at a glance...

Hometown: Boston, MA
Formed: 1986

Personnel:
Kim Deal -bass, slide Guitar
Arthur Fiacco -cello
Black Francis -guitar, vocals
Karen Karlsrud -violin
David Lovering -drums, bass, vocals
Corine Metter -violin
Ann Rorich -cello
Joey Santiago -guitar, vocals

Related artists:
Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh, The Breeders, Frank Black, The Catholics

Notes:
The Pixies formed in 1986 when Black Francis, born Charles Thomas, and Joey Santiago were roommates at the University of Massachusetts. Kim Deal joined on bass (she was apparently the only person to respond to an ad and didn't even have a bass) and recommended David Lovering on drums to complete the rhythm section. The sound of the band always centered around singer/guitarist/songwriter Francis, whose songs were, musically, an odd mix of surf rock and pop-punk and lyrically, a stew of love, sex, death and religion - all as interpreted through his uniquely skewed vision. Shortly after their first release the band gained credibility in the indie/college rock world, but it wasn't until the single "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and the Doolittle album were released in the Spring of '89 that the Pixies found critical and commercial success in the U.S. Alas, nothing that great lasts forever, and in January '93, just before the release of the first Frank Black album, the Pixies broke up. However, their influence left a lasting mark on alternative rock.

To many Pixies fans, Doolittle, their third record (second full-length), is the band at their peak. It’s got everything the Pixies became legendary for: all the drama and comedy, guts and glory, harsh shrieks and beautiful melodies.

So much has already been written about this record – "Gouge Away" was cited by Kurt Cobain as the inspiration for "Smells Like Teen Spirit;" "Debaser," the lead track, is based on the Salvador Dali/Louis Buñuel movie, "Un Chien Andalou," and is also, by the way, the only pop song that I know of where you find yourself merrily singing along about slicing up eyeballs without feeling the least bit ghoulish.

The bizzaro lyrics, the musical diversity, Black Francis’ howl, the awesome melodic bass lines and vocal harmonies of Kim Deal, all of it set the tone for the "alternative" bands of the ‘90s. Clocking in at under 40 minutes, this record gives you pop, punk, surf rock, the bluesy "Silver," and the glammy "No. 13 Baby" served up as only the Pixies could. The band’s biggest "hit," the hooky (and some say hokey) "Here Comes Your Man" is also on this record. In short, Doolittle is simply a must-have for anyone who calls themselves not an alternative rock fan, but a music fan.