18th April - Pixies' Doolittle

Artist – Album: Pixies - Doolittle

Released: 18^th April 1989

Sounds Like: you can hear Kurt Cobain furiously taking note

I may have already been glowing in my review of another Pixies album – their first full length, Surfer Rosa – but would you believe, this one, only their second effort, is even better.

Doolittle comes at you like a whirlwind, allowing only five seconds of ‘Debaser’s’ bass line before we dive in with the distorted guitar, a deceptively simple lick and Black Francis’ manic delivery. In many ways the song is the perfect distillation of all that makes the Pixies special: catchy, almost poppy melodies; quiet/loud dynamics; basic, dominating guitar riffs; and Black Francis versatile caterwaul. It’s a special song, and a brilliant introduction to a special album.

Elsewhere, the group’s unique brand of contradictions – those quiet/loud dynamics, the poppy/abrasive music, the sung/shrieked vocals – isn’t within the same tune, but spread between them. Therefore after ‘Debaser’ we have ‘Tame’, two songs later ‘I Bleed’ and two further ‘Dead’; three of the harshest sounds in the Pixies’ cannon. In between we have ‘Wave of Mutilation’, ‘Here Comes Your Man’ and ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ – three would be singles. With each song rarely reaching the three minute mark, anything you don’t like is quickly skipped over, and we zip through the fifteen songs in thirty-five exceptional minutes.

It’s actually quite hard to describe the album without putting some people off – I’ve used words like harsh and abrasive, and presumably titles like ‘Wave of Mutilation’ and ‘Gouge Away’ don’t immediately appeal – and, true, it’s not quite for everybody: you may struggle if you’re a Belieber (like Anne Frank, right?). But it is still highly accessible and, you know, highly awesome. I cannot recommend it enough.

Albumaday... rating:  10/10

1.       Debaser – 2:52

2.       Tame – 1:55

3.       Wave of Mutilation – 2:04

4.       I Bleed – 2:34

5.       Here Comes Your Man – 3:21

6.       Dead – 2:21

7.       Monkey Gone to Heaven – 2:56

8.       Mr. Grieves – 2:05

9.       Crackity Jones – 1:24

10.   La La Love You – 2:43

11.   No. 13 Baby – 3:51

12.   There Goes My Gun – 1:49

13.   Hey – 3:31

14.   Silver – 2:25

15.   Gouge Away – 2:45

Listen to ‘Debaser’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P3lhrwio-M

Also released on the 18^th April:

1994: Pulp – His ‘n’ Hers

Also released on the 18^th April:

2000: Elliott Smith – Figure 8

Also released on the 18^th April:

2007: Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

21st March - Pixies' Surfer Rosa

Artist – Album: Pixies – Surfer Rosa

Released:  21^st March 1988         

Sounds Like: the start of alternative 90's rock

Can you imagine what it would’ve been like to be around the Pixies during their formative years, before Frank Black being grew too big for his boots and before Grunge swooped in to steal their essence? It must have been exhilarating to have seen them when they were fresh, where their highly energetic bursts of music and mix of screamed and crooned vocals would have had you panting for more; where they headlined Netherlands (officially the coolest country in the world) despite being relatively unknown worldwide and they played with their set lists by playing through in alphabetical order or whatever. Or being the first amongst your friends to have taken a chance on buying the album, sharing it with every friend of halfway decent taste and scalding anyone who hasn’t heard it yet because it’s THE FUTURE!

I can’t fathom how cool it would’ve been to have worked at the studio where they teamed up with Steve Albini to record Surfer Rosa, laying down perfect pop rock tracks such as ‘Gigantic’ and ‘Where Is My Mind?’, alongside insane garage rock punk slices like ‘Bone Machine’ and ‘Tony’s Theme’.

And, wow, what it was like for Frank Black, Kim Deal, David Leavering  and Joey Santiago we’ll never know. They sound like they’re having the time of their lives, gleefully discussing mutilation, scuba diving and love tokens for prison inmates. Apart from the bit towards the end of ‘Oh My Golly!’ where Black seems pretty irate and yells “you fucking die” to one of his bandmates.

It might be difficult for us to imagine what it would’ve been like to have been there, but this album provides a thrilling glimpse at what a riot it must have been like.  

Albumaday... rating: 9/10

1.       Bone Machine – 3:02

2.       Break My Body – 2:05

3.       Something Against You – 1:47

4.       Broken Face – 1:30

5.       Gigantic – 3:55

6.       River Euphrates – 2:33

7.       Where Is my Mind? – 3:53

8.       Cactus – 2:16

9.       Tony’s Theme – 1:52

10.   Oh My Golly! – 1:48

11.   Vamos – 4:18

12.   I’m Amazed – 1:42

13.   Brick Is Red – 2:00

Listen to ‘Gigantic’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIu_b_fG_2g