Surfer Rosa

Great album. Doolittle will always be my favourite, but this is still really enjoyable.

This is really cool, I definitely see the influence this would have on Nirvana. I sort of prefer this sound, not fully grunge so it almost ends up feeling like pop punk, just earlier.

This is a great debut album and an economical 34 minutes in length. Post punk, alt-rock with a raw edge perfectly captured by the late Steve Albini’s production. There was evidently a bit of tension between the band and the producer, shown through some of the studio chatter that’s included here, but it seems to have pushed them to greater heights. Highlight is the track Vamos (Surfer Rosa) which is sung half in Spanish. Great stuff.

This album was great, really enjoyable the whole way through. They rock hard but it's approachable and varied enough to stay interesting throughout (though the album is only 34 minutes long). This is Boston-based Pixies debut album, and my second "greater Pixies universe" album on here (Black Francis aka Frank Black is the lead singer). This one was much better than his solo album that was only my 10th album in the project. It seems like this came out of nowhere a bit, they were on a minor label at the time and this didn't get much promotion when it came out. It's been pretty influential for a lot of artists though, and you can really hear how the sound of this 1988 album leads into the early 90s alt-rock and grunge sound. It feels like Pixies and Sonic Youth have a lot in common, and both had a real influence on the bands that came soon after. I considered giving this a 5, but there's a few songs that don't quite do it for me on a short album. I can't decide how I feel about the banter on some of the songs, I generally find that a bit gimmicky but it's ok I guess. Overall a really enjoyable album, I'll definitely be coming back to this. Also "Where Is My Mind?" has probably been overplayed a bit over the years, but for good reason. It's an awesome song. Favorite song: Where Is My Mind? Other: Break My Body, Something Against You, Broken Face, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Cactus, Vamos (Surfer Rosa), Brick Is Red 7/10/24

Not as good as Doolittle but still amazing

Really good album

This is amazing.

A very good album which I would have given five stars, were it not for the moments of ugly, abrasive harsh noise. I like Albini's raw production (which I have praised on other albums on this list), but this was a bit too much to fully enjoy the album.

The debut album from the Pixies, particularly notable for the production by Steve Albini. The mix of punk rawness with pop elements would become a defining feature of many 90s acts. Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and Smashing Pumpkins, among others, have cited 'Surfer Rosa' as a massive influence. 'Where Is My Mind?' is the album's (and perhaps the band's) strongest song by a good margin though it would need to be included at the end of 'Fight Club' before most people heard it. I love the rough style and the clash between high and low. But if I'm completely honest, I prefer 'Doolittle' overall.

love how disjointed and loud this record is, definitely my preferred sound over something like the rem album which is mainly problematic to me because its just way too clean

4.25

3.5 but Where Is My Mind kicks it to a 4

Doolittle is one of my all time faves and this isn’t quite up there. Also I saw them live a few years ago and it was one of the most disappointing gigs of my live

Lo-fi and grungy. Some songs are more surf rock than others. Gigantic and Where is my mind are big highlights.

What an awesome sound. The only track I'd heard before was Where Is My Mind, but the rest of the songs were great too. Such a cool guitar sound. I really dug this. Four stars.

Alright! Some Pixies! This is the album that has Where is My Mind? Awesome. That's the only song of theirs I know haha. Oh and Gigantic which is also on this album.

I thought I had a better idea of what the Pixies were based on "Where is my mind" and that seems to be the outlier on the album. It is evident the influence this band had on the alternative/grunge sounds in the 90s, and also like some of those earlier albums there are quite a few noisy tracks. Earlier on in this 1001 journey I'd probably have given it an extra star or more for just the influence it had on so many artists, but I've gotten a little more restrictive with 5 stars, but it can be a solid 3.5 Favorite track "Where is my mind?' 3.5/5

I always enjoy this one, really fun and exuberant album

#255. Honestly, this reminds me of my review of In Utero. There's definitely some standout really good songs, but there's also a few that seem almost intentionally bad. It all averages out in the end I guess. Plus one star because there's boobies on the cover. 4/5: boobies.

I still like Doolittle better, but I had fun with this one

Classic from track 1

I had Surfer Rosa/I am Pilgrim growing up, which I always found a bit bloated so didn't rate it that highly, especially in comparison to Doolittle. However, this is my first time absorbing Surfer Rosa solo. Being just 33 minutes actually helps it a bit, it makes the weaker tracks, and there are a couple, drag on less. There's still plenty to about about on this album. Not as polished (or as good) as Doolittle, but a great debut from a band which quietly changed music history

I've owned this album for a long time, and always enjoyed listening to it, so it's a bit hard to listen to the songs without associating them with various times and places. Regardless, I always feel like this could have easily been the soundtrack to "Repo Man" (the movie) and not skipped a beat, and I mean that as a high compliment. :) I think my favorite song is "Where is my mind?" although there's only a few that aren't up there as good-to-great songs. It's very cool to read how this album was an inspiration for Kurt Cobain for "Nevermind", and other artists too. A huge bummer, though, that the producer (Steve Albini) totally bad-mouthed the band after helping make a great album ....

I lovvvveee fight club

This band is massively influential to pretty much all alternative music that came after it and you can hear that in every song. There are themes and riffs that just seem to set the bedrock for so much music. I had never listened to this album prior despite knowing The Pixies place in history and I'm happy that I finally got the chance. It's also so great to a listen to an album that isn't taking itself so seriously. I mean having a song that starts with the line "This is a song about a superhero named Tony! It's called 'Tony's Theme'" is just stupid fun.

