The Purple Tapes

The Pixies’ problem, if they had one, was simply timing. If they had emerged out of Boston five years later they would have been huge, probably on a par with Nirvana. Instead, they came, left us with blinding records and a couple of iffy ones, and then simply left us. The rest of the world has been trying to catch up ever since.

So we’ve had the Pixies’ Best Of, the Pixies’ Best Of plus bonus live album and the Pixies BBC sessions. Now here come The Purple Tapes, a set of demos that went on to spawn their debut EP ‘Come On Pilgrim’. Here are the remaining nine tracks, the majority of which would be rerecorded for their later work.

As such, it could hardly be said to be an essential release. ‘Broken Face’ and ‘Break My Body’ are virtually identical to their more well-known versions, while ‘Here Comes Your Man’ is just a little rougher around the edges. ‘Down To The Well’ and ‘Rock A My Soul’, however, are fine finds – prime examples of the distinctive sound that was to shake at least part of the world. If you haven’t got Surfer Rosa, Doolittle or Bossanova yet, then do. If you have, then think about this one but don’t rush in too fast.