Reviews (page 10 of 15)
THROW ON YOUR CLOTHES THE SECOND SIDE OF SURFER ROSA AND YOU LEAVE ME WITH MY JAW ON THE FLOOR
Keyifli, akıcı.
Let’s start with the production of this album. There’s no doubt that the Pixies are a great band in their own right, but one of the biggest factors about this album and what gives it its timeless quality is Steve Albini’s production. Steve’s talent for having his minimal approach and being able to capture a room’s natural acoustics and ambiance, or his ability to capture the raw imperfections of the band’s performance, really shines through on this album. It gives you a finished product that’s very raw and unpolished, with a live performance energy and a gritty feel. Another aspect to point out is that Steve would place singers in unusual locations, such as bathrooms, to catch natural reverb. This technique is definitely evident in “Gigantic” with Kim Deal’s vocals. Now moving on to the band, I love how they have an abrasive element to their music, but they also have a knack for catchy hooks and melodies. I could keep going on and on about this album, but the last thing to highlight is Kim Deal’s basslines. Her bass steadily moves in the background, laying a rhythmic foundation for all the other layers and elements of the songs to be built upon.
I’m hot and cold on the Pixies. This one’s alright.
The Good: we've got boobs on the album cover The Bad: it was the only thing that got my attention The Ugly: noise I know that The Pixies are revered by one-a-many persons. Heralded as the founders of Grunge (though I thought that dubious title fell on Mr. Young) and adored at festivals, they never caught my attention as I find this music to be nothing but noise and some this and that. Sure, there are tunes that resemble good music, but the overall gist of this album for me is to look at the cover and ponder all that could have been...
I should like it. But I don’t. Repetitive songs, poor lyricism, singer has a grating voice. Where is my mind probably the only saving grace.
Unforced cool. Hot, sweaty punk basement music. And good gid, where is my mind.
I never was a fan of the Pixies, and this one's a bit noisy to me.
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.
PUNKADA. EU NASCI NESSE ANO
esse é bão demais. primeiro album do pixies e ainda tem a produção do eterno steve albini (que deus o tenha e que tenha muita guitarrada no céu). só soco na cara, produção linda, adoro as guitarras desse. 4 estrelas porque não é o melhor do pixies (ALÔ DOOLITTLE) mas é pedrada
This album is forgettable for the most part. There are a few okay songs but overall it’s a miss for me. I don’t think I’d actually think to myself on a random day “let me listen to Surfer Rosa by The Pixies” or think about a song on the album.
1st time listening 8/10 Favorite songs: Bone Machine, Break My Body, Gigantic, Where is my Mind?
3rd Pixies album from the list. Previous two were 3/5 for me. "Where is My Mind" is obviously one of the greatest tracks of all time. Does this make the album better? I think so. It's near my taste and I know how much impact this album had on future bands and albums.
Ahead of it's time and very influential to a bunch of huge acts. I love this album, high energy and catchy for the most part. Of course where is my mind is a classic and, for me, cannot be separated from the scene in Fight Club, so badass. With all of this being said and how much I like the record and The Pixies overall, this is getting five stars because of the beautiful tits on the cover, sex sells baby.
More alt rock/indie. The lead singers delivery reminds me a lot of Talking Heads lead singer, David Byrne. Kinda disconnected, and uninterested rambling about nonsense. I would say Primus took influence from these guys. It's that talentless noise rock, but Primus does it so much better. Where Is My Mind? is a passable song, the rest blows. Favourite songs: Where is My Mind?, Tony's Theme, Gigantic, Bone Machine Least favourite songs: Something Against You, River Euphrates, Vamos (Surfer Rosa), Oh My Golly! 2/5
While certainly not full of catchy, almost pop-y hits like the two albums following this one the foundation of a new wave of rock was certainly being organized via this album. It has its softer, jangle-y moments, but otherwise this album is blasting ahead at full speed, with little concern for who it may take out along the way. That means you get a lot of blistering songs that in the right mood can be a destructively great time, with oddball lyrics and instrumentation out of this world for 1988. It just tends to lack a polish that similar inspirational acts like Sonic Youth nailed already at this point, so the album can sometimes feel a little hollow. However, still full of great tracks that fueled a generation, and that big track is truly something special.
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.
‘Where is my mind’ is a favorite of mine. Not every track works, but it’s all interesting and creative.
I can see why it's influential but that doesn't mean it's great.
I wish Where Is My Mind? wasn’t so overplayed but this album is still near peak
Brutal
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.
Very gritty early "indie" sound. Doesn't have the same songwriting panache as Doolittle or Bossa Nova, but some of Joey Santiago's best guitar work, TBH.
”Gigantic” is an all time top ten song for me. Not really knowing who the pixies were back then I had a very innocent conception of the lyrics. I always thought Kim Deal sang about a deep, deep love. Gigantic even. Turns out it was all about the schlong-size of black man named Paul.
sexo sexo sexo tema estranho incesto sexo com metáfora de oriente medio assassinato
Good punkish album
Fabulous album
9/6/24. Great, great album! Really set the template for a lot of my favorite bands that came about after this. Love the punk asthetic but with various lyrics, themes, and sounds.
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.
This was too chaotic 4 me.
Never understood the hype of the pixies. Seem very pretentious. This album didn’t change my mind
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
I'm not a huge Pixies guy but I gotta admit they whipped up some great songs here. You really can't go wrong with their first three albums but if I were pruning the list I would probably cut Bossanova. The first two albums just have the most concise, well-delivered alternate rock songs.
I didn't find the Pixies to be particulary impressive at first, but then it clicked. I can't say I listen to them all that often but whenever I do, I like them a lot. Key tracks: Bone Machine Gigantic Where Is My Mind?
