Bossanova

Not as good as Doolittle or Surfer Rosa but a very good and different album by the Pixies

pretty intense but not my style. INteresedting. varied style

That’s a no for me, boss.

really enjoyed

I was happy when it was finally Bossanover.

One has quite fond memories of this record, a bit unloved by Pixies purists, growing on me over time as one played it regularly, on cassette in the old beat-up cars one drove in college radio days, and wondering why others were so quick to denigrate it in comparison to eearlier releases. One kept quiet about it. One liked the mix of slow brooding and hot anger, likely because one felt much the same much of the time. Overall, baroque quality to this as they're indulging themselves a bit. Same happeened listening for first time in at least a decade, maybe two. One likes the quieter interludes, the breathing spaces, which give some of the sharper hooks more room to stand out and make an impression. First side is not that interesting, but it gets much better as it goes along, the stakes get raised hugely in terms of intensity and seriousness – "Ana" and "All Over the World" and "Dig for Fire" (which is superior to "Here Comes Your Man") and "The Happening" (the eerily sustained lonely vocal, scorching licks left to burn) and "Havalina," the excelent closer. Every song sounds like it could break into "Wave of Mutilation" at any time. Sounds like maybe it all happened too fast for the Pixies, like they seem to lose control of their records at times, and this is one of the instances to which it comes off quite effectively overall. Still lots to like and admire here and one believes this is every bit as good as Doolittle, though perhaps less appreciated for the sense of it having been rushed out. For both records, some culling would have amplified the power by condensing it.

Wow, un son beaucoup plus divers et recherché que leur autre album, vaut même une deuxième écoute

Hoop herrie, nogal onsamenhangend, paar vette nummers

Really good album. I liked the variation in feeling between tracks, which is why I like 90s alternative so much. Being able to be cohesively versatile is a really good marker of a band's talent. Favorite track: Velouria

Three albums in, two "I really don't care about this band" albums in a row. This one started with a couple of solid songs, but halfway in I was fully reminded of why I don't listen to The Pixies.

There’s excellent playing and singing and chords and structure and lyrics, but holding it all back is an incredibly repetitive lineup. The songs all sound too much alike even though they’re all good respectively. 3/5

The subversion of classic rock, the unusual lyrics, and the grunge sound are pretty interesting. Overall, I'm not that enthusiastic about this album, though — a weak 4 for me.

More metal-influenced than I remember. Not their strongest album, but second half is definitely better. Hasn't aged particularly well. No real bangers, aside from maybe Hang Wire

Love the pixies. This is a great album

Not as good as doolittle but still decent, few bops.

Mid

OK, so I probably like Doolittle better than this record, and Trompe le Monde has better production and really rocks from start to end... but I love myself some Pixies, and this record has some absolute classics... Rock Music, Velouria, Is She Weird are all top shelf in my book. Great band, great album.

Heard before Saved 12/14 Top track: Is She Weird

Really good, but maybe not quite up to the standard of their previous couple of albums. I still enjoyed it a lot, but feel it falls just short of the fifth star. 4.499999 stars!

This album grew on me while I was listening to it. Just very inventive and compelling all the way through even if there weren't really any stand out songs. I got about 3.5 stars of enjoyment out of it, but I'm going to bump it up to 4 stars because I'm pretty sure it will improve on repeated listens.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it’s decent and has more of their progressive sound Favourite song: Track 3 - Velouria

Definitely a pixies album

Edit: This is the 2nd album generated for me, and I gave it a 2 because I figured there would be things that are much worse than this. And there are, but this is still pretty bad. Downgrading to a 1. I hate the Pixies. This was okay. I think the Pixies just aren't really for me. I thought the latter half of the album was decent, but I just wasn't a fan overall. "Dig for Fire" and "Down to the Well" were the standouts for me.

This is a very different album. I like that they try to do different things sonically from song to song. Overall pretty neat. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, especially after the bad second track. A low 4/5

This may be one of the most influential bands of the 90s, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy their music.

What a great album. I'd call this close to 5*

Albumet er litt for "likt", sangene blir litt anonyme når de er så like. Men jeg liker egentlig musikken allikevel, det er klassisk gammel rock.

It felt like pretty standard alternative rock. No real standouts on the album for me, though it wasn't difficult to listen to. Made good background music.

Solid, interesting guitar work, been keen to listen to Pixies. Fav tracks: Ana, All Over The World, The Happening, Stormy Weather

I was sleeping on this one lol. Very solid follow up to Doolittle. As per usual with the Pixies, there’s a lot of variety with their sounds, which keeps their albums interesting. Yet something about this album in particular feels different but I’m not sure what. Might need some more listens for this one.

Really enjoyed this one. Probably could’ve used another listen cuz I don’t have too many specific things to say but it was a good album with a mix of classic, weird, and chaotic pixies sounding songs as well as some lighter ones that were a good change of pace. Also I remember talking to my dentist a few years ago about the pixies and this was his favorite album by them. Which would’ve made me think “wow this guy’s definitely a virgin” but he actually fucked my old dentist’s wife and now has kids with her. Anyways, solid follow up to Doolittle and I’ll definitely listen again.

Lotta songs about girls they down atrocious. I never got into the pixies but I definitely don’t hate this sound. Tim wasn’t lying, Havalina is a bangerrr

Wrote a whole thing o ur for it but didn’t save. I liked the variety and while it wasn’t all for me, most of it was. Best: havalina, velouria, digfor fire, the happening

Alternatingly grating, smooth, and sinister.

This had some really good songs

Space-Rock? I don't think so. Not bad, but not great.

