View source for Surfer Rosa

{{Short description|1988 studio album by Pixies}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name          = Surfer Rosa
| type          = studio
| artist        = [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]]
| cover         = SurferRosa.jpg
| border        = yes
| alt           = Topless flamenco dancer posed against a wall with a crucifix and torn poster
| released      = {{start date|1988|3|21}}<ref name="Release">{{cite magazine |date=March 19, 1988 |title=Music Week |magazine=[[Music Week]] |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1988/MW-1988-03-19.pdf |page=38 |access-date=January 4, 2024}}</ref>
| recorded      = November & December 1987
| studio        = * [[Downtown Recorders]] (Boston)
* [[Q Division Studios|Q Division]] ([[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]]){{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=18}}
| genre         = * [[Alternative rock]]
* [[indie rock]]
* [[art punk]]<ref name="mervis">{{cite news |last=Mervis |first=Scott |date=June 8, 2021 |title=Pixies Will Play Stage AE in September |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2021/06/08/Pixies-Stage-AE-Outdoors-in-September-Pittsburgh-tickets/stories/202106080123 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date=October 6, 2021 |quote=The Boston band debuted in 1988 with "Surfer Rosa," introducing its unique form of quiet-to-loud art-punk and, over the course of a few years, hit the college airwaves with such songs as "Gigantic," "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Here Comes Your Man."}}</ref>
* [[grunge]]<ref name="NMEBA">{{cite magazine |last=Staunton |first=Terry |date=August 11, 1990 |title=Pixies – Bossanova |magazine=[[NME]] |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000299reviews.html |access-date=August 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001012063707/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000299reviews.html |archive-date=October 12, 2000 |url-status=dead |quote=Gil Norton's production leans towards the harsh garage grunge of 'Surfer Rosa', although the songs retain the strong melodies of 'Doolittle'. In many ways, 'Bossanova' is the composite Pixies LP, the most positive elements of its two predecessors blended together to make one of the most intriguing and listenable albums of the year.}}</ref>
| length        = 33:21
| label         = [[4AD]]
| producer      = [[Steve Albini]]
| prev_title    = [[Come On Pilgrim]]
| prev_year     = 1987
| next_title    = [[Doolittle (album)|Doolittle]]
| next_year     = 1989
| misc          = {{Singles
 | name        = Surfer Rosa
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Gigantic (song)|Gigantic]]" / "River Euphrates
 | single1date = August 22, 1988
}}
}}
'''''Surfer Rosa''''' is the debut studio album by the American [[alternative rock]] band [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]], released in March 1988 on the British label [[4AD]].<ref>The Pixies' previous release, ''[[Come On Pilgrim]]'', was an [[Extended play|EP]] rather than a full album.</ref> It was produced by [[Steve Albini]]. ''Surfer Rosa'' contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to [[Puerto Rico]]. It includes references to [[mutilation]] and [[voyeurism]] alongside experimental recording techniques and a distinctive drum sound.

As 4AD was an [[independent label]], distribution in the United States was handled by British label [[Rough Trade Records]]; however, it failed to chart in either country. Only one single was released, a rerecorded version of "[[Gigantic (song)|Gigantic]]", and reached number 93 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. ''Surfer Rosa'' was rereleased in the US by [[Elektra Records]] in 1992, and in 2005 was [[RIAA certification|certified]] gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="RIAA"/>

''Surfer Rosa'' is often included on critics' lists of the best rock albums. [[Alternative rock]] artists including [[Billy Corgan]] and [[PJ Harvey]] have cited it as an inspiration; it was an influence on [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s 1993 album ''[[In Utero]]'', which Albini also produced.

==Background==
Before the release of Pixies' debut [[mini-album]] ''[[Come On Pilgrim]]'' in October 1987, [[Ivo Watts-Russell]], head of [[4AD]], suggested they return to the studio to record a full-length album. The original plan was to record new material at [[Fort Apache Studios]], where the band had produced ''[[Pixies (EP)|The Purple Tape]]'' and ''Come On Pilgrim''. However, due to differences between the band's manager Ken Goes and ''The Purple Tape'' producer [[Gary Smith (record producer)|Gary Smith]], Pixies ended up looking for a new producer and recording studio. On the advice of a 4AD colleague, Watts-Russell looked to hire [[Steve Albini]] as the record's engineer and producer. Having sent a pre-release tape of ''Come On Pilgrim'' to Albini, Goes invited him to a Boston dinner party at drummer [[David Lovering]]'s house a few weeks after ''Come On Pilgrim''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release.