While I completely respect Steve Albini, who produced Surfer Rosa. I don’t agree with his take on the Pixies, “a patchwork pinch loaf from a band who at their top dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock,”. Yea, I suppose their messy, yelpy style can be described as college rock?l, they are hardly bland. Surfer Rosa, is an energetic frenzy of grunge, pop punk and surf and it all comes together with Black and Deal at the helm of this wild ship. Sorry Steve but this college rock is fucking great. 4 stars

Prefer Dolittle

A really cool album with a big hit on it. I didn’t like it as much as Doolittle

Where Is My Mind is such a toooon! I’m not even the biggest Fight Club fan but the ending + credits with this over the top is superb. The rest is good, but doesn’t live up Where Is My Mind. Although I do like Gigantic. Decent live as well. Simpsons: Yes

4/5

Pixies tapes and CD’s were heavily rotated amongst my friends and I. At this time they were traded along with bands like R.E.M., Fugazi, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Violent Femmes and Janes Addiction. This was around the time for me as a new guitar player and music lover that I began opening up to new artists. I was transitioning from hair metal and “guitar gods” to music that had deeper layers and went against the status quo of that era. Also these bands created music that seemed more tangible for my friends and I to learn and emulate. Pixies, and this album in particular, fully embodied these qualities. On the technical side, which is something I’m drawn to now going back to all these familiar albums, there’s producer/engineer Steve Albini, who the music world lost just recently. Steve’s distinct drum sound is on full display on this album, as well as his ability to capture the raw energy of the band, warts and all. I love how this album really pulls you into the recording process. The banter between members made into song transitions invited the audience to hang out in the studio. Vocals were recorded in the studio bathroom just to get the perfect room sound since Steve wasn’t happy with the ambiance of the vocal booths. The sound of the session being recorded was a major feature of the album and it created a more detailed documentation of where and how it was made. For better or worse this was all Steve’s influence. For instance the tape ran out at the end of “Where Is My Mind” so Steve recorded Kim’s reverb track at the end to mask the studio blunder, and it just makes it all the more haunting. The songs on Surfer Rosa sound like the band had been playing them out for good period of time giving the band more time to really dial in the tones and performances rather than hashing out song structures and lyric writing on studio time. All of this makes for a solid album from top to bottom, no skips.

- I liked this a lot more than I thought I would - cool blend of surf rock and punk - guitars were awesome - nice album cover -3.5

I was wavering between 4 and 5 for this. It was such a stonking album but I hadn’t listened to it for years. I remember playing the CD a lot back in the day. It’s very raw and messy but powerful. Sort of tailed off at the end but terrific for three-quarters. Gigantic talent!!!

Super fun

Other than Where is My Mind, I'm not really familiar with the Pixies (or is it just "Pixies"). I can see what all the fuss is about. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Enjoyed it. Short but sweet

Excellent album, consistent and stands out from the standard grunge acts of the time

Yeah. Still amazing. Those Albini drums are so special.

Like it. Actually plan on going through their discography now

It has been a hot while since I got a Pixies album. My first album of theirs was Bossanova, their third album. But that's not the only context where it's the third album, as it's also the third album that I ever listened to for this project all the way back in October 2023! I've been pretty excited for this day to come ever since, as Surfer Rosa as seen quite a bit more acclaim. So, does this album live up to the hype? Yeah, I think it does. This is a much more aggressive album in comparison to Bossanova. The sound is more raw thanks to Steve Albini's production. The writing is also more taboo and intense. There's some great songs on here, but all of them are eclipsed by what is easily the band's most popular song, "Where is my Mind?". While I do agree that it's an amazing song and it's probably the best on the album, I can't help but feel that it's kind of out of place. Like, the other songs are quite heavy and written about things like sex and violence, and then you have this slower song about scuba diving (though that is just the literal interpretation). This is one of those rare albums where being loud and noisy actually works. Still, it isn't quite perfect enough to warrant a perfect score. High 4/5. Maybe Doolittle will be the one to break the barrier.

Only reason this is getting 4 and not 5 is because Doolittle is better

This was an unexpectedly awesome album. I thought for sure this had come out 10 years later than it did just because the sound was so modern. I guess they were the genre defining act that everyone tried to emulate tho. Great album

Great album. As good as The Fall! Brilliantly recorded. Favourite tracks: Something against you. I'm Amazed. And Vamos.

Exceptional album - ignoring the hype only one or two flat songs on here there rest is banging

Another one I know songs from but never listened to - can hear the influence this had directly on bands like Nirvana. One that I’ll now have on my rotation of albums I think.

Rough and angry debut with the melodies and sound coming through.

day 138 ----------------- surfer rosa pixies 1988 alternative rock, grunge the pixies' debut album is pretty typical grunge, almost... gothic grunge at points. i would say it starts like how edgar allen poe would write if he was in a punk band and it gets so bonkers later on. billingual thrash... sonnets. it was pretty solid, but the lyrics sometimes fall flat. lots of... bones and body talk? okay i guess. that album art ROCKS.

One of those big albums I'd heard very little of. Mostly short, energetic tracks. Drum sound is great. Straight away, great intro riff on Bone Machine, the bass following suit. Strong guitar work continues on Break My Body. Easy to see how this influenced Kurt Cobain. River Euphrates is catchy and fast and then it's Where Is My Mind? Iconic song with the big slow riff and plodding bass. Things get a little weird and a little more punk rock towards the end, but I don't mind the detour. Brick Is Red closes with some more of the fuzzy alt rock sounds. Verdict? Good, maybe very good.

A fantastic album, all over the place, weird as hell, dirty production but a joy to listen to

listened to this twice in a row. not really cause i loved it that much, but the fact that i could says something

Most of the album is on the Best of Pixies compilation.

Everyone seems to give Nirvana credit for breaking Punk into the mainstream, but even Kurt Cobain gives credit to Pixies for their “quiet, then loud” approach. Before everybody and their mother was loving on Alternative Rock and before that genre term was widely used, Pixies were here to break the mold. “Bone Machine,” “Gigantic” and “Where is my Mind?” are incredible standouts. They were way too edgy to ever get massive mainstream radio airplay, but boy did they win the influence-over-popularity sweepstakes. It’s good that the band (mostly) remained intact to enjoy that warm legacy-making embrace. They deserve it.

The original Nevermind!

Great band great album. Again, so much I love wouldn’t exist without this.

