I think it's time to give them greatest American band status. But . . . the bigger and more pressing question is this: What is the Pixies' best album? I should preface this by saying I'm trying to take a turn away from the digital generation and just cherry picking songs that I like. I like to just listen to the albums the way the artists wanted them. That said I'll skip tracks every now and then, but I'm slowly turning anti- MP3 player. Also, I'm not calculating the BBC tracks into this poll. It's a great thing to own, but it's something different. And if you don't know about the Pixies, I suggest you take this as Pixies 101. Come on Pilgrim: This is a really raw first album. Great songs on there that I think were redone better on later album's. Highlights: The Holiday Song <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BiL99kDuLJA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Caribou: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RfTOBs4ft8c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Surfer Rosa True story, I once listened to this album for an entire road trip from Houston to Washington DC. True classic and their first big "hit". There's the song everyone knows "Where is my mind" from the end of fight club. But then there's a lot of other awesome songs that Santiago really just lets rip on like: River Euphrates (couldn't use the album cover because I don't want to get kicked off the bbs): <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D-cjuhOUwFM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Or the always fun Broken Face: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7EUEVkqP9Zo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> But my favorite remains "Gigantic": <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KIu_b_fG_2g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Doolittle Probably the best album of all time. I regularly will keep it on play for months at a time. Lots of hidden gems on this one, but two absolute can't misses: Debaser (every time I hear this song I get a chill down my spine, what an awesome first track, "Slicing up Eyeballs I want you to know!"): <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0P3lhrwio-M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> No. 13 Baby; absolutely beautiful. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UDt42Vs-teI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> And I can't forget a shoutout to my all-time favorite show Lost, who had Jack jamming out to "Gouge Away" in probably the most mind blowing of all the episodes. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QMHykYTomdo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Scene from Lost: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/35x_7PtxaY4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Bossanova For some reason this is my least favorite Pixies album. Too many turds. That said, it is the Pixies and there are lots of great tracks. It's just not as easy to sit down and listen to the thing for months at a time. My favorites from the album are (well Dig for Fire was featured in the Antartica thread so I won't repost): Velouria: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jYUm5T8uQIY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Ana: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WBx9s5VnTN8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Trompe Le Monde Ok so the band was starting to go different ways on this one, but that didn't stop them from producing some gems. But it's hard to look past the turds, like "Planet of Sound" or "The Sad Punk". All things considered though, its easy to skip those tracks, and like Doolittle I've kept it on exclusive in the car for months at a time. My favorite song on the album has got to be "Letter to Memphis": <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/erHJJgyt_Tw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The title track is also wicked: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jcHRVAIetkw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I have listened to it the most, so I don't know i would be most likely to PLAY it at this given time, but Doolittle has to get my vote. As i posted in the thread related, I'd put it top 5 all time albums, personally. Honestly though, I like them all and the difference in how much from one to the next is negligible.
Doolittle. Mr. Grieves is probably my favorite song of theirs and I can listen to that CD the whole way through.Surfer comes close but can't beat Debaser, This Monkey Goes to Heaven, and Crackity Jones.
I love them all. Of the list probably Doolittle most often though my favorites change all the time. Really though, my favorite (Black Francis album anyway) is Bluefinger. Maybe that's just because I like it best and maybe it's because I teamed up with Black Francis to make a rock opera out of it. Or maybe it's just because it's the least overplayed of the albums I consider to belong to Pixies history. I know it doesn't count since it doesn't include the other three members but it feels a lot more Pixies than Frank Black. And after all that time, though I LOVE Frank Black, it was great to hear a Black Francis record again. Charles (his real name) is about the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet by the way. He's so down to earth it's hard to even remember he's a rock star.
Good segue to his solo work. It's not a Black Francis, and certainly not a Pixies album, but I nearly put Teenager of the Year in my top 5 in that other thread as well. Bluefinger is also a favorite, and I can imagine it would be for you. Seeing your production only made it more so. That show was absolutely terrific. Good job, once again.
cover <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7F5TZ7z7tJs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> original <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eGp47YwDZ48?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
You saw it, CrazyDave?! How cool. Thanks for coming. Do we know each other off the board? Also, Teenager of the Year is of course a masterpiece.
I echo Crazy Dave's thoughts on both teenager of the year and Batmans production of bluefinger. As much as I love the Pixies, and I love them as much as anybody, if I had to choose I'd take the body of Frank Blacks solo work (and the Catholics stuff) over the pixies catalog.
Come on Pilgrim is my favorite. I've Been Tired may be their best song ever, and every single other song on that original disc is top notch. I remember when I first heard it. It was something new and brilliant. There wasn't much like it, and what was before, the Pixies improved. I think that feeling might have been part of why I put that album ahead of all the others as well.
I can't believe Trompe isn't getting any votes. It's certainly a lot shorter in terms of song play, but its still top notch. I think it might be tied with Surfer for my 2nd favorite Pixies album.
Changing my vote to Doolittle after listening to it again. There's at least 5 songs on there that completely kick ass.