This is the second Pixies album I have gotten for this project. I think the last one was better. This album just doesn't have the standout tracks that some of the others do. This album feels very cohesive, just missing the hooks.

Not bad!

Velouria.

should get 10 stars

Need to listen to the first two Pixies albums and see if I appreciate this more

Rock music!

The Pixies have released a couple of game changers but this isnt one of them. Its actually quite forgettable.

starts off a 5 but dips a bit later

noise

Hits and some misses

It was nice to hear something by the Pixies other than “Where Is My Mind?” and “Hey” for once. I wasn’t properly acquainted with them beforehand. I can now see why they’re so highly regarded and influential. They are true artists in their craft.

Listened to it while walking. My dog and I felt cool; like we should’ve been wearing leather jackets and sunglasses. Bass parts were fun.

Considering it had none of their big songs on it... not bad!

Very surprised at how much I liked this album. It sounds more like something that would have been put out in the early 2000’s instead of 1990.

Pretty fun alternative rock - they really like to switch between the lighter rock/pop and more zany aggressive alternative rock sound. It makes for a dynamic sound. All that being said nothing really captured my interest all that much and I wouldn't come back to this.

I was going to say something but I don’t know where my mind went . Ah well

I don't like this, it's weird

I think this is a bit of a step down from their previous two albums, but it’s still a lot of fun and has some great songs. The opening trio of songs really kick things off with a bang. All in all, this is a really good album.

Love the Pixies and this is one of their best.

The Pixies are one of the bands that passed me by- listening now they're pretty good but it would take a lot of plays to get into this album. On a superficial listening it doesn't seem that different to the earlier albums too.

I thought this was better than Surfer Rosa, but I just can't get into The Pixies as a band.

It's a solid 90s alternative rock album I suppose. I enjoyed some of the instrumentals of the songs itself, but wasn't really vibing with the vocals at all for the majority of the album. Not something I really see myself bothering to go back to honestly. Might just not be my cup of tea.

Ok not quite what I was anticipating! I of course have heard the "hits" so many times it hurts, so I was expecting more sparse soundscapes, laid back tempos, and kinda dopey melodies. This went pretty hard pretty often, even that Maiden like gallop in the first song. Makes a lot more sense with the influence on Nirvana than the Here Comes Your Man, Where Is My Mind types.

When you ask a pixies fan which album they like best, about 1/3 says Surfer Rosa, about 1/3 says Doolittle and about 1/3 seems to enjoy Bossanova over the four others. And, once again, Bossanova is a superb album from the Pixies. But I fall in the group that doesn't have this one as their favourite. And I've now re-listened to this album a few times over the last two days and to me it falls short in comparison because after the legendary first half of this album I have the feeling of a little bit of boredom come over me during the second half. This album listens more like a straight forward rock album and a bit more poppy than other Pixies alums do. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because if there's one thing Bossanova achieves is that it sounds like a whole, like an album that belongs together. A bit more than the sometimes disjointed other albums. But it lacks some of the magic and peaks that was happening on the two albums before this one. But it also lacks the sometimes terrible songs those two had and thus is the most consistent of the lot. And I kinda miss the background vocals of Kim Deal. I listened to this with a crazy amount of enjoyment, but it's just a small step below the first two.

Quite good alternative rock album

As a Pixies fan this is an album I´m always curious about, because it has the band spirit, but on its own way. It starts with an amazing instrumental song (Cecilia Ann), and then with one of the heaviest songs of this band (ironically called "Rock Music"), making a weird, but amazing experience. During the whole record the band knows to continue with the energy that represents them. Even if its not their best album, anyway, I just love this band. Fav Tracks: Cecilia Ann, All over the word, Down to the well, The Happening.

I did like this but not enough to get it 4 stars

It’s not as good as their first two but it’s good

Eh, didn't grab me in the first few songs. Was too in between indie rock and punk?

The Happening The end of this song got me and then I went back and relistened and yeah this is a banger. I like the album overall but don’t know that’d I’d play it regularly. But this one song made it to playlists. Had it on repeat all day. I watched a video of them performing it and read the comments. Apparently the lead singer and the woman in the band, Kim, had beef? This literally all happened when I was 1 years old, but decades later it's fascinating getting into it all. Probably one of my favorite parts of doing this project.

Pretty good stuff. Would prolly listen again.

It's neat. A bit too experimental for my tastes

So I was writing [lyrics] on napkins five minutes before I sang. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not... Ei haittaa jos paska välillä.. soi ihanasti albumi.. Kolmea tähteä nautinnolista.. sais 4 jos ei buddy vittu kirkuis mukana..

Definitely has a Munsters theme -- I wonder if that influenced this album. I can see them influencing bands like the Smashing Pumpkins and I appreciate all the sci-fi spacey-esque aesthetics throughout these songs. It feels like music 90s Vampires would listen to around goblets of blood, velour, and crushed velvet. And I also hear a little snip-bits of The Smiths and even David Bowie? Solid. Gothic Surf Rock -- I'm all for it.

This might be the best Pixies album I've listened to. So many of these albums require chronological context to appreciate - it seems like this was an incredibly progressive album, and I bet it had a ton of influence on later alternative rock artists. It does seem a bit lengthy to me, and the Pixies do seem to be a bit formulaic (weird time signatures, indecipherable vocals, loose grooves with loose guitars.) Overall it's not something I'd listen to more than once, but it's fine to appreciate the musical progress.

not really into this record of theirs

It’s not…BAD! This is one of “those bands” that are very popular, but not well known to me, and I’m skeptical of all of the music I’ve heard. However! This album was good. Above average 90s rock sound. I look forward to diving into more Pixies in the future.

