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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
 Posted - 04/17/2009 : 11:59:47
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Sun On The Sand.
Retrospectacular: Doolittle (1989)
Apr 17th, 2009 by Jacob
It’s always been incredible how decades in music
seem to start and end neatly. As the 70s concluded
and the 80s had begun with John Lennon’s death
as well as the introduction of the synthesizer as a
key pop instrument, the following decade began to
cater to hallmark traits. To suggest an artist has an
80s sound invokes distinct characteristics
about them. They must have been a hair metal
band, a pop act relying heavily on synthetic keyboards, or The Boss at the
height of his career. It’s too easy to sum up the history of a generation in
music in a handful of popular artist’s names or top hits chart. What can be
difficult to pinpoint is how the middle ground of a decade can begin the
spawning of future genres and music movements. The midpoint of the 80s
slowly began to forge a new direction. Fresh takes on genres began to
emerge underneath the decade’s familiar tones. Independent and lo-fi
rock had been experimenting with punk, noise, and pop themes and the
underground was exploding with artists such as Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr.
With the increasing popularity and recognition for the sound that was soon to
be branded “alternative rock”, the late 80s was a period primed for several
artists to leap into the limelight and direct its own course of music history.
Which artist was going to lead the dramatic shift from 80s independent noise-
rock to the radio-friendly alternative rock of the 90s?
Pixies fits the bill. 1987 saw the initial release of the Come On Pilgrim EP in
March. 1988 witnessed the remarkable debut full-length record Surfer Rosa.
Although Surfer Rosa received and still receives praise for its influence on
artists such as Nirvana and PJ Harvey, it wouldn’t have propelled a
breakthrough movement to the surface of the mainstream alone. Surfer Rosa
was an album that was grossly overlooked until years passed with a re-
release and finally, some notice of how the album played a role in the
transition into the 90s. It’s safe to say that Pixies wouldn’t have been
forerunners of 90s alternative rock without another album under its belt.
As the decade had reached its final year, Pixies released what is highly
considered its magnum opus, Doolittle. 1989 was the year that 90s
alternative rock truly began. With Doolittle, Pixies was vaulted into a different
realm than it had experienced with Surfer Rosa. The members’ recording
budget quadrupled from the last album, making for cleaner, polished songs.
They embarked on international tours. Doolittle was slightly less raw than
Surfer Rosa, making it more accessible to the general public. It was an album
balancing the authenticity of Surfer Rosa with a palatable veneer designed for
a wider audience. It boasted a fresh sound, dabbling in both the abrasive
noise of 80s rock and pop sensibilities. It had everything that the casual and
popular music audience was ready for.
The musical content began to incorporate specific traits that would later carry
on through alternative 90s rock. Songs like ‘Tame’ gave foresight to grunge’s
most monopolized attribute, the soft/loud technique between verses and
choruses. Alternating the use of hoarse vocals with common singing styles in
popular music seeped into subsequent acts. Songcraft was primarily pop-
based and tracks would go through common structures usually incorporating
minimal Spanish theory with punk strumming over simple chord
progressions. They helped to introduce a start/stop timing formula, which
became a heavily recognizable trait of 90s alternative rock.
Pixies reiterated a stripped-down approach to rock, and explored lyrical
themes outside of typical pop music. Chief songwriter Black Francis (later
renamed Frank Black) wrote lyrics circling topics of surrealism, environmental
issues, and references to biblical violence in Doolittle. A balance was struck
between the dark and the light with Pixies’ sophomore effort. Dark subject
matter was carried in a lighthearted yet convulsive manner. This would not go
unnoticed in the following rise of the grunge movement, when Kurt Cobain
would expand on the foundations laid down by Pixies in Nirvana, and even
further not go unnoticed by alternative rock/britpop group Radiohead.
Black Francis wrote songs about real issues in the world at the time. He
wrote about his exchange in Puerto Rico in his college years. He penned more
lyrics about how the environment was changing, and how humans were
involved. Graphic lyrics about torture and “slicing up eyeballs” were present
throughout Doolittle. But why would anyone else, particularly in a pop-based
formula, want to write grotesque lyrics? It’s because it was real. Grunge
capitalized on lyrics about pain, whether it was emotional, literal, or felt
somewhere else in the world. Nirvana’s song ‘Rape Me’ being a prime
example, where Cobain sings “hate me/do it and do it again/waste me/rape me,
my friend”. It follows the same fragmented lyrical approach of Francis
Black, putting the emotion in how the lyrics sound. Pain is relatable on a
massive scale to a wide audience, literally but especially metaphorically.
