Customer Reviews

Bossanova

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even though "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle" get all the praise, this is actually the album I play most. Not that I don't love the others as well, but "Bossanova" has a sound and flow to it that really works. Alot of the tracks are short but rocking ones, like "Cecilia Ann", "Allison", and "Hang Wire". "Dig For Fire" is really the only track I remember being popular, and it isn't even the best one. That would be "The Happening", and for that song alone I will never get rid of this. Overall it's a great disc, maybe not the first one I'd recommend, but a must for the "Pixies" fan. After one listen you'll be "Blown Away".

This album was my formal introduction to a band that largely set the stage for the grunge generation of bands that followed after they disbanded in 1992, only to get back together in 2004 for the Coachella festival.

Though the comparison is a bit far fetched at times, for the most part, Pixies' 'Bossanova' makes me think of a raw Talking Heads (think "All Over The World" and "Dig for Fire"), showered with a shoegazing sound of sorts, such as the case of the closing track "Havalina" (my favorite in the album). There's plenty more great songs, like the brilliant "Rock Music" where the unsettling screaming goes in hand with the guitar riffs to deliver one solid album opener (though it's song #2, it feels as if the album doesn't start until you get to it), and the college classic, "Velouria", which is to say that this is one album that deserves close attention and listening.

Though for most newcomers into their music, you might not find the album to sink in after just one listening, the true downside of the album is the short length of most of the songs, many of which don't even live to see the 3-minute mark. Definitely leaves you wanting more, after a few listens.

This album was my formal introduction to a band that largely set the stage for the grunge generation of bands that followed after they disbanded in 1992, only to get back together in 2004 for the Coachella festival.

Though the comparison is a bit far fetched at times, for the most part, Pixies' 'Bossanova' makes me think of a raw Talking Heads (think "All Over The World" and "Dig for Fire"), showered with a shoegazing sound of sorts, such as the case of the closing track "Havalina" (my favorite in the album). There's plenty more great songs, like the brilliant "Rock Music" where the unsettling screaming goes in hand with the guitar riffs to deliver one solid album opener (though it's song #2, it feels as if the album doesn't start until you get to it), and the college classic, "Velouria", which is to say that this is one album that deserves close attention and listening.

Though for most newcomers into their music, you might not find the album to sink in after just one listening, the true downside of the album is the short length of most of the songs, many of which don't even live to see the 3-minute mark. Definitely leaves you wanting more, after a few listens.

Someone has to say it, even if it gets me the dreaded "not useful" ratings for being negative about a CD from one of the best rock bands of all time. If you liked the raw sound of Surfer Rosa or Doolittle (two of the greatest CDs of all time), or the greatest hits/live double CD, Death to the Pixies, don't count on liking this. Despite 60 or 70 good reviews below.

This is the Pixies very toned down. There are a few songs I enjoy - mildly - every 5 years or so, like Digging for Fire and Velouria, but this CD was where I started to lose interest in this band. I could go on for pages about the greatness of the Pixies or Surfer Rosa. I think Kim Deal kept making good music for a long time after the Pixies. But the Pixies became boring to me right about here.

Your mileage may vary, but personally I'd go for Surfer Rosa, then Doolittle, any of the live CD's that come into print, and maybe even the new Wave of Mutilation best-of. And then to the Breeders and Amps if I want to keep the Kim Deal connection. In at least one rabid Pixies fan's opinion, if you don't need a complete Pixies collection, better to buy something from another band than this.

If you like Frank Black's solo work, or if you like other later Pixies CD's like Trompe Le Monde, disregard this - you may like Bossanova as well. It's just a huge break from the early sound of the band.

My favorite band throughout all of high school broke up when i was in 9th grade. It's ok though, cuz I dropped out before completing 10th. This is they: The Pixies.

Ecce Pixies. The first time I heard this (I had bought it earlier that day, in the cheap bin at the Aiken mall on cassette) I listened to it the whole thing, over and over, on the long greyhound ride from SC to WV, going home for Thanksgiving break, 1992... I was one week shy of 14.

It's odd- Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa are both visceral angry, snarling little albums- you can hear the progression, but they both sound similar. Same for Doolittle and Trompe le Monde- both are poppy, punky, surrealistic little goldmines with songs about topics as diverse as Roswell, Samson being blind and pulling down the temple pillars (Gouge Away), how we bringing the apocalypse down on or heads, love and gun-running on a panamanian schooner...

BUT. Bossanove sounds like nothing else The Pixies ever did. And that's why it's my fave (She's my fave, undressing in the sun...). It's an ethereal, black-as-night, grim but gorgeous album full of reckless punk screaming and the rambling lyrics of Black Francis, Ms. Deal's badass bassery, Dave's fine drumming and the ever-inimitable Mr. santiago's piercing guitar lines. This is the album that made me want to learn surf guitar (before all you cheap copsters with your pulp fiction soundtracks crashed the gates, he he).

Velouria, The Happening, Ana (my favorite song by them- a gentle and soft spanish masterpiece that stands out utterly in their corpus, sounds like waves breaking on blue sand at sunset), Cecilia Anne, Allison... This is an album that you can put on and enjoy. Oh, and it works really well if you put it on while waatching Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland,' indulge in some minor league organic substance abuse, turn the tv volume down and- ENJOY.

Since listening to Bossanova was my introduction to the Pixies, it will probably always be my favorite Pixies album. Check out track 2, "Rock Music". It's great (loud & totally obnoxious)!

This album is their least 'raw' album.The singing is smoother, though still the trade-mark neurotic traits of Black Francis' expression.There is even some semi-ethereal approach to it.But there is only so ethereal that the Pixies get.It's still full of the one-of-a-kind emotional angles to the lyrics.Nobody else would say those things the way 'Blacky' does (as if I'm on nick-name basis with him).
The melodies are great.Theres always a reverb sound of one sort or another in the songs.So it sounds like they were in outer-space when they dreamt this music.The cover is a good reflection of their approach to this album.One cute piece of Pixies humour is that amongst all these smooth songs (by their standards I mean), Mr.Francis failed(chose to fail) to resist the temptation to pop in a certifyable !VOICE THRASHING!(at track 2).
This album is different in purpose than their thrashier ones, but certainly equal in quality.Quite 'beautiful' actually.(My favourite, for now.)

First, I listened to Doolittle. Second, I listened to Surfer Rosa. Third, I listened to Bossanova. I thought after Doolittle, how could the pixies impress me even more after this?Then lightning struck twice more. Surfer Rosa is incredible and breathtaking. Bossanova only took me one listen to dig. Doolittle took a few more as did Surfer Rosa. When you listen to the Pixies, you don't need to listen to any other band. These are 3 deserted island albums. Come to think of it, I think Nirvana was just a Pixies cover band. I think Courtney Love figured they couldn't rip off the Pixies anymore so she shot Kurt in the head. Anyway , get a sense of humor and get a copy of every Pixies album if you're open minded and somewhat smart. No filler on these albums.

I have played this album literally hundreds of times from start to finish. A modern day masterpiece from the band that created alternative music. This band is truly blessed.

I love this album! A lot of reviewers state that Bossanova is not as good as Doolittle or Surfer Rosa; I disagree. It has the signature Pixies sound, but is more accessible. Since the Pixies are a little "out there" (in a VERY good way), the more pop-oriented sound is a nice balance. This album fits in my top 10 albums of all time, and I put it ahead of their other releases. If you are new to the Pixies, you must listen, listen, listen. They really grow on you, and you will love the sound forever.