Reviews (page 14 of 15)
Excellent. Pure pleasure
Pixies are one of those bands I'm supposed to like for some reason but I just can't get into them, other than a few songs.
this one is middle of the road for me. there are quite a few songs that i thoroughly liked, and will revisit. overall good, but not something i’d relisten to as a whole album.
Pretty solid album, I’m amazed and Brick is red were my favorites off the album.
An absolute work of genius. Every moment still as good as the first time I heard it. Came from nowhere and will last forever. Other bands wanted to be Pixies
Wonderful
unpilished, edgy, inconsistent, one great track, like three other tracks are also passable. likeable, not lovable. 6/10
Joyous, fun, and chaotic, but a little rough. My sense is these guys have the reputation they do because all the good grunge bands liked them so much, but they actually sound kind of nothing like the grunge bands, and I also don't think they're as good.
I've already listened to this record but today I'm giving it another listen It has some of my favorites from The Pixies Bone Machine is good but doesn't blow me away or anything Break my Body got me bopping Something Against You is just great Broken Face is fun Gigantic is as good as I remember River Euphrates is good but not my favorite Where is My Mind? is just a classic, 10/10 Cactus is a nice driving along song Tony's Theme is fun and fast makes me want to skate to it Oh My Golly is fast and fun Vamos has, like Oh my golly, some badly pronounced spanish but otherwise it's a fun song I'm amazed is I think my least favorite so far Brick is Red was ok
Awful
Shouty. Drummer seens like that are referred above anyone else in the band so that won't mix in nicely.
Great
This was quite good. I can't bring myself to give it a 5, but I also can't help but feel like this band influenced so much of my favorite music from the 90s and 00s. Pretty good! 4/5
I get the Pixies hype now. The debut suffers at times from lack of focus, but there's nothing I wish I had known to skip. The production is in the right harshness zone for the compositions, most of which work out. I can see this one burrowing away at one's mind, shaping it.
Guitar noise goodness Gigantic and where is my mind are so memorable Sounds so clear and crisp, production really helps add to the strength of the album
The intro track was weird. Where is my mind is a perfect grunge song. Gigantic is cool but a bit weird, this was maybe b/c it's early grunge and attempting things was kinda the cool thing to do ☺️
Nice instrumental profoundly weird lyrics.
There were definitely some elements I appreciated on this album, but I just can't say I enjoyed it. And I know I enjoyed it less than the Pixies' album Doolittle (which was given the dreaded label "accessible"). Perhaps it was just my nerves today, because this generally got on them. I did like "Gigantic" well enough, and "Tony's Theme" kind of made me laugh. I think there might be days where I'd like this more today was not one of them.
It took me a while to warm up to this album. The first few tracks had me uneasy. Eventually, I found myself bouncing my head to the rhythm and finding some enjoyment here...I mean, it wasn't like I was head over heels for it, but maybe I got it a little...
I was in a very bad mood when I started listening to this. Even at its relatively short running time of 34 minutes, it felt like a slog, a chore. Soul-numbingly mediocre. I came back to it later, in a much better mood and, while I still didn't love it, I didn't quite feel the same animosity. These songs sound like they're not fully done yet. If I were their producer, I'd say, "Good start, y'all, now go back and finish them."
I had several friends into the Pixies in college, but they never really clicked with me. I appreciated hearing this album and do think I like it more than back then, but it still isn’t quite there for me.
Listened Before? N Nice NSFW album cover there, Pixies. So, like many GenXers I have heard of the Pixies. I have never listened to them that I remember. My comments are that it sounds a lot like a plethora of other late 80s-early 90s alt/garage rock. It was alright, not really my style 100% but I think teenage me would have loved it, and so I give it an extra star. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Where is My Mind
i have heard a lot about pixies and this album but i never gave them a listen. i regret that choice. and every second i missed out on this amazing beautiful album. perfection. album cover: 10/10 album listen: 100/10
That album would be tolerable if they could actually sing.
Two great songs. Pull it up to a 3
Where is my mind? is in my top 3 songs ever. Gigantic is great and rest is good.
Suffers like most Pixies albums from having too much filler crap in amongst some gems
Decent album with a couple of really good tracks
A extremely generous 2⭐️ purely on the strength of Gigantic and Where Is My Mind. A load of auld toot.
6.8
I’m finding it difficult to find the right words to describe Surfer Rosa. I couldn’t recommend it to anyone as a casual listen and yet I want to tell people I like it because, to me, it makes me feel cool that I’m enjoying it. It’s weird at times and great at times but I never felt like skipping a single track. Doolittle has more for a casually listen but I really enjoyed the more experimental sound of this one
this was an okay album. it was the second pixies album as part of this project, and while they don’t make terrible music, it doesn’t seem that engaging for me. i can say they have the most wide ranging, weird subject matters for their lyrics. the banter is a cute addition in a few songs! i don’t know if that’s overdone nowadays but i do always find it charming to get a slice of the real artist on the album.
My first thought on this album is that it was "okay". Frankly, for some reason, I was surprised to find that it deviated a lot in style from the previous Pixies album I reviewed, Bossanova. I liked Bossanova a lot and I guess I was expecting something similar. I gave it a second listen and found myself enjoying it a bit more when I removed the preconceived expectations I had about it. Surfer Rosa seems to embrace more grunge, noise, and chaos, and ultimately just has a less polished sound. The singing between the vocalists can often be characterized as discordant That said, I can fully tell where this all was intentional and was a sound they were going for here. The album's arrival was timely and obviously influenced other alternative and grunge acts that would emerge in the 1990s. Maybe not a favorite listen, but definitely an intriguing one when given a fair shake!
02/09/2022 Pixies – Surfer Rosa 3.5/5 This is a very raw album, but mostly on the positive side. The roughness, the sharp edges, and the scrappy voices are flaws that give character and personality to the music and is totally understandable why this is a so influential album. The band is having fun and have a lot of energy, and these are great aspects too. Nevertheless, all of these things make the listening a bit unbearable, at least for me. These tracks are not something I would listen to twice on the same day, because they would give me a headache. Additionally, the punk influences and the voices keep me a bit away. Favourite tracks – • Something Against You: all the energy in the universe concentrated in a song. • Gigantic: sounds almost like a pop song. • Where is my mind?: a classic. A great example on how to focus energy and music into a certain feeling. • Oh My Golly!: kind of catchy for a punk song. Less favourite tracks – • River Euphrates: I hate the voices here. • I’m Amazed: not a fan of the guitar on this one.
