Reviews (page 10 of 14)
To echo my prior Pixies reviews, Surfer Rosa is an OK album that does little to move the needle for me. Where Is My Mind is their most well known song and does a lot of the heavy lifting. The rest of the album is relatively mediocre. I will continue to scratch my head as to how/why Pixies are held at the top of the pantheon of musical influence. To me they sound like any other indie rock act from the era. They must be doing something different that I'm unaware of. Overall, I'm underwhelmed by most of what I was exposed to from Pixies. They are fine but that's about it from me. 2.44 stars
tried to listen but i couldnt even get to the first song because every time i opened the album i saw the cover and jerked until completion... dem was some nice tits!
It was ok, kind of cool
never was a big fan of alternative rock, but this album was really good so despite the fact that it was a alt rock album i still enjoyed it lowk tho was a lot of boring points in the album, struggled to keep me interested till the end. However the highs were really good. where is my mind is also not as good as i remember it being unfortunately I cant do 1/2's, but if I could I would give it a 3.5/5. might give it a relisten in the future Favourite song: Gigantic
me likey. my favourite song was gigantic it is crazy!!! the drums sound good and punchy, the guitar tones are pretty cool, however some of the songs I enjoyed but probably won't listen to it again. all in all, the album is a fruit basket, but with rock melon a plenty.
It's fine. Doolittle is better.
not as great as I remember? I remember going to the EMP music museum in seattle and seeing this record in the shop there, thinking it was a sign of ultimate coolness. I listened to it a bit after that and thought I really loved it.
It's more punk than I expected! I can definitely hear the echoes of their influence in music I listened to in the 90s and early 2000s. That said, I don't think I'll return to this.
It's difficult to review albums I already know really well. Overall, this isn't something I'd ever feel the need to seek out as an adult. It's very lyrically and musically simplistic. So many catchy songs on here, though, and there's always the nostalgia factor. I do find the Pixies' overall sound unique and mostly quite pleasant, even if it's punkier than I would like at times. Three stars?
Great album of college rock and the transition from the 80s to 90s indie rock
Fun music. Shallow pool
Weird, but fun? Liked a few, hated a couple. Very interesting over all.
“I got a broken faaaace” lol I always dug the unrefined punk sound of the pixies. Sometimes the melodies of the vocals is too weird to work for me. Other times it works just right. Gigantic is a solid song I’ve never heard before. Drummer has a great feel and lays down some solid grooves you can bob your head to. Never does too much. Obviously where is my mind is a song I’ve always dug. Digged? 🤷 I could see smashing punkins getting influenced by these guys. Not sure if that’s accurate. Over all they sound very original to me and it’s a fun listen. First pixies album I’ve listened all the way through
I'm pretty familiar with the Pixies, mostly the Doolittle album. This one seemed even weirder, but I can absolutely hear a lot of elements that eventually became Kurt Cobain's take on the Pixies via Nevermind. Where is my mind is the main hit, and it might be the only song off this album I'll continue to have on my playlist. It's easy to forget that this was 1988, and people weren't putting out music like this yet. Pioneers of the alternative genre and one of a handful of bands in that weird little era that bridged the gap from Guns n Roses hair metal to Nirvana grunge. So they've always got my respect. I'll stick to the main hits though, still.
Love the intro drums. Another one where it is cool to see the influence on more recent bands
Here is another album I may have appreciated more in my youth, had I been exposed to more alt-rock. In 1988 I was about rap and what was on the radio and MTV. The Pixies didn’t enter my world. I can easily see the influence on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Tonal shifts and lush guitars giving way to chaos. Garage rock and DIY sensibility. I like some songs, including “Where Is My Mind” which made it to the playlist. I’m iffy on the iffy vocals, the between-song patter largely doesn’t work for me, and the whole lands in “fine” territory.
3.5
Where is My Mind is the best on the album by a long shot. The rest was just okay.
Enjoyed the overall sound/vibe, and understand it was a hugely influential album, however, I didn't really find any of the songs to be great on their own (other than Where Is My Mind)
I'll be honest I was expecting something more but I guess it's one of those influential albums that resulted in better albums
Definitely understand that this was incredibly influential and inspiring for a lot of punk bands afterwards, and it definitely has quite a lot of qualities. A lot of the riffs are Solid, the drums good and the general energy very effective. That being said its also just really not the type of Music I currently love. Might enjoy it more later, but 3/5 for now
Aight
I'm not particularly in the know around Pixies, and only know the tracks that everyone does. This album felt like a debut album, and like a predecessor to their next great step. Too haphazard for my liking. I'm hoping there is another album on the list from them that can show them hitting their peak?
Loose but impassioned. Seemingly purposefully amateurish recording as an aesthetic.
A little too noise rock for me…
Not bad
Gjorde punk agression mere poppet. Inspirerede Radiohead og Nirvana. Stor inspiration for nevermind.
3/5
Another nice album by the Pixies
Not bad, grungy, music in the differ ent ears of the mixing. Vocals delicately pitchy
(soft LOUD soft LOUD bridge LOUD LOUD)×albini
Two consecutive songs about bones? Another involving a broken face which I assume is also bones? Pixies are a pretty strange band. There's some stinkers, and there's some alright tunes. "Where is my mind?", is a classic however, and will be going on the 1001 playlist. Bumped up to 3 Stars just for that song alone.
