| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
 Posted - 09/13/2007 : 17:29:43
|
Axes 7 Alleys.
september 12, 2007 @ 7:40 am
The Pixies
On a Boston-Area Band of the Late 1980s and Early 1990s
by Cavalier Jeremy-Joseph Rosen
In 1987 The Pixies, labelled an alternative rock band, released a song entitled “Nimrod
Son” as part of their first EP recording Come on Pilgrim. “Nimrod Son” is evocative
both of the later evolution of popular music as well as The Pixies’ antecedents in rock,
country, and other popular musics. “Nimrod Son” is one of the best examples of The
Pixies’ often deranged and humorous lyrical content, unparalleled technical ability in
relation to other groups of the time, and their influence upon contemporary and later
musical groups.
To gain a better understanding of the lyrical content and its meaning we must
examine the actual form of the piece as it has a large impact on an analysis of the
lyrics. “Nimrod Son” opens with a steel guitar riff reminiscent of bluegrass and
country music. Two bars later the bassline and the addition of the drums playing a
shuffle strongly reinforces this country-bluegrass feel. The A section contains an odd
number of bars and two endings both of which contain two measures of stop time
with the vocalist, Black Francis, singing throughout both measures with the melody
delivered mostly on one note.
The B section is odd-measured as well, suggesting an influence from early American
Punk music. The first part combines two measures of a new bass line and guitar riff
with two measures of those from the introduction and A section. The second half of
the B section moves into a more solid rock and roll sound ideal. There is less rhythm
guitar present, but the melody moves quite a bit with a backup voice adding harmony
above the melody. In less than thirty seconds of music, the song has moved through
influences clearly derived from at least three distinct forms of music.
Before returning to the A section a transition on a new theme enters and the tempo is
slowed down by half. This transition is completely instrumental and moves around the
key centre by step. A brief pause and the band is back to a repetition of the A section,
then a guitar solo. The band stops briefly and then begins again from the introduction
through an A section.
The range of form, tempo, and technicality of this song is quite distinct from the same
elements in many other bands of the time. 1987 was a year wherein “heavy metal”
bands, groups with very loud, guitar-driven songs and a rock star image were at the
height of their popularity and groups like The Pixies, with odd songs and initially no
commercial image at all, were still considered “underground.”
The Pixies both predicted and created the later grunge music scene which was first
recognized in Seattle, though it was present in quite a range of metropolitan areas.
Grunge, or alternative, music was more diverse in its forms and content across the
spectrum of musical groups and can be cited as a commercial label rather than a
distinctive sound. One could say what was and wasn’t grunge, or alternative, but one
couldn’t always place parameters around it. See so-called world music for a similar
U.S.-centric commercial classification of music.
Much of this was due to the fact that The Pixies began and spread a formula of song
writing that most groups of the time didn’t. Black Francis, the leader and main writer
of most of the songs in The Pixies’ book created music of great dynamic variation.
Songs would often begin with a quiet intensity only to explode in the chorus with his
voice, usually backed up by bassist Kim Deal, singing loudly and often without definite
tone. This wide dynamic formula was adopted in due course by bands anywhere The
Pixies’ music was available in recorded or live form. “Nimrod Son” is one of the
earliest examples from which this influence is derived.
While exhibiting numerous differences with other groups of the time, The Pixies
shared one obvious similarity borne out within the lyrical content of “Nimrod Son.”
This is a propensity for typically strange and pictorial lyrics in order to either disturb or
amuse the listener. A popular take on such lyrics is that they are there to frighten and
scare parents and conservatives with their content. This was likely present, but
unimportant, within the band’s ethos during their earliest phases because there wasn’t
much of an audience for their type of music.
Following this amusing and disturbing lyrical trend, however, “Nimrod Son”
apparently describes a man who discovers that he is the child of incest between his
father and grandmother. This revelation is placed within the space at the end of the A
section where there are only vocals and adds a huge emotional wallop as a result. On
top of this the man discovers that his current lover is also his sister. Again this
revelation is placed within the same space in the A section. The bridge, with its distinct
change from the A section expresses his revulsion and confusion with what he has
discovered through a wailing melody that floats over the rhythmically faster musical
accompaniment.
Of course by itself this content is merely amusing or disturbing and it can realistically
be claimed that there is little beyond Black Francis’ writing than a progression of
strange images. In fact much of this type of music can be criticized for lack of literal,
and even metaphorical, sense.
When the lyrics are taken within the context of the musical background of the song a
more intricate description appears. Because of the obvious nod to bluegrass music in
the A section I see this song as a comment on the stereotypical image of the South
where people supposedly have intimate relations with close relatives and drive pickup
trucks as another line from the song states. It becomes clear, however, that the exact
comment being made upon this situation is essentially impossible to discover because,
again, The Pixies are more concerned with imagery than commentary.