Skränigt men ikoniskt
el debut de los pixies es un album de rock alternativo con una fuerte inspiración en el noise rock y que al mismo tiempo influenciaría historicos de la musica como el “nevermind” de nirvana. pixies muestra su quizas sonido más propio a diferencia de trabajos posteriores como el dolittle el cual tuvo cambios en su lista de canciones para adaptarse a un lado mas “pop” este es un trabajo impecable de la banda en el que cada integrante cumple con un sofisticado puesto y funcion y se ve a la banda integrada para provocar ese “ruido” característico que termina siendo el masoca del acto para “molestarte” y al mismo tiempo tener una melodia agradable y unica. Al mismo tiempo que se tiene ese característico sonido tambien hay cambios repentinos como momentos en los que la banda llega a tocar hasta el hardcore y luego transiciones como son la de la iconica “where is my mind?” a una pieza infravaloradisima como es “cactus” en la que el sonido varia completamente. fav songs: something against you gigantic river euphrates where is my mind?’ cactus brick is red 4.0
Iconic now, but so off-kilter back then. And yet, this record literally changed the course of rock history, thanks to its angular dynamics, its surreal ambience, the power it had evocating lust and madness and everything in between, not to mention Steve Albini's heavy drum sound (that will then be used to great effects for so many other rock acts). Black Francis' songwriting was also one-of-a-kind--and it seems that even Francis himself has now lost the precious formula behind the creation of those incredible songs... But the real miracle here is that had a different musician replaced one of the four in Pixies, nothing would have worked as well as it does here. Of course, there's Francis' crazed yelps and hectic rhythm guitar chords, unmistakably his ; but there's also David Lovering's oddball rhythms, unmistakably his, too ; or Joey Santiago's surf-flavored solos and hooks drenched in hot sauce, unmistakably his as well ; and Kim Deal's hypnotic basslines and husky background vocals, unmistakably hers. And the songs... "Break My Body", " Bone Machine", "River Euphrates", "Gigantic" (one of the best Kim Deal compositions ever), " Where Is My Mind", "Vamos" ... All stone-cold classics now. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 815 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 100 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 46 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 41
sous-boulversant
merci aux Pixies d'être passés à Tournefeuille en 2013 sans quoi je n'aurai pas obtenu l'autorisation parentale pour sécher un cours d'AP physique
Good for a show, not for casual listening. I usually like speaking tracks but it kind of missed here for me. I also don’t think the album plays like a book reads.
Rock alternativo.
6/4 minds lost
Probably their best album
Favorite Songs: Where Is My Mind, Broken Face, Gigantic, Vamos (Surfer Rosa), Bone Machine, River Euphrates, Cactus Least Favorite Songs: Brick Is Red Things I knew about Pixies before listening to this include their Fight Club feature, and Kurt Cobain's praise of them; but I hadn't really put the time into actually delving deep in their material. I'm so glad I did. Seriously, this album is simultaneously one of the best sounding and completely insane alternative records I've ever heard. The imagery it invokes and the way its produced show a cobbled together lust-filled pile of ideas, being expertly combed through and arranged into a grand punk statement. The sweet simplicity of twanging guitars and primal yelps bring interrupted by a beautiful humming melody, a casual conversation, or a shocking level of depraved lyrics is what makes this album so uncompromising and special. unforgettable.
Side B far exceeds side A in terms of shred but all up an excellent listen
Sparse - lots of "whitespace" Grindy/shoegazy
Boobies?
I enjoyed listening to this album. I really dig the guitar sound they had going throughout. I didn't like the vocals much, and despite thinking I'd love this album due to Where Is My Mind and Gigantic, it was a bit too much punk for me.
I never actually listened to this album - despite being well-aware of its existence. It was never really more to me than a pop culture reference that I heard other artists swooning about. It was probably the "I'm too cool to listen to the thing you think is cool" part of me that prevented me from ever caring enough to give it a shot. But, I get it. It's a great punk album. It's different. It's impressive for a debut album. No complaints.
It’s not just the crazy lyrics, the anarchic themes, the roots of grunge, or the wonder that is Kim Deal that we have to thank the Pixies (and Black Francis) for, but it’s also that. What a lovely debut.
Where is my mind er ok men resten er punksøl bråk
Can understand and see how they played such a major influence over many artists after them, but a little too unpolished of a sound for my taste.
big trash
RAW, this album has never heard of a vocal compressor, guitar sounds fire.
HL: WIMM, Brick is Red, River Euphrates Mixed feelings about this one- can understand and hear the influence on other alt rock bands, but uh it felt longer than 34 minutes August 11, 2022
The 2nd best Pixies album. Everything they did up to, and including Doolittle is great. The only flaw this album has is that it isn't Doolittle which better be on this list considering some of the crap that is. Every song is very good to great. Essential listening to anyone who likes alternative rock/indie/punky stuff if you ask me.
Chaotic and noisy, true punks doing whatever they want, incorporating humor or drama, nonsensical noise or ordered melody. Yet it all works and sounds fantastic, with huge punk and surf rock influences, going for a rough, raw sound and completely unpredictable every second of the way. It goes by so fast, with many great ideas, less than a third of the tracks go much longer than 2 and a half minutes. Each song offers something new and exciting, but it can get tiresome on too many repeats as the novelty wears off. It got a bit... ant-music in the last 4 tracks... I find it so hilarious. Never understand the grand appeal of this album... people should hate it. I don't hate it, but I feel like most people should. The appeal couldn't just be due to "Where Is My Mind"... Favorites: Bone Machine, Break My Bones, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where Is My Mind, Cactus, Brick is Red
Ihan hauska. Tuli eräs espoolainen orkesteri tästä mieleen.
Muutama hauska biisi, joista yksi ja ilmeisin tietty todella kova. Kokonaisuutena ei kuitenkaan jäänyt mieleen
God awful. Sounds like a junior high talent show gone wrong (do any of them ever go right??).
Didn't make a dent upon release, until Kurt Cobain, PJ Harvey and Billy Corgan sang its praises and suddenly every music critic went back and branded this as the Sgt. Pepper of alternative and grunge. Bonus points for the spoken interludes between (and during) some songs, and the quintessential Pixies song, "Where Is My Mind?" which has become somewhat overused by Hollywood. It's a decent enough effort, there are certainly better Pixies albums (like the follow up to this one). It's just not the Holy Grail Kurt Cobain thought it was.
Everyone's heard 'Where is my Mind?', but it was nice to discover other songs on this album that I liked such as 'Bone Machine' and 'Tony's Theme'. There's some cool punky songs, more alternative stuff. Good album.
Just another album. Few songs that are great and I like the Pixies but nothing jumps out to me as YES I love this.
where is my mind?
It's the pixies! My cool friend showed me fight club in high school (i mean, he did drugs, and hold older siblings... but now he's a marketing director who DJ's on the side, so... already your judgement of cool is suspect). Anyway, FIGHT CLUB. Where is my mind starts playing as civilization collapses, and that part of you, that feels conviction about things whispers in your ear, "this band fucking rules. you should fucking listen to them... but you're on the fence about Helena Bonham Carter. You're a TEEN so you don't, like, feel total conviction. You're not a psychopath. You're just a hoopy frood that wants to say things at parties like: 'That lyric is based on an experimental french film called Un Chien Andalou,' so that people know you like, know stuff and are cool and relatable." So, you take a trip with frank black to alt/noise/rock land (Amherst, Massachusetts). But you're skeptical of surfer rosa. Well, not her specifically. She looks great. You're very happy with her wardrobe. But the album she's on the cover of is A LITTLE weird. Where is my mind is so... accessible. But what's this bone machine about? Why does he pronounce broken face like broken fist in an insane falsetto voice. It's just. ROugh. It's pretty lo-fi. He's so squeaky sounding sometimes! Why is he doing that? The girl is a nice foil. We like her. what's her deal? But you go on to another pixies album because, honestly, that was not the band you felt like you were going to be listening to when you finished fight club. Luckily, Doolitle is out and that's more approachable. SO you listen to that and you're like, cool. really cool. I like the pixies. I am a pixies fan. And then one day you come back to surfer rosa and you realize it's a masterpiece. Is it the emperor's new clothes? Do I have different ears now? Am I older? Is this a band's band? Probably. But you like it. You're a real pixies fan now.
Rock alternativo tirando a punk. Está bien. Un 4.
A bit on the 'raw emotion' side. Some class songs. Shannah - 2.5 Jane - 3.5 Bill - 3 Conor - 3.5 (3.125/5)
Felt loose and sort of unfinished. odd chorus counts, awkwardly long versus's, weird tone or volume shifts. I like alternative rock, this too uncooridnated for me though. Giving it a two just because there were some riffs and drum cycles I liked.
