Reviews (page 6 of 15)
I went on a mission to get into the Pixies and see what the fuss was about... and was not disappointed! I've listened to Doolittle probably 5+ times this year and really like the album. I finally get why the Pixies were great and love some of these songs. "Debaser" was my most excited song to see at Shaky Knees this year and I was having the best time of anybody there! Legendary bangers, pretty legendary talents and some of the most influential rock music of my lifetime.
loud and weird but also catchy.
Likeable. Has ramshackle charm. But the vibe is much too "on drugs" than I will ever be comfortable being myself, and after a while it grows tiresome. The final stretch is strong though so they pull it through!
I fear my words might trigger some boys :( Honestly, I have no idea why I thought this band had a frontwoman? I was like "OMG YAY! My first girlypop record!" I was sadly mistaken, but knew people still hold them in high regard so I'll probably like it anyway? Well... 1. Debaser - really really cool guitars, eh voice. That fact that genius lyrics actually has a gif of that movie really threw me off. 2. Tame - I actually really like the sound, but hate the vibe of the song. Like, yikes. It just grosses me out. 3. Wave of Mutilation - It's fine, it feels familiar 4. I Bleed - Eh ---I realized here that I've been so thrown off by the first 2 tracks so I took a break and listened to 3 Sabrina Carpenter songs as a palate cleanser :D. I am now back, hopefully able to view the rest of the songs individually.--- 5. Here Comes Your Man - It's fine. Probably nothing I'd come back to, but sounds commercial or movie like 6. Dead - I think here is where I just have to concede this is not for me at all I don't hate the guitars or production, but I can't with the lyrics or stories. I just feel really really grossed out. It just feels like the lyrics are screaming "OMG LOOK AT ME GUYS, I'M SO COOL, I'M SO DIFFERENT, I'M SO EMO, AND EDGY, AND WEIRD :P" Not because it's coming from a place of needing to say those things, but from just seeing how weird you can be for weird sake. Like that one Riverdale meme scene "In case you haven’t noticed, I'm weird. I’m a weirdo. I don't fit in. And I don't want to fit in." This is my first DNF, wow.
Not for me....5 songs in then gave up.
Not that bad
If the early Beach Boys were Gen X , this is what they would sound like when it's too dark for surfing. Absolute classic, hugely influential and ultimately the gateway drug to Pixies other albums.
Angstier
Overall pleasent album, I only ever listened to their album with Where Is My Mind, and I feel like this is definitely different, but I enjoyed it. Some pretty good alt rock. Maybe a bit unoriginal but I really like the bass line in Here Comes Your Man. Probably my favourite song.
This is another album I was only listening to a week or two again. This is a great album and has some classic tracks on it - several of which already appear on various playlists I’ve made. I really like this album, but as tempted as I am to give it a 5 because it has some of my favourite Pixies tracks on, I think overall its more of a 4.
Wasn't as punk as I was expecting - not that I didn't enjoy it though
Love this album and it's appearance was perfectly timed to improve a bad day. Long live Black Francis and the crew.
'Doolittle?' More like did well. But seriously folks, I like this hipster darling album. It's a refreshing indie sound that leaves you wanting more (and sounds like a precursor to Weezer). Top tracks: "Wave of Mutilation," "Here Comes Your Man," "Monkey Gone to Heaven," "Hey," "Debaser"
--Debaser...like the guitar. a little too chaotic for me --Tame...this must be the dynamic range Pixies fans are always talking about --Wave of Mutilation...I like the song but Francis' voice is oddly low in the mix. Much lower than tracks one and two. I imagine this was a deliberate choice I just can't imagine why --I Bleed...not a fan of this one. the chaos is back --Here Comes Your Man...fun change of pace. sunny surfy pop --Dead...proto-White Stripes --Monkey Gone to Heaven...love some good numerology rock --Mr. Grieves...like the bass groove --Crackity Jones...like the speed of this one --La La Love You...different singer? it's fine --No. 13 Baby...I'm kinda miffed that this isn't the 13th track. this just kind of meanders --There Goes My Gun...things are melting together now --Hey...I don't hate this but it almost sounds like an improv jam until the chorus --Silver...slide guitar time --Gouge Away...a lesser "Wave of Mutilation" mixed with a bit of "Debaser"
Maybe they're just an acquired taste but thought this album kinda stank. Here Comes Your Man was the only song I'd listen again and even then it's okay? The instrumentals were very well done which is pretty much the only reason this doesn't get one star
Started out with an annoying repetitive song. Did not get much better. Waves Of Mutilation is the only one I've heard before, that one is ok. Here Comes Your Man, No 13 Baby, and Silver were also ok. The rest was junk. Best song: Waves of Mutilation
It's very clear what this album influenced, and there is very minimal music I like from that influence.
7/10
This does very little for me. There’s nothing on the album that I’d like to come back to, and no situation where I see myself listening to this again. That said, it’s not wretched or irritating.
debater- love the intro, weirdly reminds me of “jet” and idk if it’s in a good way, overall good song tame- good, idk if the vocals are really my thing, but great guitar wave of mutilation - fire song i bleed - i fw this one so hard, this one is really good here comes your man - obviously a classic, awesome guitar and vocals dead - kinda gives me the heebie jeebies, i like it i think? guitar in middle is SO good monkey gone to heaven - such a great chorus, makes me feel things fr. ugh love it mr. grieves - funky, i like that it switches up a bunch. oooh good guitar at the end crackity jones - ehhh its not quite my thing la la love you - sexy guitar, don’t love the whistling no 13 baby - too sleepy to do the rest but my top songs are hey and monkey gone to heaven
Meh! The album is OK, but it just doesn't do it for me.
This is the 1001st time I've listened to this album. So, yeah, I love it.
It was ok
Proto Nirvana and Radiohead. Instant 5 stars.
this is everyone's favorite album ever it seems
Nem hallgattam végig, de pár dal alapján nem az én világom. Volt amelyiknél az alap tetszett, de az ének vagy hát néhol hörgős kiábálás sok volt.
Es un disco raro, todavía no lo llego a descifrar...es como si quisieran empezar los 90, pero todavía les queda un poco de los 80 atrás. Nosé, no es mí estilo...pero si estaría metida en esa droga pecaminosa del surf rock o como sea que a la gente le guste llamarlo, creo que estaría prendida de este disco.
6/10 - I get it. I can see and hear the influence of future bands that I like, I just never find myself wanting to relisten to anything other than Debaser.
One or two filler songs on an otherwise great album. Every time I listen to this album I like it more than the last. Strong 8/10
Amazing alt-rock. ahead of it's time, your suprised the album was released in the 80s when listening for the first time, could have just as well been released 2 days ago.
Unexpectedly fun to listen to. I don't think I knew any pixies songs BESIDES Where is my Mind, and I was super impressed listening to this. Big fan.
There is such an obvious through-line here of this to Nirvana or this to Modest Mouse it's so cool. I don't think I'm at a place where I think this is a masterpiece amazing god album but I do think it's a really sick thing to exist in 1989 and absolutely is a blueprint for a lot of the music that I do think is masterpiece amazing god music. I do think there's somewhere in Dave Grohl's autobiography where he says Nevermind was their best attempt at ripping off Doolittle. Very powerful vocal album, very powerful dynamic album. 4/5 but I can see this becoming a 5 on two or three more listens.
You want pop songs with loud guitars and freaky, tense lyrics? This is it. Imma need anyone not giving this a 5 to relisten to it until you do. I can't believe that this was released in the 80s, it sounds so much better than the shit that was coming out a full 20 years after, although the people who ripped them off sold way more records. I get it though, there's a lot of intentionally rough edges on this. Black Francis (or is it Francis Black now?) oscillates between screaming at you and whispering into your ear. Kim Deal sounds like a creepy doll in the best way. Vocals on this record alone are so good. I only want to play with guitarists and drummers who think like these dudes. 3 minute songs filled with great grooves and guitar. This is a record where the hits are just as good as the deep cuts. Listen to the groove and guitar work on Wave of Mutilation closely, this band works so well together. This record may finish even stronger than where it started. Only blemish maybe is Silver, but it's not bad. I need to go hop on meetings now, maybe i'll revisit this to make a more coherent argument, but really you need to spend more time with this album or else I will not speak with you again. Absolute 5/5
Prolific and probably underrated in their prime. Those first five albums are absolu magnificent. Doolittle is jam packed with classics. Polished hooks and excellent production. Pixies is greater than the sum of its parts. We did get a killer Breeders alum out that raw deal though. Close to perfect album.
