special introductory paragraph! Come On Pilgrim EP Surfer Rosa Doolittle Live EP Bossanova Trompe Le Monde Subbacultcha At The BBC Complete B-Sides Collection Pixies EP Live At Burton Cummings Theatre 30 May: San Francisco, CA 07 June: Indianapolis, IN loudQUIETloud: A Film About The Pixies DVDThe Pixies had something unique and spectacular - a finely-tuned mix of glossy clean guitar sparkle, speedy punk energy, charming and unpredictable vocal humor, brilliant melodic know-how (which says not a darn thing, I know, but if you heard them, you'd know what I was talking about), and some crazy whim that a basic 4/4 beat is just not enough to sustain an entire record. I may not know much about mechanics (aside from that killer Megadeth song, aww fuckin' shit), but even dumb ol' I can tell that Mr. Black Francis, lead singer and songwriter of the Pixies' Combo and Band, likes to toss rhythm dancers for a shimmy - so much so, in fact, that the strange "Pixies rhythm" becomes something of a lovable old grandfather after a while - like, they just refuse to do the "16 beats, then change" thing; it's always gotta be like ten or twelve or something. I don't know; maybe I'm just fucked up on tetracycline. But who among us is not???
So, returning to the issue at hand, even though the unpredictable vocal humor was sort of tossed to the wayside at the end there, the other chief Pix traits hung around to smoke cigars until Frank Black, The Martinis, and The Breeders went their separate ways. The Pixies were one of the greatest bands of all time, which is a really odd thing for me to say considering that I hardly ever listen to their records, but it's true. For endlessly fun, fascinating, exuberant, and catchy as all frig aural sensations, do yourself a favor and buy any Pixies CD you can find. But read my reviews, first, 'cuz all their records are a little bit different from each other!!!!!
So "Caribou" is a pop ballad, see, but it's followed by "Vamos" and "Isla De Encanta," which sound, in the words of Mr. Chris Crowson, "like a Spanish hardcore band or something!" They're speedy, bitter, noisy, and cooler than nearly any commercial on the air right now. So these two, along with the profane "Nimrod's Son," are punk rock, albeit an awfully delicate-sounding form of punk rock, more Pink Flag than Black Flag. Then elseplace, you got "The Holiday Song," one of the most radio-ready yet least-appreciated rock anthems in my world, "I've Been Tired," which, with concerns like "losing my penis to a whore with disease," is more humorous than anything else (but it's still catchy!), and "Levitate Me," which ends the record on as stunning a note as "Caribou" begins it. Personally, I despise "Ed Is Dead" as evidence of exactly how rotten this band could have turned out if Black Francis had liked Squeeze or Steely Dan just a little bit more, but what in fork of which am I aware? Fantastic debut. Short, but all that and more! Combine sparkly production with belchy American goodtime action and crud you got genius.
A totally awesome first album from one of the best and catchiest bands ever. It's opener "Caribou" is an excellent start as the album weaves into Spanish babblings, extremely catchy punk-pop and then closes with "Levitate Me", which promises of more good stuff to come.
The creepy Caribou has got to be one of the greatest openers in history, and to compliment that is the perfect finish, Levitate Me. Those background chants of "HEY...........HEY............HEY" will forever reamain in the back of my head. Ed is Dead and Nimrod's Son, although both fairly morbid in lyrics, are 2 of the poppiest little numbers in rock history. Dont even get me started on Holiday Song......
8.5 out of 10.
ahora tengo casi todos sus discos, que lamentable que conosco una banda increible cuando ya no existen como tal, de todas formas de haberlos conocido antes habria sido demasiado niņa como para acudir a uno de sus conciertos, "levitate me" unas de las mejores canciones que he escuchado en mi vida... gracias a la fuerza cosmica que me arrastro hasta frank... (vamos a jugar por la playa)
I'll admit I'm a bit biased from the start of reading MP's reviews of the Pixies. I can't help but feel that EVERYTHING the Pixies did was pure gold. I love them. In fact, I would go as far as saying they are the greatest rock n' roll band ever. Everything else was leading up to them, and everything after was... well... everthing after. There has never been a time when I didn't sing along to one of their songs and I've always had Pixies' songs in my head while walking, talking, etc.
You might think that I'm going to say everything by the Pixies deserves a 10. Well, YOU ARE CORRECT SIR! Greatest band ever. That's all. That's my two cents.
I'll add another cent while I'm at it though. If you have a chance, find a copy of the original Pixies demo tape from ~1986. This is the one that all the Come on Pilgrim tracks were taken from. It's dubbed "The Purple Tape" for some odd reason. In my opinion, the purple tape is the Pixies at their finest. Simple, catchy pop tunes; lunatic and noisy at the very same time. God... there is no other combonation.
Blah, blah, blah.... check out Sonic Youth, Beck, Joy Division (amazingly enough, not reviewed on MP's site), Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Big Black, blah, blah, blah. Danke.
Still, baby, this whole album is much more energetic and spitty than gentle and tinkly. As such, there are certain factions of music fans who feel that this is the band's pinnacle, and they hopped in a miner's cart down Boring Canyon shortly hereafter. If you're a rocker, then, maybe you SHOULD start here. I wouldn't call it their defining moment, though. I mean, there are lots of creative guitar lines in here, but I kinda dig the way they mix in the gothy shoegazer prettyboy vibe on the next couple of records. Makes 'em seem a little less sweaty. If this record had a few more pieces as gorgeous as "River Euphrates," maybe I'd be swayed, but right now, I'm a solid tree! It's a phenomenal little record, though, and don't you forget it! By far their most exuberant full-length.
ps: sorry for any mistakes
It came from another universe, as opposed to the other albums, which are GOING to another universe.
Plus, the killer guitar on Vamos.
If you dislike this, shoot yourself in the head and lick the mess. No tongue left? Hard luck. It's not easy when you've got a broken face, but now maybe you'll get it.
PS-Mad props to Doolittle, too. Don't bother with Bossanova, though.
Oh, and "Break My Body" is the best song ever.
8/10
Surfer Rosa is the perfect example. Amid all the cackling and screeching and weird guitar noises and whacka-whack-whack-SPLAT-hello-I'm-the-potheaded-college-nerd-from-hell mentality pervading the record from start to very abrupt finish are moments of quiet beauty that almost make you forgive the group for being such potheaded college nerds from hell. Unusually for an album that I despise so much, I'm going to dissect it, track by track. Here it is, the best album of 1988 (sarcasm):
"Bone Machine". The bass and drum intro DOES remind me a little bit of "In Bloom". Just a little. Other than that, it's jarring, slightly memorable, weird, and ultimately barely listenable. This opening track, unfortunately, epitomizes everything I hate about the group. The opening guitar line takes pains to be as blaring and off-key as possible, and Black's spoken lyrics, though nonsensical, kitschy, and so-dumb-they're-slightly-catchy, are delivered in such an annoyingly nasal, geeky way that I'm just not impressed. Especially considering the fact that Deal is very noticeably off key when she joins in on the chorus.
"Break My Body". This is a decent song. The lyrics are just as meaningless as ever, but the focus now is on the group's strength: their relentless, rhythmic instrumental pound. When they actually get into a real GROOVE, they really groove. And the vocals are buried in that nicely. The "somebody's gonna get hurt" part towards the end is an annoying reversion towards nerddom, though.
"Something Against You". Another good groove. The vocals can't even be heard this time. Too short, though.
"Broken Face". Coming right after the ultra-fast "Something Against You", it sounds terribly redundant. The vocal harmonies are cool on this one, though. It's also too damn short--what, just 80 seconds long? Jeez, people, where's your attention spans?
"Gigantic"--YES. NOW we see why these guys were such a touchstone for alt-rock guitar bands. The chord progression on this song practically defines the musical term "alternative", and the repetitive final minute is extremely awesome. Usually Kim Deal's "One time, at band camp"-like personality grates on me, but this time I find her vocals and lyrics, frankly, pretty darn cute. "Gigantic. Big big BIG love." Heeeeee. The song's only disadvantage is it's very poor placement in the song order.
"River Euphrates". This is okay, though it's pretty much filler in the shadow of the songs on either side of it. The calm "lie-lie-lie" harmonies in the bridge are nice, and I actually don't mind Black's ridiculous screaming on the chorus. A little abrasive, but not bad.
"Where is My Mind". Best song the Pixies ever recorded. Of course, it's also arguably their most recognizable song, 'cause alt-rock radio STILL plays it all the frickin' time. I don't need to explain myself any further on this one. I mean, just listen to that lead guitar! No wonder the Pumpkins and Weezer copied the group on that count so much. Unfortunately, this is where the album just stops being fun, for next we have. . .
"Cactus". Okay, now we're just getting boring. Nice rhythmic groove, but they just don't DO anything with it. Who cares if the lyrics reference pop culture up the wazoo? I want MUSIC dangit.
"Tony's Theme". Uh-oh. Now they've gone and done it. This is where I just stop listening to the record, 'cause let's face it, people: The Jackass cast could've come up with this piece of crap in between underwear bungee jumps at MTV's Spring Break festival in Cancun. Good God, this just might be the most annoying shit I've ever heard. Note to the ex-Pixies at large: Kitsch is only funny if you play it WELL. It is only revolutionary if you at least make an ATTEMPT to sing on key. And it only WORKS if you SING IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE!!! See the B-52's--they know how to do this shit right. Goddammit, don't EVER record something like that again. You DUNCES!
"Oh My Golly". Cackling Spanish. No melody. Whacka-whacka-whack-splat. Funny. Ha ha ha. Stupid.
"Vamos". More cackling Spanish. No real melody. No real chord progression, either. But but BUT--it's over four minutes long, and I actually, surprise surprise, like it when the Pixies try and stretch out a bit. The only really good part, though, is the cool lead guitar tricks throughout--Black's stupid screaming gets real old real fast.
"I'm Amazed". This song is half okay. But Kim Deal has to be all college nerdish on us in the background vocals. She was wet. She was WET, man. Huh huh. (At least, that's what I think she said. You can never tell with that Steve Albini production.) Also way too short. Damn you college nerds from hell, try LENGTHENING some of these songs!
"Brick is Red". Intelligently arranged song for once. Still boring, though. And instruments take up half the song. And it's only two minutes long. And that's the end. Splat. Goddammit, you guys suck. Making me anticipate all that hype for nothing. Nice "masterpiece", dickweeds.
