Title:Come On Pilgrim By: Pixies Released by: 4AD Released on: 1987 Rating (out of 10): 10 Date: 06/21/2001
Defining Alternative
I don't know if college students 10 years ago complained about the state of college rock, but I can not look back on the early 1990s without thinking how lacking this current decade is of the college rock hero.
Maybe they didn't realize it at the time, but college students shortly following the 1987 release of The Pixies' Come On Pilgrim rocked it well to an incredible force that changed the face of rock music.
The revolution headed by Black Francis, Mrs. John Murphy (AKA Kim Deal), David Lovering, and Joey Santiago defined alternative music. The release of Come On Pilgrim is just the sort of unconventional release that sufficiently marks The Pixies' place in history.
The world wasn't ready for the groundbreaking Surfer Rosa; they had another year to wait. That said, Come On Pilgrim isn't much of an album. It is only eight tracks, 20 minutes long, and compiled mostly of demo tracks. Perhaps this lies somewhere between an album and an EP.
However, it redefined noise. The guitar was crunchy and loud as hell, but this was far from metal and closer to pop.
"Caribou" starts Come on Pilgrim off innocently enough. After a slow, rough guitar intro, the meat of this song became the basis for the grunge ballad.
"Vamos," which later showed up on Surfer Rosa, and "Isla de Encanta" embrace a poppy, Latin feel led by Deal's pumping bass, and distorted guitar rubbish by Santiago and Black. Oh, don't misunderstand. Guitar rubbish is a very good thing.
"Ed is Dead" opens us up to exactly how surfer-rock The Pixies are, complete with hollow guitar daze. "The Holiday Song" follows this tradition, and most effectively proposes the riddle: How exactly does harsh guitar noise create some of the most foot-tapping, catchy, and indeed the best pop songs in history?
I'm not going so far as to say that any of The Pixies' best singles come off Come On Pilgrim, but their empire is visible from the beginning.
The post-punk aspect of Black Francis' genius is evident on "Nimrod's Son." The production is admittedly crude, and that is its charm. Indeed, Black Francis gets loud on this song. Scary, butcher-chasing-you-with-a-cleaver loud. And clocking in at just 2:17, staying true to the punk tradition.
The diametric nature of Black Francis is obvious as he begins the very next track with a high-pitched, almost schoolgirl tone in his voice. Then there are the lyrics. “I’ve Been Tired” gives us a taste of The Pixies’ gripping narratives and explosive imagery. This song perhaps sounds the most “'80s” in this otherwise entirely ahead-of-its-time album that sounds fresh and explosive by today’s standards.
The co-written “Levitate Me” concludes this mini-album and effectively postmarks the underground manifesto. Singing guitar lines meet a rumbling one, like the dichotomy of Black Francis’ wailing and Kim Deal’s throaty back-up. This is one amazing clash.
Come On Pilgrim is the manifesto that declared The Pixies at the forefront of the alternative movement. Kurt Cobain learned well, and ripped off The Pixies' song structure and sound, and then everyone did. This album gave a glimpse of the brilliance that was to soon follow within the short career of The Pixies. This is the freshest 20 minutes and indeed, one of alternative’s finest third of an hour.
