The Grey Album

Yes, Gary Young is the same legendary drummer/producer for all of Pavement's early work and the amazing "Slanted And Enchanted." Yes, Gary Young is the same guy who put out a solo record on Big Cat in the '90s that landed him a video on MTV for the song "Plantman" featuring Thurston Moore dressed as a tree and Gary in an Astroturf suit. The irony of Gary Young's career, which historians of Pavement's early years never fail to mention, was that Gary was a "Yes fan in an indie band." Truth be told, Gary never did have much exposure to indie rock prior to joining Pavement. He got a bona fide crash course in it, as "Slanted and Enchanted" defined a style for a decade. It wasn't until Gary left Pavement that he truly realized what he helped create. But the irony doesn't end there. In 1994, Gary released his first solo album. It was titled "Gary Young's Hospital." One might have expected it to be a return to his prog rock heritage. But no. "Hospital" was without a doubt indie rock. Perhaps the sound had seeped in through his pores. Perhaps Gary was an indie rocker all along. Who knows? In December 2000, Gary and Terry Blank (guitars/keyboards/samples) began construction on "Hospital"'s long awaited follow up record. And in December 2003, they released "The Grey Album."