Ok
Quite enjoyable
I was quite disappointed in this one. When I saw this was the album with 'Where is My Mind?', I was hoping for more of the same and I got my wish. However, I didn't realise that WIMM? is special in that, yes it's still just yelling into a mic that somehow feels both too far away and too close to the singer's mouth, and the lyrics are kinda nonsense, and it feels very thrown together, but it's thrown together in exactly the correct measurements to create something good and that's unfortunately not the case for almost every other song on the album which feels like a miss. I think 'Tony's Theme' and 'I'm Amazed' are the only other songs I kinda liked. I'm tired of giving so many albums a 3 but that's all I can give it, and that's only because of just how good WIMM? is.
Pivotal album but I prefer Doolittle.
Where is my mind is a great song, kind of carries the rest of the album in my opinion
All over the place but in a good way.
Hit or miss, pretty good
It was ok. Some was better than others.
cover ... wow!
I like Pixies but only some of this was good. They have a tendency to be noisy and annoying just as much as noisy and catchy.
A fun band.
I like Pixies. I do. But for some reason this album didn’t fully connect with me. Outside of “Where is My Mind?” I found most of songs fine but not great. Still might return to this again, though. 3/5
Great album. One of the bands I don’t listen to very often. But when I do, it’s always awesome. I mean, david Bowie covered a song on this album. That’s how you know it’s a good album. Which makes me feel bad for giving it 3 stars.
Could see people absolutely losing their shit over this in the 90s. where is my mind still an all time classic.
Couple good songs, lot more chaotic than I envisioned. Can see why they’re as influential as they are not not fully my bag
A solid album with some great songs on it. Too chaotic to listen to at work, so I ended up listening in the car. It is less listenable I thought than the previous Pixies album, but still solidly good. Almost a four. Worth another listen.
bof
I know it was influential to a lot of early 90s alt-rock groups that I really like, but this one never resonated that much with me.
Love where’s my mind
I get some Mother Mother vibes here, overall decent music that can be a bit grating in parts.
Had a recognizable tune, some good riffs, some of the background talking was weird.
I can understand the significance but it didn't really do it for me
Some nostalgic songs. Good beat, hit or miss on some songs. Shrill voice, but overall good sounds from a dated era
Good
I was a Breeders and Kim Deal fan before I ever heard the Pixies. I really like this album and want to rate it higher but the second half does not match the beginning. It's still worth listening to again after not having heard it for 3 to 4 years.
also reminds me of my ex love the pixies though
Sounds a few years ahead of their time on this one, solid indie punk rock. Probably influenced a ton of 90s bands
this is all over the place. did they not try to put the pieces together before releasing the album?
Some good tunes and some bits of random noise.
Meh. Not my jam. Not terrible. Not great.
liked the first track 'Bone Machine' best. already familiar with 'where is my mind?' overall quite a lot more punky than I had imagined. Gonna give it a few more listens.
Unexpectedly mid
Some good guitar playing on this album. Not very memorable for me, but the music is ok and reasonably creative. Apparently the Pixies influenced a lot of later artists.
Some cool alt rock leanings. I think I prefer Doolittle
It was alright. Cranked out some homework while listening. Music was all a little raunchy which was kinda fun. 4/5 rating
Pretty solid album through and through
Overrated. 3
Meh
49/1001 - A little better than Doolittle (less screaming/makes more sense when screaming happens). Song structure seems samey.
Great band, not their best album but still a fun time
Ages well over the course of the album
Another big influence on Nirvana, Pixies had a distinctive sound all to themselves (although Frank Black [/Black Francis] credits Sisters of Mercy as where they got the "quiet-loud thing"). And that sound could be maddening: flurries of hooting, talking, shouting and sorta-singing over abrasive electric guitars at mostly mid-tempos (except for the speedy "I'm amazed"), with occasional massive hooks like "Gigantic". Sometimes both things would kind of happen at the same time, like in "Euphrates" or the sad-sack classic "Where Is My Mind?" and it works. Much of the songs just don't work for me, they just give me a headache. If you imprinted on this genre and record at that pivotal time in your life, good for you. I can take from 3-5 songs from this and the next 3 LPs through "Trompe Le Monde" and make a great longish album. But I don't see "Surfer Rosa" in its entirety as an all-time great, classic, must-have, album. It's for a very narrow swath of hipsters who like things that sound intentionally abrasive. More power to 'em.
It was ok
The 3 song slice from Gigantic to Where is my Mind is perfect. As overplayed as WIMM is, it's no fault of Pixies. I'm indifferent to the rest of the album, apart from a 45 second section where someone tries to explain their joke which is horrifically relatable.
Mmm yeah well, whatever.
28/02/25 Pixies at their best. Couple of tunes on here that are really great, not so much of a fan of the real screeching in the guitars in at times, still very solid tho! 3/5
OK, will keep the download.
i actually do like the sound they’re going for i just hate the main singers voice for some reason so much. exactly how i feel about the smashing pumpkins. anyway at least where is my mind was on here
Classic "Where is my mind?" is on here. Many other songs can be quite annoying.
Highs are brilliant, lows were strange
Ok. Close to genres I like but I don’t think I’ll ever single out Pixies stuff or search it out.
They have some good tunes but many Pixies albums like this one just sound they're trying to hard. Music for people who want to be cool and are more about telling us that they listen to good music than actually doing it.
Fun indie rock. There's not much more to say. It's pretty good, but lacks some extra punch, so I can't say it's great. To be honest, I don't really get the hype around Pixies' first two albums. They’re not impressive at all. 7/10
Hmmmm. Massively influential band, but really not a great album. It is very rough around the edges, and there are some flashes of quality, notably in Gigantic and Broken Face, but overall not great.