Another yelly band that didnt do it for me

Trompe le Monde was my intro to The Pixies, and I was an instant fan. I quickly acquired the back catalogue. Bossanova was the last album to find my heart. It doesn't have the peaks of the other three albums, but I think it's the most consistent and a little more nuanced. You can tell the Pixies were changing. I love just about every track, though.

Not my favorite Pixies album but some good jams, serves as a great 'hangout' playlist if you're craving Pixies.

Herein, Pixies give the album form a true sense of place. That sense isn't really in the music: The apparent establishing at the beginning is merely a fakeout. Rather, the flow of songs and the recurrent notions give the band's grab-bag approach solid, solid shape.

Det här tyckte jag mycket om!

yay! Another Pixies album! I’m grateful for this challenge in that I “discovered” this band! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Best Song:

I've never really listened to anything by the Pixies before, although I have heard of them. I listen to a podcast called The Ongoing History of New Music, and in a series of episodes they did on the start of Alt Rock, the Pixies and Sonic Youth were named a few key bands in the genres creation. None of this made me feel like I would enjoy Pixies, though, because a lot of people say in the early 90's you either liked Sonic Youth or Pixies. I reviewed an album by Sonic Youth a month or so ago, and I really didn't like Sonic Youth. If Pixies are anything like that noisy horseshit, it was going to be a poor review today. What I heard, however, although founded in the same ideals, was a much more polished sound. Sonic Youth were noisy for the sake of being noisy. The Pixies, although noisy, had a distinct direction and structure to their music. Also, the lead singer of the Pixies can actually sing. The first song on the record, Cecilia Ann, sounds like a thrashy, hardcore rock version of surfer rock; almost like if Kurt Cobain was in the Beach Boys. There is some great songs on this record, and these guys influenced so many groups that came after them like: Nirvana, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and others. Overall, a surprisingly good record today. I will definately listen again! Favorite songs: Hang Wire, Down to the Well, Cecilia Ann, Velouria, Rock Music Least favorite songs: Havalina, All Over the World 4/5

This album got the 40 second skip treatment. 40 seconds of each track was more than any normal human being should have to endure. I had great expectations for the album... but bitterly disappointed.

Pixies at their best! Great album

Ok

Highlights: "Ana," "Rock Music," "Velouria" As hugely influential as they were, Pixies gave what they had to give with Doolittle. This might have better production, more reverb and modulation gloss, but it's much more meandering and slogging with minimal payoff. The modal wonkiness feels wayward, and the punchy repetitions reliably overstay their welcome -- the back-to-back "Hang Wire" and "Stormy Weather" are especially obnoxious. Whatever tightrope they walked before has been lost here.

Great album, even though the constant dynamic puts me to sleep at some points

boring and a bit repetetive not my type

As far afield in style from Doolittle as Doolittle was from Surfer Rosa, this is Black Francis at his happiest. Seeped in the surf rock sounds that had been in the background prior, you could be forgiven for thinking he’d escaped his pentecostal upbringing, but in reality Francis has just exchanged the gothic themes for more alien and cryptozoologic ones. And “Havalina” presaged some of his heartfelt solo ballads. Spell it out: not every song is a classic, but the highs are as high as anything else in their catalog.

2/5 Sounds a bit boring and does not really stand out to me at all. ‘Down the well’ and ‘Digging for fire’ did sound better, however. I would not listen again unfortunately.

Really married the freneticism of early Pixies with a kind of musical maturity. First time listening top to bottom - loved it.

Maybe their darkest and sparsest album but still with the great dynamics and guitar creativity that made me love them

Pleasant enough musical base, but it didn't seem to go anywhere. Listening to this album felt like eating a tasty soup that was all broth. I kept looking for the mushrooms (etc) but all I got was more of the broth.

Vähän parempi kuin Doolittle, mutta en tiiä oliko tämäkään nyt niin hyvä

okay hard rock sound. Didn't seem overly distinctive.

Light 4, strong 3

At first, I thought I wouldn't enjoy this, but as the album went on u could appreciate it more

There wasn’t a moment where my foot wasn’t tapping.

I've had a love/hate relationship with the Pixies before this album. Some of their stuff was pleasant, while other stuff just didn't click with me. That being said, I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to enjoy this album right from the get-go. The opening was energetic and lead in nicely to the second song. Maybe not the biggest fan of the vocals in 'Rock Music,' but they got better in subsequent songs. The lyrics are sometimes pretty simplistic, but they always work. Wild. "Is she weird, is she white, is she promised to the night?" I don't know why it works, but keep it up.

I always found the Pixies overrated, their music sounding always a bit disjointed and at times even out of tune. This album is more of that, albeit with a darker twist. The album starts strong with Cecilia Ann, which is an instrumental dark Surfer Rock tune. The following songs are in a similar vein, but the longer the album runs, the more Pixies standard fare appears. I guess this band is not for me. 2.5/5

A fun and fast 90s rock album. Not quite grundge but honestly pretty close. Kind of crazy they went right off the rip into the decade and instantly put out an album that sounds like what it's known for. Some of the songs have 80s style drums which was fun. most songs were pretty short and went by pretty fast. I feel like you almost have to relisten to it to even remember the songs Score: 80 Art: 80

Had not listened to this Pixies album previously, but I enjoy this genre, so I enjoyed this. Quick listen with solid songs, it's collectively great. An awesome start to the 90's.