Pretty fun!
I didn’t realize “Where is My Mind” was by them, so that was a nice break in the chaos that is Surfer Rosa. My brows were furrowed trying to figure out most of it. It sounded a lot like some of early punk albums, unfinished and raw. All over the place. Wouldn’t listen to it again.
Didn't really like this album, too harsh for me. Might have also been because I was listening at 6 am
Man, I really wanted to like this because I know how influential the Pixies were…but it’s too disjointed for me. I’m sure that’s the whole point and I can respect it, but it’s mostly just flat out unpleasant to listen to. I’m disappointed.
Noise with 1 good song
Wow this was a rough one. I've known the song "where is my mind" for a long time and I am a fan of it. I had high hopes the whole album would be similar but I was very wrong. This album is noisy without any clear direction. Even the better songs on this album are pretty terrible. Very disappointed and definitely not an album I can recommend to anyone.
I went into this with high hopes and listened 5 times because I’ve known about this album’s reputation for being raw and unforgiving but even still I was taken aback. This album influenced an ENTIRE generation of people to do whatever the fuck they wanted with music and it’s over my head. It is extremely raw, I actually like the production because of how unapologetic it is. But musically it’s a hard listen. Where is my mind is a 10/10 track and feels like a surreal oasis in an otherwise desert of unfinished tracks. It sounds like many openers I’ve seen live that just aren’t ready yet, but maybe that’s the charm?
Been meaning to explore the Pixies for years, and never gotten around to it. Before this, "Where Is My Mind?" (thanks, "Fight Club!") and "Here Comes Your Man" were essentially the only songs of theirs that I knew, and they're not exactly super-similar stylistically, so I wasn't sure what this album was going to sound like. It's much rawer than I expected; it's easy to picture them banging these songs out in a garage. "Something About You" had a little ska flavor, which was a surprise, as was the fact that Kim Deal had the lead vocals on "Gigantic"--I thought she basically stuck to chorus/background vocals (until her Breeders days, obviously). "Where Is My Mind?" feels like the standout track here (and not just because it's the only one I was familiar with), but "Gigantic" also got my attention, as did "Bone Machine," and I thought "Cactus" and "Tony's Theme" were an appropriately playful pair to follow the heavier "Where Is My Mind?" I could have done with a little less instrumental ramblings in the middle of "Vamos (Surfer Rosa)," but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Overall, I really enjoyed the album. Not sure how many of these songs will end up getting thrown into my regular rotation, but "Gigantic" will definitely be one of them.
One of the few bands I cannot get into
Off to a fun start with the first two albums being totally in my wheelhouse. Though this isn't my favourite Pixies album, it definitely has some of my favourite songs of theirs. Especially Bone Machine. Such a great song. Other than getting to listen some some of my favourite Pixies songs, this album listen didn't really win me over any new favourites though,
Like a paddling pool full of kids violating SHARK. Something like that anyway, I didn't go on the the lads holiday so I missed the memo.
Instantly makes me think of SHARK ruthlessly pulverising a group of small children in a paddling pool. He's having a good time and so am I listening to this. Go on, SHARK, you big noncy menace.
Like SHARK tearing through a paddling pool full of toddlers. In a good way.
A distinctive sound, easy to hear their influence on other subsequent bands. If I dig deep and am honest with myself, I don't really enjoy listening to them.
The first Pixies album I ever owned and probably still my favorite. Has a raw energy to it, almost an unhinged quality at times, that I find really thrilling. They really seem to embrace their inner weirdo while laying down their abrasive but addictive hooks.
Classic Pixies. "Where Is My Mind" is probably their biggest hit, unfortunately I've heard it so many times I can't listen to it anymore due to other media saturation. Regardless, it's a good album. Not as good as Doolittle, but still good.
This was alright. I preferred the back half of the album, starting with “River Euphrates.” I’ve always meant to listen to Pixies so it was good to do that…however, I’m not sure I’d purposely listen to this again. I think I’m going to prefer Doolittle, based on the tracks I know.
For how much this band is talked about importance-wise, I was not very impressed. Sound/vocals were harsh. Can't believe Where is My Mind was by far my favorite.
Punkig. Uffgeregt.
Quiet-Loud is definitely and interesting genre and I think it works rather well for The Pixies. Although the album feels very abrupt at times, the journey of it as a whole felt very intentional. Obviously most people would say the gem of the album is "Where is My Mind?", but I would have to say that "Gigantic" was my favorite song. Kim Deal needed more main vocals on this album I feel.
Raw pre-grunge soft-loud dynamic. Still trying weird things, weird lyrics. Some hit & misses. Kim deal is awesome.
Two bits of sacrilege: 1. Pixies are over represented in this list. This is the third album plus one Frank Black solo album I’ve encountered so far. 2. While bits of this album are undeniably great, other bits (lots, even) are very much not. The answer to both is to prioritise Doolitle.
Weird. Where is my mind is a great song. But I dont think i get the rest. Lo-fi
Only knew where is my mind, one of the all time greatest tracks. Incredible album all round, very impressed.
Quite noisy
I like the Pixies but they are a 'mood' band for me. This is good, inventive, quirky and of course hugely influencial. If you could bottle up 'not contrived' then this would be it.
Manic, untamed and experimental. They pack a lot of musical ideas into a relatively short runtime, which makes for a fun listen. The songs crackle with life, feeling almost spontaneous and unrehearsed. The album is pretty hard and unpolished but then “Where Is My Mind?” comes out of nowhere with a big rock anthem. Such a great song. Awesome stuff.
Awesome display of alternative rock right hurrr! Not the most polished, but that kind of adds to the roughness of the whole thing, talking about broken faces and other unsavory topics. Obviously, "Where Is My Mind?" is a cornerstone of the dark, melodic shit I LIVE for.
Great indie alternative rock album. "Where Is My Mind" is such an anthem!
Шедевр андеграунда, дедушка современного инди рока, вдохновение Курта Кобейна, легендарный саундтрек Бойцовского клуба. 7 из 10
(Finnst að Come on pilgrim eigi að vera með). Ótrúleg nostalgía og án hennar veit ég ekki hvort ég hefði þol fyrir mestu cacófóníunni, en þetta er bara algerlega málið. Jú, Doolittle er betri, en þessi fær samt fullt hús.
Some of my favorite bands consider Pixies a massive influence so I really don't listen to them as much as I should. This album absolutely rips. Where Is My Mind? is obviously a bonafide classic in particular.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. 5 stars, every day, across the board. I have been listening to the Pixies for more than 30 years and will never be bored of them.
Still amazing
Love it!!
First, what a great album cover. Bold and beautiful. Second, this album represents the Pixies getting towards their prime time (i.e., Doolittle). Alas, to Doolittle go the spoils: it's way better an album with many more a song that stayed etched in social memory. Surfer Rosa, in comparison, can only claim to achieve that with Where Is My Mind?