So. . . that's my take on it. Doolittle is slightly better; at least six of the songs on there are at least decent. Not to mention longer. Here, they're just too obsessed with kitsch and weirdness and shortness. Which is why I can't fathom why fans treat it as such a holy work of art. Let's face it, people, if some group wears its tributes on its sleeve so garishly, they're not for the ages. The Pixies just don't seem all that CLASSIC to me. They're not especially tuneful, they're not funny, they can't play all THAT well, they certainly can't sing (more accurately, they don't try to. I get the feeling they really could if they weren't deliberately trying to sound so unrelentingly crack-headed), and they don't make good LPs. The song order sounds like Black just tossed the titles into a jar and drew them out at random. Fellas, listen: Being "unpretentious" can only take you so far. Every band aspiring to true greatness needs at least SOME pretention once in a while.
So take the Sonic Youth. Now THEY are a band. And it's quite obvious, from the mind of the average indie listener, that they had far more impact on the grunge scene than the Mischievous Little Elves could ever hope to have. To put it in the aural vernacular, most famous alt-rock bands, along with SY, are crash-slam-crash-boom. The Pixies are whack-bash-BLAAAAAAAAAH-SPORK. Get the difference?
Well, that's all I have to say for now. I hope you all can understand my point of view. And yes, in response to one e-mailer's comment, "No. 13 Baby" is actually a good song. The Pixies just aren't a good BAND, in my opinion. Too bad--they were hyped to the edge of panic.
However, David Dickson, you certainly seem to be looking for reasons to get at the Pixies. Nirvana are not a Pixies rip-off. That is merely what elitist Pixies fans love to say, or elitist fans of any underground alternative band for that matter. The Pixies till made great music though!
Doolittle is an awesomely consistently great album right through (I rate it 10) and you can't take it too seriously. It's a great time. I will acknowledge that building the Dome was stupid though (I didn't cook it up).
Surfer Rosa is also great (I give it 9) and it also can't be taken too seriously (even more the case here). More incredibly unique but brilliant tunes found on this album.
Tony's Theme is great but I agree that it is probably an acquired taste. I honestly love it!
Yeah, Black can't sing. YOU DISMISS THE PIXIES BECAUSE THEIR SINGER CAN't SING! Most great bands have singers that can't sing. What music do you like: SY and Smashing Pumpkins. Call me an idiot but they both have singers that can't sing too, you fool! (nothing personal)
Deal is one of the best back-up vocalists ever. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN SHE CAN't SING?!
Yeah, if fans are saying you are a Nazi if you don't like them that is a bit thick of them. They should understand that music is art and not fashion (in which case I should quit writing this email, but I've come so far).
Their humour is good actually (perhaps you don't find humour humouress).
So concludes my counter rant against David Dickson. Oh and by the way I hope that's not your real address you left because that's dangerous you realise. Didn't mean to offend. BYE BYE!
And by the way, I've finally figured something out--on Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, whenever they sing badly, they do so on purpose. When they try to sing well, they're excellent. I just heard Bossanova, and it's a knockout. The Pixies are no longer my least favorite band. Chicago is.
Yes, it's true. I no longer hate the Pixies. I just moderately dislike them. Or just their critics. When albums like Surfer Rosa and Doolittle are praised as the greatest rock albums of the '80's, and albums like Bossanova are considered a "letdown," you know there's a few screws loose in society.
Thanks for not ripping my head off, by the way. You could have easily done so. I know I would have.
Heh heh, and no, that's not my real address. I just made that up. I do live in Houston, though.
Not really sure what i'm getting at. Maybe kind of like an early stones records, you know they just have a certain feeling. something that couldn't have been planned.
Anyway, this is Pixies defining moment. A continuation of the Come On Pilgram EP, but with better songs, before they slipped into the slightly slicker, but still great pop songs of Doolittle. Surfer Rosa is rock n' roll and punk, but messed up and amazing and possibly, timeless. And really they don't sound much like anything else that came before them. well a little bit like some Birthday Party songs. Release The Bat...
See, it's all here, pretty much. This is the record that got me into the Pixies, and probably where you should begin your collection. It's not my personal favorite, though; at this point, I feel the record could use a wee bit less chain-jerkin' and a tad more substantial melodicism along the lines of "Monkey Gone To Heaven". I betcha that most Pixies fans like this one the best, but who am I? DRI?
"Who are the Pixies?"
"If they were so influential, who did they influence?"
"I think I'll kill netscape, and go listen to Dave Matthews..."
Pick up any CD made from 1991 on that's considered malternative or alternative, and listen for the bouncy bass line, the roaring guitars, and the dynamic song structure that pops, and when you're done listening to the one or two songs on that album that are bearable, listen to the entire Doolittle album twice or thrice--It sounds like the pixies took a bit from each band of today, and made a sweeping masterpiece...then look at the date on the back--1989. That, my friends, is a true piece of influential music. Forget influential, if you couldn't give a crap who did what first musically (and prefer to hear rip-off bands like Bush, Oasis, Seven Mary 3, Live), you will still be amazed by the range and catchiness of this album.
Oh, and go to the used CD store of your choice--you'll see a ton of copies of Trompe Le Monde and a big fat ZERO copies of Doolittle--cause nobody who buys it, sells it. It's as simple as that.
Mark sounds as though he is a pixies rookie, (at least, his review was pretty recent) and he will see how time ages the albums at different speeds--Doolittle is a must have, Trompe Le Monde is merely the icing on the fish eye cake--which reminds me of one thing I can't STAND...the album cover/artwork. This newfangled mangled eyes and shoes and pelvic bone photographs on the albums remind me of an exhibit I saw at the Cincy musuem of art--it was too pretentious and "cool" for me I guess. But I can handle the mutilation lyrics and pics here and there, it's worth it to hear the screaming bliss of "Debaser", the teary "Here Comes your man", the shining "La La Love you", the speedy fun of "Mr. Grieves", and pogo-ing "Gouge Away", "Wave of Mutilation", and other online-thesaurus-of-adjectives-is-not-connecting great blazers. Buy it, or face hearing about them for the first time on some stupid Rolling Stone RNR show 30 years from now that will FINALLY credit them as pioneers of whole 90's scene. Le Monde doesn't have enough of one thing that I love 'bout the pixies: kim deal. Yes, this should be your first (but not last) pixies purchase, you narrowminded metalhead you.
There's not much more to say about this one. I think Mark and the first response covered it pretty well. I recommend this album to every MTV watcher who doesn't know what other music is out there, simply because EVERYTHING on MTV is based off this (except for the unspeakably shitty techno and the no-talent rappers who rip off songs from the 70s and 80s). The only song I dislike is "Silver"--everything else is a should-be classic. Buy it today!
Not only that but it's got the greatest Beatles rip-off ever, "Here Comes Your Man" ... err, while we're on the subject, does anyone know what the lyrics mean??
Ok, this happened about 5 days ago. I was in a used music store and I came across This album with a monkey on it.My first thought was "this is fuckin' gay do0z! lets go get the urge,hey!" then I saw "The pixies" written on it.oddly enough,I had just borrowed surfer rosa/come on pilgram 1 week before and I rather enjoyed it(especially That keen song "river europhrates(?)"). So I purchased it, I get back home and I play the first song.."hey this doesn't sound like the pixies, this sounds like light rock" well, I played all the songs and it was then clear to me that it wasn't the pixies.It had that song that goes "And I miss you,like the desserts miss the rain,By everything but the girl" It says everything on the CD to indicate that it is the pixies, someone burned over it with a computer. After venting and murdering my entire class room with a shotgun, I take it back to the store to see If I can get my money back. When I walk in, its playing that BenFoldsFive song, "song for the dialectically challanged" The one that goes "give me my money back you bitch!!" I get to the counter I and I ask for my money back.Well now I have $ 6. 95 of credit at Wood.Bros. I went out and got Doolittle after that and it got the skills to pay the bills. goodguy!!
100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/10
What's the deal? What's the Deal? the Deal? get it? the Deal? Kim Deal wrote it, so...
Anyhoo, you're right, Lester. It's a great song.
That is all.
- Hey (..been trying to meet you, frank blaack!...) This song really
makes
me shiver
- Where is my mind - just lovely
- I don't remember it's title, but it goes like this : Breaheak my
body,
hold my bones... IT IS GREAT!!!
Well, there are actually too many great songs to mention, but these three are one of my favourites... And the whole "come on pilgrim" album is an almost orgasmic experience!!!
By the way, it is weird that nirvana is more famous than the pixies; thy were influenced by them! So I consider Nirvana as a Pixies-wannabe-band...
Yes, it IS a pants tune. But this is deliberate. It just makes "Gouge Away" sound even better. "Gouge" is quite simply the best song ever written. Biblical, 'scuse the pun.
I used to listen to this album everyday for a while, from Debaser to Gouge, it definitely puts you in their brave new world what with Santiago's signature, feedbacky, staccato playing; Deal's steady supply of rhythmic basslines and breathy vocal harmony; Lovering holding the beat beautifully, steadily playing with the occasional break beat (although, there's too much reverb put on the drums and the whole album at times, but I digress, I mean it was the 80's); and Black Francis' ability to sing and scream effectively about fun, silly, and scary stuff is a complete joy to listen to and it's educational as well; they influenced what modern, alternative, indie rock became in the '90's and beyond with all their albums but with this one especially. Long live Doolittle!
PS "The Sweater Song" by Weezer should've been called "I Bleed (with different lyrics)" Just thought I should mention it since the millions of kids that flocked behind Weezer didn't realize it...kids, do your homework next time so that the next mediocre pixies ripoff band will just burn out faster, okay?
No, seriously, really, REALLY REALLY HATE THEM. I've never, even after over two dozen listens, been able to stand their material or aesthetic in any way. Never have, and probably never will. For the following reasons:
1.) Every nut in College Nerdville says that Nirvana is nothing but a "Pixies rip-off". SINCE WHEN?? What have you been smoking? In what way, shape, or form do Kurt Cobain and Black (har! Love that name, BLACK) Francis resemble one another, in look, sound, style, lyric, or pitch? Could you imagine Kurt Novoselic singing about a superhero named Tony??
