Search - The Pixies - Sell Out on DVD

Good if you missed them on this last tour...

Cubist | United States | 11/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It was the tour that no one thought would ever happen. In 1992, the Pixies were on top of the world. While they hadn't quite broken through into the mainstream in the United States, they were a huge hit in England, almost reaching stadium status. They played some of the largest European rock `n' roll festivals and even opened for U2. And then their lead singer Black Francis announced that the band had broken up.



Black Francis and Kim Deal seemed as if they would never bury the hatchet and fans would never see their beloved band together again. And then it was announced last year that the Pixies were indeed going to be re-forming for a tour in select cities in Europe and the U.S. Anticipation was high and, if you were lucky enough to see them live, reportedly they did not disappoint. Now, you can get an idea of what it was like with this new DVD that gives you a sample of the band live in concert.



Black Francis' voice sounds as ferocious as it ever did. He gives it a good workout on "Something Against You" and "U-Mass," the latter a giddy, psychotic ode to the University of Massachusetts. Later on, he tears it up on "Tame," alternating between almost-whispered verses and deranged howling choruses. Joey is still the unsung, low-key guitar god he always was, delivering the insanely catchy riffs that the Pixies were revered for.



They pull out such memorable hits like "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Here Comes Your Man" along with underrated gems like the surreal "Subbacultcha." The only minor, personal caveat I have with the DVD is the short shrift given to the criminally underrated and much maligned Bossanova album. Only a dreamy, surf-soaked rendition of "Velouria" is played in their set. Also, their misunderstood swan song, Trompe Le Monde is also largely ignored in favour of older material.



There is a selection of 14 songs performed on the 2004 tour all over the world with optional interview segments from two of their long-time tour crew members. One of my personal favourites, "Planet of Sound" gets a fine workout in New Orleans while the Bossanova album is shown more love with a nice rendition of "Is She Weird" in Lowell, MA.



Finally, there is "MX Monkey's Choice" which allows you to switch from six different angles with your DVD remote while watching a live version of "Monkey Gone to Heaven.""

Awesome DVD

L. Nuzum | Ohio | 10/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know why everyone is complaining, this DVD is amazing. The Pixies are amazing. The sound quality isn't bad I don't know what that one guy was talking about. If you like the Pixies, if just a little bit, this DVD will make you happy. There doesn't need to be any extras, there's over 2 hours of quality live music for a low price. GO BUY THIS NOW!"

Great Opportunity to Rediscover the Pixies

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 11/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Watching this video sort of makes me feel like Rip Van Winkle. The band was at its (original) peak of fame while I was busy doing research for my first book on pop music history, so when the Pixies became the darlings of indie-rock, I was immersed in the Dixie Cups, the Corsairs, Eddie Cochran and God only knows what else. For a few years, I was decidedly out of touch with contemporary culture, and this video pretty much proves that it was my loss. I have been playing catch-up ever since, so in a sense, the reunion tour (and this corresponding video product) makes me feel as though the band did it specifically for my own sake. Thanks, guys.

In a sense, this is truer than it sounds. When the Pixies were together and releasing new albums on a fairly regular basis, the size of their audience was respectable, but not particularly huge. For reasons that may have surprised the band as well as everyone else, the `sell-out' reunion tour provided the band with an audience that seems to have increased tenfold in their absence. This DVD helps to explain how and why this happened.

If you liked the Pixies then, then you are fairly certain to be happy about the "Sellout 2004 Reunion Tour" DVD. It features rock solid performances with an impressive degree of continuity, and most importantly, it never lapses into nostalgia or self-congratulatory reminiscing. The main part of the disk is dedicated to a single performance filmed in Belfort, France. The band rolls through twenty-eight tracks, and it would be difficult to not be impressed by the overall body of work that is presented here, especially the songwriting. I admit that I didn't find their performance style particularly compelling, and the musicianship and vocals aren't stellar, either. There's more here than meets the eye, though, and the sum is apparently greater than the individual parts, especially if I am to judge from the audience enthusiasm that accompanies the entire performance.

For me, the 'bonus' bits are more interesting than the complete show, because they are more varied (Different venues! Different cities!), and more informative (Interviews with band staff), with lots of cool, relevant historical information about the band. Even better, it fills in some of the key `missing' tracks from the Belfort show. I didn't know very much by this band, but "Debaser" is immediately recognizable to me. For whatever reason, it was not included in the Belfort set list, so it's great to see the band perform a great version of the song from a show Scotland. "Caribou", taken from their Coachella performance, is fabulous, and the version of "Here Comes Your Man", taken from a performance at the More Festival in England, is superior to the French version. The excerpts from their Japanese performances are totally great, too (and the Japanese music fans are incredibly enthusiastic). The bonus disk works so well because it does the best job of conveying the triumphal nature of this reunion tour, while providing context that helps me to better understand a band that I previously knew very little of. I'm a decade late and a few bucks short, but it's cool to get this chance to redeem myself. B+ Tom Ryan"

A Gigantic Comeback

The Wasp | Australia | 01/24/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"They'd already received plaudits from rock stars old (David Bowie and U2) and new (Placebo and Radiohead), but the renaissance of Boston's defunct The Pixies reached critical mass when film-maker David Fincher closed his skew-whiff classic, Fight Club, with the haunting Where Is My Mind?. Although The Pixies' reunion appears to have reached its conclusion, this DVD collects together a stack of storming live tracks from festival dates in the US, Japan and Europe featuring The Pixies in all their balder and fatter reformed glory. Powered through with whiplash speed, old favourites such as Gigantic, Crackity Jones, Here Comes Your Man and Where Is My Mind? are all musical powerhouses, with Joey Santiago's cool guitar sounds on the included versions of Vamos mixing power drill static with drawn out feedback. The DVD also features interviews with band management and a wealth of additional concert footage, include a multiple-angle recording of Monkey Gone To Heaven."