Fantastic and still holds up
3.67/5 Stars Top Songs: Hey, Here Comes Your Man and Mr. Grieves
👍
It's interesting.
What a crazy mix of music. Everytime I thought I had this album figured out it came out of nowhere with a musical break-turn. They wanted to try every genre and succeeded
One of my favorite albums of all time
3.5
The Pixies' massive influence on '90s alternative music truly starts right here with Doolittle. They managed to take everything that worked on Surfer Rosa, fill it in with vibrant color, and make it far more accessible—all without compromising their signature sound. It is a masterclass in the 'loud-soft-loud' dynamic, flawlessly layering hard, abrasive guitars over what is essentially bubblegum pop. Just listen to 'Here Comes Your Man'; it has such a classic pop sensibility that you'll swear you've heard it a hundred times before. Black Francis clearly had more weird hooks and incredibly catchy melodies than he knew what to do with, resulting in a perfect, massively influential record.
Day 108 First time I’ve had one of those strange coincidences, I had a Frank Black album the day before this and mentioned Pixies were in my regular rotation and here we are. I love this album, debaser may be the best opening track of all time. Highlights Debaser Hey Gouge Away
que grandes los pixies👏👏joyita
# In-Depth Review: *Doolittle* by Pixies *(Released April 1989 – 4AD)* --- ## 1. **Lyrics – Surreal Sermons & Pop-Culture Parables** Black Francis wrote like a fever-dream preacher who’d main-lined Bunuel, the Old Testament, *Un Chien Andalou*, and *The X-Files*. - **Biblical gore** – “Dead” rewrites David & Bathsheba as a snuff-liturgy; “Gouge Away” retells Samson & Delilah with voyeuristic relish. - **Eco-parable** – “Monkey Gone to Heaven” folds climate dread into numerology: *“If man is 5… then the devil is 6… and God is 7.”* - **Surrealist cinema** – “Debaser” literally screams *“Un Chien Andalou!”* turning Luis Buñuel’s eyeball-slitting into a mosh-ready chorus. - ** Americana noir** – “Here Comes Your Man” is a hobo-apocalypse disguised as jangle-pop; “Crackity Jones” compresses a psychotic Puerto-Rican roommate into 84 seconds of bilingual panic. - **Humour & absurdity** – “La La Love You” lampoons 50s crooners; “Mr. Grieves” gives the album its title while sounding like a demented children’s rhyme. Kim Deal’s honeyed harmonies are the **emotional safety net**—every time Francis howls about gouged eyes or tidal waves, Deal’s voice reassures you it’s still only a pop song. --- ## 2. **Music – Controlled Dynamite** | **Ingredient** | **What it does on *Doolittle*** | |----------------|---------------------------------| | **Quiet-to-loud** | Not just a gimmick—each whisper makes the subsequent explosion feel like a plane crash. | | **Surf & horror** | Joey Santiago’s guitar is Dick Dale in a slasher flick: twangy, bent, occasionally dissonant, always melodic. | | **Motorik bass** | Kim Deal’s pick-driven lines are hooks in themselves (“Monkey”, “Hey”)—mid-range, round, impossible not to hum. | | **Tight-as-a-trap drums** | David Lovering plays like a metronome with a pulse; his tom work on “Gouge Away” is tribal, his shuffle on “There Goes My Gun” is pure pop. | | **Tempo tricks** | Norton slowed some cuts (“There Goes My Gun”) giving them swing; others (“Tame”) freeze-frame before detonation. | --- ## 3. **Production – Gil Norton’s Architectural Chaos** Steve Albini captured raw *Surfer Rosa*; Norton **polished the blade without dulling it**. - **Two-week demo dissection** – every accent, pause and drop was mapped; spontaneity became choreography. - **Compression & layering** – guitars doubled, vocals stacked, but still razor-clean. (Santiago hated the blanket-covered amps, yet the reverb is subtle enough to keep grit.) - **Cello & violin** on “Monkey Gone to Heaven” – first-ever Pixies session guests, adding apocalyptic grandeur without prog bloat. - **38-minute runtime, 15 songs** – no fat, every second earns its place. --- ## 4. **Themes – Sex, Death, Film Reels & Environmental Doom** - **Violence as liturgy** – biblical bodies torn apart, yet sung with pop glee. - **Ecological dread** – oceans of blood, radioactive monkeys; 1989’s eco-anxiety feels 2025-prescient. - **Cinema inside your headphones** – each track a 2-minute scene: Buñuel, Lynch, Old Testament, Puerto-Rican horror comedy. - **Identity & paranoia** – “ Crackity Jones” = mental-illness voyeurism; “Hey” = masked desire. --- ## 5. **Influence – The Blueprint for 90s (and beyond)** - **Nirvana** – Kurt Cobain admitted *“Smells Like Teen Spirit”* was his attempt to rip the Pixies: *“I was trying to write the ultimate pop song in the Pixies’ style.”* - **Radiohead** – refused to follow them at a 2004 festival, claiming *“it would be like The Beatles supporting us.”* - **PJ Harvey, Strokes, Arcade Fire, Blur, Weezer** – all borrowed the loud/quiet/loud, surf-noise or surreal-biblical lyric kit. - **Modern indie** – any band that puts a catchy chorus inside a feedback squall (Wolf Alice, IDLES, Big Thief) is still tracing *Doolittle*’s floor plan. --- ## 6. **Pros & Cons – The Coldest Look** ### **Pros** ✅ **Front-to-back bangers** – 15 tracks, zero filler; every song could be a single. ✅ **Lyrics that reward repeat reads** – dense with film refs, numerology, dark jokes. ✅ **Break-neck economy** – average track length 2:30; punk urgency married to pop craft. ✅ **Production clarity** – raw energy preserved, yet you can pick out every tambourine hit. ✅ **Vocal chemistry** – Francis’ scream vs. Deal’s lullaby = eternal yin-yang. ✅ **Still sounds future-proof** – drop it in any 2025 playlist and it wipes the floor. ### **Cons** ❌ **Might be *too* perfect** – some fans miss Albini’s scuzz; *Doolittle* is chaos under museum glass. ❌ **Short runtime leaves you hungry** – 38 min is a tease; you’ll wear out the rewind button. ❌ **Homogeneity of key & tempo** – mostly G-D-A, mostly mid-fast; casual listeners may blur verses together. ❌ **Lyrics opaque for literalists** – if you need straight narratives, the surrealism can feel like in-jokes you’re not in on. ❌ **Overshadows the rest of their catalog** – *Bossanova* & *Trompe le Monde* deserve daylight but live in *Doolittle*’s eclipse. --- ## **Verdict** *Doolittle* is a **38-minute postgraduate seminar** on how to make the apocalypse danceable. It’s pop, punk, surf, scripture and cinema cut into 15 perfect diamonds. The cons aren’t flaws so much as **nit-picks in the face of genius**—and the influence quotient is so high that without it the last 35 years of guitar music would sound unimaginably different. **Score: 10/10 – mandatory listening for anyone who’s ever owned ears.**
i liked this album, but it fell flat in the middle. i thought it was decent, but there were only really four or five songs that stood out to me. maybe i just cant get that used to the dudes voice
Messy. Explores tons of dark themes. Wasn't bored throughout. Questioning maybe. Sometimes uncomfortable. However, contributes to the experience.
me encanta
I’m not generally a Pixies fan, but this album is pretty undeniable. The impact it had certainly is. It drops off a little in the back half, but nevertheless it has to stand tall
i was hoping it’d click, but really it’s not my sort of thing. sorry guys…
How is it that the best musical artists don't sound anything like what they were trying to imitate? Kurt, "Teen Spirit" doesn't sound like a Pixies song... and nor does anything on Pablo Honey, Thom. Anyway, great album. Not as weird as its made out to be.
143/1001 Pixies - Doolittle Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ The album that got me into Pixies. I love the loud quiet loud style on this and some of the tracks here are my favourites of all time.
What can I say I freaking love the Pixies and this album. So many of these songs are bops. I’ve actually never listened to this album as a collective just individual songs so that was a fun experience. This was a great alt-rock breakout album from the Pixies and I would definitely listen to it again in the future!
I never think of this as one of my favorite albums, but then I listen to it, and it’s just song I love after song I love. It’s an amazing album. Pretty much perfect.
Feel like im not on enough drugs to enjoy this one. Just finished, really dislike the singer, the instru was cool at times otherwise.
Iconic. This was the first record I heard from Pixies. Monkey Gone to Heaven was the first song I had on repeat as a teen by Pixies. I fukin love Pixies
This one felt like they were throwing a lot of stuff at the wall to see what stuck, but none of it take stuck with me.
