| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| vilainde |
Posted - 09/11/2013 : 06:15:31
... uh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EP2_%28Pixies_EP%29
This will probably be edited soon, but as now it says:
Released November 26, 2013
Track listing
1. Tranquilize Me
2. Greens & Blues
3. Pickerel Picker
4. Blue-Eyed Hexe
No idea where this comes from.
Denis
Obsidiana Bijoux |
| 35 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 02/06/2014 : 12:59:06
quote:
Originally posted by nadavatik
Are you SURE you're not a psychologist?
My bank account says no.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| nadavatik |
Posted - 02/06/2014 : 03:12:53
'And you're right, I do from time to time put way too much thought into the inner workings of these particular artists (and a few others, I suppose). That's probably a reaction formation of some sort, as I'm sure it subconsciously allows me to avoid putting enough thought into the trials and tribulations of my own life.'
Are you SURE you're not a psychologist? Anyway, nice to hear you're thoughts too, I'm enjoying the conversation too :-) Me and you could make the internet a better place... |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 02/04/2014 : 08:10:39
quote:
Originally posted by nadavatik
Reassuring to hear a few people are reading it, it took bloody ages to type out. Thanks guys!
All apologies for not responding sooner to your enjoyable and thoughtful post above, nadavatik.
I've been swamped with real world obligations of late and not able to post on these boards till a few nights back. Hopefully that did not give you the impression that I was disinterested in your reply!
Most everything you said in that post makes perfect sense to me, and I now have a better understanding of what you were getting at. I think that the idea of the earlier Pixies library seeming sacrosanct to many DOES have a great deal to do with it being viewed by perhaps the majority of listeners just as you quoted from the piece in Quietus:
"(They have) grown to accept the idea of the Pixies' catalogue of work as complete – a virtually perfect run of genre-defining noise."
This is understandable and adds an awful lot of weight to the mere act of considering adding to - and thus possibly diluting (or at the very least negating some of) - the "etched in stone" part of their creative careers.
I don't know why I have been able to put aside any worries of that, because for someone who obviously cares greatly about this band and their output, I'd seem to be a prime candidate to be steadfastly in that very camp.
For whatever reason, my curiosity and happiness at receiving "new appendixes to one of my favorite books" has trumped that response, I guess.
You're right that debates on internet message boards don't usually evolve the way yours and mine has, but I think that is at least in part because I really didn't see it as a debate at all, but merely a conversation between friends who have never met and don't know much about each other. :)
Your comment about me possibly being a psychologist (or something related to that field) made me smile, as I am perhaps the furthest thing from that. In truth, I am basically a juggler. I just juggle a handful of peculiar jobs, none of which come close to keeping me afloat.
And you're right, I do from time to time put way too much thought into the inner workings of these particular artists (and a few others, I suppose). That's probably a reaction formation of some sort, as I'm sure it subconsciously allows me to avoid putting enough thought into the trials and tribulations of my own life.
Thanks for the kind words and the inspiring discourse!
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| Grotesque |
Posted - 02/04/2014 : 00:12:24
quote:
Originally posted by moonruler
Greens and Blues is my favorite new Pixies song, but on a whole I like EP-1 a bit more.
I have only listened to EP-2 less than a dozen times and reserve some judgement.
I cannot remember a single Pixies or FB release that there was not some sort of hesitation towards before I caught the groove.
An almost "why are you trying so hard" feeling, and then I would understand it was not trying too hard, but setting a new standard of sound that I had to catch up to.
For the most part I am enjoying the new Pixies. Some of it has taken a few listens and I am sure I will be enjoying it more and more as the nuisances reveal themselves.
________________
“make…some…room”
BF's trademark is to put something twisted in the way but every time he wants the twisted thing to be smaller and more discreet. Some could say it's an artistic choice, some could argue that's it's a comercial choice. He wants to attempt classic pop rock songs. He already wanted to do that in most of his discography but there was always something gone "wrong", even in his popiest stuff, and for most of us it was good news. Examples from the orange album: i heard ramona song has some not-obvious chord progression, old black drawing some strange breaks... and anyway the lyrics were always original, etc... But his no-nonsense side is growing each time over the look-at-me-I-am-an-artist side. At least in the country recordings it was kind of justified by making a nod to tradition: you dont expect Kris Kristoferson to make a crazy post punk song!!! But now what is the nod? To Oasis? The who, the Kinks and the Beatles where making some crazy music in the late sixties, that's the idea of pop, just like the pixies in the 80's. I dont really get the problem with making crazy music!!! Every fresh music is crazy! Even the jazz used to be crazy when it was still alive! |
| picpic |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 23:31:43
Haha ! Nice one.
