrics/asides. Overall, the treasures on disc two are of a good enough quality as to make it necessary for every Pavement fan to own, obsess over and quote.

Disc one, subtitled Back to the Gold Soundz (Phantom Power Parables) contains the original album in all of its glory, as well as all the officially released b-sides and compilation songs. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is incandescent. It encapsulates the atmosphere and impressions of suburbia, Californian boredom, New York hipness, southern pastoral images and college disaffection into something that transcends clarification. Highlights of the extras include "Raft," a romantic idealization of a bad relationship ("you're mesmerizing/stop criticizing me"), the subdued and eerie "Strings of Nashville," the scat vocal version of "5-4=Unity," and the joke-tribute "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" that imagines REM defending Atlanta from Sherman during the Civil War.

It doesn't matter that Malkmus can't hit all the notes when he sings; it doesn't matter that the sound of the album is pretty sloppy next to most "major label" bands. It doesn't matter that Pavement probably worked a lot harder on this album than anyone cares to recognize, and it doesn't matter that "Hit the Plane Down" kinda sucks. It's the same way that it doesn't matter that Pavement never really had a hit single and never will be 'popular' in a mainstream context. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain has a magic to it that can't be qualified or quantified. In the middle of "Range Life," Malkmus suddenly changes the main melody of the tune and jumps out of his normal vocal range, reaching higher than he can, and sings "Don't worry, we're in no hurry." Everytime I hear it I smile because know exactly what he means.