Let's get this out of the way: "Gouge Away" is one of my very favorite songs. Like, shockingly-high-on-my-shortlist favorites. You-wouldn't-believe-how-high-on-my-shortlist-favorites. So high, in fact, that if I had to assemble a desert island disc collection, Doolittle would be in the running for inclusion on the strength of that one song and how insanely into it I am. The moment I first heard Kim Deal cooing in the background of "Gouge Away" was the moment I fell in love with the Pixies. Luckily for my desert island collection, I wouldn't be sacrificing much to include it. This is one of the most self-assured, cohesive blasts of pure music gobbley-gook ever made. The Pixies know who they are, and who they are is masters of blending pop and fuzzed-out guitars. 38 minutes and every one of them is perfect. Not necessarily from the moment I first heard them -- some of those moments are pretty out there -- but as I've lived with this album for decades, all those idiosyncrasies and moments where I don't entirely get why Frank Black thought they would be a good idea have revealed themselves as works of mad genius. If they announced a Mount Rushmore would be carved out of (white) rock icons and the four included bands were The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Clash, and Pixies, I'd nod and send in my vote of approval. They're one of those bands, and this is one of those albums, where they did not seem to be reaching for superstardom or growing songs in a lab to please anyone but themselves. It's just the full force of their personality (despite Gil Norton's tinkering). What a pleasure it was to have this on today.
One of my favourite albums of all time
Not bad. I liked this one better than the other Pixies album on this list. 3,4/5
I mean this is a incredible album. This and Surfer Rosa are probably the best that the Pixies put out. I haven't listened to this album in quite a while and I'm so glad this project got me listening to it again. This is an alt-rock classic and so many great albums in the 90's were influenced by this band. This album is a bit heavier than I remember which is great. There are many more styles of music in this album which I totally forgot about. I always think that "Here Comes Your Man" is an Elvis Costello song.
Really wanted to give another five, but I can't because there are a couple of duds (relatively) on the album and, occasionally, the quiet-loud-quiet-LOUD schtick gets a little repetitive. However: 1. It's amazing how powerful and intense much of the music feels even after all these years. 2. I can't think of many rock bands where the bass and drums consistently hold everything together so well, allowing the lead guitar and vocals to really soar. 3. Debaser one of the top ten opening tracks of any album, ever. I will fight anyone who disagrees.
vibes throughout the album felt quite random to me
Fully deserved 5. One of the most influential albums of the 80s, without this there would be no 'alternative' music category and no Smell's Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Loads of others influenced by the Pixies in general but this album in particular. So many stand out tracks, if you're not giving this a 5 we need to have words.......
Front loaded but goes toe to toe with the other big hitter grunge records from that time
Actually like this better than Surfer Rosa, haven’t heard many of these before
Album 59/1001 🧚♀️ 🧚♀️ 🧚♀️🧚🏻♀️🧚♀️
If I could give this negative stars I would
The album was okay, just not really my taste. Was not expecting to notice any songs, didn’t know they did here comes your man.
Clearly an influence and a glimpse of what was to come in the 90’s alternative rock/grunge. Some surprisingly catchy parts.
Might be the best album ever made.
It was OK.
Brilliant album....such energy..fun
Banger after banger. There aren't many albums as consistently great as this
Interesting album. Felt like I was going back and forth with this one, is it good is it not good? So many different types of songs with the pixies undertones in all of them. I think certain songs are good in their own right, to the right person, but I can’t admit I love everything on here. Still, a lot to like with some of the songs on here.
not for me
There is just so much going on here - most of it in a really good way Best Song: Debaser Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4
Good album
It's weird to me that there are people past a certain age that have not heard Doolittle, but some people are over 30 some are even over 40 and have never had sex or read James Joyce so who's to say anything (?) well me... It's a flawless inspirational album blah blah blah... you heard it all before or will, so I have nothing to add but... 1.) Get a hard copy (LP, CD or Tape) play it on a decent sound system (or on a shot shit boombox) it doesn't matter a great deal, really even stream it or play it with a potato. 2.) Lay back close your eyes and listen - do nothing else just listen. Can you do that for 38:38 minutes? This is a pretty girl seating across you. This is Michel Foucault waxing and waning. This is fine art- it demands your full attention. 3.) Get a tattoo on your tit, it should read number 13. Elvis Presley's self-titled debut. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Sex Pistols lone album. Surfer Rosa. Nirvana. Kanye West's Graduation. Black Star. Hear these too while you are at it.
The Pixies are a blind spot for me, especially as an alternative fan, and I wish I liked this more but was a little disappointed. It's good, with some high highs, but very hit and miss. Just wasn't that into the lyrics/singing as a whole.
Like stilen, mangle litt fengende melodier... Like mye aent av pixies då:) Beste sang: Here comes your man
Yes to Pixies yesterday, today, and forever.
YOU
For all del. Mulig jeg hadde gitt den høyere om den traff på et bedre tidspunkt.
Pretty great, not every song is perfect but the best songs are nothing short of incredible
solid 4.5/5 album. some consistently good tracks across the album, however the vocals can be a tiny bit grating at times? overall though, very good, classic banger
Yeah this album is a classic for a reason. Fave track: Hey
It’s hard to overstate how hard I connected to this album when I first heard it. The album has serious legs, and keeps on giving in strange and beautiful ways. Proto-grunge perfection. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I was excited through the first half as I was enjoying just about every song. Is this going to be the Pixies album that I finally enjoy almost completely? Then the second half hits and the fun stops. Ah yes, classic Pixies. Real great songs and real dreck. That first half puts it up there as my favorite Pixies album on this list. Of the three albums listed you could probably get one really great album from this band. So it goes.
Top of the top
I can definitely appreciate how influential this was to the 90s alt rock scene, but I'd be lying if I didn't say a good chunk of this was just "whatever" to me. Faves: Debaser, No 13 Baby
Silver only bad song Luv dis album
ibland lite väl skrikigt? men några bangers
lyssnade inte :(
Black Francis dropping 6 7 references in 1989. Don't love every song on its own but sum of its parts or whatever. Tame is hitting HARD this time around. Gosh I love this project
Difficult memories
I still remember when I first discovered the Pixies. As a teenage Radiohead and Nirvana fan in the 90s, they had been on my radar for quite some time, but I'd never gotten around to listening to them. Then late one night, I stayed up to watch a Motorhead documentary. Right afterwards they showed "Gouge Away", the Pixies documentary. I was blown away. Especially in comparison to the Motorhead doc, I couldn't believe the calibre of musicians who were talking heads in the doc, gushing about what the band meant to them: Graham Coxon, David Bowie, PJ Harvey, Thom Yorke and even a rare appearance from Jonny Greenwood. I went straight out the next day and bought Surfer Rosa. Pixies quickly became one of my all-time favourite bands. In the pre-Spotify days, as a broke teenager, you had to pick and choose your next album carefully. I got through the Pixies discography, but somehow managed to leave Doolittle until last. On a train to Belfast to see Radiohead, a college friend couldn't believe I was a Pixies fan who hadn't listened to Doolittle, so he handed over his Discman with Doolittle inside, and told me to rectify the situation immediately. I listened to the entire album from start to finish. I just couldn't stop listening to it. Pixies became a big part of my life. Playing Debaser on the streets of Galway at 2am with guitars borrowed from buskers. Obsessively trying to deconstruct Joey's guitar sounds. I once had an in-depth conversation with a stripper about the fueds between Francis and Kim. Having arguments with friends at parties about our favourite Frank Black screams in Hey ("If you go" vs "That the mother makes"). Watching "Un Chien Andalou" just because it's referenced in Debaser. Wrecking my neighbours' heads with my attempts to play along with "Dead" (Joey's parts of course). Knowing all the lyrics to "Hey", being the next best thing since knowing all the lyrics to "I've Been Tired". The album is more than a classic, it's monumental. Tame, I Bleed and Dead are the holy trinity of the "loud quiet loud" dynamics that fed Nirvana and Radiohead (and countless others). Debaser taking off towards the end. Joey's guitar at the end of Hey making you feel like your head is bending out of shape, much like the visual effect in the "Here Comes Your Man" music video. Lyrics about mutilation, prostitutes and old bible stories. Kim and Francis' voices going in completely different directions, but somehow working perfectly together. Frank's screams. I still can't listen to "Tame" without thinking of him talking about one of his proudest moments when a 75 year old member of the Sun Ra Arkestra said to him "Boy, you sure can holler!" I've been lucky enough to have seen them live now so many times that I've lost count, and I'll always go to see them whenever they play here. In fact, I'm going to see them again next year on my birthday. Back in my 20s, I used to listen to Pixies on my headphones on my way to a night out, to get my head out of a mental funk. Listening to them today still gives me goosebumps and puts me in a giddy mood. Raw, surreal, energetic, innovative, oddball, dark, witty, fun, and intensely weird in all the right ways.
