Reviews (page 5 of 15)
really fun, honestly did a double take hearing pixies
Really great album. Musically very good but also quite interesting. I should listen to the Pixies more. 4.5 but to the 4 side.
fave song(s): gigantic it was fine. mixing was drier than i usually like... overall not really for me i think
Sometimes I almost forget how much I love this album. I'll admit it's overshadowed as hell by Doolittle, but damn if this album doesn't have some absolute bangers too. Still has killer riffs, beautiful atmospheres, and vocal performances that are at times emotional and still playful in some parts too.
First the sons then the next day the father's The Pixies
I already liked this album but prefer Doolittle
This album sounds like the best group of teenagers that formed a rock band in somebody's garage and just decided to record what they did over the course of a week or two. Then edit together the best bits. Which might be what it actually is. I found this album with the huge hit Where is my mind? Thank you Fight Club. It wasnt until later that I realised that this album had another amazing song Gigantic that is more raw and showcases Kim's voice as well as Francis's. Its raw, melodic, aggressive, fun and catchy. No wonder it has influenced so many others. (3.899)
Love this album. One of my favourite bands of all time.
finally, one of my all time faves!! if you don’t like this albums, you’re just too straight-laced (jk)
I think I did have to listen to a Pixies album. They are iconic. I found this album grating and boring, unfortunately.
#13/1001 🇺🇸 No.13 Baby and i've hit my first 5 star album. This band meant the world to me in my teenage years and whilst Surfer Rosa wasn't the first album that i heard it quickly became my favourite. It contains perfect pop nuggets in Gigantic and Where is My Mind contrasted the all out assault of the first four tracks. Kim Deal's sacharine vocals are the perfect contrast to the Black Francis' primal scream. Then there is the production, with Steve Albini overseeing the recording this album has a more raw live sounding feel than any of their other albums. His name crops up so many more times with my favourite artists like PJ Harvey, Nirvana, Low, Wedding Present. Best tracks: Vamos, Bone Machine, Cactus, Gigantic.
Decent album but nothing outstanding. An interesting dynamic
Punky and fun, but don't know if I would listen to it again
Another record I've listened to a lot, though it's been awhile, so it was nice to revisit. It starts out absolutely banging on the intro to "Bone Machine" and gives you a pretty great idea of where it's going. There's a good reason Pixies have influenced dozens of other bands. And 13 songs, 34 minutes? Hard to beat a record that gets you in and out that quick
Bleeeh of mikið rokk sorry
It goes
I struggled through this one and finally heard a song I liked…but I was Fugazi’s “Waiting Room” the first song that spoiled off the (long awaited) end of Pixies…
I can totally appreciate the impact this album and the band had on so much of the music I love. Full disclosure- I’ve never loved the way this band sounded on their albums- something about the way it was mixed. I know I should love them but going to be honest and say 3.5.
Their other album (doolittle) has set an high bar, that this album doesn't reach. Some songs sound off.
A little loud/fast for me, but did like it. Need to be in a specific mood for it.
I don’t typically gravitate towards this type of rock but I really enjoyed this 5/5
Mythical album. The place from where the 90s angst, cynisim and song structure would come from, later amplified beyond it's wildest dreams from the megaphone that was Nevermind. Doolittle and following albums may have better production, but the raw energy and crazy ideas make this one special.
I already like pixies song before so I am intrested in this album and first songs riff sounds cool but I always find their vocals a little bit off putting thats why I am not hugely into them really cool guitars man I love the production but event in like cure or smashing pumpkins I can tolerate the singing but it is really bugging me here give a pay raise to drummer and guitarist for something against you gigantic has only female vocals big improvment where is my mind and cactus are bangers I had high hopes after these two but I think it is going downhill generational downfall Im amazed is good tho and a good ending generally a good listen I think
Начало альбома. Ровно. Как-то не цепляет ничего, довольно монотонно. Сейчас песня, в котором есть женское соло - это уже звучит поинтереснее. "Where is my mind?" - очень классная песня, на фоне тех, что были перед ней, кажется белой вороной. Итог: понравилась всего одна песня. Как будто бы не хватило какой-то изюминки или необычных выбивающих моментов по звучанию.
Sometimes you hear shadows of Nirvana in the riffing, the overall sound I did not enjoy though.
I hear his vocal range is highly praised, but it's not for me.
Not as many hooks as Doolittle so it’s a harder listen but there are still some solid tracks on it
Probably my favourite Pixies album. A wonderful blend of chaos and melody. Also, bonus points for reminding me of playing the kazoo.
So close to a 5. Some stellar songs here with ‘gigantic’ being the standout for me. Shoots by at just over 30 mins and doesn’t sound like it’s aged a day. Just loses itself a little towards the end I felt, but some great exercises in songwriting that is quick and to the point and dies a lot with what sounds like minimal instruments and minimal additional production needed.
One of the all time classics of the 90s. I can’t think of anything quite on the same level as Surfer Rosa and I can’t think of anything else that sounds quite like it in the most incredible way I can imagine.
i dont like this album, este es el verdadero rock and roll que yo detesto. I didnt know one of my fav songs was from this album…
7 / 10
Heard it before. Like I said before when rating another Pixies album: I don't vibe with them that hard. I see the potential but we just can't click. Also Doolittle is better 2/5
Where is my mind is a polished gem mixed in with some absolute gravel. Yerg.