To chyba koniec trylogii Pixiesowej, bo przyszla pora na surfer rose, ktory byl ich debiutanckim studyjnym wydaniem z 88, kompaktowe wydanie 34 minutowe przepakowane 13 trakami, tak nieskladnych jak tylko moze byc debiut artystycznego punkowania, momenty instrumentalne, z mocnym akcentem na przestery gitarowe momenty giberiszu, bo pan Black nie jest tutaj jeszcze nawet blisko swojego peaku jako teksciarz, momenty kiepskich wokali, nie tylko przez o duzo zbyt duzo pani Kim na wokalu, ale i leadujacy glos okreslic jako niestabilny belkot momentami nie jest przesada, bo jednak najbardziej bola mnie chorkowe wokale, gdy oba te glosy sie zderzaja tworzac cos unikalnie niesluchalnego, czego najlepszym przykladem bedzie river euphrates, ale tak czy inaczej znajdzie sie kilka trakow wartych osluchania na tym albumie, przede wszystkim kultowy where is my mind, znany chocby z trainspotting, gdzie swietnie pasuje do opowiesci, pixiesy chyba sa jedna z nielicznych grup gdzie kazdy album slucha sie zupelnie inaczej, co odzwierciedla nie tylko ilosc gwiazdkowa, ale tego ile sie pamieta z danej plyty, bo poza tym ze jest to ich debiut studyjny i stad pochodzi where is my mind raczej niewiele wiecej zostanie mi po tym odsluchu
When I was a kid, a friend gave me a cassette, with the first half of this album tacked on one side (remember we use to do that to fill-up the 90 minute cassettes). There was no track listing, no credit, no information at all to explain what was leaping out of the speakers at me. They might have told me it was a friend's band's demo - how could I know? In some ways I feel sorry that mysteries like this denied to kids nowadays by the everpresent internet. I love the Pixies, everything about them, and they are even better live. Who else has this sharp crackly sound, unique worldview. Haven't come across Doolittle on this list yet, but it will get a 5 too!
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Where is my mind
This is the real alternative to me, not sounding quite like anything else. The whole album doesn’t stay at quite the same level, but Gigantic and Where Is My Mind moved directly into the eternal pantheon for this kind of music.
Would give this 3.5 if it was an option, but cannot in my heart round that down to a 3, so it's up to a 4 (but only just).
There’s redeeming qualities and songs to this album, but overall it felt too loose and jarring. I’ll say that repeated listens have made this album more tolerable than the first, so maybe it will grow from there. I never really liked for the female vocals, and the male vocals are either spot on or too weird. I understand that might be his style but I don’t care for it. 3/5 Fav tracks: bone machine, break my body, where is my mind Least fav: gigantic, river Euphrates, oh my golly
WOOOOO Prefs: TOUT Moins pref: RIEN
Over the years this has become one of my favourite albums. Challenging, jarring, just plain wierd in places but so beautiful and uplifting. I remember seeing this in a cousin's record collection when it came out but never got to listen to it properly until a couple of years later. By then It was all about Doolittle for me. The songs on here are so amazing, Gigantic, Bone Machine and Where is My Mind all classics. And the skit songs, show the band didn't take themselves anywhere near as seriously as some of their fans
Listening to this is like trying to pay attention to your drunk friend while he tells what he thinks is an important story, but he keeps getting distracted by shiny objects and also the story was kind of lame in the first place. Best track: Where is My Mind?
Some classic tracks but one of those albums I always wonder when I’d actually choose to put it on.
"Where Is My Mind" Loved this song, and when I heard it in Mr. Robot, it just solidified that love. The rest of the album is listenable. 3
Eh
Pixies first. Where is my mind is a classic. Very spacious production on the full album. They go on to make better things.
Save yourself some pain and listen to Death to the Pixies
An easy 5, what a debut. Fave: Where Is My Mind?
I like "Where is my mind?" but it is not gonna save this clusterfuck of sounds.
13 songs in 33 minutes of full blown energetic, raw rock & roll. The guitar sound is sharp, the music rocks and rambles, the drums are loud and Frank Black sounds like he's bordering on a meltdown. The importance of this album in music history, can't be overstated. It's where the 90's began in the 80's. Still, not every song on this album is a bullseye. A song like Cactus feels like filler. And there's one or two other misses. It's such a pleasure listening to it though, it gives off vibes of happiness
Eh, it's all right. Another one of those albums and bands that's never really done much for me.
Some nice sounds!
Revolutionary for the mix of noise and harmony which anticipates Nirvana and is very reminiscent of new wave, especially Brian Eno and Pere Ubu.
Underwhelming
So this is just straight up noise. Don't believe me ... try "Something Against You". Not bad enough for you, move on to "Broken Face". Squeaky voice and no-talent guitar wailing. But wait you say, they had a hit song with "Where is my Mind?". Have you actually listened to that song? Disjointed, screamy, repetitive, gee what's not to like. "Tonys Theme" - really. Hard to believe the produced allowed that to be included. Then the title song "Vamos" just finishes this album off with bad drumming, unintelligible lyrics and some guitar masterbation that is just downright painful to hear. F-
With rather bizarre topics and angular, bombastic and boisterous instrumentation, it's no wonder why Pixies became darlings in the late 80s. They were a breath of fresh air yet a precursor of what was to come in the coming decade. With songs that wiggle around your brain with such ease, Surfer Rosa marks Pixies' ascent up the influential sphere of indie/alternative rock. Favorites: Bone Machine, Break My Bones, Broken Face, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where is My Mind?, Tony's Theme, Vamos (Surfer Rosa).
Breathtakingly awful. Shrill, tuneless and thoroughly unenjoyable. Among the worst albums I've heard on the 1001 list. I'm at sing six - "Where is My Mind" - and that's it. Don't even want to see if gets better. Do yourself a favour and hit the "Did not listen" button.
It has catchy songs, including a mix of heavier sounding ones. I liked it but I guess I’m not as into 80s alt Rick as I used to be because it was not a 4/5 or 5/5 album to me.
very nice, 4.5/5
3 Pixies albums in this list... seriously, 3 albums?
good
Just don't vibe with them
pretty good punk, honestly it sounded a little generic the first time listening through but after the second listen I picked up on some of the experimentation they did and I think it’s actually pretty damn cool overall really liked this, 9/10
estuov bonito yantiguito sisi
I know it’s a very important album but it just isn’t for me
3.5
better than doolittle but still a 3. in hindsight i'd rescore doolittle...
Today's Album: "Surfer Rosa" by Pixies - From the bare tits on the album cover to the strange spoken word interludes to the off kilter singing and whining guitars the pixies are fucking WEIRD. My dad has always recommended them to me because he's really into this era of punk rock, but I just could never get into how avante garde and honestly wrong everything they created sounded to me. However, I think listening to this album with headphones cranked up and the lyrics up, I think I can start to appreciate some of these tracks a lot. Some of the vocals sound like they're shouting at the microphone from the other side of a slinky or something with very little depth and this weird accent they put on. It sort of reminds me of when Modest Mouse gets kind of in the weeds and starts shouting at the microphone from across the room. That being said, I don't really think that's a bad thing. As I have started to get more into abrasive genres of music, it's gotten easier to pick out the nuanced and creative ideas out of a chaotic piece of work like this. I would say if that isn't your thing and you have never been able to dig deep into, on the surface terrible sounding, music for a deeper experience, this probably isn't for you. There is also a lot of really weird subject matter in the lyrics, but I think it all sort of fits together to create a uniform aesthetic. The guitar work throughout this whole album is really quite stellar, with the instrumentalist really knowing when to play something straight and when to go off into the weeds a little bit with a strange sound experiment with occasionally multiple layers. The distortion always feels really intentional, the drums feel like they aren't perfectly in time, but never to a distracting degree, and the vocalist really just make the entire experience one of confusion and strange enjoyment. Now there are really moments that I don't like, like the obnoxious phrasing on Broken Face, but it is easy to overlook those sort of oddities when the music sort of just takes them on with pride and keeps chugging along. When the band decides to play a track fairly straight like in the track Gigantic or the masterpiece that is Where is My Mind?, it really sounds so so good and makes the harder to listen to parts more bearable. Overall, listen to this one if you like to challenge yourself musically, but maybe give it a little while if you're a newer music fan and haven't heard the heaver parts to punk/indie rock or even metal. A lot of these tracks I won't listen to casually, but as a whole experience it was very interesting from start to finish. Score: 7/10 definitely…interesting Highlights: Bone Machine, Something Against You, Gigantic, Where Is My Mind?, Tony's Theme, Brick Is Red
Super enjoyable, grungy and fresh.
