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Trompe le Monde is the Pixies' fourth and final full-length studio album, released on September 23, 1991 through the 4AD record label. (It was released simultaneously in the USA on 4AD/Elektra, although the 2004 USA CD re-issue is solely on 4AD.) After the surf-pop of Bossanova, the album saw a return to the abrasive sound of the band's early albums, even incorporating two songs, "Subbacultcha" and "Distance Equals Rate Times Time", pre-dating their debut. The production of Gil Norton remained, while heavy metal-esque riffs made their first appearance and Black Francis' songwriting continued to mature.
[edit] Album name
The album name comes from the title of the first track, "Trompe le Monde", a French phrase meaning "Fool the World". Unlike previous albums, the title of the album comes from the name of a song (rather than a song lyric), and is a play on the French phrase "trompe l'oeil" — a painting technique in which the painter fools the viewer into thinking objects presented are real.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Black Francis except "Head On" written by William Reid/Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain.
- "Trompe le Monde" – 1:48
- "Planet of Sound" – 2:06
- "Alec Eiffel" – 2:50
- "The Sad Punk" – 3:00
- "Head On" – 2:13
- "U-Mass" – 3:01
- "Palace of the Brine" – 1:34
- "Letter to Memphis" – 2:39
- "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" – 2:48
- "Space (I Believe In)" – 4:18
- "Subbacultcha" – 2:09
- "Distance Equals Rate Times Time" – 1:24
- "Lovely Day" – 2:05
- "Motorway to Roswell" – 4:43
- "The Navajo Know" – 2:20
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Production
- Produced by Gil Norton
- Engineered by Steve Haigler
- Recorded at Master Control, Burbank; Pacifique, Burbank; Studio Des Dames, Paris; Blackwing, London
- Mixed at Master Rock, London
[edit] Design
- Art direction and design – Vaughan Oliver / v23
- Design assistance – Chriss Bigg, Paul McMenamin
- Photography – Simon Larbalestier
- Rockets – Steven Appleby
- Typesetting – TPP Ltd. London
[edit] Charts
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1991 |
"Letter to Memphis" |
Modern Rock Tracks |
6 |
| 1992 |
"Head On" |
Modern Rock Tracks |
6 |
Gallup (United Kingdom)
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1991 |
"Planet of Sound" |
Gallup Top 75 |
27 |
[edit] External links
