Saturday, September 23, 2006

Grunge without the whine


Pixies- Doolittle

This is the portion of Euterpe when we talk about music from the past, because there are a lot of albums out there that a) are by non-famous bands that are really good or b) are by famous bands, but may not be their best known stuff. And both of these deserve their chance in the light. I came up with the idea for this segment while listening to Doolittle by the Pixies, and frantically called Matt proclaiming what a genius I was, and though I couldn’t see it I could tell he was rolling his eyes. Nevertheless, these are going to be good albums.

So why not start with the album I was listening to, Doolittle. With the Pixies halfway back in the spotlight after breakups and drama and solo albums, their past work has been evaluated by critics and fans alike. The consensus as to best album? Surfer Rosa. They revamp “Vamos” from Come on Pilgrim into an upbeat, grungy classic, and Black Francis completely kicks Kurt Kobain out of the water with his gravelly yell. Maybe it’s because I was never a huge fan of grunge that I happen to prefer the refined dirt of Doolittle.

It kicks right off with the bass then jangly guitars then nonsensical lyrics that defined the Pixies. No one may be able to understand what “slicing up eyeballs/ I want you to know” means, but at least we know, and can sing along without caring. And of course there is the classic “Here Comes Your Man.” The reason why this song wasn’t a hit is beyond me. My personal favorite is “Hey,” a bass and syncopation fueled slow number. Sure it talks about whores showing up in the man’s bed, but ditching his shriek for softer vocals, Black Francis coos “if you go I will surely die/ We’re chained.” I can’t think of a more fundamentally romantic (if slightly twisted) sentiment.

The difference with this album is that it put a much needed lightheartedness into a grungy world. They weren’t grunge, but they were an inspiration to the Pearl Jams and Sonic Youth’s that would follow. Maybe they were ahead of their time. They were too weird and not whiny enough to be grunge, but they stood the test of time and now deserve to be known for more than just one classic album. And so I say unto you, go! Listen! And just try to get “Monkey Gone to Heaven” out of your head.

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