Come on Pilgrim

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Come on Pilgrim
Come on Pilgrim cover
Studio album by Pixies
Released October 12, 1987
Recorded March, 1987 at Fort Apache Studios, Roxbury, Massachusetts
Genre Alternative, College rock
Length 20:28
Label 4AD (U.K.)/ Elektra (U.S.)
Producer Gary Smith
Professional reviews
Pixies chronology
Come on Pilgrim
(1987)		 Surfer Rosa
(1988)

Come on Pilgrim is the debut release from the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on the British independent record label 4AD in October 1987.

Contents

[edit] Background

In March 1987, the Pixies (Black Francis, guitar/lead vocals; Mrs. John Murphy, bass/vocals; Joey Santiago, guitar; David Lovering, drums), entered Boston's Fort Apache Studios with Fort Apache owner/record producer Gary Smith to record a demo tape. The 17-song cassette (later dubbed "The Purple Tape") would eventually find its way to Ivo Watts-Russell, president and co-founder of the influential British record label 4AD. (The Pixies shared manager Ken Goes with Throwing Muses, who a year earlier had become the first American band to sign to 4AD.) Despite being initially nonplussed by the demo, Ivo was urged to sign the band by his girlfriend, a secretary for 4AD. After her insistence, he walked the streets of New York listening to The Purple Tape on his Walkman and, in his words, finally "got it."

Ivo hand-picked eight of The Purple Tape's 17 songs to make up a debut "mini album." Expressing regret that some previous 4AD debuts failed to live up the power of their demo versions, he decided to slightly re-mix the songs for release, rather than have the band re-record the songs. Of the remaining nine songs, the Pixies would record and release new versions of eight of them over the course of their albums and EPs. (The only song not to be re-recorded and released was "Rock A My Soul." This, along with the rest of the nine "missing" Purple Tape tracks were posthumously released as the Pixies CD by Spin Art in 2002.)

The title of the album derives from Christian rock singer Larry Norman, whose catchphrase was "Come on pilgrim, you know He loves you".[1]

[edit] Content

Come on Pilgrim showcased much of the Pixies' variety and set up the beginnings of many trends in their music. It includes two songs partly sung in Spanish ("Vamos" and "Isla de Encanta") which drew upon some of his experiences in Puerto Rico ("Isla de Encanta" is an alteration of the island's nickname, "Isla del Encanto" meaning "Isle of Enchantment"). Two songs explicitly mention incest — "Nimrod's Son" and "The Holiday Song" (sample (help·info)). "I've Been Tired" refers metaphorically to sex and rock & roll culture, and there are four songs with overt religious references or language ("Caribou", "Nimrod's Son", "The Holiday Song" and "Levitate Me"). Beyond lyrical trends, Come on Pilgrim displayed Joey Santiago's innovative guitar leads, Deal's sunny vocal harmonies, and Francis's vocal range, which varied from screaming to traditionally-sung melodies.[2] A version of the song "Vamos" would appear on Pixies' next two releases: re-recorded with Steve Albini for their first full-length album, Surfer Rosa, and as a live B-side on their first single, "Gigantic".

[edit] Release

The original 1987 UK release entered the UK indie album chart on 24 October 1987, and spent 29 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 5.[3]

Come on Pilgrim had no distribution in the United States when it was first released. It was unreleased in the United States until August 1988, when Rough Trade included it on their CD release of their first full-length album Surfer Rosa. (At the same time, the two releases were issued on separate vinyl records by Rough Trade.)

Also in August 1988, 4AD released in the UK Surfer Rosa and Come on Pilgrim on CD together. This has been the standard UK CD release ever since, only being out of print for about six months in 1998. However, subsequent USA CD releases have split them in two.

In 1992, Elektra Records issued Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa on separate CDs in the USA. After 4AD re-acquired the band's USA distribution rights in 2004, they were again released on CD separately; this version of Come on Pligrim was the first CD release to carry Come on Pilgrim's 4AD catalogue number (MAD 709).

The 4AD catalogue number (MAD 709) indicates that the label considers it a "mini-album." 4AD EP releases are given "BAD" catalogue numbers, and mini-albums are given "MAD" catalogue numbers.

[edit] Critical reaction

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


Come on Pilgrim received far more attention from the British music press than in the United States. It received reviews in Q Magazine, Sounds and NME.[4][5][6]

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Black Francis except "Levitate Me" by Black Francis/Mrs. John Murphy/David Lovering/Jean Walsh

  1. "Caribou"
  2. "Vamos"
  3. "Isla de Encanta"
  4. "Ed Is Dead"
  5. "Holiday Song" (vorbis sample 353k)
  6. "Nimrod's Son"
  7. "I've Been Tired"
  8. "Levitate Me"

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Buckley, Peter [2003] (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides, 793. ISBN 1843531054. Retrieved on 21 March. 
  2. ^ Sisario, Ben. Doolittle 33⅓. Continuum, 2006. ISBN 0-8264-1774-4, p. 18
  3. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4. 
  4. ^ New Musical Express, October 1987
  5. ^ Q Magazine, December 1987
  6. ^ Sounds Magazine, December 1987

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Pixies
Black Francis · Kim Deal · Joey Santiago · David Lovering
Studio albums
Come on Pilgrim (EP) · Surfer Rosa · Doolittle · Bossanova · Trompe le Monde
Compilations and live albums
Singles
Related articles