Pixies Albums (4)
'Live in Minneapolis, MN'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 25
Label Disc Live
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Pixies returned to the stage on April 13, 2004, to a sold-out audience in Minneapolis, MN, to deliver this blistering 27-song comeback performance, 12 years after their untimely demise. Recorded live at the Fine Line Music Cafe, the intimate show feels every bit as special as it should, with an eager audience eating up each and every track as the band barrel through a set list very much in favor of their early catalog. "The Pixies are back!" hollers one rabid fan as they head into "Holiday Song" -- a chilling reminder of just how long it'd been since any fan could say the same. Surprises come in the form of "La La Love You" -- which had amazingly never been performed live -- with drummer David Lovering dedicating it to "all you lovely ladies," while Kim Deal's raspy sweetness on "Gigantic" heralds a time that has forgotten the bitter feuds of yesteryear. Additionally, "Nimrod's Son" has been injected with some new flair that helps to separate the nostalgic set from being simply a retread. The years have once again found Joey Santiago expertly weaving in and out of each song with the ease and grace that had catapulted him into guitar reverence, as evidenced in his patented piercing squeals on "Vamos." Additionally, with the howl of "Tame" and "Something Against You" reverberating like it was 1989, there's no doubt that the big man on the mike has still got it, whether he calls himself Black Francis anymore or not. For all the grandiose excitement, there's a charming awkwardness that lends itself to a bit of fumbling throughout the set -- Deal misfires more than once as do the guys on one or two guitar cues, but with the help of the stalwart timekeeper Lovering, everything stays in line and gels in just the right moments. Between the roar of the crowd and the nervous intensity coming off the stage, the recording is an intoxicating experience that longtime fans will flip over if they can find it. Gone are the synths and added guitarist found in the lineup before the split; this is the Pixies back to basics as the four-piece that everyone knows and loves. By the time Deal takes the vocals on a pared-down version of "In Heaven" (a track usually reserved for Black), the listener is handed a brilliant new moment of solid gold that leads directly into a duet on the "U.K. Surf" version of "Wave of Mutilation" and concludes with a satisfying end that doesn't so much blow the roof off as much as it caps a full evening of restored memories. Those who were in attendance had the opportunity to buy a portion of these Disc Live discs, with the rest of the limited 1,000 pressings selling out within minutes on the company's website. Similar discs were also manufactured for the rest of the band's North American warm-up dates leading up to their appearance at the Coachella Festival in May of 2004. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Bossanova arrived in 1990, it reflected the exhaustion the Pixies felt after Doolittle's enormous success: For the first time, the band seems to be running out of ideas. Tellingly, Kim Deal contributes no songs, having formed the Breeders to give her work an outlet; that summer, their debut Pod won a warmer response than Bossanova received. Arguably the Pixies' weakest album -- though Francis has said it's his favorite -- most of it finds the band in fine form. Gil Norton's spacious, reverb-heavy production makes the Pixies sound like a Martian bar band, which fits the cover of the Surftones' "Cecilia Ann" and the glorious, shimmering closer "Havalina" perfectly. On the theremin-driven "Velouria," science fiction imagery displaces Francis' penchant for fetishistic lyrics; next to the token kinky song "Down to the Well"'s tired sound, it's a refreshing change. The similarly cryptic "All Over the World" and alien abduction tale "The Happening" add to the sci-fi feel. Quirky pop songs like "Allison," a tribute to jazz cool-cat Mose Allison, and "Dig for Fire," Francis' self-professed Talking Heads homage, heighten Bossanova's playful, slightly off-kilter vibe, but rockers like "Hang Wire" and "Blown Away," fall flat. However, "Rock Music" is one of the group's most fiery outbursts, and "Is She Weird"'s chugging grind and sexy, funny lyrics make it a classic Pixies song. The band was so consistently amazing on their previous albums that when they released a slightly weaker one, critics and fans alike judged them too harshly. But on Bossanova's strongest moments, the Pixies explored their softer side and found different uses for their extreme dynamics. Like a straight-A student who suddenly receives a B+, Bossanova might have been a disappointment initially, but its (small) failings emphasize the strengths of the rest of the Pixies' work. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