49/1089 3.9686* A superb album and a true inspiration for some of the people who discovered it when it came out *cough* kurt Cobain *cough*. The Pixies were groundbreakers at the time and this is an album that helped influence a new genre of rock. Hits....wimm, gigantic, bone machine
Pretty interesting music, insane instruments honestly love the guitars
come on now.... we've all heard the pixies lore but this is frustrating. It's not even pleasant to listen to??? banger album cover tho. it's a highly erotic album, i'll give it that
BRUDER SO SCHWER weil eig liebe ich pixies aber das ist halt nicht mein FAV album help am liebsten 3.5
Just knew about their bigger hits, but damn they have so much to offer.
listened to orchestral version. lots of energy
9 To have all these mad songs bookending where is my mind in the middle is an outrageous thing to do best album I’ve had for ages
6/10 - A band of vampires driving 150km/h into a wall
Grusomt.
Pixies were just on this week’s Smartless podcast and besides Where Is My Mind, I didn’t know there music at all. I could see being into this had I heard it in the ‘90s and I may come back and revisit this to learn the music better but for now I’ll give it a 4
Very influential album, obviously. Definitely worth a listen, and I intend to relisten. The sound didn't particularly impress me, but the era should be acknowledged.
As i’ve got older i’ve tended to dislike this genre more. This will mostly definitely change in the future.
I heard this band before. Some good tracks but some annoying ones as well. I would call it a fair album.
Rough, so close to gold
It had a couple hits - After that the whole damn album was the same shitty song
Nothing else sounds like this. That’s a good a bad thing. Mostly good. Chaotic while still under control. Wild in a true sense.
Where Is My Mind? was a stand out. The rest just was not working for me.
Perfect. My only regret is that I can't listen to it again for the first time.
Sounds freaky!
Stopped listening after the first three songs. Respect all music, but no.
Weird that I got two albums with boobs on the cover back-to-back days. Hard to rate because I already love doolittle and this is pretty much less-good doolittle. Obviously Where is my Mind is probably their greatest song so it has that going for it. Bone machine is pretty cool
4.5 stars
Beats are good, voices are bad (especially cactus)
loef loef hard hard
I did enjoy listening to it. I found the lyrics a bit strange and random. The music reminded me of when I used to be in a band, just making music and not overthinking it too much. It doesn’t seem very serious, and that actually works in its favor. I probably won’t listen to it again because I often find it a bit chaotic, but I’ll still give it two stars, plus one extra for the nice album cover.
Easy to hear the influence this would have on Nirvana, particularly the drums. Telling that I completely didn't notice that the album had looped around 1.5 times though - just a bit too anonymously noisy and anarchic for me.
I don't dislike The Pixies, and their influence was massive on the early 90s wave of Grunge and alternative music. Outside of "Where is My mind", there are some good songs but nothing that really sticks out. The sonic qualities of the record are also a clear reference point, with Steve Albini's production taking on a "5th" member quality that defined the record. Overall though, it's an essential listen, but not something I love.
Where's my mind overshadows the rest of this work with it's beauty Hey, Paul
You can really feel the similarities to Nirvana here (Pixies obviously one of their biggest inspirations.) "Where Is My Mind?" is ICONIC (Thank you "Fight Club") Overall tho this isn't my favorite album of this style, but it isn't bad! Liked Songs: "Bone Machine" , "Broken Face" , "River Euphrates" , "Where Is My Mind?" , "Cactus" , "Tony's Theme" , "Oh My Golly!"
Where Is My Mind is a 5. The rest is a 3. 3.5
wasn’t too notable to me. i understand that for the time it was all very new but it wasn’t all that engaging to me. i liked the woman in it though
my first vinyl day!! i fuckin love this one
not good other than the one song
Was ok - not mind blowing
I’m aghast that this one isn’t more warmly received. One of those rare albums that’s as enjoyable as it is ‘important’, and a thousand bands ripping it off a thousand times hasn’t had any impact on that fact.
Solid but not surprising
Surprised me i liked it
1st listen: It has a very good vibe. Can't remember any song, wasn't really focused. But the rhythm of the album as a whole is catchy. 2nd listen: I liked a lot of songs and found out I really enjoy rock. "Break My Body" and "Broken Face" are my favourites are. Also liked "Gigantic" and "Where Is My Mind" Really good album. I liked it even tho some songs sound the same. It's catchy and fun. Probably will listen again.
Ts is good. Already liked pixies and listened to doolittle before. Knew "where is your mind? ", so I kinda knew I was gonna like this.
Nice
wasn't expecting to like this
i only remember that one popular song
fav - where is my mind least - tonys theme
Rawer and better than I expected from memory: I loved this a long time ago, felt I'd grown out of it. Seems like I've grown back in. The entire band slay face, but Joey Santiago really goes wild on this one.
This was passed around at school like contraband. Otherworldly to a mid-teen, with its "harsh" dynamics, intriguing lyrical obsessions, colloquial Spanish interjections (that quickly became a hip code) and, of course, a pretty nice cover photo. Inseparably welded to "Come On Pilgrim" in my experience, taken as a whole this is a timeless record of which I know every minor detail. It sounds like they were having so much fun recording these songs. I saw Pixies for the first time recently, and they played about half of them - impassive to any audience reaction, visibly bored by "Where Is My Mind?" but perhaps still entertained by "Bone Machine" and "Nimrod's Son". Pretty good!
Noisy. Lack of melody
A fan of this genre, I know I will have pleasant things to say about it. There's something about this album that feels more in touch with grunge's punk roots than most any other grunge project I have heard. Coming from the present day, knowing gigantic was the single feels so wrong because where is my mind became such a bigger song for the band. It runs the gambit from melodic, spacey, almost psychedelic songs to abrasive, in your face, yelling. The sound of this album is so unique that it is hard to judge in comparison to anything. On its own, it stands as an experimental entry to what punk was becoming at the time and should be experienced much like one has to see a Duchamp work, wrong and right in unexpected ways.