Surfer Rosa by Pixies (1988) Before today I was completely unfamiliar with this album, but I was very familiar with Nevermind by Nirvana (1991). It’s amazing how many riffs, grooves, and stylistic choices were borrowed by Nirvana from Surfer Rosa by Pixies (This was acknowledged by Kurt Cobain in 1992). I spotted over a dozen on just one listen. But there’s a huge qualitative difference between Nevermind and Surfer Rosa. To wit, (1) Nirvana is disciplined and precise, whereas Pixies are on the ‘garage’ end of grunge. (2) Cobain’s voice has soul, whereas the Black Francis/Kim Deal duets on Surfer Rosa are like duets between a fingernail and a blackboard. And (3) Nirvana’s depictions of torment and psychic terror evoke sympathy, whereas Pixies’ fixations on sexual idiosyncrasies evoke a response midway between eye rolling disdain and head shaking embarrassment. This is not to say that Surfer Rosa is entirely devoid of artistic merit. But it is difficult to listen to. The track “Where Is My Mind?” is interesting enough, however the question in the title remains unanswered. But David Lovering’s excellent driving drums, Joey Santiago’s inventive lead guitar riffs, Kim Deal’s moving bass lines, and that weird locker room ambience of Black Francis’ vocal channels are all creative and entrancing. I could learn to like this, but only temporarily. 2/5
Missed the pixies. Good listen
Mk
I need to listen to this a dozen more times to appreciate it properly I think.
Where is the mind
Bangin
Right in the middle of this album there's a run of seriously excellent songs that remind you why everyone afterwards was inspired by the Pixies. However on either side of this group is a bunch of noise rock that sounds more like they just wanted to rebel against pop music of the time. It's like a 3.5 for me but I love the middle bit enough for a 4
10 stars. This album is foundational to me as a human being. I developed a crush on a girl because she looked almost exactly like the lady on this cover. I can't separate this album from myself. When I look in the mirror, all I see is Surfer Rosa. I'm a little snobbishly put out that 'Where Is My Mind' got so mainstream there for a while. It was a song only I knew about, dammit. This is an unbroken string of great songs, even though toward the end it sounds like they just threw a bunch of outtakes on the thing to fill it out. Don't say a cross word about it or I'll cut you.
Wow, this is a disappointment. I'd been looking forward to this given its revered status, but I'm left with a feeling of emperor's new clothes about the whole experience. I will say this - I appreciate the animating spirit, and I think the instruments themselves really pop out of the speakers. It crackles with vitality, but the execution is wanting. Really simple song structures that pretty much go quiet-loud-quiet-loud. I've read a fair bit about Surfer Rosa and will seek out some more reviews as I want to be clued into what I'm missing.
Perfection. A truly incredible, incomparable piece of art. This list could have just been 1 Album You Must Listen to Before You Die and this would have been that album. My review has in no way been influenced by Craig's threat of blade-delivered violence. None whatsoever. FIVE STARS. (Is he gone?? Whew. I like this album a little more the more I listen to it, but I didn't know what the hell to make of it the first time I heard it. I definitely have nostalgia for this type of sound, but I still favor the actual songs of the first half to the last. I may need a few more listens before I really get on board with those. That is, assuming Craig doesn't cut me before I get the chance.)
Wanted to get into this album for a while.
This album blew me away when I first heard it, because I hadn't really listened to anything like it before. It wasn't punk, it wasn't pop, it wasn't mopey art rock. I proceeded to listen to it over and over and over. I still don't get tired of it. Do I get it all? No. Do I care? Not a lick.
Missed the boat on this one i think. Hits are still hits, and the rest still sounds great.
Try as I might, I struggle to wrap my head around the appeal of this album. There are moments and fragments, but it seems like the band didn't really know what to do with what they had. I give the album 3 stars overall for being fine enough to listen to, and clearly the album has influenced many other artists, but it falls well short of greatness or being something, I absolutely have to hear.
No és l'obra mestra que havia de venir per duplicat amb els seus següents dos discos, però 'Surfer Rosa' s'hi apropa i molt. El primer avís seriós de qui havia de ser la banda que reformulés el rock alternatiu i influenciar gairebé totes les bandes del génere que vindrien després d'ells. Em faig creus que en el seu moment no se'ls valorés com es devia
Great album, high energy and fun.
Edgy and raw.
Where is my mind is a big tune and the rest are decent. Lot sillier and weirder than I was expecting, have to say.
An angry fat man (and his band) who is chewing on hornets spits his words about UFO's, superheroes, broken bones, psychotic meltdowns, love that can smother you, the Gaza Strip, the Dead Sea...and thank god he does because it's fucking brilliant. Best Tracks: Gigantic; Where Is My Mind?; Tony's Theme
What a sound.
Fuck Nirvana.
4, v good
already loved it!
This is not very good. At all.
Good alternative rock album
I am familiar with THE PIXIES and their debut album SURFER ROSA, which I liked very much. After listening to SURFER ROSA, this album is very good, but the vocals are too low in the mix In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, THE PIXIES - SURFER ROSA, is followed by two subsequent albums: DOOLITTLE (1989); BOSSANOVA (1990). Rate Artist: THE PIXIES (4.0) Rate Album (Year): SURFER ROSA (US 1988 Original) (4.0) Ranking of THE PIXIES - SURFER ROSA songs No. Title Length Ranking 01 Bone Machine 3:03 08.0/10 02 Break My Body 2:05 09.0/10 03 Something Against You 1:47 06.0/10 04 Broken Face 1:30 08.0/10 05 Gigantic 3:54 09.0/10 06 River Euphrates 2:31 09.0/10 07 Where Is My Mind? 3:53 09.0/10 08 Cactus 2:16 09.0/10 09 Tony's Theme 1:52 09.0/10 10a Oh My Golly! 1:47 07.0/10 10b Untitled 0:45 07.0/10 11 Vamos 4:20 06.0/10 12a Untitled 0:24 06.0/10 12b I'm Amazed 1:18 06.0/10 13 Brick Is Red 2:01 07.0/10 US 1997 Original Release 115.0/150 = 7.67 / 2 = 3.83
4.1 + What an amazing drum sound - just listen to how it kicks in at the beginning of "Where is My Mind?" Also, the guitars sound incredible especially on "Something Against You" - gnarly, overwrought. I love that they included some of the studio banter towards the end of the album, like on "Oh My Golly!" I can see why this album was a huge influence in 1988 and so many artists would flock to the great Steve Albini to achieve a similar sound of loose and explosive swagger.
It's impossible to rank those original era Pixies albums, at least the first three. 'Bossanova' is probably my favourite, then maybe this one, then 'Doolittle' and 'Trompe Le Monde' fourth. And I really love Doolittle and some days it is their best. That Pixies at Brixton show on YouTube in 1991 is amazing if you haven't seen it. While No Kim, No Deal might be true, that last album (Beneath The Eyrie) wasn't too bad. Their best since Trompe Le Monde
Patchy, but when it works it's fuckin' great.