2.) Doolittle disappointed the bejesus out of me. A good amount of decent tunes surrounded by a greater amount of dissonant, on-crack humor that utterly fails to amuse. Especially those "Tame," "Dead," and "Crackity Jones" weirdos. One of the most overrated albums in the universe, bar none. Kiss my ass, England. Sending this album into the top ten was one of the biggest mistakes your nation ever made. The only worse one was building the Millenium Dome. :)
3.) Surfer Rosa: The LP that conclusively proves that critics are aliens. Q magazine actually dubbed this "Album of the Year" in 1988. Asking why that happened is like asking Cheney who was on his Energy Task Force--it's something no one will ever know. Abrasive vignettes, off-key singing by BLACK, Deal acting like a band nerd during a showing of The Cabbage Patch Kids, the whole band whacking away as if they just discovered their instruments in their dorm room for the first time, cackling Spanish being substituted for actual lyrics, and "Brick is Red" as the last song. "BRICK IS RED", for the love of Christ. The Best LP of 1988. Huh. Right. Must've been a shitty year.
4.) "Tony's Theme." Good GOD, what an annoying song.
5.) Black can't sing. He's not being "unique", people, he just can't sing. Sorry.
6.) Deal sings about as well as Moe Tucker.
7.) They're one of the the most influential bands of the late '80's, and therefore everyone HAS to like them. Even if they suck walrus balls, you MUST be a fan. Especially if you're in college. If you don't, you're a shit-throwing, corporate loving, globalist pig who likes to eat his own feces. And you're probably a Nazi, too.
8.) They are not, never have been, and never will be, ever, FUNNY.
I've said all I need to say, people, except for this: "Where is My Mind", "River Euphrates", "Gigantic", "Debaser", "Here Comes Your Man", and "Hey" are all damn fine songs. Would that all their material sounded like that.
My address is 10 Sunset Blvd, Houston TX, 77005. If you want to send me a letter bomb, do me the courtesy of not including nails and fragmentation material in the explosive package so that I can have an open-casket funeral. Other than that, I don't care--I'm fairly suicidal right now. That's the main reason that I expressed my opinion on this site today.
But this review was bout the flippin' pixies with their happy unisex image and smirky self-appointed uber-intelligence and funny collegerock! Since when is listening to some kinda fat oat with sunglasses screaming something ridicolous into the microphone... do the lyrics of the pixies have any point whatsoever bytheway??!! Or is that just the superiour collegehumour that we dumb fucks aren't supposed to get, unless we pretend to play along?
Maybe somebody needs to explain this to me, but i think that 4/5 proper songs (which are okay by garagerock revival standards) on 15 songs total is a little thin for yellin' haleluja... Perhaps the pixies need a massive re-evaluation?
This album gets 3 outta 10 from me as it is.
Well, I must admit, danamanson, you have me nailed. I DO listen to shit just 'cause my momma tells me too. In fact, it was SHE who introduced me to early Metallica, Black Flag, Sepultura, and the collected works of Napalm Death. Bless her heart.
Amazing. Since when do they let retards become Pixies fans? Usually, I have to admit, as puffed-up as they tend to be, Pixies fans are pretty smart- -but now I find out they've changed the rules. These are terrible times we live in, I tell you. When folks like danamanson join the bandwagon, you know civilization has crumbled.
Oh, and by the way, I apologize for forgetting that this site is, in fact a Pixies fan site cleverly disguised as a record review site. Only narrow- minded Pixies fanatics are allowed, as danamanson dutifully reminded me. I'll remember his constructive criticism in the future.
In response to Mr. dhovey's touching love letter to Texas: Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Waylon Jennings, Stars of the Lid, Willie Nelson, Trail of Dead, and Pantera all hail from here, but Ill forgive your ignorance this time. After all, you live in some place OTHER than Texas, and probably suffer from a stick up your rear end. Perhaps you should get in your Volvo (which you probably own) put on the Metal Machine Music (which I'm assuming you like) and dance the Dean Scream (whatever the hell that is).
Although, to be fair, I'll grant you that one about Doubleyuk. He DOES have terrible musical taste. He thinks solo John Fogerty is the best music ever recorded. (And hes a terrible president.)
Get ready to buy a new wardrobe, because you're about to lose ten pounds in sperm. And if you're a girl, I hope you know how to swim because there are no lifeguards in Lubrication Ocean. Look at that - 2 from Come On Pilgrim, 3 Surfer Rosa and 2 Doolittle. It's almost like actually owning Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, but only listening to 2 or 3 songs on each one.
I'd better alert some top-tier news sources about this review. I'd hate to waste this golden opportunity to inform the entire world that this was recorded in August 1989 at Cabaret Metro in Chicago. Operator, get me the editor of Fortune, the publisher of Forbes, the CEO of the world and the president of the solar system. And have the FCC pre-empt all VHF, UHF, cable, satellite, AM, FM, CB, closed-circuit and Internet programming so I can let the nation know about how Kim Deal's background vocals sound good.
I've just received word that this review has brought an end to conflict in the Middle East. The Hamas-led Palestinian Authority has joined forces with Israel foreign minister Livni in agreement that Frank's voice sounds kinda gross in "Debaser."
President Bush just called to say he's resigning because this review made him realize how many mistakes he has made, especially the whole president thing. Cheney sucked his own dick, Foghorn Leghorn. That's what he calls it.
That's great how this review has caused so many good things. Here comes the sun!
(*Sun crashes into Earth, killing all plant and animal life*)
(*Billions of years pass, with this review slowly bringing about the evolution of a new human species*)
Space Archaeologist of the Future: "Hay, look at this, it's an old record review."
Space Anthropologist of the Future: "This part about how they play the second verse of 'Nimrod's Son' slower than usual - that could explain the entire meaning of life."
Space Archaeologist of the Future: "I was going to disagree vehemently with you until I saw the part about how it ends and Kim Deal says 'We changed the ending. We slowed it down. Did you get it?' Now I agree vehemently with you. This is a great day."
So you see, this review has had many positive effects on our Universe. The other day Jesus Christ called me and said, "Hey man, that was great how you mentioned Kim Deal's comment about how the monitor man is always popular after the first song. I wacked off all over my beard when I read that. Then I crapped in my hand and ate it." That was great that Jesus Christ did that.
This one time I started to doubt the importance of this review, but then a blimp flew by and reminded me that without it there'd be no blimps.
A bunch of aliens came down and were threatening to destroy the Earth, but then somebody showed them the part of this review where I mention I'm kinda sick of "Gigantic" so they surrendered and offered up all their alien women. They were weird-looking though so I didn't get a Renob.
It's not even so much the subject matter as the review itself. People just can't stop talking about it because it's so exciting and important. Like that one baseball guy was going to hit a pop-up to the third baseman but then he remembered this review and hit a home run. Also, fish used to blink a lot but now they don't because they don't want to miss any of this review.
The alphabet used to only have four letters, but then this review opened up a whole new world of possibilities and now there's like 28 of them. Also, nobody follows the Ten Commandments anymore because none of them say "Thou shalt not forget to read the part where Mark talks about how great 'Gouge Away' and 'The Holiday Song' are."
Actually that's not true; people still follow the Ten Commandments. But only because they're afraid if they don't, God will punish them by taking this review away and sending it to Hell. That's a ridiculous fear though because then Hell would be Heaven because this review would be there. God's no fool. Come on.
This review cures AIDS too, so don't be afraid to rub it on some AIDS person.
In conclusion, it's too bad that the Pixies will never ever ever ever ever ever reunite and we'll never ever ever ever ever get to hear another live document of them, especially one recorded at every single reunion show that they'll never ever ever ever ever ever have. Secondarily, don't worry about how all the trees are being torn down because this review makes oxygen.
It's a great album, dammit. I think some people have trouble sitting through it, because it's mostly pretty dreamy sissyass mid-to-slow-tempo pop rock music, but if you were growing to feel that Mr. Francis was relying a bit too much on cheap laughs, then this album will make you think twice. In the words of the mortal Judas Priest, "You got another think coming!" Lots o' songs concerning mamas on here, including "Cecilia Ann," "Allison," "Velouria," "Ana," "Havalina," and "Uncle Mammy Can Suck The Dick." Lovely songs. The punk influence is completely gone, but don't miss it. I'm a huge punker with a spikey pink and blue mohawk and "CRASS" written on the back of my black leather jacket, and I don't even miss it. And if you're not going to trust my recommendation, who are you going to trust? The government? Reagan? Fuck you.
Come on now, I'm just grabbin' crank - I haven't had a mohawk in ages. Who am I - a Native American? No! Even though I'm descended from the legendary Grissom family, who were among the earliest settlers in the New World, not even I would be insensitive enough to label myself a "Native American."
A "Sioux" or "Atlanta Brave" maybe, though. Fuck PC!
Buy Macintosh!!! Nah, I'm just touching some weewee. PCs are boner. From now on, I'm not going to use the phrase "That said..." anymore. If you read any of my reviews from now on that use the phrase "That said...", rest assured that it's an OLD review, because I've moved on to newer and fresher cliches. Having said that, oh man! Now you're talking my mustache! I know it seems like I just toss out 9s left and right sometimes, but that's because I try to give credit to sonic innovators, see. And I really feel like The Pixies did a great job of creating their very own special sound. Plus, they kept it up for years! Great melodies, great vocals, and really weird words that don't seem to mean much. While I'm supposedly discussing Bossanova, please let me point out that "All Over The World" is one of the greatest songs The Pixies ever wrote. Check it out. Beautious.
One of the reason that the Pixies were so great is that they would never repeat themselves after a triumph. Doolittle took 'em as far as they could go in that direction, so they went pop. The result was another classic album! The instrumental "Cecilia Ann" swings, "All Over the World" and "Havalina" are beautiful, and "Rock Music" is much better than any song where you can't hear anything the singer says should be. Basically, the first 9 songs are perfection, then it starts to slacken a bit before ending wonderfully. I recommend this record to any Stone Temple Pilots or Smashing Pumpkins fan in need of another "alternative" pop record. If you like good music in the first place, check it out too. 9/10
1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000/10
Unfortunately, this one also follows in the Pixies tradion of throwing the best songs onto side one, but oh man, what a side one.
I'd probably give this one the 10.
9/10
Anyways, Bossanova is also lyrically diverse. Love songs, lust songs, dream songs, space alien songs, noise songs, surf songs. Most of the lyrics are NOT goofy and are primarily melancholy. Now that I think of it, there really isn't a humorous moment on Bossanova. Most of the lyrics are dreamy/sexy/creepy. The Pixies were in top form on this album.
Well, anyways, Whitesnake will always rule. I think I've made my point.