Great

very cool sound, love all the dynamic range & separation, lots of fun. like River Euphrates, seems to show off all the best aspects of the Pixies with the least amount of 'song'. something holds me back from fully enjoying the Pixies, and I think it's Frank Black's reputation as an asshole. does Frank Black have a reputation as an asshole, do I even remember that right? whatever it is, there's some kinds of music that don't hit right if you think the author is a jerk, and this is one. until today I've never been sure where Surfer Rosa ends and Come On Pilgrim begins. both are very good. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

A lot more demented than I expected (good thing)

I’m not able to pinpoint exactly what it is about them, but now that I’ve had the time to sit down and dive in to their music, I can’t help how admirable I find Pixies to be. They just have an incredibly simple and enjoyable sound that I can attach myself to very easily. And Surfer Rosa is ultimately a very impressive debut record. They came out at the tail end of the 80s, and immediately changed the game. And their sound would go on to inspire the antithesis of indie rock for the entire decade of the 90s. They really are a very influential band when you really think about it. I mean, Kurt Cobain took huge inspiration from them, and think of how many people started a band and wanted to make grunge music because of Nevermind. It all goes back to Pixies. And rightfully so. They had something going from day one. Their style of on and off, quiet-loud-quiet-loud songwriting is so uniquely them. And when you hear one of their distorted noisy guitars punching through, you know exactly whose music you are hearing. The one song every one knows is Where Is My Mind? And before I had even heard the rest of this record, I wasn’t like a massive fan of this song. When a band has such a distinct and simple, but deceivingly complex writing style, to dumb it down and make it even more complex feels a little weird. This song may even border on being overplayed at this point, but I don’t have it outright. Still a good song, just not one I’m in love with. This debut is very important to the history of alternative rock. But it doesn’t exactly match the heights that their next record reached. Rating: 8/10

Love. I enjoy the first half of the album more. Solid Pixies.

This album is WIERD! But I liked it.

Where Is My Mind? wasn’t getting anything lower than a 4

Bone Machine sounds like it was written by Tim Robinson

The album that launched a thousand bands. A good start…this band should’ve been BIG.

So weird and so excellent. Love it

Pretty great indie rock.

Really fun, whining, wailing album. Not supposed to be taken too seriously and has a great vibe to it. Half of the songs aren’t really anything but a bunch of nonsense, but it’s a fun listen. There’s a reason why Where Is My Mind? is still circling its way through the internet still. Standouts: Bone Machine, Something Against You, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where Is My Mind?, and Brick Is Red.

Amazing album

Feels like it encourages an almost bitterly energetic vibe which is really fun. I only really knew Where is my mind before but now Gigantic is a new favourite!

I can see why this was so popular

I feel surprisingly close to giving this a 5. Not my style, but this album planted one of the many seeds that became 90s alt rock, which feels pretty important, plus there's some real good songs here and it's solid from beginning to end, but still can't do it. Quantifying the qualitative is just tough, and I have to go with my gut over my brain when it comes to music. Solid 4

All the Albini please.

Awesome

маниакально и очень животно периодически кайф, периодически хотелось выключить. если настроишься слушать, то отлично алкоальбом: настойка в которой червь гигантский

A damn classic. 4 stars.

I remember hearing the Pixies for the first time in high school. In the back of upperclassman Jeff Smith's car. Or actually I wonder if my first time hearing them was watching Fight Club. Either way, that era was definitely formative. Also fun fact a good friend of mine used to be Black Francis' brother's assistant lol. Anyway. C'mon. There were rumors... and the next thing ya know..

Very rock n’ roll

Often imitated, never duplicated. This sounds as wiry, fresh and singular today as it must have when it was released.

What a diverse album that finds its way into 90s grunge, pop acts like U2, lots of female-led rock (Gigantic in particular feels like a formula for a song with a female vocalist that has resonated for decades after) and even hardcore/scream-o. Almost feels like two different bands recording with different personalities at times. Tony's Theme is a weird gimmick track but man it hits. Incredible for a first album.

Great! Gigantic rocks. Yet feels like I need to listen multiple more times.

I wanted to write a longer review or whatever for this album, but some stuff happened in real life just before I got down to it that's stressing me the hell out as I write this, so I'm gonna make this a little briefer than I was planning. This is a fun album. I mean, **I** certainly enjoyed it. I can't hear **exactly** how it influenced Nirvana's NEVERMIND, but like I wouldn't take Kurdt at his word about it. It's clearly not for everyone—see the fact that the top-rated review of the album on this website, which gives it a 1, calls the it "just noise"—but if you click with it, it's a pretty enjoyable listen. And, hey, I'm just happy the superhero Tony finally got his own song.

A hectic, but overall nice collection of 80's Alternative. Plus, having Where Is My Mind? certainly helps, too.

bom 4

Good classic album. Can hear how they influenced Nirvana.

4.5/5. Doolittle is my clear Pixies favourite but this one is just as weird and awesome. Gigantic and Where Is My Mind have a memorable place in alternative rock history.

good

Very strong album

1988, Alternative rock, indie rock, art punk, grunge Their debut album Standouts: Where's My Mind, Gigantic, Cactus 3.75

Good stuff. 4.

A great album that I enjoyed. The singles were well known but the reason this gets 4 stars is the album tracks were also excellent.

4.5/5, their best album.

I loved this, but my college self would have really LOVED this

A fun, noisy and influential album. The 90s sounds so different without Pixies. Where is my mind is obviously a stand out but there are other great tracks throughout. The first half is stronger but there are still great moments in the second half. Fav songs - Bone Machine - Something Against You - Gigantic - Where is my Mind

Angsty, but weirdly I didn't find it distracting while trying to do work. \"Where Is My Mind?\" is one of those tracks I didn't knew I knew

good stuff. \"where is my mind\" feels like it was made with a lot more care and effort.

Huh zit er ook een zangeres in pixies Wel leuk, beetje kort

42/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Very good

There’s no mistaking The Pixies’ sound. I never would have guessed they were from Boston.

So good. Still really fun. This album has aged well.

Never really listened to the Pixies but boy I have got to listen to them more in the future. So much of this album I just felt I needed to listen to it more and I would love every single second of it. Really lovely album.

The recording is far too quiet, maybe I should just turn up the amp!

Loud, disjointed. aggressive sounds and very hard to listen to if you are not in the mood for a sound that is all over the place. it is still good and things like where is my mind and Gigantic stand out like a lighthouse in a sotrm. over all I was not a fan but I feel like that was more a mood driven thing and on a different day this could have been much more enjoyable.

Classic. Short burst of great rock. 4 stars

3,7. Alleine schon wegen Where is my mind.