2.5/5 I didn't really enjoy this album much. It felt angsty and a bit annoying if I'm honest. The thing I liked the most was the name of one song, which does not a good album make.

Better than I had imagined but still not earth shattering. Can't think of any highlights but overall a decent enough album which didn't offend my ears. One I'll return to probably.

Welp, it might just have been a bad mood-fit, but this was very disappointing. Especially compared to Doolittle which is fantastic. It really feels sort of less stringent(?) in a way. Obviously influential, and great energy, but none of the tracks really stood out as highlights to me.

On Bossanova Pixies combine the unapologetic sound of Surfer Rosa with the more melodic approach of Doolittle. It just never reaches the heights of either of those records. Not bad but not great.

From distant star to this here bar The me, the you, where are we now? Hurray the blues of everyone, Allison Outstanding album, worth the listen. 4/5

I used to listen to this album a lot when I was at university. Contrary to what I've read, it's actually probably my favorite from Pixies. The songs are just pure vibes and the lyrics don't seem to matter. And yet they manage to paint some nice visuals (The Happening!). I'm tempted to give it a 5 but I think that I shouldn't and that it's just nostalgia talking through me influencing my opinion on this album. Ok, let's go down a bit, 4.5

yikes- “rock music” has got to be THE worst song i’ve heard ever, and given some of the albums we’ve had that’s saying a lot. compared to that song the rest of the album was bad but not as bad as the previous album we’ve had. but i genuinely can’t say one good thing about this album? other than it’s not their worst? i cant decide between a 1 or 2 but i think given the fact nothing about this is good i’ll have to go with a 1. 1.5 at best. the length is good- one more minute and i might just hang myself 🙃🤓

I just don't like the Pixies at all. Or Pixies is it? I gave this a chance but ... "Rock Music" might be the worst song I have ever heard. w t f Once we get by that one - I'll be fair, I don't dislike it as much as their earlier albums - in many ways it's absolutely more accessible (for this band at least). Still - I just don't like the band much and will never get by it; they have a style and I accept why ppl of my generation like them. Sorta. But dammit - most of these are half-baked or half-formed ideas rather than finished tunes; the songwriting is just goddamn lazy and I'm probably retroactively applying it to the decade but so typical of the "whatever" 90s that I lived through. Ugh. Also please: these vocals are a goddamn travesty. ...They were better than Nirvana though. Low bar. 3/10 2 stars

Cool

nice

Would listen to some again

Kattengejank. Hippe kut-rock

I definitely enjoyed this more than the other Pixies album I got a while back. Will have to dig into the band deeper to decide if I really like them.

Some hints of The Saints, but a very fresh, original sound. "Is She Weird" is the earworm song of the day. The rest of this album was terrific from start to finish. Definitely one that I'm happy made this list.

nothing punk

AOTL

All sounded a bit flat and nondescript.

Decent, the happening is the best, quite like dig for fire and is she weird

I think I have to rate this 5 stars because I can't find anything wrong with it. Who knew?!

Broody, didn't have as much variety as some of the other pixies albums this list has provided

I love pixies but idk about 5

Much better than expected

The kind of album I came here for. And the kind of album I wish I was aware of when it came out. The question is, would 12 year old me have appreciated it at the time? Probably not. It’s a 5 now though. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

This album is just banger after banger! Love it!

Gritty.

Great album, seriously enjoyed it. SO many good songs. Saved tracks: Cecilia Ann, Allison, All Over the World, The Happening

Not much to say....but there are some good songs!

Although I have heard several tracks from the Pixies before, all of the music from Bossanova was new to me. Bossanova sounded like a Pixies album. Most of the album was pretty good. "Rock Music" and "Is She Weird" were my least favorite tracks, with too much noise, screams and grinding in the music - which can be typical Pixies. But the album finished strong with the last three tracks getting in to the less chaotic side of Pixies. "Havalina" was my favorite track. I'm interested in hearing more from the Pixies, but probably would not come back to this album as a whole.

Punk rock

Nothing special, I enjoy their newer stuff more

As much as I don't want to like a nearly Kim Deal-less Pixies album, this collection of songs is just amazing.

My first trip through Bossanova had me thinking: "This sounds like Pixies but its not weird enough! Two stars." I had to listen to the album twice before I understood how weird it is and I like it very much.

Unhinged music for crazy people (term of endearment). Favorite Pixies album that I've heard (not gotten around to Doolittle yet - a felony in 197 countries - I know, I'm aware). Songs like "Velouria", "Is She Weird" and "Dig For Fire" are the type of music that would randomly start playing in your brain at 3AM when you're trying to fall asleep. (again, term of endearment). Also "Rock Music" goes hard. Don't trust people who say it sucks. It's what separates the boys from the men. Factual information.

Love the first (instrumental) track. Is she weird? Yes. I feel no need to relisten.

Classic. Perhaps not their best, but up there with them.

These guy’s struggled to do a bad album back in the day, this is no exception

Great: Velouria, Allison, Is She Weird, All Over the World, Dig for Fire, The Happening, Havalina Good: Hang Wire, Stormy Weather, Down to the Well, Blown Away, Ok: The Rest Fantastic album! Almost perfect from start to finish although there are a few weaker points. Definitely not the masterpiece that is Doolittle but still a fantastic album!

Een stuk minder experimenteel dan Surfer Rosa en daardoor makkelijker aan te horen. Maar ook dit album bevalt heel goed.

pixies "ana" is nice did not think i'd be into this album at all bc "rock music" totally turned me off lol but the first song is also nice. surprised by how much i liked

Dobar ali ne ko surfer rosa ili doolittle

Haven’t heard this one before. Really good! It seems more focused than their other stuff - not as much experimenting but a lot of catchy intros. The Happening was my favorite.