I actually haven't heard this album yet. But I will, as soon as my friend burns it. You see, this shows how open-minded I am. I listen extensively even to bands I hate.
I recommend all of Pixies records, even this one. Which BTW, D. Dickinson annoys me a lot. How can you think that Smashing Pumpkins are a great band but Pixies isn't? I like the Pumpkins, although.
I mean, here I was, listening to Surfer Rosa and Doolittle and thinking that the Pixies actually SUCKED. A phrase, by the way, that you cannot EVER use in academic society and not expect to get your head ripped off. Rhetorically, of course--I've never known a Pixies fan to actually get into fights. They will merely use some phrase like "you are obviously not intelligent enough to have the right to listen to music" or some highbrow bullshit like that--you know the story.
So anyway, I got flamed brutally on Starostin's site in that manner, and in a fit of anger decided to spend $13 on Bossanova and listen to it so I could have a return shot at the fool in the Bossanova reader comments section. Whoopsy-daisy.
Bossanova isn't a masterpiece, but it's damn close to being one. My favorite part about the album is the fact that they're not trying to be whimsical, off the cuff, or delightfully weird. They're trying to make a bonafide emotional masterpiece, one where sound and mood is every bit as important as quirky vocals and weird lead guitar lines. And--get this--IT ACTUALLY DOES SOUND LIKE GRUNGE IN PARTS. Fancy that. In fact, I think this is the Pixies' first bonafide ORIGINAL album--the first two owed far too much to Captain Beefheart to be called truly innovative. "Rock Music" actually sounds kinda like Nirvana. "Velouria" actually sounds kinda like Soundgarden. The rest of the album actually sounds kinda like some freakish combination of Weezer and the Smashing Pumpkins. The only thing missing is the grunge VIBE--70% of that genre is vibe; you know, testosterone, self- laceration, depression, etc.--and the Pixies still sound like they're having far too much fun to be mistaken in any way for the kings of Lollapalooza. I still think that the Sonic Youth are the most important underground band in the formation of alternative rock. But the Pixies played a part. They played a part, dammit, and I was a fool not to listen to this album and find that out.
Don't blame me, though. Blame all the weirdos who claim this is their "weakest album". Weirdos.
In short, if there's a reason to obsess over this band, this album is it. 8.5 out of 10.
But why describe songs? Why lump them? This album is my favorite simply because there is not a single throwaway track. Every song is either extremely bizarre and fascinating or just catchy as a mitten. Tons of distortion and bitter ugly vibes bring this album back from the land of Sissyville where they had recorded Bossanova, and thoughtful songwriting and noisemongering (the sudden and disconcerting sound shift between the verse and chorus of "Planet Of Sound," the beautiful stereo-floating delay-captured guitar noise beep that complements the angelic piano piece at the end of "Motorway To Roswell," the incredibly strange melodic break in "Alec Eiffel," the psychotically teensy pounding to-the-point arrangement of "Distance Equals Rate Times Time") keep your head spinning and brow furrowing for more! More!
And yes, the record takes some getting used to. Ugly complex songs intermingled with painfully simple four-chorders surrounded by U2 lovelyvilles - it's all really disconcerting at first, but it's also damned interesting, if you will allow me to curse for a moment. You never know what's coming up next, and generally it's pretty great. I mean, there's even a noisy distorted punk anthem on here! And could they have picked a better Jesus and Mary Chain song to cover? I wouldn't know. I've never heard them. Okay then! Please give it a chance. I love it so much. I'm all for things that are different from other things! And this? Different from other things! Yes! Big outer space motif thing going on too, if you're into that sort of thing. "Motorway To Roswell," for example which, if you like it, might influence you to pick up OmniMedia's delightful Incident At Roswell CD-ROM from a store near you! Just in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the famous "encounter." It even has the infamous autopsy footage! Aww man.... Who needs rock and roll when you've got work???? That's my motto!!! That and, of course, "Poop!"
The album itself is like a heavier Bossanova. 15 perfect pop songs strung together in an incomprehensible but interesting way. One AMAZING cover (a note on The Jesus and Mary Chain--they are probably the worst critically beloved band of all time. Their style? Slow, moody pop song, druggy vocals, and--get this--two heavily distorted guitars playing NOTHING! They just sit there and go "kihhhhhhhh", obscuring the whole song. Brilliant, eh? Critics always bitch about the Pixies' "rock" cover of "Head On", but it is really fantastic.). It's simultaneusly the Pixies' least adventurous and most weird album. I don't think it's their best, simply because songs like "The Sad Punk" don't throw me, there's not much experimenting, and too many songs are simply forgettable. But man, songs don't get catchier than "Head On", "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons", "Letter to Memphis", "Alec Eiffel" or "Motorway to Roswell". 9/10.
But who cares?!!! The Pixies were always the quiet achievers and remained that way to the very end!!
I agree that Black Francis lost his sense of humour towards the end, but his solo career certainly revived his offbeat character (except for his third album - which sucks!!!! what a sell-out!!!!)
Back to this record - Jeez!!! I've never heard so many manic, exhausting yet wonderfully imaginative little tunes on one album.
The climactic tension towards the end of "planet of sound" is awesome!!! and that silly chant at the end of "Alec Eiffel" is so goddamn catchy!!! "Space (I believe in)" kinda drags along though and "The Navaho know" is a bit of an anti - climax after the unforgettable epic "Motorway to Roswell." Still, I'd like to see one single rock band on the face of this earth who could pull off a record as superior as this one - thank god these guys quit while they were ahead (miles ahead!!!!!) ( 9 out of 10)
Come on Pilgrim is the Pixies as punk rock band, Surfer Rosa is Pixies as weird alternative band, Doolittle is Pixies as Pixies, Bossanova is Pixies as surf-metal band, and Trompe Le Monde is Pixies as total pop band. oh yeah, Doolittle is #1, with Surfer Rosa, and Trompe Le Monde a close 2nd and 3rd. Pixies are one of the best bands ever! (along with radiohead and beatles and smiths and husker du)
10000000/10
1.100000000/10 can be simplified to 10000000, which, whern looked at in the vicinity of infinity (now if that phrasing doesn't have a beat and you can dance to it, you can all call me fuckhead. And please do cause it gets terribly lonely up here) can be simplified to ZERO. Ergo Pixies /= God, but Pixies = Shite = 0.
2. The Pixies were just a (albeit stupid) Iraqi (or however the fuck you stupid Americans spell that) funded terrorist funded programme designed to debilitate the American youth.(Redundacy Alert!! : Too late to claim that credit!!) It was al just a buildup in the midst of 4/4 beat pop the bring "Da Kidz" the message or, if you will, the exegis that DISTANCE EQUALS RATE TIMES TIME. After wich the band mysteriously quit. Think about it. Distance equals speed times time. (and if rate is a synonym for speed you can just go fuck yourself, I don't have my Dictionary here) When da kidz believed that the would never understand rudimentary physics, ergo america would lose it's atomic understanding. ergo Iraq would take over the world. This proves that the music was only secondary
3. Black Francis was a thick fat baby-alike. And he screamed like a girl.
And also, I'd like to point out that :
a) Godspeed you black Emperor! are the bestest band ever. FACT!
b) The pixies were better
c) uhr
d) if there are any typos here, they're all part of a complex gouvernment
kicker conspiracy involving ya mama, whiteboy; and I can't type, and my dog
has rabies so leave me alone, fatso.
e) is "I just shat myself" really grammatically correct English?
d) fuck off
Great mix of noise and pop sensibility. Frank Black came full circle as a writer on this one and he's never topped it.
The album-titled opener is pure spacey pop bliss but the album really hits its stride with the following number Planet of Sound, which is THE best heavy pop song ever written. So good in fact, that the energy this one exerts on the listener is so fuckin intense, it makes me want to rip my own head off on every listen. Alec Eiffel is right up there as well, and has one of the most up-lifting and catchy conlusions you're ever likely to hear. I recommend smoking large amounts of marijuana, putting on a beefy set of head-phones and turning the stereo up to the max volume whilst listening to this one. It's highly unlikely you'll wake up on the same planet as it finally fades out.
U-Mass kicks butt, Space..... although gimmicky ain't no filler and is still quite cool (awesome opening), and the mean, biting riff of Subbacultcha still puts my hairs on end. The best song on the album though, and quite possible ever written in my opinion, is Motorway to Roswell. Gustavo put it right when he said "that song should be a standard". In fact, words and expanations alone could never do this song justice. I'll try anyway......... Motorway is ^#*&(^JH#^#*(&#&^()@.
In summary, Trompe Le Monde is absolutely brilliant, if you dont buy it you're fucked, etc, etc, etc.....
Personal faves from this set are Alec Eiffel ( I love the way it mutates into the organ bit from its pure punk rock beginnings), U-Mass, Planet of Sound and Subbacutcha ( not the pixies best musically, but i love the lyrics and the pace to it )
It is a shame they broke up after this record, a sad, sad, sad shame, because they still had so much to offer..... Pixies geniuses forever !!
And Doolittle is top to bottom far better than Trompe Le Monde. Every song, except Silver, on Doolittle is absolute genius and second only to Subbacultcha. Except for Wave of Mutilation which, depending on my mood, is as good as or bette than Subbacultcha.
If you've never heard the Pixies, start with Doolittle. Their other three are all great albums, but they're still all tied for a distant second place in the Pixies catalogue.
I TOTALLY agree that Kim Deal is a good songwriter and I do accept that Frank Black probably didn't want her songs on the records. However, to say that Trompe Le Monde is crappy because of an absense of Kim Deal influence is asinine. Frank Black ALWAYS dominated in the Pixies and Trompe Le Monde is no different because of it.
I understand how people feel about Trompe Le Monde. I feel the same way to some extent. However, Trompe Le Monde is as good as every single other album the Pixies put out. I find it amazing how correct it feels to have synthesizers playing a bigger part in the Pixies songs. Fans may say that using synthesizers in Pixies music is not "true to the music", but the Pixies actually matured their sound over time. How often can you say that truthfully about a band?
Many new rock bands have taken this album as a directly influence, from nirvana to yeah, yeha, yeahs.Is an amazing band and is coming to my country I'm very excited for seeing them for first time
Simply beautiful. It closed real good their "first existence". Too bad the public wasn't so responsive...
Come on Pilgrim: 9/10 Great debut e.p. But wait, this was a demo! Jesus f'ing Christ.
