Doolittle

by

Pixies

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If asked what my favorite cut from this album is, I am very nearly at a loss. This disc is simply relentless, with one astonishingly polished, robust, inventive, glorious cut after another. We like to talk about albums that have no filler, but this is one of the few that justifies that description. If there is a critcism that could be made of this album, it is that it is too consistently brilliant to digest properly. By the way, if forced to chose a favorite cut, I might go with "Gouge Away," but I wouldn't go too far out of the way to defend my choice, and I might feel differently on a different day.

Black Francis aka Frank Black aka Charles Thompson (his real name) is the heart and soul of the band, writing all the songs and taking most of the lead vocals, in the performance of which he often literally screams out the lyrics. The man comes across as taut, angry, and more than a little manic. Though his singing and songs make this the classic it is, the rest of the quartet carries their load as well. Kim Deal adds some wonderful back up vocals throughout, and provides solid bass, never being simply a pretty face. David Lovering lays down solid beats throughout the album, crucial in a project that depends so strongly on powerful rhythms. And Joey Santiago plays great guitar on every song, providing an energy and texture that perfectly compliments Black's great songs.

I have a couple of friend's who don't like this disc, and I am powerless to explain this. This is one of those albums that, when fully digested, becomes part of one's emotional and musical furniture, a disc that I go back to again and again and again. And it remains as vital and as fresh sounding today as it did when I first discovered it fifteen years ago.

while i love the pixies, i'm not about to claim that they can do no wrong. personally, i object to the more accessible nature of this album and would urge all prospective pixies fans to purchase "surfer rosa" first. while some of "surfer's" discordant and abrasive punk spirit remains intact on "doolittle," in tracks like "hey", "gouge away", and "dead", the album also features melodic pop ballads like "la la love you" and the mildly countrified "silver" which make me wince. the twisted passion of "surfer rosa" is lacking here, not to mention the humour.

nonetheless, the intricate interplay of black and deal's vocals is still breath-taking. the good parts of this album are far, far better than the crap that masquerades as indie these days. and one has to like the opening track "debaser," as it heavily references the surreal cinema piece, "un chien andalou." but there are weak parts, as well, and you can expect to be skipping around the tracks upon each listening.