I hadn't listened to this one before. Good record #NotAHater
This is an interesting one. I can hear the sound carried over to Nirvana in the thunderous, aggressive drum sound and the driving guitar riffs. I don't really see the connection to PJ Harvey as mentioned in the album's Wikipedia article, but even so, clearly this album was widely influential. And what for? Sure, the sound is kind of fun, liberating, emotional – presumably what the Pixies were aiming for – but I don't see anything that really elevates this to the legendary status so many musicians, critics, and regular listeners tout it for. There are countless 5-star reviews that cite reasons like "timeless", "scratches an itch", "classic", "human" – but very few address exactly what it is that makes Surfer Rosa a masterpiece. I wish I knew. The main problem here is the vocals, which are bad. They're weakly delivered, mixed badly, and are often out-of-tune. The instruments are actually really good, significantly elevating the music's quality where the singing betrays it. The riffs are great, and again I can hear direct parallels to Nirvana's later music. Where Is My Mind?, Cactus, Bone Machine, and Gigantic are all standouts for being really catchy in spite of the singing. It's a general improvement on the punk genre (which is known for disregarding good sound in both instruments and vocal). And for that reason, I can acknowledge it as a crucial step in the punk-to-alt rock movement. 3/5 Key tracks: Gigantic, Where Is My Mind?, Cactus
I recognized the popular song
The album artwork is probably the best part of this album, because the music is mostly just meh. There are some things happening and you could manage listening to the whole thing if you just leave it playing in the background but overall nothing really exciting, at times even irritatingly repetitive. The one okay song, as I went "oh, that sounds alright, OH, and it sounds familiar as well", is "Where is my mind?" and it has a billion listens, so this is the one that is alright, the rest are definitely meh at best. In the Gigantic song, they sing "A big, big love" towards the end, repetitively, and I just kept hearing "A pp love", which.. slightly disappointed after I looked up what it actually is.
This must be our second or third Pixies album on the list, and I think I've concluded that it is not for me. For starters, punk is not really my favourite genre. 'Where Is My Mind?' and 'Gigantic' are really cool songs, but that's about it. Overall I think I prefer the songs when the girl is singing. Not much more to say, a bit disappointed that it didn't deliver more for me. It just gets a bit too much with quite samey guitar riffs in many songs, and with songs like 'Tony's Theme' where the singing sounds like it was recorded with a toaster. The album is weighed up by two good songs.
Thought Doolittle was the stronger Pixie album. Never really got in to them which I'm not sure why since it should be up my alley. "Where is my mind" is a very good track and I enjoyed the energy throughout. I think I maybe just need to listen to it a bit more "get it". Mid 3 for now.
Pretty good album and I love the pixies but not their best
Didn't love, didn't hate.
I have a weird relationship with Pixies where I can enjoy some of their songs but overall their albums never really hit for me for some reason. Even thought they play well within all the genres I enjoy, I think mainly because the way they go about how the songwriting leans in a poppier, surfier, more light(? direction than I ever expected from their music (or at least based on this and Doolittle), which ofc affects my view of them and certainly made me appreciate this album last time I heard it around last year. Now maybe it's the fact that I know someone who loves this band and has explained why she finds them so amazing or maybe it's the fact that I've found more appreciation in the way they introduce these poppier, sloppier and amateurish elements of the music and also how that plays off the more punk elements in the opener or River Euphrates or Tony's Theme, maybe too that I'm more in the mood for some of the sillier ideas like Oh My Golly! So, who knows maybe this one will keep growing on me, I sure hope it does because I love this era of noisier and punkier indie rock before it truly hit it big so who knows, maybe in the future I will get why Where's My Mind is so great to people.
Some good songs, very original, lots of screaming chaos :)
This album strikes me as the product of a really good garage band. A cool sound for 1988 that definitely influenced a lot that came after it. “Where is my mind?” Is such a standout track.
This is interesting to listen to as a document from the time between the height of 80s punk/hardcore and the emergence of 90s grunge/alternative. I don't particularly care for the actual music. Where Is My Mind? is a great song, though.
One of the originals of new music that would be arriving into the 90s. Different at the time.
Haven’t listened to much of Pixies before. Iconic tone, but not my preference
I want to like the Pixies more than I do.
It's a good 3. I think Doolittle is a 4 and this is not quite that level. Unlike Doolittle I'm not sure it should really be in this 1001 album list. It was before Doolittle so maybe it's seminal or influential? It's alright.
Thought music was good. Couldn’t get into the vocals
Great album, very raw with unusual song structures ! You can hear the influence of Husker Du and Fugazi, and the premonition of Smashing pumpkins and Nirvana! I prefer the more polish style in Doolittle, but this is a great start! 3,5 stars
Didn't drive me as much as I expected...
A couple of familiar songs. The only songs that really resonated with me were the ones I already know. Album did sound effects noise that I don't particularly care for.
Punk Rock, gradlinig, pur, ganz okay, aber haut mich nicht um.
I was unfamiliar with this album and I wished I still was. Its trash, white noise at times. What is it? Will never put myself through this again. Reluctantly it gets one star because 1 wasn't an option
Most isn't for me, but the 2 songs that are are masterpieces
Ok album
Oh, this album has THAT song I wasn't sure about the first few songs, then around Gigantic I started getting into it. After Cactus it went back to just being okay, but I liked the last song
I like Doolittle better
I think I still prefer Doolittle but this is better than I remember. Lots of fun songs. Pixies are just not really something I would ever put on as an album personally.