Albini met the band that evening, and they discussed how the next record should sound and be recorded. Albini said that, "[the band and I] were in the studio the next day."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=75}} [[Paul Q. Kolderie]], who had worked at Fort Apache Studios with Smith, recommended the Boston recording studio [[Q Division Studios|Q Division]] to Albini.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=76}} This created tension between Smith and Kolderie, and Kolderie later remarked that "Gary almost killed me for the suggestion, he thought I was scheming to get the project."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=77}}

==Recording and production==
Pixies entered Q Division in December 1987,<ref>The exact date that the recording of ''Surfer Rosa'' began is uncertain.</ref> booking ten working days of studio time in which to record the album.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=75}} 4AD allocated Pixies a budget of US$10,000, with the total costs amounting to about $18,000.{{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=46}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Britt |first=Bruce |date=September 6, 1989 |title=Bands Bring Fresh Sound to the Big Time |work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |page=L9}}</ref> Albini's producer's fee was US$1,500, and he received no royalties;<ref name="fe">{{cite magazine |last=Albini |first=Steve |year=1991 |title=They Don't Call Him the Martin Hannett of the '90s for Nothing |magazine=Forced Exposure |issue=17 |url=http://userpages.umbc.edu/~sjohns11/albini/eyewitness.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050109204418/http://userpages.umbc.edu/~sjohns11/albini/eyewitness.txt |archive-date=January 9, 2005 }}</ref> Albini had a practice of refusing royalties from records he produced, viewing it as "an insult to the band."<ref>{{cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |year=2001 |title=[[Our Band Could Be Your Life|Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991]] |publisher=Little Brown and Company |isbn=978-0-316-78753-6 |page=344}}</ref> Along with Albini in the studio, Q Division's Jon Lupfer acted as studio assistant.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=77}} The recording process took the entire booked period of ten working days to complete, with extra vocal mixes subsequently added in the studio.<ref name="4adpg2">{{cite web |title=Pixies Profile&nbsp;— Page 2 |url=http://4ad.com/artists/pixies |publisher=4AD |access-date=April 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606063822/http://www.4ad.com/pixies/profile/?page=3 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Albini planned to mix the record "somewhere else", but according to Lupfer, "He was unhappy there with it."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=83}}

===Albini's recording techniques===
During [[Kim Deal]]'s vocals takes during "[[Where Is My Mind?]]" and "Gigantic", Albini moved the equipment to record into a studio bathroom to achieve more "roomy" echo. John Murphy, Deal's then husband, said, "Albini didn't like the studio sound".{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|pp=80–81}} Albini later said that the record could have been completed in a week, but "we ended up trying more experimental stuff basically to kill time and see if anything good materialized."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=76}} An example was "Something Against You", where Albini filtered [[Black Francis]]' voice through a guitar amp for "a totally ragged, vicious texture."<ref name="jp">{{cite web |last=Press |first=Joy |title=Pixies, by Joy Press |url=http://aleceiffel.free.fr/joy.html |publisher=Option |access-date=April 15, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516222946/http://aleceiffel.free.fr/joy.html |archive-date=May 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Studio banter===
The recording of a conversation held between Francis and Albini can be heard at the end of "Oh My Golly!". Lupfer writes that "it was a concept he [Albini] was going for to get some studio banter." As Deal was leaving the studio to smoke a cigarette, she exclaimed "If anybody touches my stuff, I'll kill ya." Francis replied with "I'll kill you, you fucking die, if anybody touches my stuff". The track begins at this point, with Francis explaining the conversation to Albini, whose voice is not heard on the track.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |last=Francis |first=Black |year=1988 |title=Surfer Rosa |type=LP |publisher=[[4AD Records|4AD]] |url=http://dag.wieers.com/debaser/lyrics/Vamos2.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611220122/http://dag.wieers.com/debaser/lyrics/Vamos2.php |archive-date=June 11, 2011}}</ref> Lupfer later admitted that Albini knew "perfectly well what was going on."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=79}}