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)
Superb as most Pixies albums are!!
This is my #2 pixies album behind Dolitte. Gigantic and Where is My Mind have been on mix tapes and playlists for the last 35 years.
Very garage bandesque which is what I guess they were going for but sounded confusing for me
If this album was trying to crawl it's way out of a sarlacc pit labeled "Excruciating", it's trying it's hardest but only can manage a hand up to the surface. Overall a terrible time listening, but there were a few seconds of decent music in here that were then taken over by the rest that is irredeemable.
Elite Album, one of the best Albums from one of the best Bands of All time. For me, doolittle is even better but still 5/5
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
Bad production, poor musicianship, whining vocals. Bad stuff.
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.
Indie Rock, Alt Rock. Of course Pixies are great, but there was something missing from this album that later albums had. It had the energy, the manic, chaotic lyrics. But none of the polish. Some of the songs almost felt redundant? I liked it though, very good. 4/5
The first and best Pixies album. Never gets old. Gigantic surely the greatest ever song written about a bloke with a big willy. Fantastically rough and ready. RIP Steve Albini.
Strong undertones of punk influence in this one. I enjoyed the strong drum presence throughout the album. Enjoyed bone machine and break my body to open the album. Gigantic and where is my mind are the standouts. The latter definitely the most polished song on the album without doubt. Head and shoulders over the rest. Overall a decent first album. I'll come back for another listen at some point.
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
When I first listened to this years ago I only knew Where is My Mind? and the rest of this was very strange to me. I’ve listened to a lot of music in the ensuing years but I never returned to Surfer Rosa. In my memory it was a noisy mess with no real songs. I am so glad it came up on this list. What a fantastic album! It is noisy, but in a way that I really enjoy now. And the songs are definitely there, sometimes they’re buried under the noise but I think the noise more adds to the songs than detracts. And then there’s Gigantic, what a beautiful little pop song right in the middle of all of it. Also where is my mind is still great. I will definitely be returning to this in the future, it feels like there’s way more to unpack than I could get out of one listen.
Never heard the album before. Not something I'd listen to everyday but there is a lot of interesting stuff here. It's both edgy and hooky at the same time. "Yo soy playero pero no hay playa"
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?"
Oh yeah this is a blast from the past. Had this cassette as a teenager. Looking at this album more than 30 years later, two things struck out - the music is uniquely Pixies and the lyrics are wait, alluding to incest? Were they making obscure biblical references to Lot or Noah's family? Were they singing nonsense? I'll just chalk it up to a warped sense of humor and enjoy the good music.
I liked it better than I thought I would.
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.
Fun hearing the proto grunge before grunge
Pika. Mas em Partes Slg !? falta Muita Coisa Ainda Mane .. Só Minha Opinião ! #Fé
macho até que gostei no início, mas botaram pra ouvir quando eu tava chapado aí eu num gostei não, enjoei, deu foi raiva, dito isso with your feet on the air and your head on the ground né, aquelas coisa,
Primeiramente, assista O Clube da Luta. Uma bateria solta, frenética.
Meh.
Very nice album, kinda punky/grungy.
I had heard Where Is My Mind before but the album as a whole was different to what I expected. I liked Bone Machine and Break My Body.
I’m just not a fan of the Pixies. I feel like I should like them, but I don’t. While I liked this album better than Bossanova, which was the 2nd album I got on this list, overall I’m still not a fan. “Gigantic” and “Where Is My Mind?” are my favorite songs on the album, and I think I particularly liked “Gigantic” because Kim Deal did the lead vocals instead of Black Francis (with few exceptions, all of the songs where Kim Deal took on more of the vocals I preferred to the rest of the album). But yeah, pass on this.
A good album that obviously had a outsized influence on Grunge. But I wanted to hear Kim Deal sing lead on more songs.
A great album. Where is my Mind is one of my favorites. It's amazing that it was reissued for Fight Club. But it also goes really well with this great movie. Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to appreciate the album properly today. It's due to the current stress and insane noise from a building site outside my apartment. Therefore only 4/5
Classic debut. Pixies knew who they wanted to be and arrived fully-formed. They would go on to bigger greatness, but the punk sensibilities, quirkiness, and interplay between Frank and Kim make this one a fun album to revisit.
All timer for me. I love this album.
kinda grungy, had some good songs though
Inga låtar som sticker ut direkt men ett fullt godkänt album.
The Pixies officially introduce themselves in spectacular fashion. Rough and unpolished and compelling all the way through.
It was fine. Couple of banging tunes, but as an album did not stand out.
Man, it's kinda sad, 'cause it feels like I should love the Pixies. But every time I listen to a few of their songs in a row, it turns into nails on chalkboard.
-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
Set the blueprint for the Pixies’ iconic sound. Very much the precursor for the masterpiece that is Doolittle. Bossonova > Surfer Rosa, thoooo
New experience for me, a first Pixies album. Having nothing to base it on, I thought it was okay? I’d probably listen again and would happily listen to other stuff so, win?
Titties! 😲 They're ok just not really my thing I appreciate the influence they had on Nirvana but apart from that I'm not the biggest fan
I can seer why people loved the Pixies, for the time they were popular. They are a decent bar/small venue club band. But I could never imagine them ever being a huge band with a huge following. There is just something here that is lacking. Each song sounds almost rushed. Or the idea wasn't fully there and they couldn't capture it. Aside from Where Is My Mind? - that song is great. Everyone seems to think so too. I am very on the fence with the Pixies. I thought this record would make me lean towards a side. But nope. I can't give this a 2.5 but that's what I give it.
