*** Résumé en anglais seulement ***
This remarkable CD captures The Pixies at their finest, immediately before Christmas 1991, playing a show broadcast by public radio network KCRW FM at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The band was at the end of a lengthy North American tour, supported by notorious Cleveland art-rockers, Pere Ubu. From the outset this legendary New England four piece are at the very top of their game opening with the savage rip-snorting blast of Rock Music, before powering into the gloriously riff-driven surf instrumental Cecilia Ann. Even when pausing for breath, the slower numbers like Gouge Away and Subbacultcha are tough-as-nails and seethe with a barely contained fury. In addition to the usual Francis-Santiago-Deal-Lovering quartet, this performance benefits from the added keyboard wizardry of the mighty Ubu's Eric Drew Feldman, who beefs up The Pixies live sound still further. The Pixies were initially together for seven years, and maintained a wholly stable line-up throughout. They were perhaps even more popular in the UK and Europe and their native USA. Eventually, Kim Deal's dissatisfaction with Black Francis' autocratic leadership style and almost complete domination of the songwriting credits, led to the band splitting apart in early 1993. They took an eleven year career-break while Francis forged a solo career and Deal went on to achieve further success with The Breeders and then reconvened in 2004 with the same line-up, albeit save for a brace of digital singles and a contribution to the Warren Zevon tribute album only in a live capacity. That much anticipated fifth studio album has yet to materialise. During their highly-creative 'first era', The Pixies produced four full-length albums and an EP. This December 1991 set is naturally heavily weighted towards the band's then current record, 'Tromble Le Monde', which had been released just three months earlier in September. All but two of its fifteen songs are represented here Space (I believe in) and the title track being the only omissions. Particularly outstanding are the relentless Palace of the Brine and the insistent throb of Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons. Head on, originally by the Jesus and Mary Chain, is a rare cover version amongst the Black Francis compositions. The only other non-original here is Cecilia Ann, a number cut in the early 1960's by The Surftones. The latter was included on The Pixies 1990 album, 'Bossanova' which also contributes Rock Music and Velouria. Delving a little further back in time, Gouge Away, Crackity Jones, Wave of Mutilation and Monkey Gone to Heaven are all drawn from 'Doolittle' (1989). Thematically inked and played back-to-back here are Manta Ray and Dancing the Mantra Ray, both originally only released as single b-sides. Finally, there is Ed is Dead, the lone representative from The Pixies' debut EP, 'Come on Pilgrim', released in October 1987.