I like the Pixies, without particularly wanting to listen to their music. Their influence is strong in the rock movement that followed in the 90s, and were ahead of their time. That being said, they love to do this thing that a lot of bands do, which I hate, and that's purposefully play things slightly out of tune just to sound quirky. I stops a good album from becoming a great album.
Magnificent! Every note is a triumph for awkward weirdo oddballs everywhere. This band changed the game in a major way with this album and subsequent albums. They’ve influenced everyone I love musically and I’m so grateful for their sonic contributions to the world. And this isn’t even my favourite Pixies album!! Black Francis is a pioneering genius and Kim Deal is an otherworldly badass being. All hail Pixies!
Rock alternativo tirando a punk. Está bien. Un 4.
J'ai déja écouter Doolittle, mais jamais cette album. Je connaissais seulement Where is my mind.
So many brilliant bass lines in this one, I absolutely love it.
Perfection. So much juice!
Not their best, but it's good
a mix of punk alternative rock and some experimental weird touches makes for something that reminds me of smashing pumpkins but in its own unique way
Great album, ahead of his Time, where is my mind is an absolute Banger! But à bit chaotic
I'm seriously not a fan of whatever this is... punk? rock? alternative? I just couldn't tolerate the dissonance of the two singers, and all the screeching. It is too inharmonious for my taste.
Un peu dur à rentrer dedans mais hyper intéressant et en avance sur son temps (oui). Vamos : polka insane. Et il y a la chanson de Fight Club là.
Great album, WIMM : absolute Banger, But A bit chaotic overall
I bought this album earlier this year, so it's an easy review for me. If you told me that this album was made a decade after it was released, I would believe you. I would also still think that the album was really good. It's so far ahead of its time that it's hard to talk about this album in isolation from all of the music in the 90s that it directly spawned. A lot of the formula for Nirvana's success is well developed already in Surfer Rosa. The songs are fun and well crafted. The combination of Frank Black and Kim Deal is excellent; they sound so good when they harmonize. It's actually a shame that Where Is My Mind will be forever associated with Fight Club, because this album has aged much better than that movie has It's the quintessential 90s album released in 1988. 5/5
Banda muito legal! Também não conhecia. Tem referências não muito convencionais, falas espontâneas em algumas canções e uma ideia de experimentação em tudo. O som em si é bacana demais. Li que serviu de referência para Kurt Cobain, em 1991.
Second pixies album in a week. Never really listened properly before but I am really enjoying them.
I know I've said this before but this late 80s noise rock/alternative/garage punk/not-anywhere-near-as-good-as-grunge stuff really isn't for me. It feels like an entire movement headed by people who couldn't play instruments, and that not being able to play was the core part of it - "make your lack of ability work for you" seems to be the order of the day. Which would be admirable if I liked the end result... but I don't. Pretty cool that it has tits on the cover though. 2/5.
The alt-rock is strong with this one. The album tries too hard to be lound and raw, but only succeeds in becoming somewhat predictable. The obvious standout is "Where Is My Mind?". The rest? Boring. 2/5
Not really into it just sounds generic
Best Song: Where is My Mind? Obviously the most well-known track on the album, it also feels like the most (only?) that was really constructed as a thoughtful song. Worst Song: Broken Face. A chorus that seems designed to annoy. Overall: Chaotic, spastic, and not in a good way. The kind of music that feels like it would be fun to listen to and bounce around with at a grime-y live show, but as a piece of written and recorded music? Meh.
Eh
HOHOHO MUST LISTEN
Love the energy. Crazy vocals and lyrics. The band members work well together.
A 90's album made in the 80's! Who knew? Well alot of people...never got on this bandwagon when I was younger, they're not for everyone that's for sure. But if you watched Fight Club or you're an orange Cassidy fan, you'll know at least one song really well!
I love this album and it's in pretty regular rotation for me normally. Favorite songs: Something Against You, Broken Face, Where Is My Mind (of course!), Oh My Golly! and Vamos.
I'll get back to it, some absolute classics on here
A good amount of energy and attitude make this a winner.
BLack delivers non stop catchy, edgy guitar riffs and I like the 2 vocalists. I'm sure it was hard to come up with an original sounding LP in 88 with only guitar bass and drums but they pull it off.
This band is like the Fight Club movie, you either love it or you don’t. I’ve tried really hard to like this venerated post punk band but after every listen I still find them just ok. I would rather listen to some Sonic Youth or Pumpkins if I was in the mood for this genre. But I must admit that Frank Black is a great guitarist and he’s a great frontman with lots of energy. Like most folks on this site I think Where is my mind is the best track here, and Vamos was a bit experimental and a nice change of pace, but the rest of the album fails to move me much.
6/10
I'd give it a 3.5
Too much incoherent shouting for my liking, familiar with tracks that were later covered by others but those were the pick of the bunch anyway.
wise grunge/garbage band ive ever heard
Enjoyed
One or two songs I enjoyed. Knew iwasn't a fan of the pixies
Fucking awesome! Masterpiece!!
Cool and very different. Surf punk. Sounds like white stripes and modest mouse. Where is my mind is iconic.
Where is my mind
Very good
Pixies. Fine, no complaints.
From Nirvana to The White Stripes, I can hear a lot of alternative rock acts germinating in this album. "Surfer Rosa" is one of the first alternative rock album, surfing from 1988, yet it sounds as fresh as freshly catched fish. Is the reason punk fans enjoy punk is the fun feeling of the raw, edgy, chaotic, and loud sound of it? Perhaps, and that's why I enjoyed this album a lot. It's gritty, yet fun. Some tracks still sound like forgettable loud garage rock snippets, but a lot of it are one of the best punk songs I have ever heard to date. "Bone Machine", "Gigantic", "River Euphrates", and "Where is My Mind" are notable examples. This album is just a bit above thirty minutes long, but I felt like I listened to an hour worth of the so-called "art punk." Perhaps because it's such a unique sounding album, perhaps because most of the latter half is pretty dull.
Legendary
Pixies hadn't made much of an impression on me in their heyday, but giving them full attention here really raised them up. Honestly don't know that they are that distinctive from the big soup of the pop-punk 90s surge but I enjoyed the full album.
😬not for me but has at least one classic. 3.05/5
YAHHHHHHHHH not my fave pixies album but still amazing
Its the pixies.
The album reminded me a lot of early Jane’s Addiction, but much more punk. I know Nirvana used their producer for “In Utero.” You can really feel how raw the band is. I never realized listened to the Pixies, but I respect their influence on many bands I enjoy now. I did feel a couple of songs were a little “jokey,” but one can skip over those. (I’m looking at you, “Tony’s Theme!”) A joke song or two is ok, but you don’t want to overdo that. All in all, I liked what I heard. May have to do more listening of their work.
You know, I've listened to this album a few times in the recent past because I like the Pixies and I love Where is My Mind. But prior to now I think what I really liked was the Pixies greatest hits. I don't think I really gave any one album a focused listen. And after the first few tracks I thought that's where I'd stay. But I found myself really getting hooked by Broken Face and that continued right through to at least Tony's Theme. On second and third listen, I really enjoyed it all. Maybe it's because I was an alternative era kid, but I love the slow-fast revolutions (Gigantic is a great Pixies signature for that). I also like their simple arrangements that combined a bit of distortion or gruff edge to the guitar riffs and bass lines (with nice pounding drums as backing). River Euphrates and Cactus are other songs I didn't fully appreciate until now. One knock against the album is some of the unnecessary interludes, dialogues, and gibberish within the last 4 tracks. The Pixies are trailblazers in alternative rock (as was this album), too bad we only got 4 albums in 4 successive years (I don't count the stuff released decades later). Not sure I can put it on the same pedestal as Zeppelin, Jimi, or Rage, but almost.
