Pixies - Surfer Rosa

Before the Breeders and Frank Black, there was this Boston quartet, playing hardcore's rush and terseness against the acoustic grit and the minor-key flourish of Latin pop. Their first full-length album is their starkest, harsh and trebly, with the drums right in your face, and songs edited to eliminate any note that's not absolutely necessary. Singer Black Francis yelping away about destroyed bodies and the river Euphrates, alternately acting cryptic and crazed. Kim Deal, then calling herself "Mrs. John Murphy," contributes the highlight, "Gigantic," a creepy anthem about childhood voyeurism. The playing is snarly and tricky but unfailingly tuneful, and the hooks come out of nowhere, hiding behind the noise, and bite down hard. --Douglas Wolk Amazon.com essential recording

Surfer Rosa

The Pixies-Surfer Rosa *****


I seriously debated with myself whether or not to even review Surfer Rosa due to that simple fact that for me personally with this album there is no way for me not to be biased. This has truly been one of the most important albums in my life.

In a nutshell Surfer Rosa is easily the strongest and best Pixies album ever released, and aside from that it is honestly the best album to emerge from the 1980's far surpassing Appetite For Destruction, The Joshua Tree, Rain Dogs, and anything else you can think of.

The true mix of hardcore and pop make Surfer Rosa a knockout. Black's sneering vocals and lyrics of incest and pain among other things is to say the least, breathtaking. Kim Deals vocals are the best they ever sounded, even better then with The Breeders.

The rocking fun of 'Tony's Theme' aside classics like the manic 'Cactus' and the albums opener 'Bone Machine' make Surfer Rosa not only amazing but eclectic. The insanity of 'Broken Face' 'Break My Body' and 'Something Against You' are so violent yet beautiful it baffles you. 'River Euphrates' is beyond explanation while Deals 'Gigantic' is so near perfect its strange. The final four songs on the album are a juxtaposition of Mexico and punk that somehow make this album essential but would ruin anyone else's. But the center piece of Surfer Rosa is the haunting 'Where Is My Mind' which is once again the best thing the group ever did as well as the best song to emerge from the 1980's. The song is among my personal favorites and honestly brings tears to my eyes upon every listen.

To summarize quickly, Surfer Rosa is essential, it is more important then any album of the 1990's because well it inspired them all, and it is always refreshing to hear so it is one that I will recommend to everyone who likes music. April 4, 2008

I Love The Pixies!

This CD is fantastic! It's definitely worth buying. It's my favorite of all The Pixies' albums. December 18, 2007

Oh My Golly! It's the Pixies first full Length Debut!

Sure, some songs may sound a bit bizarre on 'Surfer Rosa' filled with pidgin Spanish jitterish, and yelling and screaming all over the place!
Even still the stream of consciousness flows on through filled with soaring guitar and at times the guitar play may sound a bit zany, especially on "Vamos" where Joey Santiago (lead guitar) just lets it loose! He really was (and is)a under-rated guitarist.
The band is in full form here complete with David Lovering's precise and cranked up drumming. And of course you got the band's leading lady, Kim Deal.
Yes, she is in stellar form on 'Rosa' providing one of her best known songs with the album's first hit - "Gigantic"-
Kim Deal is a wonderful vocalist (also check out the Breeder's Pod)and after their next album - 1989's 'Doolittle'- she hardly sang at all, eventually costing the Pixies to break up in the early 90s.
I do think Kim Deal is the Heart that makes the Pixies tick, w/o her they sound a bit tired like with their last studio release 'Trompe le Monde'- Just 'Forget the World' and leave Kim Deal out of it, yeah that's smart!
Anyways, my Top two favorite tracks may be a bit different then the average die-hard fan's normal choices. My Top Pixies song is "RIVER EUPHRATES" !! Absolutely amazing to my ears. I was in instant jaw drop mode when I first heard it. I know that may sound silly to many, oh well. It features Black Francis Screaming "Ride the tire down River Euphrates..." as Kim Deal chimes in with background vocals, a bit off and messy, but to me it blends oh so perfectly.
My second favorite song is "Break My Body" after the explosive opener "Bone Machine"-
It seems like to me that most fan favorites are "Gigantic"- and their most known and popular song "Where Is My Mind" which doesn't at all hurt the fact that it was on the end credits to the movie "Fight Club"

- New to the Pixies ? Pick up 'Surfer Rosa' and if you like it (even if you don't) check out 'Doolittle' next and listen to the band that influenced Nirvana's soft to loud dynamics. It is possible without the Pixies, there wouldn't have been a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as Kurt cited that he ripped off the Pixies while creating that song.
Hard to believe where Alternative Rock would be today without it's main influences. Oh well with 'Surfer Rosa'(& Sonic Youth) and subsequently Nirvana, there is no need to wonder.
- 'Surfer Rosa' for me, really is close to pure unadulterated perfection in all it's raw and glorious maniacal madness. What a 'trip' from start to finish. June 26, 2007

The worst band of all time?

Surfer Rosa is what it would sound like if Mike Tyson, Helen Keller, Pauly Shore, and a random homeless guy picked up instruments for the first time and decided to record an album. Was there a single actual musician in this band? I have never in my life heard a band that was so utterly, apocalyptically devoid of actual talent.

It doesn't matter how influential this band was or how popular they were (or are) in college frat houses. Stupid music is stupid music, period, and The Pixies' attempts at writing 'music that's so bad that it's actually kind of good' failed miserably. Unless of course you think lyrics like "This song is about a superhero named Tony!" are the stuff of brilliance.

Silliness is not an art form. This band was a crime against rock. June 7, 2007

Stripped-down and playful

"Surfer Rosa" is an excellent example of artful sloppiness, the musical equivalent to the Tower of Pisa. The vocals wobble out of tune, the guitars spill over beats, and the drums slur drunkenly. Only Deal's rock-solid bass keeps things from imploding.

And that's the charm. The utter lack of pretension and the gleeful performances make "Surfer Rosa" a joy to listen to. While the recording could benefit from remastering and the songs can become repetitive, it's just too much fun to pass up. May 20, 2007

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