"I'm Amazed" begins with Deal recounting a story in which one of her former teachers who was "into field hockey players" was discreetly fired. Francis finishes Deal's sentences, joking that her response to hearing of the teacher's activities was to try to join the team.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |last=Francis |first=Black |year=1988 |title=Surfer Rosa |type=LP |publisher=[[4AD Records|4AD]] |url=http://dag.wieers.com/debaser/lyrics/imamazed.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113133506/http://dag.wieers.com/debaser/lyrics/imamazed.php |archive-date=November 13, 2007}}</ref> Albini later observed the use of studio banter on ''Surfer Rosa'': "It's on their record forever so I think now they are obliged to say that they're ok with it, but I honestly don't know that that idea would've ever come up if I hadn't done it. There are times when things like that are revealing and entertaining and I kind of felt it was a bit gimmicky on this record."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=80}}

==Music==
{{listen
 | filename     = SomethingAgainstYou.ogg
 | title        = "Something Against You"
 | description  = is the third track of ''Surfer Rosa''. This sample contains part of the chorus, with Francis' distorted screaming and a repeated guitar rhythm prominent.
 | format       = [[Ogg]]
 | filename2    = WhereIsMyMind.ogg
 | title2       = "Where Is My Mind?"
 | description2 = is the seventh track of ''Surfer Rosa''. This sample contains the end of the third verse and part of the chorus. Santiago's erratic lead guitar plays a key part in the song's melody.
 | format2      = [[Ogg]]
}}

Like ''[[Come On Pilgrim]]'', ''Surfer Rosa'' displays a mix of musical styles; pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", "Break My Body", and "Brick Is Red" are featured alongside slower, more melodic tracks exemplified by "[[Where Is My Mind?]]". The album includes heavier material, and prominently features the band's trademark quiet-loud dynamic. Frontman and principal songwriter Black Francis wrote the material, the only exception being "Gigantic," which was co-written with Kim Deal. "Gigantic" is one of only two Pixies album tracks on which Deal sang lead vocals.

''Surfer Rosa''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s lyrical content includes examinations of [[mutilation]] and [[incest]] in "Break My Body" and "Broken Face", while references to superheroes appear on "Tony's Theme". Voyeurism appears in "Gigantic", and surrealistic lyrics are featured on "Bone Machine" and "Where Is My Mind?". Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico are found on the tracks "Oh My Golly!" and "Vamos." The latter track was previously featured on ''Come On Pilgrim'', and appears on ''Surfer Rosa'' as a rerecorded version of the original song. Many of the themes explored on previous recordings are revisited on ''Surfer Rosa''; however, unlike on the band's later albums, the songs in ''Surfer Rosa'' are not preoccupied with one overarching topic.

Other unusual and offbeat subject matter is raised on the album. "[[Cactus (Pixies song)|Cactus]]" is narrated by a prison inmate who requests his girlfriend smear her dress with blood and mail it to him.<ref name="4adpg2" /> "Gigantic" is about an illicit love affair{{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=19}} and borrows from the 1986 film ''[[Crimes of the Heart (film)|Crimes of the Heart]]'', in which a married woman falls in love with a teenager. Francis was inspired to write "Where Is My Mind?" after [[scuba diving]] in the [[Caribbean]]. He later said he had "this very small fish trying to chase me. I don't know why—I don't know too much about fish behavior."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Biel |first1=Jean-Michel |last2=Gourraud |first2=Christophe |title=Pixies Titles/Names |url=http://aleceiffel.free.fr/titles.html |publisher=Alec Eiffel |access-date=April 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401084546/http://aleceiffel.free.fr/titles.html |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
''Surfer Rosa'' was released in the UK by 4AD on March 21, 1988, entering the [[UK Indie Chart]] the following week. It spent 60 weeks in the chart, peaking at number 2.<ref name="Lazell">{{cite book |last=Lazell |first=Barry |year=1997 |title=Indie Hits 1980–1999 |publisher=Cherry Red Books |isbn=978-0-9517206-9-1}}</ref> Until August of that year it was only available in the U.S. as an import. Although the label held worldwide distribution rights to Pixies, they did not have access to a distributor outside the UK. When 4AD signed a distribution deal with [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]'s U.S. branch, the album was released on vinyl and cassette as part of the ''Surfer Rosa/Come On Pilgrim'' release. While ''Surfer Rosa/Come On Pilgrim'' has remained in print on CD in the UK, subsequent U.S. releases have seen the two released on separate CDs. These separate releases first appeared in January 1992, when [[Elektra Records]] first reissued the band's first two albums. After 4AD reacquired rights to the band's U.S. distribution, they released both as separate CDs.<ref name="Phares"/> ''Surfer Rosa'' was [[RIAA certification|certified]] gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] in 2005, 17 years after its original release.<ref name="RIAA"/>