This is a kick-ass indie rock & roll album. Don't believe me, just ask Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke, Isaac Brock, or any of the countless others influenced massively by this record. I have to admit I was only vaguely familiar with this record from "Where is My Mind?" and "Gigantic" (and maybe a couple of others) being played a lot on my favorite satellite radio station (XMU), but it was a real treat finally sitting down and listening to the whole thing. My patented dead-head connection trivia tid-bit - both the Grateful Dead and Pixies got their name by randomly selecting something from a dictionary. Great tactic for anyone out there starting a band! I love the anecdote that they started "Black Francis put out an ad for a female bass player who liked both the punk band Hüsker Dü and the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary." I don't know if it is blowing my mind enough to be a 5 bagger, but it is a very strong 4. I'd give it a 4.5 if that were possible.

"bone machine"? That's they call me too Ja where is my mind isch ja eifach scho so riesige banger zu demm muess meh glaub nüt sege Boah ich bi scho soviel Albe am noche lose dasi garnüme checkt han was grad lauft. So schlecht chas also nid sie. Ich fühls. Solids 4/5

bone machine hani sochli semi cool gfunde. break my body. irgendwie rededs chli viel vo chnoche. Something against you chuntmer bekannt vor. no nice? broken face funny aber au huere dark? gigantic. kim singt cool. oke where is my mind isch mega bekannt. und sochli film-shorthand dür trurig-nostalgisch. aber s het au öpis. sehr guete song. gitarreriff iconic, nume bass schlagzüg au geil. cactus sher cooli gitarre und drums. albini weiss waner macht. Tony's theme segeds afoch zerst um wa de song goht hahaha. vamos haha fuesball vamos. brick is red. er isch würklich.

Pixies (and Kim Deal) ended up being a massive force in the modern music era.

Great album. Too harsh for the mood I was in, but a nice walk down memory lane.

Perhaps it's just noise to some others, but hearing the absolute chaos this LP encapsulates was a much-needed trip after treading water in the bland monotony of other albums I've had here recently. The loosest of threads holds together what very nearly sounds like a bootleg studio session, but thanks to some searing guitar melodies and Black Francis' inordinate screams there's a clear envelope holding together an organic mess of feedback, chatter, and explosive tracks. Amazing how prescient this LP feels on the cusp of the 90s, eschewing the 80s' gluttonous decadence for raw, organic noise. With grunge right around the corner, it's definitely clear how much of an impact the Pixies had on the genre and era as a whole if they were this early to the game.

Onhan tämä sitä parempaa ysäriä selkeesti. Hieno levy kertakaikkiaan! Osuu ja uppoo aika useaan tilanteeseen. 4/5

Ohan tää kova, vaikkei ehkä ihan Doolittlen tasoa. Where is my mind on kuin nappi silmään levyn kaoottisuuden keskellä. Steve Albinin merkityksen monelle artistille oon tajunnut vasta tässä levyhaasteessa. Saanut aikaan punk-menoa, josta minäkin nautin.

Erinomaista, jollain tavalla jopa nostalgiaa herättävä levy. onpa ysäri olematta ysäri. 4/5

Crazy how influential this is, but outside of the famous tracks I think I prefer Doolittle and Teenager of the Year. 4/5

Mucho mejor que el disco anterior que me había tirado la app, Doolittle. Este es más consistente, con un sonido más pulido y firme. La cantante participa más y eso le suma otro color. Igualmente hay cosas que no me convencen o no son propias de mi estilo.

Liked the ones with female vocals. Didn’t expect to know where is my mind. Favorite songs: Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where is My Mind?

Despite having the best song about a big black penis that was featured in iPhone commercial, I maintain the normie position that Doolittle is a more consistently good album. But also Surfer Rosa has the Albini production / inspired Nirvana cred so idk. Update: I re-listened to Doolittle and I think the adult me prefers Surfer Rosa now shrug

Never really listened to any Pixies. This album is super fun and reminds me of other artists I listen to that were very clearly influenced by it.

I love this album, although maybe not as much as I used to. I don’t know why, perhaps my strongest musical preferences are in other directions. I’m still giving this 4 stars because it’s a tremendous album. Gigantic and especially Where Is My Mind are amazing songs. Bone Machine is so weird and weirdly lovable. But some of the tracks in between just don’t resonate with me. I think it’s a classic and a tremendously influential album that helped shape much of the popular rock music of the early 90s, but perfect it is not. Still rocks though and there was probably nothing like it before.

I love this album! Well, actually I really only love that one song, “Where is My Mind?” The rest you kinda just have to put up with. However, this group inspired one of the greatest bands of all time: Nirvana. And many will disagree with me, but it’s no use. Kurt was the best rockstar and his drummer went on to make the Foo Fighters. I haven’t seen any nirvana in this list yet, but I’m still early in the process. I bet Nevermind is on the list. In Utero is their best album, though. Anyway, this is supposed to be about The Pixies.

7 / 10 Garage - Punk - buena instrumentación, voces reguleras. Muy influyentes en el resto del Garage.

Punk meets alt rock. It was pretty good but I think I still prefer punk and alt rock

Massively influential on alternative music. Great dynamics, interesting song structures, I like the mix of vocalists. Never realized just how sexual the lyrics are before.

driving on route 3 speakers blaring life-changing to be 18. Grit.

Super influential, bangs

Let's stay in the 90s forever. I think this is great. The perfect amount of not taking themselves too seriously and really good music.

I FUCKING KILL YOU 8/10

I have loved "Where's My Mind" since the first time I saw Fight Club. The rest of the album was great as well. I recognized more songs than I thought I would.

This is how you do haunting dissonance correctly. The Pixies have a beautiful dysfunction to them. Can I listen to them everyday, no. But they do this sound and feelings so perfectly.

Song: Where is my Mind? I'm quite familiar with this song, but it's been a while since I've heard it. I forgot how good of a song it was, honestly, really solid song and really enjoyable to listen to.

Punk good

Where is my mind

I liked this one. Pretty sure the app served up a reward after that terrible tango album.. .

Got a lot of white stripes vibes. Or maybe the WS were vibing off the pixies. Was good.

Oof - so man, I love the where is my mind song from the Pixies. I figured I'd like other things from them but I think they're just a bit before my time. I still give 4 stars due to their influence on the scene from back in the day.

Great album, loved it. I didn’t explore the Pixies much when they were really blowing up, I only know a few of their songs, so I was excited to really enjoy a full album.