This album was at least three years ahead of its time. There were several points where I was thinking I was listening to Nirvana and other big alternative bands of the 90s. Favorite tracks - Bone Machine and Break My Body (both sounded a lot like Nirvana), Where Is My Mind (immediate thought - hey, I know this song!), Cactus (I knew the David Bowie version. For some reason I thought he was covering Neil Young. Very wrong about that one). Really enjoyed this album. I'd say 4 because there was a little too much feedback and a little too much incest.
It's like being in your high school friend's garage listening to his punk band. This album will appeal to you exactly as much as that idea appeals to you.
Il suono rock e acido è molto particolare. Anche la doppia voce maschile e femminile colpisce molto. Ci sono parecchie 'sperimentazioni' e effetti strani, però coerenti direi. 'Where is my mind?' e 'Cactus' molto interessanti. Come l'album degli Hookworms sta tra il 3 e il 4
This is some okay alternative rock. No recognized songs
Great album!! Solid 4.4
Kannte das Album nicht. Und daraus nur "Where is my mind". Fand Pixies irgendwie interessant - aber nicht überzeugend. Insgesamt Note 3+
my favorite song was cactus in a weird way a lot of the songs reminded me of mother mother which i liked a lot when i was in high school i wanna play this when im driving with the windows down!
I love the Pixies and this album has some great tracks but I don't love 100% of it.
Classic alternative. A treasure.
Just terrible, the only song i like is the one from the fight club ost. Mostly just annoying like listening to drunk siblings do karoeke
Positively breathtaking. Extraordinary. Wholly original music.
I've always resisted listening to the Pixies. I've remarked on my review of OK Computer that I postponed listening to it for over 20 years, and I guess I developed a similar cringe towards a band so similarly heralded by critics. Also, I've never liked Where is my Mind?; its ubiquity as an alt-rock anthem didn't ease my stomach one bit. So, my actual knowledge of the Pixies was essentially goose egg. And I was an idiot. A proper kegs-on-head silly Billy. It annoyingly turns out that Surfer Rosa is a genuinely great album, and the praise it has received over the last three decades is fully warranted. One thing nobody told me was that Surfer Rosa is rather fun, and indeed rather funny. Considering the eulogising this album generates, I was expecting something portentious, not a lean, good-humoured plate of post-punk irreverence. Also, as much as I have grimaced at the constant employment of Where is my Mind? by directors seeking a bit of Gen X cred, the song really makes sense and blossoms when played as part of the album. I am very pleased to have been wrong. Also, there are boobies on the cover. Just think you should know.
Dit album was precies iets harder dan ik mij herinner. En dat maakt het zeker niet minder goed! Blijft een topplaat
Kmew one song, rest is kinda eh
Un bon album oroginal. La chanson de fight club est vraiment la meilleure et cest leur gros hit selon moi. Un 4 pour cela.
2021.11.23
4, super, nije 100% moj đir, inace bi bilo 5
Awesome always loved this
Beaut, 8/10
old school punk where is my mind is the standout track
I've heard a handful of tracks but never heard a full album from the Pixies. "Where is My Mind?" might be my favorite track from the band. There are portions of the album that I like, but enough tracks sink this album to 2 stars.
Þetta band. Þetta sánd. Elska þau!
Super melodic catchy tunes. Upbeat. Fun. Weird cries and noises that put a smile on your face (Fun sounding harmonies) Not a complicated rhythm in the whole record. Which works for the sound. The mix is a bit empty. But it works for the sound. It’s mostly a guitar bass and drums. Piano added mildly. But it’s so catchy and fun your ears don’t miss a wall of loud mixed sounds. The simplicity is lovely.
Frank Black's yelp is unconventional, and possibly off-putting to some; but Surfer Rosa is noisy and exciting, bright and surprisingly melodic. It was probably a really fresh sound at the time. Hot take: "Where Is My Mind" isn't even the best song on this album... "Gigantic" is.
One of my top 50?
Heavy-rotation on college radio show, and with good reason. Was essential listening for me that year, but it has been ages since I've had it on start-to-finish. Holds up with amazing energy! Excellent production by Steve Albini, restraining the madness at times and then letting it all loose.
Tunes, good. Vocals, not so much.
Not great, couldn't get past third song. 1/5
Sound like early precursors to punk rock. I'd heard Where is my Mind? before. That sounds like Modest Mouse
The song I knew was from "Fight Club". The rest of the album was great, very 'in a dive bar that smells like smoke, drinking beer at a small square table by yourself' kinda vibe.
A band that somehow passed me by, listening this has made me want to explore more of their catalogue. Clearly hugely influential on band like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and half the 90s by the sounds of it. Brilliant stuff.
Love Pixies idiosyncratic style and energy. Love Doolittle, this is a close 2nd.
Not on the level of doolitle but lots to like
Hadn't listened to this in ages, still bangs
Fav songs: - Bone Machine - Broken Face - Where Is My Mind?
I liked. And I knew at least one!
Wieder so ein Zeitdokument & von vielen als Meilenstein wahrgenommenes Kultobjekt. Kriegt aber im Alterungsprozess nur schwer die Kurve, fliegt meines Erachtens etwas klapperig aus selbiger raus. Statt Indie würde ich in manchen Songs die raue Power von Punk erkennen. Für spätere Bands wie Sunset Rubdown ein wichtiger Vorfahre; dass Fight Club mit einem anderen Song besser die Welt in Schutt und Asche legt, als mit dem ikonischen Monster „Where is my mind“ wage ich dennoch stark zu bezweifeln. Knappe 2.1
Eine der ersten Bands, die meinem heranwachsenden Ich als plötzlich super hotte Stars in einem irgendwie neben den mir bislang bekannten Hitparaden stattfindenden Paralleluniversum namens Indie/Underground präsentiert wurden. Kurz danach kamen die coolen Girls, die tatsächlich (mit 2 Jahren Verspätung oder so, so cool waren die nun auch wieder nicht) die Surfer Rosa auf dem Boden vor der Matratze liegen hatten. Abseits der Autobiographie höre ich heute: Wut, Lo-Fi, runtergestimmte Gitarren, dosiert eingesetzte äh ... verrückte Ideen, rumpelnder Pop natürlich, und in jedem Ton klar hörbare Verortung nach den US of A. Und tatsächlich einen vom Bass bestimmten Trademark Sound: so klingen ganz klar die Pixies - und so mögen wir (ich) sie- ja auch. Und so gehören sie auch ganz klar in diese Liste hier. Favourite Tracks: die Single natürlich, dann River Euphrates und Vamos, nicht so toll fand ich immer Cactus. 3,499999999 Punkte
That's an automatic 5 from me. Have loved this album for a long time. The guitar line from "Bone Machine" is one of my most frequently occurring self generating ear worms, and I _still_ love it. Fave track - it could literally be any of them, I love them all. On this play through, let's say "Gigantic"...
BEST BEST BEST every single song is genius.
Classic classic classic Pixies. Sexy, dirty, menacing, it has it all. So innovative when it came out and it has aged remarkably well. A true classic Top tracks: Gigantic, Where is my mind, River Euphrates, Oh my golly
Gigantic is one of my favorite songs ever. And for that, and the album cover, this ranks very high for me.
This seems pretty uneven, but the raw feral energy of this album is pretty impressive. Certainly Where Is My Mind, Bone Machine and Gigantic stand out, but there is no dismissing the craziness that becomes a bit more organized when they get to doolittle.