Artists like Nirvana could write a song like ‘Rape Me’ about a specific case in
rape, and have the audience interpret it symbolically. Even more so in an
audience populated with teenagers, looking for a place to be and something
to identify with, twisting lyrical messages so they could feel at peace or at
home with a band they liked. Radiohead had begun to sing about relatable
themes that were depressing again with Pablo Honey and The Bends. The title
track ‘The Bends’ uses this same concept developed by Pixies with the chorus
“my baby’s got the bends/we don’t have any real friends/just lying in a bar
with my drip feed on/talking to my girlfriend wishing something would
happen/I wish it was the sixties/I wish I could be happy”. Simple rhymes that
hit home. Pain isn’t new subject matter at all, but it was crucial for this
generation. The Berlin Wall and Soviet Union collapsed, and the world was in
reflection over the anguish of oppressed people. The world needed cathartic
lamenting, and it got it with Pixies and the explosion of alternative rock,
which would tackle these issues on a personal level.
And in stark contrast to the lyric message, of course is the music itself.
Doolittle commences with simple chugging bass and Black Francis trading off
barely controlled guitar tones with Joey Santiago. It’s lively and catchy music
to the ears. ‘Debaser’ opens the album beautifully. The song would later be
hailed as an individual specimen of how Pixies were influential. Following are
three songs that are worthy examples of Black Francis’ fluctuating vocal style.
He can sing you a poppy little ditty in one line and be howling in the next yet
it all flows remarkably well together. Track number five sounds like surf rock,
probably an early sample of post-Doolittle albums, and it also happens to be
one of Pixies’ most critically acclaimed singles, ‘Here Comes Your Man’. It’s got
everything a great pop-rock tune needs: catchy chorus lines, thumping bass,
and memorable verses. ‘Dead’ is the track that fills the space between the
album’s other notable single, ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’. It’s an abrasive
juxtaposition between arguably the two poppiest tracks on the record, but
acts as a good bridge from one single to the next.
‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ is unique. It’s the only song to have any
instruments featured other than what the lineup plays on Doolittle with cello
and violin parts supporting the rhythm guitar. The next slew of songs flows
gorgeously throughout, and boast breakdown ballads in ‘Mr. Grieves’, the
Spanish influence in ‘Crackity Jones’, and sugary acoustic tones. If there’s any
part of the album that slows, it’s ‘No. 13 Baby’, but it’s recovered by the
snare-filled ‘There Goes My Gun’. Toward the end, the two tracks ‘Hey’ and
‘Silver’ focus on Kim Deal. While she didn’t do nearly as much of the
songwriting as Black Francis, the chromatic bassline of ‘Hey’ is the foundation
of the entire jazzy tune. ‘Silver’ is the only song she wrote included on
Doolittle, and adds a mysterious feel to the concluding tracks of the album.
The slide guitar and distant drums are eerie. It’s like a music box, winding
down creepily. As the fifteenth song comes through the speakers with a vibe
similar to the rest of the songs on the album, it only hits that much harder.
‘Gouge Away’ is downright nasty. It sends shivers down the spine, as its
quiet verses suddenly explode into distorted and rough choruses. It’s a
constant build and break, and it highlights some of the best musicianship on
the album. Every instrument coalesces into one masterpiece.
Pixies was one of the few bands capable of translating these traits into the
next decade because of the identifiable pop characteristics in its music,
especially in Doolittle. It was an album that strayed from its 80s underground
indie-rock influence, and used innovation to influence the upcoming
generation of rock music. Pop accessibility was the catalyst for this bearing.
This notable side of Doolittle causes Pixies to stand out amongst other bands
of the era.