"[[Gigantic (song)|Gigantic]]" was the only single taken from ''Surfer Rosa''. The track and its [[B-side]], "River Euphrates", were rerecorded by [[Gil Norton]] at Blackwing Studios in London, early in May 1988.{{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=43}} The remixed single was well met by critics.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=88}} The single failed to sell, and spent just one week at number 93 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>{{cite web |title=UK Singles Chart |url=http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php |publisher=PolyHex |access-date=March 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207165154/http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the poor commercial performance of both ''Surfer Rosa'' and "Gigantic", Ivo Watts-Russell has said that the response to the album was "times five" compared with ''Come On Pilgrim''.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=87}}

==Packaging==
[[Image:SurferRosaWoman.jpg|thumb|right|"Surfer Rosa #2" from the album's cover booklet.|alt=Blurred sepia-toned scene of a woman in a ruffled dress in mid-motion under draped fabric with a crucifix and guitar in the background]]
''Surfer Rosa''{{'}}s [[cover art]]work features a photograph of Isabel Tamen, a Portuguese dancer and friend of photographer [[Simon Larbalestier]], posing topless as a [[flamenco]] dancer against a wall displaying a [[crucifix]] and a torn poster.<ref>{{cite web |last=Valiño |first=Xavier |title=Las mejores portadas del rock: Pixies, 'Surfer rosa' |trans-title=The Best Rock Album Covers: Pixies, 'Surfer Rosa' |website=Efeeme |date=January 23, 2013 |url=https://www.efeeme.com/las-mejores-portadas-del-rock-pixies-surfer-rosa/ |access-date=20 November 2024 |language=es}}</ref> Larbalestier, who contributed pictures to all Pixies [[album sleeve]]s, decided to build the set because "we couldn't find the atmosphere we wanted naturally." According to Larbalestier, Black Francis came up with the idea for the cover as he wrote songs in his father's "topless Spanish bar"; Larbalestier added the crucifix and torn poster, and they "sort of loaded that with all the Catholicism."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=84}} Commenting on the cover in 2005, Francis said, "I just hope people find it tasteful."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |date=July 2005 |title=Pixies – ''Surfer Rosa'' |magazine=Spin}}</ref> The cover booklet expands on the theme, and features photographs of the flamenco dancer in several other poses; there are no song lyrics or written content, apart from album credits, in the booklet.

The booklet's photographs were taken in one day at a pub opposite the 4AD offices, because, according to Larbalestier, "it was one of the few places that had a raised stage".{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=84}} In a 1988 interview with [[Joy Press]], Black Francis described the concept as referring to "a surfer girl," who "walks along the beach of [[Piñones State Forest|Piñones]], has a surfboard, very beautiful." When questioned about the topless element, he replied, "For the first record, I told them I liked nudity. I like body lines—not necessarily something in bad taste, didn't even have to be female, just body lines&nbsp;... like that [[Obsession (perfume)|Obsession]] ad, you know?"<ref name="jp" /> According to ''[[Melody Maker]]'', the album was originally entitled "Gigantic" after Deal's song, but the band feared misinterpretation of the cover and changed it to "Surfer Rosa."<ref>{{cite web |title=Pixies Titles/Names |url=http://aleceiffel.free.fr/titles.html |publisher=Alec Eiffel |access-date=April 15, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401084546/http://aleceiffel.free.fr/titles.html |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The "name" of the cover woman, and the album title, comes from the "Oh My Golly!" lyric "Besando chichando con surfer rosa", which roughly translates to "Kissing, making love with Surfer Rosa".