Surfer Rosa: 9.8/10 Maybe my favorite pixies album. "River Euphrates", "Bone Machine", "Where is My Mind", "Gigantic". Just fantastic.
Doolittle: 9.8/10 Maybe my favorite Pixies album. "Debaser", "Dead", "Tame", "No. 13 Baby", "Here Comes Your Man", "Hey". Just fantastic. I could list more songs because the titles are shorter.
Bossanova: 9.5/10 The album I played the most for guests because I didn't want to scare them off with Black Francis' (Frank Black's) screaming. "Rock Music" is the most aptly titled song ever.
Trompe le Monde: 9.8/10 Maybe my favorite Pixies album. Every time I hear the intro to "Letter From Memphis" I just go "Oh My God." Plus they make a Jesus and the Mary Chain song sound happy.
In conclusion, Pixies have put out a consistent high quality of work while they existed. I cannot give one a 10 because on any given day I could say that any of 3 out of their 5 albums is a 10. They wrote great songs that make me smile, what more do you want?
Say, did I ever mention that I walked out of a Leonard Cohen concert once? I did. He was old and decrepit, the music was Vegas-style faux jazz with a corny blues guitarist and the audience was full of fawning idiots who laughed and clapped at every inane piece of shit that came out of that man's mouth. I couldn't deal with it. The seats were free anyway.
He has some good albums though.
What's your favorite candy? Pixies' dicks.
Can you tell the Prozac has worn off?
While I'm at it, I should note that all the anti-Jesus and Mary Chain comments appearing on this page are false, they're a great band (no relevance to anything)
brilliant album. but in desperate need of more
OUT OF 1.25, THAT IS! HA HA HA! I'VE FOOLED YOU WITH MY INSCRUTABLE META-SCALE!
[conclusion] All Pixies deserve a 10/10 from a Pixies' fan's point of view. Now I will shut up.
I've loved the song since I was a little kid, but recently it has been dominating my thoughts to a possibly unhealthy degree. If you don't know the song, try to download an MP3 somewhere because it's an amazing song. It's a disaster song -- and even without any violent imagery in the lyrics at all, it plants an unbelievably strong visual in my mind anyway -- to the point where I keep almost crying when I think about the psychological hell that the narrator is trapped in at the end of the song. Let's go through it.
First of all, I've been doing some reading up on the song so assuming that the Internet doesn't lie, the "Dead Man's Curve" that they sang about is a downhill stretch of road somewhere in Los Angeles where it's hard to keep your car under control and then you reach the bottom and there's this horrible sudden curve that you either have to take perfectly or you'll slam into a bunch of trees on the right or oncoming traffic on the left. The landmarks mentioned in the song aren't actually on the route to the real-life Dead Man's Curve (they wanted to use landmarks that people across the whole country could recognize), but it's only about four miles away. So that's your background. Now I want to go through the song with you, and then discuss its aftermath.
The song begins with a TV-scary horn line that repeats twice before resolving itself into a normal happy-sounding car/beach number. The vocal melody comes in and it is a HUMDINGER. FanTASTIC vocal melody, possibly written by Brian Wilson:
I was cruising in my Stingray late one night
When an XKE pulled up on the right
He rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag
And challenged me then and there to a drag.
I said, "You're on buddy, my wheels' runnin' fine
We'll start off the line down at Sunset and Vine
But I'll go you one better if you got the nerve
Let's race all the way ---- to Dead Man's Curve."
So what's happening here. Well, Jan Berry owned a Stingray in real life. And Brian Wilson's car-song-cowriter Roger Christian drove a Jaguar XKE. So those are the cars they used in the song. Both Jan and Roger were also drag racing nuts, and used to race all the time, with their usual starting line being - YOU GOT IT! - the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine... uhh.. whatever Vine is. Vine Street or what have you. Now to the chorus, which is sung by several people:
Dead Man's Curve is no place to play
Dead Man's Curve - you'd best keep away
Dead Man's Curve - I can hear 'em say
WON'T COME BACK FROM DEAD MAN'S CURVE!
That last line is sung in a TV-scary melody, btw. So we're back into verse 2 now and there are only 3 verses so things happen in this one.
The street was deserted late Friday night
We were buggin' each other while we sat at the light
We both popped the clutch when the light turned green
You shoulda heard the whine from my screaming machine
I flew past LaBrea, Schwab and Crescent Heights
And all the Jag could see were my six taillights
He passed me at Doheny and I started to swerve
I pulled her out and there we were -- at Dead Man's Curve.
Okay, so what's happening here? Well, Jan is hauling ass. Unfortunately, it is pitch black out - no lights around - and the guy in the XKE can't see a THING aside from Jan's taillights. So he has no idea (hell, even JAN has no idea) that they have already reached Dead Man's Curve. He passes at the exact wrong time ---- the next thing you hear after these lyrics is the chorus starting up and abruptly coming to a premature stop as car screeching and crash noises take over the mix. Then there is a harp flourish followed by four stunning, dramatic piano chords as Jan recites, in a tone of voice that is far too realistic for my personal well-being, the final verse of the song:
Well, the last thing I remember Doc, I started to swerve
And then I saw the Jag slide into the Curve
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight
I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right
WON'T COME BACK FROM DEAD MAN'S CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURVE!
Then the chorus comes back and repeats, along with car skidding noises, until the song fades out.
The end actually confuses me. What I THINK happens is that the other car slams into a car coming from the other direction. It's also possible that the other car misses the curve and slams into JAN'S car. What makes me think that this scenario might be the correct one is the way Jan doesn't REMEMBER what else happened. Plus he's talking to a doctor. But then again, he's so mentally fucked up at the end, it might be a psychiatrist he's speaking to.
So why does the song grab me the way it does? Definitely a big part of it is the music and production -- it is an AMAZING production for 1964, far surpassing anything the Beatles and George Martin would do for another few years. And the vocal melodies for every part of the song are just genius. If it WAS Brian Wilson who wrote it, well, there's another example of his genius for you.
But it's not just the music. It's what HAPPENS in the song. The narrator -- JAN, we'll call him -- is COMPLETELY responsible for this person's death. He doesn't even KNOW this person - and he has to live with this guilt for the rest of his life. "Why did I have to dare him to race me to Dead Man's Curve?" "Why did I keep going when I KNEW he couldn't see anything but my taillights?" "Why wasn't it ME that was killed?" Listen to the way Jan's voice quivers and misses a beat when he says "And then I saw the Jag slide into the Curve." To me, it's heart-wrenching.
But another part of the song's mystique is what REALLY happened in REALLY REAL life. Two years later, Mr. Jan Berry smashed his car at an extraordinarily high speed into a truck. One would have to assume he was drag racing. He survived the crash but only barely. He fell into a coma, and by the time he came out, he was brain damaged and half of his body was paralyzed. His musical career was finished.
It would have been even spookier had the accident occurred in the Dead Man's Curve he sang about. But I think it's certainly spooky enough that, according to sources, it DID happen only a few miles away. And, as that awesome snopes.com site pointed out to me earlier (that site KICKS ASS - go there now and often), the most disturbing thing of ALL is this: Roger Christian didn't intend for "Dead Man's Curve" to be a disaster. The race originally ended in a tie. But Jan Berry insisted that the ending be rewritten -- he wanted it to end in a fatal accident.
If there were a Jan & Dean section on my site, that little essay would go there, but there isn't so all you Pixies fans please do me a favor and go listen to the song "Dead Man's Curve." It's two and a half minutes of perfection.
This Pixies thing is pretty darn cool - the only question is why in God's name did it take so long to come out??? You know what it is? Well I'll tell you! You know how Come On Pilgrim was really just a demo, but 4AD liked it so much they released it As Is? Well, it turns out that they only released HALF of the demo. This self-titled EP is the other half. And I (Mark Prindle) for one am a bit squinty-eyebrowed as to why seven of these nine songs were removed from the debut release. You know how great "Broken Face" is! And you know how great "Break My Body," "I'm Amazed" and "Here Comes Your Man" are! So what the heck? (Actually, to be honest, Kim Deal's background vocals in "I'm Amazed" are so ear-pokingly off-key, I can understand why they left THAT one off.) Even MORE curious -- you know what else was on this - their EARLIEST demo recordings? Fuckin' "Down To The Well" and "SUBBA"fuckin"CULTCHA"!!!!!!!! Explain? How could these two beautiful, wildass songs have been left off of their first three records? And get THIS -- instead of that little middle-eight part that ended up in the final "Subbacultcha," it originally featured a three-chord break where they sing "We are having big fun." Guess where that three-chord break ended up? Well here's a Blue's Clue for all you Trompe Le Monde fans out there --- doesn't "we are having big fun" sound just a little bit like "looking into the sun"? INDEED IT DO! And please allow me to offer this abbot and costello handshake to whomever it was that decided to pull out that little break and turn it into a KILLERASS song of its own on Trompe Le Monde (which is Spanish for "Tromp The Mond," just FYI).
They also do "In Heaven" (good song from Eraserhead), "Build High" (stupid annoying country/western song) and "Rock a My Soul" (possibly the least interesting song of Frank Black's career).
And that's your EP! Go to your local record store right now and ask for it by name! It's called "Dead Man's Curve by Jan & Dean."
Also, when Jan tells the psychiatrist, "I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right - won't come back from dead man's curve," what he's really saying is that even though he lived, he lost a part of HIMSELF that night. He will never be the same after witnessing a fiery death of which HE was the ultimate cause. The happy-go-lucky innocent drag racer he used to be is now DEAD.
Some people also insist that the word "Doc" is a bit of dark humor, as Bugs Bunny voiceman Mel Blanc died in an accident in the real-life Dead Man's Curve a few years earlier (seriously). And maybe it is. Who knows? All I know is that the Blink-182 version made me laugh!
And your interpretation of "Dead Man's Curve" is ALL WRONG! Jan isn't messed up, he's GLOATING that he survived Dead Man's Curve while his adversary did not.
However, he did *almost* die in a car crash in 1961...
And, btw, Mel Blanc was undoubtable into fast cars. He owned a very impressive collection that included several Ferraris, classic Corvettes, and a 1957 Thunderbird. Many of his cars were auctioned off after his death raising several million dollars for his estate. I believe that his 1957 Thunderbird set a record price for Thunderbirds, and his 1957 Corvette may have as well.
