4AD Vinyl & CDs

Review: It's hard to imagine the rock music of the last quarter-century without Pixies, and in particular without the Doolittle album. Lest we forget, Kurt Cobain was at one point concerned that Smells Like Teen Spirit might be too much of a Pixies ripoff, which is testimony to the innovative qualities of the band's meld of surrealism and pop hooks; quiet and loud, sweet and sour. This triple-album set offers an opportunity to bear witness to the gestation of this near-perfect opus, collecting demos and radio sessions to map out the means by which four weirdos united the underground and the mainstream, seemingly by some serendipitous car crash of happy accident and raw talent.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Minor creasing to corners of outer sleeve, otherwise in perfect working condition***


It's easy to forget, or take for granted, how consistently impressive and solid Pixies were during the late-1980s and early-90s. Thankfully here's a 30th anniversary deluxe edition of 'Bossanova' to bring memories flooding back, a record that stands up with their finest but gets less airplay, playlist love and written references today compared with the likes of 'Surfa Rosa' and 'Doolittle'. Granted, this came after those seminal moments in alt-rock, noise pop and garage punk, so its track list is less sonically arresting. By now we knew to expect shrill, anthemic explosions of riff 'All Over The World' juxtaposes with low-slung, nonchalant grooves; 'Hang Wire' and 'Rock Music''s air of borderline-heavy metal, and the grunginess of 'Stormy Weather'. But that doesn't detract from the fact every song here is a prime example of why this band are so feted.

Review: It's easy to forget, or take for granted, how consistently impressive and solid Pixies were during the late-1980s and early-90s. Thankfully here's a 30th anniversary deluxe edition of 'Bossanova' to bring memories flooding back, a record that stands up with their finest but gets less airplay, playlist love and written references today compared with the likes of 'Surfa Rosa' and 'Doolittle'. Granted, this came after those seminal moments in alt-rock, noise pop and garage punk, so its track list is less sonically arresting. By now we knew to expect shrill, anthemic explosions of riff 'All Over The World' juxtaposes with low-slung, nonchalant grooves; 'Hang Wire' and 'Rock Music''s air of borderline-heavy metal, and the grunginess of 'Stormy Weather'. But that doesn't detract from the fact every song here is a prime example of why this band are so feted.

Review: Trompe Le Monde represents both Pixies at their urgent, catchy-but-underground best, and also their worst. If you were there you were there, as they say, and anyone who remembers this album dropping in 1991 will know exactly what we mean. At once the end of the first (and finest) chapter of one of America's greatest rock 'n' roll bands, in many ways this record is the apex of their early output, but it also signified the impending split that followed just months after their epic tour in support of this outing.

Of course, back then critics were divided as to what this one was about. For some, such as Rolling Stone magazine, it was "a pretty far cry from its predecessor", namely Doolittle. Others heralded Trompe as the finest moment in the band's history, finally surfacing into something that was commercially accessible. Either way it captures a moment in which underground garage met mainstream rock of that time. And it bangs.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Box opened, product unused & in perfect condition***

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight dents to the corners of the outer sleeve, product unopened and in perfect condition***


Trompe Le Monde represents both Pixies at their urgent, catchy-but-underground best, and also their worst. If you were there you were there, as they say, and anyone who remembers this album dropping in 1991 will know exactly what we mean. At once the end of the first (and finest) chapter of one of America's greatest rock 'n' roll bands, in many ways this record is the apex of their early output, but it also signified the impending split that followed just months after their epic tour in support of this outing.

Of course, back then critics were divided as to what this one was about. For some, such as Rolling Stone magazine, it was "a pretty far cry from its predecessor", namely Doolittle. Others heralded Trompe as the finest moment in the band's history, finally surfacing into something that was commercially accessible. Either way it captures a moment in which underground garage met mainstream rock of that time. And it bangs.

Review: This is the first official vinyl release of the previously CD only collection of Pixies live performances on the BBC. Fans of the band know what a mythical live band the Pixies are. And what better way to experience that emotion then these recordings collected from their earlier years of the late 80s and early 90s? Included are many of the early hits like 'Monkey Gone To Heaven', 'Wave of Mutilation' and 'Allison', mainly from BBC studio sessions and the occasional live recording. 4AD have done an amazing job with this release spreading it across three pieces of vinyl too.