7/10
I really want to like the Pixies more than I do, since they are influenced by and have influence on so many bands I do like. But aside from “Where is my Mind,” there weren’t any tracks here I’d care to hear again.
I know a lot of people like the Pixies, but I just don't get it. Great album cover, though.
Solid album. Where Is My Mind? is great plus the last three songs.
I’d give it three and a half for containing that one song of theirs that everyone knows. Otherwise, a little too much 90’s post-punk Dadaism for my tastes.
Meh. Didn't think much of this Where Is My Mind? - absolute banger. But the rest of the album was so forgettable This is the 2nd Pixies album I've heard now and nothing stands out to me at all 3 ⭐️
Better than the Beatles
DOnt lose your mind is a fucking masterpiece of a song, nothing really came close to it in this album unfortunitylyu. Was pretty good, but the album was really overshadowed by that song, the rest were alright. 6/10, the album was still above average and was good, with little songs I didn' tlike, however not alot of playlist worthy songs.
For a debut album it is good. It is definitely garage band sound and the beginning of the alternative music that I grew up with. I do think they have better music than this album though, hence the rating.
I’m not a fan of all their covers to their albums but overall it was a decent album. I can find the voice of the lead singer to get annoying pretty quickly. Where is my mind is a great song but just like previously stated I find Black Francis to be a pain and that is why covers of that song are way better than it.
Enough great ideas for Nirvana to rip them off, not enough to get more than 3 stars.
I don’t love the pixies but I’ll give this album an extra star for the cover.
Liked some of it but not my jam
De meer punky en dirty eerste versie van ''Doolittle'', zo klinkt het een beetje. Het lijkt dan ook meer op een verzameling EP's of een mixtape, dan op een écht album. Maar dat ze de alternative/indie rock boom van de 90s zouden leiden, dat was wel duidelijk. De eerste helft van het album is bij vlagen even goed, of misschien wel beter, dan hun sophomore album. Daarmee doel ik vooral op de inventieve riffs, die door een ringetje te halen zijn. Het lijkt veel meer inspiratie uit art punk-helden Wire of Television te halen dan hun tweede plaat, toen ze echt hun eigen, unieke sound te pakken hadden. De tweede helft van de plaat valt een beetje uit elkaar, zoals ieder zelfrespecterende lo-fi en rauwe alternative act betaamt. Dat geschreeuw, wat iets meer gedoseerd en subtiel is op later werk van ze, valt ook niet altijd even lekker. 7,5/10 Highlights: Bone Machine Broken Face Gigantic Where Is My Mind?
This leans into "Not my cup of tea territory". Good energy, okay instrumentla work, vocal work all over the place. I only cared for 'Where is my Mind?'
Automatic 3 for Where Is My Mind
It was interesting to hear the rest of the songs off of that album after only ever really hearing the single
First time listening to Pixies. They really seem to like bones. Unfortunately, the thing that stands out the most is the weird vocal mixes. I get it, it’s “raw,” but there’s a lot of weird, distracting vocal mixing. Really good otherwise.
Thought I was going to like it more than I actually did
Tracy Emin attracted much disdain in the late 90s when, following a depressive episode, she exhibited her unmade bed covered in clutter and rubbish everywhere, as a sculpture. A chaotic but honest insight into her mind. Skeptics said that anyone could have done it, to which Emin agreed but said that no one did. Fans of the work pointed out that the lack of curation and polish was what gave the work its subversive candidness. Personally, I don’t like “My Bed” but I can appreciate it and its contribution to the art that came after it that I liked more. Anyway, Surfer Rosa is considered a classic by a lot of musical geniuses. I think it’s (mostly) shit. But we got Nevermind out of it so thanks anyway.
Fun! Love the skits, feels like an older version of QotSA radio skits. Fun but not really what I enjoy listening to at the moment.
Another band that I've never understood the hype around. Similar to their contemporaries Sonic youth in some respects, but the Pixies don't irritate me half as much.
‘Where Is My Mind?’ makes me wonder how many songs I know by heart without actually knowing where they’re from. Nice breakdown music. Overall, was ok for me
One of my favorite songs from a group I don’t connect with other wise. College Radio rock is not a big thing to me. A couple tracks are pleasing, but over the soundscape is broad and confusing.
Not something I would listen to often, but an okay album. 3 stars or C.
I liked it but I’m not super surprised. I tend to like alt rock music tho I haven’t listened to a lot of rock before the early 2000s. Definitely down to listen ti more of this group again
Ehhh, it’s only okay.
cool, nice, feeling young and rebel, but little bit too noisy at this age
• 3/5 • Love the driving guitar, surf influence, hooks, and overall post-punk proto-grunge vibe • Demerits for the vocals
Nice tits. Pretty sweet. I like the contrast between the singers and Vamos and Where is My Mind are great songs. A couple other decent songs on here makes it a well rounded album. 7 out of 10.
Trotos
Didn’t listen to closely. Already a fan, but not my favourite Pixies album
its cool, though their hit shines above the rest
Bone Machine 78 Break My Body 80 Something Against You 75 Broken Face 70 Gigantic 85 River Euphrates 80 Where Is My Mind? 90 Cactus80 Tony's Theme 75 Oh My Golly! 65 Vamos 60 I'm Amazed 50 Brick Is Red 75 Total album: 74
Ok, aber für mich nichts besonderes
5/10 - sounded like the other pixies album. Not great one of the songs sounded like something I had heard before.
