Track Listing

1. Trompe le Monde
2. Planet of Sound
3. Alec Eiffel
4. Sad Punk
5. Head On
6. U-Mass
7. Palace of the Brine
8. Letter to Memphis
9. Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons
10. Space (I Believe In)
11. Subbacultcha
12. Distance Equals Rate Times Time
13. Lovely Day
14. Motorway to Roswell
15. Navajo Know

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11075 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Customer Reviews

The best and final Pixies
I've been listening to the Pixies since I was 12. They'll always be one of the best rock bands ever. Yes, "Come on Pilgrim" is the first release, and the rawest. Yes, "Doolittle" is probably considered the best Pixies album to date. "Bossanova" just rocks. Then, we have the final act.

"Trompe Le Monde" is a venture into a more produced, more "sci-fi" sound (Frank also took the sci-fi with him for his first 2 solo releases). It is frankly, for me, the best Pixies, or Frank Black writing ever released.

This album is worth the money alone for the track "Letter to Memphis". If you've only got one Pixies album so far, this should be the next.

A Swan Song Not in Vain
Please...humor me...why do so many Pixies fans malign this album? When I first heard it (on a mix tape), I was not too impressed. 3 years later, I consider this their finest work.

Though Trompe Le Monde lacks the Albini-culled bombast of Surfer Rosa, and even the albums that followed (Doolittle and Bossanova, for those keeping score), that actually benefits this album in the long run. Describing the record as "mature" and "spastic" seems only fitting. So many moments stand out, I can't name them all. The outro of "Alec Eiffel" (which is probably one of the most haunting parts I've ever heard). The majesty of "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons." The absolute beauty and power of "Letter to Memphis," which is probably the most straightforward love song Frank has ever penned. The pure shredding of Joey and Frank (and Kim) in the beginning of "Space (I Believe In)." "Motorway to Roswell" as a whole. Wow.

Good album, folks. Really. I can see how some may knock on it because Kim Deal didn't contribute much (which may be good or bad, depending on how you view her importance). Still, Trompe Le Monde was more than a final album for the Pixies. Loud, yet sublime. Frightening, yet peaceful. The contrasts could go on. If you're clutching your copy of Surfer Rosa, praising it for all its worth...try spinning Trompe Le Monde again...you may be surprised.

Into the Mountain
I'll defy conventional wisdom right here by saying that each Pixies album was better than the one before. This, being the last, was the best in my opinion. For a band known for constant innovation, here they really pushed the boundaries of the rock song as far as they (or FB, if you really believe that this was "his" album) could. In a way, "Doolittle" was the pinnacle of the Pixies sound, so I can understand the praise heaped upon it. How could they possibly improve upon perfection? Well, they didn't- they just continued the progression of their sound. Things were toned down a bit for "Bossanova" (more subdued but equally enthralling) and then turned back up for this! On the first couple listens it might sound like endless screaming, and metallic guitar tones, chugging away in a thousand different directions. But underneath this abrasive surface, one will eventually notice sharp hooks around every corner, and extremely inventive and complex melodies. Highlights include "Alec Eiffel", "Palace Of the Brine" and "Subbacultcha" but really it's best listened to as a whole. The relentless pace of the album is frequently peppered with absolutely sublime moments, making it a unique and rewarding listening experience. Pehaps it's greatest achievement is it's unholy marriage of "riff-oriented" song structures that give way to more fluid and sprawling melodic refrains that get stuck in your head for.... well, forever. "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle" may be the undisputed masterpeices, but "Trompe Le Monde" stands alone as their most difficult and audacious creation.