release date: Mar. 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Steve Albini
label: 4AD records - nationality: USA
Tracklist: A) 1. "Bone Machine" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Break My Body" - 3. "Something Against You" - 4. "Broken Face" - 5. "Gigantic" (4 / 5) - 6. "River Euphrates" - B) 1. "Where Is My Mind?" (4 / 5) - 2. "Cactus" - 3. "Tony's Theme" - 4. "Oh My Golly!" - 5. "Vamos" - 6. "I'm Amazed" - 7. "Brick Is Red"
Full studio album debut by Pixies is a very strong and highly original album released 6 months after the ep Come on Pilgrim. The sound is heavy and Pixies reveal a trademark of theirs, which is utilizing the contrast between what is soft and quiet and LOUDness. Almost all the songs are written by Francis. The album is credited as a cornerstone and quoted as a huge source of inspiration for many artists including Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, and the music press only has high praises for the album and the band but the release failed to provide the record label with noteworthy sales. But that's also the story of Pixies: the vast crowd and commercial breakthrough never came until the band split. The music was probably too original and far away from the ordinary. I bought the album shortly after their second album release Doolittle (1989), which was the first time I heard them and I immediately fell for their style. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The cover is by the English photographer Simon Larbalestier who stayed as a preferred choice and made all other album covers by the band later on.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone Music Guide 5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5 stars ]
