Surfer Rosa / Come On Pilgrim

We Say...

Review by Eric Weisbard

The Pixies were alt-rock before the steroids kicked in. Black Francis used clever arrangements to get the quiet/loud dynamics that Lollapalooza bands, with the help of massive studio compression, turned into floating money. These two records introduced the Pixies. "Levitate Me," from the earlier Come On Pilgrim EP, has all their core elements: a hooky chorus, darkly suggestive lyrics, surf music atmosphere and Francis's wheedling voice: think Neil Young as Chucky from the Child's Play slaughter fests.

Surfer Rosa, recorded in 1987 by Steve Albini (who Nirvana would turn to on In Utero, looking for even more of the Pixies sound), has several other classics, like "Bone Machine," "Broken Face" and David Bowie's favorite: "Where Is My Mind?" It also highlights the vocals of bassist Kim Deal (referred to in the credits only as Mrs. John Murphy), who significantly reduces the band's sweaty palm component on tracks like "Gigantic" and "Tony's Theme." Not always as listenable, song by song, as the Pixies would later become, these records are nonetheless the place to hear them showcase the prototype sound that let '80s indie rock become the '90s alternative juggernaut.

They Say...

Review by Heather Phares, All Music Guide

One of the most compulsively listenable college rock albums of the '80s, the Pixies' 1988 full-length debut Surfer Rosa fulfilled the promise of Come on Pilgrim and, thanks to Steve Albini's production, added a muscular edge that made their harshest moments seem even more menacing and perverse. On songs like "Something Against You," Black Francis' cryptic shrieks and non sequiturs are backed by David Lovering and Kim Deal's punchy rhythms, which are so visceral that they'd overwhelm any guitarist except Joey Santiago, who takes the spotlight on the epic "Vamos." Albini's high-contrast dynamics suit Surfer Rosa well, especially on the explosive opener "Bone Machine" and the kinky, T. Rex-inspired "Cactus." But, like the black-and-white photo of a flamenco dancer on its cover, Surfer Rosa is the Pixies' most polarized work. For each blazing piece of punk, there are softer, poppier moments such as "Where Is My Mind?," Francis' strangely poignant song inspired by scuba diving in the Caribbean, and the Kim Deal-penned "Gigantic," which almost outshines the rest of the album. But even Surfer Rosa's less iconic songs reflect how important the album was in the group's development. The "song about a superhero named Tony" ("Tony's Theme") was the most lighthearted song the Pixies had recorded, pointing the way to their more overtly playful, whimsical work on Doolittle. Francis' warped sense of humor is evident in lyrics like "Bone Machine"'s "He bought me a soda and tried to molest me in the parking lot/Yep yep yep!" In a year that included landmark albums from contemporaries like Throwing Muses, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine, the Pixies managed to turn in one of 1988's most striking, distinctive records. Surfer Rosa may not be the group's most accessible work, but it is one of their most compelling.