Until a year ago I couldn’t have told you a single Pixies song. I discovered that they were an influence on some great bands, namely Nirvana. I listened to a random album before seeing them open for Pearl Jam in Sydney. I must admit that I was late in and only saw them play 3 or 4 sings. I just didn’t feel it. Then I listened to this album and it blew my mind wide open, what an album!
7/10 - this is pretty cool, a variety of songs, definitely will be listening to this again
Gorgeous, bizarre, wonderful,record from top to bottom. The Pixies’ best!
Varför gapar han så? Varför spelar dom så hårt och tufft? Helt obefogat! Inte ens mitt gymnasie-jag tyckte om det här och jag gör det inte nu heller. Jävla tramsband! Singlarna är rätt ok, resten total dynga
Jag har alltid känt att Doolittle är en splittrad skiva. Dels atonal punk som i Tame och Dead, dels supermelodisk rock som i Here comes your man och Monkey gone heaven. Därför föredrar jag nästa skiva, den mer melodiska Bossanova. Men samtidigt… Pixies har verkligen ett unikt sound. Och i de bra låtarna är de ofta överjävligt bra. Till de redan nämnda kan jag lägga Gauge away, Hey och Wave of mutilation. Det goda vinner.
Pixies är klart intressantare än många andra samtida amerikanska rock/indie-band. Det var ett tag sedan jag lyssnade på dem men hade nog valt något av de två efterkommande albumen framför detta. Naturligtvis spelar bandet och skivans inflytande roll, men även oaktat detta är detta ett helt okej album. En relativt stabil trea.
Har bara hört någon enstaka låt med pixies tidigare. Och utifrån detta album är det nog så de avnjuts bäst. Här finns några helt ok låtar (Hey, men 15 låtar är minst fem för många även om de lyckas hålla sig under 40 minuter totalt. Det blir ändå en svag trea.
So good.
Sympa
Damn
Très très sympa, ça manque peut-être d'une petite étincelle pour être un 5 mais j'ai bien été entertained
Some of the albums in this collection of 1001 must listen are a little iffy, this one is not.
I hate the pixies
What a fun album.
Not my style. One good song. Appreciated the album but not want to listen out again.
Loved it!
Doolittle did little.
You can hear the influence the Pixies have in so much music that follows them. The grunge scene couldn’t be what it was without Pixies.
We have this album to thank for an entire generation of alternative rock. Arguably for the hey day of alt rock in the 90’s. Nirvana broke down the walls for the flood but Kurt admits they did so by ripping off the Pixies. This is a solid album. The phrase “ahead of its time” comes to mind. It night be my millennial bias but this album has a timeless quality to it. I truly think if it dropped today it would garner a ton of praise and attention. This band has such a great ability to make some noise heavy weirdness along with some very straightforward alt rock ballads. It’s not the non-stop onslaught of some of its contemporaries, it’s got a few skips and sleepy tunes (looking at you Silver and There Goes my Gun). But what’s good about this album is downright great.
5/10
I am repulsed by this band to the point that I won't listen to this album.
Messy and memorable. 4/5
Abrasive rock, with aggressive vocals. I can see myself liking it in the future, but not now
Starts out as a 4. Remains there. Like it. I would buy this as a cassette tape.
Pretty good all things considered, but not a solid 4.
really like this album, had no idea this was the same pixies that did where is my mind?!?! tame, monkey goes to heaven, la la love you, hey, and gouge away were my top 5 off this album but shoutout to debaser
Lifechanging. One of the best album of the '90s.
9/10
Love this album, great tracks and musicianship. This monkey, debasser, and wave of mutilation all outstanding 👍
The Pixies were alt-rock darlings in the early 90's and Doolittle a big reason for it More polished and surfy than their debut, Black Francis' indiosyncratic lyrics and varied delivery (sometimes screaming, sometimes singing, sometimes speaking), with gorgeous backing vocals from Kim Deal make for perfect compliments to each other. Doolittle is stacked with some of Pixies best writing and most spirited performances. This is a borderline perfect album, but the high quality of so many songs make the detours and weaker songs stand out for the worse (here's looking at you "No. 13 Baby" and "Silver"). Not my favorite Pixies album, but undeniably an excellent record.
Really growing me. First time really paying attention to pixies lyrics. Noise pop?
2.5, listened to it once before and hated it. not bad, some vocal segments remind me of morrisey or lou reed. others.. not so much.
Good listen. Pretty grungey start. For me here comes your man is a favourite.
Great album where every song was at least good, great vocals and nice variety of sounds. Highlights for me were I Bleed, Monkey Gone to Heaven and Mr. Grieves.
This album was my introduction to The Pixies and I instantly loved it when it came out. I actually prefer Surfer Rosa, their debut album, probably because it sounds just a little bit more raw, and it's almost literally perfect. But I didn't get around to listening to that album for at least a few years after it was released. Doolittle has a few weak spots, very minor, but it's not perfect. It's just a little over-produced here and there maybe, a hint of what was to come as the band moved to a more commercial sound? I hadn't listened to this album in decades, unlike Surfer Rosa, which I listen to at least once or twice a year. I never realised just how short the tracks are, with few longer than three minutes. Owning this on vinyl, I tended to blur the various songs together in my head when playing it through, seeing it more as a musical experience than a selection of tracks that could be played in a different order. I didn't even know the names of half of the songs! Anyway, great album, obviously a massive influence on 1990s alt-rock, and very much holds up today. Easy five stars.
This album is a lot of fun. Lots of short, poppy songs. The good thing is that even if a song is annoying (Monkey Gone To Heaven, Silver, Crackity Jones), they are only a few minutes long!
Ok so it’s definitely not bad. Maybe it was more revolutionary in the 80s but as of today it sounds like nothing special.
Too yelly shouty, punk
I liked it a lot
One of the best results of the 80's and I love Kim Deal's artistry on the bass.
Wow are we in our Alex era - one of my favorite rock albums of all time
I mean, it's perfect. The bass (which isn't usually a highlight but Kim Deal >>>>). I do think its odd, because aside from Debaser and Here Comes Your Man, there aren't that many tracks I often want to listen to on their own, but they work collectively for a perfect album. Monkey Gone to Heaven, Gouge Away, I Bleed. Just perfection. Listening Notes: -Debaser: HELL. Yes. I don't really know what half this album *means* but it's to the hilt at all times and it rocks so hard. -La La Love You--Opening riff, so good. The whistling, Iconic. chickenbutt (edit: looked the intro up, apparently it's shake your butt. Oh well). Reasonably sure half this album is also danceable, which is unexpected and kinda awesome given how much else it has going on. -All of these songs are of appropriate length. Nothing overstays its welcome (which is hard with this more out there stuff) -There goes my Gun: Another reminder of what an incredible bassist Kim Deal is. Makes sense that post Kim Deal Pixies never did much interesting -Hey: Another song that just doesn't feel like it should work but it goes so hard. Review: You can gouge away, if you want to (laudatory)
I don't think I had ever really listened to the Pixies before getting this album today. That seems odd given how historically important this album seems to be and the fact that it influenced a bunch of the music that came after it. Having now listened to it, I get it. I understand why this album matters and why it's on the list. There were a couple arresting moments where I stopped in my track to make sure that I was still listening to the right album because of how varied it seemed to be. I'm not sure it's a perfect five-star album and would give it 4.5 if I could. But alas, I cannot. So five stars it is.
Before today, only heard Hey and Here Comes Your Man. Money Gone to Heaven was good. Flow between songs was nice.
Bit raucous but cool
Pixies. One of those bands I've known about for decades and one that I've half-tried to get into, partly because of their significance and partly because I love many of the bands they obviously inspired. And of course because I've enjoyed a few of their songs. I've heard this album plenty of times, and some of their others, but try as I might, I just can't get into them like I want to. It's the repetitive bass led style, the repetitive rhythms, and the irritating vocals. They're one of those bands that would be so easy to lampoon. You know those YouTube musicians who are like 'What If I Played Beyonce In The Style Of Metallica'? Pixies are one of the prime groups of 'play X in the style of'. And it would be so easy to do so. Anyway, with all that out of the way, this album has all the bits. You can see how Nirvana and others were influenced. I'm torn between a 3 and a 4. I'm feeling generous today and I generally like this as a whole, and a few of the songs, more than most of the 3 star reviews I've given here. So a four it is.