Side one was much more musically appealing.
teen spirit
Big fan of several Pixies songs including a couple on this album but overall this is kind of hard to listen to. Sounds a lot like a few friends got together with some instruments and decided to screw around in the garage.
that one good song from Fight Club
4/5
Before I even start, this is going to get five stars. It's a near perfect album. I visited the pub where they shot the front cover on a pilgrimage with one of my best friends... Who I befriended at 14 because he was the only other person I knew who the Pixies were. I'm up to Gigantic (a beautiful song) and I realise these songs are too much a part of my life for any objective criticism. I can't hear Broken Face or Tony's Theme without smiling. Where Is My Mind has a cultural weight all of its own. David Bowie covered Cactus and it blew my mind that two of the most important acts in my life had come together in a moment. The fact I got into them in the 90s when the CD bundled Come On Pilgrim onto the end of the disc means it's shorter than I expected (I'll also give that EP five stars too. I'll give their entire career - pre reforming - five stars). Maybe four stars for the final album. A perfect album, a near perfect band. * Afterthoughts - given all the column inches dedicated to the rise of Latinx pop in recent years, Pixies were doing it 34 years ago. I have also used "YOU F*CKIN DIE" and, "It was just so hush hush" in casual conversation to this day to weed out fellow fans!
A classic rock album in my opinion even if it doesn't sound classic. This is their rawest most punk album and the vocals are more deranged than the later albums
Loved the album. A different approach to pre-grunge.
Haven't always warmed to this album but on listening again, it's sharp Albini production
Blah…..
Oh doctor and hello, nurse! I think I've heard the Pixies a time or two but never like this (in this list). Love the garage band sound and the short sweet songs. A 33 minute album is just how I like it. Gigantic was a stand out and so was this album cover.
Excellent album. What a malignant surprise. I've wanted to hear this one for a while now, due to how much I love "Where Is My Mind." However, the recent James Wan movie MALIGNANT features a god-awful cover of the track that has given me many sleepless nights. So, unfortunately, the timing of this album is bittersweet. But no, it's a really great one. I enjoyed this quite a lot. Lays the groundwork for a lot of grunge-y rock that followed, like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. The interludes of chatter are interesting too. I saved a lot of songs from this album. Crazy too that this band has the same Frank Black (or Black Francis) who gave us that teenager album that was not so hot. Favorite tracks: Where Is My Mind, Bone Machine, Break My Body, Tony's Theme, Vamos. Album art: Drake the kinda guy to see this cover, have his heart literally beat a foot out of his chest like The Mask, then ask the woman to cover up. Is that the titular surfer, Rosa? She looks great. I can't help but dig this one. 4.5/5
Noisy
NOt easy to listen at least for me.
Interesting good and a little bit like scramble punk 😄
This album is destined to remain their great masterpiece, and one of the masterpieces of the entire decade, one of the most influential albums of its time. Almost every song speaks for itself. It's hard to find a common denominator, apart from extreme creativity and the usual light-heartedness. The songs are songs, but they go against the antithesis of song because they are always blasted by extreme contrasts, sometimes in an erudite way and sometimes in a crazy way. (8/10) Favourite Songs: Where Is My Mind, Gigantic, Bone Machine
-Biased because I'm a fan of Pixies and this album -Its just fun and makes me wanna move -Favourite songs are Break My Body, Gigantic, Where Is My Mind, Brick Is Red
Tjoa, gar nicht mal so gut. 'Where is my Mind' ist echt gut, aber besonders danach hört‘s schon auf.
Very cool album! Love how raucous, stompy and fun it is - definitely laid the way for lots of bands after them - mad me think lots of Arcade Fire. Feels very foundational and exciting - NICE
You know, I hated the opening few songs so much that I never listened to the rest of this album and it gets progressively better as it goes. So that’s kinda cool. Better than I ever gave it credit for.
Fels longer than the half hour it is. It does have its moments but it actually is only “the album from were is my mind is taken” and that’s it. Pixies are not as good as everyone thinks even if they have some of the greatest rock songs ever
Great album - one of my all time favorites. Personally, my favorite Pixies record, though Doolittle is great as well I think I prefer this one. Such a great band, Albini on the boards... can't go wrong. Punk rock classic.
De jamma!
If I was a rose I wouldn't be surfing, that sounds scary!
Really just a tight record.
I was not familiar with the band or any of the songs prior to listening to this album. I don't see a reason to listen to it again.
Weird how I’ve only ever heard Where is my Mind off this album just kidding. Extra points for being only 1/2 an hour long
Wow this was amazing. Every track was awesome. A delight to the ears. Some of the "hits" I had heard before, but I never really realized that they were Pixies tracks. A new favorite.
A lot more cohesive of a sound than the last Pixies album I got. A great idea of indie punk, and just some raw, primal sound throughout.
I really like this album, it's incredibly fun, and I'm not exactly the most experienced with the pixies I do like most of their work. At times I feel like I am listening to the white stripes, maybe jack white had some vocal influence from this group? Not sure, I don't super think it matters. But, I do think it is quite fun to hear it in action. Also, Nice.
Is it really necessary to ask?
Buen disco de rock crudo, un tanto grunge, de un grupo con gran trayectoria y con mucha influencia. Me ha gustado más que algún otro: canciones un poco más variadas sin perder la intensidad y el guitarreo
Revisit, some decent material. Rated 3 stars because I rated the previous albums slightly too highly. Now I have some perspective…
Dreadful
Exciting, rock, indie, fun. I still love this more than 30 years later.
¡Vamos a jugar por la playa!
I respect their influence on bands I like from the 90s, and there are aspects of classic punk I love, but it’s a bit too raw and underdeveloped for my enjoyment.
Just too raw, loud, noisy
Kind of awesome. Love the chaotic energy and sense of fun. Have never heard any of their songs before, but I can see that they must have influenced Black Midi. Will definitely listen to this one again.
Surfer Rosa certainly starts out with a bang. Bone Machine has irresistible forward momentum, hooks galore, and the idiosyncratic (no, bonkers) vocal style of Frank Black, which could be the result of a mild case of Tourette's Syndrome but it more likely influenced by Pere Ubu. There is a fair amount of variety in the songwriting, but one thing that sticks out is the way that Black pieces his tunes together from jagged phrases that could be any length. Oddly enough, it never feels haphazard, and all of the Black penned songs have a family resemblance. I'd bet if wrote these out in musical notation and compared them, they would visually resemble one another. The energy, aggression, and attitude feel punk, but what's going on here is far more complex than that. The now cliche soft loud dichotomy is threaded through the album, but it sounds as fresh today as it must have then. In fact, the music is full of dichotomies straining against one another, creating tension and release. There's the yin/yang of the Kim Deal and Frank Black vocals, the driving rock numbers and the gentler tunes like Where Is My Mind?, melodic phrases versus shrieking, and more. Another thing that must be noted is the consistency of the songwriting and performances. There are standouts, but there are no real weak links. I also appreciate the loopy, Lynchian lyrics on subjects that subjects that rarely if ever appear in popular music. Try as I might, I can't think of one thing to criticize about Surfer Rosa. Steve Albini's production sometimes strikes me as unpleasantly dry, but here, for this material, it's perfect. The performances are a tad rough around the edges, but that's part of the aesthetic. I can understand someone not liking Surfer Rosa or the Pixies in general. They're unruly and strange. But if you're open to what they're trying to do, it's hard to see how Surfer Rosa could be improved.
That was a lot of shouting