Unfortunately there is no resolution, no obvious solution, to this question contained
anywhere in the song. These revelations are restated for the listener and because they
have been heard before have much less impact the second time around. This could
possibly be an effort to mimic the reverberations of the revelations within the man’s
mind, but other songs of the period and after are rarely so introspective while being so
visual simultaneously. For the most part there is nary an attempt at resolution. There
is merely a picture presented and it is left up to the listener to reflect, enjoy or refuse to
analyze. This would mirror quite well the historical and documented intent of the band.
Part of The Pixies’ distinction as an influence upon the rock genre is that some of its
members and production staff went on to work with others in the field. The producer
of the sessions on Surfer Rosa, the follow up album to the EP, Steve Albini, went on to
work most notably on Nirvana’s first commercial success Nevermind and with Stone
Temple Pilots. His production sound is distinctive and he is responsible for
transmitting the sounds of The Pixies throughout the rock music world. He also later
spoke out against the music industry (see “The Problem with Music” from Baffler No. 5).
Black Francis’ history, like his music, was quite interesting as well. Born Charles
Thompson, he changed his name to Black Francis during the sessions for Come on
Pilgrim. After internal tensions between Black and bassist Kim Deal the band split and
Black Francis went on to become Frank Black and produce three albums departing
widely from The Pixies’ sound. They seemed to take influence from many of the
groups that were at first influenced by The Pixies. He abandoned the formula present
in “Nimrod Son” and as a result of the mood at the time fell into commercial
disfavour.
Kim Deal found more involvement in the aftermath of The Pixies’ influence over rock
and roll than any other member of the band. After the breakup of The Pixies she
joined the band Belly which took a major part in the beginning of the adoption of The
Pixies’ sound throughout the rest of rock and roll. This band definitely was quite
obviously influenced by The Pixies internally through its lyrics and externally because
of its association with the commercial label of alternative music.
Leaving Belly Deal went on to form The Breeders with her twin sister Kelly. The
Breeders returned to many elements of the sound of The Pixies and did more in
spreading that aesthetic in the early nineties. Deal was the other main force in The
Pixies and her desire to have more involvement in the song writing and singing led to
The Pixies’ demise, so it is no surprise that the band she fronted afterwards was similar
in sound ideal. She formed an incredibly short-lived band call The Amps which
released one album Pacer before
dissolving. The last The Breeders album, Title TK, was released in 2002.
By 2001, though, the importance of The Pixies as a pedestal of more than a decade of
rock and popular music was quite obvious to even casual listeners. The band topped
the lists of favourites of those who could only have enjoyed the work of Sharon, Lois,
and Bram at the time the band was still together. People from the teens to the fifties
recognized them for their importance; more importantly a continuing cavalcade of
current musical acts recognized and acknowledged their influence. And so, in 2004
the band reunited for a tour which was at once a critical, financial, and fan success,
touring with contemporary supporting acts who were influenced by them.
“Nimrod Son” and its sister songs on Come on Pilgrim as well as the songs in the same
vein from Surfer Rosa spread quickly throughout rock music and had a heavy
influence on it. “Nimrod Son” expanded, unwittingly I think, upon previous forms and
ideals from the underground, adding to them until it created something different yet
accessible to listeners. The ability to internalize other styles of music, as in “Nimrod
Son,” without becoming a strange melange of different musics became a staple of later
alternative music as did the wide progression of dynamics. “Nimrod Son” stands, upon
analysis, as one of the definitive sources of the music of the early nineties, the
commercialization of such music in contemporary culture, and the basis of a vast
swath of contemporary musical groups. In total, the rock music scene today would
not exist without The Pixies.
Share This |
|
|
kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 19:29:39
|
Francois de Noir?
the cure make me want to die, but in a good way -- mr.biscuitdoughhead
|
 |
|
|
Czar
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
321 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 20:53:45
|
Francis and François are names from the same root, the Franks (Francs) people from the late Roman empire. François is probably old French for "français" i.e. French ("françoye").
Black Francis would really translate as "Francis le Noir", I guess, or even "Noir Francis".
Too much wine, go to sleep.
___________________________
Do you think the Pixies were a brouillon of Black Francis? |
|
|
|
Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2007 : 09:17:17
|
I love the way he goes into such in-dept analysis, and yet still believes Nimrod's Son to be called Nimrod Son. And Kim in Belly? What?!
"I hate how the reptile dreams it's a mammal. Scaley monster: be what you are!!" - Erebus. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Axes & Alleys - The Pixies.