You're site is quite interesting. I'll just leave it at that
It also raises the question "Who the hell picked 'Ed Is Dead' over 'Here Comes Your Man'?". Not that "Ed Is Dead" is too bad, but it is probably the worst Come On Pilgrim track, and a "Here Comes Your Man" would have made the record almost perfect, even one where they use the same guitar break in the beginning and middle of the song and Black Francis starts sounding like he's constipated at the very end.
If you think about it one way, this is yet another attempt to milk the Pixies for all they're worth (there's now almost as many post-breakup Pixies releases as albums they put out when they were actually still together), but on the other hand, if you already own Come On Pilgrim and then buy this, you'll have the entire set of demos that got the Pixies signed. If you wanted to, you could dub both on tape in the order the songs originally went, and it would be just like having an original copy of their first demo. Then you could make the tape purple, label it "pixies", send it to yourself, and pretend to sign them to your own imaginary record company. Or, um, listen to it. Whichever you want.
For you see, when Burton Cummings of "Stand Tall" fame opened his Burton Cummings of "Stand Tall" fame Theatre in downtown Canada, he knew that Frank Black, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal and the other guy would love to get together for a reunion tour. And they did! And not only did they do just that in 2004, but they signed a deal with Disc Live Records to record every single show of the tour (or some of them, at least) and sell copies to a specially-chosen 1000 fans who had 25 extra dollars burning a hole in their fire-operated wallets. So theoretically, there are probably about 20 different live CDs floating around out there from this tour. But this is the only one I have, and man - it STINKS! Luckily, the Pixies have so many great songs, even when they stink they sound good.
I personally saw The Pixies on their Trompe Le Monde tour and thought to myself, "Hey, they're playing nearly every track off their new album, Kim Deal looks bored, and they're not doing anything. Also, Pere Ubu opened and didn't play a single good song. Why didn't I just stay at home in my dorm room studying Female Anatomy with a minor in Alcohol Poisoning?" But here tonight, on April 4, 2004, Frank Black has ballooned to a bald 650 pound man, and Kim Deal is so high on cocaine, she can't even throw up straight!
Okay, I made that up. But hey - that's why those in the legal profession refer to markprindle.com as "The Libel Bible"! Also, I saw Pete Townshend slam a little kid's head into a tree and shove his credit card up h
This particular reunion show featured three non-LP tracks, four Come On Pilgrims, 6 Surfer Rosas (not counting the ones like "Vamos" that were also on COP), eight Doolittles, and a disappointing mere TWO Bossanovas and Trompe Le Mondes. Disc Live did an amazing job capturing the crystal clear sound of the instruments and vocals (except for some excruciating cymbal hiss in the first song), and the band was chockfull of good spirit and energy on this night, but my good GOODness had they not practiced enough beforehand! Kim's backup/harmony vocals are as 'slightly but distractingly off-key' as Brix Smith on her worst nights, and quite a few songs feature horrid moments of amateurish shittery (an ear-torturous guitar/bass mixup in the middle of "Crackity Jones," several incorrect bass notes in the first verse of the THREE-NOTE "Gouge Away," Kim's inability to play her instrument in a natural-sounding manner during her own song "Gigantic," and a complete travesty of sloppy notes, botched chords and unlistenable feedback that they try to pass off as "Head On"). It was still probably a fun night though, and Kim even admitted that they weren't playing terribly well, with her encore comments "We fixed all you guys' (Disc Live) CDs, so they're perfect now! We did some overdubs." and "Thanks for coming out for the warm-up show!" Good old women and their jokes. Not that Kim's an "old woman," necessarily. I've heard tell there might be a penis down there.
Still, even with all these mistakes and with some song choices I personally wouldn't have made ("Winterlong"? "In Heaven"? "Into The White"? The SLOW version of "Wave Of Mutilation"? And again, only TWO songs from their most interesting record?), their finest performances remind me yet again of why love for the Pixies has continued to be passed down from generation to generation to the point that I'm pretty sure they're more popular now than they were when they were originally together. They just had so many great songs! 14 of these 25 tracks are compositionally awe-inspiring and actually performed correctly. Four of them are even really short, really fast and performed one after the other in exciting hardcore procession! So whether you're into the Pixies for their Doolittle pop hook angelica or their Surfer Rosa speed rockica, Burton Cummings Theatre is the Disc Live concert recording for you!
(as long as you're not into the Pixies for their Trompe Le Monde best materialica or their Bossanova bothering to rehearse each song at least one time before hitting the stageica).
So how about you? Did YOU catch the Pixies on their whirlwind reunion tour? If so, how was it? Did Frank Black consume the entire first row during "Gigantic"? Was Kim snorting lines right off of Santiago's dick? Come on, send in a reader comment! The sicker the better! Give it some tits and smear 'em in blood!
Best,
Every Television News Program In America
This double-CD features two entire shows by the reconstituted Pixies, both recorded on May 30th, 2005 in the Piss Club capitol of the world San Francisco, CA. It features 4 non-LP tracks, 5 Bossanovas, 6 Trompe Le Mondes, 7 Come On Pilgrims, 9 Surfer Rosas (10 if you count "Vamos"), 11 Doolittles and 7 Reruns of tracks already experienced previously on the disc. There's almost no stage patter and the songs sound pretty much just like the album versions except for a few irritating Kim Deal vocalisms (changing 'So long, so looooooooong' to 'So long, sooooooooooooooooo long' in "Here Comes Your Man"; singing "Debaser" 45 miles off-key) and a messier rendition of "Head On" that sounds intentionally rejiggered to more closely emulate the inferior Jesus & Mary Chain version.
It's a fantastic double-disc because the Pixies have so many great songs, but do you really need it? Hell no. In fact, I might even go so far as to say SHIT no. Especially since it starts off so slow and unenergetic. Who the hell puts "La La Love You" FOURTH in a set list!? And how did "Dancing The Manta Ray" and "Ed Is Dead" make the cut when more than half of Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde were told to "Eat a dick" by Frank Black, onstage? Did you hear that bit? It's cut out of most versions, but send me $30.00 shipping and handling and I'll tape it for you free of charge. What's really weird is that it doesn't sound like Frank Black saying it at all, but Mark Prindle. I think it's because of the acoustics.
The older you get, the more interesting lyrics become. This is something I've learned since first coming up with the idea of adopting a dog for the sole purpose of naming it "Ronnie James D.O.G." (prn. 'Ronnie James Dio, G'). Take the Pixies for example. Look at a very serious-sounding, dramatic and intense piece of music like "Gouge Away" -- what the hell is the line "Some marijuana if you've got some" doing in there!? And for years I didn't give a shit and just figured in "Debaser" he was making the nonsensical statement "Got me a movie! Ah ha ha ha! Slice in the Bible! Ah ha ha ha!" But then my wife corrected me (It's actually "Slicin' up eyeballs") and suddenly it was clear that what he's saying in the bridge is something about Un Chien Andalou, that Luis Bunuel movie where they slice the eyeball. Then he goes "I'm gonna grow up to be a debaser" and I'm all like, "So is this a statement about how the media blames horror movies for turning children violent and murderous, but Frank is ironically replacing a 'Video Nasty' with a famous and respected art film?" But that's as far as I think about it. Thinking's hard and it makes my forehead all wrinkly. Which would be fine if my head was a ballsac but it's not. It doesn't even have that much sperm in it since I quit the John Zorn Fan Club.
Another thing I can't figure out is who these assholes are that like the slow version of "Wave Of Mutilation" better than the fast one. When will you people realize that fast things are inherently better than slow things? When was the last time you saw a race to see who was the SLOWEST at something? Nobody CARES who's slowest! We're ALL slowest! It's fast people that win the grand prize and change the world. Just look at race car driving, or teen beauty contests in which I'm the judge.
49 songs long, this double-decker of Pixies pecker will keep your ears shiny, your palace briny, your dog whiny, your tartan tiny and Ben Vereen's hiney. Also, somebody tell Indian people about deodorant. I'm all for racial tolerance, but do these people bathe in warm horse shit? "B.O." isn't short for "Bery Ottractive"!
Not that I'm making fun of the way Indians talk.
If I were going to do that, I'd cry, "Please Henly! Please give me dee bol!" like I do in a hilarious Indian accent when I'm playing tennis with Henry The Dog.
Oh, but I kid the Indians! Come on now! We'd all smell like shit if we slurped that pus-boiled curry slop every night. So let's practice some racial tolerance for once. I'm a fan of all races, genders and sexual orientations, and feel that nobody should ever be mistreated or subject to unfair hiring practices due to their nationality or lifestyle preference. I'm serious. I can make 'offensive jokes' all day, but this is important. People are pricks, and too many of them scapegoat 'those who are different' for their own problems. So let's stay cool, "ya'all," and remember that gay jokes aren't funny if you actually MEAN them. Same with racial stuff. Only by accepting each others' differences can we come together in a spirit of global harmony and work towards a better world in which all religious people are burned alive in a football stadium filled with lava.
It's amazing to see so many people at their reunion concerts. Like 100.000 people or more. I have this other DVD with a concert filmed in 1989 i think, even before Doolittle came out, and there are maybe a few hundred people there, looking pretty bored, waiting for the Throwing Muses for which the Pixies opened...fucking Throwing Muses! Who have like 3 good songs! And suddenly, after 10 years or so everybody loves them Pixies. Maybe that's just fair.
One more thing: the Pixies were always terribly bad with their artwork. really bad and boring! While bands like the Residents or Pink Floyd waste more energy on designing album covers and concepts for their shows than rehearsing, the Pixies seemed to never care. I mean it's amazing that a band with almost JUST great songs and 4 incredible records doesn't have one cool album cover or poster or t shirt or stage decoration. Nothing. There is this scene during "No 13 Baby", where the stage light turns off and you just see the band in front of some cactuses in red colors...It looks terrible! They have a bad bad bad taste for artwork.
They're the coolest indie band anyway.
But then there are 'people I've been in contact with personally' -- and of course I would never want to say assholish things about THESE people because they've been nice to me and are clearly just 'real people' who work 'real jobs' and are just playing music because they love it so much. Like Guy Picciottititooto for example. Or Mike Watt. Even if you could think of something rude to say about either of them, you wouldn't want to, would you? Of course not.
The problem is the in-betweeners. People that I assume will never run across my site but then somehow DO. Like one of the guys from Steel Pole Bathtub, whose feelings were hurt by my hideous piece of shit godawful review page for his band. Or one of the Angry Samoans that I'd said mean, pointless and unfunny things about. It's situations like this that make me feel like a truly rotten human being. And when one of these artists writes me and puts me down (it's only happened a couple of times, but that's enough), I fully deserve it. I put my reviews out there, I take potshots, and I deserve what I get in response.