___
"Service Unavailable" |
| picpic |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 23:17:25
Haha ! Nice one.
___
"Service Unavailable" |
| shineoftheever |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 14:20:48
quote:
Originally posted by moonruler
.....For the most part I am enjoying the new Pixies. Some of it has taken a few listens and I am sure I will be enjoying it more and more as the nuisances reveal themselves....
________________
“make…some…room”
haha. I think you mean nuances. 
"Fundamentally, all writing is about the same thing; it's about dying, about the brief flicker of time we have here, and the frustration that it creates. |
| moonruler |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 12:14:29
Greens and Blues is my favorite new Pixies song, but on a whole I like EP-1 a bit more.
I have only listened to EP-2 less than a dozen times and reserve some judgement.
I cannot remember a single Pixies or FB release that there was not some sort of hesitation towards before I caught the groove.
An almost "why are you trying so hard" feeling, and then I would understand it was not trying too hard, but setting a new standard of sound that I had to catch up to.
For the most part I am enjoying the new Pixies. Some of it has taken a few listens and I am sure I will be enjoying it more and more as the nuisances reveal themselves.
________________
“make…some…room” |
| simibaby |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 10:28:37
Cool, Arm. I like hearing stories about how one band can inadvertently (?) get you into finding another band and opening up shit! The FB & the C's shows I saw in 2000 thru 2002 only came about cuz I was so in love with the Pixies (and of course Frank). Ur right, Their shows were incredible.
I love P Jam and ADORE the king, Neil Young.....and it was cool to see a lot of young kids at a Neil show who got into him because of PJ! haha |
| Arm Arm Arm |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 06:56:18
I'd been listening to the Pixies for about three years when I learned that Frank Black was going to open for Pearl Jam and decided I should listen to his solo stuff to be prepared. I purchased the Orange, Teenager and Cult and dove in! However, it was him and the Catholics and while some songs I instantly liked (I Need Peace) it was challenging hearing new music, let alone songs so different in style from his early solo albums. Eventually I loved the Catholics albums and was amazed at their live show.
That was the beginning, three albums filled with great songs. |
| Classic Masher |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 15:05:24
Since we're telling the stories of how we got into Frank... I bought Trompe le Monde on cassette from a discount bin in 1993 to impress a girl that I liked who wore Pixies shirts. I knew no song by them. It was a bit weird to me (at the time I worshipped at the altar of grunge)but I definitely connected with it and kept listening. Then in 1994, I heard "Headache" by FB and picked up TOTY. I had no idea FB was BF (I also didn't know one of the cute twins from the Breeders- who I also loved- was in the Pixies). A friend of mine heard me listening to TOTY and said, if you like that you should listen to Doolittle by the Pixies. Somehow it came out that I didn't know the singer on TOTY was BF from the Pixies. He loaned me Doolittle and Surfer Rosa while laughing at me. I loved them and taped them. Then, I sought out CoP, Bossanova and Orange. I followed Frank in real time from then on. I admit to giving up around the time of Show Me Your Tears though. Aside from DOTS and BLDs, I just didn't connect with the Catholics at all. When I heard the Pixies were reuniting I came back to the fold. I gave Frank's Nashville albums a listen but really hated those. I have been following all his BF and GD stuff though and have loved it. Will admit that I've really just been wishing and hoping and waiting for the Pixies to put out new stuff (or even just Frank and Joey to reunite for a project where Frank lets Joey be Joey). Finally got my wish and life is good. Long live the Pixies!
"Mixed messages from Sir Naff, please authenticate..." |
| velvety |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 12:25:47
First heard about the Pixies, supposedly some band that was very good and that Nirvana was a fan of, Nirvana being my favorite band at 15 years old. A friend gave me a cassete of Trompe. Listened to it a couple of times, cool songs, but the hook in my head came with the 1997 release of the Pixies best-of. Became obsessed with the band.