Bone Machine - good instrumentals, eh vocals, I don't like the lyrics Break My Bones - good instrumentals better vocals, lyrics are a bit better Something Against You - even better instrumentals, the vocals are better, lyrics could be better Broken Face - great instrumentals, great vocals, great lyrics - best song so far Gigantic - instrumentals a little worse, vocals are great, good lyrics River Euphrates - instrumentals were good, good vocals, mid - good lyrics Where Is My Mind - GREAT INTRUMENTALS, GREAT VOCALS, GREAT LYRICS - best song so far Cactus - good -> great instrumentals vocals and lyrics Tony's Theme - good instrumentals, good vocals eh lyrics Oh My Golly! - great instrumentals, good vocals, a good lyrics Vamos - good instrumentals vocals and mid lyrics I'm Amazed - great instrumentals vocals eh lyrics Brick Is Red - decent Instrumentals, decent -> good vocals and lyrics

I’m cool enough to have already listened to this one a few times. Still good.

I don't know there's just something I love about the chaos of this album. I can see why it inspired so many bands and artists after them

Good vibes

Super solid album even without Where is my Mind?.

This is a pretty good album. They have a pretty unique sound. I like Dr. Doolittle better. Rounding up.

I'm a fan of the Pixies but it isn't a band that I would sit and listen to an entire album. I prefer rocking out to the occasional song.

Clearly iconic. I've heard *of* this album but never heard it. Well, except for "Where Is My Mind?". Nirvana and all the rest clearly came from this.

Very entertaining and fun to listen to. Great sound and style. Fun and spunky.

I had forgotten how many songs I like off of this album. It's a great listen.

I think i like the pixies

Pretty great

Excellent

Amazing alternative/punk/grunge album. Hearing distorted surf rock (Surfer Rosa?) and the influence of bands like the buzzcocks and Husker dü. Love the spoken word and that bones are the topic of the first two tracks. Definitely some weird creative people feeling free to make music! "Gigantic" is a standout and cool to think that "Where is my Mind" had such staying power when it's smack in the middle of the album.

In 1988, I was listening to Guns 'n' Roses, Poison, Def Leppard, Kiss, and Motley Crue. I didn't know this existed until many years later. First time hearing a full album from them. Listened twice. Good stuff, reminded me of the band X in some tracks. There's a topless woman on the cover.

Love this one

Unfettered creativity. No Censor. Discordant and fun.

Sehr unterschiedliche Musikstile, wirkt nicht wie ein "Werk". An sich 3 Sterne, aber wegen "where is my mind" dann doch 4.

Where is my mind? - A band that considers Hüsker Dü as one of their inspirations must be good.

Good, if not quite as good as Doolittle. It still has the hugely strong songwriting, but just isn't quite as interesting. Gigantic was a song I didn't know (or at least didn't remember) and it's brilliant, really sticks in the old noggin.

Nice

Perfect length for this kind of project. Fires on all cylinders and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Add the 2 big songs and we’re cooking. (3.5/5)

I'd never really listened to the Pixies before they disbanded. I was just a bit too young and, even though I worshipped Nirvana and had heard of the Pixies' influence on Kurt, I never investigated. I did listen to a the Breeders a LOT in that early to mid 90s period. Then a friend introduced me to them around 2000 and I was just kind of like, "meh... I don't know what the big deal is." While some of their stuff is still just a bit too noisy and discordant for my taste, they have really grown on me since then. Their music is so rich and unique.

So I actually liked doolittle more than surfer Rosa coming into this one. Listening again, I like how off the wall and unhinged this one is. Like broken face, bone machine and the last three tracks as a sort of disjointed medley. Where is my mind also is maybe the best song they have. Good album

timeless

I haven't had my total "a-ha!" moment with this one yet, as I did with Doolittle, but still very good. 4/5

4/5

Very good. Not as good as Doolittle imo, but very good.

A great start.

I remember the first time I ever listened to this album. It's an incredible debut from a band that would go on to influence a whole genre of music. They'll hit their stride fully in a few years, with Doolittle, but the early genius of the band is so visible here.

Might be that i've given a lot of 2's and 3's recently and want to be a little generous, but i did enjoy this one, and will probably come back.

Classic pixies

Known before: Band, one song (you know which one) Standouts: 01. Bone Machine Rating: 7.5

Great album that balances huge rockers with an obvious pop edge which it fascinatingly loves to neglect. The band a tight, the melodies are fantastic, and there's some real heart on it. Of course, Doolittle would do everything better a year later, but the visceral energy of this first record is never going to not be thrilling.

Really liked this album. Wish some of the songs were a little older, but it was really enjoyable, and felt way more like modern surf punk thank I anticipated

they're good

Obviously I've heard Where Is My Mind?, it is such a great song, but I don't think I've listened to a full album from Pixies. This feels very 90's and I know it was released in 1988, but you can see their influences on grunge, punk and the alternative rock genre. Honestly, if it wasn't for all the slapstick, this would have been a great album....I just love the sound of the drums on this album. I also love that both Black Francis and Kim Deal share the lead vocals. Standouts: Bone Machine, Gigantic, Where Is My Mind?, Tony's Theme

Pervy rock with great bass lines

Rating: 9/10 Amazing album. The Pixies always had an interesting and creative way of blending alternative rock, noise, and pop into a very enjoyable experience. The songs sound demented in the best way possible, from the instrumentation to the vocal melodies and harmonies. Sometimes it does not always land for me 100% but still an impressive debut album, they definitely had their sound figured out here, even though I think Doolittle improves on this formula. Favorite songs: Bone Machine, Break My Body, Where is My Mind?, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Cactus, Brick is Red. Least favorite songs: Oh My Golly!, Broken Face.

Pixies how I love you. Infectious and fun.

Not quite a fan of the genre, but short and packs a lot of cool small ideas

Excellent! Another “why haven’t I listened to this before??? album. Added

Almost as good as the album cover

Bone Machine, prima traccia, davvero bella Inaspettato trovare anche la loro canzone più famosa in questo album, mi sono stupita, avevo idee e pregiudizi differenti rispetto ai Pixies, quest’album mi ha sorpresa Attinente al mio gusto personale sono indecisa se 3 o 4 su 5

When I listen to this I can hear where the '90s came from.

Classic Pixies, not my favourite album but some great tracks.