Well that was a strange one. I had only heard Where Is My Mind? before today, which is pretty weird by itself. The rest of the album is even weirder. I can definitely hear the roots of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, even maybe a little Toadies. The fact that this came out in 1988 is crazy, definitely feels ahead of its time. The grindy guitars and batshit vocal delivery give it a manic feel, like the whole thing was created during a particularly goofy psychotic break. All in all, very interesting, although I doubt I'd listen again.
I was hoping for an entire album of “where is my mind”, but the other tracks fell a little short for me.
I enjoy a nice set of breasts as much as the next guy. Maybe more. That aside, I don't know, man... Where is my Mind coming on at the end of Fight Club was a pretty revelatory experience when I first watched it at 15, but other than that one song, this album isn't really my thing.
This album feels like the end of glam rock and the start of grunge. Nothing that exciting, but a great record. Where is my mind is a banger still.
bone machine where is my mind great
I like the 'bigger' pixies hits but this album was full of songs I haven't heard
Pixies. The band I always should have liked, but never did. Still don’t get the love for them. Where is my mind aside, this for me is mediocre as anything.
"Where Is My Mind?" de longe a faixa mais banger do álbum. Nunca tinha escutado outras músicas, e acabou que curti a pegada (lá ele). Nota: 7.5/10
Two really really good songs in ‘Gigantic’ and ‘Where is my Mind’ which are timeless, considering the album was made in 1988 haven’t dated. Some other good tunes on there but there is a lot of forced wackiness, proper ‘Blackadder underpants on his head - pencils up his nose - saying wibble’ tackle. The first track really annoyed me.
Album starts well but really plummets after the beast that is Where is my mind. All a bit wacky towards the end.
Hit and miss -- Doolittle is way more consistent
Further confirms I don’t like anything related to hardcore, metal or heavy rock even through a pop, indie, surfer, alternative rock songwriting prism. Clearly interesting, and clearly influential but don’t care for it. Except where is my mind - that doesn’t get old.
I like a lot of what it does. But it doesn’t do it often enough to hold an album. A 3.5 rounded down.
Will listen to it today
This album is strange, but in a good way. Where is my mind is probably the most "normal" song, the rest are pretty unhinged at times.
Punk rock. Found it generic. Stand-out: Bone Machine
I would say a good album, without highs or lows.
I thought this album was a lot earlier than 2007. Where is my mind is a great tune. Its a good album. Not the type of album I would listen to lots but I would listen again. Favourite song: where is my mind Least favourite: River Euphrates Album artwork: Cool cover
Pretty good.
Day301 - rated knowing how influential the pixies were and where is my mind is a good one
This is how i imagine joy division would sound if they had a singer.
It was ok, but didn’t leave a big impression apart from a couple of tracks (tony’s theme, where is my mind).
This was ok, and that’s about it really, I can see some influence on later artists but i’m not a fan of the vocals and wasn’t the fan of a new song every 2 minutes but regardless I did like some of them.
Fav: Where Is My Mind? Least Fav: Cactus Disappointed at the lack of surfing music here ngl
Interesting album.
Modern sound but a little bit repetitive
Leider chli en unpassende Tag gsi zum vo de Pixies und ihrem Geschrei und Punk zuezdröhnt werde. Ich gsehn s Potential, aber ned amene Mäntig. "where is my mind" git natürli no chli Pluspünkt.
Never used to like Pixies much but they've grown on me over the years. Still prefer Doolittle though.
meh. two good songs.
I've never been a fan of The Pixies, but I can appreciate the band and the influence they've had
I'm returning to the project after a month-long break, and I have forgotten what my system was for rating albums. For instance, I love the sound on this album, but there are only 1-2 tracks that are individually really good. I'm probably not going to return to the record just to listen to 30 minutes of cool vibes. There must be a reason it is on the list and generally acclaimed, so maybe it's an especially really good example of this early American Alternative jangly sound? I have no idea because I barely have any reference points in this genre. It's likely I wouldn't be able to tell this album apart from some barely remembered band working in the same style, as long as they were generally competent. I'll give this 3 stars just because of the general nostalgic sound.
Um, whatever? It's fine, I guess.
7/10 Highlights: River Euphrates Gigantic Break My Bones Where is My Mind Bone Machine
It was fine
Well I certainly can’t say the songs all sound the same. Overall it’s not bad, but it’s not going to make my heavy rotation either.
I wanted to like this more than I did. Only knew the track Where Is My Mind, which is a favorite song. It wasn't that cohesive and just a messing around vibe for a bunch of the tracks. Gigantic was alright.
Buen disco, ruidoso actualmente. Interesante
Where’s my mind is literally fucking INSANE but this one will take me a few tries to really get into. Nonetheless, the vibe is definitely up my alley and i really enjoy some of the more screamy bits. tony’s theme is so so much fun!!! 1.) Where’s my mind 2.) tony’s theme 3.) cactus
I'm quite a fan of the Pixies, especially Doolittle. I even like some of the newer stuff like some songs from Head Carrier. However, Surfer Rosa feels a bit of a mixed bag to me. Where is My Mind? is a classic of course, but I'm honestly unsure a out the album as a whole. It is probably their most 'noise rock' album to me. Noise music can be a bit hit and miss. The album wasn't a slow listen at least, and I did enjoy quite a bit of it. However, I could see why someone wouldn't necessarily care for it as well.
3.5/5
I can just about hear the difference this has to a lot of the more inane punk on this list, but it still feels very much a stepping stone to some of the music that came after and for me isn't that interesting or enjoyable in its own right.
