Does the world really need another Pavement best-of album? Matador believes so, in large part due to the momentum the group experienced over the past few years following a sold-out reunion and the feature film Pavements. That is not to mention “Harness Your Hopes” being jolted out of obscurity thanks to some wonky Spotify algorithm. The logic follows that it’s been a decade and a half since Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement (2010), and many people still remain unfamiliar with the beloved band. Consider me intrigued.
The rationale for another Pavement retrospective makes sense, as the record could serve as a catalyst; however, Hecklers Choice: Big Gums and Heavy Lifters falls short on some of the tracks included and doesn’t feature enough songs to allow for anything non-essential. There is only enough room to deliver banger after banger, and that was never really Pavement’s thing. They were more known for zaniness, in-band jokes, and left-turn excursions. Even though the first two records were arguably perfect from top to bottom, they still kept listeners on guard, and that roguish charm gets lost in this installment.
Most of the tracks here were featured on Quarantine the Past, aside from “Harness Your Hopes” and the forgotten gem “Major Leagues”. Along with the aforementioned B-Side turned viral hit, Hecklers Choice features two tracks from Slanted and Enchanted (1992), four from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994), three from Brighten the Corners (1997), and two from Terror Twilight (1999), which means absolutely nothing from Wowee Zowee (1995).
Is it just me, or is Wowee Zowee criminally underrated? It may be a stretch, but I’ve heard it likened to the Beatles‘ “White Album“. For a group with only five LPs, you’d think they would include at least one offering, whether it be “Rattled By the Rush”, “Grounded”, or “Father to a Sister of Thought”.
The compilation could have added another cut from Slanted and Enchanted. Any of the following would have been a natural addition: “Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At: 17”, “In the Mouth a Desert”, or fan favorite, “Zürich Is Stained”. Even though there is a good offering from Crooked Rain, I would have preferred “Silence Kid” or “Elevate Me Later” over “Unfair”. On another note, why does their penultimate statement, “The Hexx”, continue to be ignored?
These are questions fans will ask, perhaps not with the same gripes, but trust me, inquiries will be made. Accordingly, the jury’s still out on whether or not Pavement needed another greatest hits album (some fans are still holding out hope for new music). If, by chance, we feel inspired to revisit their influence, this just isn’t it.
At best, Hecklers Choice will lead to some discussion about what should have been included that was not, or why lesser tracks make another appearance. Overall, this effort doesn’t feel definitive, and it’s certainly not exhaustive. This compilation feels no more exceptional than a playlist one might find on a web-streaming service, carefully curated to hold our attention, but it falls short of representing the band’s legacy circa 2025.