Considering my typical taste in music I’m surprised to say that I found this too screamy at times. Also, if you told me this was made 10 years before it was actually released, then I’d believe the comments about the sound being ahead of its time. Overall not a bad album. I’d rate above a 3, but not enough to be a 4.
One of my all time fave bands, and one of my all time favorite records. It’s a little tough to review because there’s nothing I feel I can critique on this one. For me, this is a perfect record. 6/5
Hugely influential album, often praised as the bands best (but I know that Surfer Rosa is better). “Loud quiet loud” and “voice as an instrument” really play out on this album as does the juxtaposition of gruffy Frank Black to the sweet Kim Deal. Just a phenomenal album that I still get excited to listen to today.
Others might argue that this isn't their strongest album, but it's certainly the one I align with most.
It’s the monkey album! Fav tracks Debaser and Monkey Gone to Heaven. Sometimes sounds too perfect but lacks some kind of final emotional drive that would click for me fully.
They had me at verse 1 and kept me tbh. I love it when singers just go hog wild. That pronunciation of AndalUsia is giving System of a Down - before System of a Down though, I guess. Solidly weird throughout and I loved it
Liked this a lot more than Surfer Rosa
Good nostalgic album.
I see why they're popular but it's not my jam
I can hear no reason this shouldn’t be a five.
WANNA GROW UP TO BE A DEBASER
Don’t love the Pixies.
Surprisingly meh
Nice and luminous music. An undeniable band that offered new air to music.
Este disco tiene muy buena reputación por lo que representó como ejemplo del indie rock de los 90. Definitivamente se nota su influencia en tantas bandas de la década, Per a mí siempre me ha parecido un grupo algo sobrevalorado. Este álbum, por ejemplo, tiene varios temas ya míticos, pero me cuesta encontrarle el truco a otros tantos. Sea como fuere, ya ha pasado a los anales del gafapastismo musical del siglo pasado.
9/10 The Pixies are a band that, along with Sonic Youth, shaped the development of the alternative rock scene that would emerge through the late 80s and into the 90s. While Sonic Youth leant on the more experimental noise edge in their 80s work, Pixies took a bit of the experimental edge away, added a touch of pop sensibility to their songwriting and bundle a load of insanity into the stylings of Frank Black on the lead vocal. Variously undulating between different levels of sanity, he often sounds like a man screaming his "theories" into the cold wing of a mental institution that he is the sole resident of, and it’s genius. The rest of the band provide a really solid footing and the production of the rhythm section is so strong. Kim Deal’s bass in particular is a massive highlight to the Pixies sound, and David Lovering provides a really solid, stable tempo that grounds a lot of the rest of the ebb and flow of lunacy that drives away on top of it. They prove in various places how competent they are at writing hooks and brilliant melodies, but they only allow fleeting glances into that before they bring you back to a wash of feedback and distorted guitars that crumble away the edge of those poppy moments. You can hear so many different slices of different styles of music that they reference, but it all blends together into this melting pot of experimental, noisy insanity. Those little moments of light among the menacing tone of much of the album are actually one of its strengths, and when that’s combined with the trademark soft/loud Pixies dynamic, it makes for a pulsing, throbbing journey of a band that teeters on the edge of control. The second half of the album does drift a tiny bit, which is the only thing that keeps this from top marks, but other than that it’s a really brilliant album that is so uniquely Pixies in sound that I’ll be back to this time and time again to revel in the mania. Debaser - There’s a great poppy groove to this, and even the backing vocals have a sweet edge to them, but it’s given this psychotic finish by Frank Black. It’s a great song that’s equal parts fun pop-rock and screaming insanity and we’re only just getting started. Tame - Kim Deal’s bass playing is so clean and the drumming is super crisp too. There’s a brooding weirdness about the verses and then, again, things go loony into the chorus. It’s noisy and unhinged. You can definitely hear the influence on Nirvana here in particular. Wave Of Mutilation - This is just a brilliant song. Some of the chord sequences are so satisfying, especially the descending four chords at the end of the lines of the verse. The vocal has less of the lunacy, but it still has a layer of brooding threat to it. And it’s all done in two minutes. I Bleed - This starts off fairly calmly and just builds with more discordant elements thrown in as it goes. I love Kim Deal’s backing vocals in this, they’re somewhere between sweet and unhinged. There’s not too much to the song here, but it’s all about the noise and the choices they make in the production. It feels like it’s falling apart around itself and they’re deliberately pulling things in and out of key, like someone teetering on the edge of madness. Here Comes Your Man - And this is straight down the line surf pop-rock. It’s so hooky and well produced, and it’s just a great song. There’s an edge of that madness to it, but it generally feels like it’s being held under control. There’s light and shade on this album and moments of light like this serve to anchor the darkness in a really effective way. Dead - And, as if to prove my point here’s a descent into darkness. It’s noisy and abrasive without being overly aggressive. The vocal is almost hidden amongst the noise and they throw in these hooky moments now and again, but it’s a controlled, pulsing journey of evolving deranged ideas. Monkey Gone To Heaven - We’re back to another slice of pop-rock gold, but this time with more of the bands trademark noisy insanity infesting it as it goes. The rhythm section is so strong again, they sound so good and their parts are simple, but so precise. The addition of the cello really adds something to this. It’s quite beautiful in places, offset by the increasing insanity of the lead vocal. The screaming of ‘god is seven’ over such a beautiful bed is, frankly, genius. Mr. Grieves - This is frenetic and confusing as they bust their way through 3 or 4 genres in a two minute song. Stylistically it maybe steps a little too far from the rest of the album in places, but that probably just makes it all the more suitable. They can’t help but be a little loony in everything they do. Not my favourite, but it’s a suitably odd part of the album. Crackity Jones - This has got so much pace to it, it just rolls along. Again, love Kim Deal’s bass here, it’s so round and punchy. It’s a frenzied burst of a song and then, bang, it’s done. La La Love You - There’s a great atmosphere to this. The drumming is great in particular, but the production in general is top notch. It’s like the love song of a stalker with the slightly creepy whistling and discordant elements that drift in and out. It could be overly simple if it wasn’t for those noisy, experimental edges that just give it a fantastic edge of weird. No. 13 Baby - This reminds me a little of Meat Puppets. It’s a solid composition that moves through a range of different sounds and stages. It perhaps lacks a little bit on the hook front, but the overall sound is great and the way it drops back out to the quiet sections is excellent. There Goes My Gun - This is another ’collapsing in on itself’ song. There are great hooks and riffs in this, and it’s all so atmospheric and well produced and it just falls apart at the edges and then it’s done. Quality. Hey - The opening guitar riff is so slick and rhythmically satisfying. It’s super groovy, and then it drifts into something that sounds almost like My Bloody Valentine if you took away a few of their reverb pedals. This song ebbs and flows, but it’s got a bit of something about it that I really like and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Great stuff. Silver - Pistols at dawn. There’s so much vibe to this. The production is again fantastic and the dual vocal lines are brilliant. It’s super creepy and threatening. Gouge Away - We get some more of the classic soft/loud dynamic here. It builds and drives in places, but it doesn’t really land on anything that grabs you quite as much as some of the stronger tracks on the album.
I didn’t happen on Pixies until _Trompe Le Monde_ and perhaps controversially, it’s my fave album of theirs. A band I very much like but fall short of loving and one I tend to listen to playlists of rather than albums A lot of their best songs are on here though and its quiet/loud influence on 90s alt rock and therefore inclusion on this list are not in doubt.
track 1, then 3-10 pretty damn good. There Goes My Gun and Hey are also pretty good. Really chaotic at the beginning, but eventually comes together to a more pop and indie sound. First listen was pretty rough, but I had enough time for a second one. Just wow, it really shined. Really cool album with really good highs and not too many lows. Will be revisiting for sure.
Bringing it back to my youth, and Here Comes Your Man on MTV times, but Wave Of Mutilation was my anthem
A couple of good songs but a lot of stuff that was hard to listen to 2 stars
Good noise!
епте а неплохо
ahh noise... not music to my ears
Aside from one song this is pretty unbearable
I don't always love the Pixies, but there's some good tracks here. Some of the known singles are enjoyable, and generally I think their rock riffs are strong. OK, wait, Silver is great. Making a Western/country song for this album is out of left field but really, really cool. Overall, feels like a decent-to-good middle of the road album for me.