I can feel the lack of Kim Deal in this album and find it less deserving to be on this list than previous releases. Maybe they rushed this one a little too much. It's not terrible. I wouldn't reach for it again though like I would with albums like Doolittle.

Despite repeated listenings, this has just not done it for me. Cannot think of one track that has lodged in my head.

Another solid pixies album

Excelente album do pixies

Eh

Not the best Pixies album, so I don’t think it needs to be in this list. Nonetheless, still a good record.

Havalina

Enjoyed it, been a few years since I listened

Quite a robust album! Certainly demands your attention.

I always find it interesting to play my album of the day on Spotify and then let Spotify keep playing other stuff based on that album. It makes me feel like I *should* like The Pixies, because I love almost all of the other stuff Spotify picks (Replacements, Television, Teenage Fanclub, etc.) But for whatever reason The Pixies just don't do it for me. I don't dislike them, but their songs just kind of bore me. 3 stars.

Loud quiet loud. The pixies are awesome. Had not listened to this album previously and only heard Dolittle and best of

Good stuff. A bit monotone at times, but would absolutely put this album on again. Enjoyed the louder stuff more than the quiet

Good but nothing great

A solid album, but not my favourite from the Pixies. That said, starting your day by listening to Rock Music is highly recommended.

The 3rd best Pixies album to some (Critics and users on AOTY). My second Pixes album I have listened too fully, and it's a lot more intense than i remember Doolittle being. I did enjoy this, great listening experience. Overall 8/10

Really great album, interesting sound and vocals.

Never really got the appeal of the Pixies. They’re fun, but so what?

as slow starting but solid alt rock album. A great instrumental opener led into a somewhat lazy first half, but boy did they pick it up in the second half. The signature Pixies sounds rears its head and it is beautiful. 7/10.

Not sure about this one. Not bad, but not great either. Maybe it needs more listens. 3/5

I can imagine myself playing an air guitar along to the Down to the Well song. The vocal attitude reminds me of Alice Cooper. 2.5/5

I like the composition and rock elements but not a fan of the low fi parts

Kim Deal's absence as a songwriter is noticeable. While still a member, she had formed the Breeders as a side project and channeled many songs there. Black Francis comes to the forefront and all of the elements that make Pixies distinct are present. Somewhat of a letdown after Doolittle, slightly sub-par Pixies is still better than most other bands.

Better than the other Pixiues albums live heard. More melodic with less screaming. Probably won’t listen again but not terrible.

Enough of this kind of music. Worst pixies album we have heard so far and I think we heard 3.

I was really tempted to give this a 3/5, but I think I'm overly critical because I love Doolittle, their previous record, so damn much. But honestly this is a great alternative album. Lots of later bands who used Pixies as an influence can be heard here.

I enjoy this. Not mind blowing but I see why it would have been something more revolutionary in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Frank Blacks vocal approach is more of an accent to the instruments as opposed to being a sole focus of any particular section of a song. Well made and interesting rock music.

I liked it okay. Some of these songs made more of an impact on a live concert on a video I borrowed many moons ago.

Well this rocks None of the Pixies songs I already knew and yet the most I’ve liked them

Indie rock, alternative, getting close to pop. In order to enjoy the album one must be in the mood of something calm and simple

Weaker than Surfer and Doolittle so can't give it a 5 star, but it's still pretty great 👍🏻

Not as iconic as other Pixies albums. Not as weird, honestly. Still, it’s the original band and Kim Deal is still there so that warrants 3 stars.

Had some interesting stuff going on in the middle but the beginning and end had too many stinkers that dragged down the whole album

Extremely jarring album when you think Pixies are a female rock group….anyways, I felt like i was being yelled out and it made me uncomfortable. Some good rock guitar sound at times though.

Been ages since I listened to this album. Love Pixies and their sound and I’m torn between whether this is a 3 or a 4. Going to err on the side of caution and give it a high 3. With multiple listens, could see this being a 4. Banged a lot of 5s out lately and don’t want people thinking I’ve gone soft. Actually fuck Pixies.

Boss album. I dunno how I’ve never heard this before because I am a fringe Pixies fan. Anyway I really like it and some songs on here will be getting hammered.

Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

Velouria, Ana, Allison

Such a fierce voice

Over and over, I keep asking myself the question - why did I think that I loved The Pixies so much. I had their albums years ago, but I probably haven’t listened to one start to finish for a long, long time. I would have sworn blind that I really liked them. However, nothing really stood out for me here. There were a couple of decent enough tracks but nothing that I could say I loved. I recognised ‘Velouria’ and ‘All over the world’ from way back but I’m left feeling very nonplussed. Perhaps they slotted into a particular time of my life. But that time is not now.

Based on other bands I listen to I should love this band. I should know all their songs and their history and have seen them live. But I don’t. And I haven’t. I know the names Black Francis and Kim Deal. I recognize and like a few of their songs but that’s as far as my relationship with the Pixies has gotten. I liked the songs sung by Kim more than the ones by Frank.