Cultural significance might actually play a big part here....I can completely appreciate how this album would've been a breath of fresh air in the late eighties after the excesses of glam rock and super pristine productions. It's noisy, fresh, highly energetic but melodious. It's not my natural type of music to listen to, but I'll always have a soft spot for Where Is My Mind from Beaver days, and I really liked Turkish Disco. The influence on grunge and bands like Deerhoof is patently obvious.
Pretty good, but it feels very much like the rough draft of something they would perfect with Doolittle
Kim Deal provides my favorite backing vocals in the genre and when given the spotlight on songs like "Gigantic" she kills it. Expressive, sweet, and intimidating all at once. Not a huge Pixies fan but the album sounds like highschool/college friends getting together and having a good time around music. No dick swinging that tends to put me off when it comes to similar artists.
wasn't bad
One great song. Eh to the rest.
You really have to be in a certain kind of mood to listen to this. This is punk rock and hard rock that would perfect for a club. It’s a fun sound with quick songs that are catchy. You can hear Led Zeppelin in there…I like the different voices on that. I probably should have listened to this while I was in school. heck, maybe I did and don’t remember. That’s how I feel about this album…interesting but unmemorable.
Keyifli, akıcı.
I’m hot and cold on the Pixies. This one’s alright.
nunca consegui gostar mto de pixies. ainda não foi dessa vez que eu comprei o som deles, e ressalto que eu gosto (muito) de música barulhenta e sem sentido. 3/5 porque ainda assim esse é o álbum favorito do seu herói de indie rock noventista favorito, então ME VEJO NA OBRIGAÇÃO de dar os devidos créditos porque por mais que eu não tenha exatamente gostado, claramente o surfer rosa tem uma sonoridade mto diferenciada pra época.
Short and punchy, I had no idea Where is my Mind was in their debut album. I'll have to listen to Doolittle again to compare but I think I liked this one more.
I can see why it's influential but that doesn't mean it's great.
I very much enjoy the music throughout this album, I'm not a huge fan of the vocal tones though. Musically it's right up my alley. It doesn't sound at all dated, on its release it was pretty much ahead of its time, leaving the grunge movement in its wake. No track stood out above the others for me, but the general feel of the album is great.
Good punkish album
Fine, I guess? I don’t know what the Pixies sound like. I thought the extended conversation between John Pixie and Kim Deal was happening on the street and thought I should intervene.
I understand its cult status and I get where it's coming from. Still, I'm not loving it. Outside of two-three songs (Where is my mind, Gigantic), nothing really stands out to me although I have to say I really enjoyed the rhythm section. I much prefer Doolitle and Bossanova. 3/5
01) Bone Machine - 6,5 02) Break My Body - 6,5 03) Something Against You - 7,0 04) Broken Face - 7,0 05) Gigantic - 7,0 06) River Euphrates - 7,0 07) Where Is My Mind? - 7,5 08) Cactus - 7,0 09) Tony's Theme - 6,5 10) Oh My Golly! - 7,0 11) Vamos - 6,5 12) I'm Amazed - 6,0 13) Brick Is Red - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,73 (67/100)
its fun. i think i need to listen to it a few more times. i didnt love it the way i thought it would the first time like when i heard silver jews or the jam.
3/5
Good
This one probably takes a few relistens. I can't get the hang of loving the vocals though, even though the basslines are great. There are some great songs on here though that I will be relistening to.
Listened to the 2007 remaster I finished the album and I can't put it into real words. Track 1: excellent songwriting, raw & polished idk. Very nice guitar Track 2: ok lyrics, very radio Track 3: I found it boring Track 4: wtf and I do not like falsetto Track 5: repetitive, nice vocals Track 6: idk why I like this one, but I do Track 7: I appreciated this track Track 8: nice, no deep impressions. Nice guitar Track 9: humorous intro, catchy. Incredulous Track 10: I found to be very noisy Track 11: spoken word? Wow instruments Track 12: oof. Track 13: bringing the intro back, really good. Overall impression: Tough subject matter. The sound is very 70/80/90/00s, which is to say it's not boxed in by decade. I appreciated the album, but I didn't enjoy most of the songs. I found a lot of the openings similar and I wasn't a fan of all of the lyrics, but I do see myself replaying some of the songs in the future. 3.5
While I like the Pixies, I was never a huge fan of this album. It's OK, but nothing that I enjoy other than "Where is My Mind?"
Strong 3...nice punk edge to the entire album, and never sounded repetitive.
Gigantic and Where is My Mind are undeniable, but beyond those 2 nothing really grabbed me here. It all felt a bit noisy and almost slight. On the strength of those top 2 songs this is still good. But I definitely wanted more.
Primeiramente, assista O Clube da Luta. Uma bateria solta, frenética.
A good album that obviously had a outsized influence on Grunge. But I wanted to hear Kim Deal sing lead on more songs.
Inga låtar som sticker ut direkt men ett fullt godkänt album.
-pretty cool! I definitely like their more rhythmic songs like Gigantic above the shorter, more abstract ones. But still an enjoyable listen and a very cohesive album -Favorites are Break My Body, Gigantic, and River Euphrates
3.5
Where is my mind is such an amazing song! The rest of the album not as strong
It's Pixies!! It's not Doolittle though. I liked it pretty well though!!
Where is my mind? I have lost track of the amount of significant moments in my life that this song has accompanied. This noise sandwich was worth consuming, if only to enjoy this track as the filling. 3 stars, all for Where is my mind?
