first became familiar with this band when I was about 14. I was just starting to get into music that was outside the mainstream -- I knew bands like R.E.M. and the Cure, who were sort of "alternative", but still got played on the radio, but not much else. One night while watching 120 Minutes on MTV, I saw the video for "Here Comes Your Man" and instantly thought it was one of the most perfect songs I'd ever heard. It wasn't until a few years later I actually bought the album, but it quickly became a staple of my listening. Throughout my 20s I turned a few people on to this album who'd never heard it and their minds were instantly blown. More than any other band, I think this album really encapsulates my taste. It's catchy, but also abrasive. Black Francis/Frank Black/Charles Thompson famously recruited Kim Deal by posting an ad looking for a bass player who liked both Husker Du and Peter, Paul, and Mary. That's the essence of Pixies. Abrasive, yet pretty and tuneful. Even the songs that seem abrasive and noisy have this hidden beauty that shines though -- the incredible bridge on "I Bleed", the cool surf rock breakdown on "Dead". But of course, there's plenty of songs that are just simply catchy too. Highlights for me are "Debaser", "Wave of Mutilation", "Here Comes Your Man", "Monkey Gone to Heaven", "Hey", and "Gouge Away", but all the others are perfect too. 5 stars.