BY MIKEY MIGO
Over the past few months I've been throwing out this "First Impressions" series. Basically, I find a band that I know is respected but was just never on my radar or part of my music collection. It's always fun to find new bands and to give them a fair chance. The first two, "Simon and Garfunkel" and "The Smiths", were pretty damn good. I picked up a hand full of tracks that are now in my rotation and can now speak informed about their musical stylings, songs, etc.
This week, I'm going with the Pixies. I have a friend who keeps suggesting I check them out for this series so why not? It's only four studio albums so what do I have to lose? I know the Pixies have TONS of B-Sides, an EP, covers, and other randomness not included on their four studio albums. I'll check that out in the future. Today is just focused on their four studio albums. If a band's studio album can't hold up in getting a general feel and taste for their music then they're probably not worth checking out to begin with.
Surfer Rosa (1988)
"Bone Machine" starts off the CD and it instantly reminds me of a grunge version of a Talking Heads song. I mean that in a good way. It's catchy, eccentric, and the lyrics are pretty "out there". We flow right into "Break My Body", which is again, catchy and "out there". "Something Against You" sounds a bit more "punkish". If the rest is like this, then it's going to be a long few hours. I know it's the other way around, but to me, "Broken Face" sounds like Jack While covering a Mindless Self Indulgence song. "Gigantic" is sung by Kim Deal and it sounds pretty good. It's where I'm starting to understand the musical influence Pixies had on bands like Nirvana. The song structure is a bit more "dirty pop" and so far it's my favorite song on the CD. "River Euphrates" sounds like twenty songs by Modest Mouse. Now we're at "Where Is My Mind". This is easily the song that I'm most used to and comfortable with. I've heard it a million times after rewatching "Fight Club" and then being given the track by the same friend who convinced me to go with "The Pixies" this week. Within the context of the album and not having listened to it in a long time, I can remember easily why the song was so cool back then. "Cactus" is familiar because of Bowie's cover/slight revision.
Doolittle (1989)
The album starts off with "Debaser", a song that I've heard a lot in the past. I didn't pay much attention to it before. I consider this my first real listen. It's much more enjoyable in a focused environment for the first real listen. A lot of the early 90's bands credit the second song "Tame" as a huge influence. I can see that easily. The quiet then loud, then quiet then loud dynamic of it sounds like a lot of the early grunge songs that are rocked on classic rock stations these days(how crazy is that?). It's off to a great start with "Wave of Mutliation" and "I Bleed" following. Both tracks are very solid. This album sounds a lot more polished than the first, but it's really cool to hear the evolution of the Pixie's sound. I can easily understand the praise and respect the band gets. "Here Comes Your Man" is another song I've heard before. I don't know why, but I thought it was a cover. It has an old school vibe to it that predates the old school vibe of the Pixies. Great song, nonetheless. Two tracks later, we come to the second single off this album in "Monkey Gone to Heaven". I'd of thought that since it's a single that I'd of heard it before, but I can't really recall it. It's a really cool surreal track. I'm not quite sure because the songs keep flying at me, but it might be my favorite thus far on this album. I know the guitar riff from "La La Love You" from somewhere. Or at least it's one of those songs that you hear for the first time and feel like you already know. "No. 13 Baby" just rocks. It's probably the hardest I've head banged while listening to their music. Jumping to "Hey". I know this song now because of its use in "Zack and Miri Makes a Porno". I was enjoying the scene and the music when the Pixie fan-friend of mine points out that it's the Pixies. I didn't know the song title, but I knew it instantly when I heard it. It's an awesome track and I'm surprised it wasn't a huge single. The album closes with "Gouge Away". It's a bad ass track. It makes the Nirvana thing A LOT more obvious.
Bossanova (1990)
The album kicks off with "Cecilia Ann", a grungy surf rock instrumental. It's has a pretty big epic feel, which is an awesome way to kick off an album. The next track is "Rock Music", which is a very harsh rock track. It's like a heavy metal song with melody. The third track, "Velouria" was released as a single. It has a very commercial/radio friendly sound to it, but it still maintains an edge. "Allison" is only a minute-seventeen, but it gets the job done. "Is She Weird" is really solid and I like it more than the "Velouria" single. It's got a more interesting arrangement and a truly good groove to it. "All Over The World" is a five and a half minute long rock out. "Dig For Fire" is another single from the album. It's a good track, but it dates itself with the "1990 vibe" for sure as in a lot of the other stuff seems more timeless. "Down to the Well" is another track that I'm surprised I've not heard before. "The Happening" kicks off with an interesting and addicting groove and jumps into one of the best tracks of the Pixies I've heard. The album finished up with a nice mellow track in "Havalina". I might actually like this album more than the critically acclaimed first two releases of the band.
Trompe le Monde (1991)
We open with the mellow title track. Interesting to those who don't know, "Trompe le Monde" translates to "Fool the World". The second song, "Planet of Sound" sounds different than anything else in their catalog. Frank's lyrical delivery reminds me of recent Trent Reznor work, mainly "Not So Pretty Now". Obviously, that means I like it. "Alex Eiffel" is about the guy who designed the Eiffel Tower, which is an interesting topic for a pretty good song. "Head On" was a single from the album and has the dated "early 90's" sound going for it. Skipping ahead to "Palace of The Brine". It's only a minute and a half long, but it's a good tune. Why do most of the songs of the Pixies I like end up being way too short? "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" is the next track that stands out to me. It's a down tempo song that you can't help but nod your head to. "Space (I Believe In)" sounds like a trippy mesh up of all the Pixie styles and tricks into one song. The albums ends with a truly cool song in "The Navajo Know". I love the way it fizzles out. The album is more aggressive and seemingly more experimental than their other stuff. I'd actually rank the albums backwards in personal preference with the last being the best.
The Verdict:
Four studio albums and two and half hours later, I can honestly give an particularly drained, but fair and educated opinion on the Pixies. The Pixies feel like the evolutionary step between "Talking Heads" and "Nirvana". For someone who happens to love both "Talking Heads" and "Nirvana", it's good stuff. That broad generalization covers a lot of turf, but doesn't even come close to quite sum up the music I listened to today by The Pixies. There's a wealthy hand full of songs that will end up making my playlists, mix CDs, and make it into my lexicon of music. The tracks that were chosen as singles sound dated to me, but the other majority has a lot of great qualities. I like what I heard for the most part, but I'm not quite sure how much the ENTIRE catalog has in terms of relistenablity for me. I'll definitely give the albums another listen in the future, but I can't say that'll happen as often as my favorite bands, including the ones who they inspired.
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