Legendary song "Where is My Mind?", really creative, adventurous album.

Interesting obvious inspiration for bands in 90s 2000s

Pushed all the right buttons for me. Rough but cheeky ;)

This early pixies stuff gets a good grade from me. I love the thing at the end of Oh My Golly! where there is the misunderstanding when BFrancis says “You fucking DIE!” Holiday Song has got to be one of the best pixies tracks ever. So good. I kind of wasn’t looking forward to this - we had Bossanova recently and it kinda pissed me off haha I felt like I was listening to a band breaking up But Surfer has a much better vibe and it feels like Kim (my favourite part of the band) is both engaged and being given some space to shine a bit. Gigantic is def one of my top Pixies tracks and it’s on this record also.

In het top 100 jaaroverzicht uit 1988 van de top40 staan Bill Medley en Jennifer Warnes op 1, en Glenn Madeiros op 2. Verder nog eervolle vermeldingen voor Womack en Womack op 4 en Billy Ocean op 8. Een stukje verder vinden we achtereenvolgens Terence Trent d'Arby, Taylor Dayne en Tiffany op 18, 19 & 20.(Bron: https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1988) Dit album komt dus ook uit 1988. Niets van dit soort gitaarmuziek te vinden in het jaaroverzicht. Terwijl een aantal jaren later, pak bijv 1992, guns n roses, nirvana en metallica wel in de top100 staan. Het is maar om nog een keer aan te geven dat de Pixies al lekkere gitaarherrie maakten in een tijd dat de muziekwereld er nog niet aan toe was. Met Gigantic leveren ze een gigantisch lekker nummer af, dat in elk afspeellijstje mag wat mij betreft. Deze week levert toch een stuk betere muziek af dan de vorige paar weken. Omdat ik het bonuspt al een keer eerder aan de Pixies heb gegeven en deze plaat toch redelijk rauw en wazig is, maak ik er deze keer een 4 van, maar het hadden er net zo goed 5 kunnen zijn.

This is a classic of the genre.

Excellent. Not as good as Doolittle, but excellent nonetheless. Early punk-ish sound without the angst. Need listen to again.

Where is my mind

Listening while high, the music is tickling me !

A very wild ride that covers a large range of vocal styles, and genres.

Who doesn't want a big big love

Controlled Chaos, Doolittle is better, but this album is still bangin’

First time I've listened to it in its entirety; I was only familiar with a few tracks. Loved the dual panned guitars. Nice cheap thin guitar sound on some tracks which I loved. Also enjoyed the thicker more saturated sounds. It sounds like a bridge between new wave B52s and the punkier end of grunge. Also reminded me of Clinic in places. Bass lines absolutely rock solid throughout. Like the ringing snares gated heavily. Simplicity, energy, rough. Loved it.

Day one strange but awesome

Bone Machine- 4.6/5 Break My Body- 3.9/5 Something Against You- 4.1/5 Broken Face- 4.8/5 Gigantic- 4.8/5 River Euphrates- 3.4/5 Where Is My Mind?- 5/5 Cactus- 3.7/5 Tony's Theme- 5/5 Oh My Golly!- 5/5 Vamos- 4.9/5 I'm Amazed- 3.8/5 Brick Is Red- 4/5 Total- 4/5

Gritty punk. Always a fun listen.

It's a lot of fun 3.5/5

Realising I have largely just listened to the Wave of Mutilation comp over and over again and rarely the individual records. This was a treat as its own piece with lots of my favourite tracks on there. Love how anarchic and silly it is, so much character in the vocals, with surreal lyrics that nonetheless create incredibly distinct images. Not quite 100% winners as I think at points it gets slightly too scratchy for its own good, but it's close. Four and a half. Fave track: Gigantic

A stunner of a record and improves each time I hear it. Crunchy and punchy guitars, scary and funny lyrics, and a strange dynamism and blend of contrasting noises that nobody does better. Four and a half. Fave track: Gigantic

I love the Pixies. Elements of this record are brilliant. There are other albums that are more consistent from top to bottom but the highs on this one rival the highs on any Pixies record.

It’s good. I can see why Nirvana and other bands were inspired by this.

Where is my mind

I can’t imagine finding this in 1988. I would’ve loved it a few years later but in 1988 I was still listening to pop and chart music. It feels out of time in 1988. Pretty good though

3.5

Excellent album - chaotic and discordant as you'd expect from Pixies, but some incredible moments in there. Where Is My Mind is the obvious highlight, but the whole album is worth listening to multiple times

Real good fun this one.

I remember this one well from high school. It's really-really good, but not something I want to hold on repeat forever. 4/5

Big time Talented People Doing Absolute Weirdo Shit music. There were moments when this album lost me, but for the most part I was very on board.

one of my faves of all time

"Where is my Mind?" seems out of place with the rest of this album. I kind of preferred the frantic nature of the other songs. 4/5 would listen again.

I really liked the atmosphere of this one. I was more excited for Doolittle, but I'm glad I got this one. It's nice to know some more Pixies songs. Man, writing reviews is hard. My favourite song was Where Is My Mind?

Hyviä teemoja pistää ajattelemaan.. filosofinen teos ja elämälle uus suunta..

The first two records from Pixies feel so absurdly ahead of their time. While not quite as hard-hitting as Doolittle, Surfer Rosa still sounds fresh even though it has evidently influenced everyone from Nirvana up to Interpol (who shamelessly copied the riff from 'Where Is My Mind' on 'Rest My Chemistry').

I owned this on a cd with come on pilgrim so it's weird to me to listen to it separate. As a teen I'd have called them my favourite band for a while and they were very influential on me starting my own band, as they were for so many others. I love that this is a chaotic breath of fresh air and full of energy and weirdness, but I don't quite love it like I used to do. Still a really important album and more interesting than most indie

4*

I've listened to this record countless times since discovering it in my teens. It's the pixies' crackhead album, some highs and lows but a great album nonetheless! I think one of the members of radiohead described it as "a band that's playing in your living room" and I think that's the best way of putting it.

Pixies aren't my jam, but this is a tasty album, with a cover that is iconic.

Nautin vääristyneistä kitaroista, haistakaa vittu -meiningistä ja sopivasta (33min) mitasta. 3.5/5, mutta pyöristetään ylöspäin.