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Phares">{{cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |title=Surfer Rosa – Pixies |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/surfer-rosa-mw0000196022 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=March 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312031424/https://www.allmusic.com/album/surfer-rosa-mw0000196022 |archive-date=March 12, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dolan |first=Jon |date=December 2008 – January 2009 |title=Pixies: Surfer Rosa |magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |location=New York |volume=7 |issue=11 |page=86 |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55353/surfer-rosa.html |access-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421135822/http://www.blender.com/guide/new/55353/surfer-rosa.html |archive-date=April 21, 2009 |url-status=unfit}}</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cameron |first=Keith |date=September 2019 |title=Perfectly Frank |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |location=London |issue=310 |page=39}}</ref>
| rev4      = ''[[NME]]''
| rev4score = 9.5/10<ref name="Sinker">{{cite magazine |last=Sinker |first=Mark |date=March 19, 1988 |title=Surf Pixies: Must Buy! |magazine=[[NME]] |location=London |page=31 |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000380reviews.html |access-date=May 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000930034513/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000380reviews.html |archive-date=September 30, 2000 |url-status=unfit}}</ref>
| rev5      = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev5score = 10/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Mike |date=April 25, 2014 |title=Pixies: Catalog |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19282-pixies-catalogue/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=April 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410013850/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19282-pixies-catalogue/ |archive-date=April 10, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev6      = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |author-link=Douglas Wolk |year=2004 |chapter=The Pixies |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |edition=4th |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/639 639–640] |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8}}</ref>
| rev7      = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wilkinson |first=Roy |author-link=Roy Wilkinson |date=March 19, 1988 |title=Catch This Wave! |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |location=London}}</ref>
| rev8      = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev8score = A+<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Milner |first=Greg |date=September 2004 |title=Rock Music: A Pixies Discography |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |location=New York |volume=20 |issue=9 |page=73 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NhnqJL2C06oC&pg=PA73 |access-date=April 14, 2022}}</ref>
| rev9      = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev9score = 10/10<ref>{{cite book |last=Weisbard |first=Eric |author-link=Eric Weisbard |year=1995 |chapter=Pixies |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |location=New York |pages=301–302 |isbn=978-0-679-75574-6}}</ref>
| rev10      = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev10score = B<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=September 27, 1988 |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |location=New York |url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv988-88.php |access-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914102223/https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv988-88.php |archive-date=September 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

UK music press reviews of ''Surfer Rosa'' were generally positive. ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Ian Cranna wrote that "what sets the Pixies apart are their sudden bursts of memorable pop melody," and noted that "they could have a bright future ahead of them." ''[[NME]]''{{'}}s Mark Sinker, reviewing the album in March 1988, said "they force the past to sound like them",<ref name="Sinker"/> while Dave Henderson from ''Underground'' magazine found the songs "well crafted, well delivered sketches which embrace commercial ideals as well as bizarre left-field out of control moments".<ref name="Henderson">{{cite magazine |last=Henderson |first=Dave |date=April 1988 |title=Pixies: Surfer Rosa |magazine=Underground |issue=13 |page=18}}</ref> John Dougan of American music magazine ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' described it as "beautifully brutal",<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dougan |first=John |date=July 1988 |title=The Pixies: Surfer Rosa |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |location=New York |volume=4 |issue=4 |page=93 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gBfYiTJzzxEC&pg=PA93 |access-date=April 14, 2022}}</ref> and the magazine later named Pixies their musicians of the year.{{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=20}} In a less enthusiastic contemporary review for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] found the band's guitar riffs recognizable and their strong rhythms unique, but felt they had been overrated by critics who hailed them as "the Amerindie find of the year".<ref name="Christgau"/> In a 2003 review of [[Pixies (EP)|the Pixies' 2002 self-titled EP]], Christgau wrote that while he initially found Francis' fey and philosophically limited lyrics somewhat annoying, ''Surfer Rosa'' now seemed "audaciously funny and musically prophetic".<ref>{{cite news |last=Christgau |first=Robert |date=February 1, 2003 |title=Consumer Guide: The Prelude |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv203-03.php |access-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-date=April 25, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030425100325/https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv203-03.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the end of 1988, ''Surfer Rosa'' was named one of the year's best albums on English critics' year-end lists. Independent music magazines ''Melody Maker'' and ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' named ''Surfer Rosa'' as their album of the year; ''NME'' and ''[[Record Mirror]]'' placed the album 10th and 14th, respectively.{{sfn|Sisario|2006|p=19}} As of 2015, sales in the United States have exceeded 705,000 copies, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref name="capradio">{{cite web |title=The Record: Unfinished Business |url=http://www.capradio.org/music/eclectic/2015/02/03/the-record-unfinished-business/ |access-date=August 20, 2017 |archive-date=August 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820115845/http://www.capradio.org/music/eclectic/2015/02/03/the-record-unfinished-business/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Both ''Surfer Rosa'' and Steve Albini's production of the album have been influential on [[alternative rock]], and on [[grunge]] in particular. [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s [[Kurt Cobain]] cited ''Surfer Rosa'' as the basis for ''[[Nevermind]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s songwriting.<ref>{{cite web |author=Melody Maker |title=Pixies&nbsp;— Ephemera&nbsp;— Kurt Cobain on Pixies and The Breeders |url=http://www.4ad.com/pixies/ephemera/kurt-cobain-on-p/ |publisher=4AD |access-date=April 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421131743/http://www.4ad.com/pixies/ephemera/kurt-cobain-on-p/ |archive-date=April 21, 2007}}</ref> When he first heard the album, Cobain discovered a template for the mix of heavy noise and pop he was aiming to achieve. He remarked in 1992 that he "heard songs off of ''Surfer Rosa'' that I'd written but threw out because I was too afraid to play them for anybody."<ref>{{cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |year=1994 |title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=978-0-385-47199-2 |pages=103–104}}</ref> Cobain listed ''Surfer Rosa'' as one of the top 50 albums he thought were most influential to Nirvana's sound in his journal in 1993.<ref name="joyfulnoiserecordings.com">{{cite web |title=Top 50 by Nirvana" [MIXTAPE] |url=http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018034220/http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |access-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> Cobain hired Albini to produce Nirvana's 1993 album ''[[In Utero (album)|In Utero]]'', primarily due to his contribution to ''Surfer Rosa''.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=220}}

