Pixies: Reunited, and it feels so right
The indie favorites had been apart for 12 years.
A leisurely ride home from vacation with his wife and five children is not the vision you imagine when interviewing Frank Black, or rather Black Francis, as he's known in Pixies.
Not to confuse interview subjects with their signature songs, but the psychotic "There Goes My Gun" and the nihilistic "Gouge Away" don't conjure images of children and dogs. Then again, you never expected singer songwriter/guitarist Black, bassist/vocalist Kim Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago, and drummer David Lovering to reunite after more than a decade of being away from their innovative alterna-band, or to continue that reunion with a 21st-anniversary tour celebrating their most winning album, Doolittle, and a newly released Blu-ray disc documenting two of 2005's shows.
First things first: How does Black feel about Pixies bassist Deal double-dipping into the reunion pool with this weekend's show with the Breeders, her band with sister Kelly Deal?
"I got my own gigs this weekend," Black says. "It's cool. We're not a cult or anything."
Maybe not. But Pixies developed a cult following for its (then) boldly unique mix of loud/soft dynamics, arty noise, and pop hooks filled with Black's cryptic lyrics rife with references to biblical might and sci-fi frenzy. Following manic Surfer Rosa, Doolittle was Pixies' apex - everything the bourgeoning indie market loved and more.
"I think it was the timing of Doolittle that made it crucial," Black remarks of the 1989 classic. "We found a British producer [Gil Norton] who harnessed our rough-around-the-edges vibe and made it more palatable. It was rough and quirky for indie music fans but had pop hooks for everyone else. It was Pixies' top of the hill."
To Black's recollection, there was nothing enthralling or horrific about the Doolittle sessions. "The only disasters were in my personal life," he snorts. "We were actually excited about our potential."
Such excitement didn't last, and Pixies broke up in 1993, only to reunite in the 21st century. For Black, there is a kind of normalcy about reuniting and staying reunited that made him forget "the 12 years we weren't together. It isn't based on something I can identify. We're just on tour. There's no reason to be here like promoting a new studio album." There is a new Blu-ray disc, Pixies: Acoustic & Electric Live, that captures 2005 concerts like their first all-acoustic performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
"Ah, the Dunkin' Donuts Newport Folk Festival," Black muses about the show's sponsor. "I wanted to call the DVD that. We were challenged by having to play acoustic. Nothing bad, mind you. Still, we haven't rushed to do it again."
No matter. There's always Doolittle - the chirping call of "Here Comes Your Man," the surrealist thrush of "Debaser," and the monster grunge of "Dancing the Manta Ray" - which became a sound track to indie youth before there was much of an indie anything. "Ah, when you're a legend you just accept it," says Black with a chuckle. "You just wear the crown."