Pixies | Doolittle
Vinyl of the Week
The Soundwaves Vinyl of the Week is Doolittle by the Pixies.
Growing up in New England on a high dose of alternative rock music from radio stations like WFNX, I could always count on them to play tracks by the Pixies. This four-piece band from Massachusetts consisted of Black Francis (vocals/guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass/vocals) and David Lovering on drums. They had a number of great albums during the 80’s and 90’s including Surfer Rosa, Bossanova, Come On Pilgrim, and Trompe Le Monde (my personal favorite) just to name a few. They influenced many bands in their wake, including one Kurt Cobain from Nirvana.
What I particularly like about the 1989 release Doolittle is that you clearly hear each member’s instruments equally throughout. There’s nothing muddy—nothing hidden in the background. Their harmonies ebb and flow from high to low depending on whether Black or Kim are singing. Kim’s bass is as prominent as Joey’s guitar—and that’s the way it should be. Black Francis can be rattling off lyrics like he’s at a spoken word poetry event and then flip a switch and be shouting words at the top of his lungs. And let’s not forget the magician, David Lovering—his snare hits ring out all over this album as well as taking the reins on vocals on the sultry track “La la Love You”.
Sing-a-longs like “Wave Of Mutilation” and “Here Comes Your Man” always get the crowd going at concerts. I've seen them live three times and they have always been memorable. They hit a different speed during the track “Crackity Jones”, and the track “Silver” emerges toward the end of the album that gives me this cinematic impression of Native Americans exploring the West on horseback. The album closes out with “Gouge Away” a great track that gels together from all angles—it's basically made up of the same ingredients that you hear in most alternative rocks songs today.
We caught up with the Pixies on their 2025 tour stop in Boston. If you haven’t seen them yet, do yourself a favor.
Favorite Track: “No. 13 Baby”
If you like the Pixies, check out:
Frank Black (solo)