It is a fun and great album to listen to. Not much to add 4/5
Love it. It's unique and timeless, really. Released in the 80s but the style fits even for today. Sounds as great as ever with each listen. I love the Pixies' style in both not trying to sound great, but still delivering a sound that I want to hear. Songs are fairly varied, but also you can tell that they're the Pixies. I can tell that it's not for everyone, but it's great for me. This album definitely opened my eyes and ears to the genre of 80's punk/pre-grunge that I enjoy.
Only a couple letting it down.
Rock without the passion, hooks or melody.
Nice album. Debaser is perfect.
3.5/5
Кращий у них, топовий звук, бас яскравий по всьому альбому, цікавий сонграйтінг. Чомусь по справжньому не вдалось його полюбити
Цей альбом я поважаю.
Maybe not quite at the level it used to be for me, but still an absolutely classic album. Fav tracks: Debaser, Here Comes Your Man, Mr Grieves, Crackity Jones, Hey. Saved a song: Y RYM: Y (#71)
Best Song: Waves of Mutilation I knew very little about the Pixies when I listened to this and it's great. Definitely will relisten. 5/5.
Pixies at their best.
Not my fav.
Es como si metieran a Nirvana, The Smiths y The Cure en una licuadora, lo que obtendrías con grupos cover de alguna de estas tres bandas en realidad. No muy asombroso peeero tampoco espantoso, tal vez escuche otros de sus trabajos, mientras tanto, tal vez con un 12 de cervezas le agarre el gusto a este álbum.
Regu, las conocidas son vuenas y hay otras que parecen improvisaciones de ruido
Instant classic!!!
Tbh didn’t finish, it’s just not my vibe!
So effective.
It was a good listen. Nothing ground breaking, but Black Francis has a great voice, as does Kim Deel. Would listen again.
I liked this way more than the other Pixies album that was on this list. This one felt cohesive, more mature, less experimental but still pretty unique. I’d put it on again for a vibe
Meh
This one was pretty big for me when I was first getting into indie music, but as of late it doesn't really hold up in the second half, honestly. That being said, it's the only Pixies album I ever feel any sort of urge to listen to these days, and you really can't argue with that first half anyway.
This is quite a rebound from 1988’s Surfer Rosa. Outside of “Where Is My Mind?”, that album is a pretty abrasive record. Clearly Pixies learned their lesson and shifted a little more to the center here (or they just grew up a little more, who knows). If "Where is My Mind?" was a pop-leaning outlier on Surfer Rosa, then "Here Comes Your Man" is Doolittle's unabashed attempt to storm the mainstream. Where as WIMM? is arguably the saving grace of Surfer Rosa, HCYM feels like the pockmark on an otherwise pretty lovely pre-grunge record. Songs like "Debaser", "Monkey Gone To Heaven", and "Hey" would have been plenty to anchor this record had it been released in the Grunge(TM) era. I guess that’s the pitfall of being ahead of your time. Based on the album art, Pixies seemed to know "Monkey Gone To Heaven" was the track to hang their hat on and I'd have to agree. On my “Bands That Influenced Nirvana” list, Surfer Rosa put Pixies well below Fugazi, but this record might pull them even. Still can’t compare to The Shaggs though! Other call-outs: "I Bleed" - imagine being a diehard Weezer fan, then you hear this and find out your whole life is a lie. "There Goes My Gun" - it’s like they said 'let's redo "Here Comes Your Man" but more punk and make the harmonies bad. Yeah, that'll show 'em!' "Silver" - when you only have 36min of material recorded, I guess you let Kim channel her inner Yoko Ono to write an extra filler track.
Pretty okay
my favourite teacher in highschools favourite album of course i love this
So many people love the Pixies and while I can see why they did good pioneer work to what would become grunge, I don't like them. There's just something very, very annoying about the way they make music. It's ok on some tracks though.
I enjoy some of theses songs, but on the whole just an okay album.
Love this album. Has its quirks, and therefore is a mood-based listen. Love it tho!! 4/5🎉
Soft rock not my vibe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 88 Doolittle does ALOT as simply one of my all-time favorite records. 🐒💿 From the opening bass line of Debaser, Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago & David Lovering create an album that is a start to finish cold cut classic! Doolittle isn’t just an album — it’s a controlled explosion. It blends the abrasion of punk, the melody of pop, and the chaos of surrealism into something thrilling, unpredictable, and instantly influential. It’s the sound of tension: soft vs loud, beauty vs grotesque, sacred vs profane. Building on the rawness of their 1988 debut Surfer Rosa, Pixies evolved into something tighter and more refined — but no less weird. Doolittle is catchier and more polished, thanks to producer Gil Norton, but it still sounds like it might collapse into madness at any moment. 🎧 Classic Track: Monkey Gone To Heaven 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: La La Love You 🎧 Personal Favorite: Dead 🎧 Memorable Standout: No 13 Baby 🎧 For Good Measure: Silver Lyrical themes consist of Death & Decay; The album is obsessed with death, violence, and bodily corruption — but often in a playful, ironic tone.; strange Biblical numerology mixed with corpse imagery. Surrealism & Absurdity- Inspired by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, frontman Black peppers the album with nonlinear, dreamlike, and violent images. Sexuality, Religion, & Power- Many songs combine sexual energy with religious or violent imagery, critiquing or perverting societal norms. 🖼️ Album Artwork: If the Devil is 6 then GOD IS 7! Pixies pioneered the now-famous “loud-quiet-loud” dynamic, later popularized by Nirvana and countless alt-rock bands. Frank Black: Unpredictable vocals — shrieks, whispers, yelps, and surreal storytelling. Kim Deal: Cool, melodic basslines and occasional vocals (Silver, I Bleed, Gigantic on earlier records). Joey Santiago: Angular, surf-inspired guitar riffs that sound like they’re barely under control. David Lovering: Tight, unshowy drumming that keeps the chaos grounded. Producer Gil Norton brought clarity and punch to their sound, pushing them closer to mainstream without dulling their edge. Doolittle is a masterpiece of contradiction — melodic and brutal, catchy and bizarre, intelligent and childish, sacred and blasphemous. It’s a record that changed the direction of alternative music forever by never playing it safe. It didn’t try to make sense — and that’s exactly why it made so much impact. ESSENTIAL.
Not for me
Fought love or hate it
Every nanosecond of Doolittle is sacred and it should only be spoken of in awed whispers or shouted in throat-thrashing screams.
grungy. punky. just my style. 5/5 how do i get my music to sound like this
The originals ♥️
Favorite: Hey
Du bruit en canne
Je n'arrive juste pas à aimer The Pixies. Le son, les voix, les instruments... Ça sonne comme du bruit, comme du mauvais métal. Je donne 2/5 car c'était déjà meilleur que l'album Bossanova mais je ne réécouterai jamais ça.
I sort of get it but it doesn't sound good on these ears. Lots of noise.
I remember buying this on cassette when it came out and playing it endlessly for months - it's one of those albums that's just part of my DNA now. Lifelong friendships were formed around a love of this record. Each track is extraordinary. It's peak-Pixies, and a record I don't think they've ever bettered.
Surfer Rosa and Gigantic in particular had a huge impact on me and the music I would listen to from that moment on. Naturally Doolittle was part of that. It is an immense album. When, in my mind at least, "indie" really meant independent with a huge range of styles and delivery. Every song here is just fantastic, from an innovative band at their height.
Pixies' beste album.
One of those artists that should be right up my alley, but just doesn't click with me for whatever reason.
Good album but it does drag on a bit
Liked this but felt it dragged on the b-side. Can see how it influenced every band in the 90s and onwards in one of my favourite genres (slacker indie), I have to give it a lot of credit for that but I also don't feel as connected to this as I do to the bands that ripped it off.
This album had pockets of songs that I thought were good, and others that were fine. I liked the opening songs and closing songs groups the best. Here Comes Your Man is a song I already liked a lot, and it fit in well. The rest wasn't bad, but didn't catch my interest as much. The music/instrumentation was probably the best part to me. Even if the guitar felt a little harsh, it ended up resulting in a cool sound with the rest of the band. It was very punk, indie, garage rock in style. There were even parts that had a country-ish sound. The vocals fit the mix well, but weren't particularly impressive. Coming together as a whole, the album had a much more 90s sound than 80s. I'm guessing it helped usher in that sound for the coming decade. The main weakness for me was the lack of diversity in tone for the majority of the songs, which became more noticeable as it went given the album has 15 tracks on it. The one that stood out the most to me was the penultimate track Silver, having more of a folk/country feel. That shift was probably why I liked the track as much as I did. Some of the others got a little lost. I found the album to be solidly good on the whole. Worth a listen for sure, and there are some memorable songs on there. Overall: 3.3/5
I liked it. I'm not very familiar with this band, the only song I definitely knew by them before listening is "where is my mind." I had heard "here comes your man", before, but I never would have guessed it was this band. I actually don't like that song very much compared to other songs like "hey" or "monkey gone to heaven". I think there are other songs that will grow on me with more listens, this is one I want to listen to more in the future.
