In 1994, I was handed a compact disc sampler that a colleague of mine at Universal Records compiled and was to be given to rock and pop radio, and those willing to play alternative rock that had become very popular.
Titled Dislocated 2, the sampler featured among others, Deadeye Dick’s ‘New Age Girl’ that was being given a significant push, Tanya Donnelly’s band Belly, dream pop band Lush, and. a song from the Pixies (‘Here Comes Your Man,’ now a powerpop classic) and the solo work from the latter’s vocalist Frank Black (‘Headache’ from the solo album, Teenager of the Year).
I first heard the Pixies in 1989 while crate digging in the Stanley area of Hong Kong. That song was ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’. I wasn’t paying much attention until the chorus, when the singer went, ‘Rock me, Joe.’
After the guitar solo reeled me in, the singer went: ‘If man is five, if man is five, if man is five. then the devil is six, then the devil is six, then the devil is six, then the devil is six. And if the devil is si,x then God is seven!’
Now he was raving.
‘What is this?’ I thought to myself as the song went crazy.
‘Like a Paul McCartney song,’ was my thought about rave-ups such as ‘Oh, Darling’, ‘Hey, Jude’, and ‘I Saw Her Standing There,’ among others. It was McCartney’s style – start soft, then end with a rock and roll bang.
Impressed, I bought the record of the Pixies titled Doolittle that contained ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’ among others. Apparently, it was their second after Surfer Rosa; their first release was a mini album titled ‘Come on Pilgrim’.
Watching the music video of ‘Here Comes the Man’ on MTV, I was like, ‘This band is weird, which seemed par for the course for 4 A.D. Records. And they do have a sense of humor.’
But that seemed to be the norm in the 1990s as it seemed like rock music was one big fraternity party from Unrest to Reel Big Fish to Weezer to the Breeders to Pearl Jam and many others.
The infatuation with the Pixies was short-lived as I began working in 1989. Working at an advertising agency meant long hours, and that meant losing touch with what was new on the airwaves and record racks. I wasn’t into compact discs yet, and I didn’t have the time to check out new music.
It wasn’t until I joined Universal Records in 1993 that I dove back into music and fortuitously encountered the Pixies again, since my company secured the licensing for 4 A.D. Records.
My job allowed me to focus on music; this changed everything for me.
With the alternative rock scene taking off and, in many ways, becoming part of the mainstream, I had a better appreciation for the Pixies.
The weirdness, bizarre lyrics, odd song structures, and the soft and loud dynamics wrapped around these manic boy and sweet girl harmonies. And how about the title to their first-ever ‘greatest hits’ compilation – Death to the Pixies. It’s brilliant!
Imagine learning that the Pixies (along with the Melvins, the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, and others) had a huge influence on the music of the 90s – that was amazing. And best of all, guitarist Joey Santiago is Filipino!
When the band reunited in the late 1990s, I got to see them perform, scratching that out from my Bucket List. But lo and behold – 25 years later, as they celebrate their 40th Anniversary, the Pixies are coming to Manila in 2026.
Aside from Santiago’s homecoming, it isn’t every day that one of the bands that had a massive influence on the alternative rock scene of the 1990s hits these shores. Furthermore, it isn’t like they are rehashing old hits and living off legacy.
The Pixies put out five albums post-Trompe le Monde, the band’s final studio album before the supposed breakup and the last with Kim Deal on bass – Indie Cindy, Head Carrier, Beneath the Eyrie, Doggerel (their best since Doolittle), and The Night the Zombies Came.
While Kim Deal or even Paz Lenchantin will not be around to handle bass duties, three out of the four original members in Black Francis, Dave Lovering, and Santiago, are better than nothing. It’s like Smashing Pumpkins, who were here recently with three of their OG line-up present, along with new bassist Emma Richardson (formerly of Band of Skulls). Boy, she can sing.
Joey Santiago will be feted like a returning hero. The crowd will be crazy (well, who doesn’t get crazy to their songs). And I. I cannot wait to yell back a vociferous ‘Ho Ho Ho Ho’ and shout back, ‘Chien.’