I'm a big grunge fan and hoped the pregenetor of the genre would be more standout, unfortunately the lo-fi garage aesthetic with meh sound construction and weak vocals across the board really didn't do it for me. Where is my mind is ok. 2/5
The sweet spot of Pixies. Great songs like Gigantic, Bone Machine, and Where's My Mind.
It’s a classic that expires countless copies.
Born of a garage And doused in pop’s charisma Shockingly good stuff
3.5
where would i be without it
Doolittle betta
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!!
I feel like I'm the type of person that should like the Pixies and was expecting to love the album, but it was only alright. Enjoyed it enough that I didn't feel like skipping any songs.
Could easily be from the mid 90s. Melodies, Noise, joy
Not quite up there with Doolittle for me but still pretty great.
love this album
Another shitty noise "rock" album. Nails on a chalkboard. 1.5
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?
I enjoyed most of these tracks, some of them are a little much though (even for me!) I think the Pixies hit their stride the next year with Doolittle (which I am hoping has made the list!) Surfer Rosa is a 3 for me, but an extra star for 'Where is my mind?' because not only is it an incredible track, its also a personally significant song for me.
No time for a proper review. Didn't like it to begin with. But it grew on me. 3
Got better after the first few tracks.
After hearing tracks from this other John Peel show in '88, I was blown away. But not as blown away as my Mum, when I asked her to pick up my ordered copy from Andys Records in Bedford (Yes, if it was deemed too esoteric, then that was what you had to do kids!). When she got home from work, I could tell something about the record was not right, as she thrust it at me and said, "Don't ask me to pick up filth like that ever again!" When I saw the cover I got where she was coming from.... 5 stars for the cover. Musically, this is a wild ride of energetic guitar hammering, yelping vocals, mixed with great tunes, sometimes tender and more often than not feral. All helped along with Steve Albini's recording techniques, (the album that sealed his reputation as the go to man for guitar led indie bands), with his usual attention to detail with the drum sound. Stand out tracks - all of them, but 'Where is my Mind?' And 'Vamos' Steal the show. It's an album that shaped who I am and unsurprisingly in my top 50 albums of all time, so it's an obvious 5 stars for me.
Great album. Doolittle will always be my favourite, but this is still really enjoyable.
Really don’t care for these talking-for-singing vocals.
Music like this - where the instruments drown out the barely audible vocals - really doesn’t do it for me. Like why even bother having worthwhile lyrics if nobody can hear them? The band sounds fine enough and maybe it was more a problem with my stereo but the mix is trash.
This is debatably my favorite album and it may be my favorite album out of 1001 Albums. When every song is perfect and catchy and stuck in your head for days, that's a perfect album and Surfer Rosa is that album. I heard about The Pixies from Kurt Cobain and liked them as soon as I heard them. Around that time I think they were still disbanded. In college I saw Frank Black on his solo tour with his backup band. It was Halloween and he got locked inside his tour bus but the crowd patiently waited and then he came out with a mask on and played solo acoustic versions of quite a few Pixies songs. The crowd exploded. Frank's solo music is not bad but can't begin to approach the original Pixies. They reunited with Kim for a tour but I think the closest they came to me was Chicago and I couldn't go (that may have been high school). She again left the band and I missed my chance to see the original lineup. I dated a woman and wanted to take her to see the Pixies. We went to the show and things were going well but she walked outside through doors that had no re-entry on them. I left too missing half the show. I get outside and she tells me we should just be friends. And so she ruined the Pixies for me temporarily. But then j realize they are coming to Cleveland in a month and I grab tickets and my best friend and I say "I'm going to see the full show in Cleveland damnit." So we ride to Cleveland listening to the Pixies for most of the ride. And we see the Pixies and they are amazing. Joey Santiago is playing his guitar with a drumstick and frank is having a good time, only getting pissed off here and there but he doesn't throw a tantrum. Great show. I meet another woman and she's the love of my life. And the Pixies return. I have to go. And we get her niece tickets for her birthday along with Head Carrier on vinyl. We go to the show and it's fine. Not as much energy as the last show I had seen but nothing wrong. Anyway, I tell people I've seen the Pixies two and a half times because of the one show I partially missed. And Surfer Rosa is an amazing album. Some of their more recent music has been good but I'm not sure it will stand the test of time like this album and other albums from their original lineup have. Kim Deal was an integral piece of the Pixies puzzle. Paz was spunky and filled in nicely but her politics got her kicked out. I have not seen the new lineup, but I think it's interesting the revolving door of female bassists they've had. And numerous other bands like the Smashing Pumpkins have had issues with male/female band dynamics. All of that to say I love this album and always will.
Love Where Is My Mind but don't like the rest of the album that much.
This is really cool, I definitely see the influence this would have on Nirvana. I sort of prefer this sound, not fully grunge so it almost ends up feeling like pop punk, just earlier.
One of the most influential bands and albums. Prefer Doolittle though.
I love when a record can capture energy like this. Of course I’m an alt rock guy who was a teen in the 90s so I’ve listened to this record a million times and I’ll listen to it a million more.
"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.
Should the cover distract from the music? If so, it didn't work.
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
This is a great debut album and an economical 34 minutes in length. Post punk, alt-rock with a raw edge perfectly captured by the late Steve Albini’s production. There was evidently a bit of tension between the band and the producer, shown through some of the studio chatter that’s included here, but it seems to have pushed them to greater heights. Highlight is the track Vamos (Surfer Rosa) which is sung half in Spanish. Great stuff.
I know this album for a long time, as my older brother was listening to this in the middle of the '90s. I remember having mix feelings about Pixies because I found it too experimental and dissonant. Apart from Where Is My Mind, I did not listen for this entire album for more than 20 years. And guess what? In the meantime I've been listening to a shitload of noisy and dissonant music, so now I love it, of course. And all hail to Kim Deal, she's hell of a bass player and the vocal harmonies between her voice and Francis' are great.