Well, if nothing else, I think I get this band and the wild fever it causes in diehard Pixies fans now more than before. I can't say I feel that same fever, but, if I may bring a personal fave of mine to the party, I sense a similarity in musical approach to that of Cheap Trick. Both are built on a foundation of punk/garage/muscular pop, and while CT leans toward cleaner more refined material and performances, this band wallows in the gritty abandon of the sloppier side and tries to steer the beast toward pop. It also seems to me that Josh Homme and Queens of the Stone Age must appreciate the Pixies based on the swings in style and delivery. The first three tracks on this album sound like they could have been three different bands, which sets the stage for "anything goes." But did I like it...? Yeah, though this is one I'd need to live with for a while before deciding what I really think.

Bossanova always sounded like a band doing a pretty good Pixies imitation but lacking the songwriting chops of the actual Pixies. How they have this album and not Surfer Rosa on this list is ridiculous.

I tend to think the Pixies are too hard for my liking. However, Is She Weird, Ana, changed my mind. I realized I never really gave a good listen. Further into the album and All Over the World I started to see why folks go gaga over this band and I liked the juxtaposition of minimal and maximum sonic sounds. I like!

High 3, potential low 4. Nothing specific grabbed me but could use more listens

Had never heard this album before, and had never really listened to The Pixies before—I think I’ve been missing out on something great. Loved how unpredictable every track was, and the way it would meander through such different sounds from punky-grungy to an almost dark, melancholy tone. Would definitely listen to this again.

Awesome album that I have never heard before. Really good vibes on first listen and want to listen to it more. Success!

Not necessarily my jam but some of the tracks rocked out with some strange but repetitive lyrics. Some of their washed out guitar sounds remind of Modest mouse. Jared, what the hell is Shoe Gaze???? Since the album is from 1990, I can definitely see why they were so influential

This album is surf-rock on a collision course with grunge, with a smattering of shoe gaze. Love the songs that go from really quiet to REALLY LOUD. Some interesting lyrics about religion and space? Pretty complete album from beginning to end with only a few weak tracks. Can definitely see how their sound influenced the likes of Weezer, Modest Mouse and a bunch of other late 90s bands. 4/5.

Pretty cruisy

I dont remember liking this very much. I stick with the material up to and including Doolittle and rarely venture outside of it. I was wrong. This album is overall pretty good. It opens in a fantastic manner. There are a few "meh" songs to be found. Those early records had nothing "meh" on them. So I guess this really isn't in the same league as those others, but I will definitely return to some of these songs again.

So at first I thought it was fine, but then The Happening came on and I googled it expecting it to be this masterpiece with countless articles praising it. Those articles didn’t exist but I love it! I listened to that song alone, a dozen plus times.

Standout tracks on first listen: Cecilia Ann, Ana, Dig for Fire. Interesting mix of surf rock with alt/goth rock. Slightly abrasive in a mostly good way.

A journey of an album

Certainly one of the albums of all time

FAntastic

I like when they actually sing. I wish they would do it more lol I have a love/hate relationship with the pixies. Their music is definitely a vibe but they have some parts where it seems like they're deliberately sounding bad. Which I get was a statement, made them unique, got them attention, whatever. It still sounds bad :X This album mostly doesn't sound bad though. The chords and melodies are pretty basic and same-y, that's not inherently bad, but it makes it a bit dull especially with the weak harmonies. I also don't think Black Francis is an amazing singer, at least not one I'd actively want to seek out to listen to more. They also have this thing where they like phrasing in 6 beats instead of the usual 8. I've heard them do it before (e.g. Tame) but it seemed like they do it a lot here. It's cool, keeps you on your toes a bit which is what they're going for. The intro track was surprisingly good. Alison, Is She Weird, and especially Down to the Well were the tracks that stood out the most.

it's okay i guess the guitars sound a little too "surf rock"-ish for my liking - kind of okay in small doses but across a whole album it gets tiresome decent alt rock but not super catchy or memorable, i wouldn't switch off it but i wouldn't really go out of my way to seek it out actually by the end i got a little bored, not a lot of the later songs are memorable and they blend together. frank black is kind of annoying. i guess on reflection there are some decent songs I just probably wouldn't want to listen to the whole album

started out really good, first two songs were fun. velouria was mid. after that it was some good, some less good i liked it best when they were fast paced and going crazy and it sounded like they were having fun. lyrics were v weird sometimes but in a good way not a lot of it stuck in my head tbh but i enjoyed the sound and feel of it. a little disappointed after the opening, thought i was going to love this but instead it was just pretty good

i forgot like everything about this album after i listened to it so i think that’s a sign that it was perfectly Fine

Ayyy pixies. I liked surfer Rosa so I'm excited for this one.

Again, it's very obvious how Nirvana was influenced by this act. Some of the songs were a bit repetitive. (Stormy Weather, anyone?). But the introductory instrumental is a great way to start off. Short, punchy songs, which is always good (don't overstay your welcome.) But none of the songs really stood out to me. That's never a good sign. It's one of those albums that I guess I just don't get the following.

It took me awhile to get into this album but I admit it grew on me. I don't think the Pixies ever do anything bad but this one is a bit of the whole is worth more then the sum of its parts. There's a few songs that rock right away (Velouria, Dig for Fire) and a few others that only take a couple listens to realize they rock (Rock Music, Hang Wire, Stormy Weather). It's the Pixies doing Pixie things - guitar distortion, unique time signatures, varied vocal approaches, lyrics that range from witty to weird - but I can't shake that I don't find it is as good or appealing as their first two albums.

My first impression here after the opening track started was “hey Pixies, 1973 called and they want their drum sound back.” Apart from that “Cecilia Ann“ was a pretty cool opening instrumental. This is the first Pixies album that I’ve listened to. I’ve read that it’s not their best, but it impressed me enough to want to check out more of their stuff. Interesting song writing on here overall. I’d give it a 3.5 but I’ll round up because it’s on 4 AD and I like that label

Très bon, à réécoute

4.5

I love the opening track. The other songs ranged from quite enjoyable to meh so I think this has to be a 3/3.5.

