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Average: 4.5 (214 ratings)
- Date Released: October 8, 1991
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: 4AD
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We Say...
"Trompe Le Monde is hilarious," Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago told Spin for the magazine's extensive August, 2004, oral history of the band. "There's so much shredding on it!" That's one reason the band's 1991 album — their fifth and final during their (first) lifetime — stands out; the other is the production, which is the grandest of their career — and since the Pixies, particularly Black Francis, were born contrarians, they used that expansive aural canvas to capture their most monochromatically rip-roaring set ever. Or, as Francis declares in the meteoric "U-Mass," "Oh kiss my ass/ Oh let it rock." So they do, attacking the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On" with a white-heat adrenaline surge, but including a pause in the middle (thoughtful of you, guys); "Planet of Sound" starts nervous, with guitar scrapes punctuating the verse like an id ready to erupt, before the snarling chorus kicks in. "Space (I Believe In)" gives plenty of room to both Santiago's shredding and Francis' continuing UFO obsession (see also "Motorway to Roswell" and "Planet of Sound"). The only thing missing is Kim Deal, who writes nothing and sings little, concentrating on her bass parts. Still, the Pixies never made a bad album, and went out in style with this one.
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They Say...
The title might be French for "fool the world," but with Trompe le Monde, the Pixies weren't fooling anyone: this was essentially Black Francis' solo debut. It focuses on Francis' sci-fi fascination and lacks any Kim Deal songs; even her backing vocals are far and few between. Yet the band sounds revitalized on Trompe le Monde, as if it were planned as their last hurrah. The raucous "Distance Equals Rate Times Time" and the explosive cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On" are fairly straightforward, but the lyrics remain quirky on "Planet of Sound," a song about a Martian who lands on Earth, and "Palace of the Brine," a tribute to sea monkeys and Utah's Salt Lake. He even disses hipsters and pretentious students -- basically, the Pixies' fan base -- with nasty little digs like "Subbacultcha"'s "I was wearing eyeliner/She was wearing eyeliner" and "U-Mass"' "It's eduuucaaationaal!" Musically, "Trompe le Monde"'s psychedelic sheen and "Alec Eiffel"'s atmospheric keyboards prove that the Pixies' sound wasn't defined by Steve Albini-style rawness. There's also more emotional depth: "The Sad Punk" features the strangely poignant bridge "And evolving from the sea/Would not be too much time for me/To walk beside you in the sun," and "Letter to Memphis" is a heartfelt, if cryptic, love song. Though Trompe le Monde doesn't sound quite like the Pixies' other work, Come on Pilgrim's spooky beginnings, Surfer Rosa's abrasive assault, Doolittle's deceptively accessible punk-pop, and Bossanova's spacy sonics helped make Trompe le Monde a rousing swan song and a precursor to alternative rock's imminent success. Whether that means their music remained pure or they missed their chance to cash in is debatable; either way, the Pixies are one of America's greatest, most influential bands.
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You Say...
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| 01. |  |
Trompe le Monde |
1:47 |  |
| 02. | |
Planet of Sound |
2:06 | |
| 03. | |
Alec Eiffel |
2:50 | |
| 04. | |
The Sad Punk |
2:59 | |
| 05. | |
Head On |
2:14 | |
| 06. | |
U-Mass |
3:00 | |
| 07. | |
Palace of the Brine |
1:34 | |
| 08. | |
Letter to Memphis |
2:40 | |
| 09. | |
Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons |
2:48 | |
| 10. | |
Space (I Believe In) |
4:18 | |
| 11. | |
Subbacultacha |
2:10 | |
| 12. | |
Distance Equals Rate Times Time |
1:24 | |
| 13. | |
Lovely Day |
2:05 | |
| 14. | |
Motorway to Roswell |
4:43 | |
| 15. | |
Navajo Know |
2:19 | |
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Credits
- Pixies - Main Performer // Andrew Ballard - Assistant Engineer // Scott Blockland - Assistant Engineer // Kim Deal - Bass // Kim Deal - Vocals // Kim Deal - Vocals (Background) // Eric Drew Feldman - Synthesizer // Eric Drew Feldman - Keyboards // Jeff Feldman - Dumbek // Jeff Feldman - Percussion // Jeff Feldman - Tabla // Black Francis - Guitar // Black Francis - Vocals // Steve Haigler - Engineer // David Lovering - Drums // Gil Norton - Producer // Joey Santiago - Guitar // Chris Bigg - Design Assistant // Vaughan Oliver - Art Direction // Vaughan Oliver - Design // Simon Larbalestier - Photography // Paul McMenamin - Design Assistant // John McDonnel - Assistant Engineer // Kenard Gardner - Assistant Engineer // Scott Blackland - Assistant Engineer
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