This album was great, really enjoyable the whole way through. They rock hard but it's approachable and varied enough to stay interesting throughout (though the album is only 34 minutes long). This is Boston-based Pixies debut album, and my second "greater Pixies universe" album on here (Black Francis aka Frank Black is the lead singer). This one was much better than his solo album that was only my 10th album in the project. It seems like this came out of nowhere a bit, they were on a minor label at the time and this didn't get much promotion when it came out. It's been pretty influential for a lot of artists though, and you can really hear how the sound of this 1988 album leads into the early 90s alt-rock and grunge sound. It feels like Pixies and Sonic Youth have a lot in common, and both had a real influence on the bands that came soon after. I considered giving this a 5, but there's a few songs that don't quite do it for me on a short album. I can't decide how I feel about the banter on some of the songs, I generally find that a bit gimmicky but it's ok I guess. Overall a really enjoyable album, I'll definitely be coming back to this. Also "Where Is My Mind?" has probably been overplayed a bit over the years, but for good reason. It's an awesome song. Favorite song: Where Is My Mind? Other: Break My Body, Something Against You, Broken Face, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Cactus, Vamos (Surfer Rosa), Brick Is Red 7/10/24
Not as good as Doolittle but still amazing
Certainement l'album que j'ai le mions aimé des Pixies. Je l'ai trouvé un peu trop décousu et inconsistant en comparaison aux autres. On dirait qu'ils ont poussé un peu trop loin le côté expérimental/art, surtout avec les vocals. Le résultat est un peu décevant. 4/10
5/5 - still rad, still weird
Loved Where's My Mind. The rest was not bad or offensive but not wonderful...
Really good album
This is amazing.
Naaah not that good
Honestly, not feeling it....
Ok neat stuff
Oo yea
Psychedelic surf punk? I liked it. Where is my mind is a classic. The rest are ok to pretty good. 3 with a bullet.
Herky-jerky hiccupping frenzies of noise and rage and mysticism. VERY agitated. 2 stars
Best band of the late 80s / early 90s: Come on Pilgrim - Surfer Rosa - Doolittle - Bossanova are all easily 10/10 overall, and I would rate them in the top 25 of the 1001-list (even though so far the generator only generated Surfer Rosa and Bossanova).
A very good album which I would have given five stars, were it not for the moments of ugly, abrasive harsh noise. I like Albini's raw production (which I have praised on other albums on this list), but this was a bit too much to fully enjoy the album.
Still sounds as great as ever: sublime album by one of my favourite bands.
Holy shit, this was their debut? They came into the game swinging. This is self-assured, concise, and kick-ass. I had always assumed there was at least half a decade of Pixies records before "Where Is My Mind?", which I'd argue is a perfect song. I walked away from my listen feeling strangely moved and inspired. Highlights: Break My Body, Broken Face, Gigantic, Where Is My Mind?, Cactus
The debut album from the Pixies, particularly notable for the production by Steve Albini. The mix of punk rawness with pop elements would become a defining feature of many 90s acts. Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and Smashing Pumpkins, among others, have cited 'Surfer Rosa' as a massive influence. 'Where Is My Mind?' is the album's (and perhaps the band's) strongest song by a good margin though it would need to be included at the end of 'Fight Club' before most people heard it. I love the rough style and the clash between high and low. But if I'm completely honest, I prefer 'Doolittle' overall.
1/2
Ei toiminut sitten yhtään. Ei.
Good, not my cup of tea at all times
Where’s My Mind is the only good track on this hellish, shouty, screechy guitar laden pile of shit album. Even then I don’t know if I like it, or it just reminds me of fight club.
A lot of the tracks that haven't clicked with me did this time round. I did have this one below Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde but think it is above them now. Very strong and fun the whole way through. You can hear its influence in a lot of the 90s music that comes after it. Rating: 4.8
has the song from my favorite movie.
Curti muito! Ouvi direto, gosto muito a atmosfera que Pixies carrega.
Just maybe a couple of songs were worth listening.
love how disjointed and loud this record is, definitely my preferred sound over something like the rem album which is mainly problematic to me because its just way too clean
Abrasive, punk, fun
4.25
Um I don't get it
3.5 but Where Is My Mind kicks it to a 4
Doolittle is one of my all time faves and this isn’t quite up there. Also I saw them live a few years ago and it was one of the most disappointing gigs of my live
Better than I remembered! Nevertheless, many of the lyrics are certainly weird and I won’t be listening to this ever again. I do recommend the CD over streaming — it sounds less noisy. I can admire the musicianship even if I find the random shouting/screaming (viz ‘Vamos’) bizarre. 4/10. Heard before: the whole album but I only remember ‘Where is My Mind?’
Listened to this twice, not because it was great, but because it made so little impreession I couldn't remember it. Sort of a punkier, less tonal Dandy Warhols, to my ears.
Lo-fi and grungy. Some songs are more surf rock than others. Gigantic and Where is my mind are big highlights.
Seminal
What an awesome sound. The only track I'd heard before was Where Is My Mind, but the rest of the songs were great too. Such a cool guitar sound. I really dug this. Four stars.
Alright! Some Pixies! This is the album that has Where is My Mind? Awesome. That's the only song of theirs I know haha. Oh and Gigantic which is also on this album.
I thought I had a better idea of what the Pixies were based on "Where is my mind" and that seems to be the outlier on the album. It is evident the influence this band had on the alternative/grunge sounds in the 90s, and also like some of those earlier albums there are quite a few noisy tracks. Earlier on in this 1001 journey I'd probably have given it an extra star or more for just the influence it had on so many artists, but I've gotten a little more restrictive with 5 stars, but it can be a solid 3.5 Favorite track "Where is my mind?' 3.5/5
Not my thing
Classic.