After listening to everything they had released, I turned to the other projects of the band's members. I remember being at a Virgin Megastore, and finding the newly released 'Pistolero' album by Frank Black, "the singer from the Pixies". And I hated that album. Oh man, how I hated it. And the first Catholics record too, they sounded so different from what I was expecting. But there was one other solo record in the cd bins at that store, with funny artwork, 'Teenager of the Year'. 22 songs. "Hmm, let's try this one". Hooked again, this time fully convinced of Frank's genius.
The new songs are indeed very solid. But a couple of them are just a little too safe, Greens and Blues, mainly, I guess I have a problem with that one. It seems to have been written with a purpose, rather than brought by a spark of creativity. Frank has said himself that he wrote it, with 'Gigantic' in mind, maybe to serve as another choice for a concert closer. It's not horrible, it's "ok" and "nice" and all, but the man has given us too many great songs that are the opposite of this frame of mind (that I'm picking up, probably off target). I kind of agree with the review of EP-2 from Allmusic (remember that site?). Still, most of the other songs, with Joey's guitar sound, have me hooked as always. |
| fumanbru |
Posted - 01/30/2014 : 12:28:48
Awesome review Jason! It's interesting the time period of when people got into frank's music, the order of the albums they were introduced to, and how they connect. I first heard of the pixies just when they broke up. Got surfer rosa and the orange album at the same time. Liked them both....fascinated at how different the albums were. Then got TOTY when it came out.....probably 2 months after that I was completely hooked!! Then I got the rest of the pixies albums....each one a complete new experience and then wait in anticipation for each new project by frank. As a fan it sure is a lot of fun.
 "I joined the Cult of Frank/ cause I'm a real go-getter!"...long live snitz!! |
| frankblackphx |
Posted - 01/29/2014 : 11:50:00
Jason, very well said. I am in the exact same boat. I am one of the rare that became a bigger Frank Black fan than Pixies fan. Not that i love them both but the first two solo records are Frank's (yes I still call him that too) holy grail. Even though i first got into the Pixies back in 1988 I grew along with Frank and his songwriting always spoke to me. I think that is why I am enjoying the new songs so much, to me they are just solid frank black songs.
Religion won't save me, the damage is done. The future has ended before it's begun.
Damaged Soul - Black Sabbath
|
| Stevio10 |
Posted - 01/28/2014 : 10:04:38
Always like your reviews and posts Jason, you and Pete Rad should have your own joint blog, you both talk about music in a way you dont often see from music journos these days and thank you for that!
Saw the Catholics twice 01 and 03 phenomenal live. |
| Jason |
Posted - 01/28/2014 : 01:19:40
One of the most rocking shows I've ever seen was The Catholics in 1999. Dallas, TX. It was a few weeks before Pistolero came out and they played most of it. Very few pauses between songs, just a tornado of rock. Mean, fearsome, loud. No encore, which I kinda liked. I dig Frank's aloofness and pointed shirkings of crowd-pleasing conventions. They closed with "So. Bay", which I'd never heard before, but was perfect. Didn't really need an encore.
|
| Arm Arm Arm |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 20:39:46
Nicely said, Jason.
I think Viva Los Catholics! would be a great live album title; and not one that's been chopped up like Melkweg but a whole 2 hour 20 minute show from 01 or a solid ninety minute one from 02 or 03.
|
| Mac E. Doobage |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 19:01:13
Viva Los Catholics. Those shows were the best. Whataband. |
| Jason |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 13:51:05
Yes, the Catholics toured like crazy. I saw them four or five times. Always a good show. |
| simibaby |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 12:31:59
Jason, not silly at all. Very nice. I can somewhat relate. When you say "followed him thru his Catholics years...." I kinda LITERALLY followed him as I went to see this special man live in concert with the Catholics about a dozen times and Frank solo acoustic about another 5 time....before even seeing the Pixies (after the 2004 reunion). I am a big live music/in concert fanatic when any of my musical heroes tours. The FB & the C's shows , esp around 2000-2002-ish. blew my mind. However, the Pixies shows in 2004-05- sent me into space. haha |
| Jason |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 08:04:43
My silly review that I posted to rateyourmusic.com:
------------
Like a lot of other jerks my age (I'm 37), I was once obsessed with the Pixies. I was about 18, 19 and never heard music like that before. Their hooks hit like blunt force trauma, but in a good way. I immediately felt their humor, their silliness and their weird sexiness. This, I thought way back when, is the perfect rock music.
