# How good were the Pixies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858 "2003-03-16T22:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Dark\_Canuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Dark\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dark_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/1 "2003-03-16T22:36:38Z")
I was watching a show on Nirvana the other day and there was a quote from Kurt Cobain that essentially said that some of the songs on Nevermind were written with the intent to rip off The Pixies. A lot of other bands have listed The Pixies as a major influence as well, so I went out and bought " **Trompe Le Monde**" to see what all the hype was about. And I gotta say the album really impressed me. Are all their albums this damn catchy? What’s the best Pixies album? Any and all opinions would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/2 "2003-03-16T22:43:48Z")
Q: How good are the Pixies? A: Damn good! Well, since you started with \*\* Trompe le Monde \*\*, you can only go up. My personal favorite (and probably my favorite album of all time) is \*\* Surfer Rosa \*\*. Come on, basically anything produced/engineered/recorded by Steve Albini is going to be great. The songs are strong and were written before Black Francis got too deep into his alien obsession. The band plays wildly yet listenably, and sound like they’re in a garage. Just enough humor, dirtiness, and catchiness to make the perfect album. Second choice is \*\* Doolittle \*\*, although it is more song-based than \*\* Surfer Rosa \*\*, which worked better as a whole. The songs start to slip a bit, but others are even stronger than on the previous album. ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/3 "2003-03-16T23:11:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Q: How good are the Pixies? > A: Damn good! Sorry, gotta disagree. How good were the Pixies? _Really_ damn good! 😉 My favorite Pixies album is also _Surfer Rosa_. It was the first album from them I ever heard, and had it been a record, it would have been worn out and unplayable after the first week. And then I would have gone and bought it again. Another band (slightly off-subject, I know) that Nirvana claims to have been greatly influenced by is the Meat Puppets. If you’re enjoying the Pixies, **Dark Canuck** , you should give these guys a listen as well, especially the song “Why”. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/4 "2003-03-16T23:35:30Z")
_Surfer Rosa_ and _Doolittle_, agreed. I think the latter is probably a better place for a (relative) newbie to start, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/5 "2003-03-17T00:18:15Z")
Really, really, really damn good. I handed a demo tape of my band’s material to Black Francis one time. He was very gracious, polite, and seemed interested. He prolly tossed it out the bus window later, but he acted nice at the time. 🙂 Same for Joey Ramone, but that’s a different thread. My favorites are _Surfer Rosa_, _Come on Pilgrim_, and _Doolittle_. Their ability to write catchy melodies was amazing. I always loved their basslines the best. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/6 "2003-03-17T01:08:29Z")
God-like. Boy, I like the Pixies. Trompe le Monde sort of took a little getting used to after their earlier noisier things, but it’s brilliant, too. Doolittle sort of defined my college experience (until Nevermind came out, of course-- I was in the northwest, though). There were rumours that he was into field-hockey players. . . ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/7 "2003-03-17T01:28:24Z")
Undeniably good. But not as good as the Throwing Muses. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/8 "2003-03-17T01:35:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capybara \* > \*\*God-like. > Boy, I like the Pixies. Trompe le Monde sort of took a little getting used to after their earlier noisier things, but it’s brilliant, too. Doolittle sort of defined my college experience (until Nevermind came out, of course-- I was in the northwest, though). > There were rumours that he was into field-hockey players. . . \*\* It was like, so…hush-hush! Then the next thing you know… ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/9 "2003-03-17T03:43:35Z")
What to buy, immediately, in order: _Surfer Rosa_ _Come on Pilgrim_ _Doolittle_ _Bossanova_ I never liked Nirvana, and still don’t. So I don’t get the comparison. But the Pixies were gods among men. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by hazel-rah_ > **Undeniably good. But not as good as the Throwing Muses.** If you say so. IMO, the Throwing Muses had one spectacular album (_The Real Ramona_), which is amazing by any standard, and then everything else was so-so. But that could be just because I started with their best album and compared everything I heard afterwards to that one. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/10 "2003-03-17T04:56:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Well I think everyones more or less in agreement here. > > If you like Trompe le Monde (definatly not there best, though even their not best is good) wait till you get to Dolittle and Surfer Rosa (oh my golly!) > > \*Originally posted by Lisa-go-Blind \* > \*\* Just enough humor, dirtiness, and catchiness to make the perfect album. > > . \*\* Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/11 "2003-03-17T05:32:32Z")
**Surfer Rosa** and **Doolittle** – I can never choose. I like the Albini production sound on **Surfer** , but Side One of **Doolittle** is damn near flawless. ---
**Author:** ![plastic\_conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@plastic\_conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plastic_conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/12 "2003-03-17T05:44:59Z")
I guess I’m in the minority, since I think _Trompe Le Monde_ is not only the Pixies’ best album, but one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It’s cohesive and solid. Both their songwriting and their musicianship reached a higher level. Of course, all of their albums are great, imo. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/13 "2003-03-17T06:09:01Z")
I like both the Pixies and Nirvana a great deal. I agree **Doolittle** is a good place to start. In Canada, Come on Pilgrim/Surfer Rosa are available on the same CD which is also good. I got a broken face! ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/14 "2003-03-17T06:18:29Z")
I love every Pixies album, and I agree with **plastic conspiracy** that _Trompe Le Monde_ is one of the great rock albums. It’s as good as anything else done by the band. ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/15 "2003-03-17T06:29:07Z")
I have often wondered why the Pixies’ greatness was never recognized by the general public, as they influenced many bands from the grunge era to the present. Their stuff is still great to listen to, as it is hardly dated and has never been duplicated. To further add to the OP’s dilemma, I pick **Bossanova** as their best. ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/16 "2003-03-17T07:21:41Z")
My opinion : Start with _Doolittle_ then onto _Surfer Rosa._ So many Dopers can’t be wrong 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/17 "2003-03-17T08:16:45Z")
Yep, start with _Surfer Rosa_. Join the cult :). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/18 "2003-03-17T08:22:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by B.Pants \* > \*\*Sorry, gotta disagree. How good were the Pixies? _Really_ damn good! 😉 > > My favorite Pixies album is also _Surfer Rosa_. It was the first album from them I ever heard, and had it been a record, it would have been worn out and unplayable after the first week. And then I would have gone and bought it again. > > Another band (slightly off-subject, I know) that Nirvana claims to have been greatly influenced by is the Meat Puppets. If you’re enjoying the Pixies, **Dark Canuck** , you should give these guys a listen as well, especially the song “Why”. \*\* Gotta agree on both points whole heartedly… there’s a new Pixie’s CD release with both “Come On Pilgrim” and “Surfer Rosa” on it… if ya gotta get something, get that. You won’t regret it. As far as the Meat Puppets go, they were a fantastic band… my vote for an introductory album would be “Up On The Sun”, if you like that, get “II” and “Must Have Been High”… in that order. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/19 "2003-03-17T09:29:35Z")
Once you’ve got all the Pixies albums, you can start in on the Breeders… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858/20 "2003-03-17T11:53:48Z")
You should have started with **Dolittle** … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-were-the-pixies/161858.md?page=2)