I was something of a latecomer to the Pixies party - while they made it big in the UK's indie/alternative scene, it wasn't until they were in one of their comebacks that I finally caught up with them. Indeed, I bought Surfer Rosa as a triple vinyl LP set only a few years ago, packaged with Come On Pilgrim and a live album. It's a cracking debut, with strange, oblique lyrics and excellently produced by the late great Steve Albini. Later, the loud-quiet-loud style of Pixies' music became something of a cliche, but here it's refreshing and exciting.
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.
I would like them to stop doing whatever it is that they're doing
No thanks. but 'Where is my mind?' shines.
The album ended before I even realized I was listening to it. I liked some of the songs, but overall not my style.
I always enjoy this one, really fun and exuberant album
#255. Honestly, this reminds me of my review of In Utero. There's definitely some standout really good songs, but there's also a few that seem almost intentionally bad. It all averages out in the end I guess. Plus one star because there's boobies on the cover. 4/5: boobies. Song added to playlist: Where Is My Mind? I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Some good tracks but wouldn’t listen to the whole album again.
I still like Doolittle better, but I had fun with this one
Absolute K Town Banger! Loved this album so much. The Pixies have such an iconic sound which always puts me in a good mood. What a fucking cool band. So many hits on here
Excellent. I don't really listen to Pixies that much and I never know why cause they are so good, need to put them in my rotation a bit more.
Tried it. Listened to all the tracks. Just didn't appeal to me whatsoever. Others might like it though
Classic from track 1
I had Surfer Rosa/I am Pilgrim growing up, which I always found a bit bloated so didn't rate it that highly, especially in comparison to Doolittle. However, this is my first time absorbing Surfer Rosa solo. Being just 33 minutes actually helps it a bit, it makes the weaker tracks, and there are a couple, drag on less. There's still plenty to about about on this album. Not as polished (or as good) as Doolittle, but a great debut from a band which quietly changed music history
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?
I've owned this album for a long time, and always enjoyed listening to it, so it's a bit hard to listen to the songs without associating them with various times and places. Regardless, I always feel like this could have easily been the soundtrack to "Repo Man" (the movie) and not skipped a beat, and I mean that as a high compliment. :) I think my favorite song is "Where is my mind?" although there's only a few that aren't up there as good-to-great songs. It's very cool to read how this album was an inspiration for Kurt Cobain for "Nevermind", and other artists too. A huge bummer, though, that the producer (Steve Albini) totally bad-mouthed the band after helping make a great album ....
Just the boost I needed this morning: thick bouncy rocking pop with quirky lyrics--lots of fun packed into 33 minutes. Gigantic was the only song I recognized and what a great song that is. This is an album I'll definitely listen to again. Thank you, Pixies!
It's really only got the one good song, but that song is REALLY good.
3.5- Enjoyed most of it. The vocals threw me off on some songs.
I lovvvveee fight club
This band is massively influential to pretty much all alternative music that came after it and you can hear that in every song. There are themes and riffs that just seem to set the bedrock for so much music. I had never listened to this album prior despite knowing The Pixies place in history and I'm happy that I finally got the chance. It's also so great to a listen to an album that isn't taking itself so seriously. I mean having a song that starts with the line "This is a song about a superhero named Tony! It's called 'Tony's Theme'" is just stupid fun.
As of posting this review, it’s been exactly one month and one day since the death of Steve Albini. Let’s start with the production of this album. There’s no doubt that the Pixies are a great band in their own right, but one of the biggest factors about this album and what gives it its timeless quality is Steve Albini’s production. Steve’s talent for having his minimal approach and being able to capture a room’s natural acoustics and ambiance, or his ability to capture the raw imperfections of the band’s performance, really shines through on this album. It gives you a finished product that’s very raw and unpolished, with a live performance energy and a gritty feel. Another aspect to point out is that Steve would place singers in unusual locations, such as bathrooms, to catch natural reverb. This technique is definitely evident in “Gigantic” with Kim Deal’s vocals. Now moving on to the band, I love how they have an abrasive element to their music, but they also have a knack for catchy hooks and melodies. I could keep going on and on about this album, but the last thing to highlight is Kim Deal’s basslines. Her bass steadily moves in the background, laying a rhythmic foundation for all the other layers and elements of the songs to be built upon.
Ok. Band is a bit overrated, as are their hits.
Favorite Track: Where Is My Mind?
While I completely respect Steve Albini, who produced Surfer Rosa. I don’t agree with his take on the Pixies, “a patchwork pinch loaf from a band who at their top dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock,”. Yea, I suppose their messy, yelpy style can be described as college rock?l, they are hardly bland. Surfer Rosa, is an energetic frenzy of grunge, pop punk and surf and it all comes together with Black and Deal at the helm of this wild ship. Sorry Steve but this college rock is fucking great. 4 stars
The cover art says it all. Shock value over talent.
Sloppy, unremarkable punk mess. There is some interesting drum work on this record, and occasionally the guitar plays a riff that’s memorable before quickly diving back into screechy garbage noises. The vocals are flat, unintelligible, and detract from the record. Also, the bass is mixed entirely out of the band, leaving the record screechy and high heavy. I get the feeling there’s some ironic humor to be had on this album, but I certainly don’t get it.
Prefer Dolittle
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.