From there, I dug deeper and an odd thing happened.
After a year, maybe two, I started to like Black Francis's solo albums (as Frank Black) more.
There aren't a lot of us, but we're out there.
No, Frank Black's solo work isn't the major rock 'n' roll thunderbolt that the Pixies were, but it didn't need to be. I wasn't asking for that. I just wanted to keep listening to the guy. I considered him a real pop eccentric. Like most great bands, the Pixies seemed made to be short-lived—write great songs, make a cool noise, and then burn out before your shtick gets old—but Black Francis was a songwriter meant to go on and on. His first two solo LPs are such concentrated blasts of an oddball vision that, after some time to figure 'em out, I was hooked. After that, I'd follow him anywhere.
And so I did. I followed him through his Catholics years, when he was into Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones-style classic rock. I followed him through his Nashville years, when he got deep into the singer-songwriter thing. I followed him through his "I'm Black Francis again" years, when he got loose, got nutty, wrote a concept album about Herman Brood, sang about sex robots and scored a silent film.
And now I follow him here. I don't care about the return of the Pixies. For me, the Pixies belong to the past. I just want new songs from Frank (I still call him that). If this is how he wants to put 'em out, I'll take the ride.
This second Pixies EP is a little groovier and more rocking than the first one. There's no song here as great as "Andro Queen", but "Magdelena" is one fetching puff of smoke full of sensual Joey Santiago guitar wizardry and "Greens and Blues" is all cream and sugar with Francis conjuring up his inner Beatle. "Blue Eyed Hexe" is a witchcraft tale told with a ceaseless stomp and a scream fit. "Snakes", a song that grew out of a studio jam, highlights the spaghetti western edge that's always been a hidden ingredient of Santiago's guitar work.
I may not be over the moon about the Pixies, but I am charmed by their decision to release their new music as EPs. They're kind of like a punk band here, (re-) introducing themselves and proving themselves in modest little bites (albeit with sweet Vaughn Oliver artwork). It's non-traditional for a band on their level. It's eccentric. It's pure Frank Black. Or Black Francis, I guess.
|
| The Champ |
Posted - 01/27/2014 : 02:51:42
The one thing I am really growing tired of is the EP format. Changing the record every two songs is getting a bit irritating; to the point I don't even want to listen to it :(
I guess I am now in the 'give me the damn LP camp."
|
| Jose Jones |
Posted - 01/26/2014 : 15:21:22
quote:
Originally posted by bedrock_barney
Agreed. These are the well thought out mature debates that I look for on an internet forum.
Nadavatik sums it up pretty well for me. My short version:
Old Pixies - a run of near perfect albums, 1st to last (I actually rate TLM as the best most of the time)
New Pixies - bit disappointing really. It's just not working for me.
The acid test? - I'm listening to the latest albums by Throwing Muses, Midlake and Arcade fire a lot more than ep1 and ep2.......
it IS great having Midlake return to form.
and i also agree with ArmX3. though i didn't read nad's entire post, it's why the board exists. to obsess over this shit.
------------------------------
they were the heroes of old, men of renown. |
| nadavatik |
Posted - 01/26/2014 : 15:16:27
Reassuring to hear a few people are reading it, it took bloody ages to type out. Thanks guys! |
| bedrock_barney |
Posted - 01/26/2014 : 07:42:12
Agreed. These are the well thought out mature debates that I look for on an internet forum.
Nadavatik sums it up pretty well for me. My short version:
Old Pixies - a run of near perfect albums, 1st to last (I actually rate TLM as the best most of the time)
New Pixies - bit disappointing really. It's just not working for me.
The acid test? - I'm listening to the latest albums by Throwing Muses, Midlake and Arcade fire a lot more than ep1 and ep2....... |
| Arm Arm Arm |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 16:16:58
I enjoyed reading Nadavatik and Radiator's thoughts on this. Too long? Not for me; I think that's one of the reasons why this forum exists, to have long, thoughtful discussions on the music.
|
| velvety |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 14:55:03
Will try to keep this short, I don't understand anything about sound compression, the recordings sound more muddled than what Frank recorded in FM/RM or The Golem for example, but I don't know if that's what you guys are talking about, so I won't go into it any further.