Okayish… i liked gigantic!
Not to be a hater, but I really didn't enjoy this one.... it just felt like noise. I'll probably never listen to this again.
Instruments good, lyrics meh
peak white boy music (i’m not mad at it). i can see how they’ve shaped an entire generation of rock but i’m sorry i did not enjoy this album that much :/.
I definitely didn’t care for this album at first, but the song gigantic changed my mind! my top three songs were: - gigantic - where is my mind - i’m amazed
Only like 'Where is my mind'. Grew up with it
Raucus
Better than I expected.
Though not on par with "Doolittle" or "Bossanova," this is a fun, chaotic record with a few of their best songs on it. Kim Deal's harmonies and lead vocals are a great balance to Black Francis' moanings and wailing. "Gigantic" and "Where Is My Mind" alone make it a great album. Playful musical anarchy is how I would describe it.
The chemistry between Black Francis and Kim Deal shines through especially on Surfer Rosa, where either can take the lead and kill it while the other provides fun, chaotic harmony. Its not as cohesive as Doolittle and not as polished as Trompe le Monde or Bossanova. Gigantic and Where is my Mind are two of their best songs, and others here kind of pale in comparison, while i think some of their other records are more balanced and consistently fantastic. But still, this album is a ton of anarchic fun that represents what Pixies were all about.
Call it concrete the way it laid the foundation for the 90s
2/5
I was obsessed with this album for so long. I had it on cassette cause my ex-girlfriend’s car had a cassette deck. She had a red 1992 Toyota Corolla. We used to drive around town listening to this and the Doors (her favorite band at the time). To this day there is nothing like it, it is singular.
First Pixies album to hit my list. Nice. I listened to Doolittle years ago and remembered really not liking it at the time. I gave part of it a relisten about a year or so ago and, yeah, I'm still not fan. This album has a chance, however. I know "Where Is My Mind" features on this album, which is a pretty good tune. Hopefully the rest of this music measures up. I mean, yeah. This was more or less what I was expecting. Still, I always go in with an unshakeable optimism. I love myoosik, what can I say? Anyways, fuck this shitty fucking garage rock-adjacent album. If I were given a genre-extinction gun and five bullets to eviscerate whatever I want from music history, this kind of album would no doubt appear in my deliberations. It just sounds so fucking bad. I was covering the outside of my earbuds for the entirety of this album's runtime so nobody could catch me listening to such a lowly form of music. As far as actually constructive criticism goes, it's hard to be invested in this music when the majority of it goes by really quickly. The blown-out guitars and constant feedback also doesn't sound pleasing to me. On a more positive note, I like some of the breakneck percussion. The campiness it adds is occasionally fun. The female vocals are pretty alright, too. The male ones suck, however. Overall, it escapes a 1 star as I have a soft spot for weird and unusual albums, though I am never in a million years coming back to this. As mentioned previously, "Where Is My Mind" is the single, solitary victory of this album. I'm surprised they were able to wrench one out, truth be told. Virtually everything about it is different from the tracks which precede and follow it. The guitars are raw and deliberate without sounding abrasive. The songwriting/vocal melody is pretty good, and I like the lyrics. Good job, people from 40 years ago. Book time. Regarded by many as their best album. A testosterone-laden album where nothing "too pussy" made it through. I guess I'm less of a man for not liking this, but it's sadly an inalienable truth. The entry for this album is kind of weak, but I like to think this is here on good authority - I know Pixies are a big deal. I cosign this inclusion.
Great vibes
To loud / Rock
I can appreciate great musicians but it’s just not my vibe. maybe id re-listen to one or two songs again.
3,5/5 nou ja leuk, niet zo mijn stijl van muziek maar het was wel heel coherent, liedjes zijn wel allemaal vrij kort, maar dat was soms ook wel leuk where is my mind kende ik natuurlijk wel al
I don't listen to rock much. So it's not an album I'll listen to again. It was nice.
Made me a fan. Wish there were were half stars so I could give it a 4.5 . Enjoyed more than Transformer
Didn't have time to listen to the whole thing but it also wasn't really my style
I love Pixies
Nope. Not for me.
A little too punk-edged for my liking, but I appreciated the raw energy for the most part. Where Is My Mind? is an all-timer.
4.7
The Pixies’ first masterpiece. It’s all-over-the-place while barely, barely maintaining pop sensibility and structure. Broken Face was one of the first songs I truly ever listened to on repeat - I remember listening to it on my iPod classic over and over and over on the bus to class. It was one of my first intoductions to how powerful raw, lo-fi music could be.
This is a significant album with some quality tracks. "Where Is My Mind?" is an undeniable classic, what they're most known for. The opening track "Bone Machine" is another great one. The album is full of clear indications of Kurt Cobain's influence from Pixies.
Didn’t really like it … mostly sounded like people screaming
yea not starting off strong… i give this album a 4/10. only song i liked was where is my mind💔💔
Not what I was expecting… I’ve previously heard songs on this album but all the others I haven’t heard were a lot more energetic and had a rock feel to them.
Don’t understand what is special about the Pixies. Just weird and discordant sometimes.
Não consegui gostar de nenhuma música... Comecei a ouvir algumas do albúm DooLittle e nele tem algumas músicas que mais agradaram. 3/10
10
já conhecia... mas fez-me lembrar o quanto gosto dos pixies
A strong argument can be made that The Pixies got it perfectly right out of the gate, and while they varied and expanded the recipe over time they never really improved it. This, at least, is my view, as I consider Surfer Rosa their premiere statement and one of the great indie rock records of the 80s. These are great pop tunes with punk edge and a dusting of both noise and art rock - all mixed in the perfect combination on songs like "Bone Machine", "Where's My Mind", and "Gigantic." Doolittle is arguably more inventive and exploratory, but Surfer Rosa is tighter and more focused. A terrific record.