Maybe a few songs are unnecessary, but what's good is so good

'Twas alright

best schappelijk erg pixies idd

Really good album set the stage for grunge in the 90s

It’s an average pixies album. Doesn’t need to be on this list at all.

Gangbusters

T3B 1. The Happening 2. Dig for Fire 3. Velouria No complaints. Pretty good listen. 3.

Didn't enjoy it that much. I noticed I prefered to do something else, than listen to this

Nice solid offering to end the week. Somewhat forgettable but was decent drivetime background

They are freaks. Why did I love it?

Very okay-ish rock album. When I started listening I banged - or rather nodded - my head and thought to myself: "This will be a good one" and when it ended I didn't really recall any of it.

Great stuff incredible that it was made in 1990

Nice album. I loved how there was some 'heavy' tracks and some that are associated with pixies in my head. Atmospheric, light&heavy. I really love style of Pixies. Reverbing guitar, strange in a good way lyrics. Sometimes a had a feeling that I wasn't listening to same group, but at the same time all tracks compliment each other well.

Yeah, ok.

3.6 strong interesting rock but not overall memorable.

Hard rock/Alternative

Basic musically. Lyrics are obscure most of the time. The second part of the album is better to my taste. It feels rebellious and teenagously disorganized. Which is nice if you are in that mood. I liked it overall…

Enjoyed teh first song, not much else

5/10

Solid Pixies.

Not a fan of this album and it was tough getting through it.

Compared to Surfer Rosa, which I recently listened to, this one was a lot easier to get into. I really liked it.

I was familiar with a couple songs (and those are still my favorites) but listening to the rest of the album was definitely worth my time! The opening track blew me away, what a bombastic one! I want to come back to this one in my own time and experience it again, I feel like it could grow a little more on me. The Pixies create a mood that only they can do and sometimes it hits just right.

Love the pixies!

Pixies eru svo mikið æði. Þessi plata er engin Doolittle en samt stuð.

I love the Pixies, but of the three albums they have on the list, this one is my least favorite. Doolittle and Surfer Rosa are both pretty much perfect, while this album has a couple of smaller missteps. Again, compared to other albums, it's great, but compared to the two other Pixies entries, it's just not quite as strong. I'm not going to go below 4 stars because I do like this album a lot, but is it required on the 1001 list if you already have Surfer Rosa and Doolittle?

Huh. I kinda didn't like this, even though I was expecting too. The songs all seem like 1 minute too long. But then I listened to it in my car instead on my headphones, and I was like, Hell Yeah. The Pixies. Rock that shit pixies, don't even worry if nothing sounds clear. That's rawness. That's rawdawg rock grunge post punk energy and you got it.

Good

Good ol’ mainstream appeal album. It is a good Pixies album, a little less savage, screamy, distorted as some of the other albums (if I recall correctly). The name fits the title, smooth ass Pixies. Fun! You’ll like it. Probably. We started the day with sebadoh and, boyo, let me tell you, that shit went waaaayyyyy harder than this. And that’s a surprise, because Lou Barlow is a softy. I guess young Lou went hard. Oh well, this album will make you feel like you’re almost listening to the radio. Enjoy.

2 Boring

so bon

my favorite Pixies album. The production might be a bit polished for some but the songs are really great (and Gil Norton rules anyway). Fantastic

Pixies are a hard one to place, stylistically. Great album

It's really telling when the entry for this album on the list spends most of its time talking about how it doesn't live up to their earlier work and the cracks were forming.

Pretty good album. We used to listen to the Pixies and Frank Black a lot in High School, so this brings back good memories. Always felt that they were kind of a hit-or-miss band, and this album is no exception. First few songs start out strong, but by the end of the album I was ready for something else.

Good band but I don't like very much.

Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

It’s Pixies!

I'm down with the Pixies, and Havalina is a great song. That's the review. It's a good album.

Peut mieux faire

ca a changé la musique brésilienne

Too heavy at times

In the Sonic Youth vs Pixies war of the early 90’s, I served proudly on the Sonic Youth side. Their sound was cooler: more unpredictable, experimental and unique. Their name was cooler. They were from New York City, man…and the Pixies were from Boston. Rightly or not, these two bands are inextricably linked in my mind as being in opposition to each other, like two sides of a coin. Not that you couldn’t like both bands, but at some point you were going to have an argument with someone about which was better. To this day, I’d take a Sonic Youth record with me to a desert island before a Pixies record. I get why people would enjoy Pixies over Sonic Youth, though. It’s a much easier sound to digest: more conventional and familiar from a rock perspective, with a bit of controlled chaos thrown in. Me? I want to tear it all down, no rules, no adherence to tradition. Dismantle it and put it back together as something new and unique. Through that lens, Bossanova isn’t really anything special: a mostly traditional rock record with noise and aggression sprinkled through out. Especially listening to it now, their loud-quiet-loud formula has been used ad nauseam in mainstream alt-rock for the last few decades. What was once new and fresh is now cliche. Taken through another lens, the classic Pixies records were kind of a blueprint for what was to come. It’s not their fault that they struck gold and everyone else rushed to do the same. They were part of the push to take down the old guard and remake the mainstream for the better, even if it only lasted a couple years before getting swallowed up and re-relegated to the underground. So maybe it shouldn’t have been a discussion of Sonic Youth vs Pixies back then, but a discussion of Sonic Youth *and* Pixies (plus others) vs the world… Sonic Youth is still cooler, though.