I bought this album back when I first heard of the 1001 Albums list, mostly because I was already familiar with "Where Is My Mind?" being played at the end of Fight Club. For better or worse, the rest of the album wasn't really like "Where Is My Mind?", and I didn't care for the album too much. Over the years though, The Pixies have grown on me quite a bit. I love the heavily distorted guitars, Black Francis's vocals, and the sometimes manic weirdness of the majority of the songs ("Tony's Theme" nearly broke my brain when I first heard this album). It's hard to imagine nineties alternative rock without the influence of this album. This is a fantastic album that had a significant impact on alternative rock.

Anybody who says there's "nothin' good" on this album hasn't seen the cover art.

"Doolittle" was only released a year later, but there is such a difference between the two albums. "Surfer Rosa," the Pixies debut, generally feels like the chaos is leading the way, a band out of control and letting it all fly in the recording studio. Sometimes that makes for great moments in songs, but sometimes it can be a bit too much. On "Doolittle," it felt like they found the right balance. The chaos is still there, but the band is controlling the chaos and using it to pointed effect. The major exception here is "Where Is My Mind?," my favorite Pixies song. It is the best example on "Surfer Rosa" of the chaos controlled. While the album falls short of "Doolittle," "Where Is My Mind?" gets all the stars.

The middle third of the album was great. I have a special place in my heart for Gigantic since my roommate in college originally thought the lyrics sounded like "amphibian love" instead of "a big, big love". I still like to sing it that way. Ultimately, this album is not my favorite Pixies album, it doesn't feel as intentional as Doolittle, but I still love the Pixies sound.

It was very bipolar. Some of the ones were amazing and others felt like it was made by a schizophrenic. The good ones are worth listening through the weird ones though.

"Huh, this sounds like it should have came out in the mid-90s..." then I realize the albums in the mid-90s are trying to sound like this. Sometimes you just don't realize how influential something is before all the puzzle pieces fit together. It's messy-- almost a bit too messy for me to get a proper handle on it sometimes. The backhalf definitely gets weaker, but Gigantic to Where Is My Mind? is some of the absolute best that indie has to offer. A ramshackle 3.5/5.

Excellent tracks, weird, cool American alternative rock. If you like the pixies you're probably a pal. I used to bitch all the time about their truly awful lyrics when I was a young poseur but I have grown up since. Iconic album, iconic tracks.

Where. Is. My. Mind. “And die”!! - No I was saying it to Kim. She said “touch my shit” and I finished her sentence.

Another day, another 4 star album. Its been a while since I last listened to this album and I've forgotten how good it is. Gigantic, Bone Machine, Where is my Mind, all classic pixies songs. I'm going with a high four, because doolittle is better, but this is great

I don’t remember enjoying this album as much the first time I listened to it. But i really enjoyed it this time. Could be mood related but it’s getting a 4. random note: maybe 2 months ago i came across “where is my mind” on shuffle and forgot how much i loved it and been tossing it in various playlist lately. so this could be factoring in my high rating for this album

This goes hard and contains the remainder of my favourite Pixies tracks.

I like this stuff!

I have a feeling the rest of these albums on the list will be Pixies albums. Plus I finally found my mind

I love Pixies so much, they're pretty punk but they respect melody. Not their strongest album but im definitely a fan of Surfer Rosa. Where Is My Mind is a 10/10 song. Nice of Mickey Mouse to make an appearance on Poker Face.

This album was legitimately ahead of its time. Nothing about "Surfer Rosa" sounds like it was released in 1988. The music industry was still in the grips of plastic pop idols in '88. Yet, here you can hear the roots of legit garage-rock grunge creeping in. This is the leading edge of the shifting tide that gave us Nirvana. And it's good. Is it noisy and weird? Well, yes. This is post-punk, after all. But it's still good. Really good.

Good stuff

Love the quiet-loud dynamics.

Such an authentic punk sensibility coupled with an abundance of melody, musicianship and imagination. Great

Really enjoyed this one. I occasionally veered into 'noisy' territory, but for the most part it was just the right amount of loud and messy guitars + drums. Love that it caps off at 33 minutes too, never overstaying its welcome. Standouts are Bone Machine, Cactus, and Where is My Mind.

Brilliant alt rock album, but personally I prefer Doolittle, so not quiet the full marks from me.

Really good, but still not their best work! A solid 4 star effort though.

Of 3,5

Ptet un petit peu trop violent sur les cris et la fuzz pedal par moment, mais ca reste un bon album punk & roll EDIT DU FUTUR: TRÈS COOL, +1 ÉTOILE

Muy cool

Love this one. Not quite Doolittle but stil solod

I liked this, punk, indie sort of pre-grunge. Gigantic, and Where is My Mind are good tracks off this album. I had read that Kurt Cobain was heavily influenced by the Pixies, I can hear it in a lot of the guitar, and some of the way the vocals are sung. Basically without this, Nirvana wouldn't sound the same

Very interesting sound for the time, sitting at sort of an inbetween of punk rock before it and preceding jammier post-punk, ska, and alt rock bands of the 90s like The Offspring and The Presidents of the United States of America. Also features the Pixies’ major hit Where Is My Mind, a classic of it’s time.

How in sweet Jesus did I pull two Pixies albums before a single month has passed? Bizarre circumstances aside ... I don't know if it is because I am now used to Doolittle's bullshittery (affectionate), but I found Surfer Rosa an easier venture to sink my teeth into. The music on this album doesn't overstay its welcome, something of which I surely appreciate - being abrasive and loud and cacophonous as it is. The one song I couldn't stand also happened to be the shortest on the album, so there's that going for it too. While most of the highs aren't as impressive as Doolittle's, most of the lows aren't as miserable to me either.

Loved Doolittle but not this one.

Good album. It’s got some of their hits. Produced by the legend Steve Albini. Was very influential in its time and I believe it deserves that credit. Strong 3 light 4.

The vocals are a standout because they work even when they shouldn’t. Favorite track: Vamos (Surfer Rosa); Gigantic. 4/5.

Iconic cover and catchy songs. Bone Machine, Gigantic, Where is My Mind, Vamos, and I’m Amazed. I love their next album more. 9/10 If there were no Pixies, there would have been no Nirvana. Thank you for your service. 🫡

something against you, gigantic, where is my mind

Yeah, this is a solid album. It's got hits and pretty much every song is good. This would be a 4.5 stars if that were an option.