Ok in short bursts, but grating after a while
Really liked this. Had some great tunes on it, Debaser, Here Comes Your Man. Probably their best work. Simpsons: Yes
Love the vibes. Monkey Gone to Heaven I seem to know really well from somewhere, and can't figure out where. The album probably isn't quite memorable enough for 5.
Not the worst by a long shot but probably wont be revisiting anytime soon. Here comes your man is the only one I remember think yeah this is alright.
A slog at 38 minutes. Not for me at all sorry.
It's kinda funny: I get that this is an influencial album. Yes, I can hear some of it in the songs of my favorite artists, but I can't say I enjoyed this. The instrumentals were incredible. 3.5 ⭐
Good album, fun guitar riffs and second vocal lines. Monkey gone to heaven top choice.
Had this one before I joined the group and gave it a 3, but think I am actually more of a fan listening on this occasion.
Overall a great album - every song brings something unique, contributing to the collective vibe of the album. The sound and style feels very familiar, seeing as it played a big role in later music, it's clear there are some echoes of Nirvana and Radiohead. To me it's like a more upbeat version of car seat headrest - both spiraling and melancholic
The best sort of classic
Good
Probably the most complete Pixies album. Having said that, I'm not convinced that there should be more than 1 Pixies album on this list. Favorites: "Debaser", "Wave of Mutilation" (prefer the U.K. mix on the Pump Up the Volume film soundtrack to the this, the original), and "Here Comes Your Man"
A couple of tracks were interesting but overall, not a fan of alternative rock.
Second album in a row I've already listened to, good though!
3.5 ξανά here comes your man
not a fan of Pixies
I like them
Lixo
From what I heard, a great record. Some of the tracks sounded a lot of pre-Grunge with Black Francis’s screams and loudness.
It's ok but the lyrics are confusing at best. Artist notes indicate there are biblical stories as inspiration (I did at least get the Samson reference). Another album that is rated high by the powers that be, but not for me. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): La La Love you, Silver. ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
I like the bass. Not so much the screamy vocals. I can respect that it was influential, but it's not really for me. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Here Comes Your Man ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
Such a groundbreaking album
A top 10 album of all time for me, but one that took me a while to fully get on board with. Some of the tracks (Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man) are obvious first hit masterpieces, but there are weirder, trickier songs that took me much longer to appreciate. But those short, sharp shocks are crucial to breaking up the classics, acting as wild little interludes that make sure you are never close to bored. It's possibly the most influential rock album for the next decade, perfecting a sound that wouldn't reach mainstream popularity for 3 or 4 more years. And while the album is incredibly cohesive, needing to be listened in one, there's an incredible variety within, from frenetic punk to bass-driven grooves to catchy commercial radio rock to strange rock n' roll pastiche.
Not sure I love this one
One of the most listenable albums from start to finish.
Gouge away, debaser, here comes your man. All fantastic songs. A great album. This monkey’s gone to heaven. One of my favourites
Aggressive yet poppy alt punk album with creative catchy songwriting.
This was a really good album, I was familiar with the hits but never took the time to listen to it fully, vocals are really captivating and musically really interesting, I did find the second half of the album was a bit of a challenge to go through, but that could just be me. No qualms of anyone giving this a 5 but for me listening to it it’s a very high 4
great cooking rock music 4/5
Good stuff
I had heard a couple of these songs. Not really my jam.
Alt rock at its finest. I cannot stress how influential this band has been on my own music. Love it.
A classic. Always a good listen
Whatever. “Charles” is a dick and Kim Deal is a saint. I suppose I understand why people love this band but if I’m comparing Frank Black to Bob Mould, it’s going to be Bob every single time.
Fuckin'-aye! Mr. Francis and Ms. Deal shine brightly, as does the rest of the musicianship here. At once weird and familiar, forward and regular, calming and disturbing. It is only a second to get this in 1989 to grunge barrel-rolling the '90s. Listen carefully: every song here grabs, shakes, won't let go.
So I was directed to not the original album but the 29-track reissue and I loved every minute. It didn’t lose me once. I definitely owned Surfer Rosa at one point but this has some classic tracks. I’m not sure how soon I’d listen to them again but it was a blast while I did.
I've always struggled to get this band, but this album opened a door. Can't say I loved it, exactly, but I think I'm coming around.
I never loved this one as much as Surfer Rosa, but on today's listen I wasn't sure why. It's fantastic. Also, I love how Pixies have their own weird little world and these albums are our only glimpse inside. Lots of energy, tuneful tunes, bizarre arrangements and vocals... Great stuff.
I may need to revisit this one. Frankly, I thought it was okay -- for whatever reason, the sort of eye-opening epiphany "Surfer Rosa" brought me just wasn't present here, and it just felt simpler, noisier, and less put together. I get the argument that they perfected alt-rock here, but maybe that's just not up my alley. Not a final rating. Fave songs: - Tame - I Bleed - Here Comes Your Man - Monkey Gone to Heaven - La La Love You - No 13 Baby - Hey
Too 90’s rock for my taste. Liked some songs.
A little more weird than I'm in the mood for, but like some of what's going on. Guitar work is great, some the vocals I don't like. 3/5
My (joint) top favourite album of all time
Some classic singles/tracks I know and love (Debaser, Here comes your man). I don't love the rest of it...
My first ever listen to the full Pixies experience, though I knew a handful of songs. This is so good, verging on great. Gouge Away, Debaser, Here Comes Your Man. Obvious highlights. It's going into high rotation and on another day this would be a five star.
i actually really liked this and didn’t think i would at all so yay!
Perfect album
The best Pixies album IMHO.
- Nooit geweten dat het "Monkey Gone to Heaven" was ipv man. Verklaart de aap. - 2 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 1 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM
Didalot
It was alright
There's no denying Franklin's incredible voice and musical stylings that are still being copied and iterated on fifty years after this album debuted. Still, I personally admire Aretha Franklin a lot more than I want to sit down and listen to Aretha Franklin
Good album! I had never heard it before but recognized some songs
I would casually describe this as one of the 20 greatest albums ever and I would not think twice about it.
In my mind, for whatever reason, when I try and mental map what the beginning of the most nebulous genre of all time, "indie rock", was, I think of Pixies. Sure, their forebears and contemporaries are obvious, and their signature sound of harsh guitars with wildly varying dynamics is nowhere close to what anyone would call the average sound of indie rock today. But it's hard for me not to look at everything else at the 80s and think "ok this album's success is where the ever shifting line started". So then what? Give this a 5 because this is the primordial soup where half the music you listen to today comes from? No! I'm giving this a 5 because I love listening to it! My main criticism is sometimes I feel like I should be more put off by the tryhard silliness of lyrics like the reference to Salvador Dali becoming the sole focus of the chorus of "Debaser" and then I listen to the rest of the album and I find myself charmed by the silliness. The contrast is always the point. The silly versus the artsy. The loud versus the quiet. The minimalist versus the maximalist. Ten years ago, a drunk woman at a Pixies show told me "Someday you'll understand this" as the band played "Here Comes Your Man". I think I do now, but not for the reasons she thinks.
Favourite tracks - Debaser, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven
I know this is a lot of people's favorite Pixies album. But it has always been hard for me to get into. It's good, and maybe if it came to me at a different time of life it would be a 5/5.
I liked quite a few songs, but the album didn't quite hit the nail on the head.
This was good. I would listen to more albums by this group.
What are the odds to get this the day after the Frank Black solo album? A perfect album, every single song adds so much to this and it has so much variety without ever feeling tryhard or overstaying its welcome.
Um álbum com uma pegada industrial. Me lembrou os tempos de infância de Tony Hawk e Skate 3.
where is my mind? pais do rock alternativo, sem pixies não existiria nada!!! agradeçam radiohead, strokes e linkin park, pixies correu para que vocês pudessem andar!!!
I’m behind so I can’t really absorb this the way I want to but through 1 listen it’s clearly very good. Feels like these guys are pretty underrated. Not an alt rock expert but The Strokes seemed to have pulled a lot of this guitar work. My favorite parts are when the lead singer really lets loose claiming to be an unchained dog. Love unchained dog energy from my front men, kinda wish he’d look the part a little more. Hard to picture a fat suburban looking dude in a flannel doing any of this convincingly.
