Death to the Pixies

by

Pixies

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If you're reading this review, you're probably thinking about buying this compilation. If you don't already know that the Pixies are the greatest band of the late eighties and early nineties and one of the greatest bands of all time, this will prove it to you. If you know that already, but for some reason don't yet have this album, get it immediately.

The first CD, the "greatest hits" compilation, is a good mix of Pixies songs. Because the Pixies were so consistent in their greatness from one song to the next, it's hard to say what their greatest songs are. Still, this does a good job of picking ones that no one would argue against, the obviously great songs (as opposed to some of their more subtly awesome songs). The second CD, the live performance, is an incredible taste of what the Pixies must have been like in their hey-day. None of the songs on it sounds like the original, album version, and some of them sound very different. Highlights include the more mellow, slowed-down version of Wave of Mutilation, and Into the White, a B-Side from one of their singles that's simply gorgeous. Well, it's hard to write so little about such an incredibly original and outstanding band. If you don't have any Pixies material yet, hurry and buy this. If you're already a fan and have questioned if this is just a sell-out box set, it's not; it's a nice "greatest hits" CD coupled with an incredible live performance.

There are 2 reasons to want this album: a. You're looking into this band called the Pixies and figure a greatest hits comp is a good place to start (Disc 1), or b. you're a huge fan and want the live recording (Disc 2).

If you fall under reason (a), don't bother with this record- yet. You're better off with Come On Pigrim or, if you only heard of them through Fight Club, Surfer Rosa. The Pixies generally have three sounds: The beautiful and melodic, the screamy and noisy, and the creature you get when the two are glued together. The "greatest hits" selections are a bit suspect, leaving some of the best melodic songs (Motorway to Roswell) in favor of good, but not great tracks (Gouge Away). (Of course, if the tracks were indeed chosen by engineer Steve Albini, it would explain the preference towards the louder, noisier tunes.)

However, if you can file yourself under reason (b), despite the hefty price tag, the live album is absolutely fantastic. The sound quality is as good as I have ever heard on a live album and you can tell the band's having a hell of a good time on stage. The two highlights of this disc easily go to Into the White, one of the Pixies lesser known but most rocking songs, and Where is My Mind? where the crowd's ghostlike singing is even more haunting than Kim Deal's moaning on Surfer Rosa.

The flaw of the album is the price tag, because most prospect purchasers are only interested in one of the two discs, so my recommendation would be to buy it if you consider yourself the completist superfan, otherwise, just wait to find it in a used bin (if there ever is one there).