So I’m doing the most boring job ever but it’s okay because I get to listen to my mp3cdwalkman and time kinda passes quick-ish but boy is it the dullest. Quality checking these little things that look like transistors, metal cylinders with two prongs coming out of the bottom, thousands upon thousands of them. The job lasts all week. S’money.
And so thankfully my mind starts to wander. A Pixies track comes on my “random selection of good tunes” mp3cd. It’s “Where Is My Mind” and it’s rather top. But is it their best track? Probably not, but what is? Can such a thing be decided, especially by someone who doesn’t think the Pixies ever released a bad song ever? And even if it can’t, does that make it not worth a try?
I haven’t done an extended and excessive weblog-based music-related postage session for, well, since ever really and maybe it’s time I did one. I shall discover, through rigorous comparison and debate, which is the best Pixies song. But how? What structure should this investigation take?
I could pick out my favourite ten or so tracks and compare them, but that would leave out the others which might have slipped through the net. Howabout a Wimbledon table system where my faves are given “seeds” and distributed amongst pools of, say, four tracks which play off against each other go forward to an eventual final. But there’s too much dependent on the luck of the draw and the non-faves (or should I say, lesser faves) would be at a disadvantage.
The only way to go is to play each track off against ever other and do a tally. Picture one of those mileage charts you get in the front of road atlases. One of them. A quick look at iTunes suggests there are 60 tracks from the albums and b-sides (that many?) which means we’re going to have 3540 play offs.
That’s a lot. More than I thought, actually. But let’s continue and pretend it’s viable.
So I’m thinking this could be a new project and that I could get other Pixies fans involved, the only criteria being you have a not dislike any of their songs. Each week two songs go up against each other, “Bone Machine” vs “Debaser” for example, and those willing and able send in their arguments for and against. The winner gets two points, the loser none and if it’s a draw, one each.
And then in ten years time we’ll know which Pixies song is the best.
You think it’s a go-er?
They don’t look like transistors, because transistors have three legs. Are they perhaps capacitors?
Yay. Just the kind of thing we need to sink our teeth into. Having said that ‘Bone Machine’ vs. ‘Debaser’ is a bastard to begin with. I probably have to go with Bone Machine just cos of that opening drums and bass combo, followed by that great Santiago riff. Besides, Debaser’s been kind of, well, debased, by overkill at the indie disco. Fact.
Best track depends on your mood at the time you listen to it.
My first thought was capacitors, too.
Yes – extended and excessive sounds like its the way to go. Of course, if they start writing new material, that lengthens the ten year scope of the project.
And Andy is right – Bone Machine v Debaser is a terribly unlucky away draw for Debaser.
I just realised, the ten year estimate is based on one play off a day. If it’s done weekly we’re looking at (gets calculator) 68 years.
It’ll have to be at least seven per week, preferably more.
I’ve been thinking about this a little more and I think I’m going to do the playoffs myself and open them up to comments for any contentions. Winners can be revised at any point until the end of the challenge.
There’s going to be a fair bit of groundwork to go through first though so be patient.
And for the capacitor pedants, they’re about a inch tall and hollow. The label on the side of the box says “bobbins assembly”.
Frankly I couldn’t give a fuck what they are.
“about a inch tall and hollow”
Have you ever seen a transistor?
Like I really care, but… They’re hollow but still quite thick, like half hole, half tube. I get the feeling they contain some kind of coil and something else is slotted in there, thus generating movment or transforming power in some way.
Please bear in mind I originally said “little things that look like transistors”, emphasis on “look like”, as opposed to “are”.
And no, I woudn’t be able to identify a transistor in an identity parade. Not my scene, really.
Back on topic…
I’ve had a better look, realised I’m missing quite a few tracks thanks to originally having them on tape and never getting around to p2ping them and have come up with a more accurate figure of 85 tracks.
That means 7140 play offs. At one a day we’re looking at 19 years, six months and three weeks, give or take.
I’m going to do it.
And the first crisis occurs. Are Wave Of Mutilation and Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf) sufficiently different to be considered different songs, or should one be considered a version of the other? I’d usually go with the latter but it’s such a disticntive version…
OK, I’m in. So long as we get bank holidays and blue moons off.
For future reference –
http://www.ti.com/corp/graphics/press/image/on_line/transistor.jpg
http://think42.com/bf311.jpg
I think that the two versions of WoM should play off against each other in a special no-holds-barred preliminary round, with the winner getting rights to go through to the tournament proper and the loser getting dumped onto the soundtrack of a Christan Slater film.
Perhaps I’ll listen to a Pixies song one day.
Who are the Pixies anyway? (showing generation gap)
Out of Debaser and Bone Machine Bone Machine because thinking about them now they sort of seem of a pair and therfore BM got their first. The beginning is more pounding and Kim Deals voice is crisper.
I know you said you have to not dislike any of their songs to join in on this and I don’t dislike any of them but I often wonder why even though I think they are one of the greatest bands ever I find some of the albums seem to have filler on. Maybe because the stand out tracks are so good? I can only think of Side 2 of Bossanova at the moment which to me always sounds like it has a few filler tracks on it. Havallina and Down to the well especially. Is she weird isn’t so great either.
Nah, Havalina is great, as is Down To Te Well. And I do like Is She Weird a lot.
You see my problem?
Actually, my biggest problem is building an 85×85 table that fits in a browser window. And integrates with Movable Type for dynamic clickage. Them’s gonna be some complicated MTCategory tags, I can tell you…
Marv: If my absurdist plan comes to full fruition you’ll be able to listen to the songs on the site (in glorious, fair-use embedded low-low-low-fi style). Or I could just burn you a CD.
(Matt has no Pixies? WTF?)
As for those fucking “transistors” I’m back at the same place next week and I shall ASK someone WHAT they ARE.
Jesus…
I think Matt has some Pixies. I will ask him.
I believe that track is on ‘fight Club’ – does that make it slightly more appropriate for the mindless job?
I did get quite the tingle at the end of fight club when that kicked in. Fitted perfectly in a really incongruous way.
Arriving here via brendadada central…
19 years of Pixie’s play-offs? I’m hooked already. Debaser v Bone Machine is a nasty start, and I’ll maybe have to hold my tongue for the moment but..
Somebody saying “Is She Weird” isn’t that good? C’mon. Particularly the bbc sessions version. It’s one of the best!
Pffff
Shooz
The best pixies song by far is Trompe Le Monde.
The best song ever is The Brick is Red. At the end of the Surfer Rosa it is possibly the most overlooked song in all of their work. Also, the best song to end and album ever.
any good torrents?
I have 3 of their albums on cassette, and p2p is a bitch…
After being intrduced to the pixies on ‘debaser’ its hard to let go of the fondness i have for it….but at the same time it has to be argued that despite its ‘over exposure’ where is my mind? is a good candidate along with trompe le monde…..tough call
There are 2 songs that would serve well as anthems for this band.
Ana, from the BBC recordings.
… the very essence of the word indie.
Break my body (Surfa Rosa) …the driving bassline that begat grunge……