[[The Smashing Pumpkins]]' [[Billy Corgan]] described ''Surfer Rosa'' as "the one that made me go, 'holy shit'. It was so fresh. It rocked without being lame." Corgan was impressed by the album's drum sound, and acknowledged that The Smashing Pumpkins used to study the record for its technical elements.{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=87}} [[Nada Surf]] have also cited the album as an influence.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ploeg |first=Theo |date=October 23, 2002 |title=Nada Surf: It Is Hard to Not Get Cynical |url=https://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/nada-surf/nada-surf-it-is-hard-to-not-get-cynical/1960/index.html |website=kindamuzik.net |access-date=October 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815164204/https://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/nada-surf/nada-surf-it-is-hard-to-not-get-cynical/1960/index.html |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |url-status=live |quote=We are influenced by ''Surfer Rosa'' [the Pixies' first full-length], [[the Kinks|Kinks]], [[the Byrds|Byrds]], and melodic guitar bands like [[Grandaddy]], [[Built to Spill|Built To Spill]], and [[Guided By Voices]]."}}</ref> Musician [[PJ Harvey]] said that ''Surfer Rosa'' "blew my mind," and that she "immediately went to track down Steve Albini."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=120}} [[Dinosaur Jr.]]'s [[J Mascis]], comparing the record to the later Pixies albums ''[[Bossanova (Pixies album)|Bossanova]]'' and ''[[Trompe le Monde]]'', said he thought that Albini's production "sounded way better than the other ones".{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=85}}

Ivo Watts-Russell recalled: "I remember when I first heard ''Surfer Rosa'' thinking, 'I didn't know the Pixies could sound like [[The Fall (band)|The Fall]].' That was my immediate reaction, in other words, incredibly raw." Gary Smith, who at the time was in a disagreement with the band, admitted he "was really happy that they had made such a forceful, aggressive, record."

In 1991, as Pixies were recording ''[[Trompe le Monde]]'', Albini told the fan magazine ''[[Forced Exposure]]'' that ''Surfer Rosa'' was "a patchwork pinch loaf from a band who at their top dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock", and said of the band: "Their willingness to be 'guided' by their manager, their record company and their producers is unparalleled. Never have I seen four cows more anxious to be led around by their nose rings."<ref name="fe" /> In 2005, Albini apologized for the remarks, saying: "To this day I regret having done it. I don't think that I regarded the band as significantly as I should have."{{sfn|Frank|Ganz|2005|p=86}} In 2023, he said ''Surfer Rosa'' was "a better record than I thought it was at the time".<ref>{{cite web |last=Starkey |first=Arun |date=May 20, 2024 |title=Steve Albini Said He Was "Ashamed" of Pixies Backlash |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/steve-albini-criticising-pixies/ |website=Far Out |access-date=May 28, 2024}}</ref>