Nie mój gust, chyba jak na razie najnudniejszy album - mega średnia dla mnie ta muzyka
I'm hit and miss with the Pixies. The are some songs I really love, but others are too grating for me to enjoy. Overall this album was great, but I won't be revisiting it much.
Excellent album
I had not realized how much I like the Pixies. Some absolute zingers and only a couple of slightly dud fun throw away tracks. Gigantic's awesome as is Where is My Mind?
Surfer Rosa I really liked Doolittle, and I enjoyed Bossanova, although I didn’t find it as engaging as Doolittle. This probably falls a bit closer to Bossanova, although I think it benefits from being their first proper album, with all the rawness and rough edges that come with that, suiting the raw and rough edged music, and allowing their characteristic oddities and little moments of melodic gold to stand out. It also benefits from being a short, sharp 33 minutes, alternating shorter songs with longer ones, and their quiet-loud template works really well on Bone Machine, the uber-catchy Gigantic, River Euphrates, Oh Golly and Bick is Red. Combined with their alt-rock groove on songs like Cactus or Tony’s theme and the excellent Where is my Mind it makes it a decent listen. It's not as good as Doolittle but is a bit more interesting than Bossanova, so I think it lands as another solid 3. 🏄🏄🏄 Playlist submission: Where is my Mind
In a pre-90s indie rock world, one where a big, reverbed drum sound was preferred over Kinks-like guitars, The Pixies must've hit like an epileptic mule on electrotherapy. Also worth saying, as album-cover breasts go, and with apologies to Liz Phair, this is up there with Electric Ladyland, Tigermilk, Roxy Music and The Slits. Sensational. I am still probably an outlier amongst Pixies admirers and think 'Bossanova' their pinnacle. But of course this remains an excellent album, and places alongside The Stone Roses for ushering in a new decade of alternative rock music.
i was obsessed with where is my mind? in high school but i had never listened to this album in full. after listening to it a couple times through, i just couldn’t get into it unfortunately. i’ll probably give it another try at some point. but for now… not my favorite.
emoji babando FAVS (top 3): broken face, gigantic, oh my golly! mençoes honrosas: bone machine, river euphrates, where is my mind?, cactus, vamos compraria o vinil: SIM, talvez nao pela capa kkkk ups GENTE PELO AMOR DE DEUS É O ALBUM Q TEM A INSPO DE CLUBE DA CHUPA PQP NAO CONSEGUI OUVIR PQ SO SEI A LETRA DE CLUBE DA CHUPA KKKKKKKKKKKK TIRANDO ESSE LINDO FATO um album muito bom!!! nao sei como nunca tinha escutado nota final: 4.5/5
Pixies are fine, but I never really latched on to them
ok dit was niet echt mijn album het nummer dat ik leuk vond was "where is my mind"
es bueno, pero no me provocó nada.
This was a biggie in the day. Surfer Rosa earned the Pixies an instant fanbase and pretty much reinvented - or at least reinvigorated the alt. music scene. Style-wise, the band hit a few different bases, while simultaneously settling on the quiet/loud/quiet thing that became their trademark sound – a sound which didn’t lack imitators. Steve Albini’s production doesn’t take any prisoners, and the decision to include studio chat gave the album an odd feel of slight novelty, though never enough to detract from the intensity of songs like Bone Machine, Where Is My Mind and Cactus. The latter was even covered by David Bowie. Nice. Of course, the brilliant Doolittle followed and the band broke through big time. 9/10
Jättebra album! Lite corny ibland. Gillar Bone Machine och Where is my Mind extra mycket.
Felt like it was a lot of instrumentals
🥴
Honestly have never listened to Pixies.. or so I thought, pretty good album and had a few songs I’ve heard before but never knew who they were by. Good grunge vibes
Never been into rock so this album is a bunch of noise and screaming to me. Dnf.
Not really for me, really enjoyed the instrumentals but the lyrics and vocals just didn’t resonate with me 2/5
Before Listening: 2nd album from the 80’s, also 2nd album I already have a song saved from! High hopes for this one. During Listening: VERY strong start, William describes them as ahead of their time and I truly understand that for them. It’s energetic, spirited, and a lot of fun. After Listening: I really enjoyed the spunkiness of the album, I think it will take a couple listens to really enjoy some of the songs enough to save them to my library. Before listening: 1/13 songs After listening: 3/13 songs
6.5/10
Kinda clunky but fun. Its a bit like the whole Album is practice for: "Where is my Mind"
awesome
A little noisy/garage band-y for me, I like both male and female vocalists though
Still has the edgy Pixies sound with the hit ""Where is my Mind?"". Another good album addition.
not bad, just not for me!
Kind of a letdown for me. Understand the influence and would’ve cited it as a “great” album but found that after not actually listening to it in like 25 years I just didn’t enjoy the songs that much
Classic late 80s rock, ebbs into the early 90s grunge.
Where is My Mind is best known now, but there are other good songs too. I like Bone Machine and Gigantic.