I mostly love the new songs and the fact that they had the guts to record new material. There are a couple of songs (Another Toe and Greens and Blues, I'm looking at you) that do sound very "safe". Especially the verses on those songs. FB has done lots of pop songs over the years, but these two new songs sound like they're trying to test the waters in an almost frightened manner. The melody on those verses... urghh, not challenging at all,nothing memorable (for a song that was touted as being the next HCYM by some of you guys), which is unusual in the songs FB normally writes. I wonder If I had heard 'Here Comes Your Man' or 'Monkey Gone To Heaven' when those songs came out, what my reaction would have been, after hearing Surfer Rosa. I've never been an enormous fan of 'Monkey..', nice melody and all, but the lyrics on that one just make it an instant classic. That song, released today, with lyrics about elfs waving and taking pictures... I wonder how it would be ranked by fans.
I actually like 'Another Toe' better than 'G&B', in spite of the unoriginal verse and stupid pre-chorus, just because I find the melody catchier and the chord structure more interesting. Snakes, for example, is also not that challenging or complex, but that strange intro gives it an interesting edge and risk, I guess, that gives it more merit or something to my ears.
Hope they keep recording, after all this NEW PIXIES SONGS IN TWENTY YEARS (AND WITHOUT KIM DEAL!) shit-fest that maybe weighed down some of the songwriting.
More songs then, please, hoping that the mixed bags of new numbers come with fewer timid offerings, if possible. Even though songs like Bagboy seem to manage an almost perfect balance of catchy with songwriting experimentation. My not-making-much-sense 2 cents. |
| nadavatik |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 14:01:36
Yeah that was kind of long wasn't it |
| simibaby |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 09:57:49
Yawn!!!!!!!!!! Enough analysis already. Just Rock on!!!!!!!!!!haha |
| Jose Jones |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 05:27:43
holy shit!
------------------------------
they were the heroes of old, men of renown. |
| nadavatik |
Posted - 01/25/2014 : 00:41:05
Peter Radiator, thank you for the excellent reply. No antagonism or anything taken, and you make some very good points (and you make them well).
Firstly, I can only defend my actual opinion about the music so much, because, as I said, it’s all subjective, and because as we both said, I had some biases before I even listened to it. But I disagree a bit with your diagnosis (I think the quote function's a bit too fiddly for a tablet so I'm just copy-pasting quotes from your post):
'It would seem that you reflexively set an almost impossibly high bar for the group to reach, based almost solely on your emotions rather than on the mechanics of the ambitious and risky task at (their) hand(s).'
I don’t think the bar is set that high because of my emotions, but by the music Pixies, and FBF, released before this. I guess I didn’t give much weight to the ambition or risk of releasing it under this name, to be honest it’s not something I usually give much thought to. I also disagree when you say:
'I think it's a totally understandable position to feel let down or disappointed in an artist or group…when they act in a way that is antithetical to how the listener might feel they themselves would act in a similar circumstance.'
If you read into my post that I wouldn’t have done that if it was my band, you’re right, but that’s not where my disappointment is, I’m just disappointed that my favourite band has made music that I dislike this much. I thought it would be a bad idea, and I think i might have been right (more on that later).
But anyway, yes I had some biases, and I am very conscious of them when I listen to these EPs. I try to be objective. I try to compare it to other music I listen to. I’ve also been going back to the original Pixies albums and trying to think whether they really belong on the highest pedestal in my mind. I still think EP-1 is below par, and EP-2 is better, good enough to sit beside other bands I listen to but not great. To be honest, my whole view of what makes music good - particularly the song-writing but also the production, the delivery, the textures, the feel of it, lyrics and much more – my whole view has been shaped by Pixies (and to a lesser extent, other FBF stuff). They’re my main reference point for music. Obviously, there’s a bias there. But I think about songwriting a lot, and I write a bit of music myself (probably not very good but maybe not completely shit), so I like to think I have some ideas about songwriting, something to base my views on about these EPs in relation to the original Pixies and in relation to other music. And while there are some good parts in these EPs, I don’t think they’re up to FBF’s usual standard. I can only defend this view so much, it’s still very subjective at the end of the day, but what I’m saying is that I don’t think it’s entirely down to biases.