But something that I hope people realize is that I'm NOBODY. I'm not a celebrity or a signed recording artist or a professional music journalist or anything. And I don't speak for a single other person alive, other than myself and the silly characters I play on the Intronet for your (or somebody's) entertainment. I'm just some guy who does PR during the day and runs a 'wacky' music web site in his free time. So when I get these long hateful emails from readers screaming at me for not liking Sonic Youth enough or calling me an ignorant so-and-so-and-so-and-so for not realizing the genius of David Bowie -- I mean it's one thing if they're friends of the band are simply coming to their defense for that reason, but otherwise it makes me worry that I'm striking all kinds of anger chords that I'm not intending to strike. More than anything, it makes me wonder, "When you saw that I was making fun of Tori Amos, why didn't you just leave the site?" My goal is not to upset people and piss them off and make them hate me. I'm just writing about music because it's fun, and joking around because I like to make people laugh. So I don't like PJ Harvey and you do - why should that upset you? So I say incredibly rude things about her that are uncalled for. That's true. And that goes back to that issue I mentioned earlier about my problem separating celebrity from human being. I definitely would not want PJ Harvey to run across my reviews of her work. But they made some people laugh and nobody was killed and life will continue and maybe somebody will even ask her to shave her mustache. But these hatemails I get -- they really sound like the writers are UPSET! Like I've ruined their entire day so they want to make me feel like a piece of shit for doing it. But my site has nothing to do with whether people live or die, or whether records sell or don't sell. It's just a tiny 'underground' site where me and other people joke and talk about records. If you want to send a note telling me why you DO like an artist, that's great! If you want to let me know that something I said was particularly mean, hypocritical or unnecessary, that's even better because I've been doing this site for ten years and don't really recall about 95% of what's on it (for example, I'd said some pathetically childish things about Jello Biafra in a recent review, and several readers brought them to my attention so I could change them). But please don't get upset because I say some bad things about Tool. Life is too short for you to get a headache over things like that.
And a few other important things -- I'm not really arrogant (I'm told you need some semblance of self-esteem to be so), I'm not really homophobic, I'm not really racist and I'm not really sexist -- those are just character-driven jokes, some of which work and some of which don't make any sense at all. However, it is true that I have a big problem with politicians and organized religion, so you can take stuff like that literally. Also the bits where I drunkenly ask serial killers to stop killing nice people. At any rate, eat my balls.
See? I'm "Wacky Mark" Prindle comin' atcha!
No but seriously -- I don't like upsetting people. I know that this is a tiny site and not that many people know about it or will ever run across it, but still - I don't feel that my site should upset anybody (except possibly, again, the actual artists). But I know from the amount of upset emails I receive each month that it occasionally does. Whether this is because my words sting more than I intend them to, or because certain people attach far too much of their identity to their favorite rock bands, I don't know.
What am I trying to do? Who am I trying to be? How can I get excited when my site traffic goes up, then turn around and say I'm nobody? How can I bash every artist to my heart's content, and then not expect people to get mad about it? What is my point? Fuck, I DON'T KNOW! All I know is that (a) as much as I love the Ramones and the Fall, I don't care the teensiest bit when somebody else trashes them -- seriously, why would I give a shit!?, and (b) it makes me feel bad when I get hatemail. Somtimes it makes me angry, sometimes it hurts my feelings, but mostly it just makes me feel like a bad person for having made this person hate me. It makes me wish I could go back and turn the sender into a friend instead of an enemy. Sometimes I try to do so; sometimes it fails. I'm really not a bad guy. It's neat when people send me nice email. And if I didn't get a lot of site traffic, I wouldn't bother doing the site. Did I mention that people recently have been trying to put down the site too? Putting down its readers - saying they're 'immature' because of their votes in my "Top 73" contest. And saying it looks like I'm just dicking around for three or four of my friends. First of all, I don't have that many friends, and secondly if I didn't get positive feedback for my writing, I wouldn't do it at all. One of the big reasons I've kept the site going for so long is because of all the email buddies I make through it and all the nice notes I get from people discovering my silly writing for the first time. It's nice to be liked. More specifically, it's nice to be liked for doing what I actually WANT to do. I'm not kissing anybody's ass or working towards some publisher's or advertiser's agenda -- this is my site and ONLY my site, I say exactly what I want to say, and dodgammit if people like it, then that means they like me.
This date was one of the Pixerses' infamous "Alphabetical Shows" wherein every track is performed in alphabetical order. Unfortunately for me personally the set list isn't the greatest and Kim's microphone is turned up so loudly that Frank's lead voice-o-riffics are completely drowned out by her occasional wanderings off-key and irritating vocal mannerisms (mainly singing behind the beat and dragging out notes longer than they're supposed to be dragged). Check out this set list, okay? And keep in mind which Pixies album I like the most. Okay, they played 3 non-LP tracks (why in CHRIST'S ASS are they so stuck on "In Heaven," "Into The White" and "Winterlong"!?), 4 Come On Pilgrims, 2 Bossanovas, 5 Surfer Rosas, a horrifying ONE from Trompe Le Monde and TWE-GODDAMNED-LVE from Doolittle!!!! Sure, I love Doolittle too, but not to the expense of every other record they made! Bunch o' shitasses. Plus "Ed Is Dead" blows. It might be the only Pixies LP or EP track for which I feel no absolutely no affection at all. Do you like it? If so, tell me why; I'm willing to learn! Also, are there any Pixies songs you hate? If so, why? I'm asking actual FANS here, not people who hate all Pixies songs. Tell me! I find such quirks interesting! Don't leave me hanging here! And if you don't want your email address posted, just tell me what to list you as name-wise. That goes for all of my reviews, incidentally! Nobody understands the irritation of spam like I do. What with my email address being featured prominently on every single page on this site and all.
And secondly, as I mentioned, Kim's too loud. If you don't know what that means, it means that the chorus of "Monkey Gone To Heaven" sounds like it has one note. It also means that her cutesy, behind-the-beat "Deeeeebaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasuuuuuuuuuuh" deflates all the retarded power from Frank's "DEE-BAY-SUH!!!!" But don't think Frank is fault-free either, if that's what you're thinking, Ol' Thinky. This large man completely ruins the sole Trompe track by speaking "U-Mass" all in one note (!), foregoing the adorable drop-note that belongs at the end of every line like a good song would.
There is one funny bit though where they start to fear that they've screwed up the 'alphabetical order' gimmick. However, it turned out that the word "Man" on the set list stood for "Here Comes Your Man," so it was okay that "Hey" came right after it. Also, I finally figured out that one of the whistles in "La La Love You" is a slide whistle, which changes everything. Particularly gravity. WHOoooooooooooooooooooooooooa!
(that was me flying up in the air, hilariously)
On a related note, I noticed that my Tae Kwon Do instructors have started using the word 'sweat' as a euphemism for 'shit' -- as in "Ah sweat! We're out of time!" As such, do you think it's okay if I end the next class by shouting, "Man, what a workout! I'm all covered in SHIT!"
Personally speaking, I think the reason people get so hostile about disagreements regarding musical taste is that a lot of really dedicated music fans are very insecure. They take the coolness of their favorite bands and try to claim some if it as their own, and then take taste in music as a reason to feel superior to other people. It's identity politics, and it helps them feel better about themselves as people. When you challenge their tastes, you put them right back into the land of insecurity; the fear of not being right makes them react with anger and they start being idiots. I used to be this way myself, to some extent, and I'm very glad to have grown out of it. Of my four current favorite bands (Genesis, Opeth, Monster Magnet, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) you openly dislike two and have completely ignored one, but I still look forward to every update because the writing is entertaining and you often make good points. For instance, that thing you said a few weeks ago about old keyboards like Moogs and Hammonds still sounding good while '80s synths sound like shit, and how a lot of modern production techniques will be in the same place in a decade or two? Totally right! Brilliantly observant!
The overriding point here is, when people get angry over you bashing their favorite band, it's a sign of emotional immaturity and a poor self-image. The fact that you can take musical taste lightly makes you a mentally healthier person.
FYI, some bands I'd be curious to see reviewed are Shudder to Think, Luna, and Lotion (just 3 albums plus an EP!).
I too know the sting of having what I say misinterpreted to blown out of proportion. Sometimes I make these jokes that are character-driven and not really from the heart at other people's expense and they take them seriously. But i'm not a bad guy, I don't think. I'm trying to fix that lately, trying to get my feelings and behaviour lined up so I seem a bit more human or genuine. I don't know, it's one of life's struggles. The Three Doctors band page was a real help in seeing like-minded individuals sharing some of the same problems as me. Problems always seem more... defeatable when they're out there on paper. Though I hate shrinks; it's daylight robbery. People can talk to each other (hopefully) without paying $200 an hour.
Anyway, keep it up. Thanks.
I know it sucks to get all that hate mail, but some people just do not have a sense of humor. You are one of my favorite online critics and your work really does convince me to go try new things, i just want you to know that. You of course are not racist and all those other things, but some people cannot see beyond what they read, and that is pitiful. your site is humorous like nothing i have ever seen, and i looove it. My favorite band is even Sonic Youth and even though they are not yout favorite band or anything, your review of Confusion is Sex convinced me to buy it (and boy i love it!) even though all i had read about it was that it sucked. So keep up the good work man, your a site's a beacon in an often gloomy world of rock 'n roll reviews.
you are a faggot who the fuck sits around talkin about how much they dont like ed is dead especially on the internet if you dont like it fine dont go around bitchin about how you dont like em and if you dont like em its probly cuz you look at it like a fuckin scientist instead of just listenin to it who the hell listens to melodies and crap like that are you a fuckin music teacher.