One of the only benefits of being a writer who gets rejected all the time is that everytime you get rejected you get to comfort yourself with the same self-righteous anger you had when you were a teenager that equates to something like “THE WORLD DOESNT UNDERSTAND ME” . Anyway, was feeling this way Friday night after an agent didn’t ‘get’ my new erotic novel, I got in my car and put on debaser and it hit me just perfectly. Felt like a weird teenager having a blast being pissed off and half-crazed screaming ‘SLICING UP EYEBALLS HA HA ho Ho ho’ alongside fat crazy Frank Black. Was just what I needed in the moment. The rest of this album rips too. Here comes your man has always been a particular favorite, (the snare roll is sick) as has this monkeys gone to heaven. This album was so much better than the other pixies on this list, which felt like weird for the sake of being weird. On the contrary, this was weird for the sake of being awesome.
One things for sure, this album doesnt belong in the 80s 😆 Doolittle sounds so much better and more complete than Surfa Rosa did 1 year before it. I can hear why Cobain claimed this as one of his favorites. The quiet/loud screamo stuff gets me fucking fired up and mad as hell at… well, I dont really know. The dark punky moody tunes somehow pair well with their distantly related, happy alt cousins. I dont get it, but Im here for the party that switches from beer pong to cigarettes in a hurry There is so much packed into this 40 minute package. Its going to be in my ears all weekend.
Been listening to this on and off all weekend walking around NY, kind of the perfect soundtrack for the city. If I’ve gone front to back on Doolittle it’s been a long time. Debaser might be one of the coolest opening tracks we’ve gotten. The baseline, the drop into the riff, and then the pedal to the metal vocals. If you cut out the screaming though, it’s a super catchy pop song at heart, and that’s what I love about this album - unlike the other more arty stuff from this era (ahem Joy Division) Pixies are here to write fun songs. It’s the same approach Cobain supposedly espoused - yeah he wrote some rough angsty songs, but he said melody always mattered more than anything. No suprise this was one of his favorite albums. The album kind of alternates between true radio hits like Wave of Mutilation and the heavier stuff like Tame, and the blend is just perfect.
Another review that’s not going to be objective, if you have any interest in alt/indie rock, whatever that actually is, then this 89 record is well essential must hear. 5 stars
A precursor to grunge and 90's alternative rock. It is a classic album everyone should own.
Perfecta excusa para volver a escuchar este album que tanto me gusta, con un buen balance de un rock mas violento con todo el griterio, guitarras sobresaturadas y canciones mas alegres como Here Comes Your Man. Se aprecia que sea un rock ruidoso que a la vez es muy limpio, creo que envejeció de muy buena manera y es el que mas me gustó de todos los que tocaron hasta ahora. Esta es mi segunda listen front to back y la disfrute muchísimo más que la primera. Un clásico indiscutible, sin skips, totalmente coherente y con una intro tan buena que ya te pone en el mood con el temazo que es Debaser. Si tengo que elegir favs: Dead, Hey, Crackity Jones, Wave of Mutilation, Debaser.
Nunca lo había escuchado y mira que he visto la portada 200 millones de veces. Tristemente, este género no es mi taza de té como dicen los anglos. Lo que más disfruté fueron los tracks más lentos... sí, soy ese tipo de persona. También es que tengo un problema con la voz del señor que canta desde siempre, me gustaría ponerle más porque aprecio de sobra la importancia de los Pixelados, pero tanta energía de voz y guitarra no es para mí :/ Favs: Gouge Away, la del mono me hizo gracia (Monkey Gone to Heaven)
Energía muy abrasiva desde el primer momento en canciones cortas que no dejan indiferente. Aún así, no siento que el conjunto mantenga siempre el mismo nivel: algunos cortes se sienten más como experimentos ruidosos que tracks memorables, y el flujo a veces se rompe entre lo sugerente y lo irregular. Es un disco importante y con destellos muy buenos sin duda, pero para mí no termina de ser tan redondo como su reputación legendaria. Favs: Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Gouge Away
Estos 39 minutos de ruido son de lo mejorcito que uno puede escuchar. Destaco basslines muy icónicas (gracias Kim Deal) y con la voz de Black Francis (que la usa de una manera bastante única sin llegar a desentonar con el resto de la canción), pero siendo honesto todo mola un huevo así que me voy a quedar con todo el disco lol. A la playlist: Debaser (de los mejores openers oat), Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Mr. Grieves, Hey
Generally regarded as Pixies' peak, I'm troubled to find much argument with this, although I seem to reach for Bossanova more frequently. Upon listening to this, I noticed for the first time how much Dave Lovering's drums were mixed back on this album compared to its predecessor, Surfer Rosa. On SR, his drums sounded like gunshots, but the production on Doolittle sounds more balanced, more filled in, less brash. It's a difference that I note, not a criticism. So many of these songs are singalong pop songs, and "Here Comes Your Man" couldn't sound more like a pop single. The video of them mocking their own detour towards a radio-friendlier sound is pretty funny. This isn't just pop music, though. There's plenty of college radio/punk still evident. I love it, almost as much as I love Bossanova.
Not my cup of tea kind of band and music.
You know, I've listened to this album before and I thought I knew where I was gonna settle on this one (with a 4). But listening now, it's just scratching an itch that I didn't know I had. Of course, theres the songs I loved before like Wave of Mutilation and Gouge Away, but other tracks like Debaser and Tame are hitting for today (and Here Comes Your Man and Monkey Gone to Heaven and There Goes My Gone). Album full of bangers here. And what's driving it all is Kim Deal's basswork. Simple, but driving and prominent. Along with Black Francis' vocals and shouts, its fantastic. So yeah. Fantastic record of front to back winners. Side note, speaking of Kim Deal, why The Breeders aren't on the list is puzzling to me.
Decent album enjoyed - really like the song Monkey gone to heaven
Great classic Northwest grunge. I’m glad for the reminder to visit this one!
It’s been about 750 albums since I reviewed Surfer Rosa, the only Pixies album I’ve reviewed so far (4 stars, although the review I wrote was short, and didn’t make much sense). I know a couple of songs off of Doolittle, and I’m curious to hear what the whole album is like, especially since it’s the follow up to the aforementioned Surfer Rosa. Doolittle was a bit shy of five stars for me, but I thought it was a really good album. The guitar playing was fresh and exciting on each track, the drumming was sharp, and there was a good mixture of accessible pop-oriented songs, along with some stuff that was a bit more out there. I tended to enjoy the more accessible songs on this album, but the more traditional alternative rock songs were good too. A few notes on some individual songs: “Debaser” grabbed my attention right away. I loved the guitar playing, the lead vocals were excellent, and Kim Deal’s backing vocals at the end were awesome. What an excellent song, and a superb lead-off track. “Wave of Mutilation” kicked ass too. I loved that drumming so much, and I enjoyed hearing Frank Black shift into softer vocals. Another really solid song. “I Bleed” was probably my favorite of the more chaotic songs on Doolittle. The backing vocals were excellent, and added a ton of depth to the sound. The guitars were excellent once again. I loved the surf rock tone of “Here Comes Your Man.” The tone of the guitar was fantastic, and the drumming was great too. There’s such a shift between the chorus and the verse, but it works so well. The guitars on “Monkey Gone to Heaven” were really great, and the strings made the sound even better. This was easily one of the best songs on the album. Kim Deal’s backing vocals really punch up every song she sings on. “Mr. Grieves” was great too. I loved the shift in sound after the introduction and opening verse. The guitars and vocals were outstanding. What a fun rockabilly sound. “La La Love You” had some really unique guitar playing, and I enjoyed David Lovering’s baritone voice. The crooning style of this song was great. Doolittle is a really solid alternative rock album, and it’s easy to hear why it’s held in such high regard by other alternative bands from the nineties.
Always get suggested Pixies, like the stuff I've heard before. The album hasn't let me down, really enjoyed it.
Thought I liked alternative rock, but clearly it's not all created equal. Not sure if this is 1 worthy, so I'm giving a low 2.
No, just no.
Meh. Their song Where Is My Mind is so iconic that I was excited for this album but it just didn’t hit for me.
I can definitely hear the influence this album/band had on 90s rock and grunge. I respect that they made some pretty bold choices within this record—definitely interesting sounds. However interesting it was, a lot of the choices missed. There were moments on this record, especially towards the end, that I actually really enjoyed. There was a decent mix of challenging and accessible music on this record. 5-5.5/10 I am open to another listen on this one, and perhaps it would grow on me. Standouts: Hey Gouge Away
Second half was good
Perfection of Perversion!
You bleed? My ears bleed.
A band I have heard of but not heard much of. A few songs I didn't really like but a lot I did. Where is where is my mind??