In an interview for the Life of the Record podcast, Albini went on to say, "I wrote some rather glib and unflattering things about [the Pixies taking all of his suggestions without question] in a [[fanzine]] in the immediate aftermath of that record, and I'm ashamed of the way I treated them. They didn't deserve that."<ref>{{cite web |title=Life of the Record |url=https://lifeoftherecord.com/#/pixies |website=lifeoftherecord.com |access-date=August 29, 2025}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{|class="wikitable"
|+Accolades for ''Surfer Rosa''
|-
! scope="col"| Publication
! scope="col"| Country
! scope="col"| Accolade
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Rank
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| UK
| Mojo 1000, the Ultimate CD Buyers guide<ref>{{cite web |author=Mojo |title=Mojo Ultimate Albums |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p4.htm |publisher=RockListMusic.co.uk |access-date=April 8, 2007 |archive-date=February 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221101308/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p4.htm |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 2001
| style="text-align:center;"| *
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Musik Express]]''
| Germany
| The 50 Best Albums from the 80s<ref>{{cite web |author=Musik Express |title=Musik Express/Sounds&nbsp;— Popular Music Best-Of-Lists lists |url=http://www.poplist.de/poplist.php?l=453 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |archive-date=October 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009201823/http://www.poplist.de/poplist.php?l=453 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| 2003
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| US
| Top 100 Albums of the 1980s<ref>{{cite web |author=Pitchfork |date=November 21, 2002 |title=Pitchfork: Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1980s |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/10/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=May 30, 2010 |archive-date=May 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523203821/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5882-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s/10/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| 2002
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| UK
| The 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time<ref>{{cite web |author=Q |title=A Selection of Lists from Q Magazine |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest |publisher=RockList.net |access-date=March 27, 2007 |archive-date=October 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019101341/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage2.html#50%20Heaviest |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 2001
| style="text-align:center;"| *
|-
| scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3"| ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rowspan="3"| US
| rowspan="3"| [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]
| 2003
| style="text-align:center;"| 315<ref>{{cite web |title=Rolling Stone – the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003) |url=https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2003-lyrics |access-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923080427/https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2003-lyrics |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2012
| style="text-align:center;"| 317<ref>{{cite web |title=Rolling Stone – the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2012) |url=https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2012-lyrics |access-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-date=February 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201144940/https://genius.com/Rolling-stone-the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-2012-lyrics |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2020
| style="text-align:center;"| 390<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 22, 2020 |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/pixies-surfer-rosa-2-1062843/ |access-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-date=May 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512202052/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/pixies-surfer-rosa-2-1062843/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| US
| Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years<ref>{{cite web |author=Spin |title=Spin Lists |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/spin100.html#SPIN%2020th%20Anniversary%20Special,%20July%202005 |publisher=RockList.net |access-date=April 7, 2007 |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118065128/http://rocklistmusic.co.uk/spin100.html#SPIN%2020th%20Anniversary%20Special,%20July%202005 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
| 2005
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|-
| scope="row"| ''Treble''
| US
| The Best Albums of the 80s, by Year<ref>{{cite web |title=Treble's Best Albums of the '80s |url=http://www.treblezine.com/features/80.html |publisher=Treble |access-date=April 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428214803/http://www.treblezine.com/features/80.html |archive-date=April 28, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 2006
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| scope="row"| ''[[Slant Magazine]]''
| US
| Best Albums of the 1980s<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Best Albums of the 1980s {{!}} Music |magazine=Slant Magazine |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_7 |access-date=September 14, 2012 |archive-date=May 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529063902/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_7 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| 2012
| style="text-align:center;"| 36
|}
<small>(*) designates unordered lists.</small>

==Track listing==
All tracks written by [[Black Francis]], except "[[Gigantic (song)|Gigantic]]", written by Black Francis and [[Kim Deal]].
{{Track listing
| headline     = ''Surfer Rosa'' track listing
| title1       = Bone Machine
| length1      = 3:02
| title2       = Break My Body
| length2      = 2:04
| title3       = Something Against You
| length3      = 1:47
| title4       = Broken Face
| length4      = 1:29
| title5       = [[Gigantic (song)|Gigantic]]
| length5      = 3:54
| title6       = River Euphrates
| length6      = 2:31
| title7       = [[Where Is My Mind?]]
| length7      = 3:53
| title8       = [[Cactus (Pixies song)|Cactus]]
| length8      = 2:15
| title9       = Tony's Theme
| length9      = 1:51
| title10      = Oh My Golly!
| length10     = 2:32
| title11      = Vamos
| length11     = 4:21
| title12      = I'm Amazed
| length12     = 1:41
| title13      = Brick Is Red
| length13     = 2:00
| total_length = 33:21
}}