Got a handful of hits on it and not much filler.

4.25

Surfer Rosa has some really good and some other generally good, an easy 3 pushed to a 4 by Where Is My Mind.

Cracker. Dads favourite album!

21st April 2023 Listened in the morning getting ready to go on Ebbs stag do in Herefordshire. Raw and sparky with flicks of deep reflection from an alternative band creating magic.

Frank Black created a whole new genre with Surfer Rosa. The Alternative / Grunge genre is more famous for starting in the 90s with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Pixies pushes that needle a little further left. To 1988. 4/5.

Leuke eind jaren 80 punk. Deze zou je nog eens een keertje moeten kijken of het écht wat is, maar voor nu geef ik het zeker wel 4 sterren

Something Against You is the track that hooks me in the beginning. Broken Face into Gigantic is pretty cool. Where Is My Mind is a total banger. I totally understand how this laid the groundwork for grunge's mainstream explosion.

Kurt Cobain on said that this band was a big inspiration for Nirvana. And it’s very evident that this was a band Nirvana modeled themselves after, especially when put up against Nirvana’s debut record, Bleach. I really liked this album, much better than anything nirvana put out actually, but when isn’t the original better than the remake?

Really solid album. Love the big sounding drums and razor sharp guitars. Production from Steve Albini is terrific. Black Francis and Kim Deal have a chemistry with their vocals that mesh nicely. End of the album fades a bit but this was an enjoyable listen.

Good overall on first listen

Decent album! Everything about this felt fun and original, only thing I dislike about it is the noise rock elements of it, almost gets to the level of giving me a headache. I can see the influence it did on grunge and I respect this album and band for it. 7.5/10

Close to Doolittle in quality.

Some great tracks and some good tracks, and I remember that at the time this felt like something a bit different & interesting, and wondering what would be next. However, both Doolittle and Bossanova are better albums for me, so I'm going with 4⭐

Coincidence. They just played here yesterday. I like this record, but it's a little messy. Everything fell into place on their next record. Favorite song: River Euphrates

Pixies have gotta be one of the most influential bands to come out of the 80s. All of their stuff has aged so well. Although this is probably not their best record, I still really enjoyed it. Containing their biggest hit “Where is my mind?”, Surfer Rosa brings a really fun high-energy feel with flashes of punk, surf rock, and noise rock. Aspects of this record are still relevant today in bands like the Osees.

I liked it, it's my first album here and exactly my favorite genre :D

If you told me this album came out in the 80's I would assume you were lying. For an album released in 1988 this has an iconic 90's sound.

there's definitely elements that i like on here like the production and guitars, but i'm not head over heels for it just yet. i feel like i should give it a bit more time though because obviously, i'm gonna like the song that was featured in one of my favorite movies of all time over everything else.

gran disco

Un disco que te vuela el bocho. 4.7/5

Less accessible than Doolittle - they really explored a more experimental, noisy vibe here. That didn’t stop them from making Gigantic and Where is My Mind which are some of their greatest hits. Still, other than those 2 I don’t think the rest of the album has quite enough to get to a 5.

Beautiful spazzy jams mixed with with some more melodics.

Well done

Leuke punk/grunge

Finalmente escutei o disco todo. O quê confirmou que a relevância da banda para fundamentação do grunge. Especialmente o som abrasivo, com camadas sombrias e introspectivas referenciam o grunge. "Bone Machine," "Gigantic," "Where Is My Mind?," e "Vamos." tem relação embrionaria com o Nirvana.

Nice

All the features that make Pixies unique and great are here on album one, though there's a bit of inconsistency in the songwriting. It's all good fun at the time, but if I'm honest with myself half the tunes don't stick in the memory afterwards. It's a 3.5 regardless, and because of the big, big presence of Gigantic, Where Is My Mind? and (to a lesser extent) Bone Machine I feel compelled to round up.

Really good album

Cool

goooood

Pretty awesome debut album.

Although I'd heard of the band before and heard a few of their songs, this was my first full listen-through of this album. Very impressive. I happen to get something from having at least a basic knowledge of an album and artist's background and also a general sense of the timing of an album's creation because quite often an album is reflective of, or a product of, the culture in which it's released, even when the artist or artists want to buck whatever is happening culturally at the time. When I place this album in the context of 1988, for example, it stands a little taller because the influences on their sound and style are a bit out of the norm for the time, and their own sound influenced a lot of music that followed. Kim Deal is such an interesting artist, too.

Great album by the Pixies, a lot of classics in there. Removed a star because the last couple songs (after Where is my mind) are a bit weak in comparison.

Dope 4

Classic, raucous, loud

great, angsty, exciting album. thats a damn good pixies album! hot damn! their weird little taking moments. their silly noise parts. songs about large genitals. fun shit!

Pretty darn good

Enjoyed the two play throughs, would listen again

A fun debut album with a few stand outs sprinkled throughout.

Will

My favorite album of theirs. Brilliant stuff.

Stream of consciousness thoughts: Yay! I haven't listened to much Pixies, I'm excited. The vocal harmonies are so awesome, especially in Break my Bones and River Euphrates. Oh shit this is the album with Where is My Mind?! Ah such a good song. Interestingly it feels sort of out of place with the rest of the album, way more polished.

4/5. So much better than Doolittle. This actually feels like punk.

Начнём с того, что мне не очень нравится панк. А этот альбом чуть-ли не полностью пропитан энергией панка. Но даже несмотря на это, мне вполне понравилось. Сочетание околопанковских вокала и инструментала выполнено здесь очень гармонично, но главная звезда здесь (имхо) - электрогитара. На протяжении всего альбома она рвёт и ебашит без остановки, некоторые соло напрямую опережают время, а некоторые будто позаимствованы из прошлого десятилетия и поэтому альбом вышел очень разнообразным и его совершенно не скучно слушать. С другой стороны, здесь очень много откровенно диких треков (как и подобает жанру), от который я был не в восторге, но опять же, инструменты были на высоте, поэтому я не пересиливал себя, а слушал с удовольствием, несмотря на лютое и безбашенное исполнение, которое мне не всегда заходит (7.5)

4.75