Trompe le Monde

by Pixies

Overview

The title might be French for "fool the world," but with Trompe le Monde, the Pixies weren't fooling anyone: this was essentially Black Francis' solo debut. It focuses on Francis' sci-fi fascination and lacks any Kim Deal songs; even her backing vocals are far and few between. Yet the band sounds revitalized on Trompe le Monde, as if it were planned as their last hurrah. The raucous "Distance Equals Rate Times Time" and the explosive cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On" are fairly straightforward, but the lyrics remain quirky on "Planet of Sound," a song about a Martian who lands on Earth, and "Palace of the Brine," a tribute to sea monkeys and Utah's Salt Lake. He even disses hipsters and pretentious students -- basically, the Pixies' fan base -- with nasty little digs like "Subbacultcha"'s "I was wearing eyeliner/She was wearing eyeliner" and "U-Mass"' "It's eduuucaaationaal!" Musically, "Trompe le Monde"'s psychedelic sheen and "Alec Eiffel"'s atmospheric keyboards prove that the Pixies' sound wasn't defined by Steve Albini-style rawness. There's also more emotional depth: "The Sad Punk" features the strangely poignant bridge "And evolving from the sea/Would not be too much time for me/To walk beside you in the sun," and "Letter to Memphis" is a heartfelt, if cryptic, love song. Though Trompe le Monde doesn't sound quite like the Pixies' other work, Come on Pilgrim's spooky beginnings, Surfer Rosa's abrasive assault, Doolittle's deceptively accessible punk-pop, and Bossanova's spacy sonics helped make Trompe le Monde a rousing swan song and a precursor to alternative rock's imminent success. Whether that means their music remained pure or they missed their chance to cash in is debatable; either way, the Pixies are one of America's greatest, most influential bands. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	09/23/2008
Label:	4Ad
UPC:	0652637101416

Tracks

1. Trompe Le Monde
2. Planet of Sound
3. Alec Eiffel
4. The Sad Punk
5. Head On
6. U-Mass
7. Palace of the Brine
8. Letter To Memphis
9. Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons
10. Space (I Believe In)
11. Subbacultcha
12. Distance Equals Rate Times Time
13. Lovely Day
14. Motorway To Roswell
15. The Navajo Know

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pixies   Primary Artist
Black Francis   Guitar,Vocals
Eric Drew Feldman   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Joey Santiago   Guitar
David Lovering   Drums
Jeff Feldman   Tabla,Dumbek,Percussion
Kim Deal   Bass,Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Steve Haigler   Engineer
Scott Blackland   Assistant Engineer
Black Francis   Composer
Jim Reid   Composer
Scott Blockland   Assistant Engineer
Gil Norton   Producer
William Reid   Composer
Chris Bigg   Design Assistant
Simon Larbalestier   Photography
Vaughan Oliver   Design,Art Direction
Andrew Ballard   Assistant Engineer
John McDonnel   Assistant Engineer
Paul McMenamin   Design Assistant
Kenard Gardner   Assistant Engineer