Doolittle 25 [Two-LP]

by Pixies

Overview

After 1988's brilliant but abrasive Surfer Rosa, the Pixies' sound couldn't get much more extreme. Their Elektra debut, Doolittle, reins in the noise in favor of pop songcraft and accessibility. Producer Gil Norton's sonic sheen adds some polish, but Black Francis' tighter songwriting focuses the group's attack. Doolittle's most ferocious moments, like "Dead," a visceral retelling of David and Bathsheba's affair -- are more stylized than the group's past outbursts. Meanwhile, their poppy side surfaces on the irresistible single "Here Comes Your Man" and the sweetly surreal love song "La La Love You." The Pixies' arty, noisy weirdness mix with just enough hooks to produce gleefully demented singles like "Debaser," -- inspired by Bunuel's classic surrealist short Un Chien Andalou -- and "Wave of Mutilation," their surfy ode to driving a car into the sea. Though Doolittle's sound is cleaner and smoother than the Pixies' earlier albums, there are still plenty of weird, abrasive vignettes: the blankly psychotic "There Goes My Gun," "Crackity Jones," a song about a crazy roommate Francis had in Puerto Rico, and the nihilistic finale "Gouge Away." Meanwhile, "Tame," and "I Bleed" continue the Pixies' penchant for cryptic kink. But the album doesn't just refine the Pixies' sound; they also expand their range on the brooding, wannabe spaghetti western theme "Silver" and the strangely theatrical "Mr. Grieves." "Hey" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven," on the other hand, stretch Francis' lyrical horizons: "Monkey"'s elliptical environmentalism and "Hey"'s twisted longing are the Pixies' versions of message songs and romantic ballads. Their most accessible album, Doolittle's wide-ranging moods and sounds make it one of their most eclectic and ambitious. A fun, freaky alternative to most other late-'80s college rock, it's easy to see why the album made the Pixies into underground rock stars. [Doolittle was released as a two-LP, 32-track set in 2014.] ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	01/20/2015
Label:	4Ad
UPC:	0652637342512

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Manta Ray
2. Weird at My School
3. Dancing the Manta Ray
4. Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
5. Into the White
6. Bailey's Walk
7. Dead
8. Tame
9. There Goes My Gun
10. Manta Ray
11. Into the White
12. Wave of Mutilation
13. Down to the Well

Disc 2

14. Debaser
15. Tame
16. Wave of Mutilation
17. I Bleed
18. Here Comes Your Man
19. Dead
20. Monkey Gone to Heaven
21. Mr. Grieves
22. Crackity Jones
23. La La Love You
24. No. 13 Baby (Viva La Loma Rica)
25. There Goes My Gun
26. Hey
27. Silver
28. Gouge Away
29. Bailey's Walk
30. My Manta Ray Is All Right
31. Santo
32. Weird at My School

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pixies   Primary Artist
David Lovering   Guitar (Bass),Bass,Drums,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Kim Deal   Bass,Vocals,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Karen Karlsrud   Violin
Ann Rorich   Cello,Viola
Corine Metter   Violin
Arthur Fiacco   Cello
Black Francis   Guitar,Vocals
Joey Santiago   Guitar,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Gil Norton   Engineer,Producer
Dale "Buffin" Griffin   Producer
Kim Deal   Composer
James Birtwistle   Engineer
Dave Snider   Assistant Engineer
Simon Larbalestier   Photography
Vaughan Oliver   Design,Art Direction
Claude Fixler   Engineer
Rob LoVerde   Mastering
John Turner   Engineer
Gary Smith   Engineer
Paul Q. Kolderie   Engineer
Steve Haigler   Mixing
Black Francis   Composer
Matt Lane   Assistant Engineer
Mike Walter   Engineer