A lot more fun than Bossanova
I thought this was a pretty good album and liked it slightly more than the other Pixies album I've gotten (Doolittle). There was some garage/punk indie feel to it, which made it stand out from some of the more straightforward rock albums on here. It gave me Nirvana vibes at times, White Stripes at others. There were a couple songs that I didn't care for but otherwise I thought it was really strong. The conversational parts felt a little out of place, though. I'm close to the borderline between 3 and 4 on this one. It's not really something I'd say is great, but I'd listen to it again. Overall: 3.4/5
I dont think this style of punk (i think?) Is quite my thing, just too close to noise for me. Favorite track was Gigantic
Influential in the same way stepping in dog shit influences me to get new shoes
This was never my favorite Pixies record, but listening to it now it is genuinely brilliant and you can totally hear the next 10 years of alternative rock music within it. The second half kinda goes off the rails but the first half easily makes up for it.
This is one of my favourite albums ever, played so many times, “ where is my mind” - stand out, screeching guitar- Kim Deal, Black Francis, I saw the Poxies in 89, and 90 - great gigs🙌
A perfect Christmas Day listen. If not on Christmas Day it would be a very different rating
Where is my mind alone solidifies this as a solid 4*
It was alright. Quite a few songs I liked, some filler in my view and a bit too much noise rock in a few songs. However overall a very strong 3.
Some great songs on here (and boobies)
Always been a fan of early Pixies. Eventually, they went a little bit mainstream, but this first one is great.
High School for me, I was for the most part a metal head. But in 1991 when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hit the radio, my musical tastes started to go in different directions. I never went back to listen to the back catalog of bands that influenced bands like, Nirvana, Soundgraden, I only moved forward, for the few years in the nineties, until even the 90s started to sound old, and then I just moved on to other things entirely. Ah those formative years in your early twenties when your tastes change so much, I never went back to explore these early genres in the making. So hearing an album like this, was like fresh music to my ears. And now with the world of streaming I can go back and re-discover any old genre I want.
I liked it, especially Oh My Golly! or Gigantic, but alternative rock isn’t really my cup of tea. Nonetheless, it is such a nice vintage record and did not expect the Spanish little brushes at all!
nao sou tao fa de pixies mas gostei!
Female vocalist is very talented. Male vocalist is screechy and gives me anxiety.
🌊🌊🌊 🏝️🌊⛵ 🌊🏝️ 🌊🌊 🤿 🐠🐟 🪨🪨🦑🐙 🦀🦈
(100/100)
I know this is a very influential band and I was looking forward to my first Pixies album but a big disappointment. Didn’t enjoy it at all and not tempted for a second listen.
so very vampire esque i def gotta listen to this one again, 8/10
The only reason I hesitated about giving this a 5 is that Doolittle exists, and that’s one of my gold standards for what a rock album can be. Surfer Rosa is not that… even in a 34 minute record, there’s songs they could have cut. But the tracks that work work so goddamn hard. “Bone Machine” brings all Black Francis’s absurdity and perversion and violence and beauty right from the outset. “Cactus” impressed Bowie enough for him to cover it. Everybody feels like they have a “Broken Face” after they hear it. And “Where Is My Mind?” Like everybody my age, I got to know it through the last scene of Fight Club. No sane person likes everything in that movie, but the choice to end it with that song make the last scene sufficiently transcendent that you think, “Wait, maybe that IS what I want.” You met me at a very interesting time in my life… Yet it’s also a silly song I sing with my preschooler. “Daddy, play the swimming brain song…”
some were ok some were top some were meh
rlly liked the album as a whole which surprised me. avant garde very much so and i like that. defo certain songs that i’d listen to more than others but might actually re listen front to back again
This surprised me in a few ways. First, 1988.… I know nothing about the pixies, but having learned to “where is my mind“ I wouldn’t have been surprised if it came out in the late 2000s. This is an early album and I didn’t know music could sound like that in 1988. Some of the tracks are pretty rough and unpolished, which is not what I expected, only knowing a couple of their hits. I did enjoy the chaos of that roughness though. The track VAMOS really cracked me up. I don’t know if I would play this album for other people, but I would listen to it again for sure. 4/5
I tried to like it, I really did. 2/5
So great
Fantastic
Nope
Classic! If only it had two or three fillers less, it would be perfect. Fav: Gigantic
The final song, Brick Is Red, was my favourite song on the album, up until 1:13- I had thought it was an instrumental piece without the screeching. I appreciate the historical significance of this band and the contrast of grunge music with the name Pixies delights me. Not an album I ever want my ears to endure again.
A couple of good tunes, but for the most part I found this a sloppy, disjointed, garage band mess. Perhaps that's due to fatigue from this style of delivery being so far overdone over the following few decades, perhaps it's just not meant for me as I listen today. I am, however, grateful that it exists, knowing the influence it had on albums and artists that came shortly after it.
This one got me into the Pixies hard back in the day. Camos!
Love the instrumental!!! Tracks that really stand out for me is break my body and gigantic. Overall it is a short listening album and it doesnt really move with soo :( . My rating is probably 6/10
Very original grunge, I liked the instrumental sounds but the vocals weren’t as captivating for me
I actually have no idea how i feel about this. Most of the songs were too noisy. Where is my mind is a banger tho
Pas trop mon truc le gros rock comme ça
I liked it, but honestly it’s not easily digestible. It’s something I need to really sit on and hear me. It was a lot at first listen.
