classic albums, atsonicpark edition # 21: pixies - surfer rosa
 

PIXIES "SURFER ROSA"
4AD, 1988

Part of me wants to put Trompe Le Monde on here as the "classic album" since it clearly has all their best songs on it (pretty much all of 'em are perfect and DIFFERENT; I feel sorry for people who have missed the boat on that fantastic release -- how can anyone deny "Alec Eiffel" or "Motoroway to Roswell"?!!?!?!? Strangely, it's also Dave Grohl's favorite album of all time. Weird, eh? Uh.. back to this album..). Ultimately, though, this one wins by a hair because it's a bit darker, more energetic, a bit weirder, has more Kim, and has my favorite Pixies song ("Brick is Red").

Anyway, this album is one of the few that I truely think never, ever gets old. I've been loving it for a good 6 years now, and it still sounds fresh to me. It's filled with so many amazing moments ... wow ... and my favorite moments probably aren't even the ones most people worship (never been a huge fan of "Where Is My Mind?" -- great riff but it just doesn't stand out to me). The Albini production is very nice of course, but what really makes this album great is all the fucking ENERGY -- for a bunch of sweaty old people (and at least 2 of them were fat), they sure did have a ton of energy!

In a lot of ways, this album reminds me of 'Pink Flag'. It's a genius record that is deceptively simple. Listen to the minimal guitar lines or the simple structures of some of the songs ("Oh My Golly" and "Cactus" being perfect examples); there's still something that holds it all together in a mysterious way. I think one of the biggest strengths of this album is Kim Deal; the way her voice weaves with Frank's is really intriguing...

Anyway, you've all heard this album before, so I'm not going to bother writing an encyclopedia, instead I'll list my favorite moments:

- That riff in "Vamos".. you know the one.. him playing the bottom string from fret 11 to fret 15 really fast.. brilliant!
- The final time Frank says "your momma's a pretty thing" in "Vamos".
- That ugly, corny, galloping acoustic guitar that starts "Vamos".
- The lyrics to "Cactus".
- All of "Brick is Red".
- "THIS IS A SONG FOR CAROL!!!!!!!!!!"
- The final minute of "Gigantic".
- All of "Something Against You"! Am I the only one who thinks that that riff is used in every ska song ever?
- "River Euphrates".. this song is great, and for some reason I feel like I've never totally listened to it enough.. there's something about the structure or the production of it or something.. it seems kind of empty, like there are elements missing, and I keep listening to hear the elements I'm missing.. I can't really explain what I mean. Strangely minimal but complex at the same time -- eh?!
- Kim's off-key vocals in "I'm Amazed".
...

No points for "Tony's Theme" though.

Great stuff, indeed.
Trompe Le Monde is a classic as well, I just wish teh songs were longer.

Though I can't understand how people don't like Bassanova.

Bossanova starts off really good but track 10-13 don't do a damn thing for me ("Stormy Weather" honestly sucks; it's probably the worst Pixies song ever besides "Rock-A-My Soul"). "all over the world" is just amazing though.

i never had you pegged as a pixies fan, yet you never cease to surprise me, yes great alblum, my favorite as well.

It is great Pixies album. My personal fave is doolittle cuz DEBASER will fucking blow away anything.

Trompe Le Monde was on constant play when I was in high school. I fucking love alec eiffel.

this album surfer rosa is indeed great. There are some great shit on it

the only Pixies song I do not like is Veloria off of bossanova. I hate that stupid line, my veloria, even I adore ya. fucking stupid stupid

doolittle is the best straight through album though.

Haha, yeah, well, I.. I never have to listen to them again, maybe that's why I never talk about them.. I literally wore those records out when I was in high school..

I own actual copies of everything they've ever done, singles and all... when one of my friends went to England, he came back with a Pixies post, some singles, and a button for me.. good guy (he also came back with a sonic youth goo poster that says "featuring these hot bands: NIRVANA AND STP").

Pixies were geniuses, honestly.

I like Doolittle best but this is good too. There's no Pixies album I don't like, actually. Surfer has the most Spanish on it, so that's a positive.

I like Doolittle but I think there are some... maybe not "throwaway" but.. lesser songs. Which is odd, because I love the B-Sides for that album. I would've put "Weird At My School" on the album instead of "La La Love You", for example. Also, never been a big fan of "tame", "There goes my gun", or "wave of Mutilation" or even "Gouge Away". The rest is pretty fucking gold though.

Doolittle has 3 of my favorite Pixies songs on it.. "Debasser", "Hey", and the amazing "Dead".

Just wanted to say a few more things: I absolutely love "Pod" by Breeders (pretty much hate or only sorta like all their other stuff, though); I consider it Surfer Rosa's sister.. Also, something always bothered me.. that B-Sides collection that the Pixies released.. it has every b-side on it (even the live recordings, like Vamos) except for that newly-recorded version of "gigantic". Why the fuck did they do that? And also it would've been nice if they woulda put boom chicka boom, born in chicago, watch what you're doing, or their great Leonard Cohen cover on there! Ridiculous.

great album! i dont have it though. i used to.

i haven't listened to the pixies in a while.

i like the pixies but i don't listen to them much, i don't feel like it.

that's why i've had only death to the pixies for like 10 years now and it's all i listen to by them.

absolute classic. the screaming, the riffing, the albini-ing, the everything about this album rules!

its my favourite pixies album not down to the quality of the songs, doolittle has better songs, not down to the texture of the sounds, bossanova has a much warmer feel. its down to the pure vile nastiness and primevil surge of power that this record unleashes.

i first heard this when i was about 13 or 14 and the moment bone maqchine kicked in i was... what the fuck is this shit??????????????

i had my upbringing in shite pop like most people. i got a load of hair metal from my friends, iron maiden, whitesnake, accy/daccy, joe satriani, fucking randy fucking rhoades and then i heard daydream nation and surfer rosa within a few days of each other.... needlesstosay, the damage was done to me............

broken face still remains one of the most perfect "pop" songs ever. as for river euphrates..... and the rest... a classic...

in fact im going to put it on right now!

should that be genieii?

I actually have had this on vinyl forever - prob my favorite pixies album. A local bar I frequent is about to make me hate the pixies, though, they play that shit into the ground on their jukebox.

Woah someone agrees with me on Trompe Le Monde having all their best songs.

I saw them live on their reunion tour, and they were awesome.

Surfer Rosa is the meanest and scariest sounding Pixies album. That's what I love about it. Those drums, kim's backing vocals, joey's guitar riffs.

i never liked the breeders. ive become quite a deerhunter fan as of late, at first i thought theyd be a pitchfork nut hugged band, i mean which they are, but then i heard flourescent grey ep and its AMAZING, and then i heard cryptograms and its great as well, i thought they were a weird band to be on kranky, but their just as ambient and weird as all the other stuff on that roster. anyways, moral of the story, brandon cox, every interview ive read with him he name drops the breeders pod, he loves that record. ive heard some of his atlas sound stuff, its pretentious, but in a good way.

Bossa Nova is their best. Surfer Rosa is almost as good. Doolittle is literally hit or miss. I guess I haven't listened to Trompe Le Mond enough times to really like it. Come On Pilgrim is pretty good, but some of the songs kind of run together.

great choice - the album is so visious and just beautiful.
for the pixies, their BBC sessions are what i come back to the most. they had so much energy on that day.
the recordings of there goes my gun and dead are especially wonderful.

Surfer Rosa was my first Pixies album. It still remains my favorite.

This is one of those albums that has 50% blinding songs, 50% forgettable songs.