| Author | Message | ||
     C Gull |
Saw the Pixies last night, the second most anticipated gig of the summer. I've never known such a sense of excitement in a crowd before a concert - the reception they received on entering stage was massive. Set largely drawn on Surfer Rosa, Come on Pilgrim and Doolittle which suits me! In my opinion they did not play that well but the sheer sense of occasion made it a superb night. Also seemed to be stung by criticism in the papers of the previous night's set being too short - increased to 90 minutes including 3 encores. Anyone else there - what did you think? | ||
| Alfred |
I'm scheduled to review them for my local rag in about three months; I own a bootleg of the Coachella show from three weeks ago. You're right: it's been a while since I've seen so much enthusiasm for a reunited band. That's what sucks. I'm prepared to deal with the consequences of my answer, so here goes: the Pixies should never have reunited. Just compare them to Wire. When Wire got back together they played just new material, at bruising speed and fuck-all attitude; only now are they condescending to play old songs. That's a reunion worth celebrating, wiping away years of nostaglia and kitsch. As for the Pixies...well, a lot of people lament their premature breakup; but honestly, this band only had 4 albums in them, two of which are classics. Resolutely adolescent in their obsession with grotesqueries, the Pixies raided the same pop-culture fridge until, by the time of Frank Black's second solo album, all they had left were stale leftovers and moldy tacos. Remember how two years ago, when the Breeders released their second (and underrated) album "Title TK," Kim Deal was STILL trashing Frank Black? Their antipathy was deep. So now they're lovey-dovey? Come on. If you're gonna reunite, for God's sake have some new material ready. At the very least. | ||
| Gareth |
I think they've handled the reformation thing quite well. They've been upfront and said they did it mainly for the money and don't see a new album on the horizon. I think they're just giving people what they want which isn't such a bad thing. I'd think it was worse if they were trying to recapture something they once had and were trying to play new songs and sell it as if they were in their 20's (30's ?!?!) again. Some reformations can signal the start of phase 2 and looking towards the future (go-betweens for example) whereas others can just be a celebration of what went before (pixies). I think both are valid. If they call it a day after this tour i don't think it will have harmed their reputation at all. But if they try and get a new album together if might be another story. Echo and the bunnymen anyone? Not that's a sad story... | ||
| C Gull |
Alfred - I know where you are coming from and I kind of agree with the principle that old bands reuniting without new material is a bit of a sell out to their original values. I've seen a few of them over the last couple of years ranging from Buzzcocks doing it for a laugh, the GBs with new (and old) material through to the Pixies doing it for the money. Despite all of the principles I still reconcile myself to the fact that some of the shows have been genuinely exciting - best example being Joe Strummer (RIP) a couple of years ago -when he launched into Safe European Home the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end - so its not just nostalgia and money grabbing, for me some of these old timers still have an ability to thrill me and I will happily live with that. I do agree with you about the later Pixies stuff (I seem to remember them drifting off into a stadium rock band by this point) and particularly Frank Black's solo work - all the better that last night they played virtually nothing post Doolittle. | ||
| michael |
I'm going to see them tomorrow night at the Brixton. Have never seen them before. Watching the set lists on the FB and Pixies sites it seems they have mostly played the gear off first 2 albums. I agree these are the best. When I first heard Levitate Me I knew this was going to be great. They probably play the old stuff because they all liked each other then. And Bossanova I've never listened to so that suits me. I think Trompe Le Monde is pretty good - Letter to Memphis and Planet of Sound among the best. C Gull where did you find a ticket? | ||
| Babs Keatings neighbour |