5.0 (Genre birth - Grunge) (33:21, 13 tracks, 1988, debut), proto-Grunge Impossible to underestimate how important this album was to the development of music. In 1988 alternative (aka "College" radio was getting stale, The Smith/Cure sound had been explored entirely, synthpop was dead, College Radio (REM and Jangle Pop was five years old) and the industry was desperate for something new. Almost out of nowhere Boston band Pixies hired Chicago producer Steve Albini to record the first "Grunge" record. While the album was not commercially successful until 5 years later, this kicked off everything known later as "Alternative Rock" - approximately 50 of the albums on this list (many are top 50 rating) owe their existence to this album. So many artists wouldn't even exist without this album. I remember telling my friends in 1988 (or 89?) it was impossible to understate how important Gigantic was (a song Kim denies is about painful interracial (1986 film Crimes of the Heart) intercourse. . . but it is.) Equally confusing was the flamingo dancer's breast which were on the larger end of the spectrum for 1988 (mostly pre-enhancements era). The album's name Surfer Rosa was selected DIRECTLY because Gigantic and the album cover art would draw an incorrect analogy. "Where's my Mind At?" (in no small part it's role in Fight Club) finally broke Pixies as the most influential band of the 80's (retroactively awarded by many critics). No Pixies = no Nirvana - no Smashing Pumpkins - no Alternative - no Grunge
it's cheering me up so i finish my assignment! I really enjoyed the vibe i love this kind of sounds
Loved the brief dialogue intermission in I’m amazed. Classic where is my mind. Fav was gigantic!
this is honestly unlistenable for me. his voice is so painful i can’t listen to the rest 😭 1/10 (only 1/10 bc of where is my mind)
What a good first album to get. Didn't want it to end.
Poh
I’ve listened to the hits from this one but not much more. I’ve been meaning to get into the Pixies, though, so I’m glad I got this album. The drums at the opening of this are perfect—feels almost like a war call. The rest of the song follows and doesn’t disappoint. The second song, “Break My Body,” is an oddly melodic admission of self-hatred. The third track follows this theme of anger, but instead of being aimed inward it’s about someone else, and it isn’t melodic at all—it’s full-on hardcore punk with screeching vocals that sound like they’re coming from the next room. Then Broken Face brings it back to melodic again, but with the most insane lyrics imaginable. Then, of course, there’s the two big songs from this album—Gigantic and Where is My Mind. The former has an amazing opening bass line and features Kim Deal on lead vocals. You can definitely hear the blueprint for later trends in indie and punk in this song. The latter is even more amazing, being the slowest the album ever gets. It has this great feel to it, like spinning in circles and floating away. The main riff and drums are especially exceptional. I could listen to this song on loop all day, and it’s a perfect midpoint for the album. The abrupt ending is really creative as well. Tony’s Theme is surreal, with references to childhood and an opening that sounds like (and likely influenced) Carnival by Bikini Kill. It’s fun and screechy and continues to be melodic. Oh My Golly! continues the pounding drums and garage sound, and Vamos (Surfer Rosa) continues the theme of having lyrics in Spanish, for some reason. Also, lesbians. It’s a great song. The last fifteen seconds of Brick is Red makes for a perfect ending. The instrumentals sound like they’re about to finish off, then rise, then stop almost suddenly. I’m not going to pretend to know what the lyrics are really saying. However, I love this kind of rambling style—the beat poetry movement, Hole’s Pretty on the Inside, most stuff by bands like Sonic Youth. I can’t help but like it, even if it’s really insane most of the time and I’m kinda wondering why he felt such a need to say some of the stuff he did out loud. I’m a huge Husker Du fan, so it’s cool to see a band inspired by them—and see that that band then went on to inspire the grunge revolution and some of the greatest musicians of not only alt-rock, but of the musical landscape as a whole. And this album is deeply influential. While I haven’t listened to Doolittle, the general consensus does seem to be that it was better, but because I haven’t listened to it I can’t really make a statement about that. So, having this album in my mind as THE Pixie’s album, this is a definite five stars. Recap: Favorite songs: Where is My Mind?, Gigantic, Tony’s Theme, Something Against You, Broken Face Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons/similar albums: Zen Arcade, Pretty on the Inside, Nevermind, Goo, The Stooges, Dirt, Pablo Honey Rating: 5/5
Entspricht nicht genau dem, was ich gerade gerne höre aber ich checke, weshalb das Album cool ist und ich sehe mich das im Frühling nochmal hören Ich kann raushören, dass Mother Mother Inspiration von den Pixies hat
I enjoy that they seem to have a lot of fun making their music.
Really enjoyed this one. I loved the stripped down sound- blending raw instrumentation with catchy lyrics and emotional subject. It was a interesting mix of grungey pop-punk garage rock with pop elements. Overall- very solid album
The Pixies at the height of their alternative power with tunes that broke the waves and set the stage.
I thought I'd like this more than I actually did, considering how much I love "Where is My Mind?" but it wasn't my favorite album. A little too noisy and chaotic for my taste. My cats hated it, lol My high points beyond "Where is My Mind" were "Gigantic" and "Catcus."
lowk mid
웨얼이스마 만드~~
I might like “Doolittle” more than this one by a hair, but they’re both fabuloso. Best buzzsaw-guitar-pop out there.
3.0 RYM
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Gutes Album!
Would be 1 star without Where Is My Mind
Pleasant, with some hits !!! 3.5
Didn't like it as much as I expected to. Opening track is great though. 2.5
its like it’s getting better with every track until it reaches ‘Where is my mind’ and then it doesn’t get better. Like they wrote that song and thought “Oh gosh we need an album to release with that thing”
Classic for a reason.
Can't not enjoy the Pixies - Where is my mind? is great, Bone Machine and Gigantic not far behind. The music of my late teens so a holds a special place in my heart
Song notes: Gigantic - I love Kim Deal's voice! I really like this song, it instantly perked me back up. River Euphrates has great energy. Where is my Mind was one of my favourite songs as a teen and I'm just as excited to hear it now as I did then. Vamos is an entire vibe, I could live in this song. Overall I feel like I'm in the room with them, it's such a raw and unfiltered album. They are thrashing and jamming and yelling and I'm just hiding there, along for the ride.