A really cool album with a big hit on it. I didn’t like it as much as Doolittle
Boring, repetitive, every track sounded identical and none of them were good
Where Is My Mind is such a toooon! I’m not even the biggest Fight Club fan but the ending + credits with this over the top is superb. The rest is good, but doesn’t live up Where Is My Mind. Although I do like Gigantic. Decent live as well. Simpsons: Yes
Where Is My Mind? Is a great tune. Shame the rest of the album is pretty average.
All a bit samey. Not that enjoyable. On a positive note it was short. Probably will only listen to where is my mind again.
It wasn’t terrible. It certainly wasn’t good though
4/5
Rock, Punk, 1988 -> 2
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
One of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands. Aside from Where is My Mind (which isnt even the best track on the album, thats Gigantic) there are at least 8 other amazing songs and no weak spots at all.
Im really not into the Pixies. Somehow I find the album to noisy and unsynched. But that one track "Where is my mind?": Absolutly freaking brilliant!
Pixies tapes and CD’s were heavily rotated amongst my friends and I. At this time they were traded along with bands like R.E.M., Fugazi, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Violent Femmes and Janes Addiction. This was around the time for me as a new guitar player and music lover that I began opening up to new artists. I was transitioning from hair metal and “guitar gods” to music that had deeper layers and went against the status quo of that era. Also these bands created music that seemed more tangible for my friends and I to learn and emulate. Pixies, and this album in particular, fully embodied these qualities. On the technical side, which is something I’m drawn to now going back to all these familiar albums, there’s producer/engineer Steve Albini, who the music world lost just recently. Steve’s distinct drum sound is on full display on this album, as well as his ability to capture the raw energy of the band, warts and all. I love how this album really pulls you into the recording process. The banter between members made into song transitions invited the audience to hang out in the studio. Vocals were recorded in the studio bathroom just to get the perfect room sound since Steve wasn’t happy with the ambiance of the vocal booths. The sound of the session being recorded was a major feature of the album and it created a more detailed documentation of where and how it was made. For better or worse this was all Steve’s influence. For instance the tape ran out at the end of “Where Is My Mind” so Steve recorded Kim’s reverb track at the end to mask the studio blunder, and it just makes it all the more haunting. The songs on Surfer Rosa sound like the band had been playing them out for good period of time giving the band more time to really dial in the tones and performances rather than hashing out song structures and lyric writing on studio time. All of this makes for a solid album from top to bottom, no skips.
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.
I first saw and heard Pixies on opening night of their reunion tour in 2004 at Coachella. I flew out to California for this particular festival because of the amazing line up (check it out online!), but not for Pixies; a friend recommended checking them out and went on and on about how good they were. There are few bands that I see where I don't know anything about them or their music and am still thoroughly impressed when I see them live (turns out I did know "Monkey Gone To Heaven"). Radiohead followed them, saying that in college, "R.E.M. and Pixies saved my life." I've seen them a few times since. As a result of their spectacular performance at Coachella, I picked up their best-of collection "Wave of Mutilation" and loved it (it would not be until 2022 when they released a special live recording of that Coachella performance. That's me (and a chorus of 1000s) woo-hooing along during "Where Is My Mind?"). The best-of comp proved I needed more! I picked up "Doolittle" but stopped there, exploring the discography of other bands I fell in love with from the show. While familiar with many of these songs, this is first I've heard Surfer Rosa in its entirety. Of course, the best-of compilation rightfully included greats like "Bone Machine", "Broken Face", "Gigantic", and "Where Is My Mind?". I see why some of these were left off the best-of compilation, but I do still find merit in songs like "Break My Body", "River Euphrates", and "Brick Is Red." This is a band where everyone brings their own ingredients, and the soup is wonderful. Distorted and clean guitars play alongside each other, both noisy and melodic. Kim Deal holds down the low end with song-defining bass lines while providing a sweet vocal on the high end as needed. Frank Black's multi-faceted vocal delivery is at times tonal, screaming, quiet, sarcastic, punctuated, enlongated, and Spanish. He's all over the place in the best way. Amazing to think this came out in 1988, in the midst of hair metal, the light pop beats of Paula Abdul and Bobby Brown, and the world initiation to a collective Rick Roll. Tons of bands were influenced by them since, but it's hard to pinpoint Pixies' own influences; obviously rock with a punk approach, but nothing too specific. Pixies seem to have come into existence out of nowhere, from nothing. Truly unique and still holds up, even after the imitators spawned quality derivations.
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.
I couldn't get too much into this one. I get that it's a pretty alt rock sound though, which I guess was innovative for its time. I think the drums were mainly room miked for the whole album? The guitar sound was very 90s. I couldn't get into the guy's voice. I did hear some things that sounded a little Sonic Youth esque.
Where is My Mind is the highlight for me on this one. Gigantic was a big hit I remember and that’s also a good listen. But otherwise I don’t enjoy this one much. Expected much more given all the hype I had heard about it.
Ok album. Messy at times. Where is my mind? is a fun song.
- Where is My Mind is a bright spot but the rest of the album is pretty weird ngl - appreciate the female vocals
- I liked this a lot more than I thought I would - cool blend of surf rock and punk - guitars were awesome - nice album cover -3.5
Well I can't really say anything insightful or intelligent that hasn't been said before--look it up. Vignette: seeing Pixies at Pappy and Harriet's, they do Where Is My Mind, all 2,000 people sing along ecstatically, their faces turned up to the desert night. Indelible. When I see the cover, all I can think of is tasteful Catholicism, which I suppose is exactly what Francis Black Frank Black Francis wants me to see.
I was wavering between 4 and 5 for this. It was such a stonking album but I hadn’t listened to it for years. I remember playing the CD a lot back in the day. It’s very raw and messy but powerful. Sort of tailed off at the end but terrific for three-quarters. Gigantic talent!!!
