Top ten songs by The Pixies

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19 June 2003

Anyone who says Eighties music was crap…well, they have a point, because most of it was. But that’s a cop-out, it’s Sturgeon’s Law, and it ignores The Pixies. The Pixies, man! They are the kind of band who you here and think ‘that’s not so special, it’s just incredibly catchy punk with endearingly off-beat lyrics and not a foot put wrong anywhere and can I borrow this album, mate?’ At the front of the massive list of bands that I wish I’d seen before they split/died.

The funny thing about this list is, I know that Trompe le Monde and Doolittle are their best albums, and that even Pixies at the BBC is better than Bossanova. But the latter has three songs on this list, more than any other album.

Levitate Me

From Pixies at the BBC . This song, along with Letter to Memphis, marks the point when Pixies at the BBC really starts to kick off; before those two it’s good in fits and spurts, but after this it’s quality all the way.

Head On

From Trompe le Monde. A shockingly good cover of an average Jesus and Mary Chain song (is there any other kind? Ho ho ho).

Velouria

From Bossanova. I’m not sure why I like it as much as I do, I just know that I do.

Where Is My Mind?

From Surfer Rosa. I have to confess I don’t find that album as fascinating as most people seem to, but WIMM? is just colossal.

Dig For Fire

From Bossanova. In this list I have The Pixies taking on Neil Young and The Jesus and Mary Chain; here they nod their collective head in the direction of Talking Heads.

Winterlong

From Complete ‘B’ Sides. From my Trompe le Monde favouritism, you could assume I don’t like Kim Deal. Far from it, I like The Breeders, and her vocal harmonies here are a thing of beauty.

Caribou

From Pixies at the BBC . The original is good, don’t get me wrong, but of all the knock-your-socks-off versions on the BBC sessions, this is the best by some distance.

Allison

From Bossanova. Has a great video and is, one of my friends tells me, their best song. He’s two off.

Alec Eiffel

From Trompe le Monde. The ultimate tiredness-shattering track from the ultimate tiredness-shattering album, with Iain Banks connections for me that just make it all the sweeter.

Hey

From Doolittle. My old IT teacher, a very cool guy, told me this was the best Pixies song when I was getting into them (thanks to him). As with most matters musical, he was right. Irresistibly catchy.

Comments

1. I Bleed?

   First of all, thanks for this page. I have loved the album Doolittle forever. At one point I picked up Trompe Le Monde and for some reason, at the time, I couldn't get into it (for me, Doolittle is so huge that I had a hard time accepting any other album). Years later, I heard WIMM? and was blown away. I had to pick up Surfer Rosa immediately. I dug that album a fair amount. Now I am trying to absorb Trompe a second time. I was surfing around trying to find someone's opinion about the best Pixies songs, looking for songs on Trompe, and found your page - very cool; Thanks!

   Anyway, how can "I Bleed" on Doolittle not be on your top ten list? In my opinion, this is a defining song for them, off-beat, quirky, spooky harmonies, disturbing lyrics. This song is the only song in the world that satiates me when I am in that weird mood - know what I mean? Anyways, just thought I'd put in my two bits!

   Cheers,
   
   
   
   
   
   Steve (in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA)

   Posted by Steve Soltz on 14 December 2003 at 15:56:34.