7/10
There were like 2 songs that I liked, one was added to my playlist. Again just not really my style.
Really only loved the song I knew
Will always be a favorite of course. Also something fun to remember: dad read my mind and guessed what the album was right away.
I dig
Where is my mind brings this to a 4 but otherwise a 3
Surfer Rosa was an excellent album and I think I enjoy punk rock more
The album wasn't bad by all means- just not my cup of tea! This coming year I'm trying to expand my music taste beyond rap and I can tell it's going to be challenging. I recognized one of the songs off the album, probably a TikTok song ahaha
Love the instrumental but the vocals were okay
They were never on my radar. Not bad for me. Too funny that one of their songs showed up for the credits in a new Netflix show I’m watching….(show is The Beast in Me)
Pixies...very avant-garde, sound like the Pixies. Unfair rating from me for the reason they're up there as an influencial favorite. Just different in their own way, yet they have command and make you listen. Great timing, super creative, awesome production!
i like bone machine and gigantic. where is my mind. this one caught me off guard
Mostly uninteresting or boring, some annoying. Saved Where is My Mind and Cactus - Where is My Mind just sounds good and Cactus is a fun raunchy love song, possibly a future favorite. Comments said Bowie covered it, will have to listen. Might listen to some other songs by this group at some point.
A little wild, a little loud, a little weird and a lot sexy. Bangers the whole way through
Loved this so much. Listened multiple times and then went ahead and listened to Doolittle too!
La primera vez que escucho algo de los pixies, me pareció chistoso el uso del español en algunas partes, no escucho mucha música alternativa así que la impresión que me lleve fue algo rara al escuchar el álbum, lo volveré a escuchar para ver si me pega o nada, la que más se quedo en la cabeza fue "vamos"
Enjoyed! Saved to my albums. I really liked Tony's Theme
I do really like this album. Of course "Where Is My Mind?" is seminal. Quintessential. All of the things. I'm not sure if the rest of the album holds up.
More visceral than Doolittle. I like Pixies a lot, but I find it a little harder to imagine a time where I'm in the mood for every song on this album. Got banger tho.
Already one of my favourites of all time. I love the way it uses the 2 lead singers of The Pixies especially
Ok album with some great songs on it and some that weren’t really listenable, even driving up the ski hill with my 18 yr old hard music liking son…
Broken Face stood out and of course Where Is My Mind? Such a Nirvana before Nirvana album. 4.5/5
Happy that I listened to this, because if I truly have to listen to all of these albums before I die, then the rest of my life will be blissfully and cognizantly void of this album.
Iconic, influential, timeless
Hit za hitem
- first song actually isn’t that bad, def a little weird but I like the guitar line. - these are a tad intense - Well where is my mind is an absolute classic. It’s so different from the other songs
Wocbsurhxxbj
I wanted to like this album so much more than i did. Dont get me wrong its a great album and one that will be getting a solid 7/10 for me, but it seemed to initially have everything i was looking for. Intressting soundscape. Lots of diversity between songs. An intresting voice with a unique rythm and lyrical style. It was so close to being a 5 star for me. Still an amazing album and a great listen. Although i can appriciate more electronic sounds as well this band really captures what i want in sounding diffrent. Yes it uses the standard setup of gituar drum and a singer but it doesnt sound like a standard setup at all and thats what i like.
Dark, disjointed and grunge. Sounds like it was recorded in a haunted school hallway. Cool sound, but not my thing
Fun punk album, starts off a bit weak but gets the better later in. Vocals feel a bit whiny, especially in the slower songs. Strangely in the faster Pased songs those same vocals fit quite well. 6/10
Ugh. I need half stars. This is an easy 3.5. Really a pretty damn good album. great? No. but I like the messiness and the noisiness of it.
It's hard to rate such an influential album and though maybe its listenability has lessened as I've aged, the stand out tracks on it are so strong and it's easy to ignore the noisier tracks.
Black Francis
5!!!!! So damn good
I like the Pixies a lot and this is short, solid album. I like the switching between the vocalists. I like Kim’s voice. Where is My Mind is an incredible song.
I was expecting to like this more than I did. It was just OK. I found it very disjointed.
This misses the mark for me unfortunately.
Noise
I mean. Full of hits. Love it. 4.5
i like the pixies the way a lot of my peers want me to like sonic youth. sorry but sometimes i want a hook
3.5
Weird. Short. Pretty lady on the cover. Good stuff
FEETON THE GRIUND HEAD ITN THE AIR
Love this one!
4 out of 5 More Pixies. Great album.
Alternative/rock. It is interesting, but the songwriting isn’t standing out to me. If anything it’s subpar. I can hear influence from this album on some 90s alt rock and punk projects. However, I feel like these guys walked so others could run. This may grow on me, but for now 3/5.
O primeiro do Pixies, e um dos mais noiosos. As guitarras aqui cantam e gemem. O baixo é simples e espetacular, e digo o mesmo da percussão. O disco inteiro passa uma energia de subsolo. Sempre gostei desse álbum, mas quando diretamente comparado com o resto do trabalho da banda, ele parece faltar algo. É o disco mais “cru” da banda e certamente há um apelo nisso, mas eu prefiro as obras mais refinadas deles. Dito isso, ainda é um grande álbum, e um reverenciado por diversos outros artistas. Peça importante para entender as raízes do Rock Alternativo. 4.5/5
Such a marker with roots and as the roots of so many musical trees.
Solid record. Pixies always have that grungy, gritty sound and this record is no different. This record also has that one song that's been made famous, "Where is my mind?" I liked this one, and I understand why Pixies have such a following.