Super fun
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.
Fantastic, fun, funny, foundational. It still holds up all these years later. This is my favorite Pixies album. I love how they seem to care and not care at the same time; how loose and tight it is. Kim's and Frank's harmonies, like John and Exene's, shouldn't work but somehow do. Also, great production from Steve Albini. No wonder Nirvana wanted to work with him.
Other than Where is My Mind, I'm not really familiar with the Pixies (or is it just "Pixies"). I can see what all the fuss is about. Thoroughly enjoyed.
So this is the legendary pixies... next.
Enjoyed it. Short but sweet
Excellent album, consistent and stands out from the standard grunge acts of the time
Probably one of the four or five most important albums in my life. There’s scores of bands I wouldn’t have discovered if I hadn’t listened to this at 16 and investigated more bands with a similar sound, multiple decades-long friendships that were made and enriched by being fans of Pixies and this album in particular, and also the songs just whip.
There’s better pixies albums, but this one isn’t ass. A good starting point
Contains the DNA of like the next 25 years of indie rock. Two bone songs in a row feels like a sequencing mistake but they’re allowed to do that.
Of course
Yeah. Still amazing. Those Albini drums are so special.
Loud guitars and screaming is overrated.
Like it. Actually plan on going through their discography now
meh
It has been a hot while since I got a Pixies album. My first album of theirs was Bossanova, their third album. But that's not the only context where it's the third album, as it's also the third album that I ever listened to for this project all the way back in October 2023! I've been pretty excited for this day to come ever since, as Surfer Rosa as seen quite a bit more acclaim. So, does this album live up to the hype? Yeah, I think it does. This is a much more aggressive album in comparison to Bossanova. The sound is more raw thanks to Steve Albini's production. The writing is also more taboo and intense. There's some great songs on here, but all of them are eclipsed by what is easily the band's most popular song, "Where is my Mind?". While I do agree that it's an amazing song and it's probably the best on the album, I can't help but feel that it's kind of out of place. Like, the other songs are quite heavy and written about things like sex and violence, and then you have this slower song about scuba diving (though that is just the literal interpretation). This is one of those rare albums where being loud and noisy actually works. Still, it isn't quite perfect enough to warrant a perfect score. High 4/5. Maybe Doolittle will be the one to break the barrier.
Only reason this is getting 4 and not 5 is because Doolittle is better
This was an unexpectedly awesome album. I thought for sure this had come out 10 years later than it did just because the sound was so modern. I guess they were the genre defining act that everyone tried to emulate tho. Great album
Surfer Rosa is the debut album from the Pixies, who combined punk-inspired guitar riffs, dramatic changes in timing and volume, and a male and female vocalist to harmonize on their abstract lyrics. Their edgy, melodic songs pushed alt-rock into the combination that became late 80s "pop music." Surfer Rosa captures the raw energy that made the band famous, and made their music remarkably influential on the alt and pop music of the 90s and aughts.
OK I think you need to be in the right mood for this album and I so was. Loved it. When I need grungy fuck it all feels, this is all it. It made me feel and I was intrigued the whole time.
The Indy handhook.
Great album. As good as The Fall! Brilliantly recorded. Favourite tracks: Something against you. I'm Amazed. And Vamos.
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.
Another Pixies album, and additional proof why I just don't enjoy it. While the back half of the album was somehow more enjoyable, it still didn't move the needle.
No notes. Game and life changing
Untouchable thunderbolt
Exceptional album - ignoring the hype only one or two flat songs on here there rest is banging
I've tried numerous times over the years to get into the Pixies but something just doesn't click with me. Listened to this a few times and there is nothing that makes me want to listen to it again.
5 out of 5 All day long One of the greatest and most influential albums of all time from one of the greatest bands of all time.
Another one I know songs from but never listened to - can hear the influence this had directly on bands like Nirvana. One that I’ll now have on my rotation of albums I think.
One good song, but did not enjoy the rest
- 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
- Bossanova hat mir doch deutlich besser gefallen - einzig "Where Is My Mind?" ist hängengeblieben, wobei man ich den Hit vorher schon kannte 1,5/5⭐
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.
Rough and angry debut with the melodies and sound coming through.
Wasn't super familiar with the Pixies beyond them being a big influence on a lot of 90s rock. Loved this. 4.6
day 138 ----------------- surfer rosa pixies 1988 alternative rock, grunge the pixies' debut album is pretty typical grunge, almost... gothic grunge at points. i would say it starts like how edgar allen poe would write if he was in a punk band and it gets so bonkers later on. billingual thrash... sonnets. it was pretty solid, but the lyrics sometimes fall flat. lots of... bones and body talk? okay i guess. that album art ROCKS.
One of those big albums I'd heard very little of. Mostly short, energetic tracks. Drum sound is great. Straight away, great intro riff on Bone Machine, the bass following suit. Strong guitar work continues on Break My Body. Easy to see how this influenced Kurt Cobain. River Euphrates is catchy and fast and then it's Where Is My Mind? Iconic song with the big slow riff and plodding bass. Things get a little weird and a little more punk rock towards the end, but I don't mind the detour. Brick Is Red closes with some more of the fuzzy alt rock sounds. Verdict? Good, maybe very good.
Can the perfect album exist? If so, I think it might be this one. It is the ideal blend of noisy apathetic rock music, and also catchy Melodie’s which ensure it never gets too dull or becomes an irritating noise (which I do find with a lot of noise rock). The tones are great here, and the mix of male and female vocals are fantastic. There is literally nothing I can fault with this album.
A perfect debut by one of my favourite indie bands ever! Every song here is just a perfect blend of madness and melody.
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.
A fantastic album, all over the place, weird as hell, dirty production but a joy to listen to
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.