In terms of parts of EP-1 making me cringe, again it’s only slightly biased. I’m sure there are bands out there who would put those features into their music and I wouldn’t cringe at them doing it, but I would never listen to those bands. It’s like, if some footballer (ie soccer player – I’m British) from a tiny, semi-professional team does something really bad, you might chuckle and call him a dickhead, but if the best player in the world does it you’ll put your hands over your eyes and shout ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!’ at the TV. Not sure that’s the best analogy but I hope you get the idea.
BUT, having said all that, I think there’s a key point where we differ (you said it too), and where I think you’ve probably got it more right than I do:
'To me, it's all a gift, and the reputations of artists I appreciate…don't really get "better" or "worse" or "tarnished" or "burnished" depending on how their later releases compare with their earlier stuff.
Instead, they just get, you know, "MORE." '
It seems pretty stupid on reflection, but I was worried after listening to EP-1 that I would go back and listen to Surfer Rosa or Bossanova and not enjoy them anymore, they'd be somehow tarnished. Of course, they still sound amazing. I can just ignore the new stuff.
There’s still something to my grievance. To quote that pretty good Quietus review just posted, I’d also ‘grown to accept the idea of the Pixies' catalogue of work as complete – a virtually perfect run of genre-defining noise’ . Not only was it the best music i'd ever heard, but as a whole it was also basically flawless, but now it has these new songs and it’s not flawless anymore. Like the Pitchfork guy, my favourite band isn’t Pixies anymore, it’s Pixies*. It would have been easier to come to terms with if they’d stayed together and each release had gotten steadily worse (or, like Meat Puppets, released a couple of bad albums and then split up, so that when they reformed I didn’t mind if the new albums were any good). I see that original catalogue as some magical holy grail of music, the 'legacy' that should be left, floating in a vacuum in a tasteful display case, never to be touched by any particle, and maybe with only a few visitors allowed to view it each day. That means no re—mastered albums and definitely no new music under that name. But maybe that’s stupid, purist music snobbery, or stupid romanticism, or something, and I should get over it. Like you say, it’s just more music, and it doesn’t change what the old stuff sounds like
Actually I think I am getting over it. I don't think I'm 'very very sad' anymore, out whatever it was I said. Maybe I just needed to get my disappointment off my chest (my friends don't take care that much about Pixies). I still can't help thinking it's a shame, but music isn't really dead.
In terms of what was behind Greens and Blues and the rest of the new music, well I should probably just steer clear of guessing how or why FBF writes new material, at least until I've put as much thought into it as you have. My concern was that it sounded like the songs hadn't come about naturally - like instead of FBF going through whatever process he goes through to make music, he was like, 'OK we need some more Pixies songs'. This is probably a far too simplistic view, but it was tempting as it would explain why some of the new songs sounded a bit forced to me, and maybe why they weren't very good (Greens and Blues didn't sound forced to me, and is one of the best of the new pack). It might just be that it's very hard to keep writing new, original material in general (I don't know how the hell FBF still manages), and not particularly to do with it being Pixies. But then his style has evolved over time, and it might not be so natural for him now to write songs in that style (what sounds more like Pixies, TOTY or, say, Dog in the Sand?). Which leads me to another point...
...Re the bit about it not being grown-up music. It was a bit rhetorical when I said that but i was tryîng to get at something. You say
'I always found the Pixies music to be exceedingly "mature for its/their age," and that was what attracted me to them in the first place. For me, energy and excess (in all forms) does not inherently equal youth or reckless abandon.'
And I agree, it was in many ways mature and intelligent. But I do think those original albums were and could only be the product of a group of young people, and what they make now was always, obviously, going to be the product of older people, and different for it. That's not to s
ay worse, or lacking in energy (look at Bluefinger), but it won't have that same youthfulness. It might not just be the youthfulness, personalities change over a couple of decades, and that might be part of it too. If they'd kept going as Pixies from the 80's up until now and their music had aged with them, it wouldn't be so incongruous. But now, the music of Pixies consists of those youthful albums and these EPs, and they don't really fit together.
These may not be very important points, but they link to my other main point about it being a bad idea. You say
'So, I get why they had to do this, and I also am amazed that they summoned up the nerve to do it after so long. It would have made much more "sense" for them to have made and released new material back around 2006 - 2010, or, if not, then to simply have dissolved the band for good back around 2010 or 2011.'
And you also called it a 'risky task' and said 'they have defied the odds and even what some would call logic'.