Got better after the first few tracks.
One of the most influential bands and albums. Prefer Doolittle though.
"Where Is My Mind?" is an absolut banger!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ And I already loved "Cactus" as a cover by David Bowie not knowing the original is by The Pixies. 🤘 In general I like the music on almost every track. But sometimes for instance on "Something Against You", "River Euphrates" or "Broken Face" I can´t handle the voices. One star down. 3,5
5 stars for its impact. 2.5 stars for my enjoyment.
3.5, liked a few songs but eh on the whole
i thought it would be like doolittle, but it just didnt click with me. i found a lot of the songs to be pretty boring. side a was stronger than side b, but even still, i found it to just be ok. the highlight songs were also just ok to me; i didnt really like gigantic and where is my mind all that much. the rest of side b was very meh; didnt like it. im disappointed, not just my feelings towards this album, but also that i cant find a reason to like or appreciate this as much as i wanted to. 3 personal favs: bone machine
good
Loved Where's My Mind. The rest was not bad or offensive but not wonderful...
Ok neat stuff
Psychedelic surf punk? I liked it. Where is my mind is a classic. The rest are ok to pretty good. 3 with a bullet.
Good, not my cup of tea at all times
has the song from my favorite movie.
Abrasive, punk, fun
Nice and noisy
First song is a bit disjointed, but interesting. Seems to mix some aspects of rock and punk, which I really enjoy. Something Against You is very punk-esque. Gigantic is a real banger honestly. Reminds me of grunge style. Where is My Mind will never not be great. Vamos was a bit much as far as noise rock. Brick is Red was a nice song to end on.
The album ended before I even realized I was listening to it. I liked some of the songs, but overall not my style.
Some good tracks but wouldn’t listen to the whole album again.
Really wanted to like this as it’s the pixies, but it’s just not my fave
I like it but I like Doolittle better. I think that makes me a poseur?
3.5- Enjoyed most of it. The vocals threw me off on some songs.
Ok. Band is a bit overrated, as are their hits.
Favorite Track: Where Is My Mind?
Das war wohl eines der wichtigsten Alben der 80er. Mir zu punkig.
Not my thing.
One outstanding track, and a lot of decent but not great filler. I wanted to like this more than I actually did.
Where Is My Mind? Is a great tune. Shame the rest of the album is pretty average.
My dad played Gigantic to Where Is My Mind? occasionally while I was growing up. Where Is My Mind? is definitely great. Overall they have a great sound, but sometimes a bit weird and I feel the occasional talking holds it back.
Where is my mind is good
I was never a huge Pixies listener. I heard the song on Fight Club, and I have listened to Doolittle, but that was about it. I enjoyed this album, and actually streamed their first one after this (I liked it better). I can definitely recognize their influence in several bands throughout the 90's. This album is unique for when it came out, and I can see why they are considered pioneers. Certainly not an album I would put on repeat, but I liked it. Vamos was my favorite.
The songs here I like, such as "Gigantic" and "Where Is My Mind?", I really love and play often. Most of the others here I would never typically reach for specifically, although I wouldn't mind at all having the album on. This band is like a lot of others in this project where it's hard to appreciate the impact it had for its time because so many other bands are influenced by them; we live in a world of Pixies derivatives. You hear this and are reminded of so many other bands that sounds similar to this. But I think a lot of these particular elements coming together in this particular way, the Pixies were seminal.
Ok album. Messy at times. Where is my mind? is a fun song.
I just don't love this band. As a performer, Kim Deal is pretty annoying, if I'm being honest. But it really just comes down to the musical aesthetic of the group as a whole. It's noisy and blustery and I find it all more grating than anything. Even Gigantic, which I guess is the most mainstream thing going on this, sounds like something of a mess.
There’s better pixies albums, but this one isn’t ass. A good starting point
The Indy handhook.
I've always enjoyed the Pixies music much more than their vocals. This was fine, bordering on better than I was expecting, but I don't see it moving past 3 on the rating meter.
- In seiner Gesamtheit hat mir Bossanova deutlich besser gefallen - Hier ein sehr viel punkigerer, dreckigerer Sound, zudem deutlich experimenteller, aber leider nicht immer zum Besseren - Irgendwie hat mir das Unangepasste und Rotzige gefallen - Leider ist aber bis auf ein paar Ausnahmen (z.B. „Gigantic“) auch wenig hängengeblieben - „Where Is My Mind?“ ist natürlich ein unfassbar geiler Hit und einer der geilsten Indie-Songs allerzeiten Rating: 3/5
- Fand ich ein bisschen geiler als Bossanova aber hat mich jetzt auch nicht umgehauen. - War etwas mehr Struktur und wieder erkennbarer Stil dabei. - Where Ist My Mind natürlich absoluter Banger! Weltberühmt geworden als Ending Song für Fight Club. Aber auch Songs wie Tonys Theme und Broken Face fand ich ganz geil. - Insgesamt ist das Genre aber nach wie vor nicht meins. 3,25/5
Honestly pretty disappointed. Obviously where is my mind is a 5, goes hand in hand with fight club oh so beautifully. Only liked 3 or 4 songs otherwise and not even that much. This BARELY got a 3.
B- Bone Machine 3 Break My Body 3 Something Against You 3 Broken Face 3 Gigantic 3 River Euphrates 3 Where Is My Mind? 5 Cactus 3 Tony's Theme 3 Oh My Golly! 3 Vamos 3 I'm Amazed 3 Brick Is Red 3 Coincidentally, I'm planning to watch Fight Club tomorrow night.