About Pixies songs... well, I don't have a Pixies song I genuinely dislike. I rarely think a song is bad, blows, etc... I dunno, I find it hard to throw such words easily, and I always try to sense what's good about something. Only if I really feel it I'll say it, like Moby's Play, Pushing ShellKinks's Gish, Jason Becker's The Raspberry Jams (which IS an outtakes record, but it BLOWS, and HARD, and some people RESPECT it)... I won't even say that A Thousand Leaves sucks, even if I can hardly stand it aside from a few songs (although some ideas and tracks are PLAIN RETARDED, like contre le sexisme). In constrast, I'm blown away by less music than most people, I think... for example, most people think side A of Surfer Rosa is killer, then tend to despise side B... but I'm not in love with side A, and I like quite a few songs from side B... which averages to an 8, not a 9 like you. That's just a minor example, I'm not in love with Fragile (though it kicks ass), I fail to see the greatness on Relayer or Going for the one, but I don't hate those records, nothing like that... you get the idea, I think (but I really like Talk and Tales...funny, isn't it?). I do dislike the whole second side to Close To The Edge though (I think the first one is one of the best sides ever), but even there I can find something good: the AYAI climax, Wakeman bits at the beginning, the opening riff to Siberian Khatru, the harp solo, the DURURURIDIPADPAP part....
Ed Is Dead is ok, I guess. I don't think is much worse than Isla De Encanta (awful spanish there) or Nimrod Song. It's a good, not great song. "Hey", then now we're talking. That's the best song ever, or close to it.
You didn't mention the singer from GBH, and the singer from that nü metal band which I think you even interviewed that called you a 5 year old boy. About the people that send you stupid and hateful emails... well, people are stupid. Don't get too worked out on that, I know its hard thought. I have my own website, with a music critic section; it's in spanish tough, I'm not trying to publicize myself or anything... I got a few insults, mainly for a long essay on a argentine band that's sorta like a ripoff of nirvana/ramones and really, really, sucks (the band, not the essay... I think). Anyway, I wrote this essay that goes point by point, seeing what's good about this band, and the conclusion is "nothing". But let me tell you: nobody ever visits my website, or maybe they do (I think I get 200 reads a month, I've read on a statistic... or something like that), but few send me emails or post in the guestbook, so I get a kick of every single post, positive or negative. It's true! I love those flames! some even cracked me up for good... ok, I didn't like to have my life threatened, but the point is...
Ok, this didn't have much of a point, I wanted to show my views on flames. The thing is, no matter if you're offensive or not, if you post your opinion on Inet (which BTW is a great abbreviation of Internet, I think), people are going to be pissed off. Even if your opinion is mostly positive, people ARE going to be pissed off. Like I said in my comment on the review above: Some people are looking to be offended. Or, at least, they seem so. Your Sonic Youth page is a great example, your AC/DC page too... but take a look of some of the John McFerrin's website comments: some people look that he gave a rating of THREE to ELP and say things like "your opinions are worth nothing" or "so you don't like prog, that's ok". So if the polite, joke-less, expansive John McFerrin gets moronic hatemail, why shouldn't you? It has nothing to do with your "stingy" words - ok, maybe it does, but even if you toned down your writing to the point of the academic writing of McFerrin (I'm not critizing him, though), people still would be offended, people still would send you moronic hatemail. EVEN IF YOU GAVE A TEN TO EVERY RECORD EVER MADE, PEOPLE WOULD BE UPSET. they would said to you: THIS [shit] IS COMPARABLE TO *insert tracklist of who's next*? Ok, that guy wasn't upset, but I think you get the idea.
About getting mad about people trashing the music you don't like... I dunno, I also get upset, but in a good way. If someone says punk is brainless I will spout a long diatribe about why the Ramones are so friggin' cool, which by the way I did yesterday: 4,23 kb of pure text in a forum. Ultimately I find it amusing, like carrying around my little website around the net, people I speak to, etc.
By the way, I love your website. About the folks putting down it readers, that might be true for Pedro Andino (which sometimes annoy the crap of me, especially in the Smashin' Pumpkinks page of MJA, where he says a few bad thing about you for not liking Tissue Dream), but it's not true for the bulk of the people. Definitely not. The folks that said that suck and deserve to be deported to argentina. Or maybe not.
Next time they get to you, go re-read the reader comments on your Linkin Park page. It shows why you should just blow them off.
Alright, I'll try to tie this to the right page and draw some of the flame mail my way. Here we go!!! The Pixies and Radiohead are good, but not great bands. We know that if you don't jack off at the temple of OK Computer at least twice a day that the Radioheadies will come after you.
Did I mention that I set up an email filter to reply to any Radiohead emails by sending Viagara spam?
As for assholes that email you death threats etc. for saying something nasty about their favorite band, fuck 'em. In all likelihood, many of your devoted fans disagree with you on just as many issues as the drooling middle-schooler that bashes out profane screeds to you. For example, I really like Tool. A lot. Plus, I completely adore Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde. Yet I, and undoubtedly many of your other fans, am able to accept this as a simple case of different opinions and let it go. The reason that people email you nasty letters is THEM, not you, so don't AT ALL feel guilty.
Also, I'd like to thank you for reviewing a bunch of heavy metal that the vast majority of WRC sites would never touch - specifically, Napalm Death, Obituary, Slayer, Probot, Motorhead, Corrosion Of Conformity, Danzig, and all of them people. You've got an unusually adventurous taste in music, which I wholeheartedly salute. (Speaking of which.... any chance of Sepultura reviews? Not to sound like some kind of leeching asshole or anything.)
So yeah, in conclusion, you're fucking incredible and quite often, a particularly funny update from you will brighten up my day no end. I really appreciate that. Thank you.
I first discovered your website about 5 years ago when I found a link to your reviews of the Melvins albums. It wasn't till awhile after that when I discovered that the Melvins arn't the only band you review. Anyway, I love your website, both for your humor and reading about bands that I like. I think the people that get offended have not read many of your reviews. I think it's pretty funny that you described Nirvana as a supergroup and a few people didn't have a clue that you were joking. I've gotten into quite a few bands that now are some of my favorites just from reading about bands that I've never heard of on your website. Keep up the good work!
no i canīt. maybe because it fits so well in the mood of come on pilgrim? maybe...its not my favourite live track either, i have to admit. BUT "into the white", as unexiting as it might be on the EP is a GREAT live track. i just love the drum / bass interplay, although its simple. maybe because i love simple drum / bass interplay. itīs cool, cool effect. did you ever hear them play that track in concert? its amazing!
i never pick single pixies songs to listen to...i either play the whole album or nothing. i could never say - if you want to get into the pixies listen to THAT song. because i fear people dont like it and miss the whole point. i would just give them the entire catalogue and force them to listen to it. i dont know any other approach. its like....you have to have heard it all. like all the different tempo changes they use (although i guess its always the same concept - but the effect is always cool), all the weird chord sequences they had, the AMAZING guitar lines (did you ever try to play lead guitar? can you imaging playing line like mr santiago (that his name, is it?) play? i canīt. i canīt figure out what he does, what scale he plays in or whatever. sure i can follow tabbed notes, the lines are SIMPLE. yet they sound like they come from another planet. and a fucking cool one. i wish more artists would come from there! see, thats why the pixies are so great. they are SIMPLE like the Ramones. Listen to Kims Bass, thats Beginners lesson 2 (although sometimes she plays quite fast, but that aside). I donīt understand drums so i canīt say anything about them, but all in all the songs may be fast, but simple. Yet completely different to anything else. and why? i donīt know. i play pixies songs for several years. and i never figuered out WHAT the magic is. maybe the whole lot of them. thats why the breeders, the amps, the catholics, frank black and the martinis (who i never actually heard, did they actually make records?) dont come close to the pixies catalogue.), the violent screams, even the OFF key background vocals, everything, literally.
love love love, thats what every pixies note says. love for playing. yea, they love to play. they dont write songs because they fell in love and broke their hearts and miss their girlfriends/boyfriends, no they just love to play bass/guitar/drums and like singing/screaming. and this is what you hear. just love for playing together in one band. and is there anything greater on godīs little planet? sometimes iīm in the mood (mostly listening to doolittle or surfer rosa or...) to say: nothing. cheers!
Strangely however, the film's complete lack of interesting content does ultimately succeed in creating a poignant portrait of four middle-aged musicians who have absolutely nothing in common except a bunch of songs they recorded fifteen to twenty years ago. Frank Black has grown into an obese, bald and gentle singer-songwriter with a loving new family but sad awareness of the steadily declining public interest in his solo work. Kim Deal is a chain-smoking, overweight and fragile woman struggling through a new drug-free life with the emotional support of her sister. Joey Santiago is now a bald soundtrack artist with a wife, two young children, and more apparent bitterness than he probably intended to show in the film. And most troubling of all, David Lovering is shown in the film spiralling from a damaged but lucid stage magician into a pill-popping, hyperactive drunk who won't take off his iPod headphones for anything. He blames his father's struggle with (and death from) cancer for his Valium abuse, but then he blames the monitors for his obviously drug-fuelled on-stage fuck-ups, so who knows. Only one thing's for certain: the man knows his metal detectors.
I realize I may have made the film sound awfully dramatic with that last paragraph. But it's really not. The whole thing is so understated -- I mean the band members hardly speak to each other at all. But there's a lot of personal baggage to be interpreted here, through the looks in their faces at certain moments (ex. Joey's sudden excited interest at Frank's mention of recording a new Pixies album, followed by immediate disappointment when it's revealed as a 'pie-in-the-sky' motion picture concept; the regret in Kim's face after a reunion visit with her former husband John Murphy -- two key segments unconscionably relegated to the 'special features' section!), and through minor lines of dialogue that slip out here and there (like Frank Black's aside to his producer John Tiven that no large or even mid-sized record label will be interested in his new solo CD, and that 'this will all end in tears'). So there is some drama and emotion to be found here -- it just may not be the action-packed blow-out you're hoping for.
But crikey, those songs! You'll get to watch the band perform segments of 14 great hits, and boy oh boy are they still great hits. That's really probably the most disorienting thing of all -- watching backstage footage of (a) Frank Black listening to his boring new folk-country album, (b) Kim Deal hoarsely performing out-of-tune vocals for a new Breeders track, (c) Joey Santiago struggling terribly with a new documentary soundtrack, and (d) David Lovering beating everything in sight with his ever-present (and ever-annoying) drumsticks.... and then watching the four of them go onstage and suddenly burst into perfect renditions of some of the greatest pop songs ever written.
I'm now going to write something extremely mean that I hope the subjects never read: Kim and Kelley Deal, both in their mid-40's, have acquired bodies the shape of two refrigerators. They're rectangular and blocky now. That's what growing old and drinking too much does, I guess. I'm sorry I was so mean.
And yes, Frank Black seems a bit bothered that the world is more interested in his first band than anything he's recorded in the past decade and a half, but I hope he's at least proud of all those beloved, generation-spanning Pixies songs. I mean, he's only one guy! How many timeless records can he really expect himself to write?
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