I'm generally a strong advocate of the 'quit while you're ahead' philosophy, whether it's by going out in a hail of bullets, choking on your own vomit or just saying 'you know what, we've had a good run, maybe it's time to call it a day'. A lot of what I'm saying, that they're different people, that they have this very high standard they're expected to meet and some fans who are gonna pan it no matter what, what it amounts to is that they'd have been safer just calling it a day a few years ago - OR, making new music under a different name to keep the sacred Pixies reputation in tact. That last option would perhaps be the closest to a win-win situation, although they'd have the awkward question of 'who' they tour as, and which songs they play (FBF used to play Pixies songs at his solo shows - he did write them - but would as many people go to see 'The New Pixies'?)
They've probably thought about this too. Apart from how brave it is, you make some nice points about why they might be taking this route -
'...stuck in a holding pattern of playing older stuff without writing new songs to augment the setlist and/or allow you to cycle out tunes that the members just "lost touch with," and which didn't feel relevant or comfortable anymore to play or sing'
'There is nothing worse than feeling you are going through the motions onstage. ESPECIALLY if folks are cheering like crazy.'
' I would be willing to bet that the few moments during each show in which they are playing the new songs (even if they are not garnering as much applause as "classic" tunes from the back catalog) are some of the highlights of their entire time in the band.'
'Then there are those who truly make art for themselves but also enjoy showing it to other people just to see what they think - and are often brought joy or confidence when the response is favorable, which can in turn inspire them to create more for themselves.'
' I'd rather see this particular group of people continue to do whatever they want rather than be held back from taking the kinds of chances and risks that make them most happy'
First of all, and I hope this doesn't come across as sarcastic, you sound like a nice and very empathic person, and reading your post made me wonder if you're a psychologist or something by day. You give a lot more thought to what the people in the band think than I do, and that's pretty cool.
Anyway, those are some plausible reasons for why they're making new music. Paying the bills may also be a factor (they haven't sent me their bank statement recently so I'm not in a position to say). If one were to ask whether these reasons for making new music outweighed the reasons I suggest against it (the 'safe' option), the answer would be pretty obvious and would involve me shutting the fuck up. So maybe I should (especially considering how long this post already is).
I guess my conclusion is that on the whole I don't like the new music - some of it's decent, some OK, some dull, some very bad - and I, personally would rather they hadn't done it... But, it's not the end of the world, Charles, David and Joey can and should do what works and feels best for them, and a few more great songs will probably still come out of it. And I'll still enjoy, revere and be inspired by the old stuff.
This isn't really how you're supposed to have a debate in the internet, is it... Shouldn't I have called you a Nazi by now?
By the way, interesting idea about Greens and Blues being written for Kim to sing. I think the verse would sound better in her voice, though I think the chorus works well in his.
Have a nice day :-) |
| pixie punk |
Posted - 01/23/2014 : 11:31:57
http://blog.kexp.org/2014/01/23/album-review-pixies-ep-2/
PUERTO RICO PIXIE |
| OLDMANOTY |
Posted - 01/23/2014 : 06:34:29
quote:
Originally posted by cptnpasty
Quietus - the review site Pitchfork wishes it was.
http://thequietus.com/articles/14282-pixies-ep2-ep-review
www.alotofwind.com
Yes, fair review that. Check out the 10th comment down though - makes those Pitchfork reviews look positively glowing.
Incidentally, I was at the 1989 gig the reviewer mentions (though remember little of it due to extreme drunkenness). |
| cptnpasty |
Posted - 01/23/2014 : 00:01:54
Quietus - the review site Pitchfork wishes it was.
http://thequietus.com/articles/14282-pixies-ep2-ep-review
www.alotofwind.com |
| Grotesque |
Posted - 01/22/2014 : 00:10:50
quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
probably wannabe in the sense that despite these guys being known for cult stylings they all want to be the beatles, so to speak. being indie or marginalized for weirdness was never part of their game plan. luckily for us i guess and unlucky for them, they're hampered by their inability to completely avoid their own idiosyncrasies and/or musical limitations because that's what makes them cool.
Yeah that's right! If you see The Devil and Daniel Johnston there is a perfect illustration of a crazy and gifted wanabe!
Speaking about the Beatles... "I wanted to be him, but he died" that matches too
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