===Notes===
* For the ''Surfer Rosa''/''Come On Pilgrim'' release, the eight tracks of ''[[Come On Pilgrim#Track listing|Come On Pilgrim]]'' appear after "Brick is Red".
* The untitled eleventh track consists of a quiet recording of conversation in the studio. It exists as a separate track on some CD releases but is not listed on the artwork. As such, after track 10, the track listing numbering on the artwork does not match actual tracks on those CDs.
* The album was re-mastered and released in 2007 as a Hybrid [[Super Audio CD]] disc by [[Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab]] from recently discovered, first-generation [[Analog recording|analog]] original [[master tape]]s. The studio banter that makes up the untitled track on other releases is on the same track as "Oh My Golly!".

==Personnel==
All information taken from the CD release of ''Surfer Rosa''.
;Pixies
* [[Black Francis]]&nbsp;– vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
* [[Kim Deal]]&nbsp;– bass, vocals, lead vocals on "Gigantic" (credited as Mrs. John Murphy)
* [[Joey Santiago]]&nbsp;– lead guitar
* [[David Lovering]]&nbsp;– drums
;Technical
* [[Steve Albini]]&nbsp;– production, [[audio engineering]]
* [[Simon Larbalestier]], [[Vaughan Oliver]]&nbsp;– cover image, album booklet imagery
* Published by Rice 'n' Beans Music BMI

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for ''Surfer Rosa''
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Croatian International Albums ([[Top of the Shops|HDU]])<ref>{{cite web |date=October 5, 2025 |title=Lista prodaje 40. tjedan 2025 |trans-title=Sales list Week 40 2025 |url=https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-40-tjedan-2025-2/ |publisher=[[Top of the Shops|HDU]] |language=hr |access-date=October 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251016101334/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-40-tjedan-2025-2/ |archive-date=October 16, 2025}}</ref>
| 4
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Surfer Rosa''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title=Surfer Rosa|type=album|artist=Pixies|relyear=1990|region=Canada|award=Gold|certyear=2005}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title=Surfer Rosa|type=album|artist=Pixies|relyear=1990|region=New Zealand|award=Gold|certyear=2025|source=radioscope|access-date=January 20, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title=Surfer Rosa|type=album|artist=Pixies|relyear=1990|certyear=1995|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|note={{noitalic|for }} Surfer Rosa/Come On Pilgrim {{noitalic|1993 release}}|id=12162-1060-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title=Surfer Rosa|type=album|artist=Pixies|relyear=1988|certyear=2005|region=United States|award=Gold|salesamount=500,000<sup>^</sup> / 705,000|refname="RIAA"|salesref=<ref>{{cite web |date=February 3, 2015 |title=The Record: Unfinished Business |url=http://www.capradio.org/music/eclectic/2015/02/03/the-record-unfinished-business/ |publisher=Capital Public Radio |access-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416140914/http://www.capradio.org/music/eclectic/2015/02/03/the-record-unfinished-business/ |url-status=live}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Frank |first1=Josh |last2=Ganz |first2=Caryn |year=2005 |title=[[Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies]] |publisher=Virgin Books |isbn=978-0-312-34007-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Sisario |first=Ben |year=2006 |title=Doolittle 33⅓ |publisher=Continuum |isbn=978-0-8264-1774-9}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Surfer Rosa}}
<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->
* [https://archive.today/20130416131631/http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/U3VyZmVyIFJvc2E=/Surfer%20Rosa ''Surfer Rosa''] ([[Adobe Flash]]) at [[Radio3Net]] (streamed copy where licensed)
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Pixies/Surfer+Rosa ''Surfer Rosa''] at [[Last.fm]]

{{Pixies}}
{{featured article}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surfer Rosa}}
[[Category:1988 debut albums]]
[[Category:4AD albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Steve Albini]]
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[[Category:Grunge albums]]
[[Category:Pixies (band) albums]]
[[Category:Rough Trade Records albums]]
[[Category:1980s Spanish-language albums]]