Pixies

Short and sweet review - worth it alone for the brilliant first versions of Down to the Well and Here Comes Your Man (I've always preferred this version - so pleased to get it in high quality here after all this time!).The first version of Build High is good fun too.Recommended.

Just perfect

Love it

I waited nearly 20 years to get this album... I am collector but was first made aware of the pixies back in 1989 during my school days. I bought the pixies albums in the following order...Doolittle / Come On Pilgrim / Surfer Rosa (1989)Bossanova (1990)Trompe le Monde (1991)Wave Of Mutilation: The Very Best Of... (2005/6)Pixies At The BBC / Death To The Pixies / Complete B Sides (2011)then this one... simply called Pixies (or as it's now known as "The Purple Tape") (2013) For some reason my friends had told me that this album wasn't very good and that if I was going to buy it then I should only buy it for completing my collection. I have to say I see what they're talking about. It's got a couple good songs on it but a lot of filler. It's only 18 minutes long (which is shocking) and then add that some of the songs appear on other albums/releases.I waited nearly 20 years for this... good job I bought used and new for a fraction of normal price as I'd feel even more cheated than I do now. That aside I've managed to complete my pixies collection so all is good! 3 stars due to album length. I wanted maybe about 35 minutes at least. but it's the pixies after all they don't do long songs very often.

In 1986, Pixies entered studio to record their first official demos... Unless you are a very lucky guy it's almost impossible now to find what the diehard fans called the "Purple Tape".Eight of these tracks were placed on Come on Pilgrim, the first Pixies' album. Since this time we have waited for the second part of the "Purple Tape" to be placed on CD. And now it's done at least! I bought this CD with my hands shaking and my heart beating very fast... And unfortunately the surprise was not so high as expected : even if the songs are a bit lo-fi, more dry than the definitive versions (what I really like), they are not so different at all. But maybe the biggest deception comes from the total length of the CD : a bit more than 18 minutes ! A good EP in other words! But of course these are only demo versions and the Pixies are not famous for the length of their songs (their longest track was "All Over The World" on Bossanova ; around 7 minutes). Anyway, maybe they should have give more than one unreleased track (I am sure they still own some!) to their fans...?In a few words, a good collection of songs, but for fans only, who only may enjoy them regarding their definitive versions.

The Pixies, a band that have heavyily influenced a great deal of musicians ('its hard to think where nirvana would have been without the pixies to draw influence from'.) have put together a continued documentry of they're first demos to songs which were released later on they're following 4 albums. recorded in march of 1987 at apache studios from which 7 songs (from this session) were put onto the c'mon pilgrim recording while these outtakes make up this 9 track cd. Dubbed by the pixies hard core fans as 'the purpe tape' recordings this album includes the orginal version of 'here comes your man' which later went on to become a hit single when it was recorded for the doolittle c.d and the only 'in heaven (lady in the radiator song)' studio version. This c.d comprises both later smash hits and portrays that even back then in 1987 the pixies had what it takes to take the world by storm!!!

How could it not be incredible, it is, as the title suggests, by the Pixies! The purple tape available here offers 9 songs from the original 18. Another 8 songs form the fantastic mini-album Come On Pilgrim, available with Surfer Rosa (an absolute bargain, both outstanding records). However the missing track is an intruiging, if infurating, aspect to the CD.A great opener is Broken Face, an early version of the one on Surfer Rosa, which is absolutely great, as the vocals are strangely slower, making fantastic for any Pixies fan.Build high is a great song with a light-hearted air to it, a joy to listen to. That is until 1 minute in and Black Francis (Frank Black) puts his oh so familiar screams in. The thing about this is that his screams can make anything the most disturbing song ever. Fantastic.Rock A My Soul is a little more typically structured, with a fantastic bluesy riff. This does not stop it being a great song, a testament to the Pixies musical abilities.Down to the Well is the first track where Kim Deals vocals create that brilliant mix with Black Francis's which makes the vocals on all Pixies songs masterful.Following this is a brilliant version of Break My Body, much softer on face value than its Surfer Rosa equivalent, due to the very pronounced use of an acoustic guitar. This makes it a very interesting song for fans, softer, more relaxed than its equivalent.I'm amazed follows this in its Purple tape version in a version which shows just how brilliantly realized the Surfer Rosa equivalent.Here comes your man appears here as a much less surfer-style track, again with a very pronounced acoustic guitar. The other version is found on Doolittle, a great album, but I personally prefer this version.Subbacultcha absolutely rocks, and its one of my favourite Pixies songs. It feels reminiscent of a lot of Doolittle, and quite simply should have come out on one of their albums.In heaven is another 1 and a half minute spectacular. It goes along quite slowly, and yet remains gripping from start to finish. Classic Pixies all over it, and a firm reason to buy the album in itself. It may be a short amount of time for your money, but the music is short and incredibly sweet. A great little album, well worth it.

This CD is a disgrace - only 18 minutes long - the worst example of cynical record company greed, charging the unsuspecting punter for a full price CD. Do yourself a favour and buy the 2CD album "Frank Black Francis" - the second disc of Pixies demos is better and longer than this sorry effort.