Oh my golly! One of my favorite records ever. Best debut?
Rip Steve albini
listened to this twice in a row. not really cause i loved it that much, but the fact that i could says something
Bone Machine - 2 Break My Body - 2 Something Against You - 3 Broken Face - 3 Gigantic - 3 River Euphrates - 3 Where is My Mind - 5 Cactus - 2 Tony's Theme - 2 Oh My Golly! - 2 Vamos - 2 I'm Amazed - 2 Brick is Red - 2
Bone machine - 2 Break my body - 2 Something against you - 2 Broken face - 2 Gigantic - 3 River euphrates - 3 Where is my mind - 5 Cactus - 2 Tony's theme- 2 Oh my golly! - 2 Vamos - 1 I'm amazed - 1 Brick is red- 2 2.23 Where is my mind is a legendary track, but the rest of the album is very difficult to listen to. The vocals are off-key and annoying. The music is OK, perhaps groundbreaking when it came out, but basic by today's standards
05/09/24 S Tier—————————5 A Tier—————————4 B Tier—————————3 Gigantic Brick Is Red Vamos (Surfer Rosa) Where Is My Mind C Tier—————————2 Something Against You River Euphrates Cactus I’m Amazed Break My Body Broken Face Oh My Golly! Bone Machine D Tier—————————1 Tony’s Theme
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.
Not for me
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
Most of the album is on the Best of Pixies compilation.
Everyone seems to give Nirvana credit for breaking Punk into the mainstream, but even Kurt Cobain gives credit to Pixies for their “quiet, then loud” approach. Before everybody and their mother was loving on Alternative Rock and before that genre term was widely used, Pixies were here to break the mold. “Bone Machine,” “Gigantic” and “Where is my Mind?” are incredible standouts. They were way too edgy to ever get massive mainstream radio airplay, but boy did they win the influence-over-popularity sweepstakes. It’s good that the band (mostly) remained intact to enjoy that warm legacy-making embrace. They deserve it.
Not for me
Wasn't in the mood for loud and simple.
I don't really listen to the Pixies much because they felt a bit "just before my time" but they influenced all the bands I did listen to like Nirvana and so on. I have a passing acquaintance with their stuff and have definitely listened to Surfer Rosa and a couple of other of their albums before, but it's not stuff I return to on a regular basis. But I probably should be because it's totally awesome!
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.
The original Nevermind!
Distinct sound
Great band great album. Again, so much I love wouldn’t exist without this.
Feels like it was only really picked for Where is my Mind. The rest is fine but nothing too special. I'll probably change my mind after I go through a phase with WimM, but as is this record didn't do much for me.
Great
- very rock. noise rock. maybe too rock for me - i want to like it because it’s got where is my mind which is a great song - vibe of where is my mind vs the rest is interesting. tempo of it is much slower - am 30 seconds into vamos; 2.8 more songs to listen to - 2.5 / 5. i really like where is my mind but the rest is all so different
very cool sound, love all the dynamic range & separation, lots of fun. like River Euphrates, seems to show off all the best aspects of the Pixies with the least amount of 'song'. something holds me back from fully enjoying the Pixies, and I think it's Frank Black's reputation as an asshole. does Frank Black have a reputation as an asshole, do I even remember that right? whatever it is, there's some kinds of music that don't hit right if you think the author is a jerk, and this is one. until today I've never been sure where Surfer Rosa ends and Come On Pilgrim begins. both are very good. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
A lot more demented than I expected (good thing)
A bit rough ariund the edges, maybe too experimental
I’m not able to pinpoint exactly what it is about them, but now that I’ve had the time to sit down and dive in to their music, I can’t help how admirable I find Pixies to be. They just have an incredibly simple and enjoyable sound that I can attach myself to very easily. And Surfer Rosa is ultimately a very impressive debut record. They came out at the tail end of the 80s, and immediately changed the game. And their sound would go on to inspire the antithesis of indie rock for the entire decade of the 90s. They really are a very influential band when you really think about it. I mean, Kurt Cobain took huge inspiration from them, and think of how many people started a band and wanted to make grunge music because of Nevermind. It all goes back to Pixies. And rightfully so. They had something going from day one. Their style of on and off, quiet-loud-quiet-loud songwriting is so uniquely them. And when you hear one of their distorted noisy guitars punching through, you know exactly whose music you are hearing. The one song every one knows is Where Is My Mind? And before I had even heard the rest of this record, I wasn’t like a massive fan of this song. When a band has such a distinct and simple, but deceivingly complex writing style, to dumb it down and make it even more complex feels a little weird. This song may even border on being overplayed at this point, but I don’t have it outright. Still a good song, just not one I’m in love with. This debut is very important to the history of alternative rock. But it doesn’t exactly match the heights that their next record reached. Rating: 8/10
Love. I enjoy the first half of the album more. Solid Pixies.
didnt realize the hit single til it started
Correcto.
10/10 The...Pixies...absolute perfection. There aren't many bands that I like most if not all of their catalog. I won't pretend to be anything than a Pixies fan boy. 4-22-2024
nää
This album is WIERD! But I liked it.
Except for the obvious song, this disk is pretty bad
Some of the greatest to ever do it.
Artsy, strange, raw punk with a totally normal cover
Where Is My Mind? wasn’t getting anything lower than a 4
Bone Machine sounds like it was written by Tim Robinson
DNF
Been losing faith in this project but this renewed my interest. Clearly influenced so many artists I love and is a great balance of discordant sounds and harmony. Loved this.
Brilliant, Fantastic, Powerful. Nothing more needs to be said
3.8/10
The album that launched a thousand bands. A good start…this band should’ve been BIG.