Pixies — Surfer Rosa Starts Off strong Bone machine is a great change of pace very heavy stuff. Broken face has a funny chorus with that squeaky sounding lead singer. It’s very punk sounds like it’s recorded in a garage. Where Is My Mind is their magus opus easy. Oh my golly was also good. I just feel this is pretty hit and miss for me then tapers off in the end.
Weird album, I really liked the energy, the riffs, the whole vibes but the mixing was kinda dogshit. Still an enjoyable listen, but I doubt that I'll go back to this much on my own.
Surfer Rosa by Pixies Thursday 5/9/2024, 10:46, office S Tier————————— Where Is My Mind? Gigantic A Tier————————— Break My Body Bone Machine B Tier————————— Cactus Vamos Broken Face Tony’s Theme C Tier————————— I’m Amazed Brick is Red D Tier————————— Oh My Golly! River Euphrates Something Against You
I find it interesting but a bit odd that this album is put on a pedestal about as high as Doolittle, when I find Doolittle to be clearly their best album and far superior to their others. Mostly this is fine, and it is definitely better than Bossanova or anything else by Pixies other than Doolittle. But really the album would be almost entirely forgettable if it weren’t for “Where Is My Mind?” which is phenomenal even next to “Gigantic” which is solid. Some of the early songs on the album are great as well, but the final few songs don’t do it for me and leave a stale taste in my ears.
It didn't wow me but it's not bad. I listened twice.
I love the Pixies. Doolittle Is one of my favorite albums ever (that better beyond this list) so by comparison, I give this one a three. I know diehard Pixies fans are obsessed with Surfer Rosa but I just don’t think it’s that great.
Pixies - Where is my mind, war der Song vom Krimidinner
Wasn't in the mood for loud and simple.
Drums and treble! Needs moar bass. So much treble. Is this why they're called Pixies?! Remember being recommended Pixies in the 90s: 'If you like Nirvana you'll probably like the Pixies'. I think I probably found it a bit too whiney, with not enough crunch, back then—I could not dig. It's kind great this album, somehow, mind—but it's just too treble. Bonus star for time context and the odd magical moment.
Distinct sound
didnt realize the hit single til it started
Correcto.
Artsy, strange, raw punk with a totally normal cover
DNF
I always thought I might like the Pixies but never really listened to them. This is pretty noisy punk. I do remember the song Gigantic which was a highlight. Some other fun songs too.
Where is my mind, the highlight of the album. After that it was just ok. 3/5
the end kinda got away but i thought it was a good record
I think I was expecting a bit more punk from this album and I think it leaned a bit more toward grunge. Either way, I enjoyed it .
Good stuff!
I saw Frank Black when I was 13 at Tower Records on Clark street doing promo for Frank Black and the Catholics. I have loved that band since. However, I just cannot seem to get into the Pixies for all the times I’ve tried and hoped to. They are fine but I couldn’t get into this album once again even with that song from fight club which brings some nostalgia.
I didn't listen to all of it but I understand this album to be a jamie 3.
gatorjuice: was it the review about the 70s orgies? i think we should bring that back like Justin brings sexy back. Anyway, this website once again shows its love for bands second best record. This is still a very good record. It is one of the most DaDa records we've listened to. It's like the Pixies were trying to one up REM for the most cryptic lyrics. I dont think the Pixies lryics are about anything for most of this record.
this came out in 1987. that's bananas. vamos is good
Decent, didn’t know much about them
Boobs
A resounding 3. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate the album, but like… it just never clicked. There’s great energy on here, and one all-timer in Where Is My Mind?, but past that, for my tastes, I think what’s here is a cacophonic, unwieldy, jumbled up mess of an album that occasionally shines through in a way that clicks. More often than not though, even with my newfound level of patience to an album with this sound, I just felt like I was listening to glorified noise. To be more succinct: the guitar gets too harsh sometimes, the percussion is mixed way in the front where it overpowers the vocals, the vocals themselves are sometimes studio quality and sometimes sound like they were recorded off of a microphone hanging from a string 25 feet away in the air in a wind tunnel. When all of those things aren’t happening, and they take a more traditional sound, the album works well for me. It just felt like those moments were more rare than I’d like. Still though, I can hear part of why Kurt Cobain took at least some inspo from this album. It’s not that bad, it’s just not my thing. Hence, the 3.
I knew the name of the band, but didn’t know any other stuff. Much better than I expected, very interesting.
High 5 some good bright spots that showed what they’d become soon
Une expérience assez unique, pleine de personnalité, qui devait vraiment être quelque chose en live.
Stor 3
I think I like the idea of Pixies more than I like their music.
hmm, it was interesting and I actually liked it, and Idk why but their songs/music feel like that one beautiful shade of rust (as in colour). overall:6.8/10
Where Is My Mind is the best part of this album. The rest was ok, not great.
Nice classic grungy album.
Not bad, got a couple solid bangers on it but not super consistent, clearly very influential on bands like nirvana
Het voelt als die lekker foute "garage" rockmuziek uit de jaren '90. Het schuurt tegen valsheid aan, maar het klinkt eigenlijk best lekker.
Was decent, not what I usually listen too so sometimes felt it lacked variety but was not bad
Gigantic kinda makes the album. I regret not walking over to the Somerville Theater to see them play now though.
Can hear a lot of this album's influence on subsequent music genres like grunge and alternative rock. Often messy and raw