Oddly, The Pixies' only Irish show is as 'special guests' to the genuinely appalling Red Hot Chilli Peppers which is the primary reason why I won't have the pleasure of judging the merits of their 'comeback' for myself. At the time I didn't (and still don't) rate Bossanova but I believe that some of their greatest ever songs appear on Trompe Le Monde. I have a tendency to agree with Alfred's assertion regarding Frank Black's "obsession with grotesqueries". Nimrod's Son, for instance, is possibly the most annoying song in the band's repertoire yet it's always been received with rabid enthusiasm (thanks to THAT line). As for Frank Black's post-Pixies output; his is one of the most inconsistent bodies of work that I can think of. Patchy eponymous debut. Piss-poor (and over-long at that) follow-up with Teenager of The Year. Cult Of Ray was no better. His first album with The Catholics is, by my reckoning, the best thing he's done since the Pixies split. Pistolero was (again) disappointing. Dog in the Sand was a partial return to form. The subsequent 2 albums (both released on the same day) was badly recorded pub-rock and last years Show me your tears represented yet another partial return to form. On this evidence, the Pixies could very well destroy their reputation if they were to record and release some new stuff. That is, unless Frank has been stockpiling his best work with a view to making another Pixies album all along! For the record, even Lloyd Cole and The Commotions are getting in on the reunion act. Apparently, the original line up will be getting together for a number of gigs to mark the 20th anniversary reissue of the excellent Rattlesnakes. If memory serves they weren't exactly world-beaters when it came to performing live but, then again, maybe after 20 years they've managed to get their act together. | ||
| Gareth |
The inconsistent body of work note is quite interesting. How many chances do you give an artist when they let you down with an album? My collection tends to be split into 2 camps - one cd and no more by an artist and all cd's by an artist. Bowie must have tested the patience of the most ardent fan, as does McCartney (15 years since last good album?). I've always stuck with Lloyd Cole who has never let me down but can't think of many bands/artists who churn out decent album after album. The Elton John diehards must have known some lean years (decades?) too. Related to this, check out this website: www.allmusic.com. Really useful for giving you an introduction as to the best albums to buy by an artist. Go-betweens get very good reviews, Frank Black less so... | ||
| C Gull |
Michael My luck came in - someone at work offered me four tickets for Thursday and barely 24 hours later a mate offered me another ticket for Friday! They must have all felt sorry for me! I like to think they played the old stuff because it was the best - listening to Doolittle again today I think it has aged(except Debaser, Dead + Gouge Away) whereas Surfer Rosa and Come On Pilgrim still sound like dynamite all the way through. Bossanova is largely crap and from what I remember Trompe le Monde opens really well before taining off badlybut I haven't listened to it for years. Enjoy Saturday - if you have n't seen them before Frank did n't used to be that gigantic - let us know what they played - I believe they are mixing it up so who knows you might get the whole of Bossanova tee hee! | ||
| Alfred |
Old-timers can make vital, bracing music. Lou Reed, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, New Order, and our very own Go-Betweens can regard a reunion or retrenchment as a means of initiating a Phase 2 (or, in the case of the other senescent wonders, Phase 12). But only cynicism can account for Black and Deal being on the same stage again. Yes, the band still sounds tight and awesome on the bootlegs I've heard, but so what? Credit the band's chemistry and craft. Jeez, the Stones still put on tight, impressive shows but no one will ever call them vital. I lik "Bossanova" more than most of you. "Dig For Fire" and "Velouria" still give me the shivers; and "Trompe Le Monde" has an ace Jesus & Mary Chain cover as well as "Planet of Sound". C gull - You're right about Joe Strummer. His last Mescaleros (or as I call them the Strummerleros) album was patchy but still showed the old fucker in fine form. "Coma Girl" and his version of "Redemption Song" - a tune I never wanted to hear again - were simply awe-inspiring. | ||
| michael |
Hopefully they wont be too worn out Saturday night to play 90 mins. In the Kim Deal in a song reference stakes I've heard a couple. There's the obvious Dandy Warhol's - Cool AS Kim Deal. HEard a new one the other day by Grandaddy - Kim you Bore me to Death. As opposed to the Dandy Warhols, Grandaddy actually describe KD with the music as well as the lyric. Anyone heard any pisstakes on Frank Black. However, the greatest one of these I've heard is by Frank Zappa taking out Bob Dylan - I think its called Flakes on Sheik Yerbouti. Any other suggestions? |