Außer where is my mind nichts so bemerkenswertes dabei
It's a good album. I like it, but it's also a little abrasive.
Pixies have never really clicked for me, but this album came the closest. By the end it grew on me a bit, and ended up being a surprisingly good listen!
perfect album to get me out of my slump and back into loving music !!
Can’t get into it
Loved it ! Holy crap
Some classic songs, but mostly a decent punk'ish album
peak rock
I’m sure it’s somebody’s thing. Just not mine
I'VE GOT NO LIPS I'VE GOT NO BONES WHATEVER I SAY IS ONLY SPIT
It’s pretty rare that an album gets made where you can hear the next decade of popular music when you listen to it. I definitely would have thought that this came out in the 90s, I can’t imagine what young, future musicians thought when they heard this for the first time. 4/5
Not huge on the pixies
This is a band that I always assumed was a one hit wonder, because the “fight club” song is so popular and genuinely on another level. Like it’s easily one of the greatest alt rock songs of all time. So I assumed there wouldn’t be a lot else going on this album, which is completely inaccurate. This album is definitely being carried by “where’s my mind” but it’s got a lot of other great songs buried on it. The stand outs for me that really felt like bold risks were “broken face”, “gigantic”, and “cactus”. It’s so close to being a no skip album but there are a few forgettable tracks on this album. But despite that, this is a totally stellar album. Totally deserves to be on this list and definitely worth your time if you like alt rock.
Essential alternative guitar record
Strong 4
Good album
…I like “where is my mind”
I've never really given Pixies much of a look in as I've always (rightly or wrongly) associated them with a school of grunge that generally just doesn't do a lot for me. I've got Doolittle on vinyl as I found it in a sale box during one of my record shop crawls in London, bought purely on the reputation of the band and incessantly being told I needed to check them out. Think I've played it once and never gone back to it. Anyway, Surfer Rosa is a bit of a curious case on first listen. Instrumentally it's far more chaotic, angular and neurotic than the type of bands I'd have lumped them in with previously, which I think will afford it a revisit down the line. Vocally, I'm not as enamored with that American shrieking/wailing approach, even if it does serve the music effectively, and the rather thin, buzzy production doesn't leave many pockets of space to clutch onto.
Never knew the difference between pixies and Sonic youth. Now with the help of this list I realized sonic youth is the good one and pixies is just terrible talking heads if they were screamers. Gigantic is ok.
Even better than I remembered, brilliant.
Was ok, not sure it's my thing
I wasn't really into the Pixies when this first came out (I found it a bit too "noisy" and angry and angular) but now it's growing on me. Maybe I'm getting more angry with age? Or more appreciative of a wider of range of music? I hope it's the latter.
Amazing how similar yet how different it is from Doolittle. Leans more surfer rock (unsurprisingly) than punk. Gigantic and Where is my mind both absolute killer songs. Only four stars, because again a little uneven in quality. Funnily enough, unlike Doolittle, I find Surfer Rosa starts off a little weak but then improves as it goes along.
turns out I know where is my mind! although the first few notes are the most enjoyable bit of the song. feeling slightly more generous towards this album (i'm awarding a 2 instead of a 1)
I have to give this a 5 as I prefer it to Doolittle and gave Doolittle a 5...... Such a great album, anyone who can sing about scuba diving and make it this beautiful deserves tonnes of praise. Arguably more accessible than Doolittle but still with some experimental tracks pushing the boundaries a bit. Its peak Pixies.
Not as strong as their slightly later album Doolittle. But interesting as you can see their development between the 2
If Dolittle is their Nevermind, this is their bleach
3. Where is my mind is perfect, but I don't LOVE the entire album
not a fan apart from where is my mind
🤯
Yes
Cracking, classic album!
Gigantic is pure Kim Deal and I love it. has always been the standout track on this album. Where is my mind was absolutely killed to death back in the 90s when i used to DJ, but I cannot deny it is a great song. On the whole, this is not my favourite pixies album. There are some really good songs interspersed with some pretty average songs. While some songs like Something against you and broken face are staple live songs, they are not my favourite by any stretch of the imagination. Outside of Vamos, there is nothing outstanding after where is my mind. 3.5 Stars
Red Hot Chili Peppers I am your maker
I prefer Doolittle, and ¨Where Is My Mind¨ has been overplayed to death but it's a good album. A bit unfocused but it sounds like they were having a good time.
overrated
Man I had no idea how great this album was.
Most enjoyable listen of this album for me so far, used to not be to into it but there’s some great songs here I’ve overlooked
woah, how why are they so good?!!
Not good at all.
The 1990’s started here! OK, that might be an exaggeration. But it’s pretty obvious how this influenced some of the biggest acts of the decade that followed (parts of Nevermind are just like a more polished version of this). For that reason alone, Surfer Rosa belongs on this list. So, how does it fare on its own - just as an album to listen to? Pretty well if you ask me. I especially like the huge drum sound. 4/5
I feel Doolittle is maybe better but not by much, they had this brilliant way of controlling noise and chaos with a softer side, excellent album.
Feels shoegazey with some ska influence. It also has hints of MCR. I had heard Where Is My Mind already
Genre: Indie Rock A very 1988 indie/alt rock album if I've ever heard one. Some good quality moments on this thing, the singles are all great, but it's a little too up-and-down in terms of quality. An enjoyable listen, but for me, not one I'llneed to try again anytime soon. 3/5
Solid.
Damned good album
Olihan taas menoa ja meininkiä. En tiedä yhtään mitä tässä tapahtui mutta oikein kivaa menoa eikä oikein mitään pahaa sanottavaa.