But all good things must come to an end. During the release of Doolittle and
its acclaim, Kim Deal began to have a rift with Black Francis. Deal only
contributed one song to the album ‘Silver’ and wanted to have more of an
influence over the following album’s sound. Tensions rose and ultimately
ended with a short break between band members. After a yearlong hiatus,
the group rejoined but with only Blank Francis at the helm. While Kim Deal
was still playing bass in the band, she had no control, and Francis had
become the absolute songwriter. In mid-1990, the third album Bossanova was
released. While the reviews were still positive, an obvious difference in lyrical
and musical inspiration took hold of the record, referencing surf and space-
rock as well as extraterrestrials as lyrical fodder. 1991 saw the final release
from the band, Trompe Le Monde, which focused on the same vein as
Bossanova, with a vague return to the early abrasive sound orchestrated in
Surfer Rosa. While the last two albums didn’t receive poor reviews, they didn’t
have the same initial impact as Doolittle since in a mere two years, the sound
had caught on to artists such as the revered Nirvana and other pioneers of
the grunge movement. Listeners didn’t identify with the “final frontier”
themes of Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde, but were still caught up in the
woes of Surfer Rosa and Doolittle. Alternative rock was in full swing by the first
years of the 90s, and the latter two albums neither gathered the attention
nor presented the innovation found within Doolittle.
As the rest of the 90s alternative rock scene continued on past Pixies’ official
break-up in 1993, its legacy walked evenly alongside the alternative 90s
sound. Countless artists from Weezer to Radiohead have cited Pixies as a
musical influence and have credited them for introducing them to better
tunes. Another bevy of artists including Husker Du and David Bowie proclaim
Pixies as one of the most essential bands of the time period. Pixies left a
large wake for the 90s. They would continue to sell an average of 700 copies
of Doolittle per week until the reunion in 2005, with which record sales would
soar again. Pixies shaped the generation of rock following them, and would
remain relevant years after its first dissolution and reunion.
Jacob Price
Hidden Track - The B List: 10 Best Songs Involving Monkeys.
3. Monkey Gone to Heaven - The Pixies
The Pixies’ first major label single was one of the finest efforts of their career
- 1989’s Monkey Gone to Heaven. UK’s Melody Maker picked Black Francis’
environmentally-themed masterpiece as the Single of the Year in 1989 and
the song was also near the top of Rolling Stone and NME’s lists as well. |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
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matto
= Cult of Ray =
USA
943 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2010 : 09:28:37
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surely this is posted elsewhere but the search function keeps a'crashing on me; from 2002 but happily highly relevant:
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/10/
Top 100 Albums of the 1980s
by Pitchfork Staff, posted November 20, 2002
#4: Pixies - Doolittle [4AD; 1989]
Quick-- pick the most influential alternative rock band of all time. If you didn't choose The Pixies, I'll give you another chance. In the meantime, listen to Doolittle and learn from your mistakes. In all of indie/alternative, there may be no single album more borrowed from, adapted, or flat-out ripped-off than The Pixies' follow-up to Surfer Rosa . Steve Albini once dismissed the band as "boring college rock", and he was half right-- The Pixies were college rock in 1989. (The "boring" half was obviously added to pad his notoriety, as anyone who could call this band boring is surely The World's Biggest Asshole.) Doolittle is almost senselessly varied-- mood-altering hooks, poetically insane lyrics, larynx demolishing screams and surreal croons, surf, thrash, pop, slow burns and races to the finish line... Let me put it this way: if not for Doolittle , there would be no Pitchfork. In other words, the influence of this record is so vast that, fifteen years on, it has altered the course of your life at this very moment. --Eric Carr
sminki pinki |
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matto
= Cult of Ray =
USA
943 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2010 : 12:58:24
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I did not hear it:
Sound Opinions with Black Francis of the Pixies
http://castroller.com/podcasts/ApmSoundOpinions/1428903
Jim and Greg celebrate a landmark record of the indie-era with one of its creators: Black Francis aka Frank Black aka Charles Thompson. The Pixies singer and songwriter visits the show for a Classic Album Dissection of the band's 1989 record...
download link: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/audio.soundopinions.org/podcasts/sooppodshow217.mp3
Footnotes:
http://www.soundopinions.org/shownotes/2010/012210/shownotes.html
01-22-10 Footnotes
Show 217: Doolittle Classic Album Dissection with Black Francis & Midlake Review
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 Jim and Greg start by discussing news that Alan Ellis, the administrator of the popular UK bit-torrent site Oink.cd was acquitted of charges of conspiring to defraud copyright owners. Usually Jim and Greg are reporting victory for the music industry, so they were surprised to see this verdict. But, the key was that Ellis could not be linked to any conspiracy; he merely provided the ability to search for content. A judge or jury is not likely to be as lenient to the actual downloaders, like Trent Reznor. During its operation Oink facilitated the trading of 21 million music files.
2 Music fans were hit with lots of sad news last week. First, there was the death of Memphis punk rocker Jay Reatard at the age of 29. Then, there was the death of Wax Trax Records founder Dannie Flesher at the age of 58. And finally, there was the death of soul singer Teddy Pendergrass at the age of 59. Pendergrass first got attention as the drummer, then singer in Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. In fact, many people may not know that it was Pendergrass, not Melvin, who sang one of their biggest hits, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Pendergrass continued to work with Philadelphia team Gamble and Huff and to become the king of the “slow jam.” But, to remember Pendergrass, Jim and Greg decide to play “You Can’t Hide From Yourself,” an up-tempo track that shows his diversity as a performer.
3 This week Jim and Greg conduct one of their patented Classic Album Dissections. They decided to focus on a landmark album in indie rock: Doolittle by The Pixies. As an added bonus, they’re joined by one of the creators of Doolittle, Pixies singer and songwriter Charles Thompson aka Black Francis aka Frank Black. Charles and bandmates Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering recently marked the album’s 20th anniversary with a tour dedicated to the record. While artists such as Kurt Cobain have cited it as a major influence, Doolittle was a slow burn record. After its 1989 release, it didn’t achieve gold status until almost a decade later.
3a As Charles explains to Jim and Greg, his vocal style and lyrics were an amalgamation of his upbringing and the art and ideas floating around him at that time. It’s a unique mix of preaching, surrealism and even sexual frustration. But, the songwriter warns against dissecting the lyrics too closely. He loves words for words' sake.
3b The lead singer also credits producer Gil Norton for the mix of “raw and fancy” that people associate with The Pixies. He polished up their sound, but knew well enough to leave a little roughness around the edges. Another component of the sweet but scary mix is Joey Santiago’s guitar playing. Charles describes it as just like the guitarist’s own personality—sweet and gentle like a little kid, but capable of smashing something to bits.
3c At the end of their discussion Jim and Greg ask Charles/Black/Frank to choose a favorite track from Doolittle. He goes with “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” a song that encapsulates all of the album’s elements—humor, darkness, violence, love, hope and references to the nautical and the mythological. Finally, Charles sees it as a great example of the yin and yang connection between him and singer Kim Deal.
4 At the end of the show Jim and Greg review The Courage of Others, the third album from Denton, Texas rockers Midlake. When the band appeared on Sound Opinions in 2007, many people were comparing their album The Trials of Van Occupanther and its track “Roscoe” to ‘70s Fleetwood Mac. Now, Jim hears more of an early ‘60s English folk vibe. It’s a gorgeous but chilling record that’s perfect for winter. Jim gives it a Buy It. Greg agrees, adding that he hears some Elizabethan madrigals' influence as well. He hesitates to call Midlake and bands like Fleet Foxes and Animal Collective “hippies,” but hears their yearning for a return to nature. Greg also gives Midlake a Buy It.
Songs Featured in Show #217
Pink Floyd, “Pigs on the Wing, Pt 1,” Animals, 1977
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” 1972
Teddy Pendergrass, “You Can’t Hide From Yourself,” Teddy Pendergrass, 1977
The Pixies, "La La Love You," Doolittle, 1989
The Pixies, "Silver," Doolittle, 1989
The Pixies, "Vamos," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Tame," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Dead," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Debaser," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Monkey Gone to Heaven," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Mr. Grieves," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "I Bleed," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Tame," Surfer Rosa, 1988
Angst, "Motherless Child," Cry for Happy, 1988
The Pixies, "Here Comes Your Man," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Wave of Mutilation," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "Monkey Gone to Heaven," Surfer Rosa, 1988
The Pixies, "There Goes My Gun," Surfer Rosa, 1988
Midlake, "Acts of Man," The Courage of Others, 2010
Midlake, "Bring Down," The Courage of Others, 2010
Four Tet, "Circling," There Is Love in You, 2010
Barbra Streisand, “Calling You,” The Movie Album, 2003
Lady Gaga, "Teeth," The Fame Monster, 2010
Vampire Weekend, “Horchata,” Contra, 2010
sminki pinki |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
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chineselover
= Cult of Ray =
Ireland
348 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2010 : 04:40:58
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| The Sounds Opinions interview is the best Frank interview i've heard in a while... |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
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Retrospectacular: Doolittle.