Oh no, why two Pixies in a row.? Loud and irritating and I just don't want to hear this music right now. It's the kind of thing that makes you feel unglued, unhinged, unhappy! Not a fan at this point in time.

Pixies bring the surf rock in an enjoyable if less dynamic album then Doolittle and Surfer Rosa. The band sounds great and Black’s obsessions with aliens and space are explored here. Velouria is up there with their best, Is She Weird is a moody little number, Down to the Well is Black I’m psychotic mode and The Happening is the surprisingly touching story of an alien going lost and ending up in Area 51.

Not as good as first two albums

good album!

Sounded like the same song over and over again. If this had been a putely instrumental album, I may listen to it on occasion for the vibe, but the singing kills it for me. Would not recommend to a friend.

So I'd been invited to go see the Pixies in concert the morning this popped up and I thought 'oh it's a sign' - and it was! A sign not to waste the money. I mean a couple of tunes but interspersed with some rubbish. This isn't why they are such a cult band surely?!

Some nice songs, but also some terrible songs

Not much too say about this one, just didn't like it all that much :)

beautiful. every song is a masterpiece. would be a crime to rate this less than a 5.

I always want to like the Pixies, but every time I listen to them, I just…don’t. Not exactly sure why. The sound of the guitar is just too harsh and it overpowers the rest of the sound. I like a couple of their songs here and there (like Where is my Mind?), but otherwise, not really a fan.

4.25

buenardópolis 8/10

What's not to love about the Pixies?! This album falls short of some of their earlier albums for me, but is still vibrant and energetic and fun.

Just matchless. A classic test of a great album is that different songs reveal themselves over time. On this listen the vocals and guitar on The Happening are just amazing.

This was the sound at EVERY college party back in the day. And sooo many bands got inspired by them. However, Doolittle is the better album. And "Gigantic" from Surfer Rosa remains my favorite from the band. While this is still a great album, I do need to put it into context.

I don't know how the pixies do it. Not necessarily always melodic or approachable, it is entirely engaging... with a variety that covers anger & energy as well songs with an ethereal quality. Fantastic.

I get the vibe, but it’s not for me

This is a really good album.

You can hear a lot of foundations for later alternative bands. It's soul-grooving, with driving guitars and interesting lyrics.

Meerdere keren herbeluisteren!

Decent beats, nothing clicked for me.

Not usually the kind of rock I’m into but I actually really enjoyed the album. Songs were repetitive but fun to listen to

First Pixies record I ever bought. Played the hell out of it, but as I started collecting the rest of their records this one became the least favorite of them all as a teenager. Listening to this now; I don't know why this ever fell to the bottom. The reverbed out guitar, the super clean vocal harmonies, Black Francis' range from velvety smooth to gnarly growls, experimenting with the spacey dissonant melodies that made Trompe Le Monde such a great album. Easily a 5/5 album.

Great album. Already loved it. 5/5

Really enjoy the spacyness of this punk record. Vocals range from raging and intense to serene cleans. Guitars are frantic and reverb-drenched. I've never really dug into Pixies, but this was way more eclectic than I expected. Enjoyed quite a bit though it falls off a little in the latter half. Highlights: Rock Music, Velouria, Is She Weird, Down To The Well

I really do like the Pixies, but I don’t tend to spin much of their stuff past their first two albums + Come On Pilgrim. Playing this in full for the first time in ages reminds me of why. This really does feel like their attempt to court the mainstream, and has less of the charming idiosyncrasies that makes their earlier stuff timeless. Still, when it hits it hits, and it has plenty of bangers to make it worth adding to the collection. B

Interesting punk that I would give a second listen. Still unsure if I like it or simply appreciate it

Un bon album des pixies. J’ai prefere l’autre sur la liste3.25

Pixies are great and this is a good album.

Cool and enjoyable. Not The Pixies best work in my opinion, but still fun to listen to. At points it can feel groundbreaking, while at others it feels like it almost drags. The vocals are cool and the guitar work is so active and fun to listen to. This record is great and shows that the Pixies were definitely pushing their genre at points. Favorite Track: Velouria Least Favorite Track: Hang Wire

The band will be remembered for their fame and sound, but this punk album simply does not leave a lasting impact on you the way the grunge and pop punk of the decade would.

Decent alternative rock but thats about it

Their fourth best album, if you count the "Come on Pilgrim" EP. Some bright spots but nowhere near as consistent as their earlier work.

Slack Francis

did little

i liked it better with headphones than stereo

A few positive moments, but not many

Never heard of this band or their music but they made me a fan.

Yes.

decent and some bangers but nothing i was super crazy about

Nice taste to classic 90's rock with its own spin. favourite is probably 'Is She Weird' and will definitely listen to this album again in the near future.

Mid

Nice power cord mix. Short songs high energy to not overload the senses. For that matter best songs didn’t use sentences…

The last great Pixies album.

This is real nice ! Can be listened very easily.

More punk than expected

This album went by insanely fast for 14 tracks. I wasn't expecting it to be this punky since my only exposure to the pixies is basically just where is my mind. But by insanely fast I also meant that it kinda went in one ear and out the other unfortunately

扎实，硬核，带有一丝鬼诞的感觉。但我觉得有点过于普通，不会给我留下什么深刻印象，也不会让我有动力再点开一次。

Awesome

Meh. I preferred